BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 1

Lecture 1a - Introduction to Building Materials

COURSE DESCRIPTION
 Building Materials
- Properties
- Composition
- Application and articulation,
including the mode of
specifying these materials in
building construction
VALUES TO INSTILL
 Possibility of Invention: both for
engineers and architects
 Craft of New and Old
Technologies: good practice and
new processes
 Critical View of Product-Driven
Design
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
 Familiarity with requirements of architectural assemblies
 Understanding of broad range of “good” solutions
 Understanding of contemporary issues in the design of architectural
assemblies
 Understanding of design process
 Understanding of construction process
 Identification of opportunities for “invention”
 The initiation of a career-long study of the expressive potential
inherent in the solution of technical assembly and construction
situations.
 Development of strategies for collaboration between disciplines
HOW BUILDINGS COME INTO BEING
The process by which a building project is delivered to its owner may be
divided into the following five phases, referred to as the PROJECT
DELIVERY PHASES. Although there is usually some overlap between
adjacent phases, they generally follow this order:
 Pre-design phase
 Design phase
 Pre-construction phase
 Construction phase
 Post-construction phase
 ELEMENTS OF BUILDING
 Building Systems
1. Foundation/Subgrade (SITE)
2. Superstructure (STRUCTURE)
3. Exterior Envelope (SKIN)
4. Interior Partitions (SPACE PLAN)
5. Mechanical Systems (SERVICES)
6. Furnishings (STUFF)
 Cost
 Lifetimes/Durability
 Performance Requirements
 Integration of Building Systems
1. Spatial Performance
2. Thermal Performance
3. Air Quality
4. Acoustical Performance
5. Visual Performance
6. Building Integrity
BUILDING SYSTEM 1
FOUNDATIONS/SITE
Specification Divisions
Dependent on material
Div. 2 Site Work
Div. 3 Concrete
Div. 4 Masonry
Div. 5 Metals
Div. 6 Wood, Plastics and
Composites
BUILDING SYSTEM 2
SUPERSTRUCTURE
Specification Divisions
Dependent on material
Div. 3 Concrete
Div. 4 Masonry
Div. 5 Metals
Div. 6 Wood, Plastics and
Composites
BUILDING SYSTEM 3
EXTERIOR
ENVELOPE
Specification Divisions
Dependent on material but
also identified in
Div. 7 Thermal and
Moisture Protection
Div. 8 Doors and
Windows
BUILDING SYSTEM 4
INTERIOR
PARTITIONS
Specification Divisions
Dependent on material but
also identified in
Div. 9 Finishes
BUILDING SYSTEM 5
BUILDING SERVICES
Specification Divisions
Dependent on material but also
identified in
Div. 21 Fire suppression
Div. 22 Plumbing
Div. 23 Heating, Ventilating
and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Div. 25 Integral Automation
Div. 26 Electrical
Div. 27 Communications
Div. 28 Electronic Safety
and Security
BUILDING SYSTEM 6
SPECIALTIES –
FURNISHINGS,
FIXTURES AND
EQUIPMENT (FF&E)
Specification Divisions
Dependent on material but
also identified in
Div. 10 Specialties
TRENDS IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
 Increasing durability of the materials used
- Early building materials were perishable, such as leaves, branches,
and animal hides. Later, more durable natural materials—such as clay, stone,
and timber—and, finally, synthetic materials—such as brick, concrete, metals,
and plastics—were used.
 Quest for buildings of greater height and span
- Made possible by the development of stronger materials and by knowledge of
how materials behave and how to exploit them to greater advantage.
 Degree of control over the interior environment of buildings
- Increasingly precise regulation of air temperature, light and sound
levels, humidity, odors, air speed, and other factors that affect human comfort
has been possible.
 Sustainability and the built environment
- Energy available to the construction process, starting with human muscle
power and developing toward the powerful machinery used today.
- Buildings account for 40% of the world’s energy consumption
CLASSIFICATION OF BUILDING
MATERIALS FOR CONSTRUCTION
1. According to their phases – gases, liquids, solids
2. According to their internal structure & chemical
composition – metals, polymers, ceramics, composite and
reinforced composite materials,
GENERAL PROPERTIES OF BUILDING
MATERIALS FOR CONSTRUCTION
 Physical – density, porosity, specific gravity, permeability, surface
energy, texture, color, thermal expansion, shape, etc.
 Mechanical - resistance to applied loads (stress) initially & over time
‐ Stiffness, strength, fracture / yielding (brittle / ductile), tension,
compression, flexure (bending), torsion, direct shear
 Chemical - Chemical composition, potential reaction with environment
‐ oxide content
‐ carbonate content
‐ acidity, alkalinity
‐ resistance to corrosion
 Other
‐ Thermal, Acoustical, Optical, Electrical
DETERMINING THE PROPERTIES OF
BUILDING MATERIALS FOR
CONSTRUCTION
Properties of materials are determined by
• Laboratory testing
• Field testing

To avoid inconsistencies in test results, STANDARDS are

devised which describe the test apparatus and the procedure.
PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS
• Building materials and their composites must serve an intended
function over a certain life span of a structure.
• The useful life expectancy of materials is related to the environmental
conditions for which they were first selected; their durability or service
life is a function of that environment.
• Predictions as to the behavior and performance of traditional materials
under given geographical and environmental conditions can be quite
accurate.
• Traditional materials can also perform quite differently when used and
exposed in new and changing climate conditions, such as the harsh
environs of the Middle East.
• The service life of a material is also dependent on the physical
interaction of that material with natural forces (wind loads, seismic
forces) and human actions (pollution, physical abuse).
PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
1.Foundation/ Subgrade structure
I. Dead and live load transfer
2.Superstructure
I. Dead and Live load transfer
II. Lateral force resistance and stability
3.Exterior Wall
I. Maintenance of interior environment
4.Interior Partitions
I. Programmatic spatial definition
II. Acoustic separation
5.Mechanical Devices
I. Maintenance of interior environment
 PERFORMANCE
CHARACTERISTICS
STRUCTURAL SERVICEABILITY
The performance characteristic of structural serviceability includes
resistance to natural forces, structural adequacy, and physical
properties, such as strength.
 Natural forces
–wind
–seismic
 Strength
–Compression
–Tension
–Shear
–Torsion
–Modulus of rupture
–Indentation
–Hardness
FIRE SAFETY
The investigation of fire safety would include:
 Fire resistance
– Capacity of a material or an assembly of materials to withstand fire or
provide protection from it
– Characterized by the ability to confine fire, to continue to perform a
structural function, or both
 Flame spread
– Comparative measure of the ability of a building material or composite to
resist the spread of flame over its surface
 Smoke development
 Toxicity
HABITABILITY
The performance characteristics of habitability include livability as
characterized by:
 Thermal properties
–Thermal expansion
–Thermal transmittance and resistance
–Thermal shock
 Acoustic properties
–Sound transmission
–Sound absorption
–Noise reduction coefficient
 Water permeability
–Water absorption
–Permeability – water vapor transmission
–Moisture expansion and drying shrinkage
 Hygiene, Comfort, Safety
–Toxicity
–Vermin infestation
–Slip resistance
–Mildew resistance
–Air infiltration
DURABILITY
Includes the dimensional stability of a material to withstand the rigors of
wear, weathering, and other disintegrative influences:
 Resistance to wear
–Abrasion
–Scratching
–Scrubbing
–Scuffing
 Weathering
–Freeze-thaw
–Ozone
–Fading
–Chemical fumes
–Bactericidal
–UV radiation
 Adhesion of coatings
–Delamination
–Blistering
 Dimensional stability
–Shrinkage
–Expansion
–Volume change
 Mechanical properties
–Resistance to splitting
–Resistance to bursting
–Resistance to tearing
–Resistance to fatigue
COMPATIBILITY
Includes the ability of materials and systems to withstand reaction with
adjacent materials in terms of:
 Chemical interaction
 Galvanic action
 Differential movement

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
 Safety
 Natural resources
 Energy
 Service and beyond