Building

Materials in
Contemporary
Architecture

Arch 5309
By Mulubrhan B. (Msc)

Adama Science and Technology

University)

April 2022
Building Materials in
Contemporary Architecture
 The best types of modern building
materials available today
3D Graphene
A material that is hailed as being ten times
stronger than steel. 3D graphene, is set to
revolutionize 3D printing. Beyond its strengths,
this material is also has antibacterial and thermal
qualities to add to its strength elasticity and
durability. This is one of the modern construction
materials with huge future potential.
Concrete
introduction

 It is estimated that the present consumption

of concrete in the world is of the order of
10 billion tonnes (12 billion tons) every
year.
 Humans consume no material except water
in such tremendous quantities
 It is usually the cheapest and most readily
available material on the job.
 Cont’d
Concrete does not corrode, needs no
surface treatment, and its strength increases
with time; therefore, concrete structures
requires essentially no maintenance.
it can be molded as desired

itdoes have its negatives, For example,

concrete is responsible for ~8% of the
world's greenhouse gas emissions.
 Cont’d
 The fire resistance of concrete is perhaps the
most important single aspect of offshore safety
and, at the same time, the area in which the
advantages of concrete are most evident.
 Resistance to cyclic loading
 In most codes of practice, the allowable
concrete stresses are limited to about 50 percent
of the ultimate strength; thus the fatigue strength
of concrete is generally not a problem.
Cement
Cement is a finely pulverized, dry,
material that by itself is not a binder but
develops the binding property as a result
of hydration.
A cement is called hydraulic when the
hydration products are stable in an
aqueous environment.
Cont’d
 Steel
As the case for concrete, it would surely be
impossible to discuss modern building
materials without mentioning stee
The cities skylines we are all familiar with
would be impossible without it.
Strong, lightweight and durable, it is also a
great material for window and door frames,
door handles, hand rails and so forth.
Cont’d
Glass
Glass
 What would architecture be today without glass?
 One thing to note is that not all windows are the
same.
 The exact composition of glass may vary to
meet specific applications requirements but the
most commonly use type of glass, is made
of silica sand, soda ash, limestone, dolomite
and glass cullets (recycled glass)
Cont’d
Timber
 Although it's also one of the world's oldest building
materials, wood and timber definitely deserve their place
in any list of modern building materials.
 The unquenchable popularity of this material, which
perhaps derives from the simple fact that it is organic,
appear to suggest that wood will never go out of fashion.
 Obviously, the issue of sustainability is a concern and all
efforts to put an end to deforestation are worth
supporting, but it seems that wood will always have a
place in architecture.
Cont’d
 Plastic
 plastic has rightly received a lot of negative
press,but this universal material does have a
lot of interesting architectural potential.
 3D printing is one path that springs to mind as
an interesting way forward,
 plastic materials enhance the architecture of
the future, allowing flexible, lightweight and
durable design
 Cont’d
Advantages of plastic in blg
 Lightweight without sacrificing strength.
 Easy and less expensive to transport because of
lower weight.
 Easier to maneuver on site.
 Rot resistant.
 Corrosion resistant.
 Highly weatherable because of how tightly they
can be sealed.
 Easy to extrude, bend, mold or 3D print to achieve
a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
 Cont’d
Disadvantages
 The disadvantages of plastic are that it has a high embodied
energy content and a low modulus of elasticity, meaning
that it is generally unsuitable for load-bearing applications.
 Unless treated, most plastics are also ignitable and have a
high thermal expansion rate which requires detailing to allow
for adequate thermal movement.
 There are environmental concerns about some plastics
because of difficulties recycling them, there persistence in
the environment after disposal, and concerns regarding
chemical additives used to make plastics flexible, resistant to
fire, and adhesive.
Cont’d
Carbon fiber
What Is Carbon Fiber? One of the most
promising composite building materials for
the future is carbon fiber. A polymer
comprising long, thin strands of carbon
atoms bound together in a crystalline
formation—each strand thinner than a
human hair—it's lighter than steel, five times
stronger, and twice as stiff
 Cont’d
 Fabrication methods can showcase carbon steel’s
beauty and unique properties through unusual
geometries.
 Carbon fiber is ideal for large-span structures like
stadium roofs; a promising fabrication method
involves cable robots.
 “Carbon fiber and other composite materials are
highly performative, meaning they have a very small
weight but can take enormous loads,” says architect
and recent Autodesk Technology Center resident
Simon Kim, principal at Ibañez Kim, an architecture
and design firm in Cambridge, MA.
Carbon fiber's light weight and unique properties make it an exciting potential
building material, say researchers at Autodesk BUILD Space. Courtesy University
of Stuttgart.
Louver
abudhabi
by architect
Ateliers
jean Nouvel
… to be
continued
General concepts

 Global population &, consumption are

increasing very fast.
• According to “world resource institute” in the
last 15 years production wastes are increasing in
spite of increasing efficiencies.
• According to “the living planet report”
humanity is now consuming over 20% of
resources than the earth can produce

Mulubrhan B.
World Population growth

Mulubrhan B.
Planet Equivalent

 There were ~ 12 billion hectares of

biologically productive land and water
on this planet in 2008. Dividing by the
number of people alive in that year (6.7
billion) gives 1.79 global hectares per
person. It now takes the Earth one year
and six months to regenerate what we
use in a year.
Mulubrhan B.
Planet Equivalent vs age

Mulubrhan B.
Earth’s natural system
 Earth natural system consists of-
 Networks-how life and planetary system are
connected to each-other
 Cycles- how matter gets used over and over
again
 Flows- how matter and energy move from place
to place
 Balance- how change is regulated.

Mulubrhan B.
Materials in architecture
8 things to consider while choosing the materials
for your project
 A good design is achievable only with quality materials
and hence materials are the solution to a good
functioning building. The quality of construction is
majorly dependent on the materials utilized. The
building materials you pick will define the overall
durability, endurance, and character of the building.
Thus, one should be cautious and particular while
deciding building materials. The most beneficial means
to decide materials that suit your requirements is by
analyzing the stability, maintenance, aesthetics, and cost
of each material.
1. Cost
 When looking for various construction materials,
one will realize that the rate varies extensively.
 As a rule of thumb, it is not always desirable to
look for the most affordable products. One needs
to take into account the lifespan or utility of the
products.
 When one buys substandard materials, you may
end up having to restore them often and this ends
up being costly. Preferring building materials that
will serve you well for a long time will be cost-
efficient.
2. Climate
 Another significant aspect of the selection of
materials is the climate. Determinants like the
average extent of heat or cold during the year, rain
or snowfall, amount of daylight, needed
ventilation are some points to consider.
 The construction material should respond to the
climate and context. When climate appears in the
picture, the characteristics of materials also evolve
and help respond to the climate
3. Durability
 Some materials serve longer and are more
repellent to corrosion, moisture, and other
environmental conditions. By determining the
most suitable material for climate, we ensure that
they are long-lasting.
 It is essential to consult experts when choosing
building materials that respond to climatic
conditions. They will help us to determine
materials that are most suitable as per our
requirements.
 The materials should be capable of adapting to
the weather and climatic conditions.
 Some materials degenerate quickly, especially in
a humid setting. Materials selected must have the
durability and strength required for the specific
area and condition of use.
 It is hence desirable to get materials that demand
as limited maintenance and replacement as likely
so they can last through the actual life of the
building and become profitable for the user
Cont’d

Eg. Graphene;
 anti-corrosion coatings
and paints, efficient and
precise sensors, faster
and efficient electronics,
flexible displays, efficient
solar panels, faster DNA
sequencing, drug
delivery, and more
4. Availability

 It is always advisable to acquire easily available

materials. The availability of building materials
also determines the cost and time for installation.
Certain materials are locally available and are
challenging to transport.
Cont;d
 Not only the shipping costs become expensive but it also
postpones the work. On the other hand, if the material is
locally obtainable, it minimizes the shipping cost. It’s also
a time saver and work can be completed smoothly.
5. Sustainability
 With the evolution of the construction industry, the
requirement for building materials is growing and
is also accountable for the surge in carbon
footprint, i.e. use of cement raises the carbon
emission. Hence using eco-friendly and
sustainable construction materials like earth,
bamboo, fly ash, metakaolin, silica fume, rice husk
ash, etc are beneficial rather than the use of
cement or concrete.
 The best materials are those that can be reused
because they reduce the demand for new materials
to be produced in the future.
6. Maintenance
 The most suitable materials are those that are
effortless or easy to maintain and manage.
Maintenance will aid to preserve the building
looking good and new for a long time. Good
quality building materials normally require less
maintenance than standard and cheap materials.
One needs to study the life and quality of the
building to ensure good construction.
 Maintenance is an important selection basis
for building material because good
materials are those which are easy and
inexpensive to maintain
7. Aesthetic Appeal
 When choosing a house, you need to consider the
appearance you want. The type of roof you prefer
will change the expression of the house. You may
like a particular type of roofing material, or maybe
you like stone masonry buildings. The choices you
make, as well as your budget, climatic conditions,
and various other factors will determine the
materials and the appearance or look of the
building that one desires.
8. Performance
 Choose materials that have the structural potential
to sustain and bear the building loads. When
determining the roofing materials, for example,
one needs to make sure that the building structure
can completely support the roof material, for the
complete life of the building.
 These materials selected should also make it possible for inhabitants
to live comfortably without any unfavorable effects like those caused
by harmful chemical emissions by some materials.