Definition of Construction Materials
The building or any architectural structure is a composition of materials of different types, forms, shapes, and textures that are engineered together to create a structural unit such as a building, bridge, or road. The materials are either referred to as materials of construction or building materials. Construction materials are critical in civil engineering as they define and determine structural integrity in terms of strength, durability, cost, and sustainability (Akadiri, 2018, p. 67). Therefore, engineers, contractors, or architects must understand the properties of different materials utilized in construction projects to have buildings with desirable structural integrity and attain sustainability in the construction sector. Consequently, having vast knowledge of different construction materials and their mechanical properties enables contractors to achieve economy in material costing.
Material costing, scheduling, procurement, and quality evaluation of construction materials represent approximately 30% of the overall construction activities. Hence material selection is critical in any building project and deserves the much-needed consideration. Besides material economy, proper selection and construction materials lead to better structural strength, timely delivery, esthetic appearance, and functional efficiency (Kanniyapan et al., 2019, p. 31). There is a number of materials used in building construction and other infrastructure; some of these materials are naturally available, while some are manufactured (artificially made). Every building material is used for a specific purpose and has a distinct quality, stability and durability; therefore, construction materials are selected based on the meaning of the building, property and resources available. A few examples of commonly used construction materials are; bricks, stones, concrete, lime, ceramics, and metals. Sand, mortar, aggregate, Timber, sand, modular, among others (Rajeshkumar et al., 2021, p. 45).
Most commonly used materials in construction
The most important attribute of any building material is its structural and engineering properties. For instance, these construction materials are classified into different categories based on the characteristics that influence their application in any particular project. Take, for example, concrete; it is the most used material in building construction because of its excellent engineering properties like durability, high strength and superior fire resistance. The concept of fire resistance ability to produce structures with desirable strength and that can last longer are top reasons why it’s preferred in construction projects. Therefore, this research report tends to highlight the structural and engineering properties and characteristics of different construction materials and their utilization in building construction projects. In addition, it presents the analysis of various factors that causes material degradation in the built environment and assess the environmental effects associated with different materials used in construction projects.
Construction materials are broadly classified as natural or man-made (innovative materials). Natural building material refers to those used in construction works unprocessed in industries; a perfect example is stones, lumber or bricks. Man-made or synthetic materials are those that are processed through the industrial process to improve their suitability for application in construction processes, example are petroleum-based paints and plastics (Ijadi et al., 2019, p. 55). Construction materials processing is a standardized and well-established industry that has proved to be a reliable supplier of high-quality construction materials. The manufacture of high structural quality grade construction materials is subject to quality control procedures that involve testing as per laid standards and approved scientific testing methods. It is the responsibility of a structural engineer, contractor, or architect to prepare project specifications with all the required materials with desired properties and applicable standards in the project (Al-Atesh et al., 2021, p.48).
Importance of Material Selection
Stone, brick and wood are the major natural materials used in most construction projects, while steel and concrete are the most man-made materials utilized in buildings. Both of these categories require a specific level of treatment or preparation to improve their structural properties before being applied to constructions. Concrete is used in construction because of its desirable structural properties and economic advantage. For instance, the process of preparing concrete is straightforward. The ease of producing concrete implies that it does not require complex skills, thus reducing the cost of production and utilization in construction processes (Ijadi et al., 2019, p. 47). On the other hand, Timber is also favourable in building construction because they are readily available, cheap, and, most importantly, have the most negligible environmental impacts.
Like other engineering materials, construction material is subjected to degradation and regeneration with time. For this reason, strength and durability are critical properties for consideration in material selection for building construction. Material degradation in buildings may take various forms, including consumption by living organisms, chemical reactions, mechanical wear, erosion or the effect of climate conditions such as extreme heat or floods. In an ideal or ‘standard’ environment, most construction materials are efficient, durable, and can last indefinitely (Ding, 2019, p. 62). However, the degradation of buildings is caused by lack of proper structural maintenance, construction or design deficiency can compromise ideal conditions, thus resulting in material degradation. For instance, Timber as a construction material is subject to degradation through consumption by mites; exposed steel can be degraded by corrosion, thus compromising its serviceability. On the other hand, when subjected to excessive rain, it can be affected by erosion (Emmanuel et al., 2021, p. 30).
Extreme loading conditions on buildings can lead to the degradation of the structural element. For example, excess dynamic loads (shock) can affect the toughness and strength of materials used in construction; static loads also cause creep deformation over time, thus compromising the structural integrity, and cyclic loads constantly shift the static and dynamic loads resulting in fatigue in materials (Mathiyazhagan et al., 2018, p. 22). The chemical process is another agent of material degradation in buildings; typically, when materials like metals are exposed to rain, the most common effect is corrosion to form metal oxides and rust incase of iron materials.
The construction industry has undergone a transformation in the last decade, especially in the material used in construction projects. The intense campaign has championed the change for sustainability in the construction sector. Research studies have shown that the built environment is the leading emitter of GHG into the environment, and the choice of materials influences the high GHG in building construction (Al-Atesh et al., 2021, p. 47).
Different materials have varied environmental impacts based on material constituents and processing methods. For instance, concrete has been attributed to GHG emissions due to the high volume of cement used in its production. Petroleum-based paints also negatively impact the environment because they are made of toxic chemicals that, when exposed to rain, are washed away into the ground, thus polluting the environment (Onat, and Kucukvar, 2020, p. 54). Timber, stones and bricks are examples of traditional construction materials that are considered sustainable materials because they have the most negligible impact on the environment. Engineers have stood out for their unique ingenuity in the past few years, which has been characterized by a series of innovations resulting in the introduction of new sustainable construction materials such as modular panels with minimum impact on the environment.
Conclusion
Building construction is a dynamic process that consumes tonnes or even hundreds of tonnes of materials depending on the size of the structure. Therefore, the selection of materials to be used in a project impacts the overall cost of the project. Besides saving on the construction cost, material selection is equally essential in the project’s structural quality, durability, and sustainability. Therefore, engineers, contractors, or architects must understand the properties of different materials utilized in construction projects to have buildings with desirable structural integrity and attain sustainability in the construction sector. consequently, having vast knowledge of different construction materials and their mechanical properties enables contractors to achieve economy in material costing
Reference
Akadiri, P.O., 2018. Investigating factors influencing building materials selection in Nigerian construction industry. Am. J. Civ. Eng. Archit, 6(4), pp.154-157.
Al-Atesh, E., Rahmawati, Y. and Zawawi, N.A.W.A., 2021, June. Sustainability criteria for green building material selection in the malaysian construction industry. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Civil, Offshore and Environmental Engineering (pp. 693-700). Springer, Singapore.
Ding, G.K., 2019. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of sustainable building materials: an overview. Eco-efficient construction and building materials, pp.38-62.
Emmanuel Eze, C., Ugulu, R.A. and Egwunatum, S.I., 2021. Green Building Materials Products and Service Market in the Construction Industry. Journal of Engineering, Project & Production Management, 11(2).
Gbadamosi, A.Q., Mahamadu, A.M., Manu, P., Akinade, O., Sierra, F., Lam, T.T. and Alzaatreh, A., 2018. A BIM based approach for optimization of construction and assembly through material selection.
Ijadi Maghsoodi, A., Ijadi Maghsoodi, A., Poursoltan, P., Antucheviciene, J. and Turskis, Z., 2019. Dam construction material selection by implementing the integrated SWARA—CODAS approach with target-based attributes. Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, 19(4), pp.1194-1210.
Kanniyapan, G., Nesan, L.J., Mohammad, I.S., Keat, T.S. and Ponniah, V., 2019. Selection criteria of building material for optimising maintainability. Construction and Building Materials, 221, pp.651-660.
Mathiyazhagan, K., Gnanavelbabu, A. and Prabhuraj, B.L., 2018. A sustainable assessment model for material selection in construction industries perspective using hybrid MCDM approaches. Journal of Advances in Management Research.
Onat, N.C. and Kucukvar, M., 2020. Carbon footprint of construction industry: A global review and supply chain analysis. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 124, p.109783.
Rajeshkumar, V., Anandaraj, S., Kavinkumar, V. and Elango, K.S., 2021. Analysis of factors influencing formwork material selection in construction buildings. Materials Today: Proceedings, 37, pp.880-885.
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