‘Building materials’ Text 1. The Most Important and Widely Used Building Materials (Binding Materials, Concrete and Structural Steel)

Match the following words and translations.

(1) The designer must be able to select and adapt such materials of construction that will give the most effective result by the most economical means. In this choice of materials for any construction work, the civil engineer must consider many factors. These factors include availability, cost, physical properties of materials and others.

(2) Timber, steel and concrete all vary, sometimes over considerable ranges in the properties desired by the engineer. Even steel, uniform as it appears to be, varies considerably in its microstructure. Concrete is even less uniform than other materials.

(3) Lime, gypsum and cement are the three materials widely used in building

construction for the purpose of binding together masonry units, such as stone, brick

and as constituents of wall plaster. Cement is furthermore the most important component of concrete.

(4) Another important class of cement is high alumina cement. High alumina cement is a material containing alumina. It has an extremely high rate of strength increase which is, owing to the violence of the chemical reaction, accompanied by a considerable evolution of heat. It is very resistant to chemical attack.

5) It therefore follows that Portland cement like other materials can to some extent be modified to suit a particular application. The scope for such purpose-made cements has led to the development of an increasing variety such as high alumina cement, blast-furnace slag and pozzuolanas. Portland blast-furnace cement has greater resistance to some forms of chemicals.

(6) The most important building materials may be considered to be structural steel and concrete. Concrete may be considered an artificial conglomerate of crushed stone, gravel or similar inert material with a mortar. A mixture of sand, screenings or similar inert particles with cement and water which has the capacity of hardening into a rocklike mass is called mortar. The fundamental object in proportioning concrete or mortar mixes is the production of a durable material of requisite strength, water tightness and other essential properties at minimum cost. To attain this end careful attention must be given to the selection of cement, aggregate, and water.

(7) The most accurate method of measuring proportions is to weigh the required quantities of each material. It is widely used in large building construction, but in small building construction the less accurate method of measuring proportions by volumes is frequently used. The chief inaccuracies in volumetric measurement arise from the wide variation in the bulk of the fine aggregate due to small changes in its moisture content and faulty methods of filling measuring devices. Workability and strength tests are chief control tests made on concrete. To be able to undergo high compressive loads is a specific characteristic of this material.