Civil Engineering- Building Materials Types And Tests List
This post for building materials types and a list of materials tests.
There are different types of building materials are used in Construction work mainly:
- Cement
- Sand (River sand/ M.Sand)
- Coarse Aggregates. (20mm, 40mm, etc)
- Steel
- Bricks/blocks
- Water
- Tiles
- Wood
- Aluminum/Upvc
- Waterproofing materials
- Plumbing Materials
- Electrical materials
Cement
- Main types of Cement:
- Ordinary Portland Cement [OPC]
- Portland Pozzolana Cement. [PPC]
- Rapid Hardening Cement
- Sulfate Resisting Cement
- Blast furnace slag Cement
- High Alumina Cement
Largely OPC & PPC are used in construction. Other types of are used mainly on a specific requirements.
Grades of Cement
- 43G OPC
- 53G OPC
- 33G OPC
G refers to Grade 43/53 no refers to compressive strength of cement at the end of 28 days of cement cube casting and testing 43 N/mm2 PPC is referred to 33 grade of cement.
KeyPoints to remember on cement
- The density of Cement - 1440 Kg/m3
- Weight of 1 bag of cement - 50 Kg
- The volume of 1bag of cement - 0.0347M3 or1.23Cft
- Storage space required approximately. 20 bags - 1cum space.
Test for Cement
- Field Test
- Laboratory Test
Field Test
- Colour
- Physical properties
- Presence of Lumps
Laboratory Test:
- Fineness test
- Soundness test
- Consistency test
- Strength test
- Setting time
- Bulk density
- Specific gravity
- Chemical composition of Cement
Compressive strength of cement [ IS Requirements]
| Grades | 7 days N / mm2 |
14 days N / mm2 |
28 days N / mm2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 IS 2.69-1989 |
16 | 22 | 33 |
| 43 IS 8112-1989 |
23 | 33 | 43 |
| 53 IS 12269-1987 |
27 | 47 | 53 |
Sand or Fine Aggregate
| Types of sand | Grain size | Uses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine sand | 0.125mm to 0.25mm |
For Plastering | |
| Medium sand |
0.25mm to 0.5mm |
Masonry | |
| Coarse sand |
0.5mm to 1.0mm |
Concreting work & Masonry |
However now use of river sand is being substituted with M.Sand is manufactured sand, from i.e powdered stones.
Fineness Modulus Range
| Types of sand | Fineness modulus range | |
|---|---|---|
| Fine sand | 2.2 - 2.6 |
|
| Medium sand |
2.6 - 2.9 |
|
| Coarse sand |
2.9 - 3.2 |
Generally, the sand having a Fineness modulus range more than 3.2 is not making good concrete.
Test for Coarse Aggregates
- Crushing test
- Abrasion test
- Impact test
- Soundness test
- Shape test
- Specific gravity
- water absorption test
List of IS code related to Aggregates Test
Grade of Steel
TMT bars —Thermo Mechanically Treated
Different Grades:
Fe 415, Fe 500, Fe 550, Fe 600
Where number denotes minimum yield strength in
N/mm².
Yield strength - is defined as the stress at which the reinforced bar starts to exhibit plastic deformation.