Factors Affecting Selection of Construction Materials
Any material used for a construction purpose in the form of solid, semi-solid or liquid, processed or unprocessed (raw material) is known as construction material.
Responsibilities of Material Engineer
A material engineer must be familiar with a wide range of materials used in a wide range of structures and is responsible for the following jobs with certain limits of compromises to be made on site.
- Selection of Materials
- Specification of Materials
- Quality Control of materials
These responsibilities fulfillment must meet certain criteria or classes of criteria which includes
- Economic Factors
- Mechanical and Non-Mechanical Properties
- Production/Construction Considerations
- Aesthetic Consideration
Factors Influencing Selection of a Building Material
A wide range of construction materials is available. The proper selection of materials to be used in a particular construction project depends on the following factors
- Strength
- Availability
- Durability
- Workability
- Ease of Transportation
- Cost
- Aesthetics
- Resistance to Fire
- Ease of Cleaning
Factors Influencing Economy of a Building Material
- Availability of Material
- Cost of Raw Materials (Cost of Unprocessed Material)
- Manufacturing Costs (Cost of Processed Material)
- Transportation Cost
- Cost of Placing
- Maintenance Cost
High Performance Materials
The increasing scope of civil engineering has brought many researches and advancement in materials and knowledge of molecular structure. These materials have shown better quality with much safety and economy. Such materials are known as High Performance Materials. In addition, improvements have been made to existing materials by changing their molecular structures or including additives to improve quality, economy, and performance.
Advantages of High Performance Materials
- High strength concrete can be produced
- Elastomeric material are used in joints in highly active earthquake areas
- Light weight concrete and aggregate have made cross sections smaller
- Polymers have been mixed with asphalt, allowing pavements to last longer under the effect of vehicle loads and environmental conditions.
- Fiber-Reinforced Concrete has greater toughness than conventional portland cement concrete
