University of Mauritius

CIVE 1001 Y: Building construction and concrete technology

Assignment No.1: Types and costs of materials in the Civil Engineering Industry (10
Marks)

You are required to work INDIVIDUALLY and the objectives are to:

list the typical construction materials used in the Civil Engineering industry in
Mauritius, as well as the costs of these materials.
discuss on the typical uses of each material.

Number of pages: Minimum 3 (exclusive of cover page, sketches, drawings, pictures, tables, figures,
references)

Times New Roman, Font: 12

Submission date: Wednesday, 22nd August 2012, 9 am- Noon

 University of Mauritius

CIVE 1001 Y: Building construction and concrete technology

Assignment No.1:

Types and costs of materials in the Civil Engineering

Industry

To: Reshma Rughooputh

Submission date:

Students Name: Chumun Abhinev

Students ID: 1215456

Introduction
The typical construction materials used in the engineering industry are cement, concrete
blocks, steel, concrete, rock sand, aggregates, glass, paints and woods.

Cement
The three types of cement that are often mentioned are Portland cement, Portland cement blends
and Non-Portland hydraulic cements.

Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world. Portland
cement has been around since 1824. Since this assignment is mainly concerned with the typical
construction materials, only Portland cement was taken into consideration.

Weight/ Cost Cost 2/ Cost Cost 4/ Average Cost/

kg 1/ Rs 3/ Rs Rs
Rs Rs
25 110 105 110 105 107.5
50 215 210 210 210 211.5

Pictures of Cement packets available in Mauritius: (Baobab, Kolos, Lafarge)

Geographic Locations of the hardware shops were also taken into consideration as the costs are
influenced by the surrounding competitors.

References:

Cost 1: Ramjaun quincaillerie Royal Road, Plaine des papayes, Pamplemousses

Cost 2: Quincaillerie Derningham Royal Road, Triolet (tel 261 5105)

Cost 3: Quincaillerie Vijay and Sons Royal Road, Plaine des papayes, Pamplemousses

Cost 4: Quincaillerie Ramphul Royal Road, Goodlands

 Note: Hardware shops found in my vicinity have no contact info since I personally went to
inquire about the prices.

(The locations are marked with a red star)

Uses of Portland cement:

building (floors, beams, columns, roofing, piles, bricks, mortar, panels, plaster)
transport (roads, pathways, crossings, bridges, sleepers, viaducts, tunnels, stabilization, runways,
parking)
water (pipes, culverts, kerbing, drains, canals, weirs, dams, tanks, pools)
civil (piers, docks, retaining walls, silos, warehousing, poles, pylons, fencing)
agriculture (buildings, processing, housing, feedlots, irrigation)
Concrete Blocks
The standard concrete masonry unit (CMU) is the basic concrete block used for most masonry
constructions. Other types of blocks exist: Split-Face Block, Scored Block, Ribbed Block, Honed
Block, Glazed Block, and Offset Block among others.

Dimensions Cost 1/ Cost 2/ Average

Rs Rs Cost/
Rs
4 (100 mm) 18.34 19.09 18.72
6 (150 mm) 21.33 20.93 21.13
8 (200 mm) 24.78 21.44 23.11

100 mm 150 mm

200 mm
Uses

From its modest beginning, when concrete masonry was generally restricted to simple and
unassuming structures, it is now used in apartment buildings, schools, churches, office
commercial and industrial buildings, warehouses, and wherever beauty, fire safety, economy,
and durability are essential.

References:

[Cost 1] United Basalt Products, Trianon, Quatre Bornes (tel: 465 1964)

[Cost 2] DHANUS STONE PRODUCTS, Le Hochet, Terrre Rouge (tel: 248 8528)

Steel
Steel is the most widely used metal in construction, with applications ranging from structural
support to reinforcement to decorative uses.

Structural steel includes bolts, rivets, and bracing.

Steel comes in different dimensions, some of which are sold in hardware shops and other
available on large scales from manufacturers like SAMLO Group.

Dimensions/mm Cost 1/ Cost 2/ Cost 3/ Cost 4/ Average Cost/ Rs/bar

Rs/bar Rs/bar Rs/bar Rs/bar

6 50 43 45 48 46.5
8 120 128 125 128 125.25
10 175 200 195 200 192.5
12 280 288 275 290 283.25

Dimensions /mm 1 bar Cost/Rs

20 778
25 1200
 (Pictures of different dimensions of steel [not to scale])

References:

Cost 1: Ramjaun quincaillerie Royal Road, Plaine des papayes, Pamplemousses

Cost 2: Quincaillerie Derningham Royal Road, Triolet (tel 261 5105)

Cost 3: Quincaillerie Vijay And Sons Royal Road, Plaine des papayes, Pamplemousses

Cost 4: Quincaillerie Ramphul Royal Road, Goodlands

Reference (only for dimensions 20- 25 mm):

Joonas & Co. Ltd. P.O. Box 133, 10, Louis Pasteur Street

Port-Louis, Telephone: 230 240 0778/9; 230 242 3226

Fax: 20 240 8285

Paint
Types of paints used in constructions are: Oil Paint, Enamel Paint, Emulsion Paint, Cement
Paint, Bituminous Paints, Synthetic Rubber Paint, Aluminium Paint and Anti-corrosive Paint.

In hardware shops, oil paint and emulsion paint are commonly measured and sold in gallons.

Type of Gallons Cost 1/ Cost 2/ Cost 3/ Cost 4/ Average Cost/ Rs

paint Rs Rs Rs Rs
emulsion 250 242 280 275 261.75
1 450 415 520 375 440
4 1700 1600 1350 1375 1506.25

Oil 475 452 475 485 471.75

1 1200 1300 950 925 1093.75

Brand of paint is Mauvilac, color of paint is white; conspicuously because the typical paint used
for construction is mainly white, also used for coatings in some buildings.

Uses of paint:

1. Oil Paint: These paints are applied in three coats-primer, undercoat and finishing coat.
2. Enamel Paint: It can be used both for external and internal walls.

3. Emulsion Paint: It contains binding materials such as polyvinyl acetate, synthetic resins etc.

4. Cement Paint: It is applied in two coats. First coat is applied on wet surface but free from
excess water and allowed to dry for 24 hours. The second coat is then applied which gives good
appearance.

5. Bituminous Paints: It is used for painting iron works under water.

6. Synthetic Rubber Paint: It dries quickly and is little affected by weather, sunlight and chemical
attack. This paint may be applied even on fresh concrete.

7. Aluminium Paint: It is widely used for painting gas tanks, water pipes and oil tanks.

8. Anti-corrosive Paint: It consists essentially of oil, lead or zinc chrome and finely ground sand.
It is used to protect metal surfaces.

Concrete
Concrete is widely used for making architectural structures, foundations, brick/block walls,
pavements, bridges/overpasses, motorways/roads, runways, parking structures, dams,
pools/reservoirs, pipes, footings for gates, fences and poles and even boats.

Ordinary concrete: M10, M15, M20

Standard Concrete: M25, M30, M35, M40, M45, M50, M55

High strength concrete: M60, M65, M70, M75, M80

W/CM is an important factor in determining the strength and permeable properties of

concrete.
Concrete normally is sold based on grades in Mauritius: grade 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35

Type Cost/ Rs
Grade 15 3900
Grade 20 4000
Grade 25 4200
Grade 30 4700
Grade 35 5500
For a passenger vehicle driveway and footpath a Grade 20 (20 MPa) concrete is usually used.

For a more heavy duty application example truck driveway a Grade 25 (25 MPa) concrete is
used.

M5, M10 are used for P.C.C, M15 grade of concrete has been widely used for PCC (Plain
Cement Concrete), M20, M25 are used for footings, columns, beams & slabs.

M30 grade of concrete and onwards are used for Design Mix

Reference:

Betonix Head Office

Industrial Zone, La Tour Koenig, Pointe aux Sable.

T: 234 0800 / F: 234 4733 / E: betonix@intnet.mu

Glass
The use of glass in an edifice has evolved from purely being an ornamental or architectural
attribute to a structural value addition, thus, paving way for glass technologies to move forward
concomitantly with the augmented demand. Although materials like concrete and metals have to
go hand in hand with glass designs, most of the architects and planners have gone to extreme
attempts to use glass fabrics nowadays.

Types of Glass: Float glass, Sheet glass, Tinted Glass, Figured Glass, Wired Glass, Processed
Glass, Toughened or Tempered Glass, Toughened or Tempered Glass, Laminate Safety Glass,
Double Glazed and Insulated Glass.

Float glass is the most common type of glass.

Thickness and type of glass Cost of 1 feet X 1 feet /

Rs
3 mm Clear (Float) 12
4 mm Clear (Float) 15
5 mm Clear (Float) 18
6 mm Clear (Float) 20
6 mm Frosted Glass 70
6 mm Tinted 35
Uses of these types of Glass:

Sheet Glass

It is used in mirrors, glazing of windows, framing purposes, strips for flooring and green house
glazing etc.

Float Glass

It is either clear or tinted and comes in large sizes and thickness. It is used in door window pans
and glazing.

Tinted Glass

It reduces the quantity of heat flowing into the building and results into energy saving.

Tinted glass is available in bronze, dark grey and auto green shades. The glass is used in door
and window pans and is glazed to save energy. It is utilized in important and air conditioned
buildings.

Figured Glass

It allows light to pass through but blocks visibility and add a decorative touch. These are widely
used for houses, general buildings, furniture and interior decoration.

Wired Glass

It has excellent fire resistant ability. It is used in openings susceptible to fire spreading.

Processed Glass

It is used in walls, shops, sky scrapers to resist wind pressure.

Toughened or Tempered Glass

Tempered glasses are used in frameless doors such as entrance door of hotels, show rooms and
offices etc.

Laminate Safety Glass

These glasses are commonly used as wind screen in automobiles, railway coaches, in multi
storey buildings where safety is prerequisite, aquariums, built proof glass etc.

Double Glazed Insulated Glass

It is used in curtain walls of double glazed insulated glass units having tinted or heat reflective
glass and these are quite common in modern sky scrapers.

Reference:

Quincalillerie Nationale LI MIU FONG & CO. LTD.

62, 64 Royal Street Port Louis

Tel. 242 1146 - 242 5086

Rock sand
There are six grades of rock sand (washed: 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm; unwashed: 0.2 mm, 0.4
mm and 0.6 mm), meeting BS 63 BS 882 standards.

Type of Rock sand 1 ton Cost 1/ 1 ton Cost 2/ 1 ton Average

Rs Rs Cost/
Rs
Washed 0-2 mm 889 833.75 861.375
Washed 0-4 mm 617 736 676.5
Unwashed 0-6 mm 510 529 519.5
There are six grades of rock sand (washed: 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm; unwashed: 0.2 mm, 0.4
mm and 0.6 mm), meeting BS 63 BS 882 standards.

0.4 mm, washed or unwashed, which consist of the larger grains, is used in mixing concrete, and
the finer 0.2 mm is used mainly for plastering.

0.1 mm is particularly used in making adhesive for fixing tiles and for golf course greens.
Almost all units stock this range of rock sand.

Reference:

[cost 1] United Basalt Products, Trianon, Quatre Bornes (tel: 465 1964)

[cost 2] DHANUS STONE PRODUCTS, Le Hochet, Terrre Rouge (tel: 248 8528)

Aggregates
Aggregate serves as reinforcement to add strength to the overall composite material.

Aggregates are used as a stable foundation or road/rail base with predictable, uniform properties
(e.g. to help prevent differential settling under the road or building), or as a low-cost extender
that binds with more expensive cement or asphalt to form concrete.

Type of Aggregate 1 yard Cost 1/ 1 yard Cost 2/ 1 yard Average

Rs Rs Cost/
Rs

3/4" (14-20 mm) 444 483 463.5

1/2" (10-14 mm) 444 483 463.5
3/8 " (6-10 mm) 425 450 437.5
1 " (20-25 mm) 427 460 443.5
 10 mm 20 mm

References:

[cost 1] United Basalt Products, Trianon, Quatre Bornes (tel: 465 1964)

[cost 2] DHANUS STONE PRODUCTS, Le Hochet, Terrre Rouge (tel: 248 8528)

Type of Aggregate Cost/ Rs

Stall 380
Top soil 150
Grabo 170

Reference:

Betonix Head Office

Industrial Zone, La Tour Koenig, Pointe aux Sable.

T: 234 0800 / F: 234 4733 / E: betonix@intnet.mu

Timber
Another material frequently used in construction of building is wood; some houses are also even
entirely of wood instead of concrete primarily because of cost and it is more convenient.

Type of wood and dimensions Cost/

Rs

Plank for formwork 6 75

Black Plywood 8 X 4 800
column 3 X 2 formwork 90
Pine 10 (treng) 50

Types and uses of Wood:

HARDWOODS:

Mahogany: Used for quality furniture such as cabinets; boat construction; wood facings and
veneers.

Walnut: Used for gunstocks, solid and veneered furniture, novelties, cabinetry and wall paneling.

Oak: Used for furniture, trimming, boat framing, desks and flooring.

Maple: Used in flooring, fine furniture and woodenware such as bowling alleys.

Cherry: Used in cabinet making, boat trim, novelties, solid furniture handles and turned projects.

Rosewood: Used in musical instruments, piano cases, tool handles, art projects, veneers and
furniture.

Teak: Used in fine furniture, paneling, shipbuilding, doors, window framing, flooring and
general construction.

SOFTWOODS

Pine: Used in house construction, paneling and trim. Also used for furniture, molding and boxes.

Hemlock: Used for construction lumber, planks, doors, boards, paneling, sub flooring and crates.
Fir: Used in furniture, doors, frames, windows, plywood, veneer, general millwork and interior
trim.

Redwood: Light Used in outdoor furniture, fencing, house siding, interior finishing, veneering
and paneling.

Spruce: Used for masts and spars for ships, aircraft, crates, boxes, general millwork and ladders.

Cedar: Used in chest making, closet lining, shingles, posts, dock planks, novelties and Venetian
blinds.

Reference:

AH CHOW, Sentier Amicale, Trou Fanfaron, Port-Louis

All the above prices can be crosschecked by the references under each section.

Prices of materials were recorded in the month of August 2012.