Polymers have become increasingly important as engineering materials in the past

decade, and applications in the construction industry are expanding.

Polymers have become increasingly important as engineering materials in the past
decade, and applications in the construction industry are expanding.
In Europe, around 20% of plastic consumption is in this industry, ie around 5Mt
per year.
The latest Rapra Review Report, "Polymers in building and construction", outline
s the nature, culture and trends in the building and construction industry.
Polymers now represent essential engineering materials in the construction of bu
ildings, vehicles, engines and household articles of all kinds.
Polymers possess a collection of useful technical properties.
In general the important property requirements are mechanical, weathering, perme
ability, flammability and thermal conductivity properties.
The environmental impact is also important as global concerns are increasing abo
ut pollution, depletion of energy sources and re-use or recycling of waste produ
cts.
Polymers also can be processed in a variety of efficient and flexible processing
methods including extrusion, thermal forming, injection moulding, calendering,
casting etc.
"Polymers in building and construction" discusses the main types of polymers use
d in building and construction and highlights the properties which make them a s
uitable choice of materials.
Examples of applications for each polymer are provided.
The current building and construction market place and potential for the wide ra
nge of polymer materials available is described.
The report also introduces the main regulatory constraints on the industry.
The author, Dr Sue Halliwell, is Principal Consultant at the Centre for Composit
es in Construction of the Building Research Establishment (BRE).
The BRE provides research and advice to government, industry and building users,
from the new product design stage to fitness for purpose, durability and instal
lation.
Halliwell has published extensively on application and performance in service of
polymer and fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) construction materials.
She is President of the Network Group for Composites in Construction (NGCC), the
first UK group to bring the FRP and construction industries together to encoura
ge the safe and effective application of these materials.
Rapra Review Reports contain a state-of-the-art review, written by an acknowledg
ed expert in the field, together with several hundred of the most relevant refer
ences and abstracts identified from the Rapra Polymer Library.
Thus they provide both a concise, readable introduction to the subject and the m
eans of investigating key points in greater depth.
The report retails at GBP 80, US $128 or Eur 128 (plus postage and packaging).
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Abstract:
A polymer building or other structured wall form construction wherein forms pref
abricated of polymer, such as polystyrene, are assembled together, spaced apart
by integrally connecting polymer or blocks, spacers, or spool means, erected upo
n a foundation footing, or other base structure, through their insertion of L-sh
aped ties, with the wall forms being erected to the height desired for the subje
ct building or other structure, whether it be a commercial, industrial, or resid
ential building, through the application of tee-shaped ties therebetween, Reinfo
rcement is located in the spacing between the blocks or spacers, of the wall for
ms, and concrete may be poured therein, either at the job site, where the buildi
ng is being constructed, or at the manufacturing plant, where the wall forms are
formed, in order to provide a latticework of reinforced concrete for the compos
ite wall. The internal surface of each of the inner and outer liners forming the
wall form are shaped, into the configuration of an I-beam, in order that any co
ncrete poured therein will undertake the cross-sectional configuration of an I-b
eam, to add further reinforcement to the fabricated building, once a wall is com
pleted. A top beam form of plate cap is arranged upon the upper edge of the form
ed wall, with the concrete being poured simultaneously with the construction of
the assembled wall. Bracing held together by ties and locked into position by fa
steners secure the wall forms together, in their erected disposition, in prepara
tion for the pouring of the latticework of concrete reinforced composite wall.
Floor polishes have improved dramatically in the past 25 years, due in great pa
rt to improvements in the polymers used in their formulation. The polymers curre
ntly available to the floor polish formulator deliver higher levels of gloss and
better durability than their predecessors. In keeping with its reputation as an
 industry leader, Rohm and Haas offers highly durable, cutting-edge polymer tech
nologies with its DURAPLUS , PRIMAL , RHOPLEX , and UHS PLUS product lines.

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Bridge Enclosures report

Project objective:
To collate, interpret, analyse and disseminate recent international research kno
wledge and development of polymer composite materials in construction to encoura
ge uptake.
Polymer Composites in Construction
About 30% of all polymers produced each year are used in the civil engineering a
nd building industries. Polymers offer many advantages over conventional materia
ls including lightness, resilience to corrosion and ease of processing. They can
be combined with fibres to form composites which have enhanced properties, enab
ling them to be used as structural members and units. Polymer composites can be
used in many different forms ranging from structural composites in the construct
ion industry to the high technology composites of the aerospace and space satell
ite industries.
Polymer composites were first developed during the 1940 s, for military and aerosp
ace applications. Considerable advances have been made since then in the use of
this material and applications developed in the construction sector. Load bearin
g and infill panels have been manufactured using composites. Complete structures
have been fabricated where units manufactured from glass-reinforced polyester a
re connected together to form the complete system in which the shape provides th
e rigidity. Glass-reinforced plastics have been used in many other applications
including pressure pipes, tank liners, and roofs.
In contrast to the design procedures used for the more traditional construction
materials, those for polymer composite materials in structural applications requ
ire greater development effort and a wider understanding of the material. The ma
terial properties of the final component are the result of a design process that
considers many factors which are characterised by the anisotropic behaviour of
the material and cover the micro-mechanical, elasticity, strength and stability
properties. These properties are influenced by manufacturing techniques, environ
mental exposure and loading histories. Designing with composites is thus an inte
ractive process between the design of the constituent materials used, the design
of the composite material and an understanding of the manufacturing technique f
or the composite component.
In the last decade, polymer composites have found application in the constructio
n sector in areas such as bridge repair, bridge design, mooring cables, structur
al strengthening and stand-alone components
This project, funded by DTI, was launched in July 2001 with the following key ob
jectives:
* collate, interpret and analyse international research knowledge of FRP mat
erials in construction from 1990 onwards.
* repackage the key information into informative and digestible forms, to es
tablish and highlight synergy s with traditional construction materials for achiev
ing design and cost efficiencies
The principal target audience for this project is individuals involved in applic
ation of building materials within the construction industry that have little or
no knowledge of composites or are for whatever reason predisposed against them.
Dissemination plays a major role within the project and the team will be workin
g closely with NGCC to ensure this is carried out efficiently and effectively. T
rend2000 and BRE will lead the project with support from Brookes Stacey Randall,
Concrete society, Fibreforce Composites ltd, Tony Gee and Partners, University
of Sheffield, and Saint-Gobain Vetrotex. The project will run for 18 months from
its start date.
Building and Construction Industry
The Building and Construction Industry of the future would depend on the petroch
emical intermediaries for low cost, light weight, durable materials.
With the boom in the construction sector building are popping up here and there.
Nowadays people demand for durable and comfortable homes at competitive prices.
This dream of 'home sweet home' is being fulfilled by petrochemical intermediar
ies used as basic materials for manufacturing of building and constructions mate
rials. These are used for roof insulation foams, foundation, wall insulation foa
ms, window frames, pipes, fitted furniture. These materials have become popular
due to its low maintenance, durability, resistance to weather. Modular kitchens
in modern homes come with working surfaces, tables and shelves that are resistan
t to water and washable, as they are made of laminates manufactured from petroch
emicals. These building materials are recyclable so they are never completely us
ed up.

Petrochemicals used in Building and Construction Industry:

* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), it is a polymer of vinyl chloride. It is used in
pipes, electrical cables, light weight doors
* Polyurethane is a synthetic compound manufactured from Toluene. It is used
 for making foams present in furniture, floor coatings Polypropylenes are variou
s types of thermoplastic fibers used as the main component in fabrics used for h
ome furnishings like upholstery and carpets.
* Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is manufactured from methyl methacrylate us
ed widely in the construction industry
* Polycarbonate resins are used as adhesives in construction works
* Phenolic resin is made from phenol. It is used as a molding powder in buil
ding and construction work
* Unsaturated polyester resins are used as adhesives in the construction wor
ks
* Polymers are used for manufacturing of the various laminates used in floor
ing tiles, roofing tiles, furnitures, etc.
* Additives for fast drying of concrete
* Polymer additives to give strength to concrete and reducing weight.
* Non structural adhesives emulsions used to bond wall and floor coverings
Advantages of petrochemicals used in Building and Construction Industry:
* Reduction of weight helps in exerting less pressure on the foundation of t
he buildings
* Durability of materials as most of them are weatherproof
* Reduction in overall cost of construction

Polymer Industry