Civil Engineering Materials

CE-115
By
Dr. Muhammad Salik Javaid
School of Civil and Environment Engineering
National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad
 Building Materials
 Building stones
 Bricks and clay products
 Cement concrete
 Timber and wood products
 Metals and alloys
 Paints, varnishes, distempers
 Asphalt, bitumen and tar
 Plastics and fibers
 Glass
 Insulating Materials
 Miscellaneous Materials

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Miscellaneous Materials
 Miscellaneous Materials
 Miscellaneous Materials
– Lime
– Rubber
– Asbestos
 Paving Materials
– Asphalt
– Bitumen
 Insulating Materials
– Heat insulations
– Acoustics materials
– Water proofing Materials

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Lime
 Lime
 CaCO3 → CaO + CO2
 Lime as cementing material, used
extensively in palaces, forts, temples,
bridges etc
 Lime has better workability, plasticity,
durability and less shrinkage on drying
 Slow setting may be corrected by
adding 5 to 20% cement
 Lime is cheaper and locally available

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 Varieties of Lime
 Stone lime: Almost pure lime
obtained from limestone.
 Kankar lime: Impure lime obtained
from kankars dug from underground
 Shell lime: very pure lime obtained
from sea shells and corals
 Magnesium lime: manufactured from
dolomite and contains more than 5%
magnesia
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 Definitions
 Quick lime (CaO) lime obtained after
calcinations of limestone. Also caustic
lime
 Fat lime: high CaO component, sets
and hardens by absorbing CO2 from
air
 Hydraulic lime: contains small
quantities of silica, alumina, iron
oxide with CaO. Sets and hardens
under water
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 Definitions
 Hydrated lime: quick lime sprinkled
with water turned into fine powder
 Lump lime: quick lime coming out of
kilns
 Milk lime: thin pour able solution of
slaked lime in water

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 Classification

Lime

Lean, Poor Hydraulic Pure, Rich, Fat

Feebly
Fat Lime
Hydraulic

Moderately Magnesium
Hydraulic Lime

Eminently Dolomitic
Hydraulic Lime

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 Classification
 Pure, Rich or Fat Lime
– High CaO content (up to 93%)
– Impurities less than 5%
– Absorbs atmospheric CO2 for setting
– Slaking is vigorous and volume increases
2 to 3 times
– Slow in setting and hardening
– Used for plastering and white washing

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 Classification
 Poor or Lean Lime
– Impurities more than 5%
– Absorbs atmospheric CO2 for setting
– Slaking requires more time
– Makes a paste with water
– Color varies from yellow to grey
– Used for plaster and lime mortar

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 Classification
 Hydraulic Lime
– Sets under water also
– Feebly hydraulic lime: <15% alumina
and silica. Slow slaking with low volume
increase. Setting time is 21 days.
– Moderately hydraulic lime: 15 to 20%
alumina and silica. Slakes sluggishly
after 1 to 2 hours. Setting time is 7
days.
– Eminently hydraulic lime: 20 to 30%
alumina and silica. Slakes with difficulty.
Setting time is 2 to 48 hours.
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 Questions ???

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Rubber
 Rubber
 Essentially an elastic material
obtained both as natural and
synthetic material
 Natural rubber – present as an
emulsion in the latex (milky colloidal
fluid) oozing from trunks of certain
plants
 Synthetic rubber – obtained from
petroleum, coal tar and alcohol
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 Natural Rubber
 Crude rubber obtained from coagulation of
latex using acetic acid, alcohol, alum or
lime
 Latex may be mixed with appropriate
compounding agent and precipitated
directly from solution to shapes
 Crude rubber is hard and brittle in winter
and soft and sticky in summer, so it needs
treatment to improve and modify
properties
– Compounding
– Calendaring
– vulcanizing

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 Natural Rubber
 Compounding – addition of certain
compounds to crude rubber
– Vulcanizing agents – sulphur reduces plasticity
while maintaining elasticity
– Plasticizers – oils, rosin, wax to soften crude
rubber
– Accelerators – white lead, lime, magnesia to
hasten process of vulcanization and reduce
sulphur requirement
– Fillers – modifies properties and reduces cost.
Special fillers are reinforcing agents
– Hardeners – provide hardness to rubber and
increase tensile strength
– Pigments – provides color to rubber

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 Natural Rubber
 Calendaring – operation of passing
rubber between large steel rollers at
controlled temperature and pressure
to make sheets of desired thickness
 Vulcanization – treatment with
sulphur to alter properties
– 1 to 5% to make soft rubber
– 30% to make hard rubber
– 45% makes rigid rubber called ebonite
– Absorbed at 135 to 160°C

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 Synthetic Rubber
 Obtained from petroleum, coal tar
and alcohol
 Wider range of properties than
natural rubber
 Better resistance to light rays,
weather, acids, oils and greases
 More popular and wider uses

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 Reclaimed Rubber
 Rubber waste and worn out rubber
treated, and recycled for reuse
 Rubber, steel, fabric, and sulphur separated
by heating in alkali solution
 Reclaimed rubber mixed with raw rubber to
cut cost
 It is of uniform composition, more durable,
easily compounded, vulcanized and molded
 Has low elasticity, low tensile strength and
poor resistance to friction

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 Sponge Rubber
 Obtained by adding sodium
bicarbonate during vulcanization
 Small pores left on evaporation of
moisture
 Has better heat and sound insulation
properties

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 Rubber Flooring Materials
 Rubber tiles in various sizes
 Used to cover floors of domestic and
public buildings, cinemas, hospitals,
stores, ships, transport vehicles, etc
 Topping may be plain, marbled,
ribbed or fluted
 Backing may be fabric, sponge or
plain rubber
 Good weather resistant, resilient and
noise reducer
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Asbestos
 Asbestos
 Acid proof and fire proof natural
fibrous mineral substance of different
colors found in the veins of
metamorphic rocks
 A silicate of calcium and magnesium
(CaSiO3.3MgSiO3) containing small
amount of iron oxide and alumina

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 Asbestos - Properties
 White, grey, greenish or brown color
 Fibrous and smooth in structure
 Acid proof and fire proof
 Can be cut into pieces and holes may be drilled
 Excellent insulator of heat and electricity
 Melting point from 1200 to 1550°C
 In-corrodible and vermin proof
 Capable of being interwoven
 Specific gravity 3.1
 Molecules are strongly bounded only in one
direction to give high tensile strength fibers
 Can easily mix with binding materials like bitumen
and cement

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 Asbestos - Products
 Asbestos boards
 Asbestos sheets (flat and corrugated)
 Asbestos cement pipes
 Asbestos paper
 Asbestos paint
 Asbestos fibers
 Asbestos felt
 Asbestos fabric

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 Asbestos - Uses
 Asbestos cement products
– Sheets used for roofing material
– Pipes used to convey rain and seepage water
 Asbestos coated in bitumen called asbestos felt
used for damp proofing
 Used as insulating material for furnaces, steam
and exhaust pipes
 Asbestos dough (powdered fiber in water) used
for stopping holes and cracks in hot pipes etc
 Asbestos paper, sheet and fibers used for cable
insulation, and in switches, fuse boxes
 Used in manufacture of asbestos paint
 Used as heat insulator for fire proof padding,
packing sheets, firemen clothes, etc

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Bitumen
 Bitumen
 Non-crystalline solid or viscous material,
having adhesive properties, derived from
crude petroleum either by natural or
refinery process
 Substantially soluble in carbon disulphide
 Brown or black in color
 Usually end product from distillation
 May be extracted from petroleum oils
 Extensively used in road construction,
water proofing felts, filling and packing
construction joints, etc

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 Bitumen
 Bitumen are mainly composed of a mixture
of high-molecular hydrocarbons, methane,
nepthane and their oxygen or sulphur
derivatives.
 Tar and asphalt are two varieties of
bituminous materials
 Tars and bitumen condensate of
destructive distillation of coal, petroleum,
wood, etc
 Asphalt is naturally occurring bitumen, a
combination of inorganic and organic
matter
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 Bitumen
 Bitumen implies a group of
hydrocarbons often mixed with some
organic matter
 Bitumen is also known as petroleum
in the fluid state, mineral tar in the
semi-fluid state and asphalt in the
solid state

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 Bitumen
 Blown bitumen – air blown into it under
high pressure and temperature to alter
properties
 Cut back bitumen – viscosity reduced by
adding volatile dilutents of petroleum and
coal tar
– Rapid curing (RC)
– Medium curing (MC)
– Slow curing (SC)
 Bitumen emulsion – bitumen finely divided
and suspended in aqueous medium
 Straight run bitumen – distilled to a definite
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CE-115 further treatment 33
 Bitumen - properties
 Characteristically solid or semi-solid
 Black and sticky
 Melts or softens when heated
 Specific gravity is 1.09
 Completely soluble in carbon disulphide
 Acts as binder in all types of asphalts
 Possesses great chemical stability

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 Sampling of Bitumen
 Top Sample – Center at 1/6 depth below
top surface
 Middle Sample – at mid depth
 Lower Sample – at 5/6 depth
 Average Sample – average of three equal
parts obtained as top, middle, lower
samples
 Composite Sample - mixture of
representative samples from various
containers in proportion to contents

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 Testing of Bitumen
 Penetration test – measure of hardness or
consistency as vertical distance traveled by
a standard needle entering the material
under specified conditions of standard
load, time and temperature
 Flash point test – lowest temperature at
which the vapor of a substance can be
ignited in air by a flame under specified
conditions
 Fire point test – lowest temperature at
which the material gets ignited and burns
under specified condition
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Asphalt
 Asphalt
 Natural or mechanical mixture in which
bitumen is associated with mineral matter
 Natural asphalt
– Lake asphalt – obtained from lakes at Trinidad
and Bermudez at 60m depth. Contains 70%
pure bitumen
– Rock asphalt – natural asphalt impregnated in
limestone rocks found in Europe. Contains 4 to
20% pure bitumen
 Petroleum or residual asphalt
– Artificial asphalt obtained by fractional
distillation of crude petroleum oils

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 Asphalt
 Cut back asphalt – liquid asphalt dissolved in
volatile solvent, so it could be applied at room
temperature – used for road construction
 Mastic asphalt – heating natural asphalt with sand
and mineral fillers to make voidless impermeable
mass – used for damp proofing, water proofing
 Asphaltic cement – oxidizing asphalt by blowing
air through melted asphalt at high temperature –
used for roofing, flooring, etc
 Asphaltic emulsion – mixing asphalt with 50 to
60% water and 1% emulsifying agent – water
proofing layers in cold conditions

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 Asphalt
 Constituents
– Asphaltenes – chemical compound
– Resins – enhances binding properties
– Oil – to impart viscosity

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 Asphalt - properties
 Sticky, adhesive, binds strongly
 Adheres perfectly to wood, stone, concrete and
metal
 Solid or semi-solid in state
 Black brownish in color
 Water proof
 Durable and retains properties for years
 Elastic. Becomes plastic when heated
 Binding properties when softened by heat
 Not seriously affected by weather
 Good conductor of heat, sound, electricity
 Ductile, can be stretched without breaking
 Soluble in varying degrees in carbon disulphide

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 Asphalt - Uses
 Damp proof course
 Water repellent layer over flat roofs,
arches, basements
 Lining of walls of tanks, pools
 Paint preparation
 Asphalt mortar and concrete for road
paving
 Flooring material
 Electrical insulation

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Heat Insulating Materials
 Insulating Materials
 The materials which control
transmission of heat and cold and
offer resistance to reflection and
transmission of sound and electricity
are known as insulating material
 Classification of Insulating Materials
– Heat/thermal insulation
– Sound insulation
– Electrical insulation

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 Insulating Materials
 The function of a thermal or heat insulator
is to resist the flow of heat through its
body, both ways
 The heat may not be allowed to enter or
escape from a system
 These materials are generally porous and
their properties are governed by the nature
of their pores, their distribution, size and
whether the pores are open or closed
 The materials with a great number of fine,
closed and air filled pores are the best heat
insulating materials
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 Requirement of Heat Insulating
Materials
 Thermal stability
 Chemical stability
 Physical stability
 Low thermal conductivity
 Resistance to moisture
 Low specific heat
 Low specific gravity
 Odorless
 Resistance to vibration and shock
 Non-inflammability
 Economical in initial cost

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 Organic Heat Insulators
 Wool and Cattle hair
 Grass
 Cotton wool
 Cork
 Silk
 Wood, pulp and saw dust
 Sugarcane fiber
 Paper, cardboard, etc

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 Inorganic Heat Insulators
 Air
 Slag wool
 Mineral wool
 Glass wool
 Aluminum foil
 Diatomaceous earth
 Charcoal
 Wood ashes
 Gypsum powder
 Asbestos

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Acoustic Materials
 Sound Insulating Materials
 The materials which offer resistance
to reflection and transmission of
sound waves are called sound
insulating materials
 The sound absorbent materials can
be incorporated in building structures
either in compressed state, free state
or in suspended state

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 Requirements of Sound
Insulating Materials
 Absorb noise to the desired extent
 Could be cleaned, washed and painted
 Resistant to attacks of vermin, insects,
termite or dry rot
 Fire resistant
 Be able to withstand weathering effects
 Lighter so be able to handle and fix easily
 Economical in initial cost
 Pleasant appearance in finished form

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 Classification of Sound
Insulating Materials
 Soft materials
– Asbestos, rock-wool, glass, silk, felt
– Sufficient porosity
– Good sound absorbers
 Semi hard materials
– Mineral wool, cane fibers
– Stiff enough to stand rough handling
– Can also serve as building panels
 Hard materials
– Porous masonry tiles
– Hard materials made porous during
manufacture
– Can also serve as protective surfaces
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 Common Types of Sound
Insulating Materials
 Acoustic plaster
– Made from mineral perlite
– Also called fibrous plaster
– Absorption coefficient 0.30 to 500
cycles/sec
 Acoustic pulp
– Made from asbestos or cellulose fibers
– Becomes plastic on addition of water for
application on walls and ceilings
– Can also serve as building panels

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 Common Types of Sound
Insulating Materials
 Acoustic boards or tiles
– Made from compressed cane, wood fiber or
mineral wool
– Pre-finished at factory and may be painted
– Can be perforated or otherwise
 Quilts and mats
– Attached on one or both sides of non-metallic
flexible material like paper, muslin cloth, etc to
make glass fiber blanket and mats
– Used in broadcasting, television and film
studios

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Water Proofing Materials