Construction Materials - Report Example

Construction Materials Submitted Number Executive Summary The construction industry has gone through many changes over the years. The use of concrete was one of the outside inventions of the past few centuries. However, the change in the environment has led to the search for other materials that are durable and stronger than concrete. Plastic lumber has been noted as a good way of deflecting the changes made from the use of timber. The past was favourable for using of timber, but the reduction of forests has made it difficult to continue cutting trees. Another important thing was that the increasing plastic waste needed to be curtailed. Mixing wood fibres and plastics became a new model that could lead to conservation of forests while at the same time provide durable materials. Another important thing is the need for scaling higher buildings as skyscrapers become the order of most cities. Steel was the preferred material for elevators, but the emergence of carbon fibres has made it easier to change from that. The report examines the use of concrete, carbon fibres and plastic lumber in modern-day construction, examining the benefits and limitations of each material. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Plastic Lumber Materials 4 Carbon Fibres 6 Concrete 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Appendices 10 Introduction Every day, people are looking for materials that will withstand the global temperatures rising across the world. Materials that can support a 30-storey building are also becoming a popular concern amongst most constructors. Countries are also looking for the different materials that will protect the environment and provide safe and healthy places for the population. This has prompted the creation of different materials that can withstand the pressure and become as agile when the need arises. The main aim is to allow the construction process to take place without jeopardizing the lives of the tenants, as well as making sure that the policies in place take effect as soon as possible. Several technologies looking at the viability of the current materials such as glass, carbon, and wood amongst others have emerged and are all trying to make sure that the mechanical and chemical characteristics of every material fit into the intended purpose of the building under construction. Searching for such materials is still in progress in some countries while others already possess this technology. Determining the impact of the technologies is also subjective, and that is one limitation noted during this research. Construction materials, whether new or old, ought to pass certain standards as required by the respective construction authority bodies to assure citizens of their safety and provide them with the requisite working materials to revolutionize the construction industry. Plastic Lumber Materials The world today is looking for the different methods of protecting the environment. The use of lumber has over the past few years contributed to the cutting down of trees leading to desertification and other hazardous effects. The best way of dealing with this has been seen as coming up with a different perspective that will allow the environment to continue flourishing at all times. The important thing is to come up with materials that will resist rot, attacks by insects and moisture as a way of improving the buildings structural appearance and durability. Most of the buildings using lumber as the main material are also susceptible to attacks by chemicals, which could be easily avoided if the materials used were durable (Sathre, and OConner, 2010 p.15; Nunan, 2010 p.122). One of the ways of making these plastic lumber products is by mixing pieces of wood with plastics and natural fibres to create composite plastic lumber products. The other method is by making wood-like products that are come plastic materials alone. One benefit of using this method is that the materials are attractive in meeting the ideals of the workplace, creating a new outlook in the building and diverting waste from destroying the environment. Another benefit is that the plastics are recycled hence another reason to keep the environment clean. To achieve the right material, the best way of handling this is by looking at the mixtures and understanding the combinations that work. Coming up with the composites includes the use of polymers (Sathre, and OConner, 2010 p.15). A good example is the use of the natural fibre composites, which are a mixture of flax and plastic. Such a combination is essential in the creation of durable materials that can withstand moisture in damp regions as well as the increased heat in the dry areas. They are good for usage on acoustic panels, interior panels and seat panels. Wood composites are a combination of plastics and wood fibres. These are quite good in meeting the ideals of the workplace, allowing the constructor to use them for exterior building applications due to their durability and weather resistance. They are also good for decking, door and window profiles, sound barriers, as well as building picnic tables and park benches. The increased utility of these materials has become a worldwide phenomenon that allows people to make good use of the available materials to create their desired buildings. Importantly, though, is the understanding that they also have their limitations. These materials are affected by viscoelasticity. This means they depend so much on the temperature-time attributes that could affect their mechanical properties (Nunan, 2010 p.150-2). They are subject to deformities as a result of the load they handle. It has low stiffness and flexural strength for anyone looking for flexibility when using such materials. Most constructors prefer to use them in broadways where flexibility is of lesser concern. However, if the material is made of materials passing through high-density polyethylene extrusion, then they are more durable and less costly. Those reinforced with fibreglass provide components for demanding applications in structural buildings such as marine break walls and deck joists (Nunan, 2010 p.152). Carbon Fibres In the search of durable and long-lasting materials, the discovery of carbon fibre has become one of the most sought after invention for structures requiring stiffness, high tensile strength and low eight materials for the building process. Constructors recommend the material because of its lightness, and high chemical resistance that can be used for a myriad of purposes across the divide (Zhao and Gou, 2009 p.150). In most cases, carbon fibre is used in elevators in tall buildings to provide the combined requirements of lightness, less power consumption abilities, and increased strength to handle a certain amount of load. It has succeeded in replacing steel in elevators across the world, making it easier to deal with the issues as they arise, making it easier to have an elevator that can move all the way without having to change people from elevator to the next after a number of floors (Nunan, 2010 p.155). Its advantages mainly range from increased tensile strength, low weight, high tolerance to heat, and high resistance to chemical interferences, as well as low thermal expansion, and high stiffness. It also has high corrosion resistance compared to other materials. It is one way of making sure that the structural importance of this material is suitable for everything it is used for as a way of making sure that the composite materials provide the required combination (Zhao and Gou, 2009 p.150). These advantages make it one of the most sought after material in several industries and institutions including the military, automobile industry, and the construction industry. Its only limitation in the construction industry is the cost of purchasing one. Since the technology is still new and involves a lot r procedures, coming across these materials is quite difficult. Companies that make them are still looking for an easier way of meeting the demand (Pike, Grabner and Harkins, 2009 p.90). Concrete The materials used in making concrete are water, cement and aggregate. Often, these are the most common and the use of concrete has been recorded in history. It is one of the advanced forms of construction that continues to characterize most of the world’s building policies and plans today. Some have added some additives to the resulting concrete as a way of getting a refined finishing that forms a fluid mass easy to mould into whatever shape before forming a hard matrix. It is durable and has been used to make some of the strongest structures notable today such as the Roman Pantheon, Panama Canal, and the Hoover Dam (Lancaster, 2005 p.89). The use of this material has been blamed for social and environmental effects, while others have praised it for the products that emanate from its use. For instance, the surface run-off that result from the hard concrete finishing have been blamed for resulting erosion and flooding in some of the areas where extensive usage has been reported. The manufacture of cement is blamed for the increase in greenhouse gases, and that is a bad repute currently. However, concrete recycling is one important attribute common today that constructors are banking one to make use of the buildings that no longer fit human habitation. This means that there are ways of dealing with any concrete structures that have been demolished or are no longer in use (Lancaster, 2005 p.92). The strengths of using concrete as a building material are common across the globe. Its high compressive strength makes it an ideal material for many buildings and its low tensile strength requires reinforcement to make it strong. Low stress levels provide relatively constant elasticity of concrete though high stress levels decrease the elasticity and results to cracking. With maturity, it shrinks because of its low thermal expansion co-efficient (Ferrari, Kaufmann, Winnefeld, and Plank, 2011 p.1058). However, it is possible to reinforce the concrete and ensure that the results do not disappoint. By carrying out tests, it is easy to determine whether the mixture is appropriate for the building requirements. Further, the use of different mixtures could be important in determining the different strengths required for the different strengths and qualifications. The main advantage of using concrete is that it is easy to determine what strength to use based on the intended purpose (Nunan, 2010 p.159). Conclusion The three materials mentioned hereinabove are quite common in the current construction industry. They vary in their characteristics and application. They can be used jointly to provide a strong, durable and attractive building. The important thing is to understand the combinations required and come up with a good way of understanding the resulting attributes. Of great importance is taking into consideration the purpose of the building as well as the materials that will serve that purpose. Saving the environment has also led to the search for sustainable methods. Thus, construction materials also expected to meet this criterion as well as meet the national standards offered by the concerned authorities in each country. References Ferrari, L, Kaufmann, J, Winnefeld, F & Plank, J (2011) "Multi-method approach to study influence of superplasticizers on cement suspensions". Cement and Concrete Research vol.41 no.10, pp. 1058 Karade SR, Irle M, and Maher K (2003) “Assessment of wood-cement compatibility: A new approach,” Holzforschung, vol.57, pp. 672-680. Lancaster, L (2005) Concrete Vaulted Construction in Imperial Rome. Innovations in Context, Cambridge University Press. Nunan, J (2010) The Complete Guide to Alternative Home Building Materials & Methods: Including Sod, Compressed Earth, Plaster, Straw, Beer Cans, Bottles, Cordwood, and Many Other Low Cost Materials, New York: Atlantic Publishing Company. Pike, C M, Grabner, C P & Harkins, A B (2009) “Fabrication of Amperometric Electrodes,” Journal of Visualized Experiments no.27, pp. 89-92 Sathre, R and OConner, J (2010) A Synthesis of Research on Wood Products and Greenhouse Gas Impacts (2 ed.) London: FPInnovations. Zhao, Z. and Gou, J. (2009) “Improved fire retardancy of thermoset composites modified with carbon nanofibres ” Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. Vol.10: p.150-5 Appendices Appendix A: plastic materials Appendix B: carbon fibres Appendix C: concrete Read More