Aims & Learning Objectives:
To develop a lively interest in the available range of building materials, founded on an understanding of their microstructure and properties and their practical advantages and limits.
Content:
Building materials. Resources, usage and cost.. Mechanical properties; stress, strain, strength stiffness, strain energy, toughness.
Bonding and Packing of Atoms
The periodic table. Primary (ionic, covalent, and metallic) and secondary (dipolar) bonding.
Packing of equal and unequal size atoms.
Imperfections in crystals. Point and line defects, grain boundaries. Metals and Alloys
Iron and steel; phase diagram for Fe-C system, Heat treatment of steels. Alloy steels. Other metals.
Glass, Ceramics and Concrete
Glass structure, composition. and properties. Volume-temperature relationships. Traditional and engineering ceramics. Sheet silicates. Clay bodies. Manufacture of cement. Special cements. Setting and strength of concrete. Stone as a building material.
Polymeric Material and Wood
Polymerisation. Amorphous and crystalline polymers. Thermosets and thermoplastics. Structure and deformation of the wood cell. Properties of timber and its products.
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