TABLE OF CONTENTS Ruth T.Brantley
Senior Lecturer
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
L.Reed Brantley
Emeritus Professor
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
This section describes the basic properties of materials commonly used in construction. For convenience, materials are grouped in the following categories: cementitious materials, metals, organic materials, and composites. Application of these materials is discussed in following sections. In these sections also, environmental degradation on the materials are described.
[*]With excerpts from F.S.Merritt and J.T.Ricketts, Building Design and Construction Handbook, Sec. 4, Building Materials, by F.S.Merritt and D.J.Akers, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York.
Any substance that bonds materials may be considered a cement. There are many types of cements. In construction, however, the term cement generally refers to bonding agents that are mixed with water or other liquid, or both, to produce a cementing paste. Initially, a mass of particles coated with the paste is in a plastic state and may be formed, or molded, into various shapes. Such a mixture may be considered a cementitious material because it can bond other materials together. After a time, due to chemical reactions, the paste sets and the mass hardens. When the particles consist of fine aggregate (sand), mortar is formed. When the particles consist of fine and coarse aggregates, concrete results.
Cementitious materials may be classified in several different ways. One way often used is by the chemical constituent responsible for setting or hardening the cement. Silicate and aluminate cements, in which the setting agents are...
