- Basic Building Materials:
- Aggregates: Classification, properties, soundness, alkali-aggregate reactions, and thermal properties.
- Bricks: Types, properties, field and laboratory tests, manufacturing, and classifications.
- Lime: Classification, properties, and construction applications.
- Concrete:
- Production, properties, tests, and admixtures.
- Special concretes like lightweight, high-density, and self-compacting concretes.
- Other Materials:
- Wood, steel, glass, plastic, paint, adhesives, and bitumen.
- Building Constructions:
- Foundations, masonry, walls, arches, doors, and windows.
- Finishing and Services:
- Plastering, pointing, stairs, ramps, damp proofing, and fire-resistant constructions.
1. Building Materials:
- Aggregates:
- Classified by shape (rounded, angular, flaky) and size (fine, coarse).
- Properties like soundness, mechanical strength, and thermal behavior are discussed.
- Specific tests include grading, toughness, hardness, and water absorption.
- Bricks and Masonry Blocks:
- Varied types like first-class, second-class, and fly ash bricks are explained with quality parameters (size, color, texture, and compressive strength).
- Lab and field tests (e.g., water absorption, efflorescence, compressive strength) ensure suitability for construction.
- Lime:
- Covers different forms (quicklime, slaked lime, hydraulic lime) and their applications.
- Lime is crucial in mortar, soil stabilization, and damp-proofing.
- Wood:
- Focuses on timber properties, defects, seasoning, and products like plywood and fiberboard.
- Concrete:
- Production methods, mix proportions, and tests for strength and durability.
- Special concretes like high-performance and self-compacting concretes are elaborated.
- Mortar:
- Details on types of mortars (cement, lime) and testing methods.
- Metals: Covers properties and uses of steel, aluminum, and copper.
- Glass, Paint, Adhesives, and Bitumen: Explains their types, uses, and testing standards.
- Foundation Types:
- Shallow, deep, pile, and raft foundations, with their uses and advantages.
- Masonry:
- Details the techniques for brick and stone masonry (e.g., Flemish bond, cavity walls).
- Arches and Openings:
- Types of arches, doors, and windows with materials and construction methods.
- Plastering, Pointing, and Painting:
- Discusses methods, defects, and solutions for durable wall finishes.
- Vertical Communication:
- Stairs, ramps, and lifts are described with essential requirements.
- Damp-Proofing and Fire Resistance:
- Techniques to prevent moisture damage and enhance fire resistance.
Throughout the document, several IS codes (e.g., IS: 2386 for aggregates, IS: 3495 for bricks) are referenced for testing procedures, ensuring students understand the importance of adhering to standards.
Practical Utility
The document emphasizes both theory and practice:
- Lab tests like Los Angeles abrasion test for aggregates or compressive strength test for bricks.
- Field tests for quick evaluations of brick quality (color, hardness, soundness).
1.1 Aggregates
- Classification:
- By Shape: Rounded, angular, flaky, elongated.
- By Size: Fine aggregate (sand, silt, clay), Coarse aggregate (gravel, cobbles).
- Properties:
- Physical: Grading, bulk density, voids, porosity, water absorption.
- Mechanical: Toughness, hardness, and specific gravity.
- Thermal: Conductivity, specific heat, and expansion.
- Tests:
- Impact Test: Measures resistance to failure by impact.
- Abrasion Test: Assesses resistance to wear.
- Soundness Test: Evaluates weathering resistance.
- Types of Bricks:
- By Quality: First-class, second-class, third-class.
- By Manufacturing: Extruded, molded, dry-pressed.
- By Material: Burnt clay, fly ash, concrete, sand-lime bricks.
- Field Tests: Shape, color, hardness, soundness, structure.
- Lab Tests:
- Water Absorption: Should not exceed 20% for first-class bricks.
- Compressive Strength: Minimum 10 N/mm² for first-class bricks.
- Efflorescence: Evaluates salt deposits on the surface.
- Types: Quicklime, slaked lime, fat lime, hydraulic lime.
- Properties:
- Quicklime reacts violently with water (exothermic).
- Hydraulic lime sets under water; ideal for damp conditions.
- Applications: Used in mortar, plastering, soil stabilization.
- Timber Defects: Knots, splits, decay.
- Preservation: Seasoning, fire resistance treatments.
- Products: Plywood, veneers, particle boards.
2.1 Concrete
- Production: Mixing cement, aggregates, water, and admixtures.
- Types: Lightweight, high-density, polymer, fiber-reinforced, self-compacting concrete.
- Tests:
- Workability: Slump test, compaction factor test.
- Durability: Chloride penetration, freeze-thaw resistance.
- Types: Cement mortar, lime mortar, gauged mortar.
- Uses: Bonding bricks, plastering, and pointing.
- Metals: Properties and uses of steel (mild, reinforced), aluminum, and copper.
- Glass: Float glass, toughened glass, their properties, and applications.
- Plastics: Lightweight, corrosion-resistant, used in piping and insulation.
- Bitumen: Used in road construction, roofing, and waterproofing.
4.1 Foundations
- Types: Shallow (strip, raft), Deep (pile, caisson).
- Purpose: Distribute loads safely to the ground.
- Brick Bonds: English, Flemish, Stretcher.
- Stone Masonry: Rubble, ashlar.
- Cavity Walls: Improve insulation and prevent dampness.
- Arches: Classified by shape (semi-circular, segmental) and construction.
- Doors and Windows: Materials include wood, steel, aluminum, and glass.
5.1 Wall Finishes
- Plastering: Provides smoothness and durability.
- Painting and Pointing: Aesthetic and protective finishes.
- Stairs: Terminology (riser, tread), requirements for a good staircase.
- Lifts and Escalators: Features and safety requirements.
- Methods: Membranes, coatings, and cavity walls.
- Materials: Properties and use of fire-resistant materials like gypsum and concrete.
- Standards like IS:2386 (aggregates) and IS:3495 (bricks) ensure material quality.
- Tests verify strength, durability, water resistance, and thermal properties.
- S.P. Bindra & S.P. Arora: Textbook of Building Construction.
- P.C. Verghese: Building Materials and Construction.
- Focus on understanding the classification and properties of materials.
- Learn testing methods and their relevance to practical construction.
- Pay attention to IS standards and their applications in quality control.