2.

1 General Properties of Materials

c
General Properties of Materials
Introduction to the Topic:

In construction, several materials are needed for a structure to be built entirely. These
are known as Engineering Materials or Building Materials. It is essential to be
familiarized with the different properties of these materials as having a full
understanding of it can lead to the right selection of materials needed in the
construction process.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the session the students should be able to:

1. familiar with the general properties of materials specifically in construction;

2. understand the different properties of materials; and
3. identify which kind of properties does the given is.

FACTORS IN CHOOSING THE PROPER MATERIAL FOR A STRUCTURE

The figure below shows the five primary areas that must be evaluated in selection
appropriate materials.
 Overview of the Building Material Selection Criteria

1. Strength, Rigidity and Durability (Property of Material)

2. Environmental Requirements
3. Economy and others

SOME FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS (BUILDING)

A. Structural Characteristics

1. Density – mass of a unit volume of a material; it can be obtained by

dividing the total mass by its total volume.

Density of Materials

2. Specific Weight – also known as the unit weight; this is the weight per unit
volume of material.
 3. Porosity – also known as void fraction; measure of the void (hollow space)
in a material.

B. Physical Properties

1. Moisture – this is the content of water contained in a material.

2. Thermal Conductivity – this pertains to the ability of material to carry out

heat.

Thermal Conductivity

3. Thermal Expansion – this pertains to the expansion or contraction of the

material as the temperature changes.

4. Viscosity – it is the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either

shear or tensile stress.

C. Mechanical Properties

A measure of a material’s ability to resist a variety of mechanical forces.

Resistance to applied loads (stress) initially and over time.

1. Strength – this pertains to the behavior of a material, specifically solid

objects, which experiences stresses or strains.
 Different Types of Loads

2. Stress-Strain Relation – if no external force is being applied to an object or

material, this can be considered as an equilibrium position as all its
components are in place. Otherwise, this material will exert an effort to go
back to its equilibrium or initial position. Technically, this is how you can
understand the meaning of Stress. It can be calculated by dividing the
external force applied by the cross-sectional area of the material. While the
material is experiencing Stress, it undergoes deformation. This is where we
can correlate Strain to Stress. Strain is the measurement that shows the
change in length of the material divided by its original length.

Stress-Strain Curve for a Ductile Material

Load
σ (stress) =
Area
 Change in Original Dimension
ε (strain) =
Original Dimension

2.1 Yield Strength – it is the maximum stress limit of a material wherein

it cannot return to its original shape.

2.2 Ultimate Strength – this is the maximum stress that the material can
take before breaking; also known as tensile strength.

3. Elastic Behavior – this is the ability of the material to deform when external
force is applied and to return to its original state when the stress is
eliminated.

4. Modulus of Elasticity - this is a proportional constant between stress and

strain. It is defines stiffness and rigidity of a material, governs deflections and
influences buckling behavior.
σ
E =
ε

5. Ductility – this is the ability of the material to experience large amount of

deformations without breaking before failure.

6. Tensile Stress - this is created when forces pull on a member and tend to
increase its length.

7. Compressive Stress - this is a push (compress) on a member and tend to

shorten it.

8. Shear Stress - produce forces that work in opposite directions parallel with
the plane of the force, causing adjacent parts of a material to slide past one
another.

9. Permeability - the rate the water flows through a material. Unit: Perm
typically referred to as the perm rating; ex. a vapor retarder is defined as a
material having a perm rating of 1.0 or less.

10. Hardness - this is a measure of the ability of a material to resist

indentation or surface scratching. It is the result of several properties of a
material, such as elasticity, ductility, brittleness and toughness.

11. Impact Strength - this is the ability of a material to resist a very rapidly
applied load, such as the strike of a hammer. It is an indication of the
 toughness of a material. A material with high impact strength will absorb the
energy of impact without fracturing. It is affected by strength and ductility.

12. Fatigue Strength - this is the resistance if a material to a cyclic load, one
that varies in direction and/or magnitude. This is illustrated by bending a wire
back and forth until it breaks. Most materials are lower in fatigue strength
than they are in tensile strength. Failures due to fatigue stress occur slowly,
and most materials that fail due to fatigue offer some useful life before
failure. This is an important factor to consider when the useful life of a
product is established.

D. Other Properties

Thermal Properties

are those that are related to the material’s response to heat. When a
material is subjected to a change in temperature it may expand,
contract, conduct or reflect heat.
Insulators, Conductors, Thermal Conductivity (k), Thermal
Conductance (c), Composite Thermal Performance, Change of State,
Heat Capacity

Acoustic Properties

is that branch of physics that deals with the generation, transmission

and control of sound waves. It considers the ability of a material to
either absorb or reflect sound waves within a room. The acoustical
properties of interior finish materials directly affect occupants by
influencing the quality of speech, music, and other audio sounds
projected in a space. Acoustical materials that perform well as sound
absorbers include soft materials such as fabrics, rigid but soft
materials, and rigid but hard materials that have the exposed surf ace
perforated with holes or slots of varying sizes and placement,

Chemical Properties

Potential reaction with environment

its tendency to undergo a chemical change or reaction due its
composition and interaction with the environment. A chemical change
 can alter the original composition of material and thereby affect its
properties.

Powerpoint Presentation:

2.1 General Properties of Materials.pptx

(https://tip.instructure.com/courses/18788/files/5596368/download?wrap=1)
(https://tip.instructure.com/courses/18788/files/5596368/download?download_frd=1)

End of Discussion.

See attached lecture: General Properties of Materials

(https://tip.instructure.com/courses/18788/files/5596386/download?wrap=1)
(https://tip.instructure.com/courses/18788/files/5596386/download?download_frd=1)
(https://tip.instructure.com/courses/5302/files/869420/download?wrap=1)

Here are some links that might be useful for your studies:

Properties of Building Materials

(https://mycourses.aalto.fi/pluginfile.php/272892/course/section/60458/Lec01_Properties_

of_building_materials.pdf)

Mechanical Properties of Building Materials (https://readcivil.com/mechanical-

properties-of-building-materials/)

Materials of Construction
(https://aybu.edu.tr/muhendislik/insaat/contents/files/1_%20MATERIALS%20OF%20CONS
TRUCTION.pdf)
Building Materials used in Construction

(https://structuralengineeringbasics.com/what-types-of-construction-building-materials/)

Click the problem for your recitation.

Problem (https://tip.instructure.com/courses/18788/discussion_topics/286615)

Rank the factors in determining the proper material for a structure based on your
opinion. 1 being the highest and 5 being the least. Explain your answer.

Summary:

FACTORS IN CHOOSING THE PROPER MATERIAL FOR A STRUCTURE

1. Strength, Rigidity and Durability (Property of Material)

2. Environmental Requirements
3. Economy and others
4. Construction Consideration
5. Aesthetics

PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

A. Structural Characteristics

B. Physical Properties

C. Mechanical Properties

D. Others (Thermal, Acoustic, Chemical and etc.)

Reference:

Sivakugan, Nagaratnam (2018). Civil engineering materials, first edition, Australia:

Cengage Learning
Mamlouk, Michael S. (2018). Materials for civil and construction engineers, England:
Pearson Education Limited

For more references, kindly check TIP Online Resources

TIP Library (https://www.tip.edu.ph/library.html)

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