Qassim University

College of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

Properties of Structural Materials

CE 205

Lecture #7
Properties of Metals
Dr. Eyad Alsuhaibani
Trimester 443
Metals
❖ Metals are a highly valuable group of materials, used for hundreds of products and
produced in huge quantities.
❖ Metals form about a quarter of the earth crust by weight.
❖ Metals have played a vital role in human development.

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Metals
❖ Generally, metals possess the following characteristics:

➢ Solid at room temperature.

➢ High melting point.
➢ Good conductors of electricity and heat.
➢ Malleable: they can be shaped.
➢ Ductile: they can be drawn into wires .
➢ Strong.
➢ Dense and opaque.

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 Pure Metals and Alloys
❖ Pure Metals: Metal that are not mixed with any other materials.

❖ Alloys: Alloys are mixtures of two or more metals formed together

with other elements/materials to create new metals with improved.

properties.

❖ Examples of alloys are:

– Steel= iron & carbon

– Brass= copper & zinc

– Bronze= copper & tin

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Classification of Metals
Metals can be divided into two groups: (1) Ferrous Metals and (2) Non-Ferrous Metals
1) Ferrous Metals
▪ All ferrous metals contain iron as common element.
▪ They will corrode unless protected.
▪ They are attracted by magnets.
Examples: Cast Iron, Wrought Iron, Steel, stainless Steel Silicon Steel, High tensile Steel, Mild Steel etc.

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Classification of Metals (cont.)
Metals can be divided into two groups: (1) Ferrous Metals and (2) Non-Ferrous Metals

2) Non-Ferrous Metals
▪ They do not contain iron.
▪ They are not magnetic.
▪ They share desirable characteristic (resist corrosion and generally have excellent workability).
Examples: Silver, Copper, Gold, Aluminum, Brass, Titanium, Lead etc.

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Properties of Some Ferrous Metals:
❖ The iron is extracted from earth, and then further refined to produce steel which is widely used now.
❖ When carbon is added, useful set of alloys are produced.

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Properties of Some Non-Ferrous Metals:

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 Metals: Steel
➢ The various properties of structural steel, including
Increasing Carbon Content
strength and ductility, are determined by its chemical
composition.
Hardness
➢ Steel is the most suitable building material among Ductility

DECREASES
INCREASES
Brittleness
Plasticity
metallic materials. Yield Point
Weldability
Tensile Strength
➢ Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with Corrosion Resistance
Rusting
less than 2% carbon content.

➢ By suitably controlling the carbon content, alloying

elements and heat treatment, a desired combination of
hardness, ductility, and strength can be obtained in steel.
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Types of Steel: Low Carbon Steel
➢ Also known as Mild or soft or plain steel.
➢ Contain 0.05% -0.32% carbon
• Tough, ductile and malleable
• Easily joined and welded
• Poor resistance to corrosion
• It is a general-purpose material
• Nails, screws, car bodies, structural steel used in the construction industry.

❖ A36 steel is classified as a plain carbon steel, and it has the following components (other than iron).
• Carbon: 0.26% (maximum)
• Phosphorous: 0.04% (maximum)
• Sulfur: 0.05% (maximum) 10
Types of Steel: Medium Carbon Steel
➢ Contains 0.35% - 0.5% of carbon.
➢ Offer more strength and hardness, but less ductile and malleable
➢ Structural steel, rails and garden tools.

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Types of Steel: High Carbon Steel
➢ Also known as ‘tool steel’.
➢ Contain 0.55%-1.5% carbon.
➢ Very hard but offers higher strength.
➢ Less ductile, less malleable.
➢ Hand tools (chisels, punches), saw blades.
➢ It can be forged and welded with difficulty.

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 Summary of Types of Steel based on the Carbon Content.
❖ Steel can contain up to 2% carbon. Varying the amount of carbon gives steel different
properties. For example, a higher carbon content makes a hard steel.

Low Carbon Steel Medium Carbon Steel High Carbon Steel

➢ Also known as Mild steel
➢ Contain 0.05% -0.32% carbon
• Tough, ductile and malleable
• Easily joined and welded
• Poor resistance to corrosion
• It is a general-purpose material
• Nails, screws, car bodies, structural
steel used in the construction
industry
➢ Contains 0.35% - 0.5% of carbon
➢ Offer more strength and hardness,
but less ductile and malleable
• Structural steel, rails and garden tools
➢ Also known as ‘tool steel’
➢ Contain 0.55%-1.5% carbon
• Very hard but offers higher strength
• Less ductile
• Less malleable
• Hand tools (chisels, punches)
• Saw blades

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Types of Steel: Stainless Steel
❖ Stainless Steel: Steel alloyed with chromium (18%), nickel (8%), and magnesium (8%).
➢ Hard and tough.
➢ Corrosion resistance.
➢ Comes in different grades.
➢ Sinks, surgical instruments, and others.

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Uses of Steel as Reinforcing Steel
Grades:
Deformed or plain steel bars are produced in following
four principal grades:
➢ Grade 40 (300): σy =40,000 psi (300MPa)
➢ Grade 50 (350): σy =50,000 psi (350MPa)
➢ Grade 60 (400): σy =60,000 psi (400MPa)
➢ Grade 75 (500): σy =75,000 psi (500MPa)

Uses of Steel as Structural Steel

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Advantages of Steel as a Structural Material:
❖ High Strength
This means that the weight of structure that made of steel will be small.
❖ Uniformity
Properties of steel do not change as opposed to concrete.
❖ Elasticity
Steel follows Hooke’s Law very accurately.
❖ Ductility
A very desirable of property of steel in which steel can withstand extensive deformation
without failure under high tensile stresses, i.e., it gives warning before failure takes place.
❖ Toughness
Steel has both strength and ductility.
❖ Extension of Existing Structures
Example: new bays or even entire new wings can be added to existing frame buildings,
and steel bridges may easily be widened.

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Dis-Advantages of Steel as a Structural Material:
❖ Maintenance Cost
Steel structures are susceptible to corrosion when exposed to air, water, and humidity.
They must be painted periodically.
❖ Fireproofing Cost
Steel is incombustible material; however, its strength is reduced tremendously at high
temperatures due to common fires
❖ Susceptibility to Buckling
For most structures, the use of steel columns is very economical because of their high
strength-to-weight ratios. However, as the length and slenderness of a compressive
column is increased, its danger of buckling increases.
❖ Fatigue
The strength of structural steel member can be reduced if this member is subjected to
cyclic loading.
❖ Brittle Fracture
Under certain conditions steel may lose its ductility, and brittle fracture may occur at
places of stress concentration. Fatigue type loadings and very low temperatures trigger
the situation.
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Metals: Aluminum

❖ It is a widely used non-ferrous metal.

❖ Grayish white in color, soft and malleable.

❖ Conductive to heat and electricity and corrosion resistant.

❖ Can be welded, but it is difficult.

❖ Due to its light weight, it is used in the manufacturing of

aircrafts and boats.

❖ Aluminum accounts for 80% of the structural weight of

aircraft, and its use in the automobile and light truck industry
has increased 300% since 1971.

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Metals: Aluminum

❖ It is not widely common as structural material compared to steel.

❖ Comparative properties of structural steel and aluminum as:

➢ Aluminum is only about one third as heavy as steel.

➢ Aluminum is only about one third as stiff as steel.

➢ The thermal expansion coefficient of aluminum is twice that of steel.

Exterior bracing system
made of aluminum
➢ Aluminum has a much lower melting temperature than steel. alloy

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 Metals: Aluminum
Advantages of Aluminum as a Structural Material Disadvantages of Aluminum as a Structural Material
▪ Light weight, has 1/3 density of steel. ▪ Expensive.

▪ High strength to weight ratio. ▪ lack of performance information.

▪ Corrosion resistance. ▪ Wide range of characteristics.

▪ Good formability. ▪ Harder to weld compared to steel.

▪ It’s not appropriate for high-temperature

environments

Metals: Brass
❖ Brass is basically an alloy made of copper (65%) and zinc (35%).
❖ Brass is a highly malleable metal and is easy to cast.
❖ Brass withstands corrosion.
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Metals: Copper

Properties of Copper Uses of Copper

1. It is having reddish brown color. 1. It is used as electric wire and cable.
2. It is highly ductile and malleable. 2. It is used as lighting conductor.
3. It resists corrosion. 3. Copper tubes are used for hot and cold-water
4. It can be welded easily at red heat condition. supply, gas and sanitation connections.
5. It has high electric and thermal conductivity. 4. It forms a major constituent of brass and bronze.
6. Its melting point is at 1083°C.

Copper cladding 21
 Thank You!
Any Questions?

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