MODULE 2

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
 BRICK:
A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements
in masonry construction. Properly, the term brick denotes a block composed
of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically
cured construction blocks.
Ingredient Percentage in brick

Percentage of Constituents of Brick (Weight Silica (SiO2) 55%

Basis)
Alumina (Al2O3) 30%

There are six major ingredients of brick.

Iron Oxide (Fe2O3) 8%
The general percentage of these ingredients in brick
is given below:
Magnesia (MgO) 5%

Lime(CaO) 1%

Organic Matter 1%
 CHIEF INGREDIENTS OF BRICK AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
silica (sand) and alumina (clay), these two are the most prominent ingredients in brick clay. when
mixed with water in proper proportions, it gains plasticity. the plastic mass can be easily molded
and dried. it should not go through cracking, shrinkage or warping.

*Alumina
Alumina is the main constituent of clay. It acts as a cementing material in raw brick.
Brick clay is plastic due to the presence of alumina. This plasticity ensures that bricks can be moulded.
An excess amount of alumina in clay may cause the bricks to shrink, warp or crack on drying and burning as any
other cementing material.

* Silica
Good quality bricks contain 50-60% silica. It is present in both free and combined form. As frees sand, it remains
mechanically mixed with clay. In combined form, it reacts with alumina to form aluminosilicates.
Silica prevents raw bricks from cracking, shrinking and warping. The higher the proportion of sand, the more and
shapely and uniform in texture will be the brick.
Although, excess silica destroys cohesion between the brick clay particles and makes brick brittle and weak.
* Iron Oxide
Bricks contain a small quantity of Iron Oxide. Iron Oxide acts a flux like
lime, thus helps silica to fuse at low temperature. It imparts a red color to
bricks upon burning. Iron also increases the durability and impermeability
of the bricks.
❖ Magnesia
A small proportion of magnesium decreases shrinkage and gives a yellow
tint to the bricks. An excess amount of it causes bricks to decay.

Harmful Ingredients of Brick

Read your self
CLASSIFICATION OF BRICKS

❖ Sun-dried brick First class : Quality with excellent edges

❖ Burnt clay bricks
❖ Fly ash bricks
❖ Concrete bricks
Second class: Ground moulded and a bit irregular in shape
Third class: Rough-edged and ground moulded, used for
temporary construction
Fourth class: Over-burnt and highly irregular, dark in colour
with no water resistance feature

❖ Engineering bricks
❖ Calcium silicate bricks
❖ Eco bricks
PROPERTIES OF BRICKS
1. Physical Properties of Bricks : These properties of bricks include shape, size, color, and density of a brick.
➢ Shape.
1. The standard shape of an ideal brick is truly rectangular. It has Well defined and sharp edges. The surface of the bricks is
regular and even.
2. These are generally modifications of rectangular shapes.
➢ Size.
1. The size of brick used in construction varies from country to country and from place to place in the same country.
2. In India, the recommended standard size of an ideal brick is 19 x 9 x 9 cm which with mortar joint gives net dimensions of
20 x 10 x 10 cm.
➢ Colour.
1. The most common color of building bricks falls under the class RED. It may vary from deep red to light red to buff and
purple.
2. Very dark shades of red indicate over burnt bricks whereas yellow color is often indicative of under-burning.
➢ Density.
1. The density of bricks or weight per unit volume depends mostly on the type of clay used and the method of brick molding
(soft-mud, Stiff-mud, hard-pressed etc.).
2. In the case of standard bricks, density varies from 1600 kg/cubic meter to 1900 kg/cubic meter.
2. Mechanical Brick Properties.
Under this heading of properties of bricks, compressive strength and flexure strength are included.
➢ Compressive Strength of Bricks.
1. It is the most important property of bricks especially when they are used in load-bearing walls.
2. The compressive strength of a brick depends on the composition of the clay and degree of burning. It may vary from 35
kg/cm2 to more than 200 kg/cm2 in India.
➢ Flexure Strength.
1. Bricks are often used in situations where bending loads are possible in a building. As such, they should possess sufficient
strength against transverse loads.
2. It is specified that the flexural strength of a common building brick shall not be less than 10 kg/cm2.
3. Best grade bricks often possess flexural strength over 20 kg/cm2.
➢ Thermal Properties of Building Bricks.
1. . Besides being hard and strong, ideal bricks should also provide an adequate insulation against heat, cold and noise.
2. The heat and sound conductivity of bricks vary greatly with their density and porosity.
3. Very dense and heavy bricks conduct heat and sound at a greater rate. They have, therefore, poor thermal and acoustic
(sound) insulation qualities.
4. For this reason, bricks should be so designed that they are light and strong and give adequate insulation
Specification of Bricks
A brick is small block of burnt clay with a size that can be held in one hand conveniently.
Brick should be thoroughly burnt, of uniform color, having plane rectangular faces, sharp
straight, right angle edges.
➢ Standard Modular size of common building brick is 190X90X90 mm
➢ The size of a Non-Modular brick is (229X111X70 mm).But it is specified as
230X110X70 mm.

➢ The weight of a brick is about 3 to 4 kg.

Visual Characteristics of Brick

• Good bricks should be burnt thoroughly so that they become hard and durable.

• Satisfactory burning of the bricks is ascertained by hard ringing sound when two bricks are struck together.

• The bricks should have smooth and rectangular shapes with sharp corners and uniform colors.

• The bricks should be free from cracks, chips, warp age, large particles of lime and organic matters.

Water Absorption of Brick

Average water absorption of bricks after 24 hours of immersion in cold water should not be more than 20% of

its own dry weight. The acceptable water absorption for clay bricks are between 12% and 20%. If you are

using engineering bricks the closer you are to the 12% the better the result will be. When the water absorption

is too low, i.e. below 12%, it may be difficult to obtain a proper bond between the mortar and the bricks.
Raw Materials for Brick
Clay 20 to 35 %
Silt 20 to 35%
Sand 35 to 45 %
CEMENT

A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens,
and The principal raw materials used in the manufacture of Ordinary Portland
Cement are:
1. Argillaceous or silicates of alumina in the form of clays and shales.
2. Calcareous or calcium carbonate, in the form of limestone, chalk and marl
which is a mixture of clay and calcium carbonate.
3.Gypsum is added to control the “setting of cement”. If not added, the cement
will set immediately after mixing of water leaving no time for concrete placing
adheres to other materials to bind them together.
PROPERTIES OF CEMENT
Th e properties of cement are:
1. It gives strength to the masonry.
2. It acts as an excellent binding material.
3. It offers good resistance to moisture.
4. It possesses good plasticity.
5. It stiffens or hardens early.
6. It is easily workable.
Types of Cement
➢ Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)
➢ Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)
➢ Rapid Hardening Cement
➢ Quick setting cement
➢ Low Heat Cement
➢ Sulphate resisting cement
➢ Blast Furnace Slag Cement
➢ High Alumina Cement
➢ White Cement
➢ Colored cement
➢ Air Entraining Cement
➢ Expansive cement
➢ Hydrographic cement
Uses of Cement
Following are the different uses of cement in construction works:
1. To prepare cement mortar
2. To prepare cement concrete
3. To build fire proof and thermal proof structures
4. To build hydrographic and frost resistant structures
5. To build chemical proof structures
6. As a grout material
7. To construct Cement concrete roads
8. To manufacture precast members
9. For aesthetic concrete construction
 MORTAR
Contents: Cement mortar: Constituents, Preparation
Mortar is an intimate mixture of binding material, fine aggregate and water. When water is added to the dry
mixture of binding material and the inert material, binding material develops the property that binds not only the
inert material but also the surrounding stones and bricks.
TYPES OF MORTAR
➢ CEMENT MORTAR
➢ LIME MORTAR
➢ SURKI MORTAR
➢ GAUGED MORTAR
➢ MUD MORTAR
PROPORTION OF CEMENT MORTAR:-
The Proportion means the relative quantity of different components to be mixed to make good mortar,
or simply the ratio between different materials.
Following are the proportions of cement mortar which is commonly recommended for different works:
01. Masonry Construction:-
➢ For ordinary masonry work with brick/ stone as a structural unit. – 1:3 to 1:6
➢ Forreinforced brick work – 1:2 to 1:3.
➢ For all work in moist situations – 1:3
➢ For Architectural work – 1:6
➢ For load bearing structures – 1:3 or 1:4
02. Plaster Work:-
➢ For External Plaster and Ceiling Plaster – 1:4
➢ Internal Plaster (If sand is not fine i.e. Fineness Modulus> 3) – 1:5
➢ For Internal Plaster (if fine sand is available) – 1:6
03. Flooring Work:
➢ Mortar ratio of 1:4 to 1:8 (cement: sand, water to be judgmental), for 5
to 7 times
thickness of verified tiles, should be given as bed between RCC floor and
tiles.
04. Pointing Work:
➢ For pointing work proportion of cement mortar should be 1:1 to 1:3
CONCRETE
Contents: Concrete types:PCC and RCC, Grades of Concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid
cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-mostused substance in the
world after water, and is the most widely used building material.
PLAIN CEMENT CONCRETE
Plain concrete, also known as plain cement concrete or PCC, is most commonly used for paving and
flooring. Major ingredients of concrete are:
Binding materials (like cement, lime, polymer)
Fine aggregate (sand)
Coarse aggregate (crushed stone, jelly)
Water
A small quantity of admixtures like air entraining agents, water proofing agents, workability agents etc.
may also be added to impart special properties to the plain concrete mixture. The objective of plain
cement concrete alias PCC is to arrange a firm impermeable bed to RCC in the foundation where the
soil is soft and flexible. It is mostly applied over brick flat soling or devoid of brick flat soling. It is also
known as Cement Concrete (CC) or Blinding Concrete.
STEEL

Use of steel in buildings, types

Steel is an important alloy of iron and carbon. It is highly elastic, ductile, malleable and weldable. Steel has high
tensile and compressive strength and also stands wear and tear much better.
USE OF STEEL IN BUILDING WORKS:
Steel can be used for various purposes in building works –
1. As structural material in trusses , beams, etc
2. As non-structural material for grills, doors, windows etc
3. In steel ,pipes , tanks etc
4. In sanitary and sewer fittings, rainwater goods etc
5. Corrugated sheets
6. As reinforcement for concrete
STEEL AS A REINFORCEMENT IN CONCRETE

Although plain concrete is very strong in compression , it is very weak in

tensile strength .So, steel is being used in concrete reinforcement . It is

equally strong in compression and tension. The steel for reinforcing bars of

other forms of round bars varying in diameter from 5 to 40 mm , sometimes

bars of other forms as mentioned above are also used. Reinforced cement

Concrete (RCC) is more rigid, highly durable and fire resistant. It posses high

tensile strength and it is economical in ultimate cost.

TYPES OF STEEL SECTION:
1.Mild Steel
2.HYSD bars
3.HIGH TENSILE BARS
MARKET FORMS OF STEEL
The following are the various forms in which steel is available in the market:
1. Angle sections
2. Channel sections
3. Corrugated sheets
4. Expanded metal
5. Flat bars
6. I-sections
7. Plates
GLASS
Glass is being used as an engineering material. It is a mixture of metallic silicates, one of which is usually that of
an alkali material. It is amorphous, transparent or translucent. It may also be considered as a solidifi ed super-
cooled
solution of various metallic silicates having infi nite viscosity. For the purpose of classifi cation, glass may be
grouped into the following three categories:
1. Soda-lime glass
2. Potash-lime glass
3. Potash-lead glass
Th e chemical formulas for the three groups of glass, as classifi ed above, are as follows:
Soda-lime glass: Na 2 O, CaO, 6SiO 2
Potash-lime glass: K 2 O, CaO, 6SiO 2
Potash-lead glass: K 2 O, PbO, 6SiO 2
The glass may be broadly classified as:
1. Soda-lime glass 2. Potash lime glass 3. Potash lead glass 4. Common glass and 5. Special glasses.
1. Soda Lime Glass: It is mainly a mixture of sodium silicate and calcium silicate. It is fusible at low
temperature. In the fusion condition it can be blown or welded easily. It is colourless. It is used as
window panes and for the laboratory tubes and apparatus.
2. Potash Lime Glass: It is mainly a mixture of potassium silicate and calcium silicate. It is also known
as hard glass. It fuses at hig temperature. It is used in the manufacture of glass articles which have to
with stand high temperatures.
3. Potash Lead Glass: It is mainly a mixture of potassium silicate and lead silicate. It possesses bright
lustre and great refractive power. It is used in the manufacture of artificial gems, electric bulbs, lenses,
prisms etc.
4. Common Glass: It is mainly a mixture of sodium silicate, calcium silicate and iron silicate. It is
brown, green or yellow in colour. It is mainly used in the manufacture of medicine bottles.
5. Special Glasses: Properties of glasses can be suitably altered by changing basic ingradients and
adding few more ingradients. It has now emerged as versatile material to meet man special requirement
in engineering.
The following is the list of some of the special glasses:
(a) Fibre glass (b) Foam glass
(c) Bullet proof glass (d) Structural glass
(e) Glass black (f) Wired glass
(g) Ultraviolet ray glass (h) Perforated glass.
Properties of glass
a. It absorbs, refracts or transmits light.
b. It can take up a high polish.
c. It has no definite crystalline structure.
d. It has no sharp melting point.
e. It is affected by alkalis.
f. It is an excellent electrical insulator.
g. It is available in beautiful colours.
h. It behaves more as a solid than most solids, in the sense that it is elastic. When the
elastic limit exceeds, it fractures instead of deforming.
i. It is capable of being worked in many ways, such as blown, drawn and pressed.
j. It is difficult to cast it in large pieces.
k. It is extremely brittle.
l. It is usually unaffected by air or water.
m. Ordinary chemical reagents do not attack it.
n. It is possible to weld pieces of glass by fusion.
o. It is transparent and translucent.
p. When it is heated, it becomes softer and softer with the rise in temperature and is ultimately
transformed into a mobile liquid.
USES OF GLASS AS A BUILDING MATERIAL
a. Glass can be used for window panels.
b. Glass blocks can be used for partitions up to 6 m for insulation.
c. Sheet glass can be used for glazing.
d. Structural glass can be used for insulation, panel walls, wall facings, enclosures, etc.
e. Potash lead glasses are used for making electric bulbs.
f. Tinted glass can be used for decorative glassworks.
g. Fibre glass reinforced plastics can be used to construct furniture, lampshades and
bathroom fittings.
PLASTIC
PLASTICS

Plastic is an organic material prepared out of resin. It may or may not contain
fillers, plasticizers and solvents. Plastic may be defined as a natural or
synthetic organic material which are having the property of being plastic at
some stage of their manufacture when they can be moulded to required size
and shape.
Types of Plastics
Primarily there are two types of plastics:
1. Thermosetting and
2. Thermoplastic.
1. Thermosetting Plastics: It needs momentary heated condition and great
pressure during shaping. When heated cross linkage is established between
the molecules and chemical reaction takes place. During this stage shape can
be changed with pressure.
This change is not reversible.
The scrap of such plastic is not reusable.
Bakelite is an example of such plastic.
Thermoplastic:

In this variety, the linkage between the molecules is very loose. They can be
softened by heating repeatedly. This property helps for reuse of waste plastic.
These plastic need time to cool down and harden.
These plastics are to be kept in moulds till cooling takes place completely.
Bitumen, cellulose and shellac are the examples of this variety of plastics
Properties of Plastics
1. Colour: Some plastics are completely transparent. Using pigments plastics of any attractive colour
can be produced.
2. Dimensional Stability: It is dimensionally stable to a great extent.
3. Durability: Plastic offers great resistance to moisture and chemicals and hence more durable.
4. Electrical Insulation: The plastics possess excellent electrical insulating property.
5. Fire Resistance: The phenol-formaldehyde and urea-formaldehyde plastics resist fire to a great extent
and hence they are used as fire proofing materials.
6. Strength: The plastics are reasonably strong. Their strength may be increased by reinforcing with
various fibrous materials. Attempts are being made to produce structurally sound plastics.
7. Specific Gravity: The specific gravity of plastics is very low and hence convenient to handle.
8. Ductility: The plastics are not ductile and hence they fail without giving warning.
9. Fixing: Plastics can be bolted, drilled, glued, clamped or simply push fitted in position.
10. Maintenance: There is no maintenance cost for plastic articles i.e., they do not need painting
and polishing.
Uses of Plastics
There are variety of plastics made to suit different uses. The typical uses of plastics in buildings is listed
below:
1. Corrugated and plain sheets for roofing.
2. For making jointless flooring.
3. Flooring tiles.
4. Overhead water tanks.
5. Bath and sink units.
6. Cistern hall floats.
7. Decorative laminates and mouldings.
8. Window and door frames and shutters for bathroom doors.
9. Lighting fixtures.
10. Electrical conduits.
11. Electrical insulators.
12. Pipes to carry cold waters.
Timber
Timber refers to wood used for construction works. In fact the word timber is
derived from an old
English word ‘Timbrian’ which means ‘to build’. A tree that yields good wood
for construction is called
‘Standing Timber.’
❖Timber or wood as a building material possesses a number of valuable
properties, such as low heat conductivity, amenability to mechanical working,
low bulk density and relatively high strength.
❖Used as beams, columns and plates in construction in a variety of situations,
such as foundation, flooring, stairs and roofing
CLASSIFICATION OF TIMBER
Various bases are considered for the classification of timbers. The following are the important basis:
(i) Mode of growth
(ii) Modulus of elasticity
(iii) Durability
(iv) Grading
(v) Availability.
(i) Classification Based on Mode of Growth: On the basis of mode of growth trees are classified
as (a) Exogeneous and (b) Endogeneous
(a) Exogeneous Trees: These trees grow outward by adding distinct
consecutive ring every year. These rings are known as annual rings.
Hence it is possible to find the age of timber by counting these annual rings.
These trees may be further divided into
(1) coniferous and (2) deciduous.
▪coniferous trees are having cone shaped leaves and fruits. The leaves do not
fall till new ones are grown. They yield soft wood.
▪ Deciduous trees are having broad leaves. These leaves fall in autumn and
new ones appear in springs. They yield strong wood and hence they are
commonly used in building construction.
(b) Endogeneous Trees: These trees grow inwards. Fresh fibrous mass is in
the inner most portion. Examples of endogenous trees are bamboo and cane.
They are not useful for structural works.
The classification as soft wood and hard wood have commercial importance. The difference between
soft wood and hard wood is given below:
Soft wood:
1. In soft wood annual rings are seen distinctly
2. The colour of soft wood is light.
3. Soft woods have lesser strength .
4. Soft woods are light.
5. Fire resistance of soft wood is poor.
6. The structure of soft wood is resinous.
Hard wood
Hard wood annual rings are indistinct.
The colour of hard wood is dark.
In compression and shear compared to hard woods is more.
hard woods are heavy.
hard wood has more fire resistance.
while structure of hard wood is close grained.
1. Pith: It is the inner most part of the tree and hence the oldest part of exogeneous tree when the plant
becomes old, the pith dies and becomes fibrous and dark. It varies in size and shape.
2. Heart Wood: This is the portion surrounding pith. It is dark in colour and strong. This portion is
useful for various engineering purpose. This is the dead part of wood. It consists of several annular
rings.
3. Sap Wood: It is the layer next to heart wood. It denotes recent growth and contains sap. It takes active
part in the growth of trees by allowing sap to move in upward direction. The annual rings of sap wood
are less sharply divided and are light in colour. The sap wood is also known as alburnum.
4. Cambium Layer: It is a thin layer of fresh sap lying between sap wood and the inner bark. It contains
sap which is not yet converted into sap wood. If the bark is removed and cambium layer is exposed to
atmosphere, cells cease to be active and tree dies.
5. Inner Bark: It is a inner skin of tree protecting the cambium layer. It gives protection to cambium
layer.
6. Outer Bark: It is the outer skin of the tree and consists of wood fibres. Sometimes it contains fissures
and cracks.
7. Medullary Rags: These are thin radial fibres extending from pith to cambium layer. They hold
annular rings together. In some of trees they are broken and some other they may not be prominent.
Classification Based on Modulus of Elasticity: Young’s modulus is determined by conducting bending test.
On this basis timber is classified as:
Group A: E = 12.5 kN/mm2
Group B: E = 9.8 kN/mm2 to 12.5 kN/mm2
Group C: E = 5.6 kN/mm2 to 9.8 kN/mm2.
(iii) Classification Based on Durability: Durability tests are conducted by the forest research establishment.
They bury test specimen of size 600 × 50 × 50 mm in the ground to half their length and observe their
conditions regularly over several years. Then timbers are classified as:
High durability: If average life is more than 10 years.
Moderate durability: Average life between 5 to 10 years.
Low durability: Average life less than 5 years.
(iv) Classification Based on Grading: IS 883-1970 classifies the structural timber into three grades-select
grade, grade I and grade II. The classification is based on permissible stresses, defects etc.
(v) Classification Based on Availability: Forest departments classify timbers based on the availability as
X—Most common. 1415 m3 or more per year
Y—Common. 355 m3 to 1415 m3 per year
Z—Less common. Less than 355 m3 per year.
Properties of Timber
Properties of good timbers are:
Colour: It should be uniform.
Odour: It should be pleasant when cut freshly.
Soundness: A clear ringing sound when struck indicates the timber is good.
Texture: Texture of good timber is fine and even.
Grains: In good timber grains are close.
Density: Higher the density stronger is the timber.
Hardness: Harder timbers are strong and durable.
Warping: Good timber do not warp under changing environmental conditions.
Toughness: Timber should be capable of resisting shock loads.
Abrasion: Good timber do not deteriorate due to wear. This property should
be looked into, if timber is to be used for flooring.
Strength: Timber should have high strength in bending, shear and direct
compression.
Modulus of Elasticity: Timber with higher modulus of elasticity are preferred
in construction.
Fire resistance: A good timber should have high resistance to fire.
Permeability: Good timber has low water permeability.
Workability: Timber should be easily workable. It should not clog the saw.
Durability: Good timber is one which is capable of resisting the action of
fungi and insects attack
Defects: Good timber is free from defects like dead knots, shakes and cracks.
Tiles
Tiles can be defi ned as thin slabs or bricks, which are burnt in kilns. Th e tiles are thinner than bricks.
Tiles are classifyed into two types: common tiles, which are available in diff erent shapes and sizes and
used for paving,
flooring and roofing, and encaustic tiles, which are used for decorative purposes in fl oors, walls,
ceilings and roofs.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF TILES
Th e diff erent types of tiles are
1. Drain tiles
2. Flooring tiles
3. Roofi ng tiles
Drain tiles
Drain tiles are prepared in such a way that they retain their porous texture
after burning. Hence, they are suitable to be laid in waterlogged areas. Th ey
allow water to pass. Th ey are also used to convey irrigation water. Th ese
drains may be circular, semicircular or segmental.
Flooring tiles
Th e fl ooring tiles should be hard enough to resist wear and tear. Th ey are
thin tiles of thickness 12–50 mm and can also be adopted for ceilings.
Colouring substances can be added to the clay during preparation to impart
colour to fl oor tiles. Low-strength fl oor tiles can be used for fi xing on the
surface of walls. Th ey are easier to lay as they are small in size and much
lighter t
Wood tiles
Wood fl ooring requires a protective coating such as varnish or wax. Th is type is suitable for gymnasium,
skating
rinks and air-conditioned rooms.
Cork tiles
Diff erent colours and designs are available. Th ese are warm, quiet and resilient but not durable.
Cement concrete tiles
Plain concrete tiles, plain coloured tiles and terrrazo tiles are the three diff erent types of tiles coming in this
category. Th ese are easy to clean and shine well if the quality is good. Th eir cost is comparatively
reasonable.
Magnesium fl ooring tiles
Th is fl ooring is used as a substitute for asphalt fl ooring.
Ceramic tiles
Th ese are non-slippery and used in wet areas like bathrooms, kitchens, etc. Th ey
are available in a wide range of colours and textures. Th ey are used in living rooms
also.
Roofing tiles
Th ey act as a covering to the roof. Th e important varieties of roofi ng tiles are as follows.
Allahabad tiles
Th ey are tiles made from clay. Th e moulding is done under pressure in machines. Interlocking facility
is attained by the projection provided in the tiles. Th ese tiles can also be adopted for the hip, ridge
and valley portions of the roof.
Corrugated tiles
Corrugations are provided for the side lap when they are placed in position. Th ese tiles give a pleasing
appearance. Th e placing of tiles gives an appearance of corrugated iron sheets.
Mangalore tiles
Th ese tiles are provided with suitable projections so that they interlock with each other. Th ese tiles
are of fl at pattern but special Mangalore pattern tiles are available for the hip, valley and ridge
portions. Th e life of these tiles is estimated as about 25 years. Th ese are red in colour and it is found
that 15 Mangalore tiles are required for covering 1 m 2 of roof area.
 Guna tiles
Th ey are hollow, tapered, burnt tiles. Th ey are conical in shape with a base of 100 mm diameter at
the broader end and 75 mm at the narrower end. Th ese may be made of suitable shapes, like
parabolic, elliptical, etc.
Pan tiles
Th ey are short and heavy. Th ey are fi rst moulded as fl at sections and later given the required
curvature by moulding in suitable forms. Th ese tiles have a length between 30 and 40 cm and width
between 20 and 30 cm.
Encaustic tiles
Th ey are manufactured from ordinary clays with colouring materials and fi ner clays. Th e encaustic
tiles consist of three layers: body which is made of coarser clay, face which comprises of 6 mm coat of
fi ner clay and colouring material and back which is a thin coat of clay to prevent the tile from warping.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD TILE
1. It should possess uniform colour.
2. It should give an even and compact structure when seen on its broken surface.
3. It should be sound, hard and durable.
4. It should be regular in shape and size.
5. It should fi t in properly when placed in the proper position.
6. It should be free from cracks, bends and warps.
6.3 PORCELAIN GLAZED TILES
Th e purpose for which glazing is done are:
1. To improve the appearance.
2. To produce decorative eff ects.
3. To provide smooth surfacing.
4. To protect the surface from the action of atmospheric agencies.
5. To make the particles durable.