Defects of Common

Building Materials
(concrete will be studied separately)

SEHS 4595
Maintenance Technology
&
Management
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Common Building Materials
 Steel
 Timber
 Glass
 Plastic
 Bituminous
products
 Natural stones
 Brick

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 Corrosion
 water + oxygen + contaminants
 oxide porous or impermeable?

 Faster corrosion rate under these conditions:

 dissimilar metals or bi-metallic action
(see following table)
 stressed/unstressed sides

 different temperatures

 Fire Damage
 Strength decrease with temperature
 Structural steel must be protected

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Example : Bi-metallic Action (Al window
frame + stainless steel rivets/screws)

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 Concrete encasement
 Avoid contact aggressive chemicals
 Cathodic protection
 Metallic coating – e.g. hot-dip galvanizing (bath
in molten zinc  form a zinc coating layer)
 Stainless steel (Chromium and Nickel are added
during production)
 Coatings – inorganic (epoxy, PVC, enamel, etc.)
or organic (paint)
 Good design & maintenance
 Minimum exposed surface
 Not to collect water/dirt 9
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 Steel Coating
Zinc
Phosphate Red or Oxide Micaceous Iron
Primer Primer Oxide

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`termite
 Types: hardwoods and softwoods
 Softwoods – cone-bearing trees,
e.g. pine
 Hardwoods with thicker cell wall,
so usually more durable and
harder
 Natural timber cannot be used as
building materials (too wet, biological
growth, insect attack e.g. termite)
 Moisture need to be controlled before
usage
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 Moisture reduced to fibre
saturation point to gain
strength and reduce
fungal/insect attacks –
‘Seasoning’ process
 Fibre saturation point : 25-
30% moisture content – only
cell wall is saturated, therefore
provide strength
 Further drying  differential
shrinkage, distortion
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Fibre
saturation
point

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 Extent of moisture movement affected by
cutting methods
 Plywood – control moisture movement;
layers of timber with grain direction
perpendicular to alternative layers (cross-
graining)
 Also give a more consistent strength at
different direction
 UV from sunlight  colour changes,
degradation
 Fire – smaller damage than expected; for
large timber log, charcoal will be formed on
the surface which insulates and protects the
inner core
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Cutting methods affect timber’s properties

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Timber –
shrinkage at various directions

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Bulging of Timber Floor
Guess what time of the
year is better to fix
timber floor – wet or
dry season?

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Upward Bowing of Floor Finish

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 Made of silicon oxide 72%, sodium
carbonate 13%, calcium carbonate 10%
 Loss of strength with age
 Allow thermal movement – higher
movement in low-emissivity (low-E)
glass, tinted glass, coloured glass
 Cracks at corners if restrained from
thermal movement
 Easily failed due to local over-stressing
 Temperature differences across single
glass sheet  internal stress  break
(e.g. partly under direct sunlight; partly shaded) 20
 Defects :
 Production: Nickel sulphide (NiS) in
tempered glass causes sudden shattering
of glass façade
 Tempered glass – weak in taking up point
loading and therefore should not be used
for glass façade at upper storeys
 Mechanical Damage
 Weather – typhoon
 Differential movement of frame e.g.
window or curtain wall frames
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 Tempered
Glass –
Broken
(Safety Glass because
shattered in small
pieces and with
round corners)

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 Types: PVC, uPVC, PP, PU, PC, PS, PE, etc.
 uPVC – drain pipes, cladding, window frame
 PVC – floor covering sheet
 Rubber/polymers with high strain capacity –
sealant, baffle
 GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) used in precast
moulded products or cladding
 Acquire electrostatic charge  attracts dust
 Creep – size changes under long-term loading
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 UV radiation  degradation, change of
colour
 Allow for thermal expansion (can be as
high as 10 times of steel !!)
 Must allow thermal movement
 uPVC window – not popular in HK because
extensive thermal movement
 Chemical resistance varies with plastics
 Certain gases in the atmosphere, e.g.
ozone will attack plastics
 Fungus growing on sealant 24
uPVC Windows

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Mould growth (black stain) at sealant
around bathtub

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 Bitumen and asphalt
 For roof waterproofing, basement
tanking, wood floor adhering
 Good resistance to acid and alkali
 Excessive heat/sunlight  surface
crazing, cracking

(asphalt – mixture of bitumen and sand, clay or other inert

mineral filler like limestone) 27
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 Protected from mechanical damage
(e.g. precast concrete tiles)
 Solar reflective paint on top to prevent
excessive heat gain
 Brittle at low temperature
 Cannot tolerate large movement
 Differential movement between asphalt
and roof deck background  deep
cracks throughout the asphalt thickness
(fractures) 29
 common stones are granite,
marble, sandstone and limestone
 Granite - igneous rock;
 Limestone/sandstone - sedimentary rocks
 Marble - metamorphic rock
 impressive and elegant outlook
 granite is generally harder and with higher
density and therefore more durable and less
absorbent but the outlook less appealing
and distinctive
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Staining of Natural Stone
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 chemical compositions of natural stones
vary with geographical origins
 Outdoor use  unpredicted chemical
reaction and efflorescence may happen
readily and thus affecting its outlook; such
defect is usually irreversible
 sealed (on 6 sides) with chemical sealer to
reduce water absorption
 may be attacked by acid therefore special
attention should be noted while using
chemical for cleaning purpose 34
 Common Defects of Bricks
 Production process – Size, Shape,
Body, Appearance
 Damage during transit and
storage – rain, contact with soil
 Movement of brick – moisture,
thermal, irreversible expansion of
newly fired bricks

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Uneven Burning of Brick

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 Common Defects of Brickworks
 The bonding agent – Mortar
 Materials of mortar & mixing

 Mortar joint

 Alignment of Wall – vertical plane

 Soil movement / Settlement – Firm foundation
 Thermal/Moisture movement
 Efflorescence
 Sulphate Attack to mortar – expansion in
volume
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Moisture Movement

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Efflorescence

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Cracks on Mortar Caused by Sulphate Attack

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