CHAPTER 4

METALS
HISTORY

One cannot accurately describe

the history of man without
mentioning metals
Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron
Age
Copper was the first metal that
man discovered in 9000 BCE.
 3
IRON

1
4
CLASSIFI-
CATION STEEL

CONSTRUCTION
METALS

2
 Prehistoric man is known to
have used six metals. These
were:
• Gold Jewelries and gods
• Silver Decorations and Bullions for trade
• Copper Tools
• Tin to make Bronze
• Lead Vessels to transport liquids
• Iron Weapons
 FERROUS NON-FERROUS SUPER ALLOY
• DURABLE AND TENSILE • LIGHTWEIGHT • HIGH TEMPERATURE
– IDEAL FOR STRUCTURAL • SOFT, MALLEABLE & APPLICATIONS
FRAMING COLORFUL
-AESTHETIC APPLICATION COMBINATION OF TWO OR
• MAGNETIC MORE METALS
• NOT MAGNETIC
• HAVE CARBON • USE IN ENGINES
• LOW CARBON CONTENT
• LOW RESISTANCE TO • IRON-BASED
CORROSION AND RUST • MANY HAVE LOW
MELTING POINTS • NICKEL-BASED
• STEEL OR IRON FAMILY
• HIGH RESISTANCE TO •  COBALT-BASED
• GOOD CONDUCTORS OF CORROSION AND RUST
ELECTRICITY
• CONDUCTORS
• LESS CHEAPER • COSTLY
• TITATUNIUM AND
TUNGSTEN
Common Metals
Used in
Construction
Common Metals Used in Construction

• 91 metals in the Periodic Table

of Elements. This means over

• 77 percent of the types of

material that make up the Earth
is metal.

• Only some has Practical uses

 • The most prominent among metallic
construction materials, steel is vastly used as
reinforcement for concrete. exhibits high tensile
strength, which is useful in countering tension
forces within a structure. Carbon, its main
additive, improves not only its strength and
durability, but also its corrosion resistance,
because of course iron is known to be
susceptible to corrosion.

• stainless steel, which is produced by combining

steel with a little bit of chromium. It has very
high corrosion resistance, making it a preferred
material across a vast range of applications,
particularly those in exposure to corrosive
environments. Galvanized steel follows, which
resists corrosion through its zinc coating.

• Reinforcing bars and in I-beams in construction

STEEL are usually from low carbon steel.
• valuable materials than can be
manufactured out of iron. For
instance cast iron, pig iron, and
wrought iron, which are popular
materials for making plumbing
tubes and pipes. They also play
some crucial load-bearing roles in
construction but not as critical as
those of steel

• Iron is used in construction of

bridges and houses because it is
capable of lifting the weight of
different things at one time

IRON
 CAST-IRON PIG-IRON WROUGHT-IRON

• IT IS THE INTERMEDIATE
PRODUCT FROM THE • has a soft texture, high
• With its relatively low FURNACE plasticity and ductility, making
melting point, good fluidity, it easy to deform and can be
castability, excellent drawn into wire. However, it
• HAS HIGH CARBON
machinability, resistance to has low strength and hardness,
CONTENT UP TO 3.5-4.5% making it easy to forge and
deformation and wear
resistance, cast irons have weld.
IT I
become an engineering
material with a wide range of • BASIC FORM OF PIG IRON
applications and are used in
pipes, machines and • TOUGH-IRON FOR TOOLS
automotive industry parts • BLEND IRON- FROM
VARIETY PIG IRON
 • Aluminum is the second most
prominent, next to steel. Its natural
corrosion resistance, ductility, and
malleability make it perfect for
cladding systems on walls
that require fewer joints. It is also
used for construction applications
that involve exposure to corrosive
and humid environments. Due to
aluminum’s high durability, it is also
preferred for structures that are
difficult to access and maintain, such
as lighting and antenna towers.

ALUMINUM
• Although it possesses toxic
qualities, lead is still widely used
for an array of construction
applications. Its toxicity is
neutralized by alloying other
elements to it. At present, thanks to
its ductility, lead is commonly used
for making roofs and cladding
materials. Most linings for cornices,
tanks, copings, gutters and
downpipes, flashing, and
other metallic components of the
roofing system also have lead in
them. LEAD
 • Ductility, malleability, electrical conductivity, machinability,
and many other mechanical properties make it a super metal.
In construction, it is commonly used in the plumbing
system, particularly tubes and conduits that convey gas and
hot water. Its alloys are also utilized for cladding surfaces.
• Copper includes one of the most well-known metals—
bronze. But one copper based metal stands out in terms of
usefulness for construction application—brass.
• forms from the hinges and knobs of doors to the trims and
railings of stairways. They have major part in the complete of
a building’s exterior and interior.
• used in the construction industry to form pipes and tubing
for potable water distribution and heating and cooling
systems, as it is malleable and joints can be easily formed by
soldering

COPPER
• An alloy of copper and zinc,
brass has a number of
applications in the construction
industry. It can be
used exclusively for its stunning
gold-like decorative look in
buildings, in areas such as locks
or door knobs where there is a
low friction requirement.

BRASS
 • Titanium has the lowest thermal
expansion coefficient compared to
other metal materials used in
construction.
• .Titanium is used as a building and
decorative material to resist corrosion
without maintenance or repair.
From this point of view, titanium is
TITANIUM obviously superior to other metals.
METHODS OF
JOINING METALS
 WELDING
• Weld metal is the metal in a welded
joint which has been molten in the
welding process and then
solidified. It is usually a mixture of
any filler metal and the parent metal
• It's Relatively Cheap.
• Welding is used for connecting steel
I-beams, trusses, columns, and
footers, to support the walls, roof,
and floors of a building.
 SOLDERING
• Soldering is a joining process
used to join different types
of metals together by
melting solder.

• Most metals and non-metals

can be soldered.

• Soldering is operated at lower

temperatures compared to
common welding methods.
 BRAZING
•joined together by melting and
flowing a filler metal into the
joint, with the filler metal having
a lower melting point than the
adjoining metal

•What metal is best for brazing?

-Copper, nickel and silver are
the most frequently-used base
metals for brazing alloys
 RIVETS
• Devices used to join or fasten
metal. The rivet, which has an
head at one end, is inserted
through holes in the materials
being joined.

• commonly used to join

aluminum alloys
together because aluminum is
difficult to solder