There are many different kinds of building materials, like concrete, steel bar Malaysia, wood, and masonry, that are used in building. Each material has different qualities, like weight, strength, durability, and cost, that make it good for different kinds of uses. The choice of building materials is based on cost and how well they can stand up to the loads and stresses on the structure.
Making building materials is a well-established, standardized business that can give us a steady supply of high-quality materials for our buildings. Quality control procedures are followed when structural-grade building materials are made. These procedures include inspecting and testing the materials based on national standards and scientific testing methods.
In general, there are two types of building materials: those that are made by nature, like stone and wood, and those that are made by people, like concrete and steel. Before they can be used in a building, most materials in both categories need to be treated or prepared in some way.
Concrete:
Concrete is made by mixing cement, aggregates like sand and crushed stone, and water together. The mixed design determines the properties of the concrete. So, it’s normal for concrete suppliers to list the properties of the material and the test results for each concrete patch.
Fresh concrete can be poured into any shape or form, and it takes time to harden into a material that looks like stone. It can take up to 7 days for concrete to reach most of its strength, and it will need extra care to cure so it doesn’t crack or lose strength.
When compressed, concrete is very strong, but when stretched, it breaks easily and doesn’t have much strength. When steel rebar is added to reinforced concrete, it makes it stronger and better suited for a wide range of structures, like tall multi-story buildings, bridges, roads, tunnels, and so many other things.
Steel:
Steel is one of the strongest building materials because it is strong both when stretched and when squeezed. Because it is strong for how light it is, it is perfect for building the frames of tall buildings and big industrial facilities.
Standard shapes for structural steel include angles, I-beams, and C-channels. You can build strong structures out of these shapes by welding them together or connecting them with high-strength bolts.
Steel is a fairly expensive building material, so it is up to the structural engineer to choose sizes and shapes that are cost-effective based on how much the building will be used.
Wood:
Wood has been used to build things for thousands of years, and if it is taken care of properly, it can last for hundreds of years. It is a natural resource that is easy to get and can be used economically. It is light and easy to work with. It also keeps out the cold well, which makes it a great building material for homes and other places where people live.
Because wood is so light, it is not the best building material for supporting heavy loads or spanning long distances. Wood is rarely used for foundations and basement walls because it needs to be pressure treated when it comes in contact with soil or water, which can be expensive.
Masonry:
Masonry is a way of building structures out of separate pieces that are usually held together with mortar. Masonry is strong against compression loads/stresses, which makes it a good choice for building walls that hold weight. Brick, stone, and glass blocks are also used to build walls. Masonry is a very strong and fire-resistant material, but it can be sensitive to the quality of the mortar and the work.
Masonry walls that can hold weight can be stacked on top of each other to make buildings with more than one floor. The weight of all the floors above the first floor adds up to the load on the first floor’s brick wall. So, the wall on the bottom floor must be stronger than the walls on the upper floors. This can be done by putting steel bars and concrete grout in the spaces in the bottom masonry walls to make them stronger.
