Building Materials Guide: Types, Properties & Uses
Building Materials
Rocks
Mineral particles that are aggregates of appreciable size and indeterminate.
Types:
- Eruptive or Igneous Rocks (Igneous rock of crystal structure / vitreous igneous rocks)
- Sedimentary Rocks (Siliceous rocks / Limestones / Clayey rocks)
- Metamorphic Rocks (Slate / Marble)
Clays and Derivatives
One of the varieties of sedimentary rocks, consisting primarily of hydrated aluminum silicates that form microscopic crystalline lamellae.
Process to Obtain:
- Preparation of Raw Materials
- Molding
- Drying
- Cooking
- Storage
Types:
- Bricks (Heavy clay)
- Ceramic Tile (Mixture of special clays)
- Porcelain and Earthenware (Mixture of kaolin, white clay, silica, and feldspar)
- Refractory Materials (Refractory clays, stable at high temperatures)
Cements
Products that provide adhesive properties and can combine parts of an object or building.
Process of Production:
- Pre-operations (Drying, grinding, and dosing)
- Manufacture of Clinker (Rotary kilns over 120 meters long)
- Grinding and Finishing (Similar to the process used with raw materials)
Types:
- Portland
- Portland with Active Additives
- Pozzolanic
- Composite
- Aluminous
- Natural
Concrete
A mixture of cement, sand, and gravel in different proportions, with water added.
Types:
- Reinforced Concrete (Achieving a particular form)
- Prestressed Concrete (Concrete barriers that have been tensioned)
Gypsum
An agglomerate known and used by humans since antiquity.
Various Cooking Procedures:
- Traditional Procedure (Rudimentary oven with a base of gypsum rocks forming the vault)
- Tank Furnaces (Filled to the top with hollow doors at the bottom)
- Rotary Kiln (Uses any fuel, ensuring a homogenization process of dehydration)
Glass
A material produced by the fusion of several components.
Types:
- Empty Glass (Containers, manufactured by glassblowing)
- Plan Glass (Mirrors and flotation)
- Cast Glass (Casting or laminating)
- Pressed Glass (Thick walls, manufactured similarly to raw materials)
- Fiberglass (Extrusion)
Products Derived from Glass:
- Window Glass
- Hardened Glass
- Safety Glass
- Laminated Glass
- Anti-glare Glass
Wood
Material of organic origin that comes from trees.
Types as Humidity:
- Green Timber (Recently cut)
- Naturally Dried Timber (Stacking tables)
- Dried Timber (Thermal process)
Types as Hardness:
- Softwoods (Conifers)
- Hardwoods (Deciduous trees)
Structural Parts:
- Heartwood (Inner part)
- Alburnum (Tree growth zone)
Wood Products:
- Plywood (Thin wood panels attached to each other)
- Chipboard (Wood chips mixed with water-resistant resins)
- Pressed Wood (Wooden fibers subjected to high pressure)
Steels
- Cast Iron (Iron with a carbon content higher than 2%)
- Cast Steel (Compression and tensile resistance)
- Laminated Steel (Ferric material)
Disadvantages:
- Oxidation