Construction & Ornamentation Materials: Natural & Artificial
Construction and Ornamentation Materials
Natural and Artificial Materials
The materials commonly used in construction and ornamentation are divided into artificial and natural. Natural materials include stone and granulated materials. These materials have great resistance to weather conditions.
Stone Materials
Rocks are natural aggregates of minerals. Stone has been used since ancient times in construction, such as the pyramids of Egypt. Stone is obtained directly from quarries. We can distinguish several types of rocks:
- Granite: Used in construction historically, today it is primarily used as crushed gravel for concrete.
- Gabbro: Used as ornamental stones and in road construction.
- Liparite: Due to its porous character, it is used for lightweight aggregates.
- Sandstone: Cemented sand formed primarily of calcite (calcium carbonate).
- Slate: Easily split into sheets for coatings, e.g., in buildings.
- Marble: Calcium carbonate that can be polished and used for ornamental purposes.
Granulated Materials
Granulated material particles are larger than sand. They are used for mortar and concrete. They are classified by increasing size into flour, gravel, and pebbles.
Artificial Materials
Ceramics
Ceramics are made of molded clay that undergoes a baking process. Clay can be classified as:
- Porous: Earthy fracture, permeable to liquids and fats.
- Non-porous: Harder and baked at a higher temperature.
Baked clay containing iron oxide has a reddish color. It is molded, dried, and baked at a temperature of 600 to 1100 degrees Celsius.
- Earthenware: Made from pottery clay and often coated with a glaze.
- Common Ware: Similar to earthenware.
- China: White, transparent, and contains silica, which gives it hardness.
- Bricks: Also included in this group.
Refractory Materials
Made of porous clay fired at high temperatures and cooled slowly. They contain oxides of aluminum, thorium, etc.
Porcelain
Vitrification affects the whole body. Soft porcelains undergo a first baking at 1000 degrees Celsius, then a second baking at 1250 degrees Celsius after polishing. Hard porcelains are baked at 1000 degrees Celsius and then at 1400 degrees Celsius.
Stoneware
A vitrified material made from a paste of plastic clay and quartz sand. It has a taupe color and is used for ornaments.
Glass
A transparent, amorphous, hard, and brittle material at room temperature. It is resistant to chemical reactions and a good insulator of heat and electricity. The main components are quartz sand, limestone, and soda. This results in a viscous material.
Flat Glass
Constitutes 72% quartz, 14% lime, 9% soda, and 5% additives. It is usually produced using the floatation method. The molten glass is extracted from the furnace through a slot and floats on molten tin due to its lower density.
Hollow Glass
Contains 73% quartz, 16% soda, 9% lime, and 2% other materials. It is produced by casting or pressing.
Fiber Glass
Made by drawing molten glass into thin fibers with a diameter of 0.1 mm or less.
Laminated Safety Glass
Made up of two or more sheets of glass bonded together with a plastic interlayer.
Agglomerated Materials
These materials are kneaded with water and have the ability to harden. They can be aerial (containing only clay) or hydraulic (containing a significant amount of clay and other materials).
Gypsum
A mineral (calcium sulfate dihydrate) that is white or milky in color. It is extracted from quarries. When heated, it forms plaster, which is mixed with water to form a paste used as a binder in construction. The setting process takes place in two phases: the first phase lasts 24 hours, and the second hardening phase takes about one month.
Portland Cement
Has a density of 2.9 to 3.1. It is relatively inexpensive. The amount of cement in concrete determines its mechanical resistance. It is typically mixed with sand, gravel, and sometimes additives.
Reinforced Concrete
Obtained by adding steel rods or mesh to concrete before it hardens. The steel provides tensile strength, while the concrete provides compressive strength.
Agglomerated Products
Artificial stone is formed by combining natural stone pieces with concrete and molding them into a desired shape.
Fiber-Reinforced Cement
Materials like fiberglass or carbon fiber can be added to cement to increase its strength and insulation properties.