Types and Uses of Construction Materials: Ceramics to Cement

Posted on Jan 15, 2025 in Civil Engineering

Ceramics

Ceramics apply to household objects made from various types of clays. They have great resistance to compression but are weak against tensile forces.

Igneous Rocks

  • Composed of silicates and other compounds
  • Formed by the cooling of magma inside the Earth

Igneous Rock-Crystal Structures

The most popular are:

  • Granite: A composite of quartz, feldspar, and mica
  • Gravel: Crushed to produce smaller pieces
  • Gabbro and Diorite: Used for laying road surfaces

Igneous-Glass Structure

  • Basalt
  • Pyrite and Pumice: Used in light cluster preparation

Sedimentary Rocks

  • Formed by sediment
  • Classified as:
    • Siliceous rocks
    • Limestone
    • Clay-rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

  • Produced by changes in the crystal structure of other rocks due to great pressures and temperatures
  • Slate: Used to manufacture roofing
  • Marble

Clays and Derivatives

Used in the manufacture of industrial parts. They are chemically inert and always go through the same stages:

  • Preparation of materials
  • Molding
  • Drying
  • Firing
  • Storage

Ceramic Commercial Products

Bricks and Tiles

The production of hollow bricks facilitates thin-walled construction processes, reduces the amount of material, and increases thermal insulation.

Ceramic Tile

  • Made from a mixture of special clays
  • First, the cookie or ceramic base is obtained
  • It undergoes a firing process

Porcelain and Earthenware

  • A mixture of kaolin (white clay), silica, and feldspar, finely powdered
  • Vitrified porcelain covers the object’s mass
  • Used in electrical insulation and burner nozzles
  • In glazed earthenware, only the outer layer is affected
  • Used in kitchen sinks and sanitary fixtures

Refractory Materials

  • Composed of refractory clays
  • Stable at high temperatures
  • Ordinary bricks can withstand temperatures between 1400 and 1600ºC
  • Used in the lining of blast furnaces and converters
  • When working at temperatures above 1600ºC, it is necessary to use siliceous clays

Cements

Portland Cement

  • Obtained through the firing of a siliceous stone and clay mixture, in a 3:1 ratio
  • The procurement process is divided into:
    • Pre-processing: Pre-drying can be done using furnace gas
    • Milling: Fragments obtained above 10 cm
    • Dosage
  • Manufacture of clinker in rotary kilns, causing physical and chemical changes:
    • Drying at a temperature of 150ºC
    • Dehydration of clay at 500ºC
    • Decarbonation at 1100ºC
    • Clinkerization between 1250 and 1475ºC
  • Grinding and finishing of cement

Types and Uses of Cement

  • Portland Cement and variants
  • Natural Cement
  • Steel Cement
  • Pozzolana Cement
  • Composite Cement
  • Alumina Cement

Derivatives

Concrete

  • A mixture of cement, sand, and gravel
  • The amount of cement per cubic meter of concrete directly affects its impermeability and mechanical strength and increases shrinkage during setting
  • Sand and gravel, called aggregates, are distinguished by size criteria and directly influence the tensile strength of concrete
  • Water may not be potable; carbonated water should be rejected