Understanding Construction Materials and Processes
Masonry
Simple: Built with brick and mortar paste (this does not resist lateral flexion or effort – Resists compression)
Confined: This includes support pillars and resists lateral forces – this is framed with reinforced concrete or steel or other materials.
Reinforced: This contains perforated hollow bricks, vertical and horizontal reinforcement.
Other Materials
Steel: Improves the resistance of reinforced concrete – common examples include A44 bar-28H and 63-42H.
Cement: Aggregate + cement + water * To improve the quality of concrete, a good water-cement ratio is crucial (the drier mix is better)
Considerations When Placing Bricks
- Level of bricks
- Height/distance of the bricks
- Position of the plates
- Diameter of the armature
- Quality
- Quality of steel mortar
- Geometry of the wall
- Stuffing from perforation
- Control bending of the truss
- Moisture from the brick (100% saturated)
Characteristics of Steel
Uniform mechanical unit – is produced in series – good resistance-to-weight ratio – constant residual value – safe
Weaknesses of Steel
Corrosion – fire – cold
Manufacture of Steel
Shape and Form recycling mining: iron ore – steel plant – carbon steel – processing – work – protecting
Wood
Bone: The center of the trunk, it has no mechanical properties.
Growth Rings: Related to the seasons of the year, each ring is composed of a light and one dark area.
Outer Shell: Outer layer that protects the tree from weathering.
Sapwood: Outer layer composed of living tissue that moves water to the leaves. The xylem is the active part of the sapwood.
Heartwood: Sector inside the trunk with fabric similar to the sapwood but inactive, it is of a darker color.
Xylem: Sector near the bark. The outside is active and the inside is slowly dying.
Cambium: Adjacent to the xylem tissue, it generates new cells and is a very thin layer.
Phloem: Sector between the cambium and bark.
Bark: Outer shell of a log, its main function is protection.
Mechanical Properties of Wood
Flexural Strength – Resistance to Shear – Tensile Strength – Resistance to Compression
Types of Walls
Soga Wall: Bricks have their largest dimension in the direction of the wall.
Head Wall: Bricks are placed perpendicular to the direction of the wall.
Sardinel Wall: Bricks are placed on edge, facing each other.
Tambourine Wall: Bricks are placed on edge, united only by their thickness.
Types of Concrete
Simple Concrete: Used for simple works and does not contain reinforcement. It is used in foundations, terraces, and slabs.
Reinforced Concrete: Contains reinforcement bars inside to provide more consistency and resist movement.
Mass Concrete: Used in major infrastructure works such as dams, reservoirs, bridges, tunnels, ports, pavements, and airports.
Pre and Post-Tensioned Concrete: Used for building long-span bridges and beams for tunnels, such as metro lines and bridge beams.
Concrete for Water Works: Used for driving surface water such as canals and channels.
Flooring: Used in large road works, especially high-speed highways, requiring low fluidity and high-quality surface finish.
Concrete Path
Install and verify preconditions to concrete – installation of the molding – Manufacture of concrete – Transportation – Placement – Curing – strip
Formwork
Resistant – rigid – impermeable – watertight
Polymers
Matter is made up of molecules that can be of normal size or giant molecules called polymers.
Polymers are produced by joining hundreds of thousands of small molecules called monomers which form large chains of different forms. In general, polymers have excellent mechanical strength due to the large polymer chains attracting each other. Intermolecular attractive forces depend on the chemical composition of the polymer and can be of various kinds.
Construction Professionals
Architect: Oversees the project, including the ornamental and housing distribution, and conducts special technical specifications.
Engineer: Performs the structural calculations for the project according to plans designed by the architect and soil study. This can be a Civil Engineer, Building Engineer, or Hydraulic Engineer.
Perpetrators: Engineers, builders, Head of work.
Civil Constructor: Responsible directly for a work in progress, generally occupies the head of the field office.
Head of Project: Oversees the hiring of workers and is responsible for the cash advance of a building.
Budgeting and Contracts
One of the most important items is the budget proposal. There are various types depending on the study being performed: feasibility studies, initial estimates, budgets, detailed budgets, progress budgets, and final evaluations.
A total budget can be divided into several items: description of the activity, unit of measure, quantity, unit price, and total price. The budget must consider direct costs (materials and labor), overhead costs (direct and indirect), profits, and VAT.
A contract is a document agreed between two parties to perform a certain work for a certain amount of money and under a fixed term, according to certain laws.
Types of Contracts
- Lump Sum: The project is fully defined, the owner chooses the best offer, and knows the exact investment.
- Series of Unit Prices: An offer can be made without a fully defined project, allowing the owner to estimate the investment.
- Delegated Administration (Fee = % Work): The owner may not know the total cost, the contractor is not at risk with their gains.
- Delegated Administration (Fee = Fixed Salary): The contractor has an incentive to finish earlier.
- Delegated Administration (Fee = F(Stimulus)): The contractor is encouraged to comply with price, cost, quality, and/or term.
Budget Items
- Budget Sales: Total amount payable by the principal contractor.
- Project Budget: Cost of designing the work (architecture, structural design, facilities, and urbanization).
- Direct Costs of Work: Cost of each item as the sum of materials, labor, and equipment.
- Overhead Labor: Direct costs that cannot be traced to a specific activity.
- Overheads Indirect: Includes contingencies, insurance, pricing, warranties, and head office overheads.
- Usefulness: The amount of money the contractor expects to earn.
- Tax: The tax required by the state, such as VAT.
