Construction Materials - Their Nature and Behaviour

This book provides complete coverage of the main construction materials for undergraduate students on civil engineering and other construction courses. It creates an understanding of materials and how they perform, through a knowledge of their chemical and physical structure, leading to an ability to judge their behaviour in service in construction. Descriptions of important properties are related back to the structure and forward to basic practical considerations. The book is a revised edition of "Concrete, Timber and Metals", and the coverage has been extended to include bituminous materials, brickwork and blockwork and polymer composites and fibre-reinforced cements and concretes. A new introductory section provides thefundamental material science basics for the materials which follow. Each material is discussed in turn, with similar chapter headings allowing comparisons between materials. The main features of the materials covered in this approach are: structure; strength and failure; durability; deformation; and practice and processing. The subject of the materials of construction is of increasing importance in the education of professional civil engineers and builders. Greater emphasis is being placed on choosing the best material for each new structure, bearing in mind not only energy and financial costs but also fitness for purpose in terms of durability, appearance and environmental impact as well as the normal considerations such as strength and deformation. This trend is likely to continue as the variety of available materials increases and the demands of society become more stringent. Success in the teaching of materials is less likely if the tradition is continued of concentrating just on technology. A better understanding of the nature and structure of materials is essential starting with physics and chemistry at the molecular level. This book provides a treatment which addresses these issues. This book should be of interest to undergraduate students of civil engineering and building, and also of other construction-related subjects with a strong emphasis on materials, such as building engineering, architecture and structural engineering.

Table of Contents:
Part 1: Fundamentals - W D Biggs. Part 2: Metals and alloys - W D Biggs. Part 3: Concrete - P L J Domone. Part 4: Bituminous materials - D G Bonner. Part 5: Brickwork and blockwork - R C de Vekey. Part 6: Fibre composites. Polymers and polymer composites - L Hollaway. Fibre-reinforced cement and composites - D J Hannant. Part 7: Timber - J M Dinwoodie.