CONSTRUCTION

MATERIALS AND
TESTING

INTRODUCTIO
N
MANIBO, KELT FRANCIS LUIE
B.
THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

The construction process begins when an individual or

organization (the owner) decides to improve land with
permanent or semi-permanent additions. The owner
needs financing to complete the project; private
organizations may obtain funds through loans and
mortgages, while public groups may use tax revenues,
bonds, or user fees.

After securing funding, the owner contracts with a

design professional (architect or engineer) to create
plans (working drawings) detailing the project and
specifying materials. These plans include building
Contractors then use the contract documents to prepare estimates for bidding or
negotiation. The two most common contract types are:

Lump Sum: Unit Price:

The contractor estimates all The owner provides material quantities
to the contractor, who calculates cost
material quantities, installation,
factors for each unit, including overhead
labor, and equipment costs, and profit. This allows for changes in
adding overhead and profit to quantities, with the contractor gaining
arrive at a total estimated cost. or losing money based on the difference
This is typical for building between estimated and actual
quantities. This method is common in
construction.
public highway construction.
Project safety is crucial, requiring
adherence to OSHA regulations and other
safety standards. The contractor maintains
Manufacturer's Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
for all materials to ensure safe handling and
address potential hazards.

A project schedule, updated as the project

progresses, helps allocate resources (labor,
money, machines, and materials) efficiently.
This schedule assists with cash flow
analysis and allows for reallocation of
resources as needed.
 *Scheduling and
The project schedule includes start and end dates, activity duration, and critical activities. Basic
Materials:*
materials (wood, asphalt, stone, concrete masonry units (CMU)) must meet specifications.
Combinations of materials are common (e.g., trusses, glued laminated timber). The contractor
selects materials that comply with the designer's specifications; this requires submitting drawings,
catalog cuts, material samples, and shop drawings for approval. Some materials/assemblies need
multiple submittal forms. The designer reviews and approves or rejects choices.

*Contractor's Role and Material

The contractor is responsible for Approval:*
selecting materials and ensuring
they meet
specifications. The submittal process involves obtaining catalog cuts, material
samples, and shop drawings from suppliers and subcontractors. The designer
reviews these submissions for compliance.
 *Inspection and
Inspectors are present at the job site Testing:*
to inspect the work in progress. Independent
testing laboratories may perform laboratory and field testing to ensure materials comply
with specifications. The testing laboratory reports whether or not materials meet
specifications.

*Temporary
Materials:*
The builder uses materials not controlled by the designer (e.g., temporary
sheeting, removable forms). The designer must select materials best
suited for the purpose from available suppliers or vendors
(manufacturers, quarries, sawmills).
 NEED FOR MATERIALS WITH
VARIOUS QUALITIES

The construction industry requires materials for

a vast range of uses. The qualities these
materials possess are as varied as the strength
and flexibility required of an elevator cable or
the warm, wood grain appearance and smooth
finish of a birch or maple cabinet.

The construction of a simple

building, such as a house,
requires selection of materials to
perform the following tasks:
 NEED FOR MATERIALS WITH
VARIOUS QUALITIES

1. Footing 2. Basement floor 3. Basement walls 4. Other floors and

a. Distribute the weight a. Provide a smooth a. Support the rest of ceilings
of the building to the surface the building a. Provide a smooth
soil b. Resist wear b. Resist lateral side surface
b. Resist cracking c. Resist cracking pressure from the earth b. Resist wear
despite uneven soil despite upward water c. Support furniture and
c. Keep moisture out d.
settlement pressure or uneven soil people without sagging
c. Resist corrosive settlement Resist corrosive attack excessively or breaking
attack from soil and d. Keep moisture out e. from soil and water d. Provide a satisfactory
water Resist corrosive attack appearance
from soil and water e. Clean easily f.
Insulate against noise
transmission
 5. Outside walls 6. Partitions 7. Roof

a. Keep moisture out

a. Support floors and roof b. Support snow and other
b. Resist lateral wind
a. Support floors and
weights
pressure roof c. Resist wind pressure and wind
c. Provide a satisfactory b. Provide a satisfactory uplift
appearance inside and out appearance d. Provide a satisfactory
d. Insulate against noise and appearance
c. Insulate against noise e. Insulatae against noise and
heat transmission
transmission heat transmission
e. Keep moisture out
SELECTING
MATERIALS
The types of materials used in smaller buildings have become
somewhat standardized. However, new materials are constantly being
proposed, and the use of the better ones results in lowered costs or improved
living conditions. Their development and proper use require an understanding
of materials.
As people's desires expand, the need is created for materials with
new qualities. In order to explore space, lightweight materials were needed
that could resist heat of a higher degree than ever before. Necessary qualities
may be obtained by developing special treatments for common materials or
by developing entirely new materials.
For example, treatments have been developed to make wood
highly fire resistant. The development of steel allowed the construction of
bridges with longer spans than had been possible with wood.
Material Selection and Design Considerations:
We constantly encounter man-made objects built of materials carefully
selected to be the most satisfactory ones for that particular use. Any
satisfactory choice always requires a knowledge of construction materials
and an adequate selection procedure.

Role of the Designer in Material Selection:

A designer is selected who, among other things, is responsible for
selection of all construction materials to achieve the desired performance
within the budget cost. He considers the service each component must
perform, appearance, original cost, maintenance expense, and useful life
expectancy.

Balancing Cost and Maintenance:

Original cost and maintenance expense must be weighed together
against useful life expectancy. Original cost and maintenance expense
must also be balanced against each other. Often a low first cost means
Specification Types:
A closed or proprietary specification identifies specific products with no
allowable substitutions. An open specification will name a proprietary
product but allow substitutions, by adding the phrase 'or approved equal.'
The open specification puts the burden on the designer to determine if
the contractor's substitute is equal to or better than the named product.
Performance Specifications:
If the designer specifies performance in terms of appearance, strength,
corrosion resistance, and other features, he has the benefit of the
builder's and vendor's experience in selecting the most economical
materials. Specifications prepared this way are called performance
specifications.
Life Cycle-Cost Analysis:
The method used to select construction materials based upon these
criteria is often referred to as a life cycle-cost analysis. Though the
method is not an exact science, if used correctly, the results will be of
value when making material or system selections.
 QUI
Z
1. What is the primary function of footing 2. Which material property is crucial
in a building? for basement floors to withstand
a) Provide insulation upward water pressure?
b) Distribute the weight of the building to the a) Flexibility
soil b) Corrosion resistance
c) Enhance the building’s appearance c) Crack resistance
d) Prevent fire hazards d) Aesthetic appeal

3. What is the main purpose of 4. What is NOT a function of floors

basement walls? and ceilings?
a) Resist lateral pressure from the earth a) Provide a smooth surface
b) Support the floors and roof b) Support furniture and people
c) Prevent wind uplift c) Absorb water efficiently
d) Enhance interior decoration d) Insulate against noise transmission
 QUI
5. What does a roof need to 6. In the construction process, what
resist in addition to wind
pressure?
a) Soil erosion
Zdoes a "lump sum contract" involve?
a) Paying per unit of materials used
b) Estimating total material and labor
costs
b) Noise pollution
c) Hiring a contractor for hourly labor
c) Snow and other weights
d) Allowing open-ended changes to the
d) Extreme humidity project

7. What role does the contractor 8. Which specification type does

play in material selection? NOT allow substitutions for
a) Designing the entire structure
construction materials?
b) Selecting materials that comply
a) Open specification
with designer specifications
b) Life cycle-cost analysis
c) Approving building permits
d) Determining legal zoning
c) Closed specification
regulations d) Performance specification
 QUI
9. What is a key advantage of 10. Why is life cycle-cost analysis

Z
important in material selection?
performance specifications in material
a) It determines the cheapest material
selection?
available
a) Allows the use of outdated materials
b) It balances cost and maintenance over the
b) Focuses on cost rather than quality
material’s lifespan
c) Uses builder and vendor expertise for c) It ensures that materials last forever
economic choices d) It prioritizes aesthetics over performance
d) Reduces the lifespan of materials

12. Which specification type does

11. What is one of the primary
functions of outside walls in a
NOT allow substitutions for
building? construction materials?
a) Provide sound insulation a) Open specification
b) Support floors and the roof b) Life cycle-cost analysis
c) Absorb heat from the sun c) Closed specification
d) Prevent corrosion from soil and water d) Performance specification
 QUI
13. What does partitioning in a building 14. Which of the following is NOT a

Z
characteristic of an effective basement
primarily achieve?
floor?
a) Support the foundation
a) Resists cracking despite uneven soil
b) Provide separation between spaces
settlement
c) Strengthen the roof
b) Provides insulation against noise
d) Absorb moisture from the air transmission
c) Keeps moisture out
d) Resists wear

16. What does the term strain mean?

15. The primary function of footings A) The total change in dimension divided by
in a building is to: the original dimension
a) Distribute the weight of the building B) The capacity of a material to absorb
evenly to the soil energy
b) Reduce noise pollution from outside C) The force per unit area
c) Absorb shock from earthquakes D) The ability to resist a force
d) Provide a decorative foundation
 QUI
17.What is the endurance limit? 18. What is toughness?

Z
A) The maximum stress a material can withstand A) The ability to resist a force
B) The stress below which the material B) The capacity of a material to absorb energy
will not fail at any number of cycles while a force is applied
C) The stress at which strain begins to increase C) The total change in dimension divided by the
D) The ratio of stress to strain original dimension
D) The stress at which strain begins to increase

19.What is the modulus of 20. What are dead loads?

A) Imposed loads that may or may not be
elasticity?
present
A) The ratio of stress to strain
B) The weight of structural elements and
B) The product of stress and strain permanent equipment
C) The ability to absorb energy C) Loads caused by wind and earthquakes D)
D) The stress at which failure occurs The total change in dimension of a material
Thank
Fo r Yo u r
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Attention