MODERN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
CERAMICS:Ceramics means the technology and the art of mak- ing objects with clay and similar materials by treating with fire. In buildings, ceramics are used for roof and floor tiles.
Common types of ceramic tiles used in construction are
i. Common clay floor tiles
ii. Clay terracing tiles
iii. Clay ceiling tiles
iv. Glazed ceiling tiles
v. Fully vitrified tiles
vi. Porcelain tiles
GLASS: It absorbs, refracts or transmits light. It is an excellent electrical insulator, extremely brittle, not affected by air water and ordinary chemicals. It is available in beautiful colours and capable of being worked in several ways. Glass is widely used for pavement lights, partitions, lantern lights, door and window panels, and as roof cover- ing material in industrial buildings, factories etc.
ELECTRICAL INSULATING MATERIALS Electrical insulating materials are defined as materialwhich offer a very large resistance to flow of current and for that reason they are used to keep the current in its proper path along the conductor. A good electrical insu. lator should have large insulation resistance, high dielec. tric strength, least thermal expansion and high thermal conductivity. Commonly used electric insulators are mica, wood, slate, glass, porcelain, rubber etc.
FLY ASH : Fly ash is the residue obtained from the combustion of coal in thermal power plants. It is used in concrete as an admixture or in part replacement of cement, fine aggregate or both. It has low thermal conductivity, stable ragainst temperature and humidity variations, better sound insulation and better strength to weight ratio.
GYPSUM: Gypsum is hydrated sulphate of calcium. It is white crystalline substance sparingly soluble in water. It is used as a binding material since it sets and hardens quickly.
RUBBER: Rubber also known as “elastomer” is a type of poly- mer which possesses good elasticity and high resistance to corrosion. It is available in natural and synthetic forms. It is used for thermal insulation, flexible tubing, adhesive, hose pipes, mounting material, as a buffer and gasketing material.
COMPOSITE MATERIALS: A composite material is a combination of two or more ys. materials. It has compositional variations and depicting as, properties distinctively different from those of the indi- er- vidual materials of the composite. The composite materi- al is generally better than any of the individual compo- nents as regard to their strength, heat resistance and stiffness.
Examples: Pearlitic steels, plywood, RCC, etc.
