Skip to main content

Alternate Building Materials Used in The Construction Industry

PC: theconstructor.org

Alternate building materials are those which can be used economically by replacing the conventional building materials. Alternate building materials are made from waste products and thus they minimize environmental pollution.

These alternate building materials can be used when they meet their respective specifications in the code of practice. Here are some novel construction materials and technology, with some briefly discussed:


  • Aluminum
  • Bitumen Materials
  • Soil Conditioning Agents
  • Tempered Glass
  • Crumb Rubber
  • Fiber Reinforced Polymer
  • Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics
  • Bamboo reinforced plastics
  • Ferro-cement
  • Polyester Fibers

ALUMINIUM

sound-proof-aluminium-construction. PC: theconstructor.org


  1. More than 3000 commercialized applications.
  2. 35 percent aluminum produced is used in construction.
  3. Non-Corrosive.
  4. High durability and low maintenance.
  5. Can be alloyed.
  6. Ductile and malleable.
  7. Aesthetically attractive.
Applications of Aluminum In Construction
  1. Windows, doors, facades
  2. Roofs, walls, building superstructure
  3. Door handles, catches, staircases
  4. HVAC and waterproofing
  5. As a support structure for solar panels
  6. Panels, solar collectors and light shelves.
  7. Wall cladding.
BITUMEN MATERIALS

Super pave system
Superior performing asphalt pavements systems

Advantages

Reduces Permanent deformation
Fatigue cracking
Low temperature cracking in hot asphalt mixtures

SOIL CONDITIONING AGENTS

Bentonite Slurry
Polymer Liquids
Foams

Applications

Tunneling
Pipe Jacking

TEMPERED GLASS

Thermally tempered glazing – automobile windows
Polycarbonate glazing – bullet proof glazing

CRUMB RUBBER

Crumb – scrap tires are shredded
Crumb rubber added to asphalt is called CRMA (Crumb Rubber Modified Asphalt.)

Advantage

Helps in noise reduction
Reduces skid

BAMBOO/ TIMBER MAT BASED WALLS (EKRA WALLING)

Plastered on either side by mud or cement mortar over bamboo mat placed between horizontal and vertical timber/ bamboo as a frame. They are easy to construct, cost less and are popular in hilly areas due to self-help.

However, these are non-load bearing and need a supporting structure. This upgraded traditional technology is relevant for earthquake view point walling option. (Conventional)


COMPOSITE FERROCEMENT SYSTEM

PC: civildigital

It is simple to construct and is made of ferrocement, i.e., rich mortar reinforced with chicken and welded wire mesh. These reduce the wall thickness and allow larger carpet area. Precast ferrocement units in trough shape are integrated with R.C.C. columns.

Ferrocement units serve as a permanent skin unit and as a diagonal strut between columns. Inside cladding can be done with mud blocks or any locally available material. Ideally suitable for seismic areas. (Developed by HUDCO)


Read more on this publication at The Constructor


Pleas visit our Home Page for more interesting material!

Comments

  1. nice post i'm currently looking for house construction materials needed for my home renovation

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your blog has very good knowledge and gave huge instructions, which were commendable ideas. Thank you so much for sharing the article. This is very useful for me. For more detail you can visit Top Architects in Chennai.

    ReplyDelete

  3. This is a wonderful blog regarding the services provided in this region, the civil contractors In Chennai also provides a professional services.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank You for sharing this informatiom. I really Like your content. Hope you will share more post about Top architects in bangalore.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for sharing this useful information. I got useful information from this blog. Architecture companies In Bangalore have the responsibility of envisioning and creating functional, safe, and visually appealing structures while considering the needs and desires of their clients. They oversee the entire design and construction process, from initial concepts to final execution, while ensuring compliance with regulations and meeting project objectives.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

See Also

History of Man As Determined by The Prevailing Materials Technology of a Particular Era

Compiled by Abena Osei-Anane   [5 min read] The ages of materials technology - PC: pininterest.cl Earth’s beginnings can be traced back 4.5 billion years ago, but human evolution only counts for a tiny speck of its history. The pre-history period where there was no documentation of human activities roughly dates from about 2-5 million years ago to 600BC and is categorised in three archaeological periods: the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age . These periods are characterised by the prevailing Materials Technology present at a particular time. STONE AGE Getty images The Stone Age was the first age and the longest, from 30,000BC to 3,000BC. This era was marked by the use of stones to make tools and weapons . During the paleolithic period, early humans lived in small caves and were mostly hunters. They used basic stone tools as well as stone axes for hunting birds and other wild animals. They were the first to leave behind art by carving small figurines from stones,...

Lady of The Month: Ms Mary Ghartey

Mary Ghartey Our premier Lady of The Month for 2020 is Mary Acheampong Ghartey, a level 300 Materials Engineering student. She comes from and resides in Winneba. Nsaba PRESEC in the Central Region is her alma mater, there she served as the Science Club secretary. She was the assistant head girls'  prefect in basic school. She's a member of the Latter Day Saints Students' Association (LDSSA). Currently, she's a sector leader in LDSSA and the secretary for KNUST Taekwondo team. Her hobbies include reading novels and watching sitcoms. She wants to pursue a career in the plastic processing industry. As they say, anticipate our next Lady of The Month.

Seater of The Week: Mr Abdul Latif Abubakar

Meet our Sports Personality of the Week, Mr Abdul-Latif Abubakar: a hard working gentleman and the current MATESA electoral commissioner. Mr.Latif - SOTW Who is Mr.Latif Abubakar?(Relationship status:dating, broken up, gnashing) Well, this question is a bit difficult to answer since day in and day out, people change and grow. But I will say Abdul Latif Abubakar is a young hard working gentleman who believes in self-discipline. Ha-ha, sure I’m dating. Share with us your experience in secondary school.What is the worst you ever did in school you really regret. I attended T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School, Kumasi (Real Amass). My SHS life was very fun and nice. I will say, I didn’t really struggle over there; and because I was a very hard working and discipline guy, everyone liked me. Oh not really (on the worst thing) but I think my only regret was forcing some mates to adhere to the school rules and regulations since I was a prefect. Why did you choose KNUST over t...

The TRATECH Committee

Alabi Joshua Atta, TRATECH Chair The Trade and Technology (TRATECH) committee is headed by the TRATECH chair. The committee represents the department in all aspects pertaining to Fairs.  The committee also supervises and approves all projects and exhibitions in the association.

Seater of The Week--Nana Kwame Asa-Mensah

Nana Kwame, aka DJ Enkay In today's edition of Sports Seat we come across a hardworking, committed and good-humoured young man of the Department. He tells us about himself, MATESA and also sports (football). Enjoy! Who is Mr Asa-Mensah Kwame? ( Mandatory: relationship status--single, married, broken up (ended in tears) or crushing?) I am Nana Kwame Asa-Mensah, a third year Metallurgical engineering student. I'm 20 years old and in Evandy hostel. I attended Mfantsipim school and I'm a jovial person. I am not single. Saa? What was your experience like in secondary school? Attending a boys' school is fun and challenging because of the high peer influence and one could easily fall prey but enjoyable because of all the fun and excellence accredited to a school like mine. Metallurgical Engineering. Were you given the programme or you really wanted to do it? What informed your decision if you chose it? Personally, I wanted to study Petrochemical Engineeri...

Advisory Committee

 Abekah  Baah  Oliver , Advisor  This committee is headed by the Advisor.  It includes all class representatives of the various year groups. The committee advises the entire Executive Body and its members on matters concerning MATESA.

Vibranium - The Wonder of Wakanda

Black Panther wearing Vibranium suit. PC: ucf.edu If you've ever thought that the Vibranium metal used in the Black Panther movie is a real material, you're possibly mistaken. What is Vibranium? Sourced from a meteorite that landed in Wakanda many centuries ago, Vibranium provides the superpower in the main character’s suit, absorbing energy and redistributing it. Vibranium (/vaɪˈbreɪniəm/) is a fictional metal appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, noted for its extraordinary abilities to absorb, store, and release large amounts of kinetic energy. Mined only in Wakanda, the metal is associated with Black Panther, who wears a suit of vibranium, and with Captain America, who bears a vibranium-steel alloy shield which has never been reproduced. Real-world Material In 2016, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies developed a real-world smart composite material that they named Vibranium. The lightweight carbon fiber material for the Hyperloop ...

World Engineering Day For Sustainable Development – Maiden Edition

Scientists study the world as it is, engineers create the world that never has been. ~ Theodore von Kármán (1881-1963)  A UNESCO International Day, An Annual Celebration, Every 4th March-to highlight the achievements of engineers and engineering in our modern world and improve public understanding of how engineering and technology is central to modern life and sustainable development. The 17 colours of the UN Sustainable Development Goals are included in the logo and represent the commitment to the UN 2030 Agenda. The colours at the centre of the image are for the Sustainable Development Goals for Water, Energy, Sustainable Infrastructure and Innovation. These are the main areas where engineers are needed most. The goal for Engineering Education is also central as the world needs more engineers with the right engineering skills for sustainable development. World Engineering Day logo Engineers and engineering will be celebrated each year, as well as the important cont...

Lady of The Month: Ms Gabi Kothe Quansah

Our maiden Lady of The Month for October is Ms Gabi Kothe Quansah, final year Metallurgical Engineering. Born on the 24th of April, she comes from Cape Coast but resides in Tarkwa. She is very eloquent, humble and kind; an alumna of Kumasi Girls SHS.  In 2nd year, she was the Deputy Safety, Health and Environment Chairperson; MATESA Women's Commissioner (Wocom) in 3rd year and currently the WINE Vice President. She is a member of the Church of Christ.

The Chemistry between Matter and Communication

[Opinion - 5 min read] In this article, I use communication and language; matter and material interchangeably. Basically, both are related in this way – without matter, there is no communication, meaning that matter is the object of communication. The aim of this write-up is for us to appreciate the fact that communication is a key factor in our daily living and hence we must pay critical attention thereof. Let's understand some underlying terms herein as we move on. Communication is the means by which different matter relate with other; it can be verbal or non-verbal, interpersonal or intrapersonal, etc. We communicate mainly through our actions, speech and thoughts. Matter is what makes up the physical world; the things that can be seen or felt, including people and other material in the environment. [Read also: Dear Writer!  ] Having gotten these, let us now look at how communication (language) affects material (matter) in these four well-known areas: Busin...