Building Materials and Their Properties

Materials in a Building

Structure

The strong skeleton of the building, consisting of:

• Cimientos (Foundations)
• Pillars
• Vigas (Beams)
• Forjado (Slab/Flooring)

They can be made of concrete, reinforced concrete, or steel.

Siding

Serves as external protection against atmospheric agents. Consists of: facade walls and the roof structure (steel support on which the roof is constituted).

Partitions

Internal walls or divisions that sort and distribute the interior space. Typically made of bricks and plaster.

Coatings

Applied to floors, walls, and ceilings to provide a finished surface. Consist of materials such as paint or fabrics.

Types of Rocks

Magmatic or Igneous Rocks

Formed by the solidification of molten material from inside the Earth, e.g., Granite.

Sedimentary Rocks

Can be formed by:

1. Accumulation of fragments of other rocks, e.g., sand.
2. Crystallization of substances or accumulation of organic debris, e.g., limestone.

Metamorphic Rocks

Formed from existing igneous and sedimentary rocks through transformation, e.g., slate, marble.

Insulating Materials

Achieve thermal and acoustic conditioning, increasing comfort and energy savings.

Types of Insulation

• Inorganic mineral origin, such as glass wool.
• Synthetic insulation, such as polyurethane, polystyrene.
• Organic insulators, such as agglomerated cork.

Finishing Materials

Paints

Composed of pigments that provide color.

Fabrics

Manufactured based on natural fibers (e.g., wool), artificial fibers (e.g., rayon), or synthetic fibers (e.g., polyester). Can be applied as wall coverings.

Lightweight Coatings

Include different types of decorative coatings, such as rigid plates made with cork.

Flexible Coatings

Made with very thin sheets, comprising a paper layer and a cladding layer.

Aglomerantes and Derived Products

Aglomerante (Binder)

A powdered material used to bind other materials together.

Gypsum

Derived from gypsum stones. Available as powder or prefabricated boards.

Cement

A gray powder, the result of a homogeneous mixture of calcined limestone and clay with added gypsum.

Concrete

Composed of sand, gravel or crushed stone, cement, and water.

Reinforced Concrete

Concrete with internal reinforcement, typically steel bars.

Glass

Raw materials are added to a furnace at 1300°C and fused. Molten glass floats on molten tin, forming a uniform sheet. Upon cooling, it forms a hard sheet of flat glass.