Building Construction: Materials, Processes, and Tools
1. Construction Materials
Construction materials are used in home building, monuments, and public works.
Stone Materials
- Compact Rocks: Stone blocks of limestone, marble, granite, etc., which are named blocks, masonry, pavers, and slabs.
- Disintegrated Rocks: Fragments of stone of varying sizes.
- Clay: Rocks of very small grains, characterized by their ability to absorb water.
- Arid: Fragments from the disintegration of other rocks.
Cementing Materials
Binders are materials that, when mixed with water, become viscous and solidify, assuming rigidity. They are used as a means of union or bond for other materials, resulting in a mass called:
- Mortar: A mixture of inorganic binders, clay, water, and possible additives.
- Concrete: A mixture of aggregate, binder, and water.
- Cal-facade
- Gypsum – for partitions
Ceramics
Ceramic materials are made of molded clay pieces and fired in kilns.
- Bricks: Pieces of baked clay, prism-shaped, with holes or solid.
- Fine Bricks: Have great weather resistance and insulation properties. Used for facades.
- Ordinary Bricks: Of least resistance, cheaper, and rugged. Used for walls and partitions.
- Texas: Pieces of clay used in roofs.
- Tiles: Square or rectangular pieces used for coating walls of bathrooms and kitchens.
- Gres: Mixture of clay, quartz, and feldspar, creating glazed pottery highly resistant to wear. Used to cover floors.
- Porcelain: Ceramic material coated with enamel. Used for toilets.
2. Building Construction Process
- Site Preparation: Demolition, debris removal, and leveling.
- Foundation: Placement of elements that form the base of the building, such as shoes, footings, or piles.
- Structure Elevation: Building pillars and plates to form the floors.
- Water Coverage: Placing the roof of the building using materials like tiles, zinc, and slate slabs.
- Pavement Placement: Placing materials like marble, stone, or wood on each floor plate.
- Wall Construction: Building walls and partitions that enclose and divide the floors using ordinary bricks.
- Facility Placement: Installing housing facilities (core).
- Finishing Work: Making the building suitable for its final use, including furnishing, painting, and electrical installation.
3. Construction Tools
Wheelbarrow, pick, carrycot, shovel, hammer, pot, trowel, spirit level, chisel, gauge.
4. Construction Machinery
- Excavation and Earth Moving: Bulldozers and loaders.
- Land Leveling: Bulldozers and graders.
- Material Transportation: Trucks and dump trucks.
5. Graphical Representation
Plan views and horizontal sections are used in:
- Distribution Plans: Describe internal partitioning and the placement of doors, windows, toilets, and furniture.
- Foundation Plans: Show the supporting elements of the building and water, gas, electricity, telephone, and other installations.
- Deck Plans: Show the roofs and terraces.
- Location Maps: Represent the location of construction, surrounding streets, and other locating data.
6. Dialogue in Communication
Signs of Dialogue
- Oral Dialogue: Words are complemented by sentence intonation (declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, ironic). Intonation signals the end of intervention and transfers the word to another party. Non-verbal communication (gestures, glances, movements) is also important.
- Written Dialogue: Uses marks of orality, including signs of intonation, hesitations, unfinished sentences, interjections, vocatives, formulas for beginning shifts, and slang.
Context or Situation
The context is determined by factors like time, place, and social status, which influence the tone and themes. These factors determine whether a dialogue is formal or a spontaneous conversation.
- Spontaneous Conversation: Informal dialogue between trusted people, characterized by arbitrary topic shifts and colloquial style.
- Formal Dialogue: Follows standards and focuses on a specific topic with a practical purpose, using a formal style and precise expressions.