•The
properties of building materials dictate their fields of application.
•
The properties of building materials are generally classified as
•
•Physical
properties of
materials include their characteristics relating to weight and density, their
permeability to liquids, gases, heat and radioactive rays as well as their
resistance to aggressive environmental conditions. This latter characteristic
governs the service life of materials, and in the long run, that of
construction.
•
•Chemical
properties of
materials are essentially evaluated by their resistance to acids, alkalis and
salt solutions which may initiate exchange reactions in the materials and
cause their failure.
•
•The
ability of materials to resist compression, tension, impact, penetration by a
foreign body and other actions involving force, are generally known as mechanical
properties.