Week 2

Metal Rust:

Before

Bump

Spec

After

Concrete Mossy:

Before

Bump

Spec

After

Concrete Rough:

Before

Spec

Bump

After

Concrete:

What is the process of making the material?         Concrete is primarily composed of aggregate (limestone or granite), cement and water. The materials are mixed together and then poured into a set caste. Once poured it must be placed in a controlled environment in order for it to dry at a set pace in order to reach its maximum strength.

How long will the material last:       The material can last for a long time but effects such as sea water and bacteria can reduce its life span.

What makes the material corrode?             The material corrodes through actions such as the corrosion of the reinforcement bars within it, sea water, bacteria and many others.

What are the material's structural pros and cons?           The materials pros are that it can last a long time and is very easy to make. It is also very strong in compressive strength.  Cons are that if not set correctly it can crack and its strength is dramatically reduced. It is also weak in tensile strength.

What is the material typically used for:      The material is typically used for the supports and columns of buildings such as high rise and multistorey residential.

What are the material's environmental impacts? These could include the excess amounts of C0₂ that is created in trying to mine all the materials as well as make them into suitable products for cement mixing. Concrete is also used to create hard surfaces that contribute to surface runoff, which can cause soil erosion, water pollution and flooding. It is also a thermal heat retainer which causes increased temperatures in areas full of concrete such as cities.

Glass:

What is the process of making the material?                     Glass is a non-crystalline solid material. The most common is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus NA₂O, CaO, and several other additives.

How long will the material last:       The material should last a long time since not many things affect it. It is very brittle, so as a result if it is placed in an unstable environment it could crack and/or break.

What makes the material corrode? As time progresses moisture and bacteria have an effect on glass. They start to attack its structure which as a result tends to lead to a murky colour replacing the clear view it provides when new.

As time progresses, many things can add to the decay of glass. As it is a very brittle material it can crack. Factors such as high gale winds, rockslides, animals and trees can all cause cracks in the glass or destroy it completely.

What are the material's structural pros and cons?                       The materials pros include the ability to provide shelter whilst providing a view. A con is that it is very brittle and after a long time its transparent view can turn murky.

What is the material typically used for:      The material is mainly used for windows in order to provide a transparent section in which a view can be seen whilst providing protection from the outside elements.

What are the material's environmental impacts? The immense amounts of heat used in order to create glass produces a lot of C0₂.

Steel:

What is the process of making the material?         Steel is an alloy made from combining iron and other elements, the most common being carbon. Iron must be smelted under intense heat in order to remove the oxygen that is attached to it in its earth found form, iron ore. The smelting releases the oxygen attaching carbon to the iron allowing a material that can be mixed with other materials to produce steel.

How long will the material last:       Steel can last for some time if maintained properly. Without maintenance steel corrodes from the oxygen in the air, causing rust.

What makes the material corrode?             Oxygen makes the air corrode. As a result any environment can cause steel to rust, except for highly dry areas such as those found in the Arizona desert which contains minute traces of water meaning rust can’t take effect as easily.

What are the material's structural pros and cons?                       Steel can be made for specific reasons to tackle specific problems and as a result is a very good structural material. Varying the amount of alloying elements, and the form of their presence in the steel, controls qualities such as hardness, ductility and the tensile strength of the resulting steel. One of the only drawbacks in steel is its increase in weight the larger to pieces become and the affect that natural elements such as water and oxygen can have on it over time.

What is the material typically used for:      The material is typically used for columns and beams since they can be built specifically for tensile or compressive uses. It is mainly used in high rise buildings, bridges and cantilevered edges.

What are the material's environmental impacts?             To produce steel iron must be mined and then smelted in order to extract the ore. As a result the environmental impacts could include CO₂ emissions as well as environmental degradation due to open cut mines.