Category 1
What is the main component of portland cement?
The clinker
What is the clinker made of?
Raw material such as limestone, clay and water
What transformations do you make to this mixture?
Calcined and ground
What are construction materials?
They are raw materials or manufactured products that are used in the construction of buildings.
Why is plaster not usually used in exterior areas of the building?
Because it dissolves in humid environments
Why should construction materials come from abundant and low-cost materials such as stone, sand and clay?
Because construction materials are used on a large scale.
Why do humans no longer use large blocks of natural stone in building construction?
Because of it's high cost and it's high weight compared to other artificial stone materials.
What are natural stone materials made of?
Of aggregates of mineral particles that are obtained from the rocks.
What two minimal transformations are necessary for the use of natural stone materials after extracting them from quarries?
Roughing and tiling
Why can cement be used to cover cracks or fix plumbing?
Because once hardened, it retains it's strength and stability even under water.
What are the main types of natural stone materials?
Granite, limestone, marble, slate and aggregates
Why is granite used on pavements, walls, baseboards, columns or kitchen countertops?
For it's great hardness and it's resistance to atmospheric agents
Why is limestone used to make cement or masonry?
Because they have a suitable average hardness for it and are easy to work (till) and polish.
Why is marble used in decorative elements, floors, wall coverings, furniture and countertops?
Because it can be polished to a high gloss and has an intermediate hardness that is more than enough for such uses.
What two binder materials can be used to make a mortar?
The cement and the lime
Why is slate used in the construction of roofs and as a paving stone?
Because it is a dense rock. It can be cut easily because they are quite soft, they are waterproof and enduring extreme temperatures very well.
To make other artificial stone materials such as a mortar, concrete and asphalt.
What is the name of the artificial stone materials that when mixed with water from a paste capable of adhering to other materials of hardening to join pieces of said materials with each other?
Binder materials
Give an example of an old building that remains standing today and that was not build with binder materials,
The Acueducto of Segovia.
Why can we paint a house in Andalusia?
Because lime hardens even under water and endures dilatations due to temperature changes.
In what case is a stone material considered artificial?
In case it has been obtained by industrial process from rocks.
What is the name given to the process of hardening and loss of plasticity experienced by binder materials when water is added to them?
Setting or curing
Why is plaster used in interior wall cladding and decorative elements such as moldings of false ceilings?
Because it sets fast, is soft and is good insulation
What are the main Binder materials that are manufactured?
Plaster, cement and lime
Why is mortar with lime used to fix the roof tiles?
Because it is a mortar that when hardened is more elastic than cement mortar.