Course detail

Chemistry of Building Materials

FAST-CC051Acad. year: 2018/2019

Chemical bond, chemical equilibrium. Kinetics of chemical reactions. Thermal balance of chemical reaction. Water, ionization, pH. Chemistry of inorganic non-metallic materials - composition, properties and degradation. Chemistry and electrochemistry of metallic building materials, electrochemical potentials, corrosion of metals, and protection. Chemical properties of polymers, their stability and degradation. Biocorrosion of building materials.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

4

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Department

Institute of Chemistry (CHE)

Learning outcomes of the course unit

Chemical processes of the solid structure of inorganic binder formation, effect on reaction kinetics.
Metals and their chemical and electrochemical properties.
Chemical and biological degradation processes of cement composites, gypsum, lime binders, metals, plastics.
Modelling of degradation processes of concrete.
Water in building materials, composition, chemical and physical properties.

Student gets the aim of subject under control, i. e. chemical processes of the solid structure of inorganic binder forming, chemical properties of metals, plastics, and degradation processes of building materials, include modelling. Student learns the chemical and physical properties of water, the water transport, and negative effect on building materials. Student gets the basic overview on the properties of construction materials.

Prerequisites

Base of general chemistry, kinds of chemical bonds in compounds, reaction kinetics, dissociation, electrolytes, base knowledge of electrochemistry, standard electrode potentials, base knowledge of inorganic chemistry, base of organic chemistry, principal of chemical terminology, stoichiometric calculations.

Co-requisites

The course is studied in connection with the courses of concrete and metal constructions; student gets a more comprehensive view on the life cycle of building structures.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Teaching methods depend on the type of course unit as specified in the article 7 of BUT Rules for Studies and Examinations. The basic teaching methods are lectures and laboratory sessions. In lectures, the students look into relationship between chemical and mechanical processes during the steady state forming. In the laboratory sessions, part of the session is usually aimed at calculations, part at experimental verification of teoretical knowledge.

Assesment methods and criteria linked to learning outcomes

Student elaborates the protocols about laboratory tasks including the results of measurements. The oral exam is endpoint of the course. Student has to demonstrate the solving of the problems of civil engineering work experience.

Course curriculum

1. Chemical bond. Chemical equilibrium.
2. Kinetics of chemical reaction. Thermal balance of chemical reaction.
3. Water – structure, ionization, pH, substances content in water, and their effect on building materials.
4. Porosity of building materials. Transport of water and salts.
5. Chemistry of gypsum and anhydrite binders, properties of hardened gypsum, and degradation.
6. Chemistry of lime binders, plasters and mortars, degradation, renovation of plasters.
7. Degradation of ceramics – composition, porous structure, crystallization pressure of salts in pores. Chemistry of glass, and corrosion.
8. Chemical properties of cement paste in concrete.
9. Degradation processes of cement paste in concrete caused by atmosphere and aggressive solutions.
10. Chemical properties of aggregates in concrete, degrading processes. Stability and degradation of fibre reinforcement.
11. Chemistry of polymers based on carbon and silicon chains. Degradation of polymers.
12. Electrochemical properties of metals, electrochemical potentials. Metal corrosion. Corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete, in water, soil corrosion, atmospheric corrosion.
13. Biocorrosion of building materials – fungi, alga, bacteria. Protection to corrosion and degradation of building materials.

Work placements

Not applicable.

Aims

Chemical processes of the solid structure of inorganic binder forming, electrochemical properties of metals, degradation and corrosion processes of building materials.

Specification of controlled education, way of implementation and compensation for absences

Extent and forms are specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.

Recommended optional programme components

Students get the offer to take part in the workshops and seminar meetings on chemistry of building materials.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Not applicable.

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme N-P-E-SI (N) Master's

    branch K , 1. year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional

  • Programme N-K-C-SI (N) Master's

    branch K , 1. year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional

  • Programme N-P-C-SI (N) Master's

    branch K , 1. year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

1. Chemical bond. Chemical equilibrium.
2. Kinetics of chemical reaction. Thermal balance of chemical reaction.
3. Water – structure, ionization, pH, substances content in water, and their effect on building materials.
4. Porosity of building materials. Transport of water and salts.
5. Chemistry of gypsum and anhydrite binders, properties of hardened gypsum, and degradation.
6. Chemistry of lime binders, plasters and mortars, degradation, renovation of plasters.
7. Degradation of ceramics – composition, porous structure, crystallization pressure of salts in pores. Chemistry of glass, and corrosion.
8. Chemical properties of cement paste in concrete.
9. Degradation processes of cement paste in concrete caused by atmosphere and aggressive solutions.
10. Chemical properties of aggregates in concrete, degrading processes. Stability and degradation of fibre reinforcement.
11. Chemistry of polymers based on carbon and silicon chains. Degradation of polymers.
12. Electrochemical properties of metals, electrochemical potentials. Metal corrosion. Corrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete, in water, soil corrosion, atmospheric corrosion.
13. Biocorrosion of building materials – fungi, alga, bacteria. Protection to corrosion and degradation of building materials.

Exercise

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

Introduction to practice, safety of laboratory work, fire prevention
Salinity of masonry, adjustment of salts and deep of penetrating into testing material
Water, determination of ions in water, argentometric determination of chlorides
Binders, adjustment the type of binder according to present elements, deetrminatio of sulphste in solution
Analysis of cement, decomposition of cement, determination of MnO in blended cement
Analysis of cement, determination of CaO and MgO, decomposition of sample for determination of sulphates, determination of SiO2
Analysis of cement, determination of Fe2O3 and Al2O3, filtration of precipitate of BaSO4
Analysis of cement, determination of TiO2 and P2O5, annealing of precipitate of BaSO4
Corrosion of concrete, determination of Ca(OH)2 in cement pastes, adjustment of carobated and non-carbonated cement paste
Determination of aggressive CO2 in water, determination of ammonium ions in water
Silicium, preparing of silicium using magnesium as reducing agent, solubility of silicium in alkaline solutions, preparation of borosilicate glass
Supervision of protocols, credit