ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on what exactly the properties mean and how they are determined. A very wide range of materials are used in building construction, including steel, bricks, concrete, timber, glass, plaster, polymers, and bitumens. In each case, these materials are used because of particular physical and mechanical properties that they possess, such as strength, hardness, elasticity, durability and corrosion resistance. Stress is a measure of the average amount of force exerted per unit area. The SI unit for stress is the Pascal. Yield strength is the stress required to produce a very slight yet specified amount of plastic strain. Elastic deformation is non-permanent deformation, totally recovered upon release of an applied load. Plastic deformation is permanent or non-recoverable deformation after release of the applied load. Hardness is linked to strength. High-strength materials are nearly always very hard, and weak materials are usually relatively soft. Durability is the way to describe the property of lasting a long time.
