Aesthetics are:- Concrete, Brick, Glass, Metals, Cast Iron, Steel, Aluminium, uPVC, Natural and Man Made

Mineral Fibres.

CONCRETE:- Concrete is an incredibly strong man made mixture of aggregate (sand and gravel), cement and
water that has been used in construction since Roman times. It is very hard and in its normal state can
withstand high compression loads but it has one major weakness - it cannot resist tension loads, having
perhaps a tenth of its compressive strength when it is pulled. So it is good pillars, but not poor for
beams. For the last 100 years or so Steel reinforcing wire or bar ( ‘rebar’ ) has been imbedded within the
concrete slabs to overcome this weakness.

Concrete On Site construction:- With this technique the elements of the building are constructed in-situ with
hollow forms (moulds). These forms are usually built around a skeleton of steel reinforcing wire or bar
(rebar). They then have concrete mix poured into them which encases the steelwork. When the concrete
cures (sets) the forms are removed leaving the concrete slab. Most large scale concrete construction in the
world is now carried out using this technique and the liquid concrete can be pumped or craned up buildings
as construction progresses.

Behavior of Concrete in Fire:- a)Many factors will affect how concrete will behave under fire conditions.
These may include:- •Quantity and type of aggregate used in the mix •Thickness (and thus protection of
reinforcement) •Type of Cement used •Water content of the concrete •Load bearing •Fire Exposure time
•Temperature •Application of water (fire fighting Jets) •Cladding or covering •Age. b)The failure of the
concrete slab usually occurs in the form of spalling which is the progressive deterioration of the surface
exposed to heat. This is because the Aggregate element usually contain quartz which will start to crack and
disintegrate at 600C+.

Brick (or block work):- a)Brick is rarely used as the primary construction material in high rise buildings
because it has a relatively limited strength under load. In general load bearing walls made of brick seldom
extend 10 floors. Brick (or block work) is frequently used to create internal sub-division or as a cladding (in
which case it is only bearing the load of its own weight not the entire building). b)The manufacturing process
of brick involves them being fired in ovens at high temperatures and so they are inherently more stable than
concrete when exposed to fire and the Mortar jointing system will allow for movement due to thermal
expansion. Brickwork is generally regarded as a good constructional fire resisting material.
Brickwork walls that are load bearing are (pro-rata) much thicker than concrete walls and this thickness also
provides for better behavior in fire.

Glass:- a)Glass is a hard, brittle substance, usually transparent, made by fusing silicates under high
temperatures with soda, lime, etc. it is brittle and does not stand high impact but its tensile strength can be
5x that of the best steel. This high strength and the development of modern glass construction techniques
means that many new high rise buildings use large quantities of glass as walling (usually supports by steel
framework). This technique is seldom used in residential accommodation, but all windows will be glass held
in by a variety of framing materials. b)Its melting point is normally 1400 °C to 1600 °C (in some glass this can
be as low as 500C) but exposure to high temperatures will cause it to soften and loose strength rapidly. Most
un-annealed glass actually contains microscopic stresses (and stress fractures). Sudden exposure to any
extreme temperature change, such as Fire or application of cold water jet to hot glass, will cause cracking or
complete failure. c)Falling glass, either from cracked or broken panes or actual molten glass is a particular
hazard to all personnel below the incident. Pieces of glass can ‘plane’ as they fall and travel considerable
distances away from the building.
Steel:- Steel is extensively used in all forms of construction and is present in nearly every form of reinforced
concrete. Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron. Carbon is added and this acts as a hardener.
Different mixes of steel will possess different characteristics from varying hardness and malleability to
Corrosion resistance and weight. Its melting point is high at 1300C but it suffers from 3 key failings under fire
conditions •Loss of strength …. at 600C a steel beam may lose two thirds of its strength! •It is a good thermal
conductor …. Meaning it can transfer its heat to involve other materials not directly exposed to fire. •It has a
high thermal expansion….. at 500C a 10 Steel beam can expand 60mm, if this beam was a structural element
within a building it may cause collapse. Because of its limitations in fire, if used in a structural context, steel is
usually given additional fire protection, in the form of a sacrificial cladding or a barrier.