application & usage of metal

7/28/2019 Application & Usage of Metal

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SITE RESEARCH REPORT

No. Name Student Id

Lee Chee Ming 0308958

Kavilan Manoharan 0903P72082

Sasitharan 0310667

Yo Kai Sen 0310563Muhammad Syafiq Bin Rosli 0303605

Harvey Yap Zhu Guang 0309325

Table of Content


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No. Item Page No.

1. Introduction 1

2. Appropriate Usage/Application 2-5

3. Physical and Chemical Properties 64. Advantages and Disadvantages 7-11

5. Suitability/Sustainability 12

6. Aesthetical Value 13

7. Performance Behavior 14

8. Maintenance 15

9. Conclusion 16

10. List of References 17-18

Introduction

We visited is a metal factory and the company name is called Ajiya Company.

The factory produces many metals for them to help on construction building. In the site

visit, our aim is to get further information and knowledge about the metal. Metals are one

of the types of building material that needed to use for construction building.


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Metal are any chemical elements that consist of "metallic properties: are classified

as metals. Metal are good conductivity in heat and electricity. Metal are usually are shiny,

malleable and ductile. Metal can be worked into variety forms.

Metals are one the most important structural material that used in construction.

Nowadays, most of homeowners and builders prefer to use metal to built building as

compared to woods or other materials.

Usage/Applications of Metal

- Steel

Steel is an alloy that made from iron and contains a small amount of carbon. Steel

has high strength, good conductivity of heat and electrical. Steel is one of the

most important structural element to used in building and construction due to its

strength and durability


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Applications of steel: low and high-rise building, reinforced concrete, roofing

- Wrought iron

Wrought iron is an iron alloy that contains very little carbon. Wrought iron had

high elasticity and tensile strength. Wrought iron can be worked into different

shapes when it is been heated. Wrought iron has good resistance to corrosion.

Wrought iron now mostly uses to produce nails, rivets, chains, pipes, handrails.

- Cast iron

Cast iron is an iron alloy that contains high amount of carbon. Cast iron has good

compressive strength but poor tensile strength. Cast iron is widely used in

structural and decorative because it is cheap and easily cast into different shapes

Cast iron mostly used in hinges, columns, baluster, fences tools and pipe

plumbing

- Stainless steel


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Stainless steel is more expensive than normal grade steel. Most people like to use

stainless steel because it has high strength and hardness, high corrosion resistance

and low maintenance.

Application of stainless steel: roofing and gutters, doors and windows, structural

sections

- Aluminum

Aluminum is a silver-white metallic with corrosion resistance. Aluminum is soft

and light weight metal but it has high strength. It has high conductivity and is

cheaper as compared to copper. Aluminum is also an excellent conductivity of

heat and electricity. Aluminum can also be recyclable without downgrading its

qualities. It is mostly used for section for window and door frames, gutter or

fencing.


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- Copper

Copper is bright reddish-brown in color. Copper is malleable because it can

hammered or rolled into sheets without any breaking. Copper is strong and it is

good conductor of heat and electricity. Copper are mostly used as electricity

conductivity because it allow the current to flow without loss much energy.

Copper is softer than zinc and it can be polished to a bright finish.

Applications of copper: roofing and flashing, gutters and downspout, wire,

plumbing

- Zinc

Zinc is bluish silver in color. Zinc has strong anticorrosive properties and it can

bond well with other metals. Some zinc is used in zinc galvanizing. Zinc

galvanizing is a process of adding thin layer of zinc to iron or steel to prevent

rusting. It is mostly used in construction as the protective coating and other forms

of zinc coating.


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- Lead

Lead is bluish-white lustrous metal. Lead is a soft and high malleable but poor

conductor of electricity. Lead considered as heavy metal It is mostly used in

containers and pipes to prevent corrosives. Lead has high tensile strength because

it can be stretched without breaking.

Applications of lead: Covering cables, roofing, wires and pipes


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- Brass

Brass is an alloy mixture of copper and zinc. The strength and hardness of brass is

depends on the zinc content. The lower proportion of zinc, the softer the brass.

Applications of brass: Knobs, soft brass for door and window, hard brass for

plumbing connections

- Bronze

Bronze is an alloy with the mixture of copper and tin. The greater the percentage

tin, the stronger the bronze. Bronze is hard and brittle. Bronze can resist corrosion

more than steel. Its conductivity of heat and electricity is also better than steel.

Applications of bronze: window frames, door and window hardware, knob


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Chemical and physical properties of metals

Metals are usually amenable to form cations through electron loss, reacting with

oxygen in the air to form oxides over various timescales. For example, iron rusts over

years while potassium burns in seconds. The transition metals such as iron, copper, zinc,

and nickel are slower to oxidize because they form a coat layer of oxide that protects the

interior. Some metals form a barrier layer of oxide on their surface which cannot be


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penetrated by further oxygen molecules thus retain their shiny appearance and good

conductivity for many decades such as aluminium and magnesium. The oxides of metals

are generally basic, as opposed to those of non-metals, which are acidic. Blatant

exceptions are largely oxides with very high oxidation states such as CrO3, Mn2O7, and

OsO4, which have strictly acidic reactions.

Basically metal have high strength which is good. It also have high density and

are very heavy. Furthermore, metals are good conductors because of it high electrical

conductivity where they have free electrons. Metal also have toughness at low

temperatures because it have high melting points meaning most of it are solid. It also

have corrosion resistance which is so useful and it also resistance to heat. Not to forget,

ductility where metals can be drawn into wires. Moreover, most metals are malleable

where it have the ability to withstand hammering and can be made into thin sheets known

as foils.

Advantage and Disadvantage

In construction, there is various type of metal that help to build a building. Metal

give advantage and disadvantage to the construction. There is advantage and

disadvantage in various type of metal are:

Steel


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Advantages:

Maintain strength indefinitely

Provide its surface is protected from rust

Very strong and flexible

High rise building

Durable and safe and wont ignite, burn, rust or get eaten by pests

Disadvantages:

Susceptible to corrosion

Needed to maintenance

Wrought Iron

Advantages:

It is ability to resist corrosion and fatigue failure.

It is very malleable and ductile

It is welds better than steel

Lasts longer when exposed to weather or to water

Disadvantages:

It is elastic and tensile strength

Production is more costly.

Cast Iron


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Advantages:

Extremely difficult to damage and cannot be easily scratched, cracked or dented.

Extremely strong and durable

Excellent sound deadening properties

Rapid transition from design to finished product

Disadvantages:

It is extremely heavy

Must be take care and keep for maintain.

Stainless Steel

Advantages:

Long life span

It is very easy to clean and maintain.

Disadvantages:

Stainless steel tends to scratch and dent

Food, grease and fingerprints show very clearly on stainless steel

Aluminium

Advantages:

Do not rust as easily as iron


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Excellent heat and electricity conductor

It is ductile and low melting point

Disadvantages:

It is more expensive then steel

It is not very hard and easy scratch

Copper

Advantages:

Has ahighelectricaland thermal conductivity

Malleable and ductile

Good durability and last for long time with shiny.

It is soft and good for bending into shapes

Disadvantages:

It turn green if leave it outside for too long

Lead

Advantages:

Also lead melts at a relatively slow temperature, making it a great solder.

Disadvantages:

Lead is very toxic; its use can result in pollution of the ground and more importantly

of water supplies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_conductivityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_conductivity


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Zinc

Advantages:

It is elastic

Easily finishing

Low energy cost

Anti-corrosive agent

Disadvantages:

Less dense than iron

It is very hard and brittle

Brass

Advantages:

Brass can be polished easily.

Resistant to rust and corrosion

Durable and have great strength.

Have good acoustic properties making them ideal for musical instruments.


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Disadvantages:

Low melting point

Can be scratched or dented

Require polishing to protect their surface

Bronze

Advantages:

Little corrosion

Stronger and resistant to corrosion

Disadvantages:

Bronze is more expensive than brass and steel but less than nickel-base alloys. This

is due primarily to its copper content.

Heavy and relatively weak


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Suitability of metal

Metal is divided to two parts which is ferrous metal and Non-Ferrous metal. Generally

metal has some suitability such as for rapid construction. This is usable for rapid

construction because metal is easily fix each other and this will save time for the

construction such as skyscraper. Other than that, metal also use as highly repetitive

frames such as steel column, steel beams and it also use with precast concrete slabs. This

process will strengthen the strength of building. Finally metal also used in architectural

details. Nowadays metal are so famous in architectural details because steel give a clean

look to others and it also elegance to others.


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Metal roofing on the other hand, comes in a variety of colours and textures, which

means that a suitable metal roofing system can be found for almost any property.

The easiest way to guarantee a striking building design is through the creative

introduction of colour. The palette of colours with which an architect can work is again

virtually limitless. All manufacturers offer an extensive colour range in various finishes.

The extraordinary can be achieved in using the metal roofing system i.e. slim verge

overhangs, slim parapets and eaves, etc.

How important are aesthetic considerations? Many metal systems offer significant

aesthetic advantages over conventional roofing. From the richly atoned natural surfaces

of copper and titanium, to the hundreds of colours currently available for steel roofing,

metals offer an exciting spectrum of aesthetic options.

Performance and behavior of metal

The two most commonly used structural metals, iron and aluminium, are also the most

abundant metals in the Earth's crust. Metals are good conductors, making them valuable

in electrical appliances and for carrying an electric current over a distance with little

energy lost. Electrical power grids rely on metal cables to distribute electricity. Home

electrical systems, for the most part, are wired with copper wire for its good conducting

properties. The thermal conductivity of metal is useful for containers to heat materials

over a flame. Metal is also used for heat sinks to protect sensitive equipment from

overheating. The high reflectivity of some metals is important in the construction of

mirrors, including precision astronomical instruments. Some metals have specialized

uses; radioactive metals such as uranium and plutonium are used in nuclear power plants

to produce energy via nuclear fission. Mercury is a liquid at room temperature and is used

in switches to complete a circuit when it flows over the switch contacts. Pure metal melts

and solidifies in a simple manner at a specific temperature


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Maintenance

Metal are good in construction building but there is maintenance are needed for

metal also. Most of the metal needed to be take care and require to maintenance. If do not

do maintenance on those metal, it will be corrosion and also causes problem on it. So

maintenance is important for metal also. There is some metal are needed to be

maintenance such as aluminum, zinc, wrought iron, cast iron, stainless steel, brass and

bronze. Maintenance for metal is very important so that it can last longer. These are the

maintenance for the metals

I. Wrought iron - Paint a layer of matt or satin on it to prevent rusting

II. Cast iron - It must be wash with hot water immediately after using to prevent rust.

III. Stainless steel - Clean it using soap and wipe it dry to prevent it rust easily

IV. Aluminum - Regularly clean up the dirt by using plain water, mild soap or wax.

V. Zinc - Regularly clean up the dirt and prevent from scratching.

VI. Brass - It can be washed by soapy water.


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VII. Bronze - It can be washed by soapy water or can wipe dry with a soft

and clean cloth.

Conclusion

Metals serve a wide variety of uses in the built landscape, including structural features,

such as nails and trusses, as well as decorative features, such as doorknobs and cladding.

Some metals discovered by early civilizations remain in use today. Metal also consider as

precast material. By using metal it will reduce the coast and time of a construction where

by metal might increased the coast of maintainers. Metal is strong, flexible, and if refined

well and treated lasts a long time.


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D Carle, G Blount - Materials & design, 1999 - Elsevier

application & usage of metal

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