Construction materials Flashcards
Recall that some rocks are used in construction of
buildings and roads
granite
limestone
marble
aggregates
Explain why there are environmental problems when
rocks are quarried or mined from the ground
• landscape destroyed and has to be reconstructed
when the mining or quarrying has finished
• increased noise, traffic and dust.
what do marble and limestone both have in common
they are are both forms of calcium carbonate
why does limestone thermally decomposes?
to make calcium oxide and carbon dioxide
Describe how concrete is made
• cement, sand, aggregate and water are mixed
together
• mixture then allowed to set
Describe how concrete can be reinforced using a
steel support
concrete with steel rods. Concrete provides hardness, steel provides flexibility and strength.
Relate some construction materials to the substances
found in the Earth’s crust from which they are
manufactured
- aluminium and iron from ores
- brick from clay
- glass from sand.
Compare the hardness of limestone, marble and
granite
limestone - sedimentary rock, softer
marble - metamorphic rock, hard
granite - igneous rock, hard
Construct the word equation for the decomposition of
limestone
calcium carbonate -> calcium oxide + carbon dioxide
Construct the balanced symbol equation for the
decomposition of limestone
CaCO3 → CaO + CO2
Describe thermal decomposition
a reaction in
which, when heated, one substance is chemically
changed into at least two new substances
when is cement made
when limestone and clay are heated together
what is reinforced concrete?
a composite material
Explain why reinforced concrete is a better
construction material than non-reinforced concrete
- concrete provides hardness
- steel provides flexibility and strength
