Material Science Report: Construction Defects at Newtown Tram Depot

This report investigates material science principles in construction, focusing on defects observed in brickwork at the Newtown Tram Depot in Sydney. The report begins by introducing the use of bricks in construction and their desirable properties such as color uniformity, shape, hardness, sound insulation, water absorption, and fire resistance. It then details common defects found in the depot's brickwork, including frost damage, cracks, bloating, stains from efflorescence, and disintegration due to weathering. Each defect is explained with potential causes and visual examples using photographs. The report concludes by suggesting solutions to prevent these defects, such as using high-quality materials, preventing moisture ingress, regular cleaning, and protective plastering. This analysis highlights the importance of material selection and maintenance in ensuring the longevity and structural integrity of buildings. Find more resources like this, including past papers and solved assignments, on Desklib to support your studies.

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Introduction
Construction of building involves using a wide range of products and construction materials.
Sometimes this products and materials don't perform in an expected way due to the defects
which they have developed.
Newton Tram Deport which was opened on 1st April 1900 and closed on 28 September 1957
is located adjacent to Newtown Station on the King, Newton. The buildings which house
Newton Tram Deport were constructed of bricks together with other construction materials.
The figure below shows the location of Newton Tram Deport.
Fig 1: location of Newton Tram Deport
Bricks are construction materials that are used in the construction of walls, pavements and
other elements of masonry construction. The bricks can be made from clay, soil, lime,
concrete or sand materials, but the bricks which are to be discussed in this paper are clay-
bearing bricks as shown in the figure below.

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Fig: Brick walls of Newton Tram Deport
Since the buildings were abandoned, the walls have developed some defects due to the
prolonged exposure to the harsh weather conditions and other factors.
Properties of bricks
Bricks usually have the following qualities which make them be among the best building
materials globally.
1) Colour
The colour of the bricks should be bright and uniform so as to create a uniform surface of the
wall or any other element of the building they have been used to construct (Sowden, 2011, p.
187). The figure below how the brick with uniform colour.

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Fig 3: a brick with uniform colour
2) Shape
The bricks should have plane surfaces, sharp and at the same time true right angles which can
allow easy bonding during the time of construction. Right angles and plane surfaces make it
easy to be used during construction.
3) Hardness
Bricks have reasonably good compressive strength, sound resistance to saturation by
rainwater. The technique which is used to test the hardness of is by holding the brick with one
hand then give it a light tap with a hammer. The sound which should come from the blow
should be a dull ring and not a dull thud.
4) Sound insulation
It is a matter of facts that heavier bricks are usually poor insulators while the light bricks are
usually considered to be good sound insulation. For the purpose of attaining a high quality of
sound insulation in the current time, the bricks are produced with a void at the middle. The
figure below shows a hollow brick.

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Fig 4: A hollow brick
5) Absorption
After the brick is immersed in water for more than 24 hours, the water absorption of the brick
should not be more than 20 percent by weight. A masonry wall which is built of very hard
bricks which absorbs very little water may be penetrated more by rainwater than a wall which
is made of bricks which absorbs more water (Stoneham, 2015, p. 65).
6) Fire resistance
The fire resistance of the bricks is usually good. Due to their good fire resistance qualities,
the bricks are sometimes used to encase the steel columns in order to protect them from the
fire as shown in the figure below.
Fig 5: Encase steel columns

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7) Sound insulation
8) Efflorescence
9) Soundness
10) Texture
Functions of bricks in construction
Bricks play an essential role in the fields of construction and civil engineering. Bricks are
usually used as an alternative of stone in the construction industry. Bricks have many
applications as discussed below.
 The bricks are used in the construction of walls of any size. For a long period of time,
the bricks have been used in the construction of walls.
 The bricks are also used in the construction of floors (Sowden, 2011, p. 53)
 The bricks are used in the construction of arches and cornices as shown in the image
below.
Fig 6: arches constructed from bricks
 Broken bricks are sometimes used as aggregates of concrete.

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 Powered bricks are used in lime concrete and lime plastering
 The bricks of various types are used in paving.
Defects of bricks in Newton Tram Deport
The bricks in Newton Tram Deport have the following defects which were observed.
i) Frost damage/attack
The frost damage/attack is one of the defects that was noted in the bricks. The defect was
common among the older and unburnt bricks. The defect of frost attack was severe in the
areas which are exposed most to the external environment, such as the external walls of
the building (Richardson, 2016, p. 118).
When water that enters in the bricks turns into ice, there is usually an increase in the
volume of approximately 9% this expansions usually causes the bricks to break. The
figure below shows the bricks that have broken due to frost attack.
Fig 7: damaged bricks due to frost attack

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ii) Cracks or checks
This was another defect of the bricks. The bricks were observed to contain some cracks.
The cracks might have been attributed to the excess water or because of lumps of lime in
the bricks. When the bricks come into contact with water, the water which is absorbed
reacts with the lime nodules thus causing expansions and subsequent disintegration of the
brick (Gambhir, 2013, p. 360). The figure below show
Fig 8: cracked bricks
iii) Bloating
This is a defect which was observed as a spongy swollen mass on the surface of the
bricks. The defect was due to the presence of excess amount of carbonaceous matter and
also sulphur in the brick. The figure below shows bloated brinks.
Fig 8: Bloated bricks.

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iv) Stains and Efflorescence
This defect was observed in the bricks have they had a white border like substance on
their surfaces that was attributed to the soluble salts that are present in the brick and now
they are being brought on the surface of the brick (Engineers, 2012, p. 76). The white
substance has resulted in a lot of staining in the bricks which were observed. The figure
below shows some of the stained bricks.
Fig 9: stained bricks
v) Disintegration and weathering
Due to the exposure of the harsh weather conditions, the bricks which were observed had
their surfaces weathered which resulted to the surfaces becoming rough as they have
eroded. The figure below shows some of the weathered bricks (Duncan Marshall, 2013, p.
176).
Fig 10: Disintegrated and weathered bricks.

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Solutions to the defects of bricks
The solution to the defects of bricks include;
 The defects of frost attack can be prevented by implementing good quality materials
and suitable construction detail which prevents the entry of mistier into the bricks.
 The defect of staining can be prevented by regularly brushing and washing the wall to
remove the crystallised salts (Duggal, 2015, p. 67).
 The cracks and checks can be prevented by using the high-quality bricks and mortar
and at the same time to protect the brick walls from moisture and water which
contributes to chemical reactions taking place within the brick and thus resulting to
blockage (Atkinson, 2014, p. 152).
 The defect of weathering in the bricks can be prevented by plastering the brick wall to
prevent exposure of the bricks to the agents of weathering.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Bricks plays an essential role in the fields of construction and civil
engineering. Bricks are usually used as an alternative of stone in the construction
industry. The bricks can be made from clay, soil, lime, concrete or sand materials the
defects of bricks include disintegration and weathering, cracks and checks, Bloating
Among other,

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References
Atkinson, M. F., 2014. Structural Defects Reference Manual for Low-Rise Buildings. 6th ed.
Auckland: CRC Press,
Duggal, S. K., 2015. Building Materials. 3rd ed. Perth: New Age International.
Duncan Marshall, 2013. Understanding Housing Defects. 4th ed. Chicago: Taylor & Francis.
Engineers, N. B. o. C. &., 2012. The Complete Technology Book on Bricks, Cement, and
Asbestos. 4th ed. Texas: Niir Project Consultancy Services.
Gambhir, 2013. Building and Construction Materials. 5th ed. Berlin: McGraw Hill
Education.
Richardson, B., 2016. Defects and Deterioration in Buildings: A Practical Guide to the
Science and Technology of Material Failure. 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
Sowden, M., 2011. The Maintenance of Brick and Stone Masonry Structures. 3rd ed. Paris:
Taylor & Francis.
Stoneham, H., 2015. Defects and Defect Processes in Nonmetallic Solids. 1st ed. Sydney:
Courier Corporation.

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