Materials Science World Congress

Structural materials form the base of any construction or engineering project. They are picked up for their load-bearing ability, resistance to deformation, and environmental loads that would make a structure safe and durable in the long run. Performance, longevity, and sustainability in the construction project depend much on the development and selection of the structural material.

Metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites are also the most common structural materials. The best examples of the most utilized structural materials in civil engineering include steel and concrete. Why? Because these two materials allow for superior endurance of compressive and tensile forces. Steel is famous for its strength and flexibility. Reinforced concrete is the union of steel and concrete that takes advantage of both the compressive strength of concrete as well as the tensile strength of steel. Reinforced concrete is particularly adapted for use in columns, beams, and slabs.

Composites are also increasingly being used as structural materials for good strength-to-weight ratios and hardness. These materials made out of two or more constituents-analogous to fiber-reinforced polymers-are widely applied in structures of aerospace, car, and even wind turbines due to their lightweight and high-performance nature.

New discoveries in the field of high-strength alloys and relatively lighter materials such as aluminum and titanium have opened the avenues for structural engineering. When weight reduction is extremely important, for example, aircraft and space travel, more means are found for reducing the weight along with the development of the structural framework. Advanced ceramics and polymeric materials are also now increasingly used in structural applications due to their resistance to extreme conditions.

As the environmental concerns have been on rise, there have also emerged sustainable structural materials in the form of recycled composites and bio-based materials to limit the carbon footprint of the large-scale construction activities. This sustainability trend means that the structural material shall achieve the load-bearing requirement but also contributes toward a more environmentally responsible future.