In this lecture, the basic concept of plastic as a construction material has been described. Also, different types of plastics (e.g., PVC, RPVC, UPVC, HDPE, GRP, FRP, COLOURED PLASTIC) have discussed. The learner should follow for types of plastic and its uses as construction material.

1. ACTE
U1 L3
Madan Kumar
Lecturer (Civil Engineering)
Government Polytechnic Muzaffarpur

2. TYPES OF PLASTICS
 Discuss four types of plastics used in construction
with their uses.
 There are many types of plastic but some of them
like
 PVC,
 RPVC,
 HDPE,
 GRP and FRP,
 coloured plastic sheets are mostly used as a construction
material.

3. PVC
 PVC :PVC means "Poly Vinyl Chloride"
 It is the plastic known at the hardware shop as PVC.
 Structurally, PVC is a vinyl polymer.
 It is similar to polyethylene
 Every other carbon in the backbone chain, one of the
hydrogen atoms is replaced with a chlorine atom.
 It is produced by the free radical polymerisation of vinyl
chloride.

4.  Globally, over 50% of PVC is manufactured
products are used in construction.
 As a building material, PVC is cheap and easy to
assemble.
 In recent years, PVC has been replacing traditional
building material such as wood, concrete and clay
in many areas.
 various products used in plumbing and sanitary
systems.

5. PROPERTIES OF PVC
 It is resistant to fire.
 It is resistant to water.
 It has flame resistance, because it contains chlorine.
 It is resistant to corrosion.
 It has light weight.
 It has excellent insulating property.

6. USES OF PVC
There are many uses of PVC. Some of them are summarized below:
 It is used to make raincoats, shower curtains and water pipes.
 Since it has a good resistance to water.
 It is used as
 vinyl siding,
 magnetic strip cards,
 window profiles,
 gramophone records, (DISC: A gramophone record is a flat disk that is usually made
of plastic.)
 pipe,
 plumbing and
 conduit fixtures.
 used in plastic pressure pipe systems for pipelines of the water
 Also used in sewer industries because of its inexpensive nature and flexibility.
 It can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers.
 used in clothing and tubing, flooring, to roofing membranes and electric cable
insulation.
vinyl siding magnetic strip cards
conduit fixture

7. RPVC (RIGID POLYVINYL CHLORIDE)
 Also termed as UPVC i.e Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride.
 used in the building industry as low maintenance material
particularly in the UK and in the USA.
 Due to environmental concerns, the use of PVC is restricted by
some local authorities. (Generally UK & USA).
 Because PVC contains plasticizers, which creates the problem to
the environmental point of view.
 But UPVC does not contain plasticizers and good towards the
environmental aspect.

8. PROPERTIES OF RPVC OR UPVC
 It is more rigid and
 having very good tensile strength.
 It is more durable, strong and hard.
 It has high resistance to chemical action and corrosion.
 It has great stability.
Applications of UPVC or RPVC
 used in the building industry as a low maintenance material.
 used as a substitute for painted wood.
 many other uses including fascia and sliding or weather boarding.
 used for plumbing and drainage which consists of waste pipes, drain pipes,
gutters and down pipes.
 replaced the use of cast-iron for plumbing and drainage.

9. HDPE (HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE)
 The high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polyethylene high
density (PEHD) is a polyethylene thermoplastic.
 It is prepared from ethylene by a catalytic process.
 HDPE takes 1.75 kg of petroleum in the terms of energy and raw
material, so as to make 1 kg of high- density polyethylene.

10. PROPERTIES OF HDPE
 high tensile strength.
 It has good impact resistance.
 It is light weight
 very low moisture absorption.
 It has good chemical resistance and high rigidity.
 HDPE is harder and more opaque.
 It can withstand temperature upto 120°C or 248°F for
short periods and 110°C continuously.
 It is resistant to many different solvents.
 It is corrosion resistant.
 Also chemical resistant.

11. APPLICATIONS OF HDPE :
 HDPE motors are preferred to steel or PVC tubes
because they are more durable and safer as compared to
steel or PVC.
 It is used for pipe fittings, wear plates, hinges and cutting
boards.
 HDPE is resistant to many different solvents.
 It gives the corrosion protection for steel pipelines.
 It is used for making water pipes for domestic water
supply.
 It is used in piping system since it is resistant to chemical
actions.
 HDPE is used for cell liners in subtitle sanitary land fills,
for preventing of pollution of soil and ground water by the
liquid constituents of solid waste.

12.  HDPE is used for natural gas distribution pipe systems
and geothermal heat transfer piping systems.
 It is also used for making folding chairs and tables.
 It has also many applications in various engineering fields
 Other uses of HDPE include pipe fittings, wear plates,
hinges and cutting boards
 HDPE is readily available in many forms such as sheet,
rod and tubing fabrication.

13. GRP
 It is Glass-Reinforced Plastic and popular with a name of 'GRP.
 GRP was developed in the UK during the second world war as
a replacement for the molded plywood used in aircraft
randomes (A radome is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that
protects a radar antenna.).
 GRP is a composite material or fiber-reinforced plastic made of
a plastic reinforced by fine glass fibres.
 Chemosetting plastics like polyester, vinylester or epoxy are
normally used for GRP production.
 The plastic resins are strong in compressive loading and
relatively weak in tensile strength, whereas the glass fibres are
very strong in tension but weak in compression.
 By combining these two materials i.e. plastic resins and glass
fibres, it becomes GRP material which resist both compressive
and tensile forces.
 Hence GRP material can be used for the structural member
subjected to tension and compression

14. USES OF GRP
 GRP pipe systems can be used for a variety of
applications, underground as well as above the ground
(1) Drinking water systems
(ii) Cooling water systems
(iii) Waste water systems
(iv) Sewage systems
(v) Gas systems
(vi) Fire water systems.
 A wide variety of storage tanks are made of GRP with
capacities upto about 300 tonnes.
 GRP are also used in the house building market for the
production of roofing laminate, door surrounds, over-door
canopies, window canopies and dormers, chimneys,
coping systems, heads with keystones etc.

15.  The use of GRP provides a much faster installation and
because of less height, manual handling issues are
reduced
 GRP brick panels can be used in the construction of
composite housing
 These panels can be constructed with the appropriate
insulation which reduces heat loss
 GRP uses also include hot tubs, pipes for drinking water
and sewers, office plant display containers and flat roof
systems.
 GRP is also used in the telecommunications industry for
shrouding the visual appearance of antennas
 Other use include sheet form made electrical insulators
and
 other structural components commonly found in the
power industries.

16. FRP
 It is fibre glass reinforced plastic and
 it is termed as FRP in short.
 It consists of two different material which form a
composite material having altogether different properties.
 Many a times, it is referred as the glass fibre reinforced
plastic i.e. GRP
 In case of FRP, the resin provides a matrix so as to
transfer load to the fibres whereas the glass fibres provide
stiffness and tensile strength
 The combination of additives, resins and glass fibres
makes the FRP in number of forms having various
applications in the construction field or other field.

17. PROPERTIES OF FRP
 It has a good dimensional stability such that it holds its
overall form and shape even under severe mechanical
and environmental stresses all around.
 It has corrosion resistant material.
 It has excellent resistance to moisture and chemicals over
a large temperature range.
 It is durable and has a long working life.
 It is light weight material and require the less
maintenance as it is unaffected by changing weather
conditions.
 It requires very less energy for its production.

18.  It does not give any bad effect on health because fibre
glass is itself inorganic in nature and therefore it is one of
the safest materials and its products can be used to store
anything.
 For example, FRP containers are being used to store
milk.
 It is easy to repair.
 The damaged part or portion of FRP can be repaired very
easily and quickly and after repairing it has the same
strength as that of the parent body.

19. APPLICATIONS OF FRP :
 The FRP can be used in industrial, commercial and public building.
 It is widely used for making domes which creates eye catching aesthetics.
 It is used for making roof sheets.
 It eliminates the need for electric lighting inside the shed of industry during day
time and save the electricity.
 It is used to make the doors and window frames. The use of FRP door is more
common in bathroom and toilets because rusting, rotting and swelling can be
eliminated.
 Light weight flush door and panelled door can be used to the portion subjected to
water and moisture.
 FRP sheets are used for partitions of industrial and commercial buildings.
 FRP can be used for wall panelling and ceilings which are more attractive long
lasting and trouble free as well.
 It is used for concrete shuttering as it gives the excellent casting of concrete.
 The moulds and various form of FRP give the cast concrete shape of very high
quality.
 It is used for making the water storage tanks.
 FRP chairs, tables, benches can mostly be used in auditoriums, restaurants,
garden, waiting rooms, hotels, theatres etc.

20. COLOURED PLASTIC SHEETS
 Coloured thin plastic sheets has many advantages in
various fields, especially in rainy seasons.
 These plastic sheets are used to cover the cast in situ
portion of concrete work at the time of rain
 Coloured plastic sheets are used to make raincoats
 The products of FRP are:
 Concrete shuttering.
 Doors and window frames (example, syntex frames)
 Water storage tanks (example tanks available market in a trade name
of syntex tank).
 Internal partitions and wall paneling.
 Temporary shelters.
 Domes
 Roof sheets

21. USES OF PLASTICS AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL
 There are number of different types of plastics available in
the market and its performance is excellent rather than
rubber or steel.
 The typical uses of plastics in building are grouped as
under
 Decorative laminates and mouldings
 Electrical conduits
 Paints and varnishes
 Foams for thermal insulation
 Electrical conduits
 Films for water proofing, damp-proofing
 Jointless flooring
 Water-resistance adhesives
 Lighting fixtures

22.  Cistern ball floats and corrugated and plain sheets:
 Plastic pipes in water pipeline, server nets, ventilation
system, drainage system
 Floor tiles
 Roof lights
 Safety glass
 Bath and sink units