BUILDING MATERIAL SCIENCE REVISION

QUESTIONS LEVEL 6
1. What is the purpose of a working drawing?
a) To convert a design into construction information and communicate to different players in
construction.
b) Present to the client for presentation works
2. Which material among the following is preferred as a load-bearing?
a) Fired bricks
b) Glass
c) Manually cut stones
3. Cement is mixed with gravel and sand aggregates to form?
a) Concrete
b) Tiles
c) Blocks
4. What is the role of an architect in relation to identification of materials?
a) Provide a Bill of Quantities
b) Generate construction drawings which will be used by the contractor
5. Which of the following is not a virtual building material?
a) Images
b) Text
c) Wood
6. Is finishing drawing also a type of working drawing?
a) Yes
b) No
7. Which of the following is not a roofing material
a) Clay tiles
b) Aluminium sheets
c) Cement
8. Describe the difference between presentation drawings and working drawings?
9. Justify the roles of a quantity surveyor in relation to Material identification.
10. Using relevant examples, construct five types of working drawings
11. Steel is a preferred metal in construction. Justify.
12. Mention and explain 5 popular building materials in modern industry
Oral Assessment
1. Summarize the properties of building stone as a Building material.
2. Mr Waweru wants to construct a two bed room house. As an architecture, you have been contracted
to oversee the project and advice. Prepare a list of the materials he is likely to use and justify the
reasons.
Practical Assessment
Generate a complete Bill of Quantities from the information provided by the lecturer
Use the standard method of measurement (SMM) as a reference document

Written Assessment
1. Which of the followings, not a construction material property?
a) Surface texture
b) Density
c) Corrosion
d) Hardness
2. Which of the following properties is necessary when choosing a waterproof material?
a) Density
b) Surface texture
c) Fatigue
d) Hardness
3. Which of the below is not a physical construction material property.
a) Thermal conductivity
b) Wear and tear
c) Strength
d) Corrosion resistance
4. When a material undergoes permanent deformation, we say it has undergone? I.e. (over
a long period of time gradually)
a) Stress
b) Creep
c) Strain
d) Stretch
5. Who is in charge of calculating the strength of building materials?
a) Construction manager
b) Structural engineer
c) Client
d) Architect
6. Why is calculating of forces necessary?
a) To avoid fatigue
b) To cut on cost
c) To enhance the construction rate
d) To produce quality.
7. What does porosity affect?
a) Permeability
b) Toughness
c) Fatigue
d) Hardness
8. Analyse permeability in reference to selection of Building materials.
9. Name two factors that affect the strength of building materials.
10. Summarise chemical properties that affect strength of materials during construction.
11. The mechanical properties of materials affect the strength of the material. As an architect, justify.
12. Evaluate ways in which the toughness of a material affects its handling and storage?
Oral assessment
1. John has been advised to buy bricks to build a 5-storey building. Compose a report outlining the
advantages and physical properties of Brick.
2. State two mechanical properties of materials.
Practical Assessment
With reference to this learning outcome, carry out a project within a period of a weeks.
Collect 5 samples of building materials and produce a properties document for presentation.

Written Assessment
1. Which process stage is not in the manufacturing of concrete?
a) Compacting
b) Burning
c) Batching
d) Curing
2. How many degrees are needed in burning during the manufacturing of bricks?
a) 11000
b) 15000
c) 6500
d) 9000
3. Which is the supplementary material information of cement?
a) Water
b) Clay
c) Limestone
d) Fly ash
4. Which batching ratio is not according to standard code?
a) M10
b) M25
c) M40
d) M30
5. What is the purpose of compacting in concrete manufacturing?
a) To remove impurities for the concrete
b) To strength the concrete
c) To make the concrete durable
d) To remove entrapped air from the concrete
6. Which one is not a stage in preparation of clay?
a) Digging
b) Moulding
c) Weathering
d) Blending
7. What determines the type of moulding will be done?
a) The scale of the project
b) The number of raw materials
c) Time of the year
d) The workmanship of the workers
8. Demonstrate batching of different types of materials.
9. Briefly discuss the main stages in concrete manufacturing.
Oral Assessment
1. Demonstrate the process of manufacturing of bricks?
2. Identify the raw materials used in cement, concrete and brick respectively?
3. Outline the procedure for preparing concrete
Practical Assessment
In groups of five with the aid of teacher bake ten bricks in the school workshop
Written Assessment
1. Who of the following is in charge of ensuring variations are in the contract?
a) Contractor
b) Architect
c) Clients
d) Structural engineer
2. Why should cost implications be derived?
a) To produce sustainable materials
b) To derive solutions to construction
c) To supply goods efficiency
d) To efficiently connect pre-fabricated materials.
3. Which of the below is not a factor that promotes material and process selection?
a) Size of materials
b) Process of materials
c) Weight of materials
d) Number of materials
4. Identify the type of cost implication from the following?
a) Cost implication variable
b) Material cost implication
c) Direct cost implication
d) Serviceability cost implication
5. How can a building strategy affect the annual budget?
a) Following the contract variable
b) Addition of construction material
c) Reduction of time for a project
d) Employing additional casual labourers
6. Which activity is material selection in design associated with?
a) Technical design
b) Manufacturing
c) The efficiency of the product
d) Processing.
7. What factor describes the quality of the product?
a) Availability
b) Location of production
c) Freedom from defects
d) Ease of use
8. Justify the quality of construction materials used in building wood houses.
9. Evaluate freedom from defects?
10. Summarize the process of determining the quality of workmanship?
11. Briefly describe the process planning?
12. Justify material experience?
Oral Assessment
1. Propose the strategy will you use to ensure efficient cost analysis.
2. Evaluate material selection in reference to Construction.
Written Assessment
1. What do you understand by the word construction material?
a) An instrument used in construction.
b) The powder used as an adhesive in building
c) Any manufactured product component or equipment that is used in the construction process.
2. Which of the following is construction equipment?
a) Spade
b) Excavator
c) Spoon
3. The tool used to drive a nail in a piece of wood is called?
a) Hummer
b) Cement
c) Sand
4. Which material is most appropriate for the making of foundation?
a) Concrete
b) Reinforced concrete
c) Sand
5. Justify the advantages of reinforced concrete over ballast.
6. Analyse the properties of bricks that make it an appropriate construction material.
7. As an architect, evaluate the advantages of State one advantage of construction equipment.
8. State one disadvantage of construction equipment.
9. Explain the construction process.
Oral Assessment
1. Define construction material
2. Outline construction materials are seen in any construction site you have visited
Practical Assessment
With the help of trained personnel use the following materials to come up with a foundation slab of
measurements 1m×1m×0.5m
a) Cement
b) Ballast
c) Sand
d) Water
e) Steel reinforcement
Written Assessment
1. The resistance of the soil with depth is measured by a tool called?
a) Seismometer
b) Ammeter
c) Potentiometer
d) Penetrometer
2. What is the average depth of a test pit?
a) 10 M
b) 2 M
c) 1.5 M
d) 15 M
3. Shocks that travel within the soil are measured by an instrument called?
a) Microphone
b) Geophone
c) Receiver
d) Sensors
4. Which of the following has more fire-resisting characteristics?
a) Granite
b) Compact sandstone
c) Marble
d) Limestone
5. Due to the effects of dry rot, the timber?
a) Cracks
b) Shrinks
c) Reduces to powder
d) None of these
6. For testing the compressive and tensile strength of cement, the cement mortar is made up by mixing
and standard sand in properties of:
a) 1: 2
b) 1: 3
c) 1: 4
d) 1: 6
7. Clay and silt content in good brick earth must be at least?
a) 50%
b) 40%
c) 30%
d) 25%
8. Evaluate the uses of a retarder in concrete?
9. Iron ore has different levels of purity, Summaries.
10. Justify the use of Stretcher bonds in masonry.
11. Summarise the different types of rocks.
12. Distinguish the different effects of excess alumna on bricks.
Oral Assessment
1. Which material is used in binding mortar?
2. What is the content of carbon in wrought iron?
Practical Assessment
Carry out stratified random sampling to be used to sample timber
Written Assessment
1. Material handling consists of movement of material from
a) One machine to another.
b) One shop to another shop
c) Stores to shop
d) All of the above
2. Principle of “unit load” states that
a) Materials should be moved in lots
b) One unit should be moved at a time.
c) Both a and b
d) None of the above.
3. The economy in material handling can be achieved by
a) Employing gravity food movements
b) Minimizing the distance of travel
c) By carrying material to destination without using manual labour
d) All of the above.
4. The forklift truck is used for
a) Lifting and lowering
b) Vertical transportation
c) Both A and B
d) None of the above
5. Cranes are used for
a) Lifting and lowering
b) Vertical transportation
c) Both a and b
d) None of the above
6. Wheelbarrows are used for
a) Lifting and lowering
b) Vertical transportation
c) Both A and B
d) None of the above.
7. Which one of the following is not a construction material?
a) Concrete
b) Ceramics
c) Wood.
d) Bill of quantities
8. Mention three types of building materials in construction
9. What is the difference between safety requirements and material handling and storage?
10. Classify different safety measure to be observed while handling lumber as a building material.
11. Analyse safety requirements.
12. Develop a check list on the properties to consider while identifying materials.
Practical Assessment
Visit a potential construction site. Observe how the construction materials are being handled safely on
site. Mix cement and sand aggregates using the concrete mixer in a clean and safe manner; using
appropriate ratios of 1: 2