Materials+review

** Interview: **

** Context (Loredana Neves): ** Two architects are trying to sell an idea for a building to a costumer. One of them thinks that working with stone and brick is a better choice of construction materials, and the other one thinks that steel, iron and concrete are even better. They will have to discuss the advantages, disadvantages, characteristics and uses in order to convince the costumer which idea to buy.

** Costumer (Loredana Neves) says: ** Hello everyone! I would like to buy an idea for a building. This building has to have at least 10 floors and it will be a hotel, with a view to the ocean, be comfortable and durable. I would like for you to suggest the best construction material and give an explanation why. You should inform me about advantages, disadvantages, characteristics and uses.

** Architect 1(Alejandra Carrillo): ** I think that for you, the best choice are stone and brick, because of their characteristics I think it fits the project very well. First of all you need to know that stones are pieces of rock made of concentrated minerals. Some kinds of stones are marble, granite, slate, and limestone. They are solid objects, heavy, and vary in color and texture. They normally are very rough and some look like compounded crystals. It has long been recognized as a material of great durability and superior artistic quality, the leading choice for buildings associated with status, power and religion. Some of the advantages and disadvantages you may find about stones are: They can last a very long time, they are adaptable to sculptural treatment, they can be used in their natural state and they resist deformation more than any other bonding material**.** On the other hand, they are difficult to cut and transport due to its weight and its hardness. They also weaken with tension and in certain cases if you push at a certain angle, they may crumble or fall apart. It also isn’t a very economical choice. Also I believe brick is a good choice. Brick is a building material, often made with clay. They are porous, fireproof, have a long life when properly maintained and vary in colors and texture.It is widely used in the 20th Century, often for nonbearing walls in steel frame constructions. Bricks are fire and weather resistant and they are easy to transport, in production and in laying. They can only be used in conjunction with mortar, because they are too small, too light and too irregular to be stabilized by weight.

** Architect 2 (Marianne Scheer): ** Personally, I suggest Iron & steel or concrete for the construction of your building. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;"> In the case of iron, it is a ductile, gray, soft metal and is a moderately good conductor of heat and electricity. It Molds to any shape, and is used to manufacture steel and other alloys important in construction and manufacturing. Steel is also a highly ductile, flexible and easily adaptable constructing material. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">Iron and steel are used widely in the construction of roads, railways, other infrastructure, appliances, and buildings. Most large modern structures, such as stadiums and skyscrapers, bridges, and airports, are supported by a steel skeleton. Even those with a concrete structure will employ steel for reinforcing. Steel is used in a variety of other construction materials, such as bolts, nails, and screws. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;"> Steel has many advantages. It is a heavy and costly material, and also it rusts and loses strength in extremely high temperatures, but it is one of the strongest materials used in construction, strong in compression and tension. It has great elasticity and retention of magnetism. It is one of the stronger materials used in construction. When steel is raised to a red heat and then suddenly cooled, it becomes hard and brittle. This process, which is known as hardening, has no effect upon pure wrought iron. Tempering is a characteristic of steel which distinguishes it from iron. If steel has been hardened by being heated and suddenly cooled, as above described, it may be softened again by applying a lower degree of heat and again cooling. This is known as tempering. Iron, on the contrary, though it is hardened by the first process, cannot be softened by the second. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;"> Iron is the cheapest and most important of all metals. It is important in the sense that iron is overwhelmingly the most commonly used metal, accounting for 95 percent of worldwide metal production. It molds to any shape, and it is strong in compression. It is weaker than steel in tension and it breaks without warning. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">On the other hand, concrete is a also a good choice, it is building material made out of cement and water that is also mixed with sand and stone. It can be cast and molded into different textures and used for decorative concrete applications. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">It has many advantages, it is waterproof, fireproof and since it can be poured into forms while liquid to produce a great variety of structural elements. Also, it is an economical substitute for traditional materials, it fuses with other materials and it has the absence of joints, but it can break with sudden changes in temperature and its weight is also a disadvantage.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">** Costumer (Loredana Neves) says: ** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 115%;">Wow! I have learnt a lot about these materials! But I have come to the conclusion that the best materials for my building are concrete and stone. I think iron is a bad choice because it would rust with the saltpeter. Steel wouldn’t be the right choice either, because it is too expensive for my hotel, and it doesn’t match the context of the building. On the other hand, stone fits in perfectly with the context and it is very durable. Concrete will help also because it is water proof and it can be molded to any shape. Thank you all very much!