---
title: "Polymers in building construction"
subject: "Civil Engineering Materials"
chapter: 10
key: "semester_3/civil_engineering_materials:polymer-properties-uses-building"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_3/civil_engineering_materials/polymer-properties-uses-building
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Polymers in building construction

Civil Engineering Materials · Chapter 10: Asphalt, Bitumen, Tar and Miscellaneous Materials

- Asked in: 2059 Poush (old course), 4 marks; 2057 Chaitra (old course), 4 marks (asked 2 times)
- Video: [Polymer Material Selection For Building & Construction Applications I Herwig Juster](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfBt2JD5Vtk) — Herwig Juster
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_3/civil_engineering_materials/polymer-properties-uses-building
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_3/civil_engineering_materials/chapter-10

## Question

Write the properties and uses of polymers in building construction.

## Short answer

Polymers are light, corrosion-resistant, good insulators, and easily moulded, but have low stiffness, poor fire resistance, and UV degradation. In buildings, PVC is used for pipes and window frames, polyethylene for tanks and DPC, polystyrene for insulation, acrylic for glazing, epoxy for coatings, and FRP for panels.

## Answer

Polymers (plastics, rubbers, resins) are very widely used in building.

#### Properties

- Light weight and high strength-to-weight ratio.
- Good resistance to water, chemicals, corrosion and rot.
- Good electrical and thermal insulation.
- Easily moulded and can be made in many shapes and colours.
- Low cost and low maintenance.
- Low stiffness and softening with heat; thermoplastics creep and lose strength at high temperatures.
- Poor fire resistance (they burn and give toxic smoke) and weathering by UV rays unless stabilised.
- Thermal expansion is larger than for metals.

#### Uses in building

| Polymer | Use |
|---|---|
| PVC | Water and sewer pipes, conduits, window frames, flooring, wire insulation |
| Polyethylene (HDPE/LDPE) | Water tanks, DPC sheeting, cable ducts, geo-membranes |
| Polystyrene | Thermal insulation boards |
| Acrylic (PMMA) | Skylights, sign boards, glazing |
| Polyurethane | Foam insulation, sealants, paints |
| Epoxy | Adhesives, floor coatings, repair of concrete |
| Phenolic and melamine | Laminates, switches, doors |
| Fibre-glass reinforced plastic (GRP) | Panels, tanks, roof sheets |
| Synthetic rubber | Gaskets, waterstops, flooring |

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Which is a drawback of polymers?
   A. Corrosion
   B. Poor fire resistance and UV weathering
   C. Heavy weight
   D. Conduction
   Answer: B. They burn, give toxic smoke and weather under UV unless stabilised. (Key point: Fire)

2. Compared with metals, polymer thermal expansion is what?
   A. Smaller
   B. Larger
   C. Zero
   D. Same
   Answer: B. Thermal expansion is larger than metals. (Key point: Thermal behaviour)

3. Polystyrene is used for what?
   A. Pipes
   B. Thermal insulation boards
   C. Skylights
   D. Gaskets
   Answer: B. Polystyrene gives thermal insulation boards. (Key point: Uses of polystyrene)

4. Epoxy is used for what?
   A. Water pipes
   B. Adhesives, floor coatings and concrete repair
   C. Wire insulation
   D. Glazing
   Answer: B. Epoxy is used for adhesives, floor coatings and repair. (Key point: Epoxy)

## Related in Civil Engineering Materials

- [Asphalt properties and uses](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fcivil_engineering_materials%3Aasphalt-properties-uses) — Civil Engineering Materials, chapter 10, asked 4×
- [Types of lime, properties and uses](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fcivil_engineering_materials%3Atypes-of-lime-uses) — Civil Engineering Materials, chapter 4, asked 3×
- [Properties and uses of glass](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fcivil_engineering_materials%3Aproperties-uses-of-glass) — Civil Engineering Materials, chapter 10, asked 3×
- [Properties and uses of lime](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fcivil_engineering_materials%3Aproperties-uses-of-lime) — Civil Engineering Materials, chapter 4, asked 2×
- [Fat lime composition, properties, uses](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fcivil_engineering_materials%3Afat-lime-composition-properties-uses) — Civil Engineering Materials, chapter 4
- [Non-ferrous metals properties and uses](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fcivil_engineering_materials%3Anon-ferrous-metals-properties-uses) — Civil Engineering Materials, chapter 8

## Related in other subjects

- [Flow net: definition, properties, uses](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_4%2Fsoil_mechanics%3Aflow-net-properties-applications) — Soil Mechanics, chapter 7, asked 7×
- [Properties and uses of granite, phyllite, limestone](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Fengineering_geology_i%3Aproperties-and-uses-of-granite) — Engineering Geology I, chapter 4, asked 4×
- [Properties and uses of soft magnetic materials](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_3%2Felectrical_engineering_material%3Asoft-magnetic-properties-uses) — Electrical Engineering Material, chapter 4
- [Building near river bank; stop construction?](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Abuilding-on-river-bank-flood) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 7