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Tertiary & Vocational Education Commission
Diploma in Quantity Surveying (NVQ Level V)
Semester End Examination (Semester 11)
Material Technology
Duration – 3 Hours
Candidates are required to answer any 05 questions.
Question No 01
1. Name the main chemical compounds present in Ordinary Portland cement, stating the
main properties they impart to cement. (06 Marks)
2. Outline the specialties of the following types of concrete & their uses in the construction
a) Reinforced concrete
b) Pre-cast concrete
c) Air entrained concrete
d) Heavy weight concrete (08 Marks)
3. State six important advantages gained through the use of concrete as the main
construction material as compared with other main construction materials. (06 Marks)
Question No 02
1. Enumerate 04 purposes expected from painting the surfaces of buildings. (04 Marks)
2. Specify the component parts of a painting system & the purposes expected of each
(06 Marks)
3. Discuss briefly the specialties of the following paint types
a) Distemper
b) Varnish
c) Emulsion paint (06 Marks)
4. Outline the procedural steps followed in painting an old steel roof truss, reasoning out the
purposes expected from each step & the supplementary materials used at each stage
(04 Marks)
Question No 03
1. Discuss the influence of the moisture content of timber on the general & structural
properties & the means employed to avoid or minimize the problem (06 Marks)
2. Enumerate six important factors considered for the selection of timber by visual grading,
in addition to the strength factor. (06 Marks)
3. Wood preservation is an exceptional treatment needed for timber items. Explain the
purposes expected by this process & state the essential properties needed in a
preservative material. (08 Marks)
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Question No 04
1. Discuss the term workability of a concrete mix, stating how it affects the quality
characteristics of the concrete. Name two methods, employed to assess the workability of
a concrete (05 Marks)
2. Explain briefly the occurrence of segregation in concrete, stating four factors or
situations which contribute to segregation, during the production process. (05 Marks)
3. Efflorescence is one familiar defect encountered on brick wall or concrete surfaces.
Explain the nature of this failure, with the probable causes & corrective measures
employed. (05 Marks)
4. ‘Blistering&peeling’,‘Cracking & scaling’&‘Alligatering’ are three main defects
discovered in painted surfaces. Explain the nature of these defects with the underlying
causes & the suitable measures to prevent such (05 Marks)
Question No 05
1. Briefly explain the importance of building maintenance (04 Marks)
2. Describe 02 types of maintenance used in construction industry (04 Marks)
3. State 03 common standards used for the construction material testing in Sri Lanka
(03 Marks)
4. What do you mean by ‘Green building concept’ (05 Marks)
5. State 04 eco-friendly sustainable building materials (04 Marks)
Question No 06
Write short notes on any 05 of the following (4 x 5 = 20 marks)
1. High performance materials
2. Properties of materials
3. Types of manufacturer warranties
4. Dry rot & wet rot
5. Retarding admixtures
6. Types of thermal insulating materials
7. Scrap value
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