Week 2

For this week's tasks we were required to develop textures using Photoshop and apply them to our model in cryengine by exporting them using the crytif Photoshop plugin. Below I experimented with applying specular effects to a concrete texture which I then applied to my model.

Concrete texture without spec map

Concrete texture with spec map

We were then required to research the properties of 3 materials and the process involved in making each material, the life time of each, what conditions will corrode these materials, structural pros and cons and the main use of each of these materials. The 3 materials that I have chosen are concrete, glass and steel.

Concrete

How is concrete made:

Concrete is made by mixing water, cement, stone and sand. The quantity of each of these materials added to the concrete mix is determined by the type of application. A concrete mix needed to serve air crafts will posses different properties to concrete serving cars.

Life span of concrete:

Concrete actually hardens as it ages thus having an outstanding life span of 30 years on average based on the climate and environment conditions that the concrete is serving under.

What conditions will corrode concrete: 

Concrete degradation may have various causes. Concrete can be damaged by fire, aggregate expansion, sea water effects, bacterial corrosion, calcium leaching, physical damage and chemical damage (from carbonation, chlorides, sulphates and distilled water).

Structural pros and cons of concrete:

Concrete can be put under intense pressure and has excellent compression properties but does not preform as well when under tension and this is why concrete is usually reinforced with steel. 

Glass

How is glass made:

Glass is manufactured by melting sand, soda ash, dolomite and limestone together.

Life span of glass:

Glass lasts for decades and there is no exact life span associated with glass hence to why it is a primary material used in construction. However, the form of the object constructed using glass changes its form over many decades.

Structural pros and cons of glass:

Glass is very brittle and has limited structural adequacy in tension or compression unless it is reinforced using sealants or other form of aggregates or is tempered by heat.

Steel

How is steel made:

Steel is iron that has most of the impurities removed.

Life span of steel:

There is no solid answer as to how long the life span of steel is because it is dependant on the environmental conditions that the steel is exposed to and the application that the steel is used in.

What conditions will corrode steel:

Steel rust because it is an alloy of iron and rust is basically an oxide of iron that is formed when iron reacts with oxygen gas in the presence of moisture or water. After a time of exposure to these conditions for some time, steel corrodes.

Structural pros and cons of steel:

Steel is excellent in tension and is the best chosen material when requiring materials to withstand tension but is weak in compression and this is why concrete that has strong compression properties is always combined with steel that has strong tension properties to create reinforced concrete. 

This week's lecture was excellent in providing examples of the common materials used when constructing a building such as steel and concrete and how each of these materials shares independent properties and characteristics that when combined can be capable of supporting a building. This week's lecture also showed a few examples of how each of these material look like once exposed to corrosion or damage over several years.