BASIC CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

GROUP 1
A construction material is any substance
used to assemble a structure. There are
various types of building materials ideal
for projects of any scale in the
construction industry.
 12 BASIC CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

1. Aluminum 7. Glass
2. Brick 8. Paper
3. Ceramics 9. Plastic
4. Concrete 10. Steel
5. Copper 11. Stone
6. Fabric 12. Wood
1. Aluminum
A strong, lightweight, malleable
metal, aluminum is useful for
window frames, moldings, and
exterior wall panels. Salts corrode
aluminum, which has poor chemical
resistance, so avoid using aluminum
piping.
2. Brick
Bricks are rectangular blocks bound
together with mortar. Some common uses
for bricks include walls, fireplaces, and
pavement. Bricks have an extremely high
compressive strength and heat resistance.
They are safe to use in modern buildings
as long as you reinforce it with steel rods.
3. Ceramics
Made from a mixture of minerals and fired
at extremely high temperatures, ceramics
are durable, fire-resistant, and water-
resistant building materials. Common
uses for ceramics include countertops,
bathtubs, sinks, tiles, roofing, fireplaces,
and chimneys.
4. Concrete
Concrete mix is a mix of crushed stone, gravel
and sand bound together with Portland
cement. For load-bearing walls, reinforce
concrete blocks with rebar—vertical steel bars
that provide tensile strength. Concrete is useful
for tile grout, flooring, walls, supports,
foundations, sidewalks, roads, and mass
structures such as dams. It is a major source of
greenhouse gas emissions due to the
calcination process required to produce the
cement.
5. Copper
This low-maintenance metal material is
corrosion-resistant, durable, and
lightweight with high electrical
conductivity. Copper’s unique reddish-
brown color and its ability to mold into
intricate shapes make it a popular
material. Common uses for copper
includes wall cladding, roofs, gutters,
domes, and spires.
6. Fabric
Fabric is a flexible material made of interwoven
fibers. There are numerous varieties of
fabrics—many with weatherproofing and fire-
resistant qualities—but in the construction
world, common fabrics include cotton canvas,
carbon fiber, woven fiberglass, and vinyl-coated
polyester. Use fabric to construct low-cost,
temporary structures like tents or carport
canopies.
7. Glass
Glass is useful as a building product
because of its transparency. Use
glass for windows, walls, skylights,
and facades. There are many types
of glass, including insulated glass,
laminated glass, and obscured
glass.
8. Paper
Building paper is a heavy waterproof
paper that provides weather protection
and thermal insulation, often for roofing
or basement flood protection. Types of
building paper include sheathing paper,
floor lining paper, tar paper, and asphalt
felt paper. Paper is also one of the main
ingredients in drywall.
9. Plastic
Plastics are synthetic materials made using a
variety of polymers. Popular plastics used in
construction include acrylic, polycarbonate,
polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and
composite plastics. Plastic is lightweight, rot-
and corrosion-resistant, inexpensive, and easy
to mold into various shapes and sizes. Common
uses for plastic include light fixtures, windows,
carpeting, piping systems, electrical cable
insulation, sinks, roofing, flooring, and siding.
10. Steel
Steel is a metal alloy made mostly of iron
with a small percentage of carbon. Its
high strength-to-weight ratio makes
structural steel an ideal choice for the
framework of skyscrapers and other
large structures like stadiums and
bridges. Steel is also an ingredient in
construction products such as nails,
screws, bolts, and other fasteners.
11. Stone
A durable, heavy natural building
material with a high compressive
strength, stone is typically prepared by a
stonemason when used as the primary
building material for a structure. Marble
and granite stone are popular choices for
kitchen countertops. Other uses for
stone include floors, walls, and support
structures.
12. Wood
Wood is a hard, natural material and one of the
oldest types of building supplies. Sawmills cut
wood into pieces of dimensional lumber (such
as the classic two-by-four). Engineered wood
involves different types of wood that are
artificially bonded together to form a
composite wood. Common uses for wood
include interiors, exteriors, structural
frameworks, walls, floors, shelving, decking,
roofing, decorative elements, and fencing.