Construction materials?

What are Building Materials?

• Building material is literally any material that can be used for
construction purposes. It commonly includes wood, concrete,
steel, cement, aggregates, bricks, clay, metal,
Types of Construction Building Materials
1. Natural Materials
• The materials used in construction can be categorized into two general
sources – first is natural and the second one is synthetic. 
• Natural construction materials refer to those that are not or minimally
processed like lumber or glass. On the other hand, synthetic construction
materials are those that are manufactured and go through a lot of human
manipulations. Some examples are plastics and petroleum-based paints.
• Apart from lumber, mud, stone, and fibrous plants are three of the most
used materials in building homes. Builders usually combine these three
together, apart from tents and skin to create houses that can withstand local
weather conditions.
2. Fabric
• Tents were very popular in the olden times for shade and home of
nomads. We often see historical accounts of Native Americans living
in conical or circular turf tents made of fabric. The use of fabric in
construction has been in a long hiatus before it was revived as a part
of the modern construction technique.
3. Mud and clay
• Like we mentioned earlier, mud and clay are natural construction materials
that are still used up to these days. The amount of mud or clay used in
construction creates different styles of buildings so if you want flexibility in
your design, mud and clay should be used.
• The deciding factor on the amount of each material to be used lies in the
quality of soil used. Larger amounts of clay can build adobe style houses.
On the other hand, a lower amount of clay soil can be used in sod building. 
• surprisingly remain habitable even after hundreds of years. For that reason,
some modern sustainable buildings are adapting sod styles.
4. Rock
• The use of rock can be traced back to ancient times. In fact, the entire
Egyptian civilization, specifically the pyramids, was made of rock. It’s
one of the longest-lasting materials available so even if you won’t see
cave-style rock houses these days, rocks are still used as components
or other construction materials. The fact that it is also readily
available makes it less expensive material to procure. 
• But there are many types of rock and each of them differs in
properties. So before using rocks in your building, you have to see to
it that you are getting the good quality rock.
5.Thatch
• Thatch or grass is another ancient building material as it is readily
available and easily harvested. It doesn’t even need any special
collecting and transport instrument. Its biggest advantage, though, is
its good insulation capability.
6. Brush
• Native Americans used to build brush structures for resting and living.
These structures are built entirely from parts of plants like leaves,
twigs, branches, and bark. 
• There are not so many brush houses these days because of durability
issues. But you can imagine one to be similar to a beaver’s lodge.
7. Ice
• You may have heard about ice hotels in the northern region where
the few tourists who are able to go there are extremely fascinated by
it. Well, in the past, ice was really used in making igloos and there
were no other agents for keeping them together. A constant below 0
temperature was the only thing igloos needed for the ice blocks to
stay intact.
8. Wood
• Wood or lumber is still widely used today, most especially in the United
States. Both are products of big trees where the trunk is usually broken
down into portions. Back in the days, wood was used almost
unprocessed as logs and then tied or notched in place. But since
architecture and new construction techniques came to play, wood has
been cut and pressed into timber boards or planks and are now used on
floors, ceilings, and cabinetry. 
• Wood remains to be a generic material and used in making buildings in
about any climates. It’s flexible and can bend while keeping its strength. 
9. Brick and Block
• Bricks are made from kiln-fired material. Typically, clay or shale is used
to make bricks. Some others use mud when the funds are insufficient,
but of course, the quality isn’t that good. 
• Clay bricks are manufactured by molding clay or by extruding it on a
die. They are still widely used these days as Americans learn to
combine wood and bricks, making their houses fire-resistant.
Additionally, clay bricks are cheaper in cost than wood. 
10. Concrete
• Most commercial and industrial structures are now made of concrete.
It’s very popular because of its strength and longevity. It is a
composite material produced usually from aggregate and cement. 
• Portland is the most widely used concrete these days. It uses mineral
aggregates like sand and gravel, portland cement, and water for its
mixture, which is later hydrated and hardened. The end-product? A
stone-like building material. 
11. Metal
• Metal is one of the most important materials in making modern
buildings like skyscrapers. It is also usually used as a wall covering. 
• Different types of metals are employed in construction. Steel, whose
major component is iron, is the most common metal used in
construction because of its longevity, strength, and flexibility.
However, it can be weakened by corrosion. 
12. Glass
• Glass walls or curtain walls are very common in commercial buildings
these days. It can be cheaper to put up than concrete for walling but
it can never beat concrete in terms of durability. Of course, these
modern glasses are processed for thickness and strength and could be
easier to maintain. The aesthetics they bring also make them popular
choices in building hotels and skyscrapers. 
13. Ceramics
• Ceramics are also common building materials in this era. They are
used as tiles for floors, fixtures, counter-tops, walls, and ceilings.
• Ceramics used to be made from clay-pottery firing in kilns. In this
generation, though, as ceramics are used in more and more
applications in construction, they are now made using more technical
processes to improve their strength. 
14. Plastic
• Plastic is generally used in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical as plastic
pipes covering wires and metal pipes. It’s typically made of synthetic
or semi-synthetic organic materials that can be molded or extruded.
Into objects or films or fibers.
• Plastics used as building materials vary in heat tolerance, resilience,
and hardness. This is why plastics find their place in most construction
projects these days, depending on the application they may be
needed for.
15. Foam
• Foamed plastic was generally used as an insulator in construction.
Some homes use it in between wooden or cement walls or on top of
their ceiling to maintain warmth or coolness inside the structure.
16. Cement composites
• Cement composites have found a new use in 3D construction wherein
the previous years they have only been used as binders for wood or
fibers. 
• Cement composites are made of hydrated cement paste. How they
bind wood together can be challenging, though, as wood-cement
compatibility ratio should be identified first to be able to create the
right cement paste mixture. 
Building Materials Required For 1000 Sqft
House Construction
• 1. Reinforcement Steel Required For House Construction
• Reinforcement Steel is the most important structural material in construction.
Steel is used in RCC (Reinforcement cement concrete). Generally rebar’s available
in the market are manufactured through Thermo mechanical treatment (TMT).
Rebar’s comes in different grades (i.e, Fe415, Fe500, etc.,). Fe500 is generally
recommended by structural designer for structural requirement fulfillment.
• The approximate Steel consumption per sq.ft built up area (BUA) is 4 kg per
sqft (for low rise construction i.e., less than 4 floors of construction). Steel
contributes the most among all individual materials, about 25% of total material
cost. So, a price rise of Rs.5 per kg can make big difference in the total cost of
construction.
2. Cement Required For House Construction
• Cement is an important construction material and when mixed with
materials like sand, aggregates (stone chips), and water, it binds them
together. It is used in concrete, in brick masonry work, in tiling, and in
plaster works.
• Good quality cement should feel smooth when rubbed between
fingers. If a small quantity of cement is thrown into a bucket of water it
should sink and not float. Cement should always be kept free from
moisture. Its storage should have finished floor raised to at least
300mm above ground level and should have airtight storage. Use of
cement older than 2 months should be avoided as cement loses
strength with increase in its shelf life.
3. Sand Required For House Construction

• Sand is used mainly in Concrete, Masonry, Plaster and Flooring. Good sand
should be well graded i.e., particle size ranging from 10mm to 0.150 mm for
concrete and masonry works, and 5mm to 0.150 for plaster. It should be free
from slit/clay and organic matter.
• Natural Sand (also called River Sand) is obtained from River Beds. Due to
environmental impacts and stringent laws by the government, Natural sand is
slowly and gradually being replaced by Crushed sand (for concrete and
masonry works) & Plaster sand (for plaster works). Crushed Sand and Plaster
Sand are manufactured from Quarry Stone using latest production technology.
• Sand consumption per sq.ft built up area (bua) is 1.8 cft per sqft and
contributes about 12% of total material cost for building construction.
4. Aggregate Required For House Construction

• Crushed rocks are used as coarse Aggregates and are generally used in

making concrete. Coarse aggregates are normally available in two
fractions 20mm and 10mm for concrete making.
• Aggregates should be clean, dense & hard. The aggregate should be
neither flaky nor elongated. Flaky and Elongated aggregates decrease the
strength of the concrete and demands more cement. Aggregates should
be stored properly and different fractions must not be intermixed. Both
these aggregate fractions should be used invariably.
• Coarse aggregate (chips/gravel) consumption per sq.ft built up area (bua)
is 1.35 cft per sqft. Aggregate as a construction material contributes
about 8% of total material cost
5. Bricks Required For House Construction

• Bricks in old days, were commonly made of clay and were known as
burnt clay bricks. Now a days, bricks are made of other materials such
as fly ash. But clay bricks are still widely used in low rise residential
constructions today. Bricks are used for masonry wall construction.
Other substitute materials to bricks are Concrete solid/hollow blocks,
Autoclaves Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks and Cellular light weight
concrete CLC Blocks.
6. Tiles Required For House Construction
• Ceramic tiles are generally made from red or white clay fired in a kiln.
They are finished with a durable glaze which carries the color and
design. Ceramic tiles are manufactured for both wall and floor, having
varying degrees of wear resistance and water absorption. High
strength and Low water absorption ceramic floor tiles are commonly
known as Vitrified tiles. Tiles prices vary according to their types and
quality.
7. Paint Required For House Construction
• Paints can be broadly classified into water based or solvent based.
They come in thousands of shades and gives multiples finishes like
Matt, satin and glossy finish. Certain Paints also have washables, anti-
algae/fungal, crack bridging properties.
8. Other Fittings Required For House
Construction
• Window, Door, CP Fittings, Sanitary wares, Plumbing and Electrical
fittings when combined contribute to 23% of total material cost
considering budget brands. Top brand options may increase this
category cost to 30 – 35% of the total cost of construction. Fittings
can be selected based on one’s requirements and choice. In branded
fittings quality should not be a concern.