Building materials are materials that are used in the construction of buildings, houses and other

structures. This includes traditional materials such as wood and newer materials that are designed to
meet a variety of modern construction requirements. The following are common types of building
material.

Wood

A hard natural material that has been used for interiors and exteriors for thousands of years. Wood is a
sustainable material when responsibly sourced as it is a carbon-neutral renewable resource.

Example Uses Exteriors, interiors, flooring, roofs, decorative elements, load bearing structures,
landscaping and fencing.

Properties Resists compression, reasonably high tensile strength, pliable, workable and visually
appealing. The properties of wood differ greatly depending on the type.

Notes Woods are broadly classified into softwoods and hardwoods based on tree species. This is
somewhat misleading as hardwoods aren't necessarily harder than softwoods.

Engineered Wood

A broad range of manufacturer products that use wood as a material. Some of these products are simply
designed to be cheaper alternatives to natural woods. Others are designed to have superior strength to
wood or have other desirable properties such as improved rot resistance. Engineered wood can be
designed to be a more sustainable replacement for wood varieties that are often sourced from
unsustainable sources that result in the destruction of ecosystems.

Example Uses Exteriors, interiors, flooring, roofs, decorative elements, load bearing structures,
landscaping and fencing.

Properties A broad category of hundreds of products with different properties. Many are designed
to be cheaper, stronger or more durable than natural wood.

Notes Engineered wood can be both far cheaper and far more expensive than natural wood. For
example, products produced with attractive wood veneer may be viewed as superior in quality to
natural wood.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a family of plants that is perceived as wood but is technically a grass. Bamboo is viewed as a
sustainable material due to its high rate of growth with some species growing up to 1.5 inches an hour.

Example Uses In some cultures, natural bamboo is used for scaffolding and as load bearing elements of
small structures. Premium engineered bamboo is viewed as comparable to high quality hardwoods and
is used for flooring and cabinetry.

Properties Generally speaking, bamboo has higher compressive strength and tensile strength than
wood and is lighter.
Notes Bamboo naturally exists as relatively thin poles and is commonly engineered into boards. There
are over 1000 species of bamboo.

Concrete

Concrete is a composite material that contains aggregates such as sand, gravel and crushed stone with a
binder such as Portland cement. Chemical admixtures are often added to change the properties of the
concrete or to speed up or slow down hardening.

Example Uses Foundations, load bearing structures and sidewalks.

Properties Concrete is heavy and has high compressive strength but remarkably low tensile
strength. For this reason, it is often reinforced with a material with high tensile strength such as steel
bars known as rebar.

Notes Concrete is by far the most widely used construction material by weight. It is generally perceived
as unattractive and stark as it is associated with utilitarian infrastructure such as highway overpasses
and dams. Cement production produces significant greenhouse gas emissions.

Brick

Bricks are any rectangular units designed to be set in mortar. These are historically made of clay but
modern bricks come in hundreds of varieties made from materials such as soil, sand, clay, lime, calcium-
silicate, concrete and ceramics.

Example Uses Walls, pavement and fireplaces.

Properties Many bricks have high compressive strength with extreme durability and heat resistance
that can be compared to stone. Bricks can be brittle and may break when dropped. In areas prone to
earthquakes brick walls need to be properly reinforced according to local standards.

Notes Bricks have two main types: fired and unfired bricks.

Glass

A durable but brittle material that is valued for its optical properties such as its ability to refract, reflect
and transmit light. Glass is often designed to be transparent or translucent. Most glass contains silicon
dioxide and is manufactured in thousands of varieties. A strong type of frameless glass known as
structural glass can be used in load bearing structures.

Example Uses Windows, facades, walls, roofs and floors.

Properties Valued for its optical properties, particular its transparency. Glass is durable but brittle
and is prone to fracture. Treatments such as laminates can make glass less brittle.

Notes Glass comes in many varieties that include materials such as fiberglass, glass-ceramics and fiber
optics.

Ceramics

Ceramics are a broad category of hard inorganic material manufactured using minerals. Most
tranditional ceramics are non-metallic. However, some materials made from combinations of metals and
minerals are considered ceramics. Traditional ceramics include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain.
Modern ceramics include silicon nitride, silicon carbide and titanium carbide.

Example Uses Bricks, fireplaces, chimneys, mortar, decorative features, countertops, sinks, tubs,
bathrooms and kitchen tiles.

Properties Ceramics are often hard, durable, water, heat and fire resistant. Modern engineered
ceramics such as titanium carbide and tungsten carbide are amongst the strongest known materials.

Notes Production of ceramics often requires high temperatures. As such, ceramics can be energy
intensive and expensive. However, they are often extremely durable.

Steel

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is also common to add other metals to steel to improve its
properties. For example, stainless steel includes chromium and nickel to improve the corrosion
resistance of the metal. Steel began to replace cast iron as the structural metal of choice for large
structures at the end of the 19th century. Steel is also used in a large number of construction materials,
parts and components.

Example Uses Structural steel, reinforcing bars, decorative elements, sheet metal, wires, pipes, bolts,
nails and screws.

Properties The properties of steel differ based on its carbon content, metal content and
manufacturing processes. Generally speaking, it has high compressive and tensile strength. Steel is
durable, highly recyclable and has good thermal conductivity. Stainless steel resists corrosion.

Notes Steel is not combustible but can lose strength in a fire. As such, most structural steel must be
fireproofed.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon fibers are a relatively new material that have interesting material properties for construction
including high tensile strength, chemical resistance and low thermal expansion. These are often used in
composite materials such as fiber-reinforced concrete and carbon fiber reinforced plastic where fiber is
used for its superior tensile strength.

Example Uses Used to improve the strength of concrete, wood, plastics and masonry.

Properties Carbon fiber has a far higher tensile strength than most known materials. For example,
its tensile strength is more than 5x that of steel. Other carbon-based materials are even stronger. For
example, graphene has a tensile strength of around 18,854,905 Psi compared to steel at approximately
77,015 Psi.

Notes Carbon nanotubes and graphene are far stronger than carbon fiber and are likely to become
important construction materials in the future.

Copper

Copper has been used in architecture since at least the 3rd century BC. It is valued for its superior
qualities in areas such as thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance. Copper is also viewed as a
visually attractive metal with a lustrous reddish-gold color and a bright green patina that forms with
exposure to the elements.

Example Uses Roofs, gutters, pipes, wall cladding, building expansion joints, wires, radio frequency
shielding and lightning protection.

Properties Durable, corrosion resistant, low thermal expansion, low maintenance, antimicrobial
and highly recyclable.

Notes Copper surfaces form a characteristic green patina coating with time that provides corrosion
resistance. In the absence of harsh conditions such as pollution and salt, copper corrodes at a rate of
less than 0.4 mm in 200 years.

Aluminum

A lightweight and durable metal that has a large number of specialty uses.

Example Uses Exterior panels, facades and window frames.

Properties Light, ductile, malleable, corrosion resistant, nonmagnetic, thermal conductor, electrical
conductor.

Notes Aluminum is corrosion resistant due to the formation of a layer of aluminum oxide when
exposed to air. Aluminum is highly reactive and is not resistant to a wide variety of chemical exposures
such as salt. This is the reason it is not typically used in plumbing.

Plastic

Plastic is a category of synthetic material derived from petrochemicals or renewable biomass sources. It
is an inexpensive material that is formulated and shaped into a very large number of construction
products.

Example Uses Pipes, flooring, roofing, siding, windows, doors and interior panels.

Properties Cheap and available in significant variety. Plastics are often lightweight, durable,
flammable and sensitive to temperature. They can be reasonably strong for most applications but aren't
typically used for load bearing structures. Often used as a coating or covering for other materials.

Notes People may have negative perceptions of plastic including the idea that plastic materials are
"fake."

Foam

Foams are materials that include trapped pockets of liquid or gas. These are often sold as panels, blocks
or sprays.

Example Uses Insulation, sound dampening and fire retardant treatments and barriers.

Properties Foam is a broad category of material that is often lightweight.

Plaster

Plaster is a material that is applied as a decorative or protective coating of interior walls and ceilings. A
similar material applied to exteriors is known as render or stucco. Plasters are based on gypsum, lime,
cement or clay and are applied as a paste that hardens.

Example Uses Interior walls, exterior walls, ceilings and fireproofing.

Properties Easily worked, moulded and finished. Plasters are not strong and are easily damaged.
However, they also tend to be easy to repair. Some plasters have fireproofing properties and a thick
plaster formulated for this purpose can resist fire for up to an hour.

Notes Plaster-like materials are often used in sculpture and art.

Stone

The craft of using stone in construction is known as stonemasonry. This is an ancient type of
construction that is difficult and expensive as compared to modern materials. Stone such as limestone,
slate and sandstone are commonly used to repair and restore historical buildings. Visually appealing
stones such as granite and marble are used to add luxury features to building interiors and exteriors.

Example Uses Repair of historical buildings, facades, interior walls, floors, bathrooms and countertops.

Properties Heavy, durable, hard, high compressive strength, difficult to work and visually appealing.

Notes Stonemasonry is amongst the most difficult of the trades that was traditionally a 7 year
apprenticeship. Modern apprenticeships are often 3 years.

Dimension Stone

Dimension stone is natural stone that has been shaped and finished into convenient forms such as slabs,
tiles and countertops. This includes products made with a stone veneer fixed to other materials such as
wood.

Example Uses Exteriors, flooring, bathrooms and countertops.

Properties Dimension stone may be constructed to be lighter than stone with the same appearance
using a veneer. They often have a finish that brings out the color of the stone or give the stone desirable
properties such as a smooth touch.

Notes Dimension stone is valuable, durable and often recycled. As such, there is interest in using it as a
sustainable building material.

Fabric

Fabric is a flexible material consisting of a interwoven pattern of natural or artificial fibers. These are
commonly used to meet requirements in areas such as structural strength, fire resistance and weather
proofing. Examples of fabrics used in construction include cotton canvas, woven fiberglass, carbon fiber
fabric and various plastic-based fabrics.

Example Uses Fire resistance, weather proofing, corrosion resistance, decorative elements and
improvements in structural strength.

Properties Fabrics are flexible materials that may be engineered to be low cost, strong, fire or
weather resistant.

Notes Fabrics are commonly used to construct temporary and low cost structures whereby a fabric
exterior is mounted to a frame. For example, a tent.

Paper

Paper is used in common building materials such as drywall. Paper can also be used as a unique or
traditional architectural feature such as Japanese fusuma and shoji.

Example Uses Wallpaper, tar paper and shoji.

Properties Lightweight and delicate.

Notes It is increasingly common for modern Japanese shoji to be made with plastic that resembles
paper.

Minerals

Minerals such as sand, clay and gypsum are used in construction due to their low cost and properties
such as fire resistance or compressive strength. For example, drywall made with gypsum and paper that
is used for interior walls and ceilings.

Example Uses Drywall, bricks and aggregate for cement and mortar.

Properties Minerals may be relatively inexpensive and have desirable properties such as fire
resistance or high compressive strength.

Notes Minerals are also used in the production of glass and ceramic materials such as tiles.

Fibers

Natural fibers such as straw and artificial fibers such as fiberglass.

Example Uses Glass fiber reinforced concrete, Japanese tatami mats and fiberboard.

Properties Generally speaking, natural fibers such as rice straw are soft and artificial fibers such as
carbon fibre are strong. Fibers such as the wood fiber in fiberboard are low cost.

Notes Tatami mats are a traditional type of Japanese flooring made with rice straw and soft rush straw.