English for Civil

Engineering

Building Materials

JUVRIANTO CJ, S.PD.,

M.PD.
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.

Without knowing and understanding about building materials, we cannot

build a good building.

Remember, “Best building comes from best building

materials”
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 Exteriors, interiors, flooring, roofs, decorative

Uses 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.
CONCRETE
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.
Foundations, load bearing structures and
Example Uses
sidewalks.
Concrete is heavy and has high compressive
strength but remarkably low tensile strength. For
Properties this reason, it is often reinforced with a material
with high tensile strength such as steel bars
known as rebar.
Concrete is by far the most widely used
construction material by weight. It is generally
perceived as unattractive and stark as it is
Notes associated with utilitarian infrastructure such as
highway overpasses and dams. Cement
production produces significant greenhouse gas
emissions.
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.

Valued for its optical properties, particular its

transparency. Glass is durable but brittle and is
Properties
prone to fracture. Treatments such as laminates
can make glass less brittle.

Glass comes in many varieties that include

Notes 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.

Bricks, fireplaces, chimneys, mortar, decorative

Example Uses features, countertops, sinks, tubs, bathrooms and
kitchen tiles.
Ceramics are often hard, durable, water, heat and
fire resistant. Modern engineered ceramics such
Properties
as titanium carbide and tungsten carbide are
amongst the strongest known materials.
Production of ceramics often requires high
temperatures. As such, ceramics can be energy
Notes
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.
Structural steel, reinforcing bars, decorative
Example
elements, sheet metal, wires, pipes, bolts, nails
Uses
and screws.
The properties of steel differ based on its carbon
content, metal content and manufacturing
processes. Generally speaking, it has high
Properties
compressive and tensile strength. Steel is
durable, highly recyclable and has good thermal
conductivity. Stainless steel resists corrosion.
Steel is not combustible but can lose strength in a
Notes 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 Used to improve the strength of concrete, wood,

Uses plastics and masonry.
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
Properties 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.
Carbon nanotubes and graphene are far stronger
Notes 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.

Roofs, gutters, pipes, wall cladding, building

Example
expansion joints, wires, radio frequency
Uses
shielding and lightning protection.
Durable, corrosion resistant, low thermal
Properties expansion, low maintenance, antimicrobial
and highly recyclable.
Copper surfaces form a characteristic green
patina coating with time that provides
corrosion resistance. In the absence of
Notes
harsh conditions such as pollution and salt,
copper corrodes at a rate of less than 0.4
mm in 200 years.
ALUMINIUM
A lightweight and durable metal that has a large number of specialty uses.

Exterior panels, facades and window

Example Uses
frames.
Light, ductile, malleable, corrosion resistant,
Properties nonmagnetic, thermal conductor, electrical
conductor.
Aluminum is corrosion resistant due to the
formation of a layer of aluminum oxide
when exposed to air. Aluminum is highly
Notes 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.

Pipes, flooring, roofing, siding, windows,

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

People may have negative perceptions

Notes of plastic including the idea that plastic
materials are "fake."
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 Interior walls, exterior walls, ceilings and

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

Repair of historical buildings, facades,

Example Uses interior walls, floors, bathrooms and
countertops.
Heavy, durable, hard, high compressive
Properties strength, difficult to work and visually
appealing.

Stonemasonry is amongst the most

difficult of the trades that was traditionally
Notes
a 7 year apprenticeship. Modern
apprenticeships are often 3 years.
MINERALS (SAND)
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.

Drywall, bricks and aggregate for

Example Uses
cement and mortar.

Minerals may be relatively

inexpensive and have desirable
Properties
properties such as fire resistance
or high compressive strength.

Minerals are also used in the

Notes production of glass and ceramic
materials such as tiles.
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.

Repair of historical buildings, facades,

Example Uses interior walls, floors, bathrooms and
countertops.
Heavy, durable, hard, high compressive
Properties strength, difficult to work and visually
appealing.

Stonemasonry is amongst the most

difficult of the trades that was traditionally
Notes
a 7 year apprenticeship. Modern
apprenticeships are often 3 years.
EXERCISE
S
1. Find your partner.
2. Make a conversation about “what is your house is made from?”
Example:
A : “What is your house made from?”
B : “My house is made from stone/wood/etc..”
A : “What is its window/door/roof/etc.. made from?”
B : “Its window/door/roof/etc.. made from …”