Look at the image above. Are you astonished to see the heights achieved by us in the field of construction since the beginning ?

In the Stone Age, humans started to live on the trees. The trees protected them from wild animals. But, the protection from environment was minimal. So, humans to live in caves. As he started moving from place to place, there was a need to construct a shelter at his new location. Man started to build his own shelter using the available stones and tree branches. It was the beginning for the development of today’s modern buildings.

It is clear that stones and wood are the oldest construction materials. Later, Egyptians invented sun-dried bricks around 3100 BC. Then, Chinese started to using timber frames. Germans used timber frames and filled the space between woods with clay. During the Early Modern Period, Glass was used extensively in building facades. It enhanced the aesthetics of the buildings. Bulk production of bricks began during this period. Timber was available in standard sizes. Later, new construction materials emerged that brought the building construction to next levels.

Building Material Types​

Currently, there are number of construction materials available for use. The available building materials are classified into two categories as follows:

• Natural Building Materials – Example – Timber, Stone, Lime, etc.,
• Artificial Building Materials – Example – Glass, Cement, Tiles, Steel, etc.,

Construction Materials​

The following is a list of most commonly used construction materials:

• Bricks
• Rocks and Stones
• Wood
• Cement
• Steel
• Concrete
• Paint
• Ceramics
• Glass

Density of Various Construction Material

The density of a material is defined as the Mass of the material divided by its Volume. If the mass is replaced by weight of the material, then it is called as Unit Weight of the material.

The density is different for each and every construction materials used. The density of few building materials are:

The above presented density values are taken from IS 875 Part I (1987). For density of other construction materials, refer IS 875 Part II (1987).

Selection of Good Building Material

Though a number of building materials exist, not all the materials can be used for all the purposes. The factors based on which a building material is to be selected are,

• It depends on the type of structure to be built.
• It must possess the required strength.
• The material must possess sufficient durability. It means that the material must be resistant to atmospheric conditions.
• The material must satisfy the service requirements like heat resistance, corrosion resistance, electrical insulation, etc.,
• The selected material must be locally available.
• The transportation of material should be easy.
• Consider the cost of the material.
• Ease of handling of construction material.

For Notes on Other Subjects in Civil Engineering – Click Here