{"id":7577,"date":"2020-06-05T22:33:30","date_gmt":"2020-06-06T02:33:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/darkslategray-swan-228591.hostingersite.com\/?page_id=7577"},"modified":"2025-02-11T21:08:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T02:08:29","slug":"building-materials","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rodaxservices.com\/index.php\/building-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Materials"},"content":{"rendered":"

Building material<\/b>\u00a0is any material which is used for\u00a0<\/span>construction<\/a>\u00a0purposes. Many naturally occurring substances, such as\u00a0<\/span>clay<\/a>, rocks,\u00a0<\/span>sand<\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>wood<\/a>, even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct\u00a0<\/span>buildings<\/a>. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-made products are in use, some more and some less synthetic. The manufacturing of building materials is an established industry in many countries and the use of these materials is typically segmented into specific specialty trades, such as\u00a0<\/span>carpentry<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>insulation<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>plumbing<\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>roofing<\/a>\u00a0work. They provide the make-up of\u00a0<\/span>habitats<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>structures<\/a>\u00a0including\u00a0<\/span>homes<\/a>.<\/span>[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

In history there are trends in building materials from being natural to becoming more man-made and\u00a0<\/span>composite<\/a>; biodegradable to imperishable; indigenous (local) to being transported globally; repairable to disposable; chosen for increased levels of fire-safety, and improved\u00a0<\/span>seismic<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>resistance.. These trends tend to increase the\u00a0<\/span>initial<\/i>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>long term<\/i>\u00a0<\/span>economic, ecological, energy, and social costs of building materials.<\/p>\n

Economic costs<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Initial economic cost of building materials is the purchase price. This is often what governs decision making about what materials to use. Sometimes people take into consideration the energy savings or durability of the materials and see the value of paying a higher initial cost in return for a lower lifetime cost. For example, an asphalt shingle roof costs less than a metal roof to install, but the metal roof will last longer so the lifetime cost is less per year. Some materials may require more care than others, maintaining costs specific to some materials may also influence the final decision. Risks when considering lifetime cost of a material is if the building is damaged such as by fire or wind, or if the material is not as durable as advertised. The cost of materials should be taken into consideration to bear the risk to buy combustive materials to enlarge the lifetime. It is said that, ‘if it must be done, it must be done well’.<\/p>\n

Ecological costs<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
Main article:\u00a0<\/span>Ecological footprint<\/a><\/div>\n

Pollution costs can be macro and micro. The macro, environmental pollution of extraction industries building materials rely on such as mining, petroleum, and logging produce environmental damage at their source and in transportation of the raw materials, manufacturing, transportation of the products, retailing, and installation. An example of the micro aspect of pollution is the off-gassing of the building materials in the building or\u00a0<\/span>indoor air pollution<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>Red List building materials<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>are materials found to be harmful. Also the\u00a0<\/span>carbon footprint<\/a>, the total set of greenhouse gas emissions produced in the life of the material. A\u00a0<\/span>life-cycle analysis<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>also includes the\u00a0<\/span>reuse<\/a>, recycling, or disposal of\u00a0<\/span>construction waste<\/a>. Two concepts in building which account for the\u00a0<\/span>ecological economics<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>of building materials are\u00a0<\/span>green building<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>sustainable development<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Energy costs<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

the Initial energy costs include the amount of energy consumed to produce, deliver and install the material. The long term energy cost is the economic, ecological, and social costs of continuing to produce and deliver energy to the building for its use, maintenance, and eventual removal. The initial\u00a0<\/span>embodied energy<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>of a structure is the energy consumed to extract, manufacture, deliver, install, the materials. The lifetime embodied energy continues to grow with the use, maintenance, and reuse\/recycling\/disposal of the building materials themselves\u00a0<\/span>and<\/i>\u00a0<\/span>how the materials and design help minimize the life-time energy consumption of the structure.<\/p>\n

Social costs<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Social costs are injury and health of the people producing and transporting the materials and potential health problems of the building occupants if there are problems with the\u00a0<\/span>building biology<\/a>. Globalization has had significant impacts on people both in terms of jobs, skills, and self-sufficiency are lost when manufacturing facilities are closed and the cultural aspects of where new facilities are opened. Aspects of\u00a0<\/span>fair trade<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>labor rights<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>are social costs of global building material manufacturing.<\/p>\n

Naturally occurring substances<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Brush<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
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A group of\u00a0<\/span>Mohaves<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>in a brush hut<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Brush<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>structures are built entirely from plant parts and were used in primitive cultures such as Native Americans and\u00a0<\/span>[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0<\/span>pygmy peoples<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>in Africa[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0<\/span>These are built mostly with branches, twigs and leaves, and bark, similar to a\u00a0<\/span>beaver<\/a>‘s lodge. These were variously named\u00a0<\/span>wikiups<\/a>, lean-tos, and so forth.<\/p>\n

An extension on the brush building idea is the\u00a0<\/span>wattle and daub<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>process in which clay soils or\u00a0<\/span>dung<\/a>, usually\u00a0<\/span>cow<\/a>, are used to fill in and cover a woven brush structure. This gives the structure more thermal mass and strength. Wattle and daub is one of the oldest building techniques.[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0<\/span>Many older timber frame buildings incorporate wattle and daub as non load bearing walls between the timber frames.<\/p>\n

Ice and snow<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Snow and occasionally ice,[5]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0<\/span>were used by the\u00a0<\/span>Inuit<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>peoples for\u00a0<\/span>igloos<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and snow is used to build a shelter called a\u00a0<\/span>quinzhee<\/a>. Ice has also been used for\u00a0<\/span>ice hotels<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>as a\u00a0<\/span>tourist attraction<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>in northern climates.[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Mud and clay<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Sod buildings in Iceland<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Clay based buildings usually come in two distinct types. One being when the walls are made directly with the mud mixture, and the other being walls built by stacking air-dried building blocks called\u00a0<\/span>mud bricks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other uses of clay in building is combined with straws to create\u00a0<\/span>light clay<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>wattle and daub<\/a>, and mud\u00a0<\/span>plaster<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wet-laid clay walls<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n
Main articles:\u00a0<\/span>rammed earth<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>sod<\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>cob (building)<\/a><\/div>\n

Wet-laid, or damp, walls are made by using the mud or clay mixture directly without forming blocks and drying them first. The amount of and type of each material in the mixture used leads to different styles of buildings. The deciding factor is usually connected with the quality of the\u00a0<\/span>soil<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>being used. Larger amounts of\u00a0<\/span>clay<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>are usually employed in building with\u00a0<\/span>cob<\/i>, while low-clay soil is usually associated with\u00a0<\/span>sod house<\/a><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>or\u00a0<\/span>sod roof<\/a><\/i>\u00a0<\/span>construction. The other main ingredients include more or less\u00a0<\/span>sand<\/a>\/gravel<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>straw<\/a>\/grasses.\u00a0<\/span>Rammed earth<\/i>\u00a0<\/span>is both an old and newer take on creating walls, once made by compacting clay soils between planks by hand; nowadays\u00a0<\/span>forms<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>mechanical<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>pneumatic<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>compressors are used.[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Soil, and especially clay, provides good\u00a0<\/span>thermal mass<\/a>; it is very good at keeping temperatures at a constant level. Homes built with earth tend to be naturally cool in the summer heat and warm in cold weather. Clay holds heat or cold, releasing it over a period of time like stone. Earthen walls change temperature slowly, so artificially raising or lowering the temperature can use more resources than in say a wood built house, but the heat\/coolness stays longer.[7]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

People building with mostly dirt and clay, such as cob, sod, and adobe, created homes that have been built for centuries in western and northern Europe, Asia, as well as the rest of the world, and continue to be built, though on a smaller scale. Some of these buildings have remained habitable for hundreds of years.[8]<\/a><\/sup>[9]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Structural clay blocks and bricks<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n
Main articles:\u00a0<\/span>adobe<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>mudbrick<\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>compressed earth block<\/a><\/div>\n

Mud-bricks<\/i>, also known by their Spanish name\u00a0<\/span>adobe<\/i>\u00a0<\/span>are ancient building materials with evidence dating back thousands of years BC.\u00a0<\/span>Compressed earth blocks<\/i>\u00a0<\/span>are a more modern type of brick used for building more frequently in\u00a0<\/span>industrialized society<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>since the building blocks can be manufactured off site in a centralized location at a\u00a0<\/span>brickworks<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and transported to multiple building locations. These blocks can also be monetized more easily and sold.<\/p>\n

Structural mud bricks are almost always made using clay, often clay soil and a binder are the only ingredients used, but other ingredients can include sand, lime, concrete, stone and other\u00a0<\/span>binders<\/a>. The formed or compressed block is then air dried and can be laid dry or with a mortar or\u00a0<\/span>clay slip<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sand<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Sand is used with\u00a0<\/span>cement<\/a>, and sometimes\u00a0<\/span>lime<\/a>, to make\u00a0<\/span>mortar<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>masonry<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>work and\u00a0<\/span>plaster<\/a>. Sand is also used as a part of the concrete mix. An important low-cost building material in countries with high sand content soils is the\u00a0<\/span>Sandcrete<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>block, which is weaker but cheaper than fired clay bricks.[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Stone or rock<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

Rock structures have existed for as long as history can recall. It is the longest lasting building material available, and is usually readily available. There are many types of rock throughout the world, all with differing attributes that make them better or worse for particular uses. Rock is a very dense material so it gives a lot of protection too; its main drawback as a material is its weight and awkwardness. Its\u00a0<\/span>energy density<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>is also considered a big drawback, as stone is hard to keep warm without using large amounts of heating resources.<\/p>\n

Dry-stone walls<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>have been built for as long as humans have put one stone on top of another. Eventually, different forms of\u00a0<\/span>mortar<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>were used to hold the stones together, cement being the most commonplace now.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>granite<\/a>-strewn uplands of\u00a0<\/span>Dartmoor<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>National Park, United Kingdom, for example, provided ample resources for early settlers. Circular huts were constructed from loose granite rocks throughout the\u00a0<\/span>Neolithic<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and early\u00a0<\/span>Bronze Age<\/a>, and the remains of an estimated 5,000 can still be seen today. Granite continued to be used throughout the\u00a0<\/span>Medieval<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>period (see\u00a0<\/span>Dartmoor longhouse<\/a>) and into modern times.\u00a0<\/span>Slate<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>is another stone type, commonly used as roofing material in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world where it is found.<\/p>\n

Stone<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>buildings can be seen in most major cities; some civilizations built entirely with stone such as the Egyptian and Aztec\u00a0<\/span>pyramids<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and the structures of the\u00a0<\/span>Inca<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>civilization.\u00a0<\/span>CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD BUILDING STONE<\/a><\/p>\n

Thatch<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Toda tribe hut<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Thatch<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>is one of the oldest of building materials known, Thatch is another word for grass; grass is a good insulator and easily harvested. Many African tribes have lived in homes made completely of grasses and sand year-round. In Europe, thatch roofs on homes were once prevalent but the material fell out of favor as industrialization and improved transport increased the availability of other materials. Today, though, the practice is undergoing a revival. In the Netherlands, for instance, many new buildings have thatched roofs with special ridge tiles on top.<\/p>\n

Wood and timber<\/span>[<\/span>edit<\/a>]<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
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A wood-framed house under construction in Texas, United States<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The\u00a0<\/span>Gliwice Radio Tower<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>(the second tallest wooden structure in the world) in\u00a0<\/span>Poland<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>(2012).<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Wood<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>has been used as a building material for thousands of years in its natural state. Today,\u00a0<\/span>engineered wood<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>is becoming very common in industrialized countries.<\/p>\n

Wood is a product of\u00a0<\/span>trees<\/a>, and sometimes other\u00a0<\/span>fibrous<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>plants, used for construction purposes when cut or pressed into lumber and timber, such as boards, planks and similar materials. It is a generic building material and is used in building just about any type of structure in most climates. Wood can be very flexible under loads, keeping strength while bending, and is incredibly strong when compressed vertically. There are many differing qualities to the different types of wood, even among same tree species. This means specific species are better suited for various uses than others. And\u00a0<\/span>growing conditions<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>are important for deciding quality.<\/p>\n

“Timber” is the term used for construction purposes except the term “lumber” is used in the United States. Raw wood (a log, trunk, bole) becomes timber when the wood has been “converted” (sawn, hewn, split) in the forms of\u00a0<\/span>minimally-processed logs stacked on top of each other<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>timber frame<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>construction, and\u00a0<\/span>light-frame construction<\/a>. The main problems with timber structures are\u00a0<\/span>fire risk<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and moisture-related problems.[citation needed<\/span><\/a><\/i>]<\/sup><\/p>\n

In modern times\u00a0<\/span>softwood<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>is used as a lower-value bulk material, whereas\u00a0<\/span>hardwood<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>is usually used for finishings and furniture. Historically timber frame structures were built with oak in western Europe, recently\u00a0<\/span>douglas fir<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>has become the most popular wood for most types of structural building.<\/p>\n

Many families or communities, in rural areas, have a personal\u00a0<\/span>woodlot<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>from which the family or community will grow and harvest trees to build with or sell. These lots are tended to like a garden. This was much more prevalent in pre-industrial times, when laws existed as to the amount of wood one could cut at any one time to ensure there would be a supply of timber for the future, but is still a viable form of agriculture.<\/p>\n

Man-made substances<\/span><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Building material\u00a0is any material which is used for\u00a0construction\u00a0purposes. Many naturally occurring substances, such as\u00a0clay, rocks,\u00a0sand, and\u00a0wood, even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct\u00a0buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-made products are in use, some more and some less synthetic.<\/p>\n

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