Building materials are any materials which can be used for a construction purpose; they can be divided into natural materials, such as clay, sand, wood, rock and man-made materials, e.g. concrete

There will be only a few examples representing both groups which are mentioned in the paragraph above

• Fabric -  it was revived with a development of tensile architecture and synthetic fabrics and it was widely used among nomadic groups, e.g. two well-known types: conical teepee, circular yurt
• Rock -  it is considered the longest lasting material available, it is a dense material and it also offers protection; on the other hand this material has drawbacks, too, such as weight and it is not very easy to keep it warm
• Thatch – it is one of the oldest building materials known;   grass, base, has a good insulating properties and another advantage is that it is easily harvested; in Netherlands,  there is a achieved revival of thatch roofs
• Ice –  it is a material which is used by the Inuits for igloos construction;  in northern areas,  there are many ice hotels built to attract tourists
• Concrete – it is a composite building material (made from an aggregate and a binder), its most common form is: Portland cement concrete; the concrete is used  strengthened by steel rods / bars (reinforced concrete) in constructions

Building Materials and their Properties

Building material is any material which is used for a construction purpose. Many natural substances, such as clay, sand, wood and rocks, even twigs and leaves have been used to construct buildings. Apart from natural materials, many man-made products are in use, some more and some less synthetic. The manufacture of building materials is an established industry in many countries and the use of these materials is typically divided into specific trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, roofing and insulation work. They provide the make-up of habitats and structures including homes.

Fabric used for a tent - home of nomadic groups the world over. Two well known types include the conical tepee and the circular yurt.

Clay usually means using the cob style, while low clay soil is usually associated with sod building. The other main ingredients include more or less sand/gravel and straw/grasses.

Rock is the longest lasting building material available, and is usually readily available. Rock is a very dense material so it gives a lot of protection.Its main draw-back as a material is its weight and that it is hard to keep warm without using large amounts of heating resources.

Thatch is one of the oldest known building materials; grass is a good insulator and easily harvested.

Ice was used by the Inuit for igloos, but has also been used for ice hotels as tourist attractions in northern areas.

Concrete is a composite building material made from the combination of aggregate and a binder such as cement. The most common form of concrete is Portland cement concrete.

Questions

1. What is a building material?
2. How is the use of building materials divided?
3. Which building material is known for its long lasting durability?
4. Which material has been used to attract more tourists in northern areas?

Answers

1. Building material is any material which is used for a construction purpose.
2. The use of building materials is divided into specific trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, roofing and insulation work.
3. Rock.
4. Ice.