Building materials

Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. In its metallic state it was mainly deposited by meteorites.

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to its high elastic modulus, yield strength, fracture strength and low raw material cost, steel is one of the most commonly manufactured materials in the world. Steel is used in structures (as concrete reinforcing rods or steel beams), in bridges, infrastructure, tools, ships, trains, cars, bicycles, machines, electrical appliances, furniture, and weapons.

thumb|A single brick thumb|A wall constructed in glazed-headed Flemish bond brickwork pattern, with various shades and lengths

thumb|A single concrete block, as used for construction

thumb|Cement powder in a bag, ready to be mixed with aggregates and water. thumb|right|Cement block construction examples from the Multiplex Manufacturing Company of Toledo, Ohio, in 1905

Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in the case of Dendrocalamus sinicus having individual stalks (culms) reaching a length of , up to in diameter and a weight of up to . The internodes of bamboos can also be of great length. Kinabaluchloa wrayi has internodes up to in length, and Arthrostylidium schomburgkii has internodes up to in length, exceeded in length only by papyrus. By contrast, the stalks of the tiny bamboo Raddiella vane

group of iron-carbon alloys

A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal, or any other material that can support the expected load.

chromium-containing steel alloy resistant to corrosion

chemical compound

thumb|upright=1.35|Samples of felt in different colors thumb|Kazakhs|Kazakh felt [[yurt]]

tile designed mainly to keep out rain

Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or other objects such as tabletops. Alternatively, tile can sometimes refer to similar units made from lightweight materials such as perlite, wood, and mineral wool, typically used for wall and ceiling applications. In another sense, a tile is a construction tile or similar object, such as rectangular counters used in playing games (see tile-based game). The w

thumb|Natural bitumen from the Dead Sea thumb|Refined bitumen thumb|upright|The University of Queensland [[pitch drop experiment, demonstrating the viscosity of bitumen]]

material used for construction purposes

calcium oxide or hydroxide

right|thumb|Spherical cage containing watermelons in Russia A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, displaying an animal at a zoo, or protecting an object from external threats (i.e. theft, damage).

thumb|upright|Traditional laterite temple in Kerala thumb|upright|alt=This monument is constructed of laterite brickstones. It commemorates Buchanan who first described laterite at this site.|Monument of laterite brickstones at Angadipuram, [[Kerala, India, which commemorates where laterite was first described and discussed by Buchanan-Hamilton in 1807]]

thumb|Stucco plaster [[reliefs, such as this work at the Château de Fontainebleau, were hugely influential in Northern Mannerism. A plaster low-relief decorative frieze is above it.]]

thumb|A mason laying a brick on top of the mortar thumb|Bridge over the Isábena (river)|Isábena river in the Monastery of Santa María de Obarra, masonry construction with stones

Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic rock. Foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering, but instead is in planes perpendicular to the direction of metamorphic compression.

material used for paving roads

species of plant

thumb|Two bundles of full-length rebar, which will be placed, bent, or cut as required by installation

binder used as basic ingredient of concrete

thumb|Various sized cuts of drywall with tools for maintenance and installation

mortarless masonry method

iron alloy with a very low carbon content and with fibrous slag inclusions, worked with hammers or dies

building material used in construction during the late Roman Republic

thumb|right|A thatched public house|pub (The Williams Arms) at [[Wrafton, North Devon, England]] Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge (Cladium mariscus), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of the vegetation stays dry and is densely packed—trapping air—thatching also functions as insulation. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates. Thatch is still employed by builders in developing countries, usually with

form of concrete used in construction

thumb|Animation depicting construction of multi-story building using aluminum handset formwork. thumb|Modular steel frame formwork for a foundation. Rebar has been stubbed up out of the concrete slab to form the base of future [[columns]] thumb|upright|Timber formwork for a concrete column. Adjustable metal screw jacks both stabilize and plumb the form thumb|Aluminum formwork system thumb|Sketch of the side view of traditional timber formwork used to form a flight of stairs thumb|Placing a wall form. A matching form will be placed on the opposite side to create the space to pour concrete into

lightweight, precast building material

thin, tapered pieces of wood primarily used to cover roofs and walls of buildings to protect them from the weather

artificial gravel of angular shape, used as construction aggregate

flat rectangular piece of timber

stone, wood or tile structure which can serve as floor; pavement type with solid blocks

thumb|The Art Deco gate in the entrance hall of Detroit's [[Guardian Building is made from Monel.]]

thumb|upright|Silicone-based caulk on this upturned bathroom sink will spread smoothly, sealing the gap, when the sink is turned over and installed.

roll roofing and waterproofing material

thumb|Twigs covered in powdered snow

protection of buildings against heat transfers

Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture; undressed especially as a filling-in. Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as 'brash' (compare cornbrash). Where present, it becomes more noticeable when the land is ploughed or worked.

thumb|A selection of woven and non-woven geotextile samples

type of metal building material

thumb|A stainless steel countertop

range of derivative wood products

fiber-reinforced composite material from concrete and fibers

building material

architectural element made from glass, providing visual obscuration while admitting light

thumb|right|250px|Sawn lath, seen from the back with hardened plaster from the other side showing through. Sawn lath became popular after the introduction of the [[circular saw in the 19th century.]] thumb|Roof laths span across between the rafters and support the wood shingles.A lath or slat is a thin, narrow strip of straight-grained wood used under roof shingles or tiles, on lath and plaster walls and ceilings to hold plaster, and in lattice and trellis work.

Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) is a fluorine-based plastic. It was designed to have high corrosion resistance and strength over a wide temperature range. ETFE is a polymer, and its source-based name is poly (ethene-co-tetrafluoroethene). It is also known under the DuPont brand name Tefzel and is sometimes referred to as "Teflon Film". ETFE has a relatively high melting temperature and excellent chemical, electrical, and high-energy-radiation resistance properties. ==Properties== Useful comparison tables of PTFE against FEP, PFA, and ETFE can be found on Chemours' website, listing the mech

thumb|Using a rubber grout float to smooth grout between tiles

unwanted material produced directly or incidentally by the construction or industries

thumb|300px|Italian scagliola top, second half of the 18th century

thumb|SEM image of a geopolymer granule prepared from metakaolin by alkaline activation to be further used as a sorbent. A geopolymer is an inorganic, often ceramic-like material, that forms a stable, covalently bonded, non-crystalline to semi-crystalline network through the reaction of aluminosilicate materials with an alkaline or acidic solution. Many geopolymers may also be classified as alkali-activated cements or acid-activated binders. They are mainly produced by a chemical reaction between a chemically reactive aluminosilicate powder e.g. metakaolin or other clay-derived powders, natura

thumb|Medium-density fiberboard or MDF (topmost two), and [[hardboard (bottommost three)]]

natural stone that has been finished to specific sizes and shapes