English for Civil Engineering: Building Materials

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Having your own home is everyone's dream. But, as is known, having your own home is not cheap and it takes a long time to achieve this dream. Therefore, we must pay attention to and prepare everything, including the building materials that will be used to build our dream home, whether it is a new house or one that is about to be renovated. The best quality is of course the choice so that it lasts long and is strong.

Before designing the construction of a building, it is a good idea to first know what building materials are needed. Not only natural materials are used in building construction, but also materials that come from factories. Natural building materials receive very little factory interference, for example wood and glass. Meanwhile, manufactured building materials are mostly processed in factories, for example pipes and cement. Each type has its own function.

One of the important stages in the process of building a building is choosing building materials. The building materials chosen will greatly influence the quality of the building. If you work as an architect, then you are responsible for determining the best building materials for the design you have created. If you work as a contractor, you can help provide recommendations for good and quality building materials for the project you are handling.

History of the use of building materials

Building materials have been used since 8000-6000 years BC, where remains of buildings made of mud brick were found in Eastern Europe from that era. In Indonesia, during the colonial era, the Dutch implemented the use of brick wall materials from Europe which were adapted to the climate and local wisdom of Indonesia. The development of knowledge has greatly influenced the use of building materials, which were originally unprocessed in their original form (such as bamboo, wood, leaves, soil, mud, etc.) and then processed into other forms that were considered stronger, simpler and easier to obtain.

The existence of new materials also influences the type of materials used, below are examples of changes in the use of materials from the past to the present.

• Soil is burned or dried in the sun to be used as building material.

• Before building construction using cement or the like, the usual adhesive for wall construction was stacked construction, which sometimes also used mud as an adhesive, perhaps because it could cause the pile of dried bricks to break.

• For wood connections before nails were known, the method used was with pegs and ties.

Grouping of building materials

In the world of construction, building materials are included in the facility construction sub-group among 50 construction information divisions by the Construction Specifications Institute.

Building materials according to their materials are divided into two groups:

• Organic building materials, such as wood, bamboo and others

• Building materials which are inorganic materials (except bitumen, asphalt, petroleum and so on, including organic materials)

Building materials according to their use can be classified as follows:

• Building materials for building construction

• Building materials for road construction

• Building materials for electrical and water installations

• Building materials for acoustic and thermal insulation

• Building materials for decoration and interior

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The following are 9 types of building materials for construction:

1. Bricks

We certainly already know what bricks are? Yes, brick is a type of stone made from clay that is burned until it has a distinctive reddish color. Bricks themselves function as building materials for walls. As time goes by, the use of bricks as a building material for walls is starting to decline, due to technological developments. Its popularity began to be replaced by bataringan. Bataringan itself is a building material for walls which is relatively cheaper than brick. Even so, brick remains the most commonly used building material, mainly because of its durability.

2. Stone

Stone is the building material that has been used the longest and is also the easiest to find. There are several types of stone that can be used as building materials, whether they are good or not depends on the purpose of the construction. Even though it is stiff and heavy, stone is a very dense building material so it can provide comprehensive protection. Stone is often used as a foundation material, a sturdy building depends on the quality of the foundation.

3. Sand

This building material is no stranger to being found in construction projects. Sand is a building material that is widely used from the bottom to the top structures in buildings. The use of sand is as a mixture in making cast or walls by combining sand, cement and water.

4. Cement

This cement plays a very important role in building construction. Without cement, other building materials such as river stone, brick, brick and lightweight brick cannot bond with each other. Cement is also one of the most vital building materials in making a very sturdy foundation. Cement itself consists of 4 main elements, namely; limestone as the main component, clay which contains SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3, silica stone which is added if the clay contains a little SiO2, and finally iron sand, which is added if the clay contains a little Fe2O3.

5. Wood

This wood is one of the most commonly used building materials. Derived from trees or from fibrous plants, wood is produced into building materials such as frames, doors, cupboards, boards, supports for roofs, as well as furniture and other furnishings.

6. Glass

Glass is a building material that can be used as windows, glass can indeed be used as a cover for ventilation in houses. This glass can let light enter the room, but is still protected from the bad effects of the weather. Glass itself is generally made from a mixture of sand and silica, so it is very brittle, or breaks easily.

7. Pipe

Pipes have an important role in construction, namely they are used to connect water and sewer lines, for example in bathrooms. Pipes are made from materials that are resistant to low and high temperatures, so they can drain water well. The pipes themselves are usually made from: carbon steel, carbon moly, ferro nickel, stainless steel, chrome moly, and the most popular, PVC.

8. Ceramics

This ceramic is usually used as a base to cover the floor or wall surface in the bathroom. Ceramics are a unique complement to the interior of a building and beautify your building. There are several types of ceramics that we often encounter on the market, such as ordinary floor ceramics, terrazzo floor ceramics, homogeneous tiles, natural granite ceramics and mosaic ceramics.

9. Paint

This paint functions to protect the surface of walls or several materials that can be caused by the effects of weather and friction. Apart from that, paint also functions as an outer/skin for the walls of the room so that the walls don't easily become mossy. Choosing paint colors in a room is important, if the color combination of the paint is right, it can provide an aesthetic touch and increase the beauty of the room.

"So, now you have an idea about what building materials are used in construction, their components, weaknesses and advantages? So you don't need to be confused anymore when building a house."

References:

https://juraganmaterial.id/blog/tips-juragan/bahan-bangunan-paling-penting-dalam-konstruksi-yang-perlu-kamu-ketahui-1

https://www.dekoruma.com/artikel/61876/jenis-bahan-bangunan-paling-umum

https://mekarabadibangunan.com/7-tips-memilih-material-bangunan-untuk-hasil-berkualitas/

https://dropshiper.co.id/9-jenis-bahan-material-bangunan-untuk-konstruksi/