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.

English for Civil Engineering: Introduction to Civil Engineering

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Have you guys ever thought about who are behind the construction of skyscrapers, bridges that cross oceans and roads that connect various remote areas in this country?

The buildings are the work of Civil Engineers. Yes, Civil Engineering is a branch of engineering that studies how to design, build and renovate not only buildings and infrastructure, but also the environment for the benefit of human life.

At the higher education level in Indonesia there are various study programs, one of which is Civil Engineering, there are even several vocational high schools that open this major. Talking about the Civil Engineering Department, there are many assumptions circulating in the community around us which think that Civil Engineering is the same as Civil Servants (PNS), because there is a Civil Servant at the end, of course this is an incorrect assumption. Hehee..

What is Civil Engineering Major?

Civil engineering is a field of science that studies planning, design, manufacturing and conservation to support the formation of an area. The science studied in this major generally involves applied mathematics and technology. Thus, a civil engineering graduate can understand building design and construction, taking into account aspects of the surrounding environment.

So, what are the courses that must be taken and the skills that must be mastered by someone majoring in civil engineering? Here are some names of courses that will accompany your study period: Calculus, Basic Physics, Basic Chemistry, Basics of Architecture, Introduction to Engineering and Design, Civil Construction Materials Engineering, Materials Mechanics, Soil Mechanics, Traffic Engineering, Geometric Design Roads, and much more.

If civil engineering is a major that also requires understanding of building design, then what is the difference between this field of study and architecture? Well, Architecture is a major that studies a lot about building planning to produce products that have high aesthetic value and are functional.

However, there is a slight difference between architecture and civil engineering, namely that architecture generally focuses more on design. Then, a civil engineering graduate will realize the design.

What do you study in Civil Engineering major?

In civil engineering courses, most courses study calculations, including engineering mathematics, physics, engineering mechanics, etc. Depending on the credits held at each university, the names may differ. But in essence, most mathematical calculations are the same. The main material from the Civil Engineering major is:

1. Engineering mathematics

2. Engineering mechanics/engineering mechanics

3. Structural analysis

4. steel construction

5. concrete construction

6. wooden construction

7. foundation techniques

8. Hydrology

9. and civil informatics.

10. Earthquake engineering techniques

11. Structural dynamics,

12. Construction management

13. Water structures

14. hydraulics, and many more..

What are the Job Prospects for Civil Engineering Majors?

If you want to take this study program, there is no need to worry because civil engineering has many opportunities in society. Apart from being a private employee working in the housing industry, you can also try registering with various government agencies.

Several government agencies that require civil engineering graduates are the National Planning Agency or BPN, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing or PUPR, as well as other state-owned companies engaged in the construction sector.

There is no need to be afraid of not getting a job after graduating because there are still many people who need services for building houses, buildings and regional infrastructure.

Not to mention, development in Indonesia still needs to be worked on so that it becomes more evenly distributed from one region to another. So, worrying about the lack of job vacancies in this field doesn't need to be on your mind anymore.