Building materials

Abstract

The term building materials refers to materials used in the construction trade, and which are generally classified in categories based on their type; metals (e. g. steel, aluminium, copper), minerals (natural stone, concrete, glass) and organic materials (e. g. wood, plastic, bitumen). Modern building materials cannot always be readily placed in one of these groups, as they may be developed through the systematic combination of different types to form composites that provide improved properties over the individual materials themselves (composite building materials). © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.