Choosing construction materials for a particular project is a process you should conduct with care. The materials selection must coincide with the structure the team will build.
In some places, to choose fabrication materials, it is necessary to study the building regulations of the area. Likewise, those in charge of the work must select the materials based on the budget and aesthetics.
Selecting an appropriate material is synonymous with long useful life for the structure. If you need to learn about the proper building materials and the factors to consider when choosing them, you will learn everything you need to know in this guide.
How to choose building materials
The team of architects and designers is in charge of choosing the construction materials for all the structures. They are responsible for ensuring that the materials are adequate, comply with the standards, and are of good quality.
In the material selection, you should examine a series of factors for the project to succeed:
External factors
The main thing is to evaluate the environmental factors that may affect the site´s durability. Architects need to know the changes in the climate where the construction will occur.
Accessibility
When a material is purchased and transferred to the building location, it is usually more expensive. It is advisable to have several options near the work site where the workers can buy the supplies.
Presence
The materials should provide an excellent appearance to the construction. Before buying it, the ideal is to visualize how the finished work would look; some materials offer a perfect finish without extra expenses.
Maintenance
This point is of great importance; you should avoid augmenting costs by choosing materials that require excessive control or maintenance. When planning a construction, the most important thing for those in charge is to reduce expenses. It does not mean choosing cheap materials because, in the end, everything can be more expensive.
Quality
Quality is a fundamental part of the strength and durability of construction materials. Most of these designs function to adorn the structure. However, this does not make them resistant to external factors; you should always look for quality rather than appearance.
Sustainability
Finally, in the list of elements to check, we discuss sustainable materials that are fashionable today. Some constructions have caused adverse effects on the environment, and it has led architects to choose other options.
In particular, they seek to select materials with lower environmental impact. Some companies manufacture materials designed to protect the ecological habitat, reducing the adverse effects that these may cause in the area.
Several factors interfere when deciding to choose construction materials. The personnel in charge of the work must consider them before starting.
Main construction materials
We have already mentioned the factors that interfere with the choice of building materials. Now we will discuss materials you can choose to develop your work.
Concrete
It is a material made with fine and coarse aggregates mixed with cement and water. It is one of the most common materials in construction fields for its practicality and resistance. In particular, the reinforced type is the most used because the steel penetrates it, providing more resistance to the structure.
Concrete is a very versatile material, and you may find it in two primary forms: waterproof or reinforced. The most significant benefit of this material is that it can be poured into any space and hardens like a rock.
Concrete may appear in foundations, commercial and residential building manufacturing, culverts, and bridges.
Stone
One of the unavoidable construction materials is stone, thanks to its maximum duration. Since immemorial times, stone has been a prime element in making walls and floors.
You can obtain this material in multiple shapes and colors. Some stone types used in construction are granite and marble. In price terms, the traditional ones are the cheapest. Particular stones are more expensive.
In construction, stone makes up walls, pillars, waterproofing walls, and special ones such as marble are used for finishes. The disadvantage of this material is the hardness that prevents better handling and that it does not work for insulation in cold environments.
Steel
Steel is another construction material that has high strength and durability. Thanks to its flexibility, it is the primary material for the immense existing skyscrapers. Steel contains iron and carbon, hence maximum functionality.
Another feature that makes it better than other materials is its lightweight, manageability, and low cost when moving from one place to another. Steel may appear to build structures, internal walls, ceilings, stairs, underground water lines, and electricity.
The placement of this material takes less time than concrete and adapts to any space.
Wood and bricks
Wood is a material naturally found and has high durability, profitability, and resistance. Likewise, it is easy to work due to its manageability; you can also cure it to any shape.
It works as a natural insulator, and its light weight makes it very practical to transport. Wood is a common material to build walls, floors, stairs, ceilings, structures, etc.
On the other hand, we have bricks, another material with significant advantages thanks to their compression capacity.
The best bricks are those made with concrete and steel; these appear in the elaboration of masonry joined with mortars. Masonry frequently appears for walls, gabions, decoration, and foundations.
Choosing construction materials is the basis of any construction, so the process is less complex; we recommend putting this small guide into practice. This way, you may avoid extra expenses and achieve a good quality construction with maximum durability.
