Building Materials Architecture Humanities Adkins

Stone Stonehenge and the Parthenon are two of the most famous stone structures Mortar hold the stones or bricks together – this is known as masonry construction Masonry construction does not always provide weight-bearing walls  house Has more compressive strength than tensile

Concrete Consists of cement, aggregate, sand, and water Has more compressive strength than tensile Reinforcing concrete with steel gives it more tensile strength Pre-cast concrete is made before going to the site Concrete is used more than any other man- made material in the world Invented by the Romans – they added horse hair to concrete to make it less likely to crack.

Wood Wood has more tensile strength than compressive strength Wood is renewable Wood doesn’t last as long as stone, concrete, or steel

Steel Consists of mostly iron alloyed with carbon – this makes steel stronger than iron Has great tensile strength and great compressive strength  many possibilities in construction Cheaper to build a house framed with steel than a house framed with wood, but most homes in the U.S. are still framed using wood The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous steel buildings. Steel had a dramatic effect on cantilever construction. Geodesic Dome – Hexagonal shaped steel