Traditional building materials are those that have been used for a long time in a particular region or nation. They include mud, clay and stone.
Timber is another important traditional construction material. It can be used to construct buildings, intermediate floors and roofs. Straw could also be used to construct thatch roofs, one of the earliest roofing materials.
Mud Brick
Mud brick is often associated with rustic single-room houses and thatched roofs. However, it has been used in structures as large as the Great Mosque of Djenne, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and also features prominently at Taos Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited building in the United States.
Mudded bricks can be made from clay soil and various binders. They can be formed and dried to create load bearing walls up to several storeys high. Vaults and domes can also be built using mud brick.
To make mud brick, simply mix topsoil and water to form a thick mud and add straw or another type of organic material. The mixture should be molded into blocks and baked in the sun for a few days. The process is relatively simple, and the results can be impressive. However, it’s important to use soil that is suitable for making mud brick (see HB 195 – Australian earth building handbook [46]). Sediment Jar Test, sieve analysis test and proctor compaction tests are recommended to evaluate the suitability of soil for mud brick production.
Timber
Traditional building materials are those that have been used for a long time in a locality, region or nation. These materials include bricks, lime, clay tiles, mud mortar, timber, stones, metals like lead copper iron, straw and stucco. Timber is a durable material that can be constructed in many different configurations. It is also resistant to fungal degradation and has good thermal insulating properties.
Timber can be divided into various parts such as lumber (squared to a standard size and later sawn on two sides), joist, rafter, sill plate or wall plate. It can also be cut into different shapes such as a plank, slat, batten, lath or strapping.
When properly processed, timber can be recycled into other long-life products such as furniture or flooring. It can also be used as fuel to fire furnaces or boilers. In addition, timber can be shredded and pressed into wood pulp for use in paper making, packaging and stationery.
Stone
Stone is a natural solid formation that has many varieties, each with its own unique textures and characteristics. Its colour and strength are determined by its mineral composition while the surface of each piece differs depending on the environment it was formed in.
Throughout history, people have used stone in their structures to leave lasting impressions, such as the Pyramids of Giza or the Moai of Easter Island. The earliest buildings were dry-stone walls and huts, such as the round huts found in Dartmoor. The settlers would put one stone on top of another, and eventually developed different forms of mortar to hold it together.
Even after the development of iron and concrete, stone never fully disappeared from architecture. Architects like Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius utilized it to add warmth to their buildings and create a contrast with the minimalist plans they were working on.
Cement
Cement is a key construction material that can be used to build a range of buildings. It is usually made from limestone and clay which are mixed together in powder form and fired at high temperatures. It is used in buildings to create walls, floors and ceilings. It is also used to make paints and coatings.
Mud bricks, adobe blocks, compressed earth blocks and natural stones are all examples of traditional building materials. These materials are still being used in many countries today. They are often cheaper than modern construction methods and can provide a secure shelter for people.
However, these building materials are not as durable as concrete. They can also cause environmental issues such as smog and erosion. This is why it is important to try and use alternative materials to help reduce the amount of cement being used in construction. To do this, engineers, technologists, construction companies and building-materials businesses can work together to optimize the design of structures and materials.
Glass
Glass is a transparent or translucent, hard, brittle material that has been made into practical and decorative objects since ancient times. Today’s glasses are typically manufactured using a composition of silica sand, soda ash, limestone, dolomite and glass cullets (recycled). Glass is an extremely versatile building material, with its most common applications being architectural glazing, window panes, doors, windows and other decorative features.
In the past, glass was used for decorative purposes – such as inlays on wooden and ivory furniture – or as a container for perfumes. It also served as a key component of large buildings like the Crystal Palace in London in 1851, but these buildings needed to have a frame for support, as glass is too brittle to span wide areas by itself.
Researchers are still trying to determine the earliest origins of glass. Based on chemical lookalikes, Egypt and the Near East were favored at first but new evidence points to Greece as the true cradle of glass.
Plaster
Traditional plaster is making a comeback as people rediscover the luminous, subtle transformation it can bring to walls and ceilings. It also adds depth and texture to walls and, unlike painted wall surfaces, is breathable and free of chemicals and VOCs.
Plaster is a composition of lime or gypsum, sand and water that hardens when dry and can be used to coat walls, partitions and ceilings. It can be worked in a variety of ways to produce different textures such as stucco. There are a variety of plaster recipes including slaked lime, Venetian (which has marble dust and soap made from olives) and a Moroccan plaster called tadelakt, which is mixed with clay and water.
A plasterer would traditionally use local materials such as sand and clay for the plaster, which would be applied to lath or wood strips. The surrounding forests would provide straight grain, old-growth lath while farm animals supplied hair and manure to help the plaster stick.