Building material
Building material is any material which is used for a construction purpose. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand, wood and rocks, even twigs and leaves have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-made products are in use, some more and some less synthetic.
Bricks are man-made, and so is plaster, concrete, stucco and many other materials. However, they are usually still made out of natural materials, bricks being a good example. They are based on clay. Steel is based on natural types of iron.
One example of a man-made imitation is scagliola, which can imitate more expensive natural materials such as marble.
Building Material Media
Concrete and steel rebar used to build a reinforced concrete floor
This wall in Beacon Hill, Boston shows different types of brickwork and stone foundations.
Hut of Toda tribe (Nilgiris, India)
A wood-framed house under construction in Texas, United States
The Gliwice Radio Tower (the second tallest wooden structure in the world) in Poland (2012).
Pile of bricks. Picture taken by Fruggo.
Clay blocks (sometimes called clay block brick) being laid with an adhesive rather than mortar
