Since the ancient Egyptians, humans have used various materials to construct our infrastructures and cities. Over time we have developed more efficient techniques, methods and materials for building. We’ve learned that the type of material used will have an impact on the durability, longevity and look of the project. Choosing the right material for your next construction project is vital, so here are a few materials used in construction and what they’re used for!

Concrete

Concrete is the most widely used materials for construction projects around the world. The benefits of concrete are immense. Concrete is compact, tough, and non-porous, making it perfect for use in roadways, tunnels, dams and bridges. Concrete is also fire-resistant, which can help curb the potential for fire spread in residential areas. All of these qualities make it easy to see why concrete is used so often in construction.

Steel

While concrete is one of the most common stone-based materials used in construction, steel is one of the most common metal materials used in today’s modern infrastructures. It accounts for more than 50% of global steel production. The reason that steel is so widely used is because of it’s strength, beauty and versatility. Steel is also very easy to manufacture and is easy to maintain. Steel is used as infrastructure for buildings as well as an exterior, such as roofing and poles.

Asphalt

Asphalt is a combination of aggregates, fillers and other materials that can be made hard or more porous depending on the process used to make it. It if most often used to create flat surfaces such as roadways, parking and sports areas. Asphalt is to maintain, making it ideal for roads and public spaces.

Limestone

Limestone is a hard sedimentary rock that can be transformed for many different uses, from being fired into cement, turned into an aggregate, or even crushed for construction purposes. Limestone is also finely crushed into granules for use as a filler in roof shingles because of it’s weather resistant properties. Limestone can also be used in the smelting process, where it will attach itself to impurities in the metal, which can then be removed as slag later.

Fill Soil

Fill soil does just what the name states. It is used for filling in depressions on properties, or even creating artificial ridges and shapes on a landscape. Since fill soil only contains rocks, stones and sand, it is usually used when construction will eventually occur over the area.

Top Soil

Top soil is the outermost layer of earth, mixed with sand, and organic materials. It is mainly used for large scale landscaping needs because it is so easy to till and the material in the top soil is needed for healthy vegetation growth.

All of these materials are great when used in the right context and can be used in small or large projects. Do you need construction materials transported or supplied? Call Nickel Rock at 210–468–0290 or visit https://nickelrockllc.com/ so we can develop a customized plan for your needs.