© Lou Benson Construction Co. 2005/ Tucson, AZ/ 520.797.1237

For your convenience we have put together an informative list of both traditional and innovative building materials. Here you will find useful information about what the material is made of, how it is used, its advantages and disadvantages. To learn more please click on the links after each overview.

Wood is an ideal building material: strong, easily worked and beautiful. Its major disadvantage is that current rates of use are unsustainable, leading to widespread deforestation.Learn More

Steel framing is a proven technology that is considered to be user friendly and offers an easy transition from other materials. Steel used in residential construction is cold-formed steel that is lightweight and easy to handle.Learn More

Concrete block is an extremely flexible building material for every type of job. The dominant unit manufactured today is the 8X8X16 inch concrete masonry unit. It is manufactured as a two-core unit for reasons of providing for vertical reinforcing.Learn More

Foam blocks called insulated concrete forms or ICFs offer a new style of concrete construction for the residential building industry. These hollow blocks are made of expanded polystyrene insulating foam and come in shapes of blocks or panels.
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Rastra is a concrete form system made of lightweight material called Thastyron, which provides a permanent framework for a grid of reinforced concrete that forms load- bearing walls. A standard wall element has an area of 12.5 square ft.Learn More

Rammed earth walls are built compacting a soil-cement mixture in a forming system. The forms are removed, leaving solid earth walls, 18 or 24 inches thick. The earth used in the wall is a screened engineered soil.Learn More

Adobe is one of the oldest building materials in use. It is basically dirt that has been moistened with water and mixed with straw or other fibers for added strength, then dried in the desired shape.Learn More

Straw is an annually renewable crop, available wherever grain crops are grown and is a waste product, which is currently burned in the field. The use of straw-bale to create super insulated walls has become a popular method of construction.Learn More