Decision on the type and quality of materials that needs to be used has great significance in the construction projects. The choice of material often depends on the type of the project and the external circumstances that influence the construction site. A detailed research is generally done before making a decision on the material.

Factors – The numerous factors that sway the choices from one type of material to another material primarily are cost, durability, weight, strength, workability and appearances. The budget constraints affect the most because the materials are expensive. Hence finding materials that are branded, have cleared standard tests of quality but are cheap on the wallet becomes very important. People do not wish to compromise when building their homes or business structures yet wish to save as much as possible. Apart from cost, workability of the material is also important.

While some materials need lot of time to set, others are quick dry especially concrete and paint. Hence the time duration available for the completion of a part of the project becomes important.  The quality and workability of the material along with the quantities required sets the cost factor for the user. The other factors that need to be considered when thinking of workability are the transportation of the materials, the potential of damage and also the size of the materials. The weight of the material has impact both on transportation and workability.

A lot of times the structural strength of the materials is crucial because the sustainability and durability of any structure is its foundation element. Hence, different properties like tensile of the material, chemical composition, strength and compressibility are important whether it is rods, ropes, girders, cement, concrete or any other material.