Modern construction materials also need to be able to adapt to various climatic conditions from freezing sub-zero temperatures to dry heat or high humidity. Ever since man started constructing dwellings to reside in, building materials have been evolving only in an attempt to defeat weather. Let us look at the evolution in detail.

• Mud and clay were among the first construction materials. Clay would be easily formed into shapes. Mud was held together with the help of hay, straw, sticks and other organic fibers and dung. Ice was used in the Arctic areas to form igloos.
• Then came the time when wood, logs, sticks and thatch were used. Large uncut rocks were piled together to form historic structures. Further, man started building structures with advanced composite materials like cement and concrete, reinforced with steel or other metals.
• Men then shifted from mud huts and tents to the age of skyscrapers made of glass or metal, which has made buildings more practical than in history. Today, most high-rise buildings are made with steel or other metals.
• With steel and metals getting sensitive to corrosion, people started coming up with other options that could last longer. This was when plastics came up that are formed of polymers, and can be easily moulded while in liquid state. Moreover, plastic is very light in weight and comparatively cheaper.