Researching Building Materials & Products
The following guide is written primarily for design students. Students in engineering and related courses may wish to use the resource guides on the library's Engineering Research Central web site in conjunction with this guide.
Books about Materials
Journal Articles about Materials
- Avery Index to Architectural Literature
- Indexes architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and urban planning journals published internationally from 1860s to date. No full-text.
- Art Abstracts
- Abstracts of articles in art, art history, architecture, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, and related disciplines. No full-text.
- ABI/Inform
- This database provides in-depth coverage of business issues and management techniques. It indexes a number of construction-related trade journals. More than half of the articles are available in full-text.
- Engineering Village
- This is the most comprehensive database of engineering literature. Excellent for engineering students and those who want to examine the properties of a specific material in depth.
Product Directory Web Sites
The following sites provide directory listings for products and manufacturers.
- 4specs.com: Directory for Specified Construction Products
- Organized by CSI classification
- ARCAT
- Organized by CSI classification
- BuildingGreen
- This site covers specifically "green” building products, and can provide you with information on what makes the product green. Note: For access to content you must visit either myself or Vickie Aubourg in the Media Resource Center (Building 5, Rm 101). One of us must use our password to gain access to the listings. Organized by CSI classification.
- Building Materials by McGraw-Hill Sweets
- Organized by CSI classification
- LA-Info
- Not as well-organized as some of the other sites, but is specially geared to landscape architecture.
- LightSearch
- Specifically for lighting industry information.
Product Samples
The Media Resource Center (Architecture Building 5, Rm 101) has a collection of materials samples that you may borrow to examine and use in your assignments. Visit Vickie Aubourg at the MRC to find out whether a sample is available for the product you are studying.
