Résumé:
This document, which I am placing in the hands of civil engineering students, is the result of reforms in teaching methods (from French to English) carried out by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Algeria. To this end, for the first time, an educational document entitled 'Building Construction Materials 1' has been produced in English. This document presents the history of building materials used by ancient civilizations and still in use today, as well as environmental and economic materials resulting from scientific research. The manuscript largely covers knowledge relating to the characterization of materials (raw materials and binders) used in the formulation of different types of construction mortars (cement, lime and plaster).