This book addresses one of the most important material categories: Materials used for constructions. A large percentage of the gross national product of most co- tries goes into infrastructure and buildings. This statement is true not only for the present but for most other periods in history, and for most cultures. This explains why understanding the behavior of construction materials has always been the - ject of intense investigations. The construction industry consumes extreme v- umes of material, and the growing demand for quality and safety require conti- ous improvement of materials...