Bricks and mortar have been around since Grampa Jack was in a hand-knitted onesie (some things never change!).
But if you’re in the market for any of the construction roles available on s1jobs, you’ll know as well as using traditional techniques building sites are increasingly places of innovation.
The push towards environmentally-friendly housing is just one of the drivers for change.
Faster, more-efficient building methods lead to bigger profits for developers and shorten the wait for buyers, eager to move into their dream home.
But buyers aren’t guinea pigs – come to think of it, they’re not those little pigs who had to put up with materials that, frankly, weren’t wolf-proof.
Why? Because you can’t try out new ideas without being confident they will work.
So how do experimental building techniques actually make it on to site and into construction?
Enter the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre.
The CSIC is the ultimate match-maker, bringing together the people who have the most exciting ideas with the hands-on builders who can put their prototypes to the ultimate test.
It’s a win-win situation, with these partners having the opportunity to share knowledge, expertise and facilities.
Among those making use of the service are start-up companies with big ambitions, academics seeking answers to research projects and companies keen to get a competitive advantage by being the first to adopt clever new techniques.
So what are some of the current projects being tried and tested thanks to the CSIC dating service?
Well one involves turning boiler ashes into lightweight aggregate, offering the potential for makers of cement-based products to save on quarry taxes and do their bit for recycling.
Another is seeking a partner for new Scottish company, F-tech, who have come up with a new way of putting up fences really fast and who need an established company to test their system.
If it stands up to scrutiny, this could dramatically speed up the time it takes to erect fences around new properties.
The makers of a new disinfectant product that promises to kill all the bacteria and viruses in flood-hit premises, without damaging the environment, are seeking a university partner to validate the effectiveness of their magic product.
The developers of a new road defect detection system, meanwhile, are also seeking academic partners who can put their prototype through its paces.
So there’s lots in the pipeline and some of these projects could have a real impact on construction sites in the very near future.
If you’d like to become involved in this continually evolving industry, check out the latest Construction vacancies with s1jobs.