What do you appreciate about the different materials and how they work in structural systems?

The amount of materials and processes available allows any designer or architect even builder to consider  restrictions as solution generating rather than  problem generating. In a sense if a foundation wall cannot be built with continuous footing because the ground is unstable,  there is shoring or damming but takes considerable calculations. There is raking shore(s) or trenching.

But the main point for having a varied range, not just a singular set of components is that if the issue can be broken down into components x,y and z forces together with material science, it can make building problem easier.

Then there is the  aspect of material science where if the  study is taken up, it helps greatly in understanding how certain materials behave in certain conditions, not just that but also the opposite can happen , if you have the problem parameters then you simply find the  material that is most susceptible to .

For structural and building processes, it may give one greater appreciation for building materials if three things can be considered, nature of the site, nature of the basic components of  the material themselves, and the mentality of the contractors. In which case the problem is not with the availability of materials but the people who actually  “peruse” instead of  “use” any material due to payrolls.