Astercrete

The foundational material that makes up the majority of the structure of asteroid bases throughout the Great Constellation, astercrete is a tough, durable, and versatile earthy material. The main component of astercrete, by proportion, is the regalith of the very asteroid it is prepared on, making no two astercrete formulations identical.   Astercrete is remarkably strong under compressive loads, but it is horribly weak under tensile loads and such structural elements must be reinforced with durasteel or trichrome rebar. Durasteel reinforced astercrete is in turn susceptible to water absorption leading to swelling and damage, and while trichrome reinforced astercrete does not suffer from this problem it is prohibitively expensive for most applications.   Adding small percentages of cupridium powder to the astercrete mix makes it electrically conductive. For reasons still not fully explained or understood, this only works when the proportion of cupridium is between two and six percent. This property has few practical applications outside of providing the always popular underfloor heating to living spaces.   Some species in order draconidae, such as the Sting Tailed Wyvern, are capable of creating their own simple astercrete structures, typically in the form of hives or warrens.