Am a student doing degree in civil engineering
Congratulations on your career choice. Advancing technology has made it a very exciting time.
I think that you would be better served asking this question on a site that addresses new construction materials rather than one that focuses on legal/practice questions, but I'll give it a try.
In my opinion, the most common 'new' materials, that have been steadily replacing existing materials in construction, would have to be the various laminated wood products.
Good luck in engineering school!