Unit Description and General Aims

The objective in presenting this unit is to provide students with detailed knowledge of the materials used in civil engineering and construction application.

Materials are important in civil engineers’ work. Civil Engineers working on the design, construction, and maintenance of facilities and infrastructures need to understand the behaviour and performance of the construction materials used.

The subject covered in this unit will include: the behaviour, properties, performance, application and recycling of the most widely used construction materials such as concrete, steel, timber as well as other construction materials such as masonry, glass, polymers, road and flooring materials, composites, and many more other construction materials.

At the conclusion of this unit, students will have the requisite knowledge to select adequate materials for a particular application and to assess their behaviour while in use and in their life cycle.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this Unit, students are expected to be able to:

1. Determine the types, properties and applicability of most commonly used materials in civil and building engineering construction work (i.e. concrete, steel and timber)
   Bloom’s Level 4
2. Design concrete mix for specific applications
   Bloom’s Level 5
3. Demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of other construction and building materials including masonry, glass, polymers, composites, road and flooring materials, etc.
   Bloom’s Level 3
4. Discover the life cycle of construction materials and criticize sustainability issues of construction materials
   Bloom’s Level 5

Student assessment

Overall requirements: Students must achieve a result of 50% or above in the exam itself to pass the exam, and must pass the exam to be able to pass the unit. An overall final unit score of 50% or above must be achieved to pass the unit once all assessment, including the exam, has been completed.

Prescribed and Recommended Readings

Core Textbooks

• Yuan, Qiang; Liu, Zanqun; Zheng, Keren; Ma, Cong (2021), Civil Engineering Materials: From Theory to Practice, Elsevier, ISBN 978-0128228654

Recommended Textbooks

• Neville A. M., Adam M. (2011), Properties of Concrete (5th Edition), Pearson, ISBN 9780273755807
• Soutoso M and Domone, P (2017). Construction Materials Their Nature and Behavior (5th Edition), CRC Press, ISBN 9781351674638
• Ashby Michael F. (2021), Materials and the Environment Eco-informed Material Choice, Elsevier Science, ISBN 9780128215210

Reference Materials

• Li Z (2011). Advanced Concrete Technology, Wiley, ISBN 9780470902431
• Mehta P. Kumar, Monteiro Paulo J.M. (2014), Concrete Microstructure, Properties, and Materials, McGraw Hill education (India) Private Limited, ISBN 9789339204761
• Mindess S, Young J.F., and Darwin D (2003). Concrete, Prentice Hall, ISBN 9780130646323
• Cather B and Doran D (2013). Construction Materials Reference Book, CRC Press, ISBN 9781135139209
• Khatib J (2009). Sustainability of Construction Materials, Elsevier Science, ISBN 9781845695842

Additional reference materials will be advised during lectures.

• Peer reviewed Journals
• Knovel library: http://app.knovel.com
• Other material and online collections as advised during the lectures

Unit Content

Topic 1

Concrete Technology: Part 1

• Different types of concrete
• Composition of concrete
• Cement hydration
• Mineral admixtures
• Aggregate
• Chemical admixtures

Topic 2

Concrete Technology Part 2 – Fresh and Hardened Concrete

• Workability and measurement methods
• Loss of workability and setting of fresh concrete
• Segregation and bleeding
• Response of concrete to stress
• Factors affecting strength of concrete
• Standard compression, tension, and bending tests
• Non-destructive tests (Rebound hardness test, Ultrasonic pulse method)

Topic 3

Concrete Technology Part 3 – Mix Design

• ACI method
• British method
• Rapid method
• Examples
• Concrete making, handling, and curing

Topic 4

Concrete Technology Part 4 – Durability and Others

• Permeability of concrete
• Sulfate attack
• Shrinkage and creep
• Other durability issues
• Response of concrete to temperature
• Special concretes
• Sustainability in concrete technology

Topic 5

Metal (Steel)

• Steel applications and types
• Production and recycling of steel
• Properties of steel
• Strengthening of steel
• Corrosion of steel
• Fatigue of steel
• Fire resistance of steel
• Structural steel products
• Aluminium and other metals

Topic 6

Timber

• Structures of tree and timber
• Engineering properties of timber
• Deformation in timber
• Moisture in timber
• Processing and recycling of timber
• Durability of timber (Hazard and treatment)
• Manufactured wood products
• Applications

Topic 7

Masonry

• Materials and components
• Masonry construction and forms
• Structural behavior and movement
• Non-structural physical properties
• Deterioration, conservation, and strengthening

Topic 8

Glass

• Manufacturing and processing
• Physical properties
• Mechanical properties
• Types and applications
• Durability, disposal, and recycling

Topic 9

Polymers/Plastics

• Types of polymers as construction materials
• Processing of polymers
• Polymer properties
• Applications and products
• Weathering, durability, and recycling

Topic 10

Road, Pavement and Flooring materials

• Bituminous materials
• Geotextile
• Rock and aggregate
• Concrete
• Ceramic
• Wood, bamboo, and others

Topic 11

Composites

• Reinforcing fiber materials
• Fiber-reinforced concrete
• Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites materials
• Applications
• Durability and recycling

Topic 12

Other Construction Materials

• Building boards
• Cladding
• Adhesives
• Rubbers
• Acoustic and insulation materials
• Nano materials in civil engineering
• Self-healing, repair, and strengthening materials

Software/Hardware Used

Software

• Software: Virtual Labs-Strength of Materials/Self-Compacting Concrete/Building Materials Virtual Lab

• Version: N/A

• Instructions:  In the EIT Remote Labs

• Additional resources or files: N/A

Hardware

• N/A

Unit Changes Based on Student Feedback