Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE CNM5421

 
TITLE Engineering Materials

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Construction and Property Management

 
DESCRIPTION The study-unit addresses key principles in the science of materials for engineering applications and processes, including engineering material structure and properties, production technology, durability and service life design, environmental impact and life cycle analysis, quality management and construction product certification. The study-unit refers primarily to construction and structural engineering materials.

The study-unit refers to key principles for engineering materials in the context of Standards, Design Codes, quality control requirements and product Certification and service life design, for structural engineering materials.

The study-unit will address material structure and microstructure and chemical properties, and relative production technologies, including jointing and assembly. Reference will be made to metals commonly used in structures, cement-bound materials, and glass, ceramics and other materials (asphalts, timber, polymers and composites, stone) relevant to structures and engineering. The issues of durability, degradation mechanisms, prevention, damage assessment and repair will be an important component of the study-unit, including moisture transport mechanisms, corrosion and degradation of metal structures, deterioration of concrete and reinforced concrete and other engineering materials in construction. This will lead to discussions of service life design, concepts of life-time engineering, and maintenance.

A further important component will be consideration of the ecology of construction materials, waste, recycling, embodied energy and environmental impact, as components of Life Cycle Analysis.

Finally, the study-unit will introduce quality management and standards, quality management systems, product certification, standards and code of practice, and statistical analysis in quality control, with reference to code requirements for material specification, design life, safety factors, and exposure classes.

Study-unit Aims:

The aim of this study-unit is to enable students to understand advanced principles in material science in construction and civil engineering applications, and to appreciate the complex relationship between material characteristics and performance of materials during the life-time of a structure.

The study-unit will introduce students to fundamental engineering properties of materials in construction and engineering including:
- Material characteristics and production;
- Service life engineering and durability;
- Environmental impacts and sustainable Issues, and life cycle analyses.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of material science characteristics primarily of structural engineering materials;
- Understand the durability of primarily structural engineering materials;
- Demonstrate an understanding of the critical issues arising from material requirements of structural design standards and codes of practice;
- Appreciate the life cycle of engineering materials, including end-of-life and recycling, and sustainability considerations.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- Assess properties of materials for selection and use in structural engineering and construction, including the performance characteristics and durability;
- Appraise building materials and diagnose deterioration, and define relative repair methodologies;
- Specify engineering materials in accordance with structural engineering materials standards and codes of practice;
- Select and apply materials for use in engineering and construction projects to address sustainability and green construction principles;
- Design and implement quality management procedures for materials used in engineering and construction projects.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Text/s:

- Jackson N, Dhir R., (19966) Civil Engineering Materials, Palgrave.
- Ashby M.F, (2009) Materials and the Environment: Eco-Informed Material Choice, Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Newman, J, Choo., S., (2003) Advanced Concrete Technology, Volume 1: Concrete Properties, Volume 2: Testing and Quality, Volume 3: Constituent Materials, Volume 4: Processes, Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Neville, A., (2012) Properties of Concrete, Prentice Hall, 5th ed.
- Anderson, J., (Shiers, D., Steele, K., (2009), The Green Guide to Specification, BREpress Wiley-Blackwell.

Supplementary readings:

- Peck. M. (ed.), (2006) Concrete: Design, Construction, Examples, Detail Practice, Birkhauser.
- Kibert Ch., (2008) Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery.
- Kind-Barkaauskas, F., Kauhsen, B., Polonyi, S., Brandt, J., (2002) Concrete Construction Manual, Birkhauser, Edition Detail.
- Schulitz, H.C., Sobek, W., Habermann, K.J., (2000) Steel Construction Manual, Edition Detail, Birkhauser
- Peck. M. (ed.), (2006) Concrete: Design, Construction, Examples, Detail Practice, Birkhauser.
- Reichel, A., Ackermann, P., Hentschel, A., Hochberg, A., (2007), Building with Steel, Edition Detail Practice, Birkhauser.
- Mehta, P.K., Monteiro, P.J.M., (2006) Concrete: Microstructure, Properties and Materials, McGraw Hill, 3rd edition.
- Neville, A., Brookes, J.J., (2010) Concrete Technology, Prentice Hall/Pearson.
- MSA EN 206-1 Concrete - Part 1: Specification, performance, production and conformity - European Standard.
- MSA EN 1992: (Eurocode 2) Design of concrete structures.
- MSA EN 1993: (Eurocode 3) Design of steel structures.
- MSA EN 1994: (Eurocode 4) Design of composite steel and concrete structures.
- MSA EN 1995: (Eurocode 5) Design of timber structures.
- MSA EN 1996: (Eurocode 6) Design of masonry structures.
- MSA EN 1999: (Eurocode 9) Design of aluminium structures.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Independent Study, Lecture, Practicum & Seminar

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM2 Yes 50%
Examination (2 Hours) SEM2 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Hermann Bonnici
Spiridione Buhagiar

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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