Course syllabus for Materials performance

Course syllabus adopted 2024-02-13 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameMaterialprestanda
  • CodeBOM065
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPSEB
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyCivil and Environmental Engineering
  • DepartmentARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 22116
  • Maximum participants72 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0107 Examination 7.5 c
Grading: TH
7.5 c0 c0 c0 c0 c0 c
  • 30 Okt 2024 am J_DATA
  • 07 Jan 2025 pm J_DATA
  • 26 Aug 2025 pm J_DATA

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Completion of B. Sc. or B. Eng, or corresponding level of education, with the basic knowledge in Buildings Materials and Building Physics (or alternatively Physical Chemistry).

Aim

The aim of this course is to provide more intensified scientific based knowledge for students to understand commonly used construction materials, their structures, properties and behaviours under different conditions, so as to be able to critically evaluate materials and apply the knowledge in a performance-based design of buildings and civil engineering constructions.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

Technical Knowledge:
  • describe structures and properties of commonly used construction materials in both micro and macro scales;explain materials behaviour under environmental and mechanical loads;
  • explain usual deterioration of a given material under the given conditions;
  • apply certain models for describing materials behaviour and their deterioration;
  • critically evaluate a material or a combination of materials for its functional properties, durability and impact to a sustainable development; and
  • apply the achieved knowledge in a performance-based design of buildings and civil engineering constructions.
Personal and professional attributes:  
  • analyse the project work in terms of group dynamics by reflecting on equality, inclusion and diversity as inherent factors of professional teamwork

Content

The course deals with the following contents by means of lectures, laboratory exercises, modelling exercises and project works:
  • Generic aspects of construction materials regarding to environmental impact, energy consumption, and standardisation.
  • Testing and modelling the performance of materials in general (methodology and precision).
  • Cementitious materials: their raw materials, mix proportioning, production, structures, fresh and hardened properties, long-term behaviours and influencing factors.
  • Metallic materials, their structures, behaviours under load, corrosion and protection.
  • Timber, its porous and anisotropic structures, long-term behaviours and influencing factors.
  • Other modern materials for façade, repair, strengthening, insulation, etc.

Organisation

Lectures are given by the lecturers at the department and researchers invited from relevant research institutes. Laboratory exercises are designed to give the students a practical insight into materials properties, test methods and measurement uncertainty. Exercises are designed for solving specific problems involved in the performance of construction materials. During the course project works will be designed partially in connection to the parallell course 'Structural Systems: Design and assessment' for solving open problems in practical structures, under the assumptions of different exposure conditions.

Literature

"Construction Materials - Their nature and behaviour", ed. by  Marios Soutsos and Peter Domone, 5th ed., CRC Press, 2018; Separate outlets, papers and reports.

Examination including compulsory elements

Laboratory exercises (12%), assignments (8%), intermedient test (20%), project work (20%) and final examination (40%).

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.