BYTS2100 Building Materials and Concrete Design Course description

The course consists of two parts. The building materials component provides basic theoretical and practically oriented knowledge about the most important building materials: concrete, steel and wood. The following subjects are covered: the composition and structure of materials, important material properties in relation to function and application, such as strength, building physics properties, durability, degradation processes, production and applications, material testing, environmental properties and choice of materials. In the concrete component, NS-EN 1992-1-1 (Norwegian Standard/Eurocode) is used to design the most common non-tensioned reinforced structural elements.

Elective courses are set up under precondition that there are enough students in the course.

BYPE1600 Mechanics

No requirements over and above the admission requirements.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• is capable of explaining the product ranges, areas of use, production methods and material testing methods for our most common building materials: wood, steel and concrete
• is capable of explaining the health and environmental risks associated with use of the individual building materials
• is familiar with the basis for and the theory behind designing non-tensioned reinforced structural elements to withstand moments, shear forces and axial loads

Skills

The student is capable of:

• interpreting standard designations for material quality and assessing the characteristic properties of building materials
• documenting that the chosen material is in compliance with the applicable framework conditions
• carrying out material testing in accordance with standardised procedures
• assessing the practical execution of work that is important to preserving the technical properties of materials
• designing the most common structural elements of non-tensioned reinforced concrete, in accordance with NS-EN 1992.

General competence The student is capable of:

• choosing the correct materials on the basis of an overall assessment of the many requirements stipulated by users and public authorities
• designing simple structures and concrete buildings

Lectures, laboratory work and supervision of assigned exercises.

The following coursework is compulsory and must be approved before the student can sit the exam:

• Building materials: 2 of 3 exercises - 4 hours
• Concrete design: 3 of 5 exercises - 6 hours
• Laboratory work: 6 sessions - 8 hours, with 4 pertaining group reports, 1-2 pages per report + attachments

Exam form: Individual written exam, three hours

The result of the exam can be appealed.

A resit or rescheduled exam may take the form of an oral exam. If oral exams are used for resits and rescheduled exams, the exam results cannot be appealed.

A handheld calculator that cannot be used for wireless communication or to perform symbolic calculations. If the calculator’s internal memory can store data, the memory must be deleted before the exam. Random checks may be carried out.

Grade scale A-F.

One internal examiner. External examiners are used regularly.

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