Construction Materials

Code:

L.EC019

Acronym:

MC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Materials

Instance: 2023/2024 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://sigarra.up.pt/feup/en/UCURR_GERAL.FICHA_UC_VIEW?pv_ocorrencia_id=419446
Responsible unit:	Department of Civil and Georesources Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Civil Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L.EC	277	Syllabus	2	-	6	71,5	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

JUSTIFICATION AND CONTEXT:

Constructions, in the sectors of housing, transport networks, energy production and distribution, environment, or other sectors, have materials as their fundamental constituents. The safety, economy and durability of buildings therefore depend on the materials used in each situation, how they are produced and applied, and how they are maintained throughout the service life of each building.

Both the design engineer and the construction manager, as well as those responsible for overseeing construction, and even the engineer responsible for maintaining and assessing the condition of existing works, need to know how to select and specify the right materials for each situation, know their production processes, their fundamental properties, the standards governing their use and the procedures for controlling their quality (usually based on tests).

In addition, it is now necessary to take into account the entire life cycle of materials, implementing a circular logic for reasons of sustainability in the use of the planet's resources.

OBJECTIVES:

This course unit provides fundamental knowledge and skills on some of the most commonly used materials today: steels, aggregates, binders, mortars and concretes. It covers their production, fundamental characteristics, behavior and main applications.

The aim is for students to have contact with laboratory tests to assess the behavior of materials and control their quality. This practical knowledge is essential in this area, so that the knowledge acquired is solid and linked to the practical reality of the engineer's profession.

At the same time, students are expected to solve practical problems through written exercises.

Learning outcomes and competences

- knowledge of fundamental sciences
- core engineering knowledge
- advanced engineering knowledge (applications)
- engineering thinking and problem solving
- experimentation and knowledge discovery
- communication (oral and written)
- external and social context

Working method

Presencial

Program

1) STUDY OF BUILDING MATERIALS
A brief introduction to building materials. Classification and applications of building materials. Fundamental characteristics and properties.

2) STEELS
Metals and metal alloys. Chemical composition and classification of steels. Steel production. Brief reference to the historical evolution of steel production. Mini-mill production. Rolling and end products. Steel treatment. Environmental issues related to steel production. Stress-strain behavior of steels: tensile testing of a steel. Ductility parameters. Factors influencing steel behavior. Steel for reinforced and prestressed concrete: LNEC specifications; designations and visual differentiation. Brief reference to structural steel/construction steel: Eurocode 3. Bending tests and their importance. Hardness tests. Creep, stress relaxation and fatigue: concepts; importance for reinforced and prestressed concrete; tests. Steel corrosion: consequences and factors influencing corrosion. Stainless steel as reinforcement for reinforced concrete.

3) AGGREGATES
Types of aggregates. Classifications: according to density; according to particle size. EN 12620: shape, size and density. Properties: size of aggregate; grain size; shape of coarse aggregate particles; density and water absorption; bareness. Mixing and fractioning aggregates. Fineness of sands: fineness modulus. Representation of sands in Feret's triangle. Mechanical properties: resistance to fragmentation; resistance to wear; resistance to drying-out; resistance to freezing. Thermal properties. Cement paste/aggregate bond. Expansive reactions between cement and aggregate.
Harmful substances in aggregate: of organic origin; salts; fine, soft, light and friable particles. Introduction to the Circular Economy in Construction.

4) BINDERS
Classification. GYPSUM. Manufacturing process, main properties and applications. AERIAL LIME and HYDRAULIC LIME. Manufacture, main properties and applications. CEMENTS. Natural cement. Portland cement: manufacturing process; composition; hydration; physical, mechanical and chemical properties; changes in clinker composition; NP EN 197 standard. Additions: filler; blast furnace slag; pozzolanic materials; fly ash; silica fume; rice husk ash; metakaolin. Reactivity of a pozzolanic material. Special cements: resistant to sulphates; with low heat of hydration; with high initial strength; white cements.

5) MORTARS
Definition and applications. Main properties and composition.
GROUTS. Definition and applications. Main properties and composition. ADMIXTURES. Definition. Types and main properties. Applications.

6) CONCRETE
Definition. Fundamental formula in the composition of concrete. Wall effect. Segregation. Workability and consistency. Compaction and curing. Mixing water. Methods for studying the granulometric composition of concrete: empirical or experimental methods; methods using tables and abacuses; reference curve methods. Study of the Faury curve method. Mechanical strength. Modulus of elasticity. Water absorption. Shrinkage. Creep and relaxation. Resistance classes. Concrete specification and compliance control. Durability: degradation mechanisms. Environmental exposure classes and durability requirements. Special concretes. Regulations: NP EN 206 and related standards.

ESTIMATED DISTRIBUTION:
Scientific content: 10%
Technological content: 90%

Mandatory literature

; Documentação disponível nos Conteúdos da UC no SIGARRA

Complementary Bibliography

M. Clara Gonçalves; Ciência e engenharia de materiais de construção. ISBN: 978-989-8481-17-7

Teaching methods and learning activities

- Theoretical exposition of the fundamental concepts linked to the study of construction materials and their practical applications.

- Laboratory testing (standardized tests) of steels, aggregates, cements, mortars and concretes, making students aware of experimental characterization techniques, and focusing on the the careful choice of materials for different civil engineering applications.

- Solving practical problems.

DEMONSTRATION OF THE CONSISTENCY OF THE TEACHING METHODOLOGIES WITH THE LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF THE CURRICULAR UNIT:
In addition to providing knowledge about the theoretical foundations, and promoting their understanding, the adopted teaching methods allow students to come into contact with practical reality by carrying out a wide range of laboratory tests. The tests provide knowledge of up-to-date technologies for using materials and the current technical standards to be observed for their proper application. Solving practical problems exercises thinking and the search for solutions through the application of theoretical knowledge.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	90,50
Frequência das aulas	71,50
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Obtaining a final grade requires attendance at the course unit. A student is considered to have complied with the attendance requirements for this course unit if, having been regularly enrolled, he/she does not exceed the number of absences corresponding to 25% of presential classes. This criterion applies to theoretical, practical and laboratory classes.

Attendance requirements are waived for:
- the cases mentioned in FEUP's rules (SIGARRA > Students > Statutes and Special Conditions);
- students who have fulfilled the attendance requirements in a previous academic year.

Calculation formula of final grade

The classification is based on two tests:
- T1, on the Steel and Aggregates chapters;
- T2, on the rest of the sylabus.

Tests T1 and T2 are compulsory and each carries 50% weight in the assessment. They consist of written tests lasting 90 minutes each.

Each student's grade, C, is calculated using the following formula:
C = CT1 × 50% + CT2 × 50%

where:
- CT1 is the grade in test T1, to be held on a date to be announced;
- CT2 is the grade in the T2 exam, to be taken on the date of the Normal Exam.

The CT1 and CT2 marks are given on a scale of 0 to 20, rounded to the nearest tenth.
All students enrolled in the course unit are graded according to this method. CT1 and CT2 grades must be obtained in the current academic year.

SUPPLEMENTARY EXAM SEASON:

Students with a negative C grade will have to take the Supplementary Exam, which consists of a written test, on the whole subject, lasting 120 minutes. The student's grade in the Supplementary Exam, on a scale of 0 to 20, is referred to as CR.

Students who miss one of the T1 or T2 tests will receive a zero mark in that test and will therefore have to take the Supplementary Exam on the whole subject.

FINAL GRADE:

The final grade is given by:
- maximum (C; CR).

Classification improvement

This point applies to students who have already passed the course unit and are duly registered for the purpose at FEUP's General Undergraduate Secretariat.

The Grade Improvement consists of taking the Supplementary Exam, on the entire subject, lasting 120 minutes.