Civil Engineering Materials and the Environment module (CE31001)

This module examines how civil engineering materials are affected by the often extreme environments in which they are required to operate in. It also examines how the manufacture and use of materials can impact the environment.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• learn about the mechanisms that cause the deterioration of materials
• learn how to design structures to protect particular combinations of materials from deterioration and fire using Eurocode standards
• learn how concrete is mixed and tested
• learn how the manufacture and use of materials can impact the environment
• look at ways in which this impact can be limited or avoided

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• specify a concrete mix for a given set of environmental conditions
• specify detailing on composite steel structures for fire protection
• specify dimensions of masonry walls for fire protection
• identify instances where corrosion of steel is likely to be accelerated
• evaluate a description of a civil engineering project in terms of its sustainability credentials

Assignments / assessment

• Coursework, labs, and online quizzes (40%)
• Exam (60%)

Teaching methods / timetable

• Lectures
  • lectures are in-person
  • video material is used to complement lectures
• Practical laboratories
  • corrosion of metals lab
  • concrete lab
• Tutorials
  • analysis of concrete test data
  • interpretation of corrosion data
  • specification of concrete for durability
  • working through example exam questions