CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module provides an overview of some common construction materials and their use in civil engineering applications. The course content focuses on concrete (plain & reinforced), metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), bio-based materials (timber and bamboo) and masonry, but also considers engineering polymers, fibre reinforced composites, glass and bituminous materials.The learning material explores the composition, manufacture, properties and behaviour of these materials and the hazards and risks they may pose during the construction, and subsequent operation, of a structure. The concept of micro-structure is reviewed and related to the physical, mechanical, and durability performance of engineering components and structures manufactured from these materials. The problem of “material selection” in considered in relation to:

• Sustainable material resources (and their financial and environmental costs),


• Required performance and design life in the context of a changing world, and


• Environmental exposure and associated durability and stability in the light of extreme events.

This module is supplemented by two laboratory sessions covering the manufacture and testing of fresh and hardened concrete.

Module provider

Sustainability, Civil & Env Engineering

Module Leader

BOMPA Dan (Sust & CEE)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Material Resources, Uses and Sustainability:

• Classes of engineering materials – properties and typical applications.


• Materials supply – resources and reserves.


• Design and materials selection criteria – Whole-life issues in a changing world


• Sustainability – embodied energy, CO2 foot print, environmental impacts, end-of-life options (reuse, recycling)

Engineering Properties of Materials:

• Mechanics properties – stress, strain, stiffness, elastic, plastic and visco-elastic behaviour


• Property data – Young’s modulus, strength (yield, ultimate, proof), strain capacity


• Fracture and failure – yield, stress concentrations, fracture toughness, critical crack size and role of temperature


• Time dependent failure – fatigue and creep

Metals and Alloys:

• Microstructure and properties of metals and alloys


• Fabrication methods – casting, rolling, forging, extrusion, drawing, welding, adhesives


• Commercial metals – properties, specification and uses


• Ferrous metals – Iron (wrought & cast), carbon steels, stainless steel, weathering steel


• Non-ferrous metals – Aluminium, titanium


• Durability and long-term performance including end-of-life issues

Concrete Technology:

• Concrete as a composite material – constituents, mix proportions, sustainability and environmental issues


• Properties of fresh concrete – factors controlling and methods of testing


• Properties of hardened concrete – factors controlling and methods of testing Dimensional stability and deformation – factors controlling and methods of testing


• Concrete mix design methods

Reinforced Concrete:

• History, properties and performance of reinforced concrete structures


• Durability and long-term performance including repair and end-of-life resue and recycling

Masonry, brick and blockwork:

• Bricks and blocks – properties and uses


• Mortar types – properties and uses


• Construction types – bond styles and properties


• Engineering properties, uses and long-term performance including end-of-life issues

Bio-based materials (Timber & Bamboo)

• The structure and properties of timber – impact of moisture on strength, stiffness and toughness


• Current uses of timber in construction


• The structure and properties of bamboo


• Durability and long-term performance of timber and bamboo including end-of-life reuse and recycling

Polymer Materials:

• Principal classes of Polymer materials – thermoplastic vs thermoset


• Engineering properties, uses and long-term performance and end-of-life options

Fibre Reinforced Composites:

• Theory of fibre reinforcement – fibre composites


• Common fibre reinforcement – glass, carbon, Kevlar


• Common matrix systems – epoxy, polyester


• FRC engineering properties, applications and long-term performance and end-of-life issues

Bituminous materials:

• Bitumen properties and test methods


• Aggregate properties and test methods


• Asphalt properties and test methods


• Uses in road construction including end-of-life recycling

Glass:

• Glass in construction: - production and history


• Engineering properties and uses and end-of-life issues

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Laboratory Work - Concrete Testing - using virtual laboratory and associated data set.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to:

• Recognise and describe a range of materials commonly used in civil engineering construction and discuss the sustainability issues that might arise from their use.


• Outline the structure/property relationships for a range of construction materials and any related hazards and risks and explain their significance for construction practice.


• Characterise engineering materials in terms of their key physical/mechanical properties and associated durability in a changing world.


• Evaluate candidate materials that might be used for a particular application taking account of the competing requirements of design, sustainability and health and safety including extreme events.


• Undertake the testing of fresh and hardened concrete and interpret the results in terms of the relevant compliance criteria.

The summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Coursework: Case study [Learning outcomes: 4] (24 hours, 20%)


• Laboratory report on testing concrete [Learning outcomes:5,6,7] (16 hours, 20%)


• Examination [Learning outcomes: 1-3] (2 hours, 60%)

Formative assessment and feedback

Formative assessment, in the form of a discussions,comments and (where appropriate) worked solutions, is provided during the weekly presentations (2 hours per week) and tutorial sessions ( 1 hour per week). The laboratory classes, laboratory report and coursework also provide a vehicle for formative written and verbal feedback during the smester.

Module aims

• To provide students with an appreciation of the composition, manufacture, properties and behaviour (as a function of time, temperature and humidity) of a range of engineering materials commonly used in Civil Engineering construction.
• To strengthen students understanding of the problem of ¿material selection¿ in relation to material resources (availability, cost, security of supply, etc), required design life (for a given environmental exposure), and the durability and stability of components subject to (natural and man-made) extreme events
• To encourage students to develop, and better integrate, their understanding of the threads of Design, Health & Safety and Sustainability in a changing world.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The module is based on a series of presentations and integrated tutorial sessions supported by a set of detailed notes. Recordings of each learning session are made available via SurreyLearn to enable individual students to review the material presented and also explore case study material designed to consolidate and extend their knowledge and understanding. The content of this modules reviews knowledge established in ENG1063 (Materials & Statics) and ENG1077 (Integrated Design 1) and students are encouraged to develop an extended knowledge and skill-base that they can apply to the selection and use of construction materials within the context of the (whole-life) design and operation of civil engineering structures in a changing world. Students are also encouraged to review and strengthen their understanding of sustainable engineering practices and develop a deeper appreciation of its application within the design of durable infrastructure that is potentially subject to extreme events.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• A series of presentations to provide students with an overview of the main issues relating to the properties, uses and long-term performance of construction materials in a changing world.


• A series of tutorial sessions to support the development of ideas explored within the presentations and encourage both peer-to-peer learning and independent inquiry.


• Two laboratory sessions covering the manufacture and testing of fresh and hardened concrete where students can get "hands-on experience" of using standard test methods.


• A piece of coursework requiring students to undertake an individual case study of a structure and review its design and structural form in relation to the materials selection, susceptibility to extreme events and long-term sustainability in a changing world.


• A set of detailed supporting notes (and references) which students may use to reinforce and deepen their knowledge of the subject and link to other modules in the programme, such as ENG2102 (Structural Design) and ENG2107 (Integrated Design 2).

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENG2100

Other information

Surrey's Curriculum Framework is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas: 

 Digital capabilities: As part of the case study coursework (UoA2) students are encouraged to use electronic systems to acquire publicly available information on their chosen structure. They are required to review the quality and quantity of the data they have acquired and judge whether they believe it to be trustworthy and relevant. This requires an understanding of, and the ability to distinguish between, different kinds of information e.g., academic, professional, personal and political. 

 Employability: Through the laboratory work and associated reporting (UoA1) the students work in small groups to acquire experimental results that must be shared with the wider group to build a complete data set suitable for detailed analysis. Through this and the identification of hazards and associated mitigation methods, they enhance their employability through an improved understanding of the skills, behaviours and attitude required to be successful in the professional workplace. UoA1 and UoA2 require submission of written reports (including handwritten sections, drawings, and hand plots) that are required to meet professional standards of presentation. 

 Global and Cultural Capabilities: The module uses a series of case studies taken from around the world that illustrate the role of geography and culture on both materials’ selection and construction practice. As part of the case study coursework (UoA2) students are encouraged to select structures that are local to their individual experience or intended area of future professional development. This provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding of issues based on their own experience and culture. 

Sustainability: The module content builds on, and extends, students’ knowledge and understanding of engineering sustainable solutions over the whole life of assets such as buildings, structures, roads, etc. The need to balance materials selection, detailed design to allow favourable end-of-life decommissioning options and ensure adequate durability over time are explored in detail. Through the case study coursework (UoA2) students are able to explore the factors that may impact on the sustainability of an existing structure and consider the implications of their findings for their career as a professional (Chartered) engineer. 

 Resourcefulness and Resilience: Through both face-to-face tutorials and (mediated) on-line discussions students are encouraged to work together to create supportive networks that reflect the collaborative nature they will encounter when working on Civil Engineering projects as a graduate. UoA1 and UoA2 provide the opportunity for students to undertake real-world problem-based tasks and strengthen their ability to address challenges constructively. 

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.