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Overview

Course Prescription

Properties and manufacturing of civil engineering materials including concrete, steel, timber structural products and roading material. Role of material selection to achieve design objectives, including structural properties, sustainable design, and life-cycle considerations. Fundamental structural analysis techniques applicable to determinate and indeterminate structures.

Course Overview

This course will provide an introduction to the three main structural engineering materials, structural steel (heavy and light gauge), structural timber and its derivatives and reinforced concrete, plus transportation engineering materials (e.g. bound and unbound aggregate, bitumen, asphalt and additives). The course will cover how the materials are made, their properties, property testing methods and how they are used in practice. It also covers fundamental aspects of sustainability and environmental impact, including understanding the carbon intensity of different materials, manufacturing processes and their impact on emissions, and life-cycle considerations for different materials. The aim of this course is to provide a comprehensive overview of the general concepts behind the design and use of these materials, both separately and when acting together to produce a composite solution. Design problems and methodologies will be presented at a basic level as appropriate to the scope of the course.

This course builds on concepts such as equilibrium, free body diagrams and beam bending theory with the aim of expanding and  improving understanding of structural behaviour and providing analytical techniques to facilitate quantitative and qualitative assessment of that behaviour. Principles of mechanics are further developed with an emphasis on their application to the analysis of structures. The course will explore the concept and application of the Slope Deflection Method, using Fixed End Moments (FEM), unit-load method, virtual work and associated theorems. Examples will be based on real structures and links with the design standards demonstrated where possible. New concepts include methods of calculating deflections, buckling of columns, analysis of indeterminate structures, shear stresses and torsion. For students majoring in structures, this course lays the foundations for ensuing structural design courses. For students with other majors, this course forms the minimum necessary engineering knowledge and enhances understanding of the constituent raw material properties and structures that inevitably form part of most engineering projects, and facilitates interaction with the designers and constructors of those structures.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 4 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Restriction

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials/labs will be available as recordings.

The course will not include live online events.

Attendance on campus is required for the test.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

Course books and slidesWorked examples

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Health and Safety

The use of the MDLS labs will require the completion of an induction and H&S training. Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Additional Information on Assessment

Students must sit the exam to pass the course. Otherwise, a DNS (did not sit) result will be returned.

A passing mark, comprising the sum of all assessment types, is 50% or higher, according to University policy.

Late submissions will not be accepted/allowed for the exam, tests, and online quizzes. It is possible to submit late for the assignments and projects, and the late submission penalty schedule will be included in the assignment and project handouts.

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345678910

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

Based on feedback, the course is fast-paced pace, and students would like a better introduction to the prerequisite material and better scaffolding from semester 1. Additionally, more detailed step-by-step solving of problems, particularly for flexibility section. 

Further, students commented that the 60% weighted exam does not encourage good study habits. We will reduce this back to 50% and increase the weighting for assignments and project to encourage learning during the semester. 

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.