48365 Materials Performance

Requisite(s): 48366 Steel and Timber Design AND 48364 Materials Testing AND 48353c Concrete Design

This subject develops an understanding of the performance of civil engineering materials in relation to their material properties and manufacture processes. It is essential for civil engineers to appreciate the variations and limitations of the performance of civil engineering materials. These materials are dictated by the structure-property relationships based on microstructural and molecular phase morphologies which in turn affect the macroscopic engineering properties, and especially their application to design and construction applications.

Topics covered include: engineering materials such as metals (including steel, aluminium, titanium), ceramic and glasses, polymers, composites and nanomaterials with a main focus on metals. This subject describes the material science principles required for a fundamental understanding of engineering materials and related processes, including in-service durability. After the basic physical and mechanical properties of these materials on both the microstructural and the structural scale are presented (encompassing composition of the materials, phase transformations and mechanical properties), the emphasis is on the performance of the materials in civil engineering design and construction applications. The concepts of material failure, including fracture, fatigue and creep, are introduced. The corrosion and degradation of materials exposed to environmental conditions are presented. There is a strong emphasis on relating the materials science principles to applications of interest in civil and environmental engineering, thereby illustrating the importance of fundamental theoretical knowledge in everyday processes and applications. The manufacturing and engineering application of selected construction materials, including steel, aluminium, concrete and bricks, is introduced and integrated with the fundamental concepts described above.