UNION COLLEGE

Civil Engineering Department

STRUCTURAL MATERIALS (CER-022)

Professor: Dr. Ashraf M. Ghaly, P.E.

Tel., email: 518-388-6515, ghalya@union.edu

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course aims at developing in the civil engineering students an understanding of the natural characteristics, methods of manufacturing, structural design of sections, construction, and testing of civil engineering materials. The utilized methods of testing are those standardized by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Basic civil engineering materials covered in this course are aggregates, masonry, wood, Portland cement concrete, and asphalt. Professional design procedures recommended by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the Masonry Society, and the Asphalt Institute (AI) will be used. Four class hours and three lab hours.

COURSE GRADE

Assignments & Quizzes = 15%

Laboratory Reports = 20%

First Term Test = 15%

Second Term Test = 15%

Project Technovation = 10%

Final Examination = 25%

NOTES

• Assigned homework are due as will be arranged. Late submission results in partial grade loss.
• Unannounced quizzes are probable to ensure students are keeping up with course work.
• Attendance of final exam is mandatory. If a student does not wish to solve given assignments, then this student may request that the assignments points be shifted to any or all of the three exams. Students may also elect to shift the points of any or both of the term tests to the final exam. This election, however, must be made before tests. Students should be aware of the risk involved with such decisions.

TEXT

Derucher, K.N., Korfiatis, G.P., and Ezeldin, A.S. (1999). "Materials for Civil & Highway Engineers," Prentice Hall, Inc.

SUGGESTED REFERENCES

1. Structural Engineering Materials, Edited by N. Jackson and R.K. Dhir.

2. Basic Construction Materials, by Marotta, T.W. and Herubin, C.A.

COURSE OUTLINE

0. Introduction

• 0.1 The Construction Process
• 0.2 Need for Materials with Various Qualities
• 0.3 Selecting Materials
• 0.4 Properties of Materials
• 0.5 Inspection and Testing
• 0.6 Standards

1. Aggregates

• 1.1 Definitions
• 1.2 Sources
• 1.3 Methods of Extraction and Processing
• 1.4 Rock Types
• 1.5 Properties and Uses
• 1.6 Tests

2. Wood

• 2.1 Growth of Trees
• 2.2 Lumber Production
• 2.3 Seasoning
• 2.4 Strength
• 2.5 Lumber Classification
• 2.6 Deterioration of Wood
• 2.7 Fire
• 2.8 Preservation of Wood
• 2.9 Glued Laminated Wood
• 2.10 Plywood
• 2.11 Mechanical Fasteners
• 3. Masonry
• 3.1 Clay Masonry
• 3.2 Concrete Masonry
• 3.3 Quality of Masonry Construction

4. Portland Cement Concrete

• 4.1 Manufacture of Portland Cement
• 4.2 Chemical Composition of Portland Cement
• 4.3 Physical Properties of Portland Cement
• 4.4 Water-Cement Reaction
• 4.5 Types of Portland Cement
• 4.6 Mixing Water
• 4.7 Aggregates
• 4.8 Admixtures
• 4.9 Proportioning Concrete Ingredients
• 4.10 Concrete Manufacturing
• 4.11 Testing Concrete
• 4.12 Compressive Strength Tests
• 4.13 Nondestructive Test Methods
• 4.14 Placement of Concrete
• 4.15 Curing Concrete
• 4.16 Precast Concrete Products

5. Asphalt

• 5.1 History
• 5.2 Natural Asphalt
• 5.3 Bituminous Materials
• 5.4 Asphalt Production
• 5.5 Asphalt Testing
• 5.6 Effects of Temperature and Viscosity
• 5.7 Asphalt Pavements
• 5.8 Determination of Required Pavement Thickness
• 5.9 Types of Asphalt Pavement Construction
• 5.10 Asphalt Spray Application
• 5.11 Asphalt Plants
• 5.12 Preparation of Unpaved Surfaces
• 5.13 Paved Surfaces
• 5.14 Inspection of Mix
• 5.15 The Paving Operation
• 5.16 Auxiliary Equipment
• 5.17 Asphalt Roofing Products
• 5.18 Asphalt Pipe Coatings
• 5.19 Asphalt Mulch Treatment
• 5.20 Asphalt Joint Materials

Project CubiCrete

CubiCrete is an exciting cubic concrete competition. The project will be described in full detail in a special handout, however, it involves the design of a concrete mix and the construction of a concrete cube. The goal is to make the lightest strongest concrete cube. Each and every student (or team) will be required to have at least one entry. The grading criteria is based on a formula that involves the weight of the cube and the load it supports in a crushing test.

LABORATORY SCHEDULE

Lab (1)

• Sieve analysis for asphalt and concrete aggregates.

• Prepare wood specimens for compression and bending tests (glue wood sections).

Lab (2)

• Mix concrete and prepare specimens (cylinders for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days compression tests; and beam for flexural test of structural concrete members).

• Slump test for freshly mixed concrete.

Lab (3)

• Bending test of glued wood specimen.

• Bending test of natural wood specimen.

• 7-days compression test of cylindrical concrete specimens.

Lab (4)

• Compression of wood specimens.

• 14-days compression test of cylindrical concrete specimens.

Lab (5)

• 21-days compression test of cylindrical concrete specimens with strain gages.

• Affix strain gages to 28-days cylindrical concrete specimens.

Lab (6)

• Batch asphalt.

• 28-days compression test of cylindrical concrete specimens with strain gages.

Lab (7)

• Design of asphalt mix.

• Mix asphalt.

Lab (8)

• Resistance to plastic flow of bituminous mixtures using Marshall apparatus.

• Project Technovation.

Lab (9)

• Conclude asphalt design

SPECIFICATIONS OF LAB REPORT

Although students will work in groups, every student will be responsible for submitting a separate report showing his/her own effort. The lab report shall include a cover page with the names of all partners in the group, course and test titles, and date. The report itself shall contain the objective of the test, procedure, a sketch of equipment used, tables of data recorded, presentation of results in charts and graphs, and conclusions. The report should emphasize the technical aspect of the test. Emphasis in grading will be placed on the technical content of the report as well as clarity, creativity, and correctness of writing. This course is worth a W3 credit, therefore all work should be a true reflection of the writing credit to be earned.

WHAT IS COVERED IN EXAMS?

Student Projects