2018/19 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue
CIVE5451M Constituent Materials of Concrete
30 creditsClass Size: 50
Module manager: Professor Leon Black
Email: l.black@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2018/19
Pre-requisite qualifications
Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or approved prior learning (certified or experiential).This module is not approved as an Elective
Module summary
This module contributes to students' comprehensive understanding of the general principles of concrete technology and construction at an advanced level. Course content provides participants with an understanding of the fundamental principles underpinning the construction of high-quality, durable concrete civil engineering structures and is aimed at students and current construction professionals involved in production, use, quality control or learning activities associated with concrete construction.Objectives
The aim of the module is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the constituent materials of structural concrete including material types and production; physical and chemical characteristics; coverage in codes and standards; and impact on fresh and hardened concrete properties as well as contributions to carbon footprint and sustainability. In addition, it is aimed at developing in students the ability to appraise practical situations and match them with appropriate concretes and constituents of concrete.Learning outcomes
Successful completion of the course will lead to the following learning outcomes:
Knowledge and understanding:
• Ability to explain and specify constituent materials, and material combinations, suitable for concrete civil engineering structures;
• Ability to discuss origins and/or manufacturing process associated with constituent materials;
• Ability to describe the composition and structure of the principal reaction products present in hardened concrete;
• Ability to state and explain the influences of the properties of different constituent materials on short- and long term concrete performance;
• Ability to describe the important physical and chemical characteristics of construction materials;
• Ability to recount the environmental conditions to which structures are exposed and how different materials respond to such environments;
• Ability to apply principles of sustainability to concrete when selecting constituents for differnet practical situations.
Practical skills:
• Ability to apply knowledge of materials to a range of structural and non-structural concrete applications;
• Ability to trouble-shoot typical short- and long-term problems associated with concrete construction;
• Ability to provide project-specific guidance on the selection and specification of appropriate concrete constituent materials for civil engineering structures.
Transferable skills:
• Confidence to work independently to research, collate and synthesise information;
• Ability to derive solutions to engineering problems;
• Ability to reflectively evaluate one's own learning and personal development;
• Apply subject-specific knowledge to generic engineering challenges;
• Ability to collate complex information in a concise and effective manner in the form of a report.
Skills outcomes
Please see learning outcomes.
Syllabus
The module will cover the following broad topics:
• Health and safety
• Cements
• Additions
• Admixtures
• Aggregates
• Test methods and equipment
• Quality concepts/control
• Sustainability of cementitious materials
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| On-line Learning | 2 | 0.25 | 0.50 |
| Lectures | 4 | 0.50 | 2.00 |
| Class tests, exams and assessment | 2 | 3.00 | 6.00 |
| Group learning | 1 | 25.00 | 25.00 |
| Independent online learning hours | 170.00 | ||
| Private study hours | 96.50 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 33.50 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300.00 | ||
Private study
This module will be delivered via distance learning and will involve no conventional lectures or seminars, but will be based on the concept of self-learning, coordinated by the programme leader and invited University tutors (as appropriate). The module will be introduced through four recorded lectures by the programme leader.The learning process will be achieved via the completion of group-based and individual assignments set by the programme leader, in consultation with University Tutors. These assignments will be based on reference text books made available to students specifically for this self-learning module, together with relevant online resource materials as appropriate. Assignment topics will be both topical and challenging, designed to provide revision, updating and an advanced understanding of concrete technology against the prescribed modules learning objectives. Each assignment will last approximately 4 weeks and will be undertaken on a group-basis, with one student in each group assigned as a group leader. Each assignment group will receive technical and moral support from an appointed academic member of staff or invited University tutor as appropriate. Assignment-specific discussion forums will also be created on VLE to allow open communication between students and enable input/review by the module coordinator/ tutors. For each assignment, the team leader will be responsible for organising the group’s work and posting the final report online and to deadline, via the course website.
The group and individual assignments will be complemented by online MCQs. These will be designed to test deeper level thinking than conventional MCQs, by introducing “assertion-reason” style questions, or enabling calculation based questions. The introduction of these MCQs has been considered so as to provide instant feedback to students and guide them through their learning and potential gaps in their knowledge.
Information required to contribute to group assignments will come from independent online learning and private study. In addition to the group assignments, which will form the basis of formative feedback to students, there will be an individual assignment, which will be assessed by the programme leader and the University Tutor, and will form part of the summative assessment.
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Student progress is monitored via a number of routes. Firstly, students are encouraged to use each module’s online discussion board. Engagement is then followed by regular assessment through the semester, with an assessment timetable developed so as to offer regular feedback to students while also monitoring student engagement and progress. A typical timetable is given below:Week 1 Group Assignment set
Week 3 Individual component submission of Group Assignment
Weeks 4-5 MCQ 1
Week 5 Feedback on Individual component of Group Assignment
Week 6 Individual Assignments set
Week 8 Group Assignment submission
Weeks 9-10 MCQ 2
Week 10 Feedback on Group Assignment
Week 11 Submission of Individual Assignment 1
Late December Feedback on Individual Assignment 1
Week 12 Submission of Individual Assignment 2
Late January Feedback on Individual Assignment 2
Note that the weeks are indicative of teaching weeks rather than calendar weeks, such that students also have the Christmas vacation to complete their individual assignments.
Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Essay | 3,000 words | 40.00 |
| Essay | 3,000 words | 40.00 |
| Group Project | 5,000 words (formative) | 0.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 80.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Exams
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
| Online MCQ | 0 hr 00 mins | 10.00 |
| Online MCQ | 0 hr 00 mins | 10.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 20.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 30/04/2018
Browse Other Catalogues
- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
- Undergraduate programme catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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