Material Science for Architectural Engineers

Catalog description

This course offers an in-depth understanding of the structure-processing-properties relationship of common building and construction materials. The course provides a detailed understanding of the atomic-level composition, structures, and properties of the three most-prominent building material types: metals, ceramics, and polymers. The student will understand foundational topics in the structural make-up of building materials and their standardized determination of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. With a combination of in-class activities and lab-based practicums, the students will be able to apply their theoretical knowledge to active experimentation of materials. By the end of this course, the student will be able to (1) identify the engineering application of building materials and explain their use to meet design criteria of structures; (2) apply process-structure-property relationships to explain the characteristics of common building materials (metals, ceramics, polymers); and, (3) evaluate the mechanical and failure behavior of built structures due to in-service loads.