Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, Unit Catalogue 2009/10 |
AR50357: Sustainable construction materials |
 Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Masters |
| Period: | Modular (no specific semester) |
| Assessment:
| CW 100% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| |
| Description: | Aims: To provide a comprehensive understanding of construction materials; a critical awareness of their contribution to environmental impact and their contribution to low carbon building performance. Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the Unit the students will have demonstrated the ability to: * critically and systematically evaluate and compare the environmental impact of a range of construction materials, products and systems using life cycle assessment procedures; * select, design and specify sustainable construction materials creatively and with confidence. Skills: Critical assessment of the effect of building materials on the environmental and holistic performance of buildings. Written and oral communications. These skills are facilitated and assessed. Content: Life cycle assessment; life cycle costing; environmental impact of construction materials; modern use of traditional materials; concrete; steel; masonry; timber; renewable crop based materials; polymers; insulation products; retrofitting; thermal mass; breathing wall construction; building health. |