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Course & Unit Catalogues


AR10503: Principles of structural and environmental engineering

[Page last updated: 09 August 2024]

Academic Year: 2024/25
Owning Department/School: Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering
Credits: 10 [equivalent to 20 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 200
Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: EXOB 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Exam (EXOB 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the Unit, you will be able to:
1. Qualitatively assess an external climate and explain the consequences for the design of buildings.
2. Recognise how changes to the building design and construction will affect the environmental conditions within a building, to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being.
3. Make effective decisions relating to structural systems in the context of a design problem.
4. Explain the principal forces and actions affecting the structural behaviour.
5. Develop your initial understanding of sustainability, material use and embodied energy.
6. Explain the science of fire, smoke generation and spread and how building design and specification can minimise risk.


Synopsis: Become aware of the role played by environmental and structural issues in the design and building process. It provides a basic vocabulary for environmental and structural design thinking.
You will be able to make informed decisions about the orientation of buildings, the choice of building envelope and basic construction in order to achieve an optimum internal environment for human habitation.

Content: The Unit introduces the concept of load carrying structures, and forces and moments inherent in all building and engineering structures. You will become familiar with different types of structural materials, elements and assemblies. The Unit enables you to discuss environmental design and its physical impingements upon the human body and introduce the principal variables in the design of the physical environment. Basic calculation tools to measure embodied carbon are introduced, which will link directly to the Studio projects.
Sustainable thinking relating to the design for the external and internal environments, and the choice of structural systems, form the basis of this Unit.

Course availability:

AR10503 is a Designated Essential Unit on the following courses:

Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering
  • UEAR-ANB14 : BSc(Hons) Architecture with Thin sandwich placement(s) (Year 1)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2024/25 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2025/26 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2024/25.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.