Course Title: Apply knowledge of concrete technology
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2014
Course Code: CIVE5664
Course Title: Apply knowledge of concrete technology
School: 130T Vocational Engineering
Campus: City Campus
Program: C6093 - Advanced Diploma of Engineering Design
Course Contact: Program Manager
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4468
Course Contact Email: vocengineering@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
A.S. (Ahmet) Ertuncay. Program Manager.
School of Engineering (TAFE)
Civil Operations
Tel : (03) 9925 8375
Fax : (03) 9925 4377
e-mail ahmet.ertuncay@rmit.edu.au
W.R. (Bill) Harding, Teacher
School of Engineering (TAFE)
Civil Operations
Tel. 9925 4443
Fax. 9925 4377
e-mail: bill.harding@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 40
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
Nil
Course Description
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to understand the science and technology of concrete and relate these to the uses of concrete in civil construction.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
EDC110B Apply knowledge of concrete technology |
Element: |
1. Apply knowledge of the principle properties of the constituents of normal Portland cement concrete and special concrete mixes. |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 The properties of commonly used ingredients for concrete batching using Portland cement are identified. |
Element: |
2. Identify the effects of admixtures in concrete and the basic reason for placing steel reinforcement. |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 The strength of un-reinforced concrete and the effect of various admixtures on its strength and other properties are understood. |
Element: |
3. Conduct appropriate tests on a range of concrete design mixes using Portland cement and local aggregates. |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Trial design mixes for various concrete target strengths are produced. |
Element: |
4. Identify properties of concrete in the plastic and hardened states. |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Identify methods by which concrete properties in the plastic and in the hardened state can be changed. |
Element: |
5. Evaluate the methods of transporting, placing and compacting concrete. |
Performance Criteria: |
5.1 Suitable methods of transporting, placing and compacting concrete, to achieve durable structures are evaluated. |
Element: |
6. Apply understanding of the methods of finishing and the effect of curing concrete. |
Performance Criteria: |
6.1 Finishing techniques and the effect of curing concrete for certain specified minimum periods of time are understood. |
Learning Outcomes
Refer to the elements
Details of Learning Activities
Teacher Directed:
• Teacher–led face to face lectures for each element in designated areas of underpinning knowledge, including workplace scenarios and the use of overheads, videos and notes from local web page and covering:
• Cement & Concrete technology
• Properties and Durability of Concrete
• Concrete mix design to AS 3600
• Concrete testing to AS 3600
• Special Concretes.
• Handling, Placing, Compacting and Finishing of Concrete.
Student-based problem-solving:
• Participate in individual and team problem solving activities completed to industry standard related to typical engineering workplace problems and covering:
• Cement & Concrete technology
• Properties and Durability of Concrete
• Concrete mix design to AS 3600
• Concrete testing to AS 3600
• Special Concretes.
• Handling, Placing, Compacting and Finishing of Concrete.
Group-based:
• Participate in individual or small group research using Self Help Questions/Answers for each element in designated areas of underpinning knowledge, accessed via local web site for this unit.
Student-based research:
• Participate in an individual major written research project undertaken on a construction site addressing the designated areas of underpinning knowledge for each element.
Teaching Schedule
| Week | Topics Delivered | Element / Performance Criteria |
| 1 to 6 | Concrete and its Constiuents | 1.1 |
| 1 to 6 | Special Cements | 1.2, 1.3 |
| 6, 7, 8 | Special Concretes Admixtures | 1.3, 2.1, 2.2 |
| 9 | Testing Concrete | 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 |
| 10 | Test 1 | 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 |
| 11 | Reinforced Concrete | 2.1 |
| 12 | Reinforcement | 2.1 continued |
| 12 | Chemical Reactions | 4.1, 4.2 |
| 13 | Transport and Placement | 5.1 |
| 14 | Finsihed Concrete | 6.1, 6.2 |
| 15 | Project - Finsihed Concrete | 6.1, 6.2 |
| 15, 16 | Curing | 6.1, 6.2 |
| 17 | Test 2 | 2.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2 |
| 18 | Feedback/Summary |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
HB 2.2 Australian Standards for Civil Engineering Students, Part 2: Structural Engineering. |
References
CACA & Standards Australia, 2002, Guide to concrete construction, 2nd edn., Cement and concrete association of Australia and Standards Australia |
Other Resources
Overview of Assessment
Assessment are conducted in both theoretical and practical aspects of the course according to the performance criteria set out in the National Training Package. Students are required to undertake summative assessments that bring together knowledge and skills. To successfully complete this course you will be required to demonstrate competency in each assessment tasks detailed under the Assessment Task Section.
Your assessment for this course will be marked using the following table:
NYC (<50%) Not Yet Competent
CAG (50-59%) Competent - Pass
CC (60-69%) Competent - Credit
CDI (70-79%) Competent - Distinction
CHD (80-100%) Competent - High Distinction
Assessment Tasks
Test 1 is based on learning outcomes 1, 2, & 3, worth 40% of final mark, due in Week 10.
Test 2 is based on learning outcomes 4, 5, & 6, worth 40% of final mark, due in Week 17.
Project 1 is based on learning outcome 6, worth 20% of final mark, due in Week 16.
Note: All Tests are conducted on-line.
Assessment Matrix
| EDC110B Elements & Performance Criteria | |||||||||||||
|
Assessments |
1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 6.2 |
| Test 1 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||
| Test 2 | X | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
| Project | X | X |
Other Information
REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.
Prerequisite units comprise part of the underpinning knowledge and skills.
Concrete Materials
Concrete-ingredients, hydration, setting, strength. Reinforced concrete-steel bars, wires, tendons.
Cement
• ingredients, production
• mineral content and properties
• heat of hydration, setting time, strength development
• shrinkage
• resistance to aggressive agents-porosity, acid, sulphates, seawater, frost, heat
• types of cement
Aggregates
• importance of aggregates
• properties-rock type, artificial aggregates, grading, shape and texture, bond, strength, resistance to wear, SG, porosity
• deleterious substances-organic matter, surface coatings, salt, unsound particles, alkali/ aggregate reaction
• aggregate crushing test
Water
• quality-potable, pH range, salt content, silt
• effect of quality on-setting, strength, corrosion alkali/agg
Steel
• types of bars, fabric
• tempcore bars-bending, joining
• galvanized bars, prestressing tendons and wire
• bond
Admixtures
• behaviour, application, effect, air-entraining, set-occel., set-retarding, water-reducing, superplasticisers, expanding, permeability-reducing
Pozzolans
• effects on-porosity, workability, strength
• types: fly-ash, others
Tests
• make cylinders for crushing
• moisture content of sand
• silt test
• organic content of sand
• aggregate crushing
• slump test
Properties and Durability of Concrete
Properties of Plastic Concrete:
• workability, define
• factors affecting workability: w/c ratio, water content, % air-entrainment, aggregate grading, agg./cement ratio, superplasticisers
• measuring workability: slump test and its usefulness on site
• effects of time and temperature on workability
• segregation: define, types, effects of aggregate grading
• bleeding: define, causes, remedies
Properties of Hardened Concrete:
• strength: tensile, compressive, w/c ratio, age, bonding of reinf., curing time and temperature, cement type, water quality, aggregate type, density, porosity, admixtures
• elasticity, shrinkage: stress/strain, drying shrinkage, effects of aggregate, admixtures, curing and storage, shrinkage induced cracks, external moisture effects, carbonation shrinkage
• creep: define, relaxation of stress, creep recovery: factors influencing creep-vol. of cement paste, aggregates, strength of concrete, type of cement, admixtures, humidity, relation between creep and time: effects of creep – deflection of beams/slabs, stress redistribution, loss of prestress
Durability of Concrete:
• define: requirements of AS3600 – corrosion of reinforcement, abrasion, freeze/thaw
• corrosion: mechanics of corrosion: corrosion of concrete and prevention-quality of concrete, cement type, cover cracks: corrosion of steel and prevention-special steels, coating steel ex. epoxy and galvan., corrosion inhibitors in concrete, cathodic protection
• abrasion: define: factors affecting – strength, aggregates, surface finish, curing, AS3600
• freeze/thaw: frost action: factors affecting frost action – moisture content, w/c ration, entrained air, AS3600
• other factors: alkali/aggregate reaction, seawater and AS3600, acids, sulphates
Concrete Mix Design
• define
• methods: ex. American Concrete Institute method, British Road Note 4 method
• factors affecting mix proportions: characteristic compressive strength, target strength, durability, workability and cohesion, max. size of aggregate, grading and size of aggregates, agg./cement ratio, w/c ration, admixtures
• design a trial mix of given strength and workability in accordance with AS3600 exposure classifications
• produce the trial mix in the lab. and adjust ingredients if necessary. Test cylinders at 28 days
• prepare concrete cylinder (for Brazil test) and beam for tensile strength tests
Transporting, Placing and Compacting Concrete
Transporting: delay, drying out, segregation, methods of transporting, pumping
• delay: factors affecting stiffening, effect on slump
• drying out: humidity, mix, cover
• segregation: cohesive mix, methods of avoiding
• methods of transporting: ready-mix trucks, concrete pumps, other
• pumping concrete: types of pumps and performance, props. of concrete for easy pumping, pumping procedures
Placing: form work and reinforcement, avoiding segregation, methods of handling for good practice, deep lift placing, cold weather placing, hot weather placing, placing concrete under water, shotcrete, placement of mass concrete
Compacting
• objectives and importance, methods
• immersion vibrators, external vibrators, surface vibrators, vibrating tables
• effects of vibrators on mix design
• effects of prolonged vibration and revibration
• surface defects and causes
• good practice
• segregation and bleeding
Curing, Finishing and Special Concretes
Curing concrete
• importance of curing
• methods and effects of curing: water or damp cover: *ponding, sprinkling, damp covers – impermeable mediums: *waterproof material, shuttering, curing compounds – accelerated curing: *low pressure steam curing, high pressure steam curing (autoclaving), infra-red curing, electrical curing
• problems: plastic shrinkage cracks, effects on hydration, loss of strength, abrasion resistance, effects of delayed curing
Surface finishing:
• summary
• untreated concrete surfaces
• shuttering types
• tooled surface finishes
• exposed aggregate finishes, miscellaneous methods
• abrasion resisting finishes
Special concretes:
• concrete for water-retaining structures, AS3735 requirements
• light weight concrete
• high density concrete
• fibre and glass reinforced concrete
• roller compacter concrete (RCC)
Other Information
• Student directed hours involve completing activities such as reading online resources, project work, individual student-teacher course-related consultation. Students are required to self-study the learning materials and complete the assigned out of class activities for the scheduled non-teaching hours. The estimated time is 20 hours outside the class time.
Study and Learning Support:
Study and Learning Centre (SLC) provides free learning and academic development advice to you. Services offered by SLC to support your numeracy and literacy skills are:
- Assignment writing, thesis writing and study skills advice
- Maths and science developmental support and advice
- English language development
Please Refer http://www.rmit.edu.au/studyandlearningcentre to find more information about Study and learning Support
Disability Liaison Unit:
If you are suffering from long-term medical condition or disability, you should contact Disability Liaison Unit to seek advice and support to complete your studies.
Please Refer http://www.rmit.edu.au/disability to find more information about services offered by Disability Liaison Unit
Late Submission:
If you require an Extension of Submittable Work (assignments, reports or project work etc.) for 7 calendar days or less (from the original due date) and have valid reasons, you must complete and lodge an Application for Extension of Submittable Work (7 Calendar Days or less) form and lodge it with the Senior Educator/ Program Manager.
The application must be lodged no later than one working day before the official due date. You will be notified within no more than 2 working days of the date of lodgement as to whether the extension has been granted.
If you seek an Extension of Submittable Work for more than 7 calendar days (from the original due date) must lodge an Application for Special Consideration form under the provisions of the Special Consideration Policy, preferably prior to, but no later than 2 working days after the official due date.
Submittable Work (assignments, reports or project work etc.) submitted late without approval of an extension will not be accepted or marked.
Special Consideration:
Please refer http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/specialconsideration to find more information about special consideration
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is a form of cheating and it is very serious academic offence that may lead to expulsion from the University.
Please Refer: www.rmit.edu.au/academicintegrity to find more information about plagiarism.
Email Communication:
All email communications will be sent to your RMIT email address and you must regularly check your RMIT emails.
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