Course Title: Construction Science

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Construction Science

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
BUIL1105	City Campus	Undergraduate	325H Property, Constr & Proj Mgt	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009

Course Coordinator: Mark Vines

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2230

Course Coordinator Email:pcpmug.student.action@rmit.edu.au

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This course introduces the students to the science areas of construction. Students will have developed an understanding of the characteristics and properties of building materials and their application in the construction process to enable them to recognise and solve problems associated with the selection and application of construction materials.

For the materials considered, students will be able to describe: the manufacture, chemistry, properties, environmental performance testing and uses and the prediction of behaviour of materials used in combination.
They will also be familiar with fundamental factors relating to passive solar design and thermal performance that need to be taken into account when designing buildings to achieve satisfactory standards of climate control, human comfort and energy consumption.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Capabilities

Capabilities built in this course, will be further developed during the program, and are critical to the overall desired capabilities for the first year of the program.
Capabilities in this course will be developed concurrently in the following courses:
Residential Documentation
Construction Technology (residential)
Capabilities in this course will be developed subsequently in the following courses:
Residential Design and Measurement
Construction Technology (general)
Structures
Measurement and Estimating

The specific graduate capabilities that will be addressed, further developed and refined in this course are:

An ability to:-
2.1 identify a problem.
3.2 synthesise knowledge with professional experience to produce the best outcomes when faced with problems.
4.2 ask appropriate questions in a manner that is understood by the other person, listen to, and use, the answer to properly and professionally inform the outcome or path of action chosen.

At the conclusion of this course for the materials considered, students will be able to describe: the manufacture, chemistry, properties, environmental performance testing, uses and the prediction of behaviour of materials used in combination. They will also be familiar with fundamental factors relating to passive solar design and thermal performance that need to be taken into account when designing buildings to achieve satisfactory standards of climate control, human comfort and energy consumption.

Overview of Learning Activities

In the lecture format students will be presented with samples and information regarding each material. Students will be expected to research further into the materials by using the references given, including relevant standards, code of practice and test methods and research publications. Students will be given the tools to undertake a thermal performance assessment of buildings and to be advised on the current best practice in this field.
Emphasis in teaching will be given to the practical application of this course, with theory of materials and thermal properties referred to via examples, with student contributions encouraged.

Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT University Library

Overview of Assessment

For any designated module in a course you must achieve:
• 50% overall,
• at least 40% in the assessment allocated to assignment work or class tests.
• at least 40% in assessment allocated to examinations

If you fail a module, designated by the course guide, you will be deemed to have failed the whole course and will have to repeat it.