CE1HMS: History of the Built Environment, Material, and Structural Analysis

Module code: CE1HMS

Module provider: School of Construction Management and Engineering, School of Built Environment

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Mate Janos Lorincz, email: m.lorincz@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Martin Green, email: m.s.green@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to introduce students to the history of the built environment through a collection of historical developments that illustrate relationships between materials, structures, and design, and applies historically grounded approaches to understanding contemporary challenges in the built environment. In addition, this module provides students with principles of structural design and analysis and enables them to appropriate materials for structures. 

This module is designed to provide students with the opportunity to recognise and distinguish developments in relationships between space, design, and emerging technologies, and introduces mechanical properties of a wide range of materialsincluding concrete, metals, timber, and masonry that are used in structural design. These developments in architectural engineering in the built environment, are contextualised through a conceptual and critical approach that bridges aesthetic and technical requirements. The module seeks to establish styles of architectural engineering and relate these to the emergence of new materials and technologies in sociocultural contexts of the built environment. 

Techniques of structural design and analysis will also be introduced, and students will learn the rationale behind using these techniques including their application to the design of steel, reinforced concrete, and pre-stressed concrete structures. In this module factors such as stress, strain, elasticity, plasticity and cracking will be discussed. In addition, students will learn the science behind the structural durability of the main materials used in the built environment.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Describe and identify the key characteristics of historical developments in architectural engineering and demonstrate the value of historically grounded approaches to contemporary approaches to architectural engineering design; 
2. Examine the relationship between engineering and architecture and its impact on materials, structures, and design; 
3. Understand characteristics associated with tensile and compression forces in simple structures and trusses, along with the physical properties and environmental impacts of materials used in structural design; 
4. Describe the main approach discussed in British Standards for the assessment of loadings and the design of structural steelwork and reinforced concrete.

Module content

• Structure, composition, properties and performance of building materials (concrete, masonry, metals, timber, plastics, glass, bituminous and paints), 
• Basic concepts of stresses and strains of simple structures, 
• Calculation of shear forces, bending moments and deflection of fabrics, 
• Designing structural concrete and steel elements in accordance with the British standards and Regulations of building materials and structural design, 
• Stress and Strain: combination and failure criteria, 
• Concrete and curing, aggregates and admixtures, 
• An introduction to history of the built environment 
• Ancient approaches to the built Environment  
• Romanesque Architectural-Engineering  
• Medieval Craftwork 
• Architectural Engineering during modernity 
• Urban infrastructures and industrialisation 
• Standardised materials and mass production 
• Digital Design and Communication 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching in this module will be by means of lectures, tutorials, and seminars. These sessions will be complemented by guided independent study. 

Independent study hours needed depend on the learning style of each individual. The following guide for independent study hours is just an example. 

Study hours

At least 33 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative assessments will be provided in tutorial sessions. 

Reassessment

Additional costs