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Curricular information is subject to change
On completion of this course students should be able to;
Understand the environmental impact of material choices in the design of buildings.
Demonstrate a familiarity with environmental impact assessment methods for a material.
Understand how to frame performance objectives and a research hypothesis.
Demonstrate a knowledge of contemporary research in the field of concrete mixes, performance, design and construction, and reuse potential.
Demonstrate an ability to enhance a material's performance relative to its environmental impact through an iterative research, assessment and design process.
The module content varies by annual research theme. In principle content includes discussions on the environmental implications of material choices and the role of life-cycle analysis; understanding current trends and implications of cement and concrete production within an Irish and global context; reviewing concepts of embodied energy and carbon as well as methods of calculation and associated inventories of data; introduction to concrete mix design and the role of additives, admixtures and alternative forms of cement; contemporary research and case study projects on innovative concrete mixes and/or construction; and concrete construction assemblies.
The module typically includes a field trip to cement and/or precast concrete manufacturing facilities. There may also be workshops which will take place on Tuesdays following the midterm break where small sample projects are made based on research by individual and/or teams of students, which could form part of the final research report.
Student Effort Type | Hours |
---|---|
Lectures | 16 |
Small Group | 12 |
Tutorial | 6 |
Laboratories | 4 |
Field Trip/External Visits | 6 |
Autonomous Student Learning | 58 |
Total | 102 |
Not applicable to this module.
Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Presentation: Two A1 portrait format panels containing a summary of the research project for presentation and discussion. (Individual or team). | Coursework (End of Trimester) | n/a | Graded | No | 15 |
Presentation: Journal Article Review (presentation) Students will present their review of their selected select a research article to the class. |
Week 4 | n/a | Graded | No | 10 |
Assignment: Journal Article Review (written submission) Students will submit a review paper of 2-3 pages which summarizes a selected research article. |
Week 5 | n/a | Graded | No | 15 |
Assignment: DfD Project (final report) Proposal developed on principles of disassembly and lowering the environmental impact of concrete structures, summarized and discussed in a final essay (Individual or team) |
Coursework (End of Trimester) | n/a | Graded | No | 50 |
Presentation: DfD Project (presentation) | Week 10 | n/a | Graded | No | 10 |
Remediation Type | Remediation Timing |
---|---|
In-Module Resit | Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board |
• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Self-assessment activities
The first presentation and research summary will facilitate students to self-monitor and critically evaluate their own work relative to their peers and the discussion following the presentation. Written feedback will be provided to each student post-assessment. Students will be provided continuous feedback on the development of their research project, individually or as a group, in-class as their work progresses throughout the term. In-class review of the preliminary results will facilitate students to self-monitor and critically evaluate their own work relative to their peers and the project criteria. Written feedback will be provided to each student or team following completion of the workshop project. A final presentation of the research of each student or team of students will facilitate students to critically evaluate their own work relative to their peers and the project criteria. Written feedback will be provided to each student or team post-assessment on the final research report submitted.