The Structure and

Properties of Civil
Engineering Materials

Fromcontinuingeducation.construction.com

http://landarchs.com/naples-geodesic-gridshell-urban-furniture-experiment/


The Structure and Properties of Civil
Engineering Materials

Paulo J.M. Monteiro

Fall Semester, 2014

How to reach me
725 Davis Hall phone: 643-8251
Office Hours: TuTh 10-11 am,
M 1:00-2:00 pm
Email: monteiro@ce.berkeley.edu
(please identify yourself as a CE60 student)

First Lecture Introduction

Two important components of the
course:
Formal lectures
Lectures: Presence recommended but not required

Laboratory

Labs: Presence mandatory

Objectives of the course

Develop an appreciation for construction
materials
Understand the fundamental principles of
materials science and how it applies to civil
engineering materials
Develop laboratory skills: a) how to
measure, b) what it means, c) why it matters
(lab report)
Improve interaction with your colleagues
Hopefully an enjoyable experience with
practical engineering

How I will measure your progress

Weekly homework (10%)
Two midterms (15% each)
Lab reports (20%)
Final (40%)
Yes, the final is only 40% of the grade!!

Material (1)
Fundamentals of materials science
atomic bonds
crystal structures
alloys
microstructure of steel
phase transformations
steel treatments
MIDTERM (1/3 of the course)

Material (2)
Concrete (greater emphasis because
as a civil engineer you will be
responsible for making it)
cements
aggregates
mix design
properties
durability
SECOND MIDTERM

Material (3)
Wood
Polymers
Composites
Sustainability
THE END

Policy regarding reviews of the

midterms

Youre welcome to bring your

exam to discuss until the
last day of class.

Late HW Policy:
50% off if handed in the next lecture
(please do not place it in my
mailbox or under the door of my
office).
HW will not be accepted after that.

BOOKS etc
Reader from Foundation of Materials Science and
Engineering, W.F. Smith, McGraw-Hill.
Concrete: Structure, Properties and Materials by
Mehta and Monteiro, Fourth Edition, McGrawHill 2013.



Class slides are in the web (free, of course)



Lab notes in the web page

Labs
Play with Bungee Cord
Break Steel
Heat Steel
Making Concrete (trial and error)
Making Concrete (ACI code)
High-strength competition [(root?) beer and
pizza)
after youre tired of concrete, you test wood.

A few notes about the lab:

Its an integral part of the course.
You will join a group (4-5) and perform the experiment
together, however the laboratory report will always
be individual. The data obviously will be the same
but the analysis and interpretation should be in your
own words.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. The University now
has even tougher rules. Contact me if you have any
doubts, questions, and concerns

A few words about the reports

Soon (hopefully) you will be a proud Berkeley engineer
and you should be able to communicate your ideas
clearly.
Here are some suggestions for good practice:
Complete the cover page carefully. Never, ever, forget
to write your name.
Write a clear introduction: a) explain what the
objectives were and b) what you have done.
Next describe the experimental conditions: materials,
equipment, and methods.

More few words

Provide the experimental results in tables and graphs
that are easy to understand. Be extremely careful
with units.
Discussion. Here is your chance to distinguish
yourself from the crowd. Do the results make
sense? Do they follow what would be theoretically
expected? If not, why not?
Conclusion: A few paragraphs should be enough to
summarize your work.
Appendix: Include raw data, etc.