Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

As a civil engineer you will often be confronted with projects involving significant masonry content. As masonry is not normally taught in most civil engineering courses in Australia, engineers tend to leave masonry to the paraprofessionals and trade personnels; this practice often leads to unwanted consequences. To better prepare the QUT civil engineers to meet the challenges of masonry in buildings, this unit is introduced as part of the Second Major in Structural Engineering. To effectively design structures, engineers must possess knowledge of four major materials - concrete, steel, masonry and timber. This is the only unit that exclusively deals with masonry; other materials are covered in several units within this second major. This unit builds on your mechanics of materials knowledge; its strategic positioning in Year 3, semester 1 helps you to apply the knowledge of the design of masonry structures to various projects involving design of buildings in future semesters.

Aims

The aim of this unit is develop your professional engineering skills with fundamental understanding of the behaviour of masonry for designing structures in buildings.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Describe the scope and limitations of the Australian masonry design standard AS3700 in the context of the state-of-the-art of masonry design principles


2. Effectively communicate your understanding of the various terminologies and testing methods used in the evaluation of material properties to the professionals at site and design office in the Australian practice


3. Design of masonry elements and systems as per the provisions of the AS3700, with full understanding of the rationale or otherwise of these provisions; and


4. Communicate with peers on the advantages and disadvantages of the design of masonry in buildings
   

Content

Historic & Modern Masonry; Constituent Materials - properties and testing methods; Design for durability; Limit state design principles - capacity & serviceability; background research & innovations to design provisions; General design aspects of walling and lintels including interaction between masonry & other structural elements; Fire design provisions; Out-of-plane behaviour of unreinforced masonry walling; Design of facades & ties; Unreinforced masonry - in-plane behaviour, shear walls & construction detailing; Reinforced masonry - design for flexure, in-plane and out-of-plane shear; Design for compression & slender walls; Novel designs - prestressed masonry, dry-stack masonry, thin bed masonry, geometrical sections, cavity walls and diaphragm walls.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Teaching Mode
Total hours per week: 4 hrs:
Lecture - Tutorial integrated Learning Sessions: 3 hrs
Design Studios: 1 hr


This unit is strongly focussed on design conforming to AS3700. To facilitate ease of reference to AS3700, a detailed set of notes and study guide will be provided to the students. Although the study guide is self contained, face-to-face learning sessions comprising of lectures and tutorials will also be scheduled with a main aim of help reflecting the learning and deepening the understanding. A major team design assignment that will help you to tie the contents learnt to a practical problem will also be provided.
It is expected that you will develop:
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Individual learning by regular reading the information in the study guideand and engagement with the in-class learning sessions

Team based learning by effective contribution to team design project with demonstrated participation in design studios

Assessment

The unit will be assessed through

1. Team design submission (30%),


2. Problem solving tasks (20%) and


3. Final exam (50%).

The team design submission will be both formative and summative; you will be encouraged to engage in discussions about your design as part of your learning portfolio via effective engagement in the design studio. The problem solving task is also both formative and summative - enough discussion opportunity will exist in each learning session; however, students will be expected to adhere to the scheduled learning session.You will receive feedback within two weeks of submission. Learning sessions will provide good opportunity for face-to-face discussions including feedback for simple and straight forward questions.

Assessment name: Problem Solving Task
Description: You will be required to write some short answers (30%) as well as work through a larger design exercise (70%).
Relates to objectives: 1,2,3,4
Weight: 10%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 4

Assessment name: Design Portfolio
Description: This is a group (team) submission. Your team will collate the masonry building design carried out by the members and submit as a coherent report of high professional standard. A reflective journal will be submitted by individual team members with confidential remarks including self and peer assessment.
Relates to objectives: 1,2,3,4
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Week 10

Assessment name: Examination
Description: You will be required to write some short answers and work through a larger design problem.
Relates to objectives: 1,2,3,4
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Examination Period

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Required Texts:
AS3700 (2001) Australian Standard - Masonry Structures, Standards Australia, Sydney. (QUT library database - logon required)
AS3700 Supplement 1 (2004) Australian Standard - Masonry Structures, Standards Australia, Sydney. (QUT library database - logon required)

References:
Resource Material, Unit ENB384, QUT Blackboard Site
CMAA Resource Materials - Concrete Masonry Walling
Think Brick Australia Reference Library - Clay Bricks & Pavers

Risk assessment statement

You will make use of the Blackboard system for most of your needs associated with learning and reflective discussions with the team of lecturers (email/ discussion board). You should observe the good norm of taking a 10 minute break for each hour of work to take care of your health. You may elect to attend lectures and tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatre environment. There are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with the learning of the unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 22-Oct-2012