City University of Hong Kong

Information on a Course

offered by Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering

with effect from Semester A in 2014/2015

Part I

Course Title: Strength of Materials

Course Code: CA2689
Course Duration: 1 Semester
(Some courses offered in Summer Term may start a few weeks earlier than the normal University
schedule. Please check the teaching schedules with CLs before registering for the courses.)
Credit Units: 3
Level: B2
Medium of Instruction: English
Prerequisites: Nil
Precursor: Nil
Equivalent Courses: Nil
Exclusive Courses: Nil

Part II

1. Course Aims:

This course mainly consists of two parts: (1) structural mechanics and (2) construction materials. The structural mechanics part
mainly introduces basic principles for analyzing structural components, such as beams, columns and braces, for simple structural
systems, such as buildings and trusses. Commonly used building materials including concrete, steelwork and masonry will be
introduced in the construction materials part. This course provides the necessary backgrounds for studying the other courses in the
surveying programme.

2. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

Weighting (if
No. CILOs
applicable)
1. Determine unknown axial force for statically determinate trusses. ---
Determine unknown internal member forces and the corresponding stresses for statically
2. ---
determinate beam structures.
Describe the properties of concrete and its constituents, such as cement, aggregates, and admixtures,
3. ---
as a construction material.
4. Describe the properties of steel, masonry including brickworks and blockworks and timber. ---
5. Identify the factors that affect the properties and performance of various building materials. ---
3. Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs):

Semester Hours: 4 hours per week

Lecture/Tutorial/Laboratory Mix: Lecture (Mix); Tutorial (Mix); Laboratory (Mix)
4 hrs/wk including lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions

Total Hours (if

CILO No. TLAs
applicable)
Lectures and Tutorials: Systems of forces and moments; Objects in equilibrium; truss
analysis.
CILO 1 Laboratory: Roof truss with direct load. Allow students to discover the factors controlling 12
the load distribution for truss structures.

Lectures and Tutorials: Bending moment and shear force diagrams; Stress distribution due
to bending; Basic concept of deformation and deflection; Allow students to discover the
CILO 2 relationship between slenderness ratio and buckling. 8

Lectures & Tutorials: Introduction to concrete, cement, aggregates; concrete mix design
and influential factors governing the concrete performance; Introduction to reinforced
concrete elements, fibre reinforced composites, mechanisms of reinforcement; durability
of concrete; admixtures, destructive and non-destructive tests.
Laboratory: Some tests on aggregates; Allow students to discover engineering properties
of aggregates.
CILO 3 Laboratory: Tests on fresh concrete (making of cubes, cylinders and prisms, curing, etc.) 16
and other appropriate tests; Allow students to discover the existences of various
engineering tests methods for fresh concrete
Laboratory: Tests on hardened concrete. Allow students to discover the influences of
various components and curing methods on the performance of fresh and hardened
concrete; Allow students to discover other common test methods for hard concrete

Lectures and Tutorials: Steelwork, masonry including brickworks and blockworks and
timber; Allow students to discover the relationship between construction material types,
CILO 4 properties and structure performance. 12

Lectures and Tutorials: Allow students to identify properties and performance of other
CILO 5 building materials. 4

4. Assessment Tasks/Activities:

Coursework: 50%
Examination: 50% (Examination duration = 3 hours)

To pass a course, a student must obtain minimum marks of 30% in both coursework and
examination components, and an overall mark of at least 40%.

CILO No. Type of assessment tasks/activities Weighting (if Remarks

applicable)
CILO 1 2 questions in the examination --- Nil
A laboratory report
A quiz on force equilibrium

CILO 2 2 questions in the examination --- Nil

CILO 3 1 question in the examination --- Nil
A quiz on construction materials focusing on concrete
3 laboratory reports

CILO 4 1 question in the examination --- Nil

CILO 5 1 question in the examination --- Nil

5. Grading of Student Achievement:

Grading Pattern:

Standard

Refer to Grading of Courses in the Academic Regulations.

Part III

Keyword Syllabus:

Structural Mechanics: Forces and force systems, conditions of equilibrium, with particular reference to coplanar force systems and
structures; Truss analysis by the method of joints and the method of sections; Bending moments and shearing forces in statically
determinate beams under point and distributed loads; the concept of deformation and deflection. The relationship between buckling
and the slenderness of a member.
Construction materials: Cement; Aggregates; Admixtures; Properties of fresh and hardened concrete; Destructive and non-destructive
testing of concrete; Concrete mix design; Reinforced concrete; Fibre-reinforced composite materials; Durability of concrete;
steelwork; masonry including brickworks and blockworks and timber

Recommended Reading:

Texts:
1. [Essential Reading] Anthony Bedford and Wallace Fowler, Engineering Mechanics, Statics, SI Edition, ISBN 0-
13-129005-3.
2. [Essential Reading] Neville, A.M. & Brooks, J.J. (2001), Concrete Technology, Revised Edition 2001, Perason
Education Ltd, Harlow, Essex, UK.
3. Gere, James M. (2001), Mechanics of Materials, 5th Edition, Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
4. Taylor, Geoffrey D. (2000), Materials in Construction: An Introduction, 3rd Edition, Harlow: Longman.
5. Craig, Roy R. (2000), Mechanics of Materials, 2nd Edition, New York; Chichester, England: John Wiley.
6. DaDeppo, Donald A. (1999), Introduction to Structural Mechanics and Analysis, Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Prentice Hall.
7. Illston, J.M. & Domone, P.L.J. (2001), Construction Materials: Their Nature and Behaviour, 3rd Edition,
London; New York: Spon Press.
8. Allen, Edward (1999), Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods, 3rd Edition, New York:
John Wiley & Sons.
9. Lai, James S. (1999), Materials of Construction, 2nd Edition, Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.
10. Marotta, Theodore W.& Herubin, Charles A. (1997), Basic Construction Materials, 5th Edition, Upper Saddle
River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Online Resources:
1. Official course website at Blackboard.
2. http://calc.materials-sciences.com/start.html: Structural mechanics calculator