52483 - Materials and Construction Elements Design

Course contents

During the first term (September to December) the student will be trained to identify the main building functional parts and elements, through the application of the building classification model established by the UNI 8290 Italian Technical Code. The relationships between the elements will be studied paying attention to the typical requirements they must accomplish, as a key to identify and understand the effectiveness of the assembling.

In the second term (December to May) the main “families” of building materials and components will be studied and its production process identified as well as its main physical characteristics, most common applications and typical performances to be required for its.

 

The lessons will treat the following main topics:

• basic terms and definition: concept of building process, building technology, technical innovation, sustainable architecture
• concepts of technological unit, element, layer. Criteria and models to identify and analyzing the building functional parts, technical units, classes  and elements
• concepts of need, requirement, performance. Performance approach to building design and basic concepts of performance design
• typical requirements of the main class of building elements (foundations, vertical and horizontal structures, envelopes)
• methods ad tips for the functional design of the main building elements and essential assembling/connections between elements (structure/envelope, vertical envelope/ground, vertical envelope/roof, vertical/horizontal internal partitions)
• production process, characteristics and technical performances of the most common building materials (stones, concrete, wood, tiles brick and ceramics, steel, aluminium, gloss, polymers and

Readings/Bibliography

Recommended Texts

• Allen, Edward; I fondamenti del costruire. I materiali, le tecniche, i metodi; McGraw-Hill Companies, Milano, 1997  (Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods; John Wiley&Sons, USA, 1990, 2nd ed)
• Reid, Esmond; Capire gli edifici. Un approccio multidisciplinare; Zanichelli Ed.,  Bologna 1990 (Understanding Buildings. A multidisciplinary approach; London, 1984)
• Sinopoli, Nicola; Tatano, Valeria (Edd.); Sulle tracce dell'innovazione. Tra tecniche e architettura; F.Angeli, Milano, 2002

Recommended Texts

• De Botton, Alain; Architettura e felicità; Guanda, Milano, 2006 (The Architecture of Happiness, London, 2006)
• Koenig, G.K.; Furiozzi, B.; Fanelli, G.; Bugatti, B.; Brunetti, F; Tecnologia delle costruzioni; Le Monnier, Firenze 2004 (3 voll.)
• Torricelli, M.C.; Del Nord, R.; Felli, P.; Materiali e tecnologie dell'architettura; Laterza, Roma. 2001 (3° ed. 2003)

Teaching methods

The Course includes lectures, seminars and assisted exercises focalized on the application to simple cases of the knowledge provided by lectures and seminars.

 

Lectures : the detailed program and timetable will provide at the Course beginning

 

Seminars : experts coming from industrial companies and manufacturer associations will participate in a series of seminars to provide additional information about the current production and market of the main building materials (bricks&tiles, concrete, steel, wood, glass, ceramics, curtain walls)

 

Assisted exercises : during the first term (September to November) three simple individual exercises will allow to apply to real cases some topic discussed at the lessons. Then, the fourth individual exercise (December to May) will consist in the design of a portion of a small building façade, achieving a plausible technical configuration based on an express set of functional requirement. Each exercise and the methods to apply to do it will be explained in a Guide (“Guida alle esercitazioni”, currently available in Italian only).

Assessment methods

The learning level will check by two series of quizzes administered during the Course and by the final exam, which will check the knowledge level achieved by each student on the required texts as well as the completeness and the quality of the work done for the exercises.

The grade will balance the evaluation of the knowledge level achieved on both the topics discussed during the Course (lectures and seminars) and the bibliography. In addition, the clearness, effectiveness and propriety of the presentation will also affect the final grade.

 

Teaching tools

Lectures and seminars will complemented by specific documents and bibliographical references. The slides projected at the lessons will be downloadable from the Professor website, as well as a Guide explaining the methods to apply to do the individual Exercises. (to download the documents: www.ernestoantonini.net)

Office hours

See the website of Ernesto Antonini