EGB375 Design of Concrete Structures

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Structural engineering is a prominent field of civil engineering that includes a focus on concrete structures, which are the most common form of construction worldwide. Structural engineers use knowledge and skills bases that you will learn in this unit to design concrete structures to meet stakeholders' needs. You will learn the core concepts of the design principles and methods of the reinforced and prestressed concrete and their application to structural elements such as the beams, slabs, columns and footings of buildings. You will learn the essential principles of safety, economy, sustainability and constructability in design of concrete structures. You will continue to develop your personal and professional attributes, especially communication skills in design. This unit draws upon your learning in EGB121 Engineering Mechanics, EGB270 Civil Engineering Materials, and EGB275 Structural Mechanics. EGH475 Advanced Concrete Structures will build upon this unit.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Evaluate strength and serviceability of reinforced concrete structural engineering elements with specified properties when subject to loading at a developed level.
2. Design safe and efficient reinforced concrete structural engineering elements adhering to applicable codes of practice at a developed level.
3. Compose technical documentation of a structural engineering project including design calculations and design drawings at a developed level.
4. Reflect upon structural engineering practised tasks in developing professional engineering competency through a written report and an oral presentation at a developed level.

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you can expect to experience the following timetabled activities:

• Formal lectures from experienced professional civil engineers to give you insight into knowledge, skills,
  and attributes. You have the opportunity to ask questions during these lectures. 
• Tutorial classes will give you the opportunity to work collaboratively with your peers to solve problems.
  They will be facilitated by tutors and will provide an opportunity to test your understanding and gain
  feedback on your work.

These activities will be detailed by week of semester on the unit schedule. You can also expect to be provided
with learning resources including video presentations and readings on a unit Canvas site, which you can
access flexibly to complete your learning in this unit.

At the beginning of the unit, you will be made aware of the ways in which you can ask questions or seek
clarification from the unit coordinator, lecturers and tutors.

You are expected to:

• Engage with timetabled learning activities on campus and ask questions.
• Engage with online resources outside of timetabled learning activities. They will be available on the unit
  Canvas site. You will receive regular email announcements regarding the release of these resources.
• Work independently to complete a design task related to concrete structural elements ensuring their safety and compliance with the Australian standards. While there will be time during timetabled tutorial classes, you will also need to undertake independent work outside of that time to complete assessment tasks.
• Prepare for learning activities according to the unit schedule and follow up on any work not completed.
• Complete assessment tasks by working consistently throughout the semester and meeting the due dates that are published via the unit Canvas site.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

During tutorial classes, you will share your formative ideas for your assessments and you will receive feedback from your tutor. You will self-assess your homework tasks based on the solutions provided by the tutors and reflect on your learning. You are encouraged to share and discuss emergent ideas about design of concrete structural elements and your understandings of civil engineering professional practice. Each assessment submission will be graded against criteria and standards that will be shared with you at the beginning of semester through Assessment Task Descriptions and Marking Rubrics. Marked assessment will include feedback given by the markers against the criteria.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment in this unit has been designed to give you the opportunity to show your learning against the unit learning outcomes. You will regularly complete homework tasks and self-assess using the resources provided. You will work as an individual to prepare and submit a design report towards the end of semester, deploying design practices for the concrete elements that are compliant with the Australian Standards. You will further reflect on your structural design skills orally that align to civil engineering professional practice (such as application of design methods and accountability). You will sit an examination individually during the central examination period at the end of semester, where you will show your overall learning in the unit.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Design Project

You will work as an individual to undertake a design task that demonstrates your
development of knowledge and skills bases in serviceability and ultimate limit state design
of concrete elements. You will communicate your initial design individually as a poster presentation to get feedback. Based on this feedback, you will then improve design and complete the design tasks to submit a technical report individually that adheres to a template.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Weekly Homework

You will complete weekly homework individually and self-assess your working using the resources provided. You will reflect upon your overall learning of the unit based on the self-assessed
homework at the end of the semester by writing a brief justification.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Examination (written)

You will be required to analyse and design the concrete structural elements for the given design data and constraints. You will be presented with descriptions of the problems and will need to diagnose the problem type, make use of appropriate theory or methods, demonstrate knowledge and skills bases, show your working, and communicate a complete answer in writing and drawing.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

Risks may be associated with you visiting study areas and/or project sites. You are required to have completed a valid Workplace Health and Safety course. You shall not enter project sites without the Unit Coordinator's approval. You shall not to contact members of the public, public officers or staff associated with any project without permission of the Unit Coordinator. More detailed information will be provided in your Week 1 information class.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer

1: Knowledge and Skill Base

1. 
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework, Examination (written)
2. 
   Relates to: Design Project
3. 
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework, Examination (written)
4. 
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework, Examination (written)

2: Engineering Application Ability

1. 
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework, Examination (written)
2. 
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework, Examination (written)
3. 
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework, Examination (written)
4. 
   Relates to: Design Project

3: Professional and Personal Attributes

1. 
   Relates to: Design Project

Course Learning Outcomes

EN01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

1. Engage stakeholders professionally and communicate the outcomes of your work effectively to expert and non-expert audiences using appropriate modes.
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework
2. Display leadership, creativity, and initiative in both self-directed and collaborative contexts of professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Weekly Homework
3. Deploy appropriate approaches to engineering design and quality.
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework, Examination (written)
4. Engage with and apply regulatory requirements relating to safety, risk management, and sustainability in professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework, Examination (written)
5. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Design Project, Weekly Homework, Examination (written)