The aim of the course is to give to students the basic knowledge and the tools required for the selection and a proper use of materials in the building industry according to physical, mechanical and durability requirements. The course will be focused on materials typically used in architecture.

The course consists of two parts.

 In the first part a general overview of materials and their properties will be recalled:

• brief overview of materials used in architecture and analysis of their main characteristics;
• Properties of materials: mechanical, thermal, optical, acoustic properties;
• Binders: Lime (hydraulic and not): Gypsum. Portland cement. Special cements.
• Mortars and concretes: Aggregates: chemical and physical characteristics. Fresh and hardened concrete: main characteristics. Special concrete: short outline. Degradation of mortars and plasters. Degradation of reinforced and not reinforced concrete.
• Stone Materials: genetic classification of natural rocks;main properties of different classes: chemical, physical, mechanical properties and durability. Natural and anthropic degradation of stone materials.
• Ceramic materials: main properties of bricks, technological features and durability.
• Metals: Main characteristic of the metallic materials generally used in buildings: steel used in building, steel for rebars, aluminium and copper (and their alloys), titanium. Corrosion and protection techniques.
• Polymeric materials: Main proprieties and characteristics.
• Natural Materials: Main proprieties and characteristics.
• Composites Materials: Main proprieties and characteristics.
• Durability and corrosion of materials
• Introduction to CES software for selection of materials. 

In the second part, students will be divided into groups and will work on a project about an existing building, analyzing the choice of materials, the durability, corrosion, and trying to find the relationship between the materials used and the final behavior. The results of this work have to be submitted on the Beep Portal one week before the exam and they will be presented at the exam by the all group.

Assessment methods: Student will be asked to make an oral presenttion of their group work and to discuss it. In addition they will be asked to answer to theoretical questions on topics covered in the programme and to questions intended to reveal the student's ability to connect the various topics covered in the programme with one another and with previous studies. The final mar will be given by the sum of the evaluation of the presentation plus the evaluation of the oral test. 

Not attending students will have to take a written test with both theoretical multiple choice questions on topics covered in the programme and theoretical open-ended questions on topics covered in the programme. If the first questions related to fundamental aspects of the course are not correct the test will be considered not sufficient.

Assessment methods: Student will be asked to make an oral presenttion of their group work and to discuss it. In addition they will be asked to answer to theoretical questions on topics covered in the programme and to questions intended to reveal the student's ability to connect the various topics covered in the programme with one another and with previous studies. The final mar will be given by the sum of the evaluation of the presentation plus the evaluation of the oral test. 

Not attending students will have to take a written test with both theoretical multiple choice questions on topics covered in the programme and theoretical open-ended questions on topics covered in the programme. If the first questions related to fundamental aspects of the course are not correct the test will be considered not sufficient.