Syllabus

Course Prerequisite: UG Level course on Building Materials

Module I: Fundamentals of Sustainability and Introduction to Life-Cycle Design (8 hours)
Global Population and Resource Consumption, The growth/no-growth Dilemma, Ecological Footprint and Planet Equivalent, Carbon Cycle and the Human Perturbation in Carbon Cycle, Principles of Sustainable Development, Principles of Sustainable Engineering, Three Phases of Building Materials: Pre-Building Phase, Building Phase, and Post-Building Phase, Life cycle Assessment of a particular material.

Module II: Features of Sustainable Building Materials (8 hours)
Pollution Prevention Measures, Reduction of Construction Waste, Manufacturing Recycled Content and their efficiency, open loop vs. closed loop, Use of Natural and Local Materials, Embodied Energy Reduction and Energy Efficiency, Understanding water cycle, Water conservation and protection technologies, Water treatment systems and assessment of water management technologies.

Module III: Basic Building Materials (6 hours)
Key Building Materials and their sources, Limestone, Steel, Aluminum, Bricks, Wood, and Tile, Fossil fuels and their importance, Importance of these key building materials on carbon emission.

Module IV: Sustainable Building Materials (8 hours)
Pre-Building Phase, Impact on society regarding Waste Reduction, Pollution Prevention, Recycled Content, and Embodied Energy Reduction, Building Phase, Impact on Reduction in Construction Waste, Energy Efficiency, Water Treatment/Conservation, Use of Non-Toxic or Less-Toxic Materials, Renewable Energy Systems, and Longer Life, Post-Building Phase, Impact on Disposal-Reusability, Recyclability, and Biodegradability.

Module V: Sustainable Design and Case Studies (8 hours)
Site and Landscaping, Foundations, Structural Framing, Building Envelopes, Glazing, Roofing, Interior Finishes, Flooring, and Ventilation, Sustainable building design.

An understanding of sustainability.

To give an idea about the knowledge of recyclability and renewable energy conservation through material usage.

To provide an insight into the environmental impact of building materials.

To provide knowledge of building materials and construction techniques that are sustainable and energy efficient, and to impart knowledge on energy-conscious landscape design.

CO1: The students will have an understanding of sustainability.
CO2: The students will know about the knowledge of recyclability and renewable energy conservation through material usage.
CO3: The students will have an insight into the environmental impact of building materials.
CO4: The students will know building materials and construction techniques that are sustainable and energy efficient.
CO5: The students can get exposure to Energy-conscious Landscape design.

David T. Allen, and David Shonnard, Sustainable Engineering: Concepts, Design and Case Studies, Pearson Education

Bhavik R. Bakshi, Sustainable Engineering: Principles and Practice, Cambridge University Press

Joanne Kauffman and Kun-Mo Lee, Handbook of Sustainable Engineering, Springer

Catherine Mulligan, Sustainable Engineering: Principles and Implementation, CRC Press