2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Architecture and Building Engineering Graduate major in Architecture and Building Engineering
Advanced Theory of Building Materials and Construction
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Architecture and Building Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Yutaka Yokoyama / Shintaro Fukuda
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Mon / 3-4 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- ARC.S401
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course lectures basic concept of performance required for building elements. This course explains specification-based conventional construction systems, performance-based new construction systems, and the difference of these methods. Next,this course lectures a global trend of performance-based design and regulations in building construction. This course explains the difference of physical properties and performance, difference between tests for determining physical properties and tests for evaluating performance level, and the requirements for appropriate performance evaluation methods. This course also explains quantification methods of users' evaluation, and standardization methods of factors and forces affecting building elements.
After above-mentioned general explanation regarding performance, this course lectures typical examples of required performance items for daily safety and livability of building users, and their performance evaluation methods.
Recently, types of building materials and their compositions have been explosively developing and increasing. Therefore, it becomes very difficult even for professionals to judge characteristics of these materials and compositions properly. Under these circumstances, in order to select and design rational materials and compositions that match well with users' demand, it is highly requested to introduce performance-based construction systems. The aim of this course is to provide essential knowledge on performance-based design, regulations, ordering and order accepting systems, and construction methods. This course also provides concrete knowledge on typical performance evaluation methods which are now available globally.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Explain basic concept of performance that is required for building elements.
2) Explain the difference of specification-based conventional construction methods and performance-based new construction methods.
3) Explain the difference of physical properties and performance, and the difference between tests for determining physical properties and tests for evaluating performance level.
4) Explain the requirements for appropriate performance evaluation methods.
5) Explain quantification methods of users' evaluation, and standardization methods of factors and forces affecting building elements.
6) Explain typical examples of required performance items for daily safety and livability of building users, and explain their performance evaluation methods concretely.
Keywords
building materials and composition, performance necessary for building elements, difference of specifications and performance, difference of physical properties and performance, performance evaluation methods, daily safety, comfortability, livability
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Check the required learning for each class and be sure to complete it as part of review. In class, students are occasionally asked to solve exercise problems.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Basic concept of performance | Explain basic concept of performance. |
| Class 2 | Specification-based design and performance-based design | Explain the difference of specification-based design and performance-based design. |
| Class 3 | Framework of performance evaluation method | Explain framework of performance evaluation method. |
| Class 4 | Physical characteristics and performance | Explain the difference between physical characteristics and performance of building elements. |
| Class 5 | Standardization of factors and forces affecting building elements | Explain standardization methods of factors and forces affecting building elements. |
| Class 6 | Quantification of building users' evaluation | Explain quantification methods of building users' evaluation. |
| Class 7 | Structural design and environmental design | Explain the outline of structural design and environmental design as well as their relationship and difference. |
| Class 8 | Example of performance evaluation method (Part 1) - Evaluation methods of slipperiness of building elements in a daily safety perspective | Explain the outline of evaluation methods of slipperiness of building elements in a daily safety perspective. |
| Class 9 | Example of performance evaluation method (Part 2) - Evaluation methods of slipperiness of building elements in a comfortability perspective | Explain the outline of evaluation methods of slipperiness of building elements in a comfortability perspective. |
| Class 10 | Example of performance evaluation method (Part 3) - Evaluation methods of hardness of building elements in a daily safety perspective | Explain the outline of evaluation methods of hardness of building elements in a daily safety perspective. |
| Class 11 | Example of performance evaluation method (Part 4) - Evaluation methods of hardness of building elements in a comfortability perspective | Explain the outline of evaluation methods of hardness of building elements in a comfortability perspective. |
| Class 12 | Example of performance evaluation method (Part 5) - Evaluation methods of anti-vibration property of building elements in a comfortability perspective | Explain the outline of evaluation methods of anti-vibration property of building elements in a comfortability perspective. |
| Class 13 | Example of performance evaluation method (Part 6) - Evaluation methods of accuracy in finishing and anti-stain property of building elements in an aesthetic perspective | Explain the outline of evaluation methods of accuracy in finishing and anti-stain property of building elements in an aesthetic perspective. |
| Class 14 | Example of performance evaluation method (Part 7) - Evaluation methods of performance level change in time | Explain the outline of evaluation methods of performance level change in time of building elements. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Handouts will be distributed at the beginning of class when necessary.
Evaluation methods and criteria
exercise problems 100%
Related courses
- Structural Building Materials and Construction
- Finishing Building Materials and Construction
Prerequisites
No requirement in advance