Engineering Materials (ENG1017)

The following topics are covered in this course:

1. Introduction to Engineering Materials,
2. Atomic Structure and Interatomic Bonding,
3. Structure of Crystalline Solids,
4. Properties of Metals,
5. Failure of metals
6. Metallurgy basics
7. Ceramics,
8. Polymers,
9. Composites,
10. Corrosion and Degradation,
11. Electrical Properties of Materials, and
12. Literature review workshop.

The course considers the fundamental properties of metals and non-metallic materials. Students are introduced to the atomic and microstructure of materials and their relationship to mechanical and electrical properties. The course explores the mechanical concepts of stress, strain, elongation and material failure (including testing) and the phenomenon of electrical conduction. See the Course Profile for more information.

Computational Statics and Dynamics (ENG6522) [Recently, fully updated by Professor Stefanie Feih.]

The finite element method is regarded nowadays as the standard tool to solve engineering problems in the industrial and academic context. A significant contribution to the success of this method is based on the development of powerful computer hard and software during the last decades. Many user-friendly commercial packages are available which allow the numerical treatment of real engineering problems on personal computers or even notebooks. The method itself integrates the basic knowledge of engineering materials, mathematics, mechanics (statics and dynamics), computing and programming, and computer-aided design that students would acquire in the first two years of their undergraduate studies. The problem of determining forces and displacements, stresses and strains or the vibrational behaviour is fundamental to many applied areas of mechanical engineering including transportation (automotive, aviation, or naval structures) or plant engineering. This course presents continuum mechanical basics and computational algorithms that are used to analyse engineering components and structures under arbitrary loading conditions. Furthermore, students will gain skills in the use of a state-of-the-art finite element analysis package to further deepen their knowledge in the areas of stress/strain analysis and dynamical behaviour. However, only who thoroughly understands the finite element theory, concepts and involved algorithms will be able to obtain reliable and realistic results from this powerful method. The ability to critically analyse and interpret numerically obtained results is a prerequisite for the responsible application of this method in any engineering field. See the Course Profile for more information.