Unit 3 Science & Materials (L/618/8082) Assignment Brief 2026

Unit 3 Science & Materials Assignment Brief

Aim

Science and material performance are intrinsically linked through the need to create structures and spaces that perform in both mechanical operation and in providing human comfort.

This unit aims to support students in making material choices to achieve the desired outcomes of a brief. This is approached from the perspective of materials being fit for purpose; as defined by testing standards and properties but also by consideration of the environmental impact and sustainability. Students will consider health and safety alongside the need to meet legislative requirements.

The topics covered in this unit include: health and safety; storage and use of materials; handling and problems associated with misuse and unprotected use; environmental and sustainable consideration in material choices; human comfort performance parameters. Material choice is developed through the understanding of testing procedures to establish conformity to standards and define performance properties. The performance of materials to satisfy regulations and provide appropriate comfort levels is addressed through design and calculations.

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to make informed decisions regarding material choices, based on understanding the structural behaviour of materials established through recognised testing methods, sustainability, context of build and health and safety. Students will be able to perform the calculations necessary to establish anticipated performance of the materials in use and therefore determine their compliance with regulations and suitability.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

LO1 Review health and safety regulations and legislation associated with the storage, handling and use of materials on a construction site

LO2 Discuss the environmental and sustainability factors that inform the material choices for a given construction project

LO3 Present material choices for a given project using performance properties, experimental data, sustainability and environmental consideration

LO4 Evaluate the performance of a given project in respect of its human comfort requirements.

Essential Content

LO1 Review health and safety regulations and legislation associated with the storage, handling and use of materials on a construction site

• Regulations and guidance
• Health and safety management regulations
• Construction design management regulations
• Provision and use of equipment regulations
• Control and management of hazardous materials through storage, movement and use
• Materials handling and installation
• Risk assessments and method statements (qualitative and quantitative)
• Materials storage (e.g., moving materials safely, working in confined spaces, working at height)
• Occupational health risks associated with materials (e.g., asbestos-related and respiratory disease, dermatitis and skin problems, musculoskeletal disorders, hand arm vibration)
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

LO2 Discuss the environmental and sustainability factors that inform the material choices for a given construction project

• Environmental considerations
• Lifecycle assessment
• Environmental profile methodology
• Environmental product declaration and certification
• Embodied energy
• Waste management: the economics and technologies of construction waste disposal
• Sustainability
• Resource availability and depletion: renewable and non-renewable materials
• Reuse and recycling of construction and demolition waste
• Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
• Environmental assessment methods
• Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• Green Star
• Estidama, or other forms of environmental assessment
• Construction Industry Research Information Association (CIRIA)

LO3 Present material choices for a given project using performance properties, experimental data, sustainability and environmental consideration

• Material testing
• Testing methods
• Interpreting results of tested material data.
• Codes and standards
• Structural behaviours
• Performance properties (e.g., strength, elasticity, toughness, hardness, creep, fatigue, porosity, brittleness, density, thermal conductivity, durability)
• Inherent material properties.
• Relationship between material properties, behaviour and use

LO4 Evaluate the performance of a given project in respect of its human comfort requirements

• Thermal
• Heat loss
• Heat gain
• Thermal control (e.g., passive, active)
• Illumination
• Natural light
• Artificial light
• Heat gain through sunlight/exposure
• Acoustics and vibration
• Equipment noise/vibration (e.g., ventilation fans, air conditioning systems)
• Road noise/vibration

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Recommended Resources

Print resources

BLANC, A. (1994), Internal Components, Longman Publishing Group
BUXTON, P. (2018), Metric Handbook, Routledge
CASINI, M. (2016), Smart Buildings, Woodhead Publishing
DEAN, Y. (2016), Materials Technology, Routledge
DORAN, D., CATHER, B. (2013), Construction Materials Reference Book, Routledge
EVERETT, A. (1994), Mitchell’s Materials, Routledge
KHATIB, J. (2016), Sustainability of Construction Materials, Woodhead Publishing
LYONS, A. (2014), Materials for Architects and Builders, Routledge
MCDONOUGH, W., BRAUNGART, M. (2010), Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, North Point Press
SOMAYAII, S. (2001), Civil Engineering Materials, Pearson College Division
THOMAS, R. (2006), Environmental Design, Taylor & Francis

Links

This unit links to the following related units:

• Unit 2: Construction Technology
• Unit 9: Principles of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
• Unit 14: Principles of Refurbishment
• Unit 15: Principles of Alternative Energy
• Unit 28: Group Project (Pearson-set)
• Unit 33: Construction Technology for Complex Buildings Projects
• Unit 35: Sustainable Methods of Construction
• Unit 36: Value Engineering & Cost Control
• Unit 45: Advanced Materials

Answer

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