BPM115 Materials Technology Tutor Marked Assignment 02 (TMA02) | SUSS

Assignment Brief

Question 1

Assignment Title: Feasibility Study for a Cross-Country Bridge with Sustainable Materials

Scenario:

You are the technical manager in charge of a feasibility study for a proposed new cross-country bridge that will span a marine strait and potentially be exposed to severe environmental conditions. The overall development will include checkpoint facilities in both countries. The preliminary design of the foundation and piers will use structural concrete, and the owner is open to incorporating sustainable materials into the project.

You are required to justify your proposals with references from technical papers, journal articles, and reference books.

(a) Based on your understanding, define the term “sustainable construction materials”. List and elaborate on TWO (2) examples of such materials that could be utilized for constructing a cross-country bridge.

(b) Explain the characteristics required for concrete to perform effectively in a harsh marine environment, especially when it is used for the construction of foundations and piers. Additionally, discuss how such characteristics can be achieved.

(c) Steel is commonly utilized in bridge construction as trusses, girders, and cables. Suggest measures to mitigate corrosion and protect the steel structure in a harsh marine environment.

(d) Illustrate the life cycle of an asset using a diagram. Explain the important considerations in a quality management system (QMS) that ensure good quality reinforced concrete is used in construction.

(e) Considering the site's severe environmental conditions, it has been proposed to replace cement used in reinforced concrete with a low-carbon-footprint material to promote sustainability. The current proposal is to replace cement with Ground Granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS). Identify and explain the advantages of using GGBFS and indicate how it enhances concrete performance.

(f) The client is acceptable with the proposal and would like to find out if other alternative replacements would have similar or better benefits. Identify and explain TWO (2) other sustainable alternatives and indicate the 

(g) Demonstrate your understanding of construction materials, propose other sustainable construction materials for the checkpoint facilities, and explain their specific applications.

Report Presentation 

(a) Cover page & Content page 
(b) Graphic & Illustration (appropriate usage, titles, sources)
(c) Organisation (sub-headings, font size, spacing, paragraphing, page number, etc)
(d) Good grammar usage, spelling and sentence structure 
(e) Good Referencing (in-text citation and list of references)