Student experiments
In all our courses, laboratory work is an important part of the learning process. The aim is to promote active learning by hands-on activities in the lab. Below are some examples of experimental work that the students do in our courses.
VBMA30 and VBMA35 Building Materials
These courses are basic mandatory courses given at the Civil Engineering program (“V-programmet”) and the Fire Safety Engineering program (“Bi-programmet”), respectively. The laboratory work in these courses involve:
- Cast concrete cubes and measure the compressive strength.
- Determine the particle-size distribution of ballast.
- Measure temperature induced deformations of acrylic plastic and glass.
- Study shrinkage of wood veneer.
- Determine water vapour diffusion coefficients of different materials by the cup method.
- Determine stress-strain curves for reinforcement bars and plastic.
- Study creep behaviour of moist board materials.
VBMA05 Building Materials
This course is a basic mandatory course for Architect students (“A-programmet”). The laboratory work in this course involves:
- Cast concrete cubes and measure the compressive strength.
- Determine the particle-size distribution of ballast.
- Study moisture uptake of different building materials.
- Thermal properties of floor materials.
- Identification of different wood species.
- Measuring swelling of wood.
VBMA35 Building Materials
This is a basic mandatory course for Bachelor students in Civil Engineering with Architecture. The laboratory work in this course involves:
- Cast concrete cubes and measure the compressive strength.
- Determine the particle-size distribution of ballast.
- Determine stress-strain curves for reinforcement bars.
- Determine water vapour diffusion coefficients of different materials by the cup method.
- Measure temperature induced deformations of acrylic plastic and glass.
- Testing of different instruments for moisture monitoring.
VBMF05 Building Material Science
This course is given as an optional course at the Civil Engineering program (“V-programmet”)
- How does rechargeable hand-warmers work and how can one create sub-zero temperatures with ice and salt? (thermodynamics).
- The heat production when gypsum is formed and the rate of dissolution of a spherical particle (kinetics).
- The scanning electron microscope (SEM).
- Diffusivity – a most important transport property.
VBMN20/TFRP10 Biobased Building Materials
This course is an advanced course given at the Civil Engineering program (“V-programmet”) and as a single course. The course is also open for exchange students. The laboratory work in this course involves:
- Identification of different wood species and engineered wood products.
- Studying microstructure of biobased building materials by microscopy.
- Measuring moisture sorption properties of wood with different densities.
- Understanding moisture induced deformations in wood by making materials of veneer and study deformations after water soaking.
- Investigating how wood modification change moisture sorption properties and dimensional stability.
VBMN20 Concrete in a life cycle perspective
This is an advanced course given at the Civil Engineering program (“V-programmet”). The laboratory work in this course involves:
- Design a concrete mixture according to certain requirements.
- Determine the strength of that concrete mixture.
- Determine different moisture states of that concrete.
- Measure the temperature development and develop a simple temperature simulation tool for that concrete mixture.
VBMM01 and VBML05 Master and bachelor theses
Our laboratory facilities are used extensively by our students working on their master or bachelor thesis projects. Most of these projects are based on laboratory work and the students then also get access to our more advanced instruments.