Civil Engineering Materials Course
Master the full spectrum of civil engineering materials — from concrete and steel to asphalt and timber. This course gives you the technical knowledge and hands-on testing skills that structural and materials engineers rely on every day. Build the competency to specify, evaluate, and troubleshoot materials on real construction projects.
What you will learn:
You will develop a thorough understanding of how civil engineering materials are selected, tested, and specified across structural and pavement applications. The course covers concrete mix design, cement chemistry, aggregate characterisation, steel metallurgy, bituminous materials, timber, and masonry. You will learn standard laboratory testing methods and how to interpret results against project specifications. Sustainability principles, life-cycle assessment, and corrosion protection systems are also addressed. By the end, you will be equipped to make informed material decisions that meet both performance and durability requirements.
How you study in practice Civil Engineering Materials Course
How you practise Civil Engineering Materials Course
For companies looking to train their teams
With Dedika for businesses, the course includes exercises and examples tailored to your company and its specific needs.
Course content
8 Chapters • 40 LessonsDuration between 4 and 360 hours (you decide)
Chapter 1HideHide detailsSee detailsFoundations of Civil Engineering Materials
Foundations of Civil Engineering Materials
Lesson 1 • Durability and Degradation Concepts
Introduces corrosion, fatigue, creep, and environmental degradation mechanisms. Connects material lifespan to design and maintenance decisions.
Lesson 2 • Material Classification and Properties Overview
Introduces the major material families: metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites. Provides the classification lens used throughout the course.
Lesson 3 • Atomic Structure and Bonding
Covers atomic bonding types and their influence on material behaviour. Links molecular structure to macroscopic engineering properties.
Lesson 4 • Material Selection Criteria
Presents systematic frameworks for matching material properties to structural requirements. Integrates cost, availability, and sustainability into selection logic.
Lesson 5 • Mechanical Behaviour Fundamentals
Defines stress, strain, elasticity, and plasticity as universal material descriptors. Establishes the basis for comparing material performance under load.
Chapter 2HideHide detailsSee detailsAggregates: Properties and Testing
Aggregates: Properties and Testing
Lesson 1 • Aggregate Types and Sources
Distinguishes coarse, fine, and recycled aggregates by origin and processing method. Establishes how source geology affects engineering suitability.
Lesson 2 • Aggregate Sampling and Quality Control
Establishes statistically valid sampling protocols and acceptance criteria. Connects field sampling practice to laboratory test reliability.
Lesson 3 • Deleterious Substances and Reactivity
Identifies harmful impurities including clay, organic matter, and reactive silica. Explains alkali-silica reaction and its long-term structural consequences.
Lesson 4 • Physical and Mechanical Properties
Quantifies specific gravity, absorption, hardness, and abrasion resistance. These values feed directly into mix design and pavement performance models.
Lesson 5 • Particle Size and Gradation
Covers sieve analysis procedures and gradation curve interpretation. Gradation directly controls workability, density, and void content in mixes.
Chapter 3HideHide detailsSee detailsPortland Cement and Cementitious Materials
Portland Cement and Cementitious Materials
Lesson 1 • Hydration Reactions and Microstructure
Explains C-S-H gel formation, portlandite production, and pore structure evolution. Microstructure development determines long-term strength and permeability.
Lesson 2 • Cement Types and Classifications
Differentiates cement types by compound ratios and intended application. Enables specification decisions for sulphate exposure, heat generation, and early strength.
Lesson 3 • Cement Testing and Acceptance
Presents standard tests for fineness, consistency, setting time, and strength. Connects test results to specification compliance and batch acceptance.
Lesson 4 • Supplementary Cementitious Materials
Covers fly ash, slag, silica fume, and natural pozzolans as partial cement replacements. Quantifies their effects on workability, strength gain, and durability.
Lesson 5 • Cement Manufacturing and Chemistry
Traces raw material processing through kiln reactions to clinker formation. Links compound composition to setting time and strength development.
Chapter 4HideHide detailsSee detailsConcrete Mix Design and Fresh Properties
Concrete Mix Design and Fresh Properties
Lesson 1 • Water-Cement Ratio and Strength Relationship
Establishes Abrams' law and its practical limits for structural concrete. Defines the primary lever for controlling compressive strength and permeability.
Lesson 2 • Workability Measurement and Control
Covers slump, flow table, Vebe, and compacting factor tests for fresh concrete. Connects workability targets to placement method and structural element type.
Lesson 3 • Chemical Admixtures in Concrete
Classifies water reducers, retarders, accelerators, and air-entraining agents by mechanism. Quantifies dosage effects on fresh and hardened concrete properties.
Lesson 4 • Absolute Volume Mix Design Method
Guides step-by-step proportioning using absolute volume calculations. Produces mix designs that satisfy target strength and exposure class requirements.
Lesson 5 • Air Content, Bleeding, and Segregation
Quantifies entrained air, bleeding rate, and segregation tendency in fresh mixes. Identifies causes and corrective actions for each fresh concrete defect.
Chapter 5HideHide detailsSee detailsHardened Concrete: Strength and Durability
Hardened Concrete: Strength and Durability
Lesson 1 • Concrete Deterioration Mechanisms
Analyses sulphate attack, alkali-silica reaction, freeze-thaw damage, and reinforcement corrosion. Identifies visual indicators and laboratory confirmation methods.
Lesson 2 • Elastic Modulus and Creep
Measures static and dynamic elastic modulus and quantifies long-term creep strain. Links these values to structural deflection and prestress loss calculations.
Lesson 3 • Permeability and Transport Properties
Quantifies water permeability, chloride diffusion, and carbonation depth as durability indicators. Connects pore structure to service life prediction models.
Lesson 4 • Non-Destructive Evaluation of Concrete
Applies rebound hammer, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and ground-penetrating radar to in-place assessment. Interprets combined NDE results for structural condition rating.
Lesson 5 • Compressive and Tensile Strength Testing
Covers cylinder and cube compression tests, split-tensile, and flexural beam tests. Establishes conversion factors and statistical interpretation of strength data.
Chapter 6HideHide detailsSee detailsSteel and Reinforcing Materials
Steel and Reinforcing Materials
Lesson 1 • Prestressing Steel and Tendons
Characterises strand, wire, and bar tendons by tensile strength and relaxation behaviour. Quantifies prestress losses from elastic shortening, creep, and shrinkage.
Lesson 2 • Steel Metallurgy and Production
Covers iron-carbon phase diagrams, steelmaking routes, and heat treatment effects. Links microstructure to yield strength, ductility, and weldability.
Lesson 3 • Steel Testing and Weldability
Covers tensile testing, Charpy impact, hardness, and bend tests for steel qualification. Introduces carbon equivalent as a weldability predictor.
Lesson 4 • Structural Steel Grades and Shapes
Classifies structural steel by yield strength grade and rolled section profile. Connects grade selection to connection design and seismic performance requirements.
Lesson 5 • Reinforcing Bar Properties and Grades
Defines deformed bar geometry, yield grades, and ductility classes for reinforced concrete. Addresses epoxy-coated and stainless steel bars for corrosive environments.
Chapter 7HideHide detailsSee detailsBituminous Materials and Pavement Design
Bituminous Materials and Pavement Design
Lesson 1 • Bitumen Chemistry and Composition
Describes asphaltene, resin, and aromatic fractions and their roles in bitumen behaviour. Links colloidal structure to temperature susceptibility and ageing.
Lesson 2 • Bitumen Testing Methods
Covers penetration, softening point, ductility, viscosity, and dynamic shear rheometer tests. Test results validate binder grade and predict field performance.
Lesson 3 • Asphalt Mix Design: Superpave Method
Applies Superpave gyratory compaction and volumetric analysis to design dense-graded mixes. Optimum binder content is determined from air voids, VMA, and VFA criteria.
Lesson 4 • Bitumen Grading Systems
Compares penetration, viscosity, and performance grading systems for bitumen specification. Performance grading directly links binder selection to climate and traffic.
Lesson 5 • Pavement Performance and Distress
Identifies rutting, fatigue cracking, thermal cracking, and raveling as primary distress modes. Links distress type to binder grade, mix design, or structural deficiency.
Chapter 8HideHide detailsSee detailsTimber, Masonry, and Emerging Materials
Timber, Masonry, and Emerging Materials
Lesson 1 • Engineered Wood Products
Covers glulam, LVL, CLT, and structural plywood as alternatives to sawn timber. Addresses manufacturing process effects on dimensional stability and fire performance.
Lesson 2 • High-Performance and Sustainable Materials
Introduces ultra-high-performance concrete, fibre-reinforced polymers, and geopolymers as emerging structural materials. Evaluates their environmental footprint relative to conventional options.
Lesson 3 • Masonry Units and Mortar
Characterises clay brick, concrete masonry units, and natural stone by strength and absorption. Mortar type selection governs bond strength and movement accommodation.
Lesson 4 • Masonry Structural Behaviour
Analyses compressive strength of masonry assemblages, bond patterns, and lateral load resistance. Grouted and reinforced masonry systems are compared to unreinforced construction.
Lesson 5 • Timber Structure and Mechanical Properties
Explains wood anatomy, grain orientation, and orthotropic mechanical behaviour. Moisture content effects on strength and dimensional stability are quantified.
Your valid completion certificate
This course is for you:
Civil engineering students: building a strong foundation in material behaviour.
Junior site engineers: needing confidence when reviewing material submittals.
Construction project managers: wanting to make smarter, evidence-based material decisions.
Architecture graduates: transitioning into structural or infrastructure-focused engineering roles.
Materials technicians: looking to formalise and deepen their practical testing knowledge.
Career changers: entering civil construction from adjacent technical or scientific backgrounds.
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