Course detail

Building Materials

FAST-BJA101-AAcad. year: 2026/2027

The aim of this specialized course is to introduce students to the main groups of building materials used in the construction industry, including both inorganic and organic-based materials, as well as their mutual combinations.
Knowledge of building materials, their manufacturing methods, their fundamental properties, the methods used to determine these properties, and the suitability of their application in various types of structures forms an essential foundation for further study at the Faculty of Civil Engineering.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

4

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Jiří Bydžovský, CSc.

Department

Institute of Technology of Building Materials and Components (THD)

Offered to foreign students

Of all faculties

Entry knowledge

Basic physical quantities, their units, fundamental laws of physics.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Course completion:​

The course concludes with an exam, including:​

  • Written test:​ 20 questions, four multiple-choice options each, one correct answer;​ 2 calculation tasks.​
  • Follow-up oral exam (discussion with the examiner aimed at verifying knowledge and understanding of the subject matter).​

Exam result: grading according to the ECTS scale (A to F).​

Completion of laboratory sessions:​
The practical sessions conclude with a course credit, and the conditions for its granting are:​

  • Active participation in all laboratory sessions;​
  • Properly completed reports.​

The course credit must always be granted prior to taking the exam.​

Aims

Professional Knowledge:

  • can describe the basic physical and mechanical properties of primary types of building materials,
  • recalls the basic physical and mechanical properties, specific characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of individual materials,
  • recalls the basic principles of production technology, processing, and finishing of materials and products,
  • can provide examples of the practical application of selected materials,
  • can reproduce basic technical data and the principles of determining material properties,
  • knows the basic principles of working in a laboratory environment.

Professional Skills:

  • can work with basic measuring instruments to determine dimensions, volume, and weight in a laboratory environment,
  • can process measured data in the form of a measurement report (protocol),
  • can assess the compliance of determined results with technical standards (regulations) or technical data sheets,
  • can calculate the basic physical and mechanical properties of building materials based on the provided inputs,
  • can apply both theoretical and practical knowledge at a basic level to real-world construction applications (assessing the compatibility of building materials when combined, suitability for use in a given environment, calculating self-weight, volume, material transport, load-bearing capacity, etc.).

General Competences:

  • ability to work and communicate within a team,
  • ability to clearly interpret and express opinions,
  • ability to formulate conclusions of individual activities,
  • ability to expand theoretical knowledge through self-study.

Study aids

Collective of authors: Building materials. Study guide, Brno, 2026.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Collective of authors: Building materials. Study guide, Brno, 2026. (EN)
EVERETT, A.; BARRITT, C. M. H. Mitchells Materials. Taylor&Francis Group, 5th edition, e-book 2013. pp. 272. ISBN: 9780582219236 (https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315843902/materials-alan-everett-barritt) – acces trough library and Information Centre (LIC) (EN)
Lecture presentations, lab materials, and topic-focused quizzes shared with students registered for the course. (EN)

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BPA-SIS Bachelor's 1 year of study, winter semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Barbara Kucharczyková, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Introduction, raw materials, production and key properties of building materials.
  2. Building stone and aggregates for construction purposes.
  3. Inorganic binders.
  4. Mortars for masonry, plastering, floor screeds, repair mortars.
  5. Concrete I – Fresh concrete – composition, propereties, production, specification.
  6. Concrete II – Hardened concrete – classification, properties, testing, special types of concrete.
  7. Lightweight building materials.
  8. Ceramics, building ceramic products.
  9. Wood, wood products and wood-based materials.
  10. Ferrous and non-ferrous metals in construction, structural steel.
  11. Polymers, bitumens.
  12. Insulating materials and products.
  13. Service life of building materials and life cycle.

Exercise

26 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Ing. Jindřich Melichar, Ph.D.
Ing. Jaromír Láník, Ph.D.
doc. Ing. Barbara Kucharczyková, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Introduction.
  2. Determination of the properties of binders.
  3. Determination of the properties of building stone and aggregates.
  4. Concrete Technology – concrete mix design, determination of the properties of fresh concrete, preparation of test specimens.
  5. Mortars – mortars mix design, determination of the properties of fresh and hardened mortar.
  6. Determination of the properties of ceramic materials.
  7. Determination of the properties of metals.
  8. Determination of the properties of hardened concrete using prepared test specimens.
  9. Determination of the properties of plastics and thermal insulation products.
  10. Determination of the properties of wood.
  11. Determination of selected properties of materials concerning temperature, impact stress and mechanical damage.
  12. Determination of the properties of composites.
  13. Verification of the level of mastery of the practised material. Summary, credit.

Individual preparation for an ending of the course

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Jiří Bydžovský, CSc.

Self-study

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Jiří Bydžovský, CSc.