MECHENG 743 : Composite Materials
Engineering
2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
- Micromechanics of composites: Identifying the constituent materials of composites (fibres and polymers) and their roles in relation to strength and stiffness. Computation of effective properties of fibre-reinforced composite materials using the rules of mixtures. Stress-strain transformation to determine stresses and strains in a lamina for a given direction as specified by a coordinate system.
- Macromechanics of composite materials: Covering the mechanical behaviour of laminates using classical lamination theory, enabling the computation of stresses or strains in laminates under mechanical loading.
- Generalised Hooke’s Law: Used to describe stress-strain relations in orthotropic and transversely isotropic materials.
- Failure of composites: A range of failure theories for laminated composites are covered, including simple maximum stress and strain criteria as well as complex multi-axial criteria.
- Sandwich Structure Theory: Enabling the analysis and prediction of stresses, strains, and deformations of sandwich composites. Failure modes of simple sandwich structures are covered as well as design approaches for sandwich composites across a range of different applications.
- Analyse Composites using Finite Element Analysis: Application of suitable finite element modelling procedures for stress and deformation analysis of composites. The course uses ABAQUS/CAE.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and specify appropriate composite material manufacturing processes for both long- and short-fibre composites, considering cost, performance and environmental impact. (Capability 2.1, 3.1 and 3.2)
- Identify the roles of constituent materials of composites in relation to strength and stiffness, computing effective properties using the rules of mixtures and applying transformations to determine stresses and strains in a lamina of varying angles (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Understand and apply generalised Hooke’s Law to compute stresses and strains in composite materials (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Analyse composite materials using classical lamination theory. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Apply lamina failure theories to laminated composites, incorporating consideration of health and safety (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
- Use Finite Element Analysis to predict the structural performance of composite structures, including in the design of laminates (Capability 3.2, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1)
- Understand and apply design principles for composite laminates and structures, considering both mechanical performance and the 'triple bottom line'. (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 5.1 and 6.1)
- Analyse the structural performance of sandwich structures considering a range of failure modes and design approaches. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Tests | 15% | Individual Coursework |
| Assignments | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 50% | Individual Coursework |
| Quizzes | 5% | Individual Coursework |
| 4 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||
| Tests | ||||||||||
| Assignments | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
| Quizzes | ||||||||||
Students must sit the exam to pass the course. Otherwise, a DNS (fail) result will be returned.
A passing mark is 50% or higher, according to University Policy.
Late submission penalty for assignments will be 10% of the assignment grade per 24 hours. ie from submission up to 24 hours late will incur a 10% penalty, 24-48 hours late incurs a 20% penalty and so on.
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 150 hours across the semester for each 15-point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 36 hours of lectures, five 2-hour tutorials, one 2-hour lab, 17 hours of reading and thinking about the content, 50 hours of work on assignments and/or test/quiz preparation and 35 hours completing exam preparation.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including labs and tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures: Three 1-hour lectures per week. Lectures are recorded where possible
Tutorials: Five 2-hour ABAQUS FEA tutorials across the semester
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials and labs will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
Attendance on campus is required for the test.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Lecture slides, problem sheets and worked examples will be available online, released progressively throughout the course. The recommended textbook for the course is Mechanics of Materials by Hibbler
Health & Safety
Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Based on student feedback from the 2023 and 2024 SET evaluations the assignments have been restructured to reduce workload and improve the cohesion between course content, learning outcomes and assessment deliverables.
Weekly quizzes have also been incorporated into the course to provide an additional formative assessment of students' progress based on both informal and SET evaluation feedback.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.