An Introduction to Tropical Engineering: Concrete, Wood, Metals

J. Paul Guyer, P.E., R.A., Fellow ASCE, Fellow AEI

Course Outline

1.  CONCRETE
2.  CONCRETE MASONRY
3.  METALS
4.  WOOD AND PLASTICS
5.  SITE WORK

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

Upon completion of this course you will:

• Learn the importance of minimizing the salt content of both the water and aggregates (especially coral) used in the concrete mix;
• Learn how the density of aggregates affects concrete strength, cement and water content, workability, and porosity of the concrete, all of which indirectly influence steel corrosion;
• Learn how air-entraining agents are used to improve workability of concrete;
• Learn about the precaution to be observed when using galvanized reinforcement;
• Learn the significance of water infiltration of concrete masonry units in the tropics;
• Learn why it is important to avoid corrosion of metals caused by galvanic action between two dissimilar metals; and
• Learn how to base selection of wood for exterior lumber and timber on strength and treatability.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for civil and structural engineers and other design and construction professionals wanting an introduction to the special challenges present in employment of concrete, metal and wood materials in facilities in tropical climates where heat, humidity and seafront conditions are important.

Benefit for Attendee

This course will give structural and civil engineers and other design and construction professionals an introduction to tropical engineering using wood, metal and concrete construction materials and products.

Course Introduction

This is an introduction to methods for design and construction using concrete, metal and wood in tropical climates.

About Course Author

Paul Guyer is a registered mechanical engineer, civil engineer, fire protection engineer and architect with over 35 years experience in the design of buildings and related infrastructure.  For an additional 9 years he was a senior-level advisor to the California Legislature on infrastructure and capital outlay issues.  He has designed and supervised the design of hundreds of construction projects requiring the preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications for federal, state and local public agencies and private companies.  He is a graduate of Stanford University and has held numerous national, state and local positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers.

Course Content

The course content is contained in the following PDF file:

An Introduction to Tropical Engineering: Concrete, Wood, Metals

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

This course will give you technical guidance you can apply when designing facilities in the tropics.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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