Building Construction Materials and Methods

Course Description

BCN2241 — Building Construction Materials and Methods is a college-credit lecture course in Florida's Building Construction A.S. and pre-B.S. tracks. The course covers the materials and methods used in modern commercial and residential building construction: concrete, masonry, structural steel, wood, insulation, glazing, roofing, and finishes; plus the construction methods that put these materials in place. The "BCN" prefix denotes Building Construction; "2" indicates lower-division (sophomore) college credit. The course is foundational for students pursuing the B.S. in Building Construction at UF, FAU, FIU, or other Florida SUS schools, or the B.A.S. in Construction Management at Florida College System institutions.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of BCN2241, students will be able to:

• Identify and describe concrete: cement chemistry; aggregate selection; mix design; placement; curing; reinforcement; testing.
• Identify and describe masonry: brick, concrete masonry units (CMU), stone; mortar types; reinforced and unreinforced masonry; construction techniques.
• Identify and describe structural steel: structural shapes (W, S, C, L, HSS); fabrication; connections (bolted, welded); fireproofing.
• Identify and describe wood and engineered wood: dimensional lumber; plywood; OSB; engineered lumber (LVL, glulam, I-joists); construction techniques.
• Identify and describe building envelope materials: roofing systems; exterior wall systems; glazing; air and water barriers; insulation.
• Identify and describe interior finishes: gypsum board; flooring; ceiling systems; doors; hardware.
• Apply building code awareness: Florida Building Code structure; IBC vs. IRC; key code provisions for materials and methods.
• Apply construction safety awareness per OSHA 29 CFR 1926.
• Read and interpret basic construction documents: plans, sections, elevations, details, specifications.

Optional Outcomes

• Develop awareness of sustainable building materials and LEED certification fundamentals.
• Develop awareness of Florida-specific building requirements: hurricane wind loads; Miami-Dade NOA approvals; flood zone construction.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• Concrete: Portland cement; supplementary cementitious materials (fly ash, slag, silica fume); aggregates; admixtures; mix design (water-cement ratio); placement and finishing; curing methods; reinforcement (mild steel, post-tensioning); testing (slump, cylinder breaks, in-place testing).
• Masonry: Clay brick types; concrete masonry units (CMU); natural stone; mortar (Type N, S, M, O); grout; reinforcement; construction (running bond, stack bond, etc.); waterproofing.
• Structural Steel: AISC manual standard shapes; A36, A572, A992 steel grades; fabrication; bolted connections (high-strength A325, A490); welded connections; SFRM and intumescent fireproofing.
• Wood Construction: Dimensional lumber grading; plywood and OSB; engineered wood (LVL, PSL, glulam, I-joists); CLT (cross-laminated timber); fastening systems; mass timber introduction.
• Building Envelope: Low-slope roofing (single-ply, built-up, modified bitumen); steep-slope roofing (asphalt shingle, metal, tile); exterior wall systems (EIFS, stucco, brick veneer, curtain wall); window and door systems; air, water, and vapor barriers; insulation (batt, rigid, spray foam).
• Interior Finishes: Gypsum board systems; flooring (tile, carpet, wood, vinyl); ceiling systems; doors; hardware.
• Florida Building Code: FBC structure (Building, Residential, Existing Building, Test Protocols, Energy Conservation, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas); IBC and IRC adoption; high-velocity hurricane zone (HVHZ) requirements for Miami-Dade and Broward.
• Construction Documents: Plans, sections, elevations, details, schedules; specifications (CSI MasterFormat); shop drawings; submittals.
• Construction Safety: OSHA 29 CFR 1926; fall protection; scaffolding; excavation; PPE; competent person designations.

Resources & Tools

• Edward Allen and Joseph Iano Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods (Wiley) — the standard text
• Florida Building Code (current edition); IBC; IRC
• AISC Steel Construction Manual; ACI 318 (concrete); TMS 402 (masonry); NDS (wood)
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926
• CSI MasterFormat 2020; ASTM standards

Career Pathways

BCN2241 supports careers in Florida's substantial construction industry:

• Construction Project Engineer/Coordinator at Florida general contractors.
• Construction Estimator requiring strong materials/methods knowledge.
• Building Inspector with continuing education and certification.
• Construction Superintendent with field experience.
• Continuation toward B.S. in Building Construction (UF, FAU, FIU) or B.A.S. in Construction Management at FCS institutions.

Special Information

Course Format

Typically 3 credits, 45 contact hours (lecture).

Florida Construction Industry

Florida's construction sector remains one of the strongest in the U.S. due to population growth, hurricane recovery, infrastructure expansion, and tourism-related development. Major Florida general contractors (DPR, Kast, Skanska USA, Suffolk, Coastal Construction, Brasfield & Gorrie regional) and specialty contractors employ thousands across the state.