Course detail

Metal and Wood Materials

FAST-BJA010Acad. year: 2025/2026

With regard to metallic materials, students should become familiar with physical and mechanical properties of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, the technology of pig iron production, the issue of steel and cast iron will be explained. In addition, students will learn about the steel composition and steel alloying technology; based on the Fe-C diagram, they will get the details about the basis of thermal treatment of steels.
With the regard to wood based materials, students will get knowledge about various materials (solid wood, agglomerated wood, wood-based products), followed by the description of the macroscopic, microscopic and ultra-microscopic structure of wood and its basic chemical composition. Students will gain an overview of main physico-mechanical properties of wood and the basic defects of wood products.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Jan Vaněrek, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Technology of Building Materials and Components (THD)

Entry knowledge

Knowledge of basic, physical-mechanical properties of metals and wood, main products of these materials used in the civil engineering industry, elementary knowledge of wood and metal structure.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Extent and forms are specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.

Aims

Acquaintance of student with micro- and macrostructure of metal and wood materials, its physico-chemical properties. Main chapter is utilization of these materials in building industry.
The student would manage the goal of the subject by acquiring knowledge of metal and wooden materials, physico-mechanical properties, use in civil engineering, macro- and microstructure of wood and metals.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

POŽGAJ, Alexander, Dušan CHOVANEC, Stanislav KURJATKO a Marián BABIAK. Štruktúra a vlastnosti dreva. Bratislava: Príroda, 1993. ISBN 80-07-00600-1 (SK)
PTÁČEK, Luděk. Nauka o materiálu II. [1. vyd.]. Brno: CERM, 1999. ISBN 80-7204-130-4. (CS)

Recommended reading

GANDELOVÁ, Libuše, Petr HORÁČEK a Jarmila ŠLEZINGEROVÁ. Nauka o dřevě. Vyd. 3., nezměn. V Brně: Mendelova zemědělská a lesnická univerzita, 2009, 176 s. ISBN 978-80-7375-312-2 (CS)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BPC-SI Bachelor's

    specialization M , 3 year of study, summer semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Jan Vaněrek, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  • 1. Living tree species, wood quality grading, and usage of timber in structures, types of wood products.
  • 2. Types of laminated wood, agglomerated wood with mineral or organic binder component.
  • 3. Macroscopic features of wood, anisotropy of wood.
  • 4. The microscopic wood structure, description of the basic elements of wood.
  • 5. Submicroscopic structure of wood, composition of cellular elements, the chemical composition of wood.
  • 6. Physical properties of wood, in particular regarding the moisture sorption/desorption, adsorption hysteresis, thermal properties.
  • 7. The visco-elastic properties of wood, the strength characteristics.
  • 8. Wood/timber defects.
  • 9. Metals – classification, properties, production of pig iron.
  • 10. Production of steel, labelling of steel for concrete and stainless steel, alloying of steel.
  • 11. Cast-iron production, classification of cast-irons, types of metal melting processes.
  • 12. The crystalline structure of iron, the structural components of steel, the system Fe-C, the thermal treatment of steel.
  • 13. Non-ferrous metals, technical alloys.

Exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Jan Vaněrek, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  • 1. Introduction of schedule of the exercise lectures (application and usage of characteristics achieved in laboratory to in-situ application timber or steel structures).
  • 2. Macroscopic characteristics of trees, identifying genus of unknown tree species based on macroscopic characters.
  • 3. Physical properties of solid wood depend on different levels of moisture I – Determination of moisture content, water absorption, bulk density (conventional, at a moisture content) of different wood species.
  • 4. Physical properties of solid wood depend on different levels of moisture II – Determination of swelling and shrinking of the various wood species.
  • 5. Physical and mechanical properties of solid wood I – Determination of compressive strength along the fibres of different wood species, tensile strength along the fibres.
  • 6. Physical and mechanical properties of solid wood II – Determination of compressive strength across fibres of different wood species, tensile strength across the grain.
  • 7. Physical and mechanical properties of solid wood III – Determination of modulus of elasticity (MOE) of different wood species.
  • 8. Technological properties of wood, chemical treatments – Determination of depth penetration of chemical substance by vacuum treatment – evidence of boron.
  • 9. Agglomerated wood, Determination of flexural strength, tensile strength perpendicular to the board (chipboard).
  • 10. Hardness of wood and metal.
  • 11. Physical and mechanical properties of steel, Determination of tensile strength of steel.
  • 12. Technological properties of steel, impact toughness.
  • 13. Examination test.