JOURNAL OF MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION

The importance of teaching English for Specific Purposes in architecture and construction in Hanoi Architectural University

2025-12-08T08:23:48+00:00

This paper discusses the importance of teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in the fields of architecture and construction in HAU (Hanoi Architectural University), where effective communication and access to updated knowledge are crucial for academic and professional success. As globalization reshapes the construction industry, English has become the lingua franca for international collaboration, technical documentation, and design innovation. The study highlights how ESP contributes to students’ academic performance by improving their reading comprehension of technical texts, writing skills for project documentation, and presentation abilities in design studios. Moreover, it emphasizes the professional advantages of ESP, such as negotiating contracts, preparing tenders, and networking in international forums. The paper also examines the role of ESP in facilitating access to global research, technology, and sustainable practices, which are often published in English. Challenges in teaching ESP in HAU including limited resources, lack of subject-specific expertise among teachers, and varying student motivation—are also solved. Finally, the article suggests strategies such as needs analysis, collaboration with subject experts, and task-based learning to enhance ESP instruction. Overall, the paper argues that integrating ESP into architecture and construction education is vital for preparing future professionals to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and competitive global environment.

Experimental study on the influence of non-fired brick walls on the behavior of multi-span reinforced concrete frames

2025-11-18T09:40:46+00:00

In construction projects, the infill wall within the frame primarily serves the purpose of providing coverage. Nonetheless, this infill wall also plays a role in enhancing the stiffness of the frame, thereby minimizing the horizontal displacement of the structure. Infill walls are commonly constructed using fired clay bricks. However, in recent years, the extraction of clay for brick production has led to the depletion of clay resources and has had a significant negative impact on the environment. This study involved the use of non-fired brick to create infill walls within two-span reinforced concrete frames. The research findings indicate that the bearing capacity of the frame improved by 220% when utilizing non-fired brick measuring 40×80×180mm and 80×80×180mm. Utilizing 40×80×180mm non-fired brick results in an 8.4 times reduction in the horizontal displacement of the frame. In contrast, employing 80×80×180mm non-fired brick leads to an 8.9 times reduction in horizontal displacement, both measured against the case without brick filling at a load level of 50kN, which represents the destructive load level of the frame absent infill walls.

Effect of the concrete compressive strength on the structural behaviour of the steel concrete composite cloumn

2025-11-11T02:13:18+00:00

Composite column has been popularly used in buildings, which are mainly subjected to forces and end moments. There are two types of the steel concrete composite columns: open sections partially or fully encased in concrete, and concrete-filled hollow steel sections. The first type of section has used for fireproof and the slender structural steel can be protected buckling by the exterior concrete, while the remaining type can prevent the transverse deformation of the concrete inside and enhance the load capacity. The steel tube serves as a formwork for casting the concrete, which reduces the construction cost. In this study, four the steel concrete composite columns with concrete-filled hollow steel sections were tested to investigate the effect of the concrete compressive strength on the structural behaviour of the steel concrete composite columns. The parameters observed are load capacity, longitudinal and transverse deformation of the tube steel and the concrete, and the column failure.