1. Complement AE 3120 through experimental illustration of structural concepts, and material and structural response.
2. Provide a primer on instrumentation principles and practice.
3. Develop student ability to follow provided experimental procedures, make accurate quantitative determinations using a provided setup, process data and document the results in an appropriate format.

1. "Mechanical Measurements," Beckwith, T. G., Marangoni, R. D. and Lienhard, J. H., 5th ed, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1995, ISBN 0-201-56947-7.
2. "Experimental Methods for Engineers," Holman, J.P., 6th edition, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994, ISBN 0-07-029666-9.

Other Study Materials

1. Handouts, as necessary.
2. This course web material set.

Policy on Attendance and Lab Work

• Attendance is mandatory for all meetings. Please arrive on time.
• Lab experiments will be conducted in groups of 3-4 students during each lab period. Lab reports will be prepared and submitted by each group.
• Lab Reports - Mandatory Format (Word, PDF)
• Lab Report Guidelines (PDF)

Examination and Grading Policy

• The final grade will be computed based upon the grades on Lab Reports (60%) and Pre/Post-lab Quizzes (40%).
• Pre- and post-lab quizzes will be used to assess student preparation for lab as well as individual student understanding of lab results. The pre-lab quiz will be given between the lab lecture and the lab itself while a post-lab quiz will be given shortly after the lab report due date. A combination of web-based (WebCT) and in-lab quizzes may be used.
• An unexcused lecture absence will result in 50% being deducted from the corresponding laboratory report. An unexcused laboratory absence will result in a zero being given for that laboratory. See the course instructor in advance (if possible) if you cannot attend.
• Late lab reports will be accepted up to the day after the due date, with a penalty of 25%. If a lab report will not be ready within this time, the student should see the course instructor (in advance and with a good reason) if he/she hopes to get any credit.
• In the report, one must answer ALL questions for full credit. This includes questions from both the lab assignment and any lab supplements. They represent an important part of your grade.
• Usually, lab reports will be returned one week after they are turned in. It is realized that because of this, errors made on the first report may be repeated on the second. This will be taken into account in the grading of the first two labs, but by the third lab, there will be no excuses.
• The lab reports and any oral reports will all be treated equally in grading. There will not be any written examinations.
• For the final grade the instructor will also factor in each student's performance in regards to items such as how well each student learned the material, how well they communicate in their reports, class participation and how well the lab was conducted.

Schedule

• Lectures will be held in Guggenheim Bldg. Room 246; labs will be held in Montgomery Knight Bldg., Room 301.

Acknowledgments

The present AE 3145 course web page material set is developed starting from the Fall 1999-Spring 2000 AE 3145 course web materials prepared and made available by Prof. James I. Craig. His contribution is gratefully acknowledged.