Innovative approach to teaching undergraduate reinforced concrete design

This paper highlights innovative teaching techniques aimed at improving understanding and comprehension of reinforced concrete design theory. These techniques include: 1) Use of American Concrete Institute (ACI) building code-based analysis and design techniques, which focus on strain compatibility and equilibrium concepts; 2) students are required to develop five sets of team-based spreadsheet programming assignments; and 3) incorporation of a term project requiring students to design, construct, and test full-scale reinforced concrete beams. This course focuses on improving student's abilities to think critically and apply their knowledge of fundamental engineering principles to solve reinforced concrete design problems. Taught with the same pedagogical techniques for the past ten years, the course regularly earns positive feedback from current students and graduates, and is rated as one the most valuable undergraduate courses taken during their four-year educational program.