1. (a) Implementation.

   1. (1) The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
   2. (2) School districts shall implement the employability skills student expectations listed in §127.15(d)(2) of this chapter (relating to Career and Technical Education Employability Skills) as an integral part of this course.
2. (b) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 11 and 12. Prerequisite: Civil Engineering I. Students shall be awarded two credits for successful completion of this course.

3. (c) Introduction.

   1. (1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards, industry-relevant technical knowledge, and college and career readiness skills for students to further their education and succeed in current and emerging professions.
   2. (2) The Engineering Career Cluster focuses on planning, designing, testing, building, and maintaining machines, structures, materials, systems, and processes using empirical evidence and science, technology, and math principles. This career cluster includes occupations ranging from mechanical engineer and drafter to electrical engineer and mapping technician.
   3. (3) Students enrolled in Architectural Engineering use principles of engineering and design tools to create innovative, functional, and sustainable buildings. Students develop cursory knowledge and essential skills to understand the design of buildings, including the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural systems, while also planning the construction process. They engage in project planning, building and system analysis, site investigation, and the integration of sustainable design and construction practices for an architectural engineering project.
   4. (4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other organizations that foster leadership and career development in the profession such as student chapters of related professional associations.
   5. (5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

4. (d) Knowledge and skills.

   1. (1) The student researches and describes ethics pertaining to engineering. The student is expected to explain how engineering ethics as defined by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors apply to engineering practice.

   2. (2) The student understands how to implement an engineering design process to develop a product or solution. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) describe and implement the stages of an engineering design process to construct a model;
      2. (B) explain how factors, including complexity, scope, resources, ethics, regulations, manufacturability, maintainability, and technology, impact stages of the engineering design process;
      3. (C) explain how stakeholders impact an engineering design process; and
      4. (D) analyze how failure is often an essential component of the engineering design process.

   3. (3) The student explores the methods and aspects of project management in relation to projects. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) research and explain the process and phases of project management, including initiating, planning, executing, and closing;
      2. (B) explain the roles and responsibilities of team members, including project managers and leads;
      3. (C) research and evaluate methods and tools available for managing a project;
      4. (D) discuss the importance of developing and implementing a system for the organization of project documentation such as file naming conventions, document release control, and version control;
      5. (E) describe how project requirements, constraints, and deliverables impact the project schedule and influence and are influenced by an engineering design;
      6. (F) explain how a project budget, including materials, equipment, and labor, is developed and maintained; and
      7. (G) describe the importance of management of change (MOC) and how MOC applies to project planning.

   4. (4) The student explores the origin and application of basic building types. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and describe the fundamental parts of a building, including foundations, floors, walls, roof, and utility systems;
      2. (B) identify and describe the visual design elements of various building types, including residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings; and
      3. (C) research and describe the evolution of the built space and development of building forms.

   5. (5) The student understands the properties of common building materials and construction methods. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and describe common building materials such as wood, masonry, concrete, metal, glass, aggregate, and plastic;
      2. (B) identify and describe common roofing materials such as thatch, wood, metal, sod, and asphalt;
      3. (C) describe traditional construction methods such as wood framing, tilt-wall, masonry, and steel;
      4. (D) describe contemporary construction methods such as prefabricated, modular, and additive construction (3D printing);
      5. (E) identify and describe standard building methods such as casting, cutting, drilling, driving, and fastening for the construction of buildings;
      6. (F) research and describe resilient building materials, methods, and costs; and
      7. (G) describe how building material selection is impacted influenced by certifications such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Energy Star.

   6. (6) The student understands the application of codes and regulations to building projects. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) explain the purpose of local building codes, including public health and safety, structural, and utility codes;
      2. (B) describe land use regulations to identify zoning ordinances and allowable uses of real property;
      3. (C) describe how zoning regulations are used to control land use and development;
      4. (D) identify standard accessibility features such as ramps, elevators, parking, handrails, and fire alarm horn strobe as specified in codes and regulations such as the American Disability Act (ADA) and the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS);
      5. (E) explain how codes and building regulations constrain aspects of building design, including the structure, site design, utilities, and building usage;
      6. (F) explain how codes and building regulations constrain aspects of building construction, including the structure, site construction, utilities, and building usage; and
      7. (G) classify a building according to its use type, occupancy, and construction type using the International Building Code.

   7. (7) The student explores the various building systems. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and describe various building envelopes such as tilt-wall, glazing, brick, and Exterior Insulation Finishing System (EIFS);
      2. (B) describe the components of building envelopes, including foundation, walls, wall openings, roofs, roof penetrations, insulation, and building membranes;
      3. (C) research and describe different types of insulating materials;
      4. (D) describe different types of windows and doors;
      5. (E) identify the main components and describe the purpose of mechanical systems within a building, including heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), air handler, boiler, fire protection and suppression, lift, chilled water equipment, and emergency power systems;
      6. (F) describe how programs and certifications such as LEED potentially impact the selection of building systems;
      7. (G) identify the main components and describe the purpose of electrical systems within a building, including meters, panels, lighting, receptacles, transformers, generators, and low-voltage systems; and
      8. (H) identify the main components and describe the purpose of plumbing systems within a building, including meters, main supply lines, branch lines, sewer lines, traps, risers, fire suppression, appurtenances, and fixtures.

   8. (8) The student examines building foundations and structures. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) identify and analyze the various types of building foundations, including slab on grade, pier and beam, spread footing, mat footing, drilled piers, pylons, waffle slab, and post-tension slab;
      2. (B) classify a soil sample according to grain size and plasticity;
      3. (C) calculate the plasticity index of a soil sample;
      4. (D) determine the united soil classification system designation from a site soil sample analysis;
      5. (E) describe the forces common to structural engineering calculations, including gravity, tension, compression, flexure, and torsion;
      6. (F) describe the loads common to structural engineering calculations, including dead load, live load, environmental, and other load paths such as lateral and concentrated;
      7. (G) diagram and explain how applied loads and forces are resisted in a structure and transferred to the Earth;
      8. (H) diagram a simply supported beam subjected to loading conditions to determine reaction forces;
      9. (I) sketch diagrams to determine the maximum shear and moment resulting in the beam;
      10. (J) identify the different types of trusses, including simple, planar, and space frame trusses;
      11. (K) diagram a truss subjected to loading conditions to determine reaction forces and identify the zero force members;
      12. (L) explain why design loads are dictated by building codes;
      13. (M) identify the composition and describe the ratios of ingredients in different concrete mixtures;
      14. (N) describe the purpose of various concrete admixtures, including air entrainer, reducer, retarder, and accelerator;
      15. (O) explain why various admixtures are selected for a project such as curing time, ambient climate, and permeability;
      16. (P) conduct concrete compression and splitting-tension tests and compare strength and failures in a concrete mixture; and
      17. (Q) analyze a concrete mixture by performing a slump test.

   9. (9) The student designs and develops plans for the building systems. The student is expected to:

      1. (A) develop a stormwater management system for a building that includes roof drainage calculations, roof drain design, and downspout sizing and location;
      2. (B) design ingress and egress for a building that complies with local, state, and federal codes and regulations;
      3. (C) develop building design and engineering plans that incorporate energy conservation techniques;
      4. (D) recommend and defend an appropriate foundation design for a building type;
      5. (E) design, modify, and plan structures using 3D software;
      6. (F) construct building drawings using advanced computer-aided design drafting skills;
      7. (G) create three-dimensional views of a building design;
      8. (H) create three-dimensional solid models of the building;
      9. (I) design and present a final effective building design for critique;
      10. (J) develop preliminary drawings of a building or structural design;
      11. (K) develop a site plan using maximum orientation of the building relative to views, sun, and wind direction;
      12. (L) draw schematic site plans, floor plans, roof plans, building elevations, sections, and perspectives using design development techniques;
      13. (M) draw scaled wall thickness plans, interior elevations, and sections;
      14. (N) develop details, floor and wall sections, ceiling and roof sections, door and window sections, and other sections as required within a building design;
      15. (O) review and revise draft construction documents to incorporate results from structural analysis such as beam, truss, and foundation calculations conducted for the project; and
      16. (P) review and revise draft construction documents to incorporate results from building system analysis such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing calculations conducted for the project.

   10. (10) The student designs and develops plans for the building site. The student is expected to:

       1. (A) identify and describe various site constraints, including utilities, grading, drainage, transportation access, environmental, regulatory requirement, and rights-of-way constraints;
       2. (B) explain the purpose of low impact development techniques in site development such as to reduce the impact on stormwater runoff quantity and quality;
       3. (C) develop preliminary drawings of a building site design;
       4. (D) develop building site design and engineering plans that integrate solutions to site constraints as appropriate;
       5. (E) describe how soil characteristics impact building design;
       6. (F) determine the type, sizing, and placement of site features, including parking lots, entrance and exits road, pedestrian and handicap access, and storm water facilities, that comply with local codes and regulations;
       7. (G) evaluate a site to appropriately locate and orient a building or structure;
       8. (H) develop site drawings using advanced computer-aided design drafting skills; and
       9. (I) design and present a final effective site design for critique.

   11. (11) The student explores construction phase processes for a building design project. The student is expected to:

       1. (A) calculate quantities of building components such as the total square units of wall covering, the total cubic units of concrete, linear units of wire, and doors and windows;
       2. (B) develop a material quantity take-off for a building project;
       3. (C) develop an Opinion of Probable Cost (OPC) for a building project;
       4. (D) document elements of the building construction that comply with design criteria such as those outlined in LEED;
       5. (E) identify components of a bid tabulation, including item description, material quantity, unit measure, unit price, and total price;
       6. (F) compare a project bid tabulation with corresponding construction documents to verify all items are included;
       7. (G) create a project bid tabulation;
       8. (H) identify and describe the parts of a construction project manual, including invitation to bidders, instruction for bidders, project information, construction contracts, bid tabulation, maintenance bonds, performance bonds, payment bonds, specifications, insurance certificates, and legal requirements; and
       9. (I) develop an organizational chart and Gantt chart for the construction of a project.

Source Note:The provisions of this §127.418 adopted to be effective August 1, 2025, 50 TexReg 4876.