The Field

SUNY Delhi’s two-year program for construction supervisors, managers, and technicians is nationally accredited by the American Council for Construction Education. The program addresses an expanded population and a complex technical society. These changes have significantly increased construction needs in housing, commercial buildings, and civil structures in the United States. These same technical advances have expanded the career opportunities for construction managers and technicians in field construction processes, particularly for assisting construction contractors in project superintendence, estimating construction costs, bidding procedures, project expediting, material testing, building layout and surveying, general construction inspection, and other closely allied specialties.

New construction concepts and methods have opened exciting areas for the technician, particularly in energy-efficient building techniques, prefabrication, material testing, and modular concepts. With these latest concepts combined with new, more sophisticated materials and equipment, the requirement for college-level training and/or competence is now a recognized minimum for entry into construction industry careers.

Many graduates of Delhi’s Construction Technology program have elected to continue their studies in Construction Management and Construction Technologies at schools such as Syracuse University, Purdue University, New Jersey Institute at Tech Central, SUNY Oswego, Connecticut State University, University of Florida, and Rochester Institute of Technology.

The Instructional Program

Delhi ’s Construction Technology Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) program has a solid and long-lasting reputation as a premier instructional program for all aspects of building construction technology and related areas. The faculty are experienced contractors with firsthand experience in the construction industry. The courses are designed to give a basic understanding of light frame and commercial building construction. In addition to building materials and methods courses, students receive instruction in estimating, law and contracting, construction planning and control, and other courses closely related to the field control of the construction process.

The instructional facility for Construction Technology is Smith Hall, a building designed specifically for specialized classroom and laboratory activities. Students receive extensive laboratory work to augment their classroom instruction. Laboratory practice, where feasible, includes the design, engineering, planning, and erection of full-scale buildings.

Construction Technology

A.A.S. Degree

SUNY Curriculum Code:  0540

First Semester

Second Semester

Third Semester

Fourth Semester

Degree Requirement: 70 credit hours

Admission Requirements: High school Mathematics Course A or equivalent is required; Mathematics B or equivalent and physics are recommended.

*Note : Math and English by placement. College Algebra and Trigonometry are the minimum math level required for graduation. Entering students with higher-level mathematics backgrounds will be placed in the Calculus sequence according to their career objective.  A minimum of 9 credit hours of math and science is required for graduation.

Business/Management Electives

Program Objectives

A graduate of the Building Construction Technology A.A.S. program should be able to:

1. Discuss the academic and career opportunities available in the field of Construction Technology and have a working knowledge of how to utilize these opportunities.
2. Discuss and apply the principles and practices of wood construction, including building layout; floor, wall and roof framing; and member loading.
3. Apply fundamental principles of drafting to residential drawings, including basic lettering and linework techniques, wall sections, basic working drawings, and residential details.
4. Understand and apply the fundamental techniques, skills, and computer usage necessary in the construction industry including word processing, spreadsheets, and CAD.
5. Exhibit knowledge of the physical properties, design considerations, and practical applications of engineered structural components and common finish materials as they relate to the entire building system.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the strength of materials through the analysis of basic forces, conditions for equilibrium, stress-strain relationships, riveted and bolted connections, steel and timber beam design, simple column design, concrete form work design, and temporary structures.
7. Exhibit knowledge of the practical and technical aspects of concrete and masonry materials including soils classification, concrete mix design, applicable codes, report writing, and testing.
8. Understand and utilize construction surveying practices for residential and commercial structures, including use and care of equipment.
9. Demonstrate knowledge of the methods and materials of commercial buildings and structures, as well as construction project planning, construction site record keeping, and safety.
10. Develop working drawings for a complete commercial building project including plans, sections, elevations, and details.
11. Fully understand and be able to transmit pertinent information concerning the environmental hazards of chemicals and building materials produced on or brought to a construction site, as well as being aware of how hazardous materials should be handled, stored, and disposed in accordance with OSHA regulations.
12. Analyze the various components within a building and compare the different construction materials relative to current construction practices and the implications for indoor air quality. 
13. Perform construction estimating calculations, including quantity take-offs, labor rates, overhead, and profit, and be conversant with the skills necessary to do time scheduling and project management using computer applications. 
14. Understand the fundamentals of mechanical and electrical equipment requirements for buildings. 
15. Understand and apply the principles of physics to the field of construction. 
16. Recognize and respond to emergencies by making appropriate decisions regarding first-aid care.