Rural Buildings and Mechanization
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
The aim of the "Construction and Mechanization" course is to provide the student with a systemic view of building design and basic knowledge of the main machines, plants and automated systems that can be used in traditional and modern livestock farming, in order to achieve design, plant and management skills that meet business, environmental, ethological and social requirements.
Expected learning outcomes
1. Knowledge and understanding: by the end of the course, the student should know the main characteristics of housing structures, machines, plants and automatic systems used in livestock farming, and be able to assess their efficiency and sustainability in economic, environmental and animal welfare terms.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding: the student will have to demonstrate that he/she possesses knowledge and skills useful for the dimensioning of: spaces and installations of a structure taking into account materials, environmental conditions, farm management and animal welfare; machines, installations and automatic systems that can be used in livestock farming.
3. Making judgments: the student must demonstrate the ability of critically presenting the information acquired. Specific exercises will be addressed to this end (e.g. exercises on insulation and materials that can potentially be used in zootechnical structures, dimensioning of milking systems in dairy cattle farms, summer and winter ventilation, dimensioning of trenches, etc.)
4. Communication: the student is expected to use scientifically appropriate language, in particular terminology referring to rural buildings and plants. The exercises are intended to stimulate the ability to use specific terminology and the ability to discuss scientifically with peers.
5. Lifelong learning skills: the student must gain the ability to use acquired knowledge to interpret new scenarios, for instance searching scientific databases and critically organising new information.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding: the student will have to demonstrate that he/she possesses knowledge and skills useful for the dimensioning of: spaces and installations of a structure taking into account materials, environmental conditions, farm management and animal welfare; machines, installations and automatic systems that can be used in livestock farming.
3. Making judgments: the student must demonstrate the ability of critically presenting the information acquired. Specific exercises will be addressed to this end (e.g. exercises on insulation and materials that can potentially be used in zootechnical structures, dimensioning of milking systems in dairy cattle farms, summer and winter ventilation, dimensioning of trenches, etc.)
4. Communication: the student is expected to use scientifically appropriate language, in particular terminology referring to rural buildings and plants. The exercises are intended to stimulate the ability to use specific terminology and the ability to discuss scientifically with peers.
5. Lifelong learning skills: the student must gain the ability to use acquired knowledge to interpret new scenarios, for instance searching scientific databases and critically organising new information.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Prerequisites for admission
Module of Livestock buildings and plants: there are no prerequisites for admission.
Module of Mechanization and automation of livestock farms: the knowledge of basic concepts of mathematics and physics facilitate students' study and learning pathways.
Module of Mechanization and automation of livestock farms: the knowledge of basic concepts of mathematics and physics facilitate students' study and learning pathways.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The examination consists of a written test.
The written test consists of n. 30 multiple-choice questions for each module on the entire course programme.
- Assessment method: written test
- Types of questions: written test with multiple-choice answers.
- Duration of the test: the time given for taking the written test is n. 60 minutes.
- Assessment parameters: Each correct answer to the multiple choice questions corresponds to 1 point; each wrong answer or not answered question corresponds to -0.5 points.
- Type of assessment: Vote out of thirty, calculated as the arithmetic mean of the two modules.
There are no intermediate tests.
There are no differentiated verification methods between attending and non-attending students.
Method of communicating assessment results: publication on Ariel site, and then via SIFA.
The written test consists of n. 30 multiple-choice questions for each module on the entire course programme.
- Assessment method: written test
- Types of questions: written test with multiple-choice answers.
- Duration of the test: the time given for taking the written test is n. 60 minutes.
- Assessment parameters: Each correct answer to the multiple choice questions corresponds to 1 point; each wrong answer or not answered question corresponds to -0.5 points.
- Type of assessment: Vote out of thirty, calculated as the arithmetic mean of the two modules.
There are no intermediate tests.
There are no differentiated verification methods between attending and non-attending students.
Method of communicating assessment results: publication on Ariel site, and then via SIFA.
Buildings and plants for animal husbandry
Course syllabus
The course is divided into 40 hours of lectures and 16 hours of exercises.
Lessons:
- Environmental impact of animal husbandry in Italy and in the world. Average size of herds (size and animals). Emissions from farms and possible techniques for improvement in barns/structures and for storage. (3 hours)
- Use of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) and breeding efficiency and sustainability techniques. (2 hours)
- Importance of structures for animal welfare and behaviour. The orientation, openings, water, lighting, air quality requirements of the environment in the structure (temperature, humidity, wind speed, lighting). (3 hours)
- Materials to be used for construction and insulation, heat transfer coefficient, thermal bridges and thermal inertia. (3 hours)
- Structures of dairy cattle. Overall view of barns, fixed or free stabling. Sizing of barn spaces (feeding aisle, passages, cubicles, waiting room, milking, spaces for calves and replacement). Monitoring of air quality and description of the structure's ventilation types (natural and forced ventilation). Identification and design of spaces to allow automatic milking and automatic feeding. (8 hours)
- Structures for pigs. Overview of open cycle and closed cycle farms, dimensioning of the spaces of a pig farm for farrowing, weaning, gestation, growth and fattening. Ventilation and heating systems for pig breeding facilities. (8 hours)
- Structures for poultry. Overall view of the breeding and sizing of the spaces. Evaluation and monitoring of air quality and ventilation systems. (3 hours)
- Structures and breeding of buffaloes, beef cattle and goats. (8 hours)
- Techniques for the management and treatment of livestock slurry and manure (storage tanks and construction solutions, solid-liquid separation treatment, anaerobic digestion) and systems for removing slurry from the cowshed. (2 hours)
Exercises:
- Exercise on materials and insulation of livestock buildings (4 h)
- Exercise on the sizing of the ventilation system in livestock buildings (4 h)
- Exercise on sizing a barn for cattle (2 h)
- Exercise on sizing a building for pigs (4 h)
- Exercise on sizing silos and trenches (2 h)
Lessons:
- Environmental impact of animal husbandry in Italy and in the world. Average size of herds (size and animals). Emissions from farms and possible techniques for improvement in barns/structures and for storage. (3 hours)
- Use of Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) and breeding efficiency and sustainability techniques. (2 hours)
- Importance of structures for animal welfare and behaviour. The orientation, openings, water, lighting, air quality requirements of the environment in the structure (temperature, humidity, wind speed, lighting). (3 hours)
- Materials to be used for construction and insulation, heat transfer coefficient, thermal bridges and thermal inertia. (3 hours)
- Structures of dairy cattle. Overall view of barns, fixed or free stabling. Sizing of barn spaces (feeding aisle, passages, cubicles, waiting room, milking, spaces for calves and replacement). Monitoring of air quality and description of the structure's ventilation types (natural and forced ventilation). Identification and design of spaces to allow automatic milking and automatic feeding. (8 hours)
- Structures for pigs. Overview of open cycle and closed cycle farms, dimensioning of the spaces of a pig farm for farrowing, weaning, gestation, growth and fattening. Ventilation and heating systems for pig breeding facilities. (8 hours)
- Structures for poultry. Overall view of the breeding and sizing of the spaces. Evaluation and monitoring of air quality and ventilation systems. (3 hours)
- Structures and breeding of buffaloes, beef cattle and goats. (8 hours)
- Techniques for the management and treatment of livestock slurry and manure (storage tanks and construction solutions, solid-liquid separation treatment, anaerobic digestion) and systems for removing slurry from the cowshed. (2 hours)
Exercises:
- Exercise on materials and insulation of livestock buildings (4 h)
- Exercise on the sizing of the ventilation system in livestock buildings (4 h)
- Exercise on sizing a barn for cattle (2 h)
- Exercise on sizing a building for pigs (4 h)
- Exercise on sizing silos and trenches (2 h)
Teaching methods
Lectures and classroom exercises. Where possible, technical visits to agro-livestock farms.
Teaching Resources
Ariel website of the module "Livestock buildings and plants".
For a further in-depth study of the topics addressed, the following texts are suggested:
R. Chiumenti - Costruzioni Rurali - Edizioni Edagricole
Ching Francis D.K. - Costruire per illustrazioni - Edizioni Calderini
For a further in-depth study of the topics addressed, the following texts are suggested:
R. Chiumenti - Costruzioni Rurali - Edizioni Edagricole
Ching Francis D.K. - Costruire per illustrazioni - Edizioni Calderini
Mechanization and automation of livestock farms
Course syllabus
The course is divided into 40 hours of lectures and 16 hours of exercises.
Lectures:
- Machines and systems for animal feeding. (12h)
- Machines and equipment for farm handling. (2h)
- Barn cleaning systems. (4h)
- Mechanical and robotic milking. Milk cooling systems. (12h)
- Barn lighting systems. (2h)
- Operating cost and life cycle of machines. (6h)
- Introduction to precision livestock farming. (2h)
Exercises:
- Sizing and selection criteria of machines and systems (TMR-mixer wagon, milking and refrigeration systems). (8h)
- Analysis and calculation of fixed and variable costs of a machine. (8h)
Lectures:
- Machines and systems for animal feeding. (12h)
- Machines and equipment for farm handling. (2h)
- Barn cleaning systems. (4h)
- Mechanical and robotic milking. Milk cooling systems. (12h)
- Barn lighting systems. (2h)
- Operating cost and life cycle of machines. (6h)
- Introduction to precision livestock farming. (2h)
Exercises:
- Sizing and selection criteria of machines and systems (TMR-mixer wagon, milking and refrigeration systems). (8h)
- Analysis and calculation of fixed and variable costs of a machine. (8h)
Teaching methods
Lectures and practice exercises. Where possible, technical visits to agro-livestock farms.
Teaching Resources
Ariel website of the module "Mechanization and automation of agro-zootechnical farms".
For a further in-depth study of the topics addressed, the following texts are suggested:
Tecnologie e gestione degli impianti per le aziende zootecniche
A cura di Angela Calvo e Antonio Pazzona
Franco Angeli Editore, 2019 - ISBN 978-88-917-8948-8
Meccanica & Meccanizzazione dei processi produttivi agricoli
Massimo Lazzari, Fabrizio Mazzetto
Reda edizioni, 2016 - ISBN 978-88-836-1255-8
For a further in-depth study of the topics addressed, the following texts are suggested:
Tecnologie e gestione degli impianti per le aziende zootecniche
A cura di Angela Calvo e Antonio Pazzona
Franco Angeli Editore, 2019 - ISBN 978-88-917-8948-8
Meccanica & Meccanizzazione dei processi produttivi agricoli
Massimo Lazzari, Fabrizio Mazzetto
Reda edizioni, 2016 - ISBN 978-88-836-1255-8
Buildings and plants for animal husbandry
AGR/10 - RURAL BUILDINGS AND AGRO - FOREST LAND PLANNING - University credits: 6
Practicals: 16 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Professors:
Guarino Marcella Patrizia Maria, Lovarelli Daniela
Mechanization and automation of livestock farms
AGR/09 - AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AND MECHANIZATION - University credits: 6
Practicals: 16 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Tangorra Francesco Maria
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)
Reception:
by appointment
Office
Reception:
phone or e-mail appointment