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ES2C2-15 Civil Engineering Design 1

Department
School of Engineering
Level
Undergraduate Level 2
Module leader
Stephen Hicks
Credit value
15
Module duration
12 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry
Introductory description

ES2C2-15 Civil Engineering Design1

Module web page

Module aims

Design describes a process of imagination and creativity that applies to all engineering activities, whether the requirement is to produce an artefact, a process, or a conceptual framework. Creativity requires imagination, intuition, intellectual rigour, and the sound application of underlying engineering principles. The module aims to develop your creativity and conceptual thinking, exploring where design ideas come from, how those ideas evolve into practical and workable engineering solutions, and what factors lead to good design at the concept stage of a civil engineering project.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Surveying:
 Planning and control: Whole to part, Geodetic vs plane, Types of survey
 Common techniques and equipment: tape, level, theodolite, EDM, GPS
 Techniques of measurement and error evaluation and control: Error types and mitigation, Bowditch, Least Squares, GPS
 Setting out: profiles, curves
 Instrumentation and Monitoring

Introduction to structural design:
 Conceptual design
 Actions on structures, design standards and basic load analysis hand-calculations
 Load paths and structural stability
 Handling ill-defined briefs
 Identifying key requirements
 Rapid communication – sketching
 Critiquing designs

Introduction to geotechnical design
 Soil Mechanics and Engineering Geology
 Geotechnical problems and slope stability
 Desk and walkover studies
 Groundwater and seepage
 Introduction to foundation selection and design
 Preliminary analysis methods

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Specify appropriate surveying techniques and apply them with due regard to survey control, analysis and purpose.
  • Evaluate and interpret topographical survey data.
  • Develop conceptual structural and geotechnical solutions to Civil Engineering design problems; interpreting briefs; bounding problems and identifying key issues; and critiquing, iterating and selecting solutions.
  • Use sketching, models and other techniques to develop and communicate design thinking.
  • Appreciate how civil engineers design and construct infrastructure with safety, sustainability and professional ethics at the core of the process.
Indicative reading list

Surveying:
Uren J. & Price B, (2010). Surveying for Engineers. Palgrave Macmillan, 5th ed. ISBN-10: 0230221572, ISBN-13: 978-0230221574
Bannister, A., Raymond S. and Baker R., (1998). Surveying. Prentice Hall, 7th ed. ISBN-10: 0582302498, ISBN-13: 978-0582302495

Geotechnical engineering:
Barnes, (2016) G.E.Soil Mechanics: Principles and Practice, 4th Ed. ISBN-10: 1137512202, ISBN-13 978-1137512208
Waltham (2009), Foundation of Engineering Geology, 3rd Ed, Spon

Structural engineering:
Structural Engineer’s Pocket Book, Fiona Cobb, 2nd Ed, CRC Press, 2015
The Structural Basis of Architecture, Bjorn Sandaker, Arne Eggen, Mark Cruvellier, Routledge, 2nd Ed, 2011
Sketching for Engineers and Architects, Ron Slade Routledge, 2016
M. Millais. Building structures: from concepts to design. 2nd Ed. Taylor and Francis, 2005. TH 854.M4

Subject specific skills
  1. Ability to conceive, make and realise a component, product, system or process
  2. Ability to develop economically viable and ethically sound sustainable solutions
  3. Ability to be pragmatic, taking a systematic approach and the logical and practical steps necessary for, often complex, concepts to become reality
  4. Ability to seek to achieve sustainable solutions to problems and have strategies for being creative and innovative
  5. Ability to be risk, cost and value-conscious, and aware of their ethical, social, cultural, environmental, health and safety, and wider professional engineering responsibilities
Transferable skills
  1. Communicate (written and oral; to technical and non-technical audiences) and work with others
  2. Plan self-learning and improve performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD
  3. Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including time management, which may be as a team member or leader
  4. Awareness of the nature of business and enterprise in the creation of economic and social value
  5. Overcome difficulties by employing skills, knowledge and understanding in a flexible manner
  6. Ability to formulate and operate within appropriate codes of conduct, when faced with an ethical issue
  7. Appreciation of the global dimensions of engineering, commerce and communication
  8. Be professional in their outlook, be capable of team working, be effective communicators, and be able to exercise responsibility and sound management approaches.

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 16 sessions of 1 hour (11%)
Tutorials 2 sessions of 1 hour (1%)
Practical classes 2 sessions of 1 hour (1%)
Supervised practical classes 12 sessions of 1 hour (8%)
Fieldwork 32 sessions of 1 hour (21%)
Online learning (independent) 8 sessions of 1 hour (5%)
Private study 78 hours (52%)
Total 150 hours
Private study description

78 hours of guided independent learning.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A3
Weighting Study time
Surveying Group Report 30%

Surveying group report, including peer assessment

Individual Portfolio of Design Work 35%

Portfolio assignment - Individual structural design portfolio (maximum 16 pages)

Individual geotechnical design portfolio (maximum 16 pages) 35%

Portfolio assignment

Feedback on assessment

Structural design portfolio due in Week 24.
Geotechnical design portfolio due in Week 30.
Surveying group report due in week 37 (after fieldwork in week 31).

Individual and cohort level feedback and coaching will be ubiquitous. The focus on fieldwork and design work will allow detailed and regular discussion between academics and students. Students will also be required to both give and receive feedback on peers’ work, a key aspect of the design process and learning outcome of the module.

Post-requisite modules

If you pass this module, you can take:

  • ES3E2-15 Civil Engineering Design II

Courses

This module is Core for:

  • Year 2 of UESA-H216 BEng Civil Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H217 MEng Civil Engineering

This module is Option list A for:

  • Year 2 of UESA-H113 BEng Engineering
  • UESA-H112 BSc Engineering
    • Year 2 of H112 Engineering
    • Year 2 of H112 Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-HN11 BSc Engineering and Business Studies
  • Year 2 of UESA-H114 MEng Engineering