Advanced Civil Engineering MSc

This is the major project element for all MSc plans in the Department of Civil Engineering. It will normally take the form of an in-depth investigation, whether it involves experimentation or an extensive review of work already completed by others. Typically, but not exclusively, it will include the following:

• Project definition and aim
• Literature review
• Practical experimentation / investigation
• Presentation of results
• Critical analysis of findings

The detailed technical content of the module will depend on the specific area under examination. Assessment is based on submission of a report (typically 10,000 to 20,000 words) which covers the above elements.

The project area is flexible and will be supervised by an academic member of staff.

Previous research projects have included:

• Weather impact on construction schedules
• Predicted future climate change trends
• The use and abuse of GPS in current UK survey practices
• The utilization of laser scanning system for examination and monitoring of tunnel deformation and structural integrity
• Life cycle assessment of the M25 highway widening scheme

This module introduces important aspects affecting the professional practice of Civil Engineering including sustainability, environmental impact, quality management, continuous improvement and management principles. It will also develop knowledge and skills that will be used in the summer project, including writing a literature review and how to critically review your own and others’ writing.

This is a compulsory course for all students studying an MSc in the Department of Civil Engineering. The course provides an introduction into important aspects affecting the professional practice of Civil Engineering and facilitates the development of knowledge and skills that will be used in the summer project, including literature review and writing skills, and developing a proposal for the activities to be conducted in the summer. 

The module will incorporate a mixture of learning environments/resources, including one-on-one tuition with personal tutors to formulate ideas and plans related to the summer project, classroom activities focused on resources relating to writing a literature review and how to critically review others’ as well as one’s own writing, and three 2-week workshops which provide knowledge in aspects that are important within the context of the professional practice of Civil Engineering.

Students will be presented with a challenging design problem and will first review possible solutions using specialised structural engineering techniques such as composite beams and floors, portal frames, tubular trusses, and pre-stressed concrete beams and slabs. They will then select specific solutions to investigate in greater depth, considering how the systems can be modelled and how they are treated within design codes. They will then present their evaluation of the different options and propose a solution to be worked up in detail. The module will emphasise student centred learning.

Students will work in groups in design studios, which will feature regular critique sessions in which they present their ideas. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their learning and set targets for individual and group development

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Method of Assessment:

This module provides an introduction to coastal engineering. This includes:

• Waves, tides, and wave-generated and tidal currents
• Beaches and sediments
• Tidal energy

Delivery

Assessment method

The module will introduce concepts of linear and nonlinear finite element theory for structural engineering.

Content will involve finite element formulation, i.e. bar, beam, plane stress, plane strain and plate/ shell elements as well as their implementation within the direct stiffness method. Aspects of material and geometrical nonlinearities will be examined and the particular cases of concentrated and distributed plasticity beam element formulations for skeletal structures will introduced.

Load, displacement, and general control nonlinear static analysis schemes will also be examined and implemented for the solution of finite element problems. Concepts will be practiced through two individual pieces of coursework on linear and non-linear finite element theory respectively. Coursework will involve both a theory implementation and an analysis aspect using software.

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Method of Assessment:

This module will introduce the components of railway track structures, conventional and otherwise. It will include analysis of forces on a railway track and consequent deflections, stresses, alignment design principles, and an overview of the railway as a total system including operational issues, signalling and control.

Assessment method

This module is assessed by individual and group coursework (40%) and an exam (60%).

Delivery

Assessment method

This module is designed to deliver an understanding of sustainability principles and how, in particular, transport infrastructure engineering as well as the wider construction industry can contribute to sustainable development.

The module will include the following themes:

• Sustainability: an introduction to sustainability, sustainable development; sustainable construction; and how transport infrastructure engineering can contribute to sustainable construction.
• Environmental impacts of infrastructure construction: a review of the positive and negative environmental impacts of construction including resources and waste and energy and climate change.
• Social impacts of infrastructure construction: a review of the positive and negative social impacts of construction including; corporate social responsibility, responsible sourcing, poverty reduction and sustainable development goals.
• Assessment: indicators, assessment systems, environmental life-cycle assessment, life-cycle cost analysis.

Delivery

Assessment method

This module considers the effects of wind on structures.  Starting from a review of basic meteorology, the genesis, nature and effects of strong winds in the UK context are presented.  Then, both the transient and spatial variation of the wind are considered, before we cover the aerodynamics of bluff bodies (which most buildings and bridges are).   Both the static loading and dynamic response of structures are included.  With all that in mind, the Eurocode for Wind Loading is then presented, with the emphasis on relating the basic knowledge to the procedures and equations in the Eurocode.  Wind tunnel modelling and Computational Fluid Dynamics are also briefly presented, so that all tools at the wind engineer’s disposal are covered.

Assessment method

• Coursework: 50%
• Two-hour exam: 50%

This module is designed to introduce digital technologies used in the built asset life cycle, namely in building or built infrastructure’s planning/design, pre-construction, procurement, construction, and post-construction.

This module provides an in-depth understanding of digital technologies and construction-related information modelling in the built environment context. The module will cover the concepts, principles, standards, adoptions and implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM), Digital Twins (DTs), Smart Sensor (e.g., Internet of Things (IoT)), construction automation and robotic systems, digital built asset and project management (costing, planning and control), machine learning, remote sensing technologies and blockchain and distributed ledgers and wearable technologies. Students will learn how digital construction has revolutionised the construction industry and how BIM and its closely related digital technologies are used as tools for the realisation of the construction industry 4.0. Students will also learn about BIM software, collaboration techniques, project delivery methods, and related basic programming skills.

The module is designed to introduce both more conventional and emerging concepts in project management in civil engineering and construction.

The module is designed to introduce both more conventional and emerging concepts in project management in civil engineering and construction. To this end, more conventional topics such as: key concepts of project management, project life cycle, project stages and scope, management theories, organisational design and behaviour, project teams, conflict management, motivation, and leadership, project governance and stakeholder management, business strategy and investment appraisal, procurement and contracts, project risk management, project scheduling and monitoring, and health and safety management will be covered. Alongside these topics, emerging concepts such as lean management in civil engineering and construction and value management will also be covered. Practical implications of civil engineering project management theories and tools will be discussed with real life examples.

This module will introduce students to the principles of deformation monitoring in civil engineering projects It will focus on the measurements and the data analysis techniques which are applied in deformation monitoring of civil engineering structures, such as bridges, tall buildings, underground structures (tunnels) and ground deformation related to geohazards (earthquakes and land subsidence).

The theory which is taught during the semester is applied in two deformation monitoring projects. One of the projects is the deformation monitoring of a pedestrian bridge, which includes field measurements and data analysis aiming to estimate the bridge response.

This module considers the use of system reliability assessment techniques to support asset management decision making. It covers the analysis of asset failure data, how to construct and analyse asset degradation models and how to use optimisation techniques to enable the selection of optimal maintenance strategies.

The techniques will be discussed in the context of their application to asset infrastructures.

Assessment method

This module will be assessed by a class test (20%) and an exam (80%).

Delivery

Assessment method

The module will look into the analysis and design of bridge structures, including definition of loading, structural analysis methods for deck and piers, and design of deck, piers and foundations of steel and concrete bridges.

A group project consists of the conceptual design of a bridge and the detailed design of key structural elements.

Method and Frequency of Class: 

Method of Assessment:

This module consists of:

• Introduction
• Fundamental CFD theory
• Turbulence
• Multiphase
• Reactive Flow
• Quality Assurance

Method and Frequency of Class:

Activities may take place every teaching week of the Semester or only in specified weeks. It is usually specified above if an activity only takes place in some weeks of a Semester.

Method of Assessment:

This module will examine the relationship between fundamental soil mechanics and modern geotechnical design using Eurocode 7. Students will learn about the design of shallow footings, deep piled foundations, and embedded retaining walls, and how design codes are derived from fundamental geotechnics. These modern design codes are not only used to ensure foundations and retaining structures are appropriately sized to avoid collapse and uneven settlement, but more frequently, increasing sustainability of design. This course will examine a range of factors that must be considered in design, such as the quality of laboratory/site data, groundwater conditions, nearby construction, and material use.

Assessment method

• Coursework: 30%
• Two-hour exam: 70%

This module focuses on the use of numerical modelling for geotechnical applications. The course will include an introduction to the use of a finite element method (FEM) analysis software, the stages of setting up a model to replicate a geotechnical problem, including geometry, material properties, boundary conditions, and construction phases. Ways for automating the stages of model creation will also be covered. Methods for visualising and extracting model outcomes will be covered, as well as important methods of checking that the model has been set up correctly. The course will investigate how the choice of a constitutive model and its input parameters affects FEM predictions. 

Assessment method

• Coursework 1: Numerical modelling of a triaxial test: 50%
• Coursework 2: Numerical modelling of a geotechnical application: 50%