Civil Engineering MEng

This module will provide you with an introduction to the materials and soil mechanics encountered in Civil Engineering and general construction. You will develop an understanding of the implications of soil properties, for example, the ground conditions, the identification, description and identification of granular and cohesive soils. You will look at site and ground investigation, ground stress, effective stress and you will be introduced to groundwater and geosynthetic materials. You will also be introduced to the properties of materials and their structures, construction materials (including manufacturing processes, properties, structure and lifecycle durability), ceramics & glasses, iron & steel, polymers and special steels.

Almost every construction project interacts with the Earth – it has foundations, it involves excavations or embankments, the retaining of soil or rock behind a wall, tunnelling or other underground activities. It is therefore vital for Civil Engineers and construction professionals to have an understanding of the Earth’s materials, their properties, and behaviour, as well as an understanding of different types of geotechnical engineering structures involved in construction projects. This module provides you with an introduction to the key disciplines of engineering geology and geotechnics, helping you to understand the considerations necessary for the safe and sustainable design of geotechnical engineering structures and their implementation on construction sites. You will learn a range of core skills through case study driven lectures and applied seminars where you will gain first-hand experience of identifying, characterising, and mapping geomaterials for engineering applications.

This module allows you to learn from the work environment about practices within the construction industry. One of the attractions of construction is that every project poses unique challenges, so underlying engineering and management fundamentals need to be understood but applied appropriately to meet requirements. The module is designed to build upon your appreciation of the construction industry and the roles and responsibilities that you may undertake as you progress in your career. To introduce and develop your understanding of the principles and procedures of engineering surveying within the context of the construction industry. This module will provide you with experience and develop your skills in the use of standard surveying instrumentation together with associated field and office procedures for the preparation of site plans, setting out and control of construction works and the measurement of existing buildings. You will also use simulated work situations to help develop of keys skills.

The aim of this module is to develop your knowledge and understanding, already gained in previous academic year, of how structural elements and assemblies behave and can be analysed. You will be introduced to the fundamental principles of solid mechanics (statics), including simple structural systems (e.g. continuous beams and trusses). Statics is concerned with bodies that are either at rest or move with a constant speed in a fixed direction and is of great importance for a Civil Engineer. You will study factors such as normal and shear stresses, strain, elasticity, and strength. In addition, methods of evaluating the internal forces (shear force, axial force and bending moments) in structural analysis will also be explained.

This module aims to prepare you for employment as a structural engineer by developing your understanding and knowledge of design of structures and constructions materials (reinforced concrete, steel and timber), and to develop your ability to calculate these structures to the appropriate standards and codes, introducing the concept of structural safety, of global stability, characteristic strength, actions on structures and buckling. A wide range of examples are used to develop your creativity and the skills and understanding required to produce safe, effective, economical and sustainable designs. Throughout the module, you will respond to a client brief to complete the design of a structure, acquiring key skills to support you in your future professional practice. You will have access to structural analysis software to practice and explore structural design problems in seminars, receiving feedback on your success from your module tutors.

This module focuses upon pre-construction aspects of construction engineering projects. This includes the planning of work prior to execution, and considers how such plans are formulated and communicated to stakeholders. Management of construction engineering projects is explored through the use of traditional and contemporary methods and the potential benefits of newer technology and working practices are evaluated. This learning will equip you with knowledge and skills highly valued by employers that will enable you to help deliver effective construction engineering projects in future practice.

You will be introduced to the application of the principles of soil mechanics to the analysis and design of earth slopes, foundations and retaining structures. You will gain a body of knowledge to allow you to specify, design, evaluate and make decisions in geotechnical problems using contemporary principles and concepts, including the standards, and codes used in industry. You will also gain experience in dealing with the uncertainty arising from the difficulty of characterizing conditions below the ground based on limited data and on how design and health and safety risks arising from this uncertainty can be managed. Almost all civil engineering problems involve some geotechnical engineering; for example all structures have foundations, whilst all railways and highways make use of embankments and cuttings constructed from earth. An understanding of design in this area is therefore important for a civil engineering graduates and will contribute significantly to your employability in the industry.

In this module, you will acquire fundamental knowledge of finite element analysis and modelling methods and how to apply this knowledge to the solution of civil engineering structural problems. The arguments and contents include finite element theory, analysis of beams and trusses, columns, assemblages of these structural elements, and structural safety. Also elastic analysis, problems of plane strain, plane stress use, testing and validation of finite element software packages and extensions to apply this knowledge to problems encountered in civil engineering practice. You will have an insight into the principles at the basis of the FE elements available in commercial FE software, knowledge of element types, knowledge of the use of finite element methods for solving problems in civil engineering applications.

This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to study and investigate a specific engineering topic in-depth. The aim of this module is give you the skills and experience to carry out an engineering project and introduce you to the process that would typically take place in a professional engineering environment. You will undertake and execute a project on a topic appropriate to your study pathway. You will be allocated a project supervisor(s) who will direct you through the process of project planning, undertaking background research and carrying out the technical aspects of the project to a satisfactory conclusion. Your project will be an in-depth study of an engineering problem and may be either academic or industry-based. You will have the opportunity to either select a project defined by a tutor, or to propose your own project idea. The project work will extend your knowledge and capabilities in the specific field associated with the project topic and allow you to demonstrate your initiative, commitment, and engineering capability to a professional standard.

This module uses selected topics to give you an advanced understanding of the theory and analytical tools that can be applied to Coastal Structures, Hydraulic Structures and Flood Alleviation Schemes. You will develop the ability to develop and analyse complex coastal and hydraulic structures using experimental work and to specify appropriate optimisation and mitigation techniques. The module further provides, through theory and practical examples, the means to quantify and solve realistic problems. Laboratory testing of a practical system will be used to provide data to validate models. Measurement techniques form part of the investigative nature of the subject and general empirical methodology. Mathematical analysis packages are used extensively throughout the module.

This module will equip you with engineering judgement and understanding to support your employability. Successfully completing the module will provide you with the engineering judgement to defend the overall design, specification, maintenance, and asset management of highway and railway infrastructure. You will evaluate geometric highway design parameters, and apply the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges’ standards and guidance documentation to produce safe highway scheme designs. You will be able to appraise specifications of materials and designs for flexible and rigid pavements and judge procedures for highway maintenance and asset management. You will gain an understanding of the components and arrangement of railway permanent way and design alignments to relevant standards.

In this module you will study geotechnical instabilities and advanced geotechnical problems. You will consider the major challenges to construction and infrastructure and threatens human lives and livelihoods, although the true extent and costs associated with slope-based problems are often masked by other geo-hazards. This module will enable you to investigate a real life example of geotechnical instability, to research and use diverse and cutting edge tools and techniques to assess and ultimately to mitigate the impact of the failure. The applied and research-led focus to this module will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of complex geotechnical instabilities, building on your previous geotechnical experience and learning and applying new and practical engineering survey, geotechnical and modelling skills.

In this module you will study the structural integrity of existing buildings. Structural integrity is an engineering field that helps ensure that either a civil structure or structural component is fit for purpose under normal operational loading. You will discuss engineering works in the area of inspection, monitoring, repair and upgrading of existing, rather than new projects. Focusing on common concrete, timber and masonry structures and monuments, this module will equip you with the knowledge to work for a wide variety of asset owners such as public authorities with responsibility for infrastructures, or heritage organisations looking after old buildings. You will also acquire knowledge of repair and reinforcement methods using traditional and innovative materials and techniques, with a focus on sustainability considerations, climate emergency, health and safety.

In this module, you will have an opportunity to demonstrate a wide range of knowledge and understanding of design processes and methodologies in a challenging design-oriented group project. In this collaborative setting, you will develop innovative design solutions which are compatible with clearly identified business and commercial objectives. You will be required to engage in an in-depth study of an engineering problem set in a business context, requiring application and integration of knowledge and skills acquired up to and including the fifth year of the MEng programme. You will demonstrate critical, creative and innovative thinking and adopt a structured approach to design specification and the development of commercially appropriate solutions. You will apply advanced techniques for modelling and give consideration to innovative materials and manufacturing processes. You will work to the highest professional standards in project management and practice effective communication skills in all aspects of the project execution.