MSc Civil Engineering

This class involves undertaking a renewable energy project. The project takes in the full breadth of the civil engineering profession from concept to detailed design, from political drivers to financial viability, from environmental issues to technical risk. Students will develop comprehensive and innovative designs that involve structural engineering, geotechnical engineering and water engineering, management, environmental and financial planning. 

Students will acquire familiarity with, and practice of, research techniques, and examine different ways of, and gain experience in, presenting research results.

The class discusses the key principles, and practical exercises, on both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including survey methods, interviewing techniques, use of census data and statistical methods. The class also includes discussion of ethical issues. Finally, there is dissertation-related teaching on choosing a research question and a research method, and writing a research proposal. This is a semester 1 and 2 class but meetings do not happen every week. Teaching staff: Dr Elsa João

This class examines the links between form, geometric shape, and structural performance and design. It deals with different ways of breaking up a continuum, and how this affects global structural properties, structural concepts and preliminary design methods that are used in tension structures, and deployable structures.

You’ll also look at the fundamental principles of composite structures. 

Necessary requirement for this class

Understanding of structural analysis (finding reactions in statically determinate and indeterminate structures – trusses, beams, frames; construction of shear force and bending moment diagrams; main principles of elastic analysis), basic grounding in matrix algebra, basic programming knowledge (in any language).

The overall aim of the class is to provide you with strong skills in the structural behaviour, analysis and design of civil engineering structures.

You’ll gain an understanding of the fundamental principles of structural stability and become familiar with common types of bifurcation and buckling phenomena. This will allow you to formulate methods capable of dealing with geometrically non-linear structural behaviour.

You’ll also gain knowledge of structural behaviour structural systems commonly adapted by the construction industry including prestressed concrete and concrete-steel composite members. 

Necessary requirement for this class

Understanding of fundamentals of structural mechanics; fundamentals of reinforced concrete design (reinforced concrete technology, serviceability and ultimate limit state analysis.

This class covers the principles and techniques of ground improvement and soil reinforcement. You’ll apply the appropriate design methods in various ground conditions including the use of computer-aided design.

Necessary requirement for this class

Understanding of the principles, techniques and methods of analysis for ground improvement and soil reinforcement, piles and pile groups, and the application of these techniques for design in various ground conditions.

This class will develop your skills in the use of engineering practices in project management.  The focus is on the effective and efficient use of resources. Areas covered include:

• introduction to project management techniques and project control
• basic aspects of project teams
• project networks
• procedural and graphical presentation techniques
• introduction to contract law
• project budgetary control

The class aims to provide you with an understanding of sub-surface geology and rock mechanics and its influence on the engineering design of slopes and tunnels.

You’ll gain an overview of groundwater flow through soil and rocks. You’ll be introduced to techniques for the in-situ measurement of permeability and methodologies for site investigation in dewatering projects. 

Necessary requirement for this class

Knowledge of mathematics (including basic differential equations, trigonometry, resolving forces), and of basic hydrology.

This class covers the principles and techniques of ground improvement and soil reinforcement. You’ll apply the appropriate design methods in various ground conditions including the use of computer-aided design.

Necessary requirements for this class

Understanding of the principles, techniques and methods of analysis for ground improvement and soil reinforcement, piles and pile groups, and the application of these techniques for design in various ground conditions.

This class aims to cover the design of geotechnical structures under ultimate conditions including slopes and retaining walls, based on Eurocode 7.

The syllabus covers these areas:

• Introduction to geotechnical structures - slopes and embankments, shallow foundations, pile foundations, retaining walls
• Stability Analysis of Geostructures
• Earth Retaining Structures
• Slope Stability

Necessary requirements for this class

Understanding of fundamentals of soil mechanics (principle of effective stress, compressibility and consolidation of soil, the shear strength of soils including the critical state framework).

This class will develop your skills in the use of engineering practices in project management.  The focus is on the effective and efficient use of resources.  Areas covered includes:

• introduction to project management techniques and project control
• basic aspects of project teams
• project networks
• procedural and graphical presentation techniques
• introduction to contract law
• project budgetary control

This class explores the complete sequence of a site investigation:

1. Desk study
2. Site sampling organisation and techniques
3. Data collection
4. Chemical analysis

The class also covers data modelling and interpretation using risk assessment models. 

Within the background of land redevelopment (residential, industrial/commercial and gardens/parks), this class aims to provide insights into the remediation of contaminated land, including the regulatory framework and risk assessment, sampling and analysis, and various remedial techniques for contaminated land. Teaching staff: Dr Christine Switzer.

This class covers organisational and regulatory aspects of waste management practice in the UK: legislation, composition of domestic and industrial wastes, storage, collection, reception, and disposal of solid wastes, clinical wastes, sewage sludge disposal, recycling and recovery. Teaching staff: Dr Tara Beattie

This class will develop your skills in the use of engineering practices in project management.  The focus is on the effective and efficient use of resources.  Areas covered includes:

• introduction to project management techniques and project control
• basic aspects of project teams
• project networks
• procedural and graphical presentation techniques
• introduction to contract law
• project budgetary control

This class covers the principles and techniques of ground improvement and soil reinforcement. You’ll apply the appropriate design methods in various ground conditions including the use of computer-aided design.

This class explores the complete sequence of a site investigation:

1. Desk study
2. Site sampling organisation and techniques
3. Data collection
4. Chemical analysis

The class also covers data modelling and interpretation using risk assessment models.

This class examines the links between form, geometric shape, and structural performance and design. It deals with different ways of breaking up a continuum, and how this affects global structural properties, structural concepts and preliminary design methods that are used in tension structures, and deployable structures.

You’ll also look at the fundamental principles of composite structures. 

Necessary requirements for this class

Understanding of structural analysis (finding reactions in statically determinate and indeterminate structures – trusses, beams, frames; Construction of shear force and bending moment diagrams; main principles of elastic analysis), a basic grounding in matrix algebra, basic programming knowledge (in any language).

The overall aim of the class is to provide you with strong skills in the structural behaviour, analysis and design of civil engineering structures.

You’ll gain an understanding of the fundamental principles of structural stability and become familiar with common types of bifurcation and buckling phenomena. This will allow you to formulate methods capable of dealing with geometrically non-linear structural behaviour.

You’ll also gain knowledge of structural behaviour structural systems commonly adapted by the construction industry including prestressed concrete and concrete-steel composite members. 

Necessary requirements for this class

Understanding of fundamentals of structural mechanics; fundamentals of reinforced concrete design (reinforced concrete technology, serviceability and ultimate limit state analysis.

This class covers organisational and regulatory aspects of waste management practice in the UK including:

• legislation
• the composition of domestic and industrial wastes
• storage
• collection
• reception and disposal of solid wastes
• clinical wastes
• sewage sludge disposal
• recycling and recovery

Necessary requirements for this class

Some previous knowledge of environmental science, chemistry, or public health is beneficial, but not essential.

This class will develop your skills in the use of engineering practices in project management.  The focus is on the effective and efficient use of resources.  Areas covered includes:

• introduction to project management techniques and project control
• basic aspects of project teams
• project networks
• procedural and graphical presentation techniques
• introduction to contract law
• project budgetary control

The class aims to provide you with an understanding of sub-surface geology and rock mechanics and its influence on the engineering design of slopes and tunnels.

You’ll gain an overview of groundwater flow through soil and rocks. You’ll be introduced to techniques for the in-situ measurement of permeability and methodologies for site investigation in dewatering projects. 

Necessary requirements for this class

Knowledge of mathematics (including basic differential equations, trigonometry, resolving forces), and of basic hydrology.

This class gives you an understanding of the ways in which the maritime environment can offer a significant contribution, in a sustainable manner, to global energy demands. You’ll undertake engineering assessments of the design and operation of marine energy generating systems.

This class aims to cover the design of geotechnical structures under ultimate conditions including slopes and retaining walls, based on Eurocode 7.

The syllabus covers these areas:

• Introduction to geotechnical structures - slopes and embankments, shallow foundations, pile foundations, retaining walls
• Stability Analysis of Geostructures
• Earth Retaining Structures
• Slope Stability

You’ll gain knowledge of the relevant planning advice and legislation and determine appropriate remediation technologies and strategies.

This class introduces you to the problem of urban land reuse, the regulatory framework and risk assessment and the various remedial techniques to enable an understanding of the role of land recycling in urban development.

This module, run by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, develops an understanding of the physical, chemical and biological parameters within surface water and how these relate to water quality, water quality objectives and pollution control strategy.

The class also provides an introduction to water and wastewater treatment.

This module, run by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, aims to provide essential knowledge for the planning, management and efficient operation of urban water supply and sewerage systems.

This class gives you an understanding of water treatment and wastewater treatment processes. You’ll also develop the ability to undertake design calculations sufficient to produce a concept and detailed design of a water and wastewater treatment plant.

Necessary requirements for this class

You must have a working knowledge of mathematics, equivalent to year-1 Calculus, and introductory knowledge of chemistry either from undergraduate or high school studies.

This module evaluates the innovative methodologies and approaches for adopting cutting-edge Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to address the myriad of issues related to the fragmented nature of Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry. The module seeks to extend knowledge of ICT integrated practices and approaches in terms of innovative transdisciplinary solutions such as advanced manufacturing technologies the transportation/assembly of components, and intelligent decision making support.

The aim of this module is to provide the students with insight about main concepts and principles of Building Information Management (BIM), vis-à-vis processes, protocols, and enabling technologies. The module is mainly concerned with recent paradigm shift within the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industries worldwide to implement BIM Level 2 and target BIM Level 3 in all public projects as well as encouraging it in private projects. This module is also heavily inspired by the UK Government's BIM mandate to adopt BIM technologies and processes on all public sector projects from 2016.

• the logic of structural identification based on sensor observations
• an overview of sensor technologies for civil applications, with focus on accelerometers, strain gauges, thermocouples, fiber-optic sensors and wireless sensors
• numerical methods for signal processing and data analysis
• analysis of case studies, including bridges, buildings and heritage structures

Necessary requirement for this class: understanding of structural mechanics, steel design and reinforced concrete design; basic knowledge of statistics; ​and an interest in using Matlab for data analysis.

In this class, students will:

• gain an understanding of Hydrogeology as a discipline
• discuss and explore the physical mechanisms of water movement in the subsurface
• undertake experiments in the lab that demonstrate key principals of groundwater movement
• explore hydrogeological issues based on case studies

This course gives a foundation in how building materials are formed or made, how they chemo-mechanically degrade and breakdown and some advanced scientific methods of analysis for conservation of historic and modern structures.

Building materials will be investigated at the micro-structural and nanoscale level to explore how chemical composition affects mechanical properties. Environmental and conservation principles will be addressed, as will quantitative understanding of water damage to building stone, brick and concrete and rising damp.

Necessary requirements for this class: Some understanding of materials science or chemistry, preferably at university level but not absolutely necessary. Comfortable with Maths, Physics and some basic Matlab programming.

 This class aims to provide you with the ability to:

• recognise the issues relating to overall global water policy and its interactions with other global issues
• discuss the impact of climate change and economic development on water resources and availability
• explore the different implementation issues based on regional case studies
• explore the role of stakeholders on the acceptance and achievement of policy objectives

The class introduces elements of financial engineering that are applied to reduce risk of business insolvency and enhance the financial robustness of business enterprises.

Also covered are the essentials of financial engineering both as an academic discipline and as a strategy of financial and business risk management in the light of current conditions.

This class introduces microbiology in a manner that is of practical importance in environmental engineering and science.

Topics covered include:

• the microbial ecology and microbiology of dilute nutrient solutions such as lakes, subsurface environmental and biological treatment processes
• microbial physiology
• biochemistry
• biodegradation
• public health aspects of microbiology

This class provides you with an understanding of:

• environmental forensics as a subject
• a range of contaminants found in the environment, and their fate and transport
• approach and analytical techniques to determine the responsible parties for contamination found in the environment
• real-world applications of environmental forensics

This class aims to introduce the conceptual and practical issues underlying policy-making processes, with a particular focus on the significance of science and technology policies and innovation management strategies and the application of these for the economic, social and environmental objectives of policy in the context of sustainable development.

The module also aims to explore questions as to how innovations occur and how they can be managed to enhance the objectives of sustainability. A major aspect of the module is the systems approach to innovation management, particularly with respect to the design of research strategies and the generation and use of knowledge.

In this class, you'll develop in-depth knowledge and skills regarding the science, engineering and management of environmental pollution control approaches to protect public health. You'll benefit from research-led teaching at the interface between public health and environmental engineering, with a particular focus on risk-centred methods. Lecture sessions are complemented by industrial and government case studies in contemporary air quality management practice. Teaching staff: Dr Iain Beverland.

In this class, run by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, you'll gain the knowledge and skills on atmospheric pollution and climate change impacts, ranging from local to global scales. The class includes a focus on the assessment and management of environmental impacts on people through the interface between environmental science and engineering activities that mitigate environmental risks. Learning objectives are assessed through a formative portfolio covering the main syllabus areas. Student interaction is encouraged throughout the class through structured feedback sessions, directed reading, student-led question sessions & directed questions sessions.

This class will allow students carrying out placements and projects with industry to develop and refine professional skills while gaining credits in the process.

One project will be the small or medium sized enterprise (SME) Carbon Audit that students carry out with training from Carbon Trust. A placement type project activity is another possibility, by individual agreement.

Approval of students being able to take this module would be done on case-by-case basis by MSc course leaders. You’ll be selected by competitive application and CV. 

This practical-based class provides a thorough introduction to the rapidly growing field of Geographical Information Science. The class covers the key theoretical principles but also provides many computer-based exercises using current state-of-the-art Geographical Information Systems (GIS) – namely IDRISI and ArcGIS. The class evaluates how GIS can be used for spatial query and analysis, while at the same time assessing the quality and the effectiveness of the resultant products in terms of their use. Teaching staff: Dr Elsa João

To provide a structured introduction to the Design Management process, issues and tools.

Under Health and Safety legislation, and under the wider European Post-Seveso Directives, it's mandatory for any industries to carry out risk assessments with the aim of showing that risk is “As Low As Reasonably Practicable”.

This class aims to introduce the fundamental techniques of risk analysis and risk-informed decision making. You'll have the opportunity to learn the general principles of methods and their place in risk management, as well as the chance to develop skills in applying these methods to variety of engineering examples.

This class, run by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, provides an introduction to the methods used to predict environmental impacts, and evaluates how these may be used to integrate environmental factors into decisions. The class draws principally on the UK planning context of environmental impact assessment of individual projects (project EIA), but also takes account of EIA experience in other countries and international organisations. Students are also introduced to key principles of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

This class will examine the key systems and infrastructure on which urban centres depend and promote critical reflection on how the design, management and monitoring of these systems impact on the social, environmental and economic sustainability of cities. The use of case studies will allow students to engage with real-world situations, challenges and opportunities and consider multiple infrastructure and technology options for sustainable city strategies. Teaching staff: Dr Neil Ferguson

This class, run by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, develops students’ understanding of public and environmental health, and the multidisciplinary approach in preventative and proactive action to safeguarding public health.

A diverse range of subjects are covered ranging from the risk assessment approach taken with respect to protecting the public from private water supplies, to the role of environmental health professionals in the prevention of the spread of infectious disease.

The class also provides students with fundamental knowledge regarding Health Improvement/Promotion and Health Protection, including the different methods used and the variety of agencies involved.

This module, run by the Department of Design, Manufacture & Engineering Management, gives students an understanding of the types of different approaches, techniques and systems used in building information based systems.

Topics include the software engineering process, requirements specification, visual modelling and an understanding of information storage and retrieval systems.

The class, run by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, introduces circular economy as a systems-based concept in which production is designed to be restorative and resilient, while waste is designed out of the system. Circular economy is thus featured as a reaction to the conventional dispensation of the linear ‘make-use-dispose’ economy, and as a framework for the development and management of a sustainable, ‘waste-as-a-resource’ economic system. The implications of the concept for research, policy and industrial practice are also explored as these relate to innovation and knowledge production; social trends and consumer behaviour; conservation and sustainable use of energy and material resources; climate change and environmental sustainability; and design of business models for green enterprise development and for sustainable growth and employment generation.