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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2023/2024

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Engineering : Civil

Undergraduate Course: Structural Engineering Design Project 4 (CIVE10023)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Engineering CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryStructural Engineering Design Project 4 draws together the many analysis, design, planning and evaluation tools that have been learnt during a civil or structural engineering degree programme. It involves a substantial design project that mimics the real-world feasibility design of a bridge in a civil engineering design consultancy. The project is run with the help of experienced senior bridge engineers, helping to ensure that graduating students have skills needed to work as engineers in their practices, appropriate for a student graduating with a BEng degree.
Course description Structural Engineering Design Project 4 mimics the real-world design of a bridge in a civil engineering consultancy. Students work within design teams to carry out a feasibility study for a new bridge, involving all aspects of the design process from the initial concept through to detailed design. One of the principle aims of the project is to draw together subjects learnt during the degree programme, to remind students of methods that they have perhaps forgotten, and to make sure they could start work in a real design office.

As in any real design situation, however, it will also be necessary to learn new skills to tackle the project, and in this case that will involve self-led study of aspects of bridge engineering (including construction methods, costs, Eurocodes for bridge design, and computer analysis tools). The project has been developed over many years with the help of experienced senior bridge engineers, based on the skills that are needed by graduate engineers in their practices and upon the type of problem that an engineer needs to be able to tackle to become chartered. The range and depth of tasks that students tackle will be appropriate to a BEng degree.

The project is split into two parts. During the first week students work on the Outline Design for two different concepts, which will involve selecting the most appropriate design tools to explore and develop the designs. During the second week, students proceed with the Detailed Design of one of these solutions, and there are opportunities for members of the design team to focus on different aspects of the detailed design (such as examining safe construction methods, or detailed modelling of a specific aspect of the bridge).

The course runs full-time for the first two weeks of semester 2.

To help lead students through the task, the project is split in to three submission stages, with a series of structured briefing, presentation, and review sessions. The timetable for these sessions is adjusted depending upon the availability of the industry experts who assist with the project, and will be confirmed at the start of the course. Typically:

WEEK 1
Monday am: Initial briefing and industry expert briefing.

Tuesday pm: Design Scheme Brainstorm.

Wednesday pm: Discussion session with Industry Expert.

Friday pm: presentation of outline designs and submission A (outline design, group work) due.



WEEK 2
Monday am: Review meetings and Industry Expert briefing.

Monday pm: Review meetings

Friday pm: detailed design handover meetings and submission B (detailed design, group work).


Submission C involves individual reflection upon the design problem, due at the end of week 4.

Surgery hours will be arranged for each group to discuss with the course lecturer throughout the course duration.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Create feasible and efficient solutions to a realistic civil engineering design problem by selecting theory, techniques and knowledge learnt through the degree programme, and then interpreting and applying these methods to suit the specific design challenge.
  2. Research, learn, and then apply new and unfamiliar engineering tools and knowledge to a design problem.
  3. Tackle both the conceptual design and detailed design stages of a project, choosing appropriate analytical tools for these different stages of the project.
  4. Develop and evaluate design solutions that are not only feasible, but that also address other drivers, such as safety through design, construction, operation and maintenance, aesthetic, economic considerations.
  5. Communicate clearly and accurately (by verbal, drawn and written means) to both share ideas and designs, and to receive instructions and feedback that are incorporated into the design process.
Reading List
A range of bridge design related resources will be available via the course Learn site.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsBridge Design
Contacts
Course organiserDr Yuner Huang
Tel: (0131 6)50 5736
Email: Yuner.Huang@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Margaret Robertson
Tel: (0131 6)50 5565
Email: margaret.robertson@ed.ac.uk
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