Level 4 core modules

• An Introduction to Technology and Design

  This module is designed for students of construction, surveying and architecture with little and/or no prior knowledge of building construction, services and material properties. Students will learn the common materials and methods of construction of both new and traditional housing, by considering in turn each of the main elements of the buildings' structure. They will also study the requirements of the internal environment, so as to understand how services installations contribute to user comfort. Other basic aspects such as the personnel involved, health and safety requirements and specialised terminology will be illustrated as appropriate to support this. The module is also designed to provide an insight into the behaviour and properties for a variety of materials commonly used in the construction of buildings and civil engineering projects. The behavioural properties and performance of these materials will be explored using basic scientific principles in order to develop the students' ability to make informed choices. Students will also gain an appreciation of the role of the designer in the construction process and have an understanding of the design process. An integrated learning system comprising course text book, weekly videos, and workbooks for students' home study, are used together with formal lectures and group tutorials. Students will also undertake a series of calculations culminating in a design exercise.

• Civil Engineering Works

  This module covers earthworks and groundwork techniques. It covers the principles and practice of earth-moving plant selection, safety, cycles and economics. Soil stabilisation techniques of dynamic consolidation, vibratory systems and grouting are also included as well as foundations suitable for these systems. In addition conventional piled foundations will be covered. Temporary and permanent support techniques, such as cofferdams; contiguous piling and diaphragm walls are discussed. Long-span low-rise and medium rise structures will be discussed in terms of material selection, construction methods, foundation types and the performance of different of claddings.

• Learning and Practical Skills and Development (HE and Work)

  Foundation Degree Students entering Higher Education will need specific study skills to enable them to maximise their learning potential and take advantage of opportunities available both in the academic setting and the workplace. The module is intended to be both preparatory and supportive building a strong foundation for learning and later development. Students will gain an appreciation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills for research, information management and presentation purposes. It encourages students to use contemporary ICT methods for research and for the production and presentation of reports, in a style suitable both for their university coursework requirements and in a commercial environment. The module will enable students to gain experience in applying the elementary surveying techniques of levelling and linear measurement, both for detail acquisition and setting out. The relevant mathematical skills will be introduced and developed contextually. Final survey drawings will be produced and annotated. Students will be introduced to basic 2D drafting techniques using a powerful set of tools. Skills in this medium are highly sought after in the construction industry. Students will develop and maintain a reflective learning log to support this module and their continuing studies, the reflective log to be used as the basis of their PDP submission.

• Geotechnics 1

  The module introduces Geotechnics to civil engineering students. After introducing basic geological concepts, it seeks to provide the student with an appreciation of the ground investigation element of site investigation. It introduces the student to soils laboratory practice and gives the opportunity to relate the results of soil laboratory tests to theoretical concepts and the practical needs of civil engineering construction. The module provides a medium for the development of skills in algebraic manipulation, which are applied to the relationships between basic soil properties.

• Site Management and Safety

  The module provides course members with the opportunity to examine health and safety issues within the construction industry and their integration throughout the processes of design, tender award and construction. The roles of all parties involved will be explored from both moral and legal viewpoints. Past and current attitudes will be discussed. Students will consider the safety record within the construction industry and identify health and safety legislation aimed at reducing accident rates. The process of hazard identification and risk assessment will be explained and students will produce method statements following on from their risk assessments. Safe systems of work will be identified enabling the student to relate theory and practice.

• Civil Engineering Mathematics

  This module is designed to provide the underpinning knowledge and skills in mathematics for use in subsequent modules in civil engineering such as structural analysis, structural design, hydraulics and geotechnics. About half the module will cover the theory and applications of calculus to engineering problems. The module will also deal with a range of mathematical theories and techniques but in particular will develop practical applications such as the position and second moment of area for a given shape. The equations of curves from observed or measured data, the calculation of irregular areas and volumes and problems of geometry will also be explored. Students will also study basic statistical techniques applied, where possible to engineering applications such as concrete mixers. Assessment will be by assignment and examination.

Level 5 core modules

• Applied Mathematics for Civil Engineers

  The module is designed to build on work in the pre-requisite module by introducing techniques that lie behind the solution of engineering problems. The methods tend to be hidden within software and the module will provide an insight into the techniques, their application and their limitations so that students can make informed judgements on reliability of software solutions. It is intended that the module will enable students to undertake appropriate analysis in areas such as structural analysis. This will provide a basis for students to understand the techniques used in software packages that they may subsequently meet during their employment and allow them to make informed judgements on their suitability and limitations. Assessment will be through two in-class tests.

• CAD for Civil Engineers

  This module is intended to give civil engineers and other interested students an appreciation of the growing importance of three-dimensional CAD software. It will give hands-on training in some of the most up to date software complying with the latest British and European Standards. Intelligent object orientated design methods will be employed to create virtual models which can interact with digital terrain models. Students will gain an appreciation of the substantial benefits such systems can offer in terms of client visualisation and design flexibility and will produce a basic site animation. Overview of CAD systems: relevance and applications, reasons for and explanation of, British Standard (BS1192/EN) layering convention. Use, set up and control the user interface and working environment. Design development - create and edit steel framed buildings adding walls, doors, windows, stairs, railings, roofs and spaces. Using external references and inserting 2D and 3D objects from software libraries. Generation of dimensions, elevations and the preparation of drawing schedules and basic animations. Control the display and plotting environments.

• Concrete Technology

  This module is designed to give civil engineering students a thorough grounding in the principles and manufacture of concrete as a construction material. The aim is to provide students with a practical understanding of the factors, which influence the properties and durability from the design requirements to the finished product. Students will become conversant with various types of concrete in use and the importance of good quality control, compacting, placing and curing will be assessed. The nature and importance of a variety of additives and cement replacement materials used in modern concrete and their effects on the fresh and hardened properties of concrete will be explained in order to develop students' ability to make or identify good quality concrete made with normal and recycled aggregates. A well-structured laboratory work programme is used to give the students practical experience of the theoretical concepts explained in the lectures.

• Group Project

  This module is designed to develop the student's ability to evaluate and resolve practical problems and work as part of a design team. The module aims to apply the skills and knowledge developed in other modules of the course (and where possible, experiences from work) within a project that reflects the type of performance expected of construction technologists. It is designed to bring small groups of students together into teams so that they co- ordinate their individual skills and abilities. The scheme of work should allow the individual student an opportunity to take responsibility for their own contribution to the outcome and to demonstration their ability to work as part of a team. The brief will include an agreed timescale for the staged development of the overall plan of work within defined constraints, with the team working towards an acceptable and viable solution to the brief. Students will become conversant with the importance of good quality control, compacting, placing and curing will be assessed.

• Hydraulics and Drainage

  This module covers the principles of hydrostatics and fluids in motion in pipes and open channels. Equations for calculation of pressures and forces on submerged and partially submerged objects are derived and applied. Continuity, energy and momentum equations are used to analyse uniform flow in pipes and open channels. The principle of flow in networks for water supply and surface water drainage is examined using simple models, whilst awareness is given of the availability of commercial computer models for more complex analysis. Laboratory sessions give the students the opportunity to explore the limitations of the mathematical models of fluid behaviour. Whilst the module concentrates on numerical techniques, the student is encouraged to consider that pipes and regularly shaped channels are not necessarily the ideal environmental solution.

• Site and Engineering Surveying

  This module is designed to expose students to both traditional and contemporary advanced survey techniques. They will capture, manipulate and utilise field data for both horizontal control and detail acquisition. The theory and practice of traditional traversing and curve ranging techniques will be given emphasis alongside contemporary practices. Students will gain hands on experience in the use of advanced contemporary surveying equipment (theodolites and total stations) for data capture and for setting out. Acquired data will be sorted and processed both manually and electronically, the latter to be converted into a format suitable for CAD output. Final survey drawings will be produced and annotated using AutoCAD 2006 and will be presented in a style appropriate to industry. These field and office skills are invaluable in the workplace and are transferable to across a wide range of survey products and to many branches of the construction industry. Students will also gain an understanding of how remote surveying by extra-terrestrial systems has evolved and of how a variety of control systems relate to the Ordnance Survey National Grid.

• Structural Method and Analysis

  This module aims to introduce the students to an understanding of the behaviour of statically determinate structures and an appreciation of the concept of statical equilibrium and determinacy. It also addresses the fundamental relationship between loads, shear force, bending moment as well as the effect of combined shear and direct/bending stresses. The students are also introduced to the deformability of structures and the principles of static indeterminacy and the methods of analysis of simple indeterminate forms. The design part the module is in three parts: Timber, Concrete and Steel Design. The aim is to introduce the students to basic design philosophies and procedures used in the design of structural elements in buildings constructed with these three most common building materials. Link knowledge of structural forms, loading, structural analysis and materials behaviour. Help the students to appreciate the importance of producing structural drawings of elements in sufficient details for construction and/manufacture. The module is specifically designed to cover the fundamentals of structural design for timber beams and floors; concrete beams, one-spanning concrete slabs and unrestrained steel beams. It will also cover strut or column design with axial, eccentric and biaxial loading for timber, concrete and steel and masonry walls and piers. The student is expected to learn mainly through application of the design theory covered in class and by completing the design coursework and tutorial exercises and through independent study. It is envisaged that students undergoing this course will gain an appreciation of the role of the designer in the construction process and have an understanding of the design process.

Level 6 core modules

• Civil Engineering Contract Administration

  This module is in two parts: the first considering the selection of partners for achieving successful design and construction of a civil engineering contract and the second the way in which traditional and more modern contracts handle situations that may arise on site. In the first part different approaches to contractual arrangements and payment bases are compared so that the student may advise on the most appropriate approach for a particular project. The purpose and inter-relationship of the different documents comprising the contract is explored as are methods of selecting partners. Consideration is give to developments in the construction industry that are intended to foster a team approach. Account is taken of external influences such as European and National legislation and standards. In the second part an examination is made of the rights and obligations of the parties during the performance of a traditional contract such as the ICE 7th edition and how these apply to various events that may occur. The traditional approach is then compared with the Engineering and Construction Contract that encourages a more co-operative approach. Assessment is by coursework.

• Environmental Management (for the Construction Industry)

  The growth in environmental awareness, at all levels from local to international, over recent decades is introduced and considered in the context of the construction industry. Legislation and other pressures for the protection of the environment are considered, including pollution control and environmental impact assessment. The advantages and disadvantages of formal and informal environmental management systems are examined. Design implications of concepts such as life cycle analysis are considered. It is intended that the student should, by the end of the module, look at environmental management, not as a burden, but as a fundamental part of the efficient management of the construction industry. Such an outlook is likely to enable the student to guide their present or future employers towards a sustainable future.

• Individual Project

  The context and content of this module integrates knowledge and skills acquired by the student throughout stages 1 and 2 of the course. The module develops the student's ability to comprehend the totality and implications of the development and design process and trains them to make an informed judgement on these issues. Students will consider a project scheme requiring them to carryout a holistic appraisal of the project, exploring the complex inter-relationships related to the client, the site, planning, design, construction processes, post construction processes, health and safety, the environment, financial and legal issues. Typical projects may require the student to demonstrate knowledge and skill in structural design, transportation studies, hydraulics and drainage, construction/project management skills. Part of the module will involve studio teaching which is undertaken by various strategies such as formal group lectures, group seminars and individual tutorials. Site visits are arranged where appropriate to underpin student knowledge and understanding of the practical issues involved. The brief will include an agreed timescale for the staged development of the overall plan of work within defined constraints, with the student working towards an acceptable and viable solution to the brief. Supervision will be provided by a team of academic/Industrial supervisors who will also assess the written reports and oral presentations of the work.

• Structures

  This module is to enhance the students' understanding of the behaviour of steel and concrete in medium and low rise structures. Through analysis it introduces students to the modelling and solutions of indeterminate frames and trusses. Through design studies the module aims to introduce students to the design of low-rise structures and alternative forms of structural elements. Other objectives of the module may be summarised as follows: to enhance students' confidence in applying the design theories for tackling structural analysis and design problems for simple steel and reinforced concrete structures, to link knowledge of structural forms, loading, structural analysis and materials behaviour, to appreciate how connections can affect fabrication and erection of steel work, to appreciate how the methods of construction are considered in modelling the structural behaviour, analysis and design of steel and reinforced concrete structures.

Level 6 optional modules

• Flood Defence

  The module introduces the administrative background to flood defence, including the roles of the bodies involved in executing and funding works. Methods of flood prediction are examined. Traditional hard engineering approaches are compared with techniques such as managed re-alignment that are closer to 'working with nature'. Techniques of economic appraisal are introduced together with an indication of their limitations when assessing intangible effects of flooding. The content is placed in the context of climate change and planning policies.

• Highways Design and Construction

  This module is designed to enable the student to appreciate problems and techniques associated with highway design, construction and maintenance and to formulate technical solutions. Students will become conversant with pavement design, which would be discussed in the context of construction techniques. They will also acquire knowledge on the principles and practice of bridge construction, maintenance and design. The concept of sustainability in construction using recyclable materials will be discussed. Project work is used to give students a practical feel of the theoretical concepts explained in the lectures.