DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Professor Emeritus: E. John Finnemore
Professors: Mark Aschheim, Sukhmander Singh (Wilmot J. Nicholson Family Professor)
Associate Professors: Steven C. Chiesa (Department Chair), Edwin Maurer, Reynaud L. Serrette (Department Chair)
Assistant Professor: Rachel He
The Department of Civil Engineering offers a well-balanced undergraduate program that strives to develop graduates who are capable of solving complex problems with fixed and oftentimes limited resources. The application of state-of-the-art skills, a sound understanding of engineering principles, the ability to communicate and articulate ideas, and preparation for lifelong learning are some of the key areas of focus in the civil engineering curriculum. At the completion of the undergraduate program, graduates are well equipped to enter the practice or pursue advanced studies in any of the civil engineering disciplines. The department provides students with the necessary guidance to develop their full potential within the context of their own personal experiences and the expectations of the profession. As graduates of the civil engineering program, junior engineers get involved in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the infrastructure that is critical to daily life, including buildings, transportation systems, airports, irrigation systems, water supplies, supply systems, and environmental protection facilities.
The Department of Civil Engineering has worked with its advisory board and other key constituencies to produce the set of Program Educational Objectives shown below. Specifically, the department has committed itself to providing a program that produces graduates who, within five years of graduation, will:
- Contribute positively to the design, construction, maintenance and advance- ment of civil engineering-based systems critical to a sustainable quality of life in a changing world
- Embrace the University mission and its corresponding goals
- Recognize their professional and personal responsibility to their community
- Recognize the need for a commitment to lifelong learning
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR
In addition to fulfilling the University Core Curriculum requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree, students majoring in civil engineering must complete a minimum of 193 units and the following department requirements:
English
- ENGL 181, 182 (or approved equivalent)
Mathematics and Natural Science
- MATH 11, 12, 13, 14
- AMTH 106 (or MATH 22) and AMTH 108 (or MATH 122)
- CHEM 11
- PHYS 31, 32, 33
- CENG 20
Engineering
- ENGR 1
- ELEN 50
- MECH 10, 121, 122
- CENG 10, 15, 41, 42, 43, 115, 121, 125, 128, 132, 134, 135, 140, 141, 143, 145, 192A, 192B, 193, 194
Technical Electives
Three technical electives with at least one course from each of the two categories below:
- Design-focused electives: CENG 119, 133, 136, 137, 138, 142, 144, 146, 147, 150
- Analysis-focused electives: CENG 118, 123, 139, 148, 149, 151, 160, 161, 162, 163
The electives should be selected in consultation with an academic advisor to satisfy the requirements of the general civil engineering program or one of the approved emphasis area programs in civil engineering.
COMBINED BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAM
The Department of Civil Engineering offers a combined degree program leading to the Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science. Under the combined degree program, an undergraduate student begins taking courses required for a master’s degree before completing the requirements for a bachelor’s degree and typically completes the requirements for a Master of Science in Civil Engineering within a year of completing the bachelor’s degree.
Undergraduate students admitted to the combined degree program are required to enroll in the program between February of their junior year and December of their senior year. Students in this program will receive their bachelor’s degree after satisfying the standard undergraduate degree requirements. To earn a master’s degree, students must fulfill all requirements for the degree, including the completion of 45 units of coursework beyond that applied to the bachelor’s degree. No individual course can be used to satisfy requirements for both the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree.
CIVIL ENGINEERING LABORATORIES
The Simulation and Design Laboratory maintains Windows-based personal computers that are used in course assignments and design projects. Commercial software packages in all the major areas of civil engineering are available on the systems with user documentation available to students.
The Concrete Testing Laboratory contains facilities for mixing, casting, curing, and testing concrete cylinders and constructing reinforced-concrete test specimens.
The Environmental Laboratory is equipped with instrumentation needed for basic chemical and biological characterization of water, wastewater, and air samples as well as several pilot-scale treatment systems.
The Geology Laboratory is equipped with extensive rock and mineral samples as well as topographic, geologic, and soil maps.
The Hydraulics Laboratory is shared with the Department of Mechanical Engineering and contains a tilting flume that can be fitted with various open-channel fixtures.
The Soil Mechanics Laboratory contains equipment for testing soils in shear, consolidation, and compaction; equipment for other physical and chemical tests; field testing and sampling equipment; and a complete cyclic triaxial testing system with computer controls used for both research and instructional purposes.
The Structural and Strength of Materials Laboratory is equipped with three universal testing machines, a closed-loop MTS hydraulic system used for testing of structural assemblies under various load conditions, and a series of digital and analog instruments and high-speed data acquisition and control systems.
The Surveying Laboratory has a wide variety of equipment, including self-leveling levels, transits, theodolites, and a total station system available for instructional purposes.
The Traffic Laboratory has traffic volume counters that are used in studies to classify vehicles and measure their speeds in user-specified ranges and periods of time used for instructional and research purposes.
LOWER-DIVISION COURSES
5. Project Impacts on the Community and the Environment
Introduction to the decision-making concepts that determine the feasibility of a project. Aspects of project planning, evaluation, and implementation. Identification of impacts on the community and the environment. (4 units)
10. Surveying
Survey instruments: their use and care. Principles of topographic mapping, linear measurements, leveling, traverses, curves, boundary, and public surveys. Field laboratory. (4 units)
15. Computer Applications in Civil Engineering
Computer-based methods for technical problem solving. Introduction to some of the basic features in spreadsheet and math analysis programs to aid engineering solutions. Visual Basic programming in a spreadsheet environment. Graphical presentation of technical data. AutoCAD basics. Laboratory. (4 units)
20. Geology
Development and formation of geologic materials. Significance of structure, land form, erosion, deposition. Stream and shoreline processes. Surface water. Laboratory. (4 units)
41. Mechanics I: Statics
Resolution and composition of force systems and equilibrium of force systems acting on structures and mechanisms. Distributed forces. Friction. Moments of inertia. Prerequisite: PHYS 31. (4 units)
42. Mechanics II: Dynamics
Dynamics of a particle. Work and energy methods. Momentum methods. Kinetics of systems of particles. Prerequisite: CENG 41. (3 units)
43. Mechanics III: Strength of Materials
Analysis of stresses and strains in machines and structural members. Analysis of members subject to axial forces, torsion, bending, shear, and torsion under individual and combined loads. Stability of columns. Introduction to energy methods. Laboratory. Prerequisite: CENG 41. (5 units)
UPPER-DIVISION COURSES
115. Civil Engineering Materials
Common civil engineering materials, focusing on steel, concrete, and wood, and touching on asphalt and epoxy. Structure and properties of materials, their production processes, and experimental methods used for determining their key properties. Sustainability implications of materials choices. Prerequisite: CHEM 11. (4 units)
118. Construction Engineering
Construction management. Equipment. Drawings and specifications, cost estimating, bidding. Contracts, bonds, financing, insurance. Labor. Project planning and scheduling. Prerequisite: Junior standing. (3 units)
119. Designing for Sustainable Construction
Design strategies for sustainable commercial and residential construction. Use of LEED criteria for assessing sustainable construction. Team-based project planning, design, and construction. Economic evaluation of sustainable technologies. Overall project management. Prerequisite: Junior standing. (4 units)
121. Geotechnical Engineering
Origin, development, and properties of soils. Classification of soils and applications of engineering mechanics to soils as an engineering material. Water in soils. Soil-testing methods. Compaction, stabilization, consolidation, shear strength, and slope stability. Laboratory. Prerequisites: CENG 20 and 43. (4 units)
123. Environmental Reaction Engineering
Reaction stoichiometry and kinetics. Reactions of environmental significance. Dynamic and equilibrium system modeling. Reactor configurations and their effects on extent of the reaction. Laboratory. Prerequisites: CHEM 11 or equivalent, AMTH 106, and junior standing. (4 units)
125. Municipal Engineering Design
Various aspects of civil engineering as applied in municipal (public works) design practice. Maps and plats; site layout and earthworks; drainage; streets and utilities. Design laboratory. Prerequisite: CENG 10. (4 units)
128. Engineering Economics
Time value of money. Economic analysis of engineering projects. Planning and capital budgeting. Rate-of-return analysis. Depreciation. Cash-flow analysis. (2 units)
132. Structural Analysis
Analysis of statically determinate beams, trusses, and frames. Influence lines for beams and trusses. Analysis of statically indeterminate structures. Modeling and analysis of structures using commercial software applications. Prerequisites: CENG 15 and CENG 43. (4 units)
133. Timber Design
Timber structural systems. Design of structural members for tension, compression, bending, and shear. Design of shear walls and diaphragms. Connection and hardware design and specification. Timber design project required. Prerequisite: CENG 132. (4 units)
134. Structural Steel Design
Load and resistance factor design concepts of structural steel design for building structures. Types of load. Design of individual members including tension members, beams, and columns. Overview of connections. Steel design project is required. Prerequisite: CENG 132. (4 units)
135. Reinforced Concrete Design
Ultimate strength design of reinforced concrete members considering flexure, shear, and axial forces. Anchorage and development of reinforcing bars. Laboratory includes experiments to illustrate influence of design requirements on structural behavior. Prerequisite: CENG 132. (5 units)
136. Advanced Concrete Structures
Analysis and design of reinforced-concrete frame and wall structures for gravity and lateral loads; use of strut and tie method for disturbed regions; and introduction to prestressed concrete. Prerequisite: CENG 135. (4 units)
137. Earthquake Engineering Design
Introduction to seismic sources, wave propagation, and effects on structures. Spectral representations of demands. Design according to current code provisions and using simplified pushover methods. Prerequisite: CENG 132. (4 units)
138. Geotechnical Engineering Design
Foundation exploration; bearing capacity and settlement analysis; spread foundations; piles and caissons; earth-retaining structures; loads on underground conduits; subsurface construction. Prerequisites: CENG 121 and CENG 135. (4 units)
139. Groundwater Hydrology
Groundwater occurrence, flow principles, flow to wells, and regional flow. Groundwater contamination, management, and modeling. Field methods. Field trips. Prerequisite: MECH 122. (3 units)
140. Water Resources Engineering
Concepts, analysis, and engineering design related to various aspects of water resources: hydrologic cycle, evaporation, infiltration, precipitation, snow, flood frequency, water supply, and runoff management. Impacts of development, land use, and climate changes on water supply, and the importance of these changes to society. Laboratory. Prerequisite: MECH 122 or permission of instructor. (4 units)
141. Hydraulic Engineering
Principles of hydraulics; flow in pipes and pipe networks; water hammer and surge tanks; flow in open channels; hydraulic machinery. Prerequisites: CENG 15 and MECH 122. (4 units)
142. Water Resources Design
Design of system components for water supply and flood control projects including storage facilities, closed conduits, open channels, well fields, and pumping systems. Prerequisites: CENG 140 and 141. (4 units)
143. Environmental Engineering
Water and air quality. Water supply and pollution control; air pollution control. Management of solid wastes. Laboratory. Prerequisites: CHEM 11, MATH 12, and junior standing. (4 units)
144. Environmental Systems Design
Design of treatment and distribution systems for potable water. Design of collection and treatment systems for water pollution control and wastewater reclamation. Laboratory. Prerequisites: CENG 141 and 143. (4 units)
145. Transportation Engineering Design
Transportation systems analysis. Traffic flow. Highway geometric design, traffic control, transportation planning. Transportation policies and economics. Prerequisites: CENG 10 and junior standing. (4 units)
146. Design of Cold-Formed Steel Frame Structures
Introduction to the fundamentals of cold-formed steel frame construction. Review of current design and construction practice, specifications, standards and codes. Practical design of members and connection detailing. Understanding evaluation reports. Prerequisite: CENG 133, 134 or 135. (4 units)
147. Pavement Design
Paving materials. Geometric and structural design of highways. Urban street layout and details. Layout and design of airport runways. Prerequisites: CENG 121 and 135. (4 units)
148. Structural Systems
Introduction to principles for choosing structural systems and performance criteria. Fire, sound and thermal requirements for buildings. Estimation of design loads. Approximate techniques for system design and evaluation. Horizontal and vertical subsystems. Prerequisite: CENG 132. (3 units)
149. Civil Systems Engineering
Introduction to engineering systems analysis and management technologies and their applications to civil engineering problems such as transportation, assignment, critical path, and maximum flow problems. Topics include linear programming, nonlinear programming, probability, and queuing theory, as well as relevant applications to civil engineering problems. Prerequisites: MATH 13 and junior standing. (4 units)
150. Traffic Engineering: Design and Operations
Basic characteristics of motor vehicle traffic, highway and intersection capacity, applications of traffic control devices, traffic data studies, signal design, traffic safety. May be taken for graduate credit. Prerequisite: CENG 145. (4 units)
151. Special Topics in Transportation Engineering
Coverage of special topics in transportation engineering including dynamic traffic flow forecasting, analysis and application of traffic flow patterns, and static and dynamic traffic analysis and modeling for short-term and long-term planning and optimization. Prerequisite: CENG 145. (4 units)
160. GIS in Water Resources
Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology with applications in watershed analysis and hydrology. Obtaining and processing digital information for watersheds, mapping terrain, spatial analysis, computing river networks from digital elevation models, preparing data for hydrologic modeling for water supply and flood studies. Prerequisites: Junior standing and experience with Windows directory and file management. (3 units)
161. Sustainable Water Resources
Covers techniques related to analysis and design of water resources systems, from flood control projects to drinking water supply, as environmental and societal values shift. Material includes sustainable and low-impact design techniques, climate change impacts on water, assessing sustainability, life-cycle economics, and current topics. (3 units)
162. Computational Water Resources
Use of professional applications software to design and evaluate facility components and systems for water resources engineering projects. Laboratory. Prerequisites: CENG 140 and 141. (3 units)
163. Solid Waste Management
Characterization of solid waste streams. Overview of collection, transport, processing, and disposal options. Waste stream reduction and resource recovery strategies. (4 units)
188. Co-op Education
Practical experience in a planned program designed to give students work experience related to their academic field of study and career objectives. Satisfactory completion of the assignment includes preparation of a summary report on co-op activities. P/NP grading. (2 units)
189. Co-op Technical Report
Credit given for a technical report on a specific activity such as a design or research project, etc., after completing the co-op assignment. Approval of department co-op advisor required. Letter grades based on content and presentation quality of report. (2 units)
192A. Civil Engineering Design Methods
Introduction to problem-solving methodology for design of civil engineering systems and components. Applications of engineering techniques and procedures to civil engineering design. Preliminary design studies and evaluation of alternatives. Environmental impact assessment. Selection of a topic for the Senior Design Project (CENG 193) and initial conceptual design. Prerequisite: Senior standing. (2 units)
192B. Development of Construction Drawings
Content and organization of construction drawings. Advanced CAD techniques. Role of drawings and written specifications. Prerequisites: MECH 10 and junior standing. (2 units)
193. Senior Design Project I
Investigation of an approved civil engineering project. The design process—including problem formulation, analysis, preliminary design, final design, and plans—is completed. Formal public presentation of results. Prerequisites: CENG 192A and ENGL 181. (4 units)
194. Senior Design Project II
Continuation of the senior project. Formal public presentation of the results. Prerequisite: CENG 193. (1 unit)
197. Special Topics in Civil Engineering
Subjects of current interest. May be taken more than once if topics differ. (1–4 units)
198. Internship
Time off campus with an engineering organization. Different aspects of work in the assigned professional office. Oral and written reports. Prerequisites: Senior standing and approval of internship coordinator. (4–5 units)
199. Directed Research
Investigation of an approved engineering problem and preparation of a suitable project report. Conferences with faculty advisor are required. Prerequisite: Junior standing. (1–5 units)
