CIVIL ENGINEERING

The success of any project relies on the development of a good design and the technical information to allow the project to be built. The aim of this module is to help you appreciate and be aware of the design process and the information required to communicate the design itself, specify and quantify materials and provide instructions for the assembly and construction. As well as facilitate precise costing and project management.

This unit aims to you to understand in more depth material choices in construction. Topics such as mechanical operation, human comfort, testing standards, sustainability, health and safety are covered. On completion of this unit, you will be able to make informed decision about material selection based on understanding materials behaviour for different criteria.

Construction is a complex and dynamic sector of the local, regional, national and international economy. In many countries, it is a driving force in the growth of finance, property and employment. This also means that it has a considerable impact on many factors beyond its direct influence on the buildings and infrastructure that are created and maintained. The construction industry is one of the major contributors to CO2 emissions. Also, the way that buildings are designed, constructed and maintained means they have an ongoing impact on the environment. Similarly, as a major employer, the industry has an ongoing impact on the working conditions of those in the sector and the way that people are educated, trained and supported through their careers.

This module aims to enhance your understanding of mathematical principles and theories in construction technology, structures, and materials. It covers topics like trigonometry, algebraic techniques, matrices, statistical techniques, differential calculus, binomial distribution, dimensional analysis, arithmetic progressions, and vector analysis. Successful completion will equip you with critical thinking, problem-solving, analysis, reasoning, and data interpretation skills. 

You will explore the technologies and processes of civil engineering in this module. You will explore designs for sub and super structures considering common hazards and technical problems. This will include earthwork activities, temporary and permanent dewatering procedures and techniques to create substructures. You will, on successful completion of this module, be able to describe, analyse and evaluate modern civil engineering procedures for both sub- and superstructures.

Buildings, bridges, roads and many other man-made structures are critical to society. In this module, you will explore the fundamental principles of structure design, codes of practice and standards required to construct these structures so they are safe and stable. You will cover topics including methods and techniques to determine bending moments and shear forces in steel and concrete structures. You will also consider deflections and load carrying capacities of steel and reinforced concrete columns. On successful completion of this module, you will be able to determine and analyse forces in fixed structures and understand the basic concepts of structural design.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a crucial tool for managing projects throughout their lifecycle, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and driving sustainability. It relies on digital applications to generate project data, which is central to designing and producing information for construction and operation. This module aims to explore key processes in using digital applications for BIM, enabling you to achieve vendor certification in industry-standard systems.

Surveying begins with the collection of initial data on which to base the design, then moves on to positional control of the construction process and finally records the ‘as-built’ position for comparison with the design. In this module, you will explore the techniques used to set up controls and conduct initial surveys, including communication of results and methods of setting out the built environment. At the end of this module, you will be able to identify and analyse the sources of error and mitigation techniques used in common aspects of surveying.