Civil Engineering BSc (Hons)

Level 3 (foundation year)

• Foundation in Engineering, Computing and Technology

  This module will provide students with the necessary skills to begin studying at level 4 in Engineering, Computer Science and related courses. Students will be introduced to the core skills necessary to succeed in higher education, including thinking critically, researching and referencing appropriately, demonstrating appropriate numeracy and ICT skills, and communicating effectively verbally and in writing. In addition to these fundamental skills, Students will cover the subjects underpinning the technological disciplines. Fundamental mathematical skills will be covered, alongside pre-calculus, followed by an introduction to calculus and vector and matrix arithmetic. Students will also be introduced to Classical mechanics, and its application to real-world scenarios. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of computer science, learning about the principles behind programming and applying them through a series of practical coding exercises. Students will undertake a multi-disciplinary group project as they learn about the collaborative nature of engineering, and design from a broader perspective of business. The module is made up of the following eight constituent elements: Interactive Learning Skills and Communication (ILSC); Information Communication Technology (ICT); Critical Thinking; Maths for Scientists; Maths for Engineers; Physics for Engineers; Fundamentals of Computing; Engineering Design.

Year one, core modules

• Introduction to Civil Engineering

  There are a wide range of jobs and roles within Civil Engineering, and here you will see how these all work together to bring a project through to fruition. You will learn about the role of the civil engineer in society and explore breadth of career opportunities that await you on graduation. You will look at the value of inclusive engineering and the people-centric nature of this profession. Engineers are often required to ensure that work is safe, minimising risks to people and the environment, to engage in negotiations and hold positions of responsibility. Each of these requires an understanding of ethics, making ethical skills integral to engineering practice. You will encounter ethics throughout your time at university and this module will introduce this to you, showing you the importance of this type of consideration. Civil engineering projects are often complex, therefore you must work effectively in inter-disciplinary design and construction team, you must also be an accomplished communicator in order to take full advantage of their technical skills and knowledge. This module will help you develop your written, aural and drawing communication skills as well as your ability to work as a team, key skills that an employer will want to see. You will also look at the history of civil engineering, learning from past failures and mistakes, particularly looking at the incorporation of sustainability and resilience into engineering design. Through this module you will get the opportunity to visit construction sites and to start to understand construction planning and processes. Visits from guest lecturers from industry will also be encouraged, as will visits by representatives from the professional bodies such as the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Structural Engineers.

• Engineering Skills 1

  Develop the underpinning engineering skills needed to solve technical problems and communicate technical ideas and concepts. These skills are essential for the successful completion of your project and knowledge based modules. The module will be divided into two main areas; Mathematics and technical report writing. Mathematics will focus on the basic mathematical skills needed to understand the language of mathematics and to interpret engineering mathematical expressions. Algebraic skills will also be extensively developed to carry out mathematical analysis and solve engineering problems. The module will also introduce the mathematics of trigonometry and geometry and their application to solve practical engineering problems. Technical report writing is a fundamental communication skill for engineers and will be developed throughout the course. This part of the module aims to provide the tools to enable you to structure and present technical reports and also reference correctly. You will make use of appropriate IT skills to communicate technical ideas through the written word and by graphical means.

• Civil Engineering Project 1

  Every building needs to be feasible, whether it is the cost, the workforce required, or the timescale set. Without reviewing this a project could quick fail. Here you will start with the feasibility stage of a built environment project including the development of initial design skills and construction experience. After an introduction to the project and the definition of the deliverable deadlines you will work in groups to produce a project plan for your work, organising it for the year ahead. This includes the production of a topographical survey of the project site and collection of relevant data though field and laboratory work. You’ll use this information to produce a site investigation report which will be the basis for the feasibility study. The second half of the project will focus on initial design, where you will be required to carry out investigations into the suitability of various materials for the construction of elements of the project, taking into account not only the mechanical properties of these materials but also sustainability and economic considerations. You will analyse and design a simple structure in this project, applying basic static and design principles to define the dimensions of the structural elements. You will also construct an element of the project which will develop your skills relating to the programming of the construction process, health and safety management and team work as well as first hand construction experience.

• Engineering Essentials

  This module is designed to introduce you to some of the basic analytical concepts and processes involved in the design of structures. You will develop analytical skills which will allow you to carry out basic structural calculations, covering some of the fundamental concepts of analytical and design processes. You will also be introduced to basic 2D drafting techniques using industry standard software allowing you to effectively interpret technical drawing and give you the skills to apply to your specialist discipline area in later modules. Skills in this medium are highly sought after in the construction industry. You will also look at Business Information Modelling (BIM), gaining an appreciation of the role of the designer in civil engineering and have an understanding of the design process. You will also learn to use spreadsheets and databases to manipulate, analyse and present technical data as well as using these tools to carry out numerical and statistical analysis.

Year two, core modules

• Civil Engineering Project 2

  Develop your ability to analyse built environment challenges though the application of engineering concepts, theories and mathematics. You will also develop your perspective of built environment projects by including the environmental and construction management aspects. You will apply your knowledge of the three main strands of civil engineering, structures, geotechnics, and hydraulics to analyse a proposed project and determine the suitability of the design and to propose alternatives which will improve it technically and environmentally as well as from a construction point of view. You will be required to consider the environmental impact of the project and apply the relevant analysis and legislation to produce an environmental impact report. You will also use construction processes and critically evaluate the project situation from a constructability point of view.

• Ruskin Module

  Ruskin Modules are designed to prepare our students for a complex, challenging and changing future. These interdisciplinary modules provide the opportunity to further broaden your perspectives, develop your intellectual flexibility and creativity. You will work with others from different disciplines to enable you to reflect critically on the limitations of a single discipline to solve wider societal concerns. You will be supported to create meaningful connections across disciplines to apply new knowledge to tackle complex problems and key challenges. Ruskin Modules are designed to grow your confidence, seek and maximise opportunities to realise your potential to give you a distinctive edge and enhance your success in the workplace.

• Hydraulics and Geotechnics

  Develop your knowledge of the more theoretical aspects of Hydraulics and Geotechnics and gain the theoretical foundation to carry out the analysis and design in your future modules, helping you to make sense of specialist software output. Hydraulics: Introducing you to the principles of hydraulics, this will demonstrate how these principles are used for the design of hydraulic structures and their components. You will also be introduced the principles of hydraulics in pipe systems and open channels’ design and operation. You will have laboratory sessions to give you the opportunity to explore the practical aspects of hydraulics principles. Geotechnics: Here you will study the theoretical principals that geotechnical design is based on. This includes the theory behind settlement predictions and the determination of shear strength parameters for drained and undrained scenarios to be used in the design of foundations and other geotechnical structures. Lateral earth pressure theory will also be covered and its relevance in the design of retaining walls, braced excavations and deep foundations.

• Engineering Skills 2

  Building on the previous Engineering Skills module you will continue to learn the application of maths to express and solve engineering problems, but now include more complex mathematical concepts. You’ll be introduced to calculus, the mathematics of change, and will develop an appreciation of the overwhelming influence that these concepts have had on engineering analysis and design and particularly with their application to specialist software. You’ll also learn to apply differentiation and integration technics to solve simple engineering problems such as optimisation and volume calculations and to analyse engineering concepts through the solution of differential equations using analytical techniques. You’ll be introduced to the use of numerical methods using spreadsheets to solve engineering problems including Newton Raphson, iteration, Euler and trial and error.

• Material Technology

  Gain a thorough grounding in the principles and manufacture of materials used in the construction industry. You will get a practical understanding of the factors which influence the properties and durability from the design requirements to the finished product and will be introduced to the more common construction materials such as steel, concrete and timber as well as polymers and bituminous materials. Materials will be analysed in terms of their constituent materials, engineering properties, behaviour, performance in service, quality control and sustainability. A well-structured laboratory work programme is used to give you practical experience of the theoretical concepts explained in the lectures. You will also learn key employability skills such as taking decisions relating to appropriate and sustainable material use in construction projects and demonstrating analytical, experimental and interpretative skills with respect to materials laboratory work.

Work placement (optional placement year)

Year three, core modules

• Civil Engineering Project 3

  Take advantage of our interdisciplinary school, using the broad range of construction industry skills available. Designed to give you an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge previously gained during their degree and to develop your ability to both manage and carry out the design of a small civil engineering project. You will be required to generate a range of engineering solutions, make a considered assessment of each option and thus recommend a design proposal. The design scenario for this module will challenge you to integrate your civil engineering design skills into an interdisciplinary design process. While delivering a range of meaningful engineering solutions to the project, your designs will need to consider and balance a broad range of design aspirations such as: maximising site opportunities; delivering a resilient/loose fit design; the three pillars of sustainability; taking advantage of Design For Manufacture and Assembly considerations. You will be expected to demonstrate that you are drawing on and making effective use of your knowledge and understanding from a broad range of civil engineering subject areas including team work, communication, engineering analysis, design, construction materials, construction techniques and construction management. You will be apply the principles of construction management to this project, and will be expected to develop a construction sequence, producing a design and construction programme using industry standard project planning software. You will also be expected to consider the financial implications and resource management necessary for the project.

• Structural Analysis

  Deepen your understanding of both structural mechanics and structural analysis techniques. In this module you will cover static equilibrium, the resistance of structures to external loads, behaviour of structures under the influence of external loads, internal stresses, internal stress distributions and superposition. You will be introduced to structural deformations and deflections, determinate and indeterminate structures and influence lines. Hand calculation analysis for beams, pin jointed frames and unit load methods will be covered and you will also be introduced to the use of software for structural analysis with an emphasis on the use of hand calculations to support and validate the results obtained using structural analysis packages. You will be expected to show that you can generate structural analysis calculations that are clear and suitable for checking by an independent engineer.

• Materials and Manufacture

  Further your knowledge of construction materials, and construction techniques, that are prevalent in the UK construction industry. Build on the knowledge of construction materials that has previously been delivered during the Level 5 project module and Material Technology, extending this knowledge to cover typical methods of construction. The aim of the module is to provide you with the knowledge and skills to understand and evaluate the key physical properties of the main construction materials and to understand how these properties relate to both methods of manufacture and typical construction details. The module will introduce the concepts of Design for Manufacture & Assembly and Modern Methods of Construction as well as selected construction details and techniques such as movement joints and structural connections. Additional critical aspects will also be covered, including durability, fire resistance, quality control, specification and recycling/re-use of construction materials.

• Major Project

  Here you will show all of the learning you have developed through on your course. It provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your ability to undertake a substantial original study to investigate a subject, issue, or problem and produce a usable outcome. You will carry out an original piece of work that may be either an expert study or a research study. Advice will be offered on choosing a research topic and producing a proposal in a briefing session delivered towards the end of the academic year prior to that in which students undertake the dissertation. The research will be undertaken under the supervision of an academic member of staff but the early part of the module is also supported by taught classroom sessions. These taught sessions enable students to develop research and study skills in respect of reviewing and analysing literature, developing a research question, collecting, presenting and analysing data, and managing the research process.