Civil Engineering - MEng

Leeds Beckett University

Build your understanding of the commercial and contractual procedures involved in delivering civil engineering projects, such as preparing detailed risk assessments and recognising different contract types. You'll understand the professional role and responsibilities of civil engineering and allied professions, and recognise the range and application of contract types. We'll explore how to apply contract based processes especially related to payment and prepare detailed risk assessments and method statements for a range of civil engineering activities. You'll plan, monitor and control a complex project. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

This module will introduce you to structural geology and the classification/identification of minerals and rocks for engineering applications. It will develop your knowledge of soil mechanics from first principles in respect to permeability and shear strength. The module will build your fundamental knowledge of shallow and pile foundation design and settlement calculations in respect to theory and application. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

This module is an introduction to the factors which influence the sustainability of materials within construction. You'll appreciate the rationale behind different approaches to structural design and build on the knowledge of forces, moments and stresses developed in your Engineering Mechanics module. You'll also develop your understanding of the properties of materials from your Materials Science module. This module will introduce the design of structural elements in reinforced concrete, masonry, timber and steel. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Build on the knowledge of construction materials you gained in the Engineering Materials Science module. You'll further investigate the chemistry-material relationship. This module will cover topics including properties of materials and their use and deterioration in service, with an emphasis on concrete including its design and use on site and the deterioration of reinforced concrete structures. Above all, we will place emphasis on sustainability, i.e. high performance low carbon concrete. You'll also examine mechanisms of corrosion and prevention of corrosion, as well as physical metallurgy and polymers and their application in civil engineering. This module will also explore mechanical behaviour, e.g. molecular weight and the difference between for example LDPE and UHMWPE. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Combined with design, the analysis of structural elements and systems is one of the main themes of civil engineering courses. This module will consolidate and extend your understanding of the concepts of structural analysis techniques and their application to a variety of statically determinate and statically indeterminate beam and frame structures. You'll develop an understanding of the load-displacement behaviour of a range of structural configurations. You'll also gain an appreciation of the relationship between structural analysis and the design of basic structural elements and systems. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Many civil engineering problems require an understanding of the behaviour of fluids. This module will introduce you to the fundamental principles of fluid mechanics. It will develop your knowledge of these principles to analyse and solve basic civil engineering problems including buoyancy, the laws of continuity, energy and momentum, ideal and real fluids, and flow in pipes. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Enhance your ability to apply advanced analysis and mathematical techniques to complex engineering and science-related problems, building on concepts from previous modules. You'll study advanced calculus, vector geometry and calculus, differential equations, functional Series, matrix algebra and numerical methods. By the end of the module, you'll be able to communicate solutions to an engineering problem using the correct mathematical terminology and format. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Complete an in-depth study of a topic relevant to civil engineering projects. This will typically involve pursuing knowledge through a laboratory based study, through field data gathering and analysis, thorough development and testing of computer tools for civil engineering problem analysis or through in-depth design analysis. The project you undertake will be technically based and will develop your self-direction, decision making and understanding of a specific area of civil engineering. You'll present the final output in a traditional dissertation format. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Advance your knowledge of the principles and applications of structural analysis and design. Indeterminate structural forms are considered with particular emphasis being placed on limit state concepts and related design applications. You'll study both stiffness and flexibility methods of analysis, and you'll appreciate the role of industry standard software to complement ‘manual’ analysis computations. Analytical methods and related design principles are studied and you'll be encouraged to critically evaluate alternative design solutions. You'll produce code compliant structural solutions to a professional standard in response to industry standard case studies. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Build upon the mathematical and management skills you established in your first and second years of study. You'll focus on mathematical methods that support decision making in a civil engineering context. We'll use operational research, financial appraisal and traditional mathematical techniques to examine engineering scenarios. You'll learn to justify management decisions on the basis of logic, quantitative simulations and objective analysis. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Develop your appreciation of site investigation techniques, particularly in relation to the interpretation of geotechnical data. The analysis of this data is presented by practical laboratory experiments. You'll also study theory and design applications related to seepage pressure/water flow, effective stress parameters, slope stability, foundation bearing capacity/settlement and retaining walls. This module will cover both hand calculations and computer methods (including finite element/difference packages). Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Many civil engineering problems require an understanding of the behaviour of fluids. This module will underpin and extend the fundamental principles of fluid mechanics that you studied in your second year. You'll develop those principles to analyse and solve hydraulics and water engineering problems. You'll understand and apply various flow measuring techniques, and explore the core principles and laws of open channels, for uniform and simple non-uniform regimes. Studying this module will develop your ability to explore and apply these principles to analyse and solve simple practical problems including pump systems and networks. You'll understand the principles and issues associated with the 'water industry' including water treatment and the sustainability of schemes. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Consider a range of civil engineering infrastructure such as waste and clean water engineering, bridges, tunnels, power generation, highways and environmental considerations etc. You'll identify the design requirements for each and consider typical solutions. You'll be able to describe conceptual design considerations for different elements of infrastructure. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Use and enhance the skills you developed during your first three years of study to produce a major piece of work to a clearly defined brief based upon a simulated industrial scenario. You'll need to demonstrate sound engineering and management judgement and work both individually and in groups. Your design outputs will be within strict time-scales, consider key conceptual design options and will develop solutions with regard to construction budgets and merits of material choices. Your work could support your applications for graduate positions. Where possible, you may be able to base an element of your work on a live project in collaboration with industry. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Complete an in-depth study of a topic relevant to your course. This will typically involve advancing your knowledge through a detailed research study through a critical appraisal and presentation. The topic area may be technical in nature or based on commercial aspects of industry including planning. A database of appropriate topics is maintained and is available from the onset of the course and reflects staff research interests, contemporary issues and regional industrial needs. The topic you choose may vary, and may be related to the area of study selected for the Integrated Project module, or link together more than one project area. In some circumstances, you may propose a topic for consideration and we'll consider such proposals on a case by case basis. Where appropriate, we'll identify and offer you research and development needs from collaborative contacts from industry. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

The construction industry is continuingly changing through innovation. Professional engineers are required to demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning by undertaking, and formally recording, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities. As preparation, this non-credit module will require you to undertake non-academic CPD activities during your studies at university. Optional modules may also be available for this course.

Analyse and design a range of structural forms, with emphasis placed on the principles and application of structural dynamics, plate theory, composite steel and concrete structural members, structural conceptual design, structural fire engineering and sustainability in structural engineering. You'll learn the core principles of mathematics, mechanics, and design modelling that underpin the Finite Element Method, a powerful tool for the analysis of complex structures. You'll also use state-of-the-art Finite Element software to perform structural simulations using a computer. Optional modules may also be available for this course.