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This is the major project element for all MSc plans in the Department of Civil Engineering. It will normally take the form of an in-depth investigation. The detailed technical content of the module will depend on the specific area under examination. The project must include an element of management related principles. 

This is a compulsory course for all students studying an MSc in the Department of Civil Engineering. The course provides an introduction into important aspects affecting the professional practice of Civil Engineering and facilitates the development of knowledge and skills required to understand and address the prevalent challenges within the Civil Engineering industry, including identifying the existing state-of-the-art solutions and communicating the findings. The module will incorporate a mixture of learning environments/resources to communicate potential solutions related to the existing challenges within the Civil Engineering sector. 

This compulsory course for all MSc students in the Department of Civil Engineering introduces key aspects of research in the discipline and develops the knowledge and skills required for the summer Civil Engineering project. The module makes use of a range of learning approaches and focused on undertaking and critically reviewing existing literature. 

This module will introduce students to the principles of deformation monitoring in civil engineering projects. It will focus on the measurements and the data analysis techniques which are applied in deformation monitoring of civil engineering structures, such as bridges, tall buildings, underground structures (tunnels) and ground deformation related to geohazards (earthquakes and land subsidence). 

This module considers the use of system reliability assessment techniques to support asset management decision making. It covers the analysis of asset failure data, how to construct and analyse asset degradation models and how to use optimisation techniques to enable the selection of optimal maintenance strategies. The techniques will be discussed in the context of their application to asset infrastructures. 

This module introduces bridge engineering, covering the classification of bridges, details of bridge components, bridge erection methods, the design process, and structural considerations. The types of actions applied to bridges, as well as the different types of connections between superstructure and substructure, will be analysed. Furthermore, the substructure and superstructure will be designed to resist typical loads. 

In this module you will develop a deeper understanding of fluid mechanics, through the use of computational methods.  Starting with the fundamental equations that govern fluid flow, we will see how they can be solved using numerical techniques that form the basis of modern Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software.  In parallel with the technical aspects, you will be given training in the use of commercial CFD software, which helps illustrate many of the numerical ideas.  

The module also deals with meshing, turbulence modelling and multiphase flow, which are key to being able to apply CFD to complex engineering problems such as wind engineering, open channel hydraulics and fluid-structure interactions. 

This module will examine the relationship between fundamental soil mechanics and modern geotechnical design. Students will learn about the design of shallow footings, deep piled foundations, and embedded retaining walls, and how design codes are derived from fundamental geotechnics. These modern design codes are not only used to ensure foundations and retaining structures are appropriately sized to avoid collapse and uneven settlement, but more frequently, increasing sustainability of design. This course will examine a range of factors that must be considered in design, such as the quality of laboratory/site data, groundwater conditions, nearby construction, and material use. 

This module focuses on the use of numerical modelling for geotechnical applications. The course will include an introduction to the use of a finite element method (FEM) analysis software, the stages of setting up a model to replicate a geotechnical problem, including geometry, material properties, boundary conditions, and construction phases. Ways for automating the stages of model creation will also be covered. Methods for visualising and extracting model outcomes will be covered, as well as important methods of checking that the model has been set up correctly. The course will investigate how the choice of a constitutive model and its input parameters affects FEM predictions. 

Assessment method

• Coursework 1: Numerical modelling of a triaxial test: 50%
• Coursework 2: Numerical modelling of a geotechnical application: 50%