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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, whether it involves experimentation or an extensive review of work already completed by others. Typically, but not exclusively, it will include the following:

• Project definition and aim
• Literature review
• Practical experimentation / investigation
• Presentation of results
• Critical analysis of findings

The detailed technical content of the module will depend on the specific area under examination. Assessment is based on submission of a report (typically 10,000 to 20,000 words) which covers the above elements.

The project area is flexible and will be supervised by an academic member of staff.

Previous research projects have included:

• Weather impact on construction schedules
• Predicted future climate change trends
• The use and abuse of GPS in current UK survey practices
• The utilization of laser scanning system for examination and monitoring of tunnel deformation and structural integrity
• Life cycle assessment of the M25 highway widening scheme

This module introduces important aspects affecting the professional practice of Civil Engineering including sustainability, environmental impact, quality management, continuous improvement and management principles. It will also develop knowledge and skills that will be used in the summer project, including writing a literature review and how to critically review your own and others’ writing.

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 that will be used in the summer project, including literature review and writing skills, and developing a proposal for the activities to be conducted in the summer. 

The module will incorporate a mixture of learning environments/resources, including one-on-one tuition with personal tutors to formulate ideas and plans related to the summer project, classroom activities focused on resources relating to writing a literature review and how to critically review others’ as well as one’s own writing, and three 2-week workshops which provide knowledge in aspects that are important within the context of the professional practice of Civil Engineering.

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).

The theory which is taught during the semester is applied in two deformation monitoring projects. One of the projects is the deformation monitoring of a pedestrian bridge, which includes field measurements and data analysis aiming to estimate the bridge response.

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.

Assessment method

This module will be assessed by a class test (20%) and an exam (80%).

Delivery

Assessment method

The module will look into the analysis and design of bridge structures, including definition of loading, structural analysis methods for deck and piers, and design of deck, piers and foundations of steel and concrete bridges.

A group project consists of the conceptual design of a bridge and the detailed design of key structural elements.

This module consists of:

• Introduction
• Fundamental CFD theory
• Turbulence
• Multiphase
• Reactive Flow
• Quality Assurance

This module will examine the relationship between fundamental soil mechanics and modern geotechnical design using Eurocode 7. 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.

Assessment method

• Coursework: 30%
• Two-hour exam: 70%

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%