Capstone Project
Semester 2, 2018
Staff
Extra teaching assistants
TECHNICAL ADVISORS - Academic staff and approximately six consulting engineers will be specialist advisors
Calendar notes
Final year team exercise with students in multi-disciplinary civil and environmental roles integrating technical learning into realistic design outcomes. Comprehensive investigation of an open ended, complex, real or synthetic civil engineering problem with simulated professional design office constraints. Includes technical, economic and environmental impact components to complete a scheme assessment report. Prerequisite: 90 points from the BE(Hons) Schedule for Civil Engineering - Part III
This course involves conducting a preliminary design and/or Scheme Assessment Report for an engineering project. This will include the project coordination and technical considerations of a major design and students will need to consider social, economic and environmental impact with associated construction, safety and occupational health issues.
TECHNICAL ADVISORS: Approximately twelve academic staff and six consulting engineers will be specialist advisors.
TIMES: Semester 2 Tu 9-10, Fr 8-10
There are a limited number of Tuesday lectures in weeks 1-3 and week 8, full attendance is required for the Friday Design Office sessions
There will be a Field Trip on Friday week 2
PROJECT FOR 2018:
Large engineering projects go through several phases of development including a pre-feasibility study to obtain approvals. For example the preliminary design of a bridge in an area specified in the Northland/Auckland region including the multidisciplinary aspects of the Civil and Environmental sub-disciplines.
You will be undertaking a level of investigation which is a scheme assessment or preliminary design that would be done before a fully detailed design. As a group of 6-8 students you will be undertaking the complementary distinct roles such as geotechnical, traffic, environmental, water resources, construction and structural specialists. You will act as a group of consulting engineers to investigate the site, the environment, the local political and legal limits, and develop a preliminary design for a staff member as your client. You will go through all the stages of preliminary investigation, relevant preliminary design, and then make a proposal with drawings, cost estimates, environmental impacts and a formal report supported by an oral presentation.
This project is intended to integrate and reinforce existing subject knowledge, it is not focussed on new engineering science knowledge but will require some self-learnt technical extension specific to the project.
Students are expected to have made preliminary submissions for team formation and to have a brief relevant CV (that fulfils the course requirements) prior to the start of the course.
Intended learning outcomes |
Related graduate attributes |
Related assessments |
|---|---|---|
To develop the technical and problem solving capabilities to deal with the investigation of an open ended, complex, real or synthetic civil engineering problem with simulated professional design office constraints |
No related attributes |
Presentation and Questions Final Report |
To understand and apply the process of civil and environmental design to the preliminary design phase including cost estimates, consulting fees and professional level reporting |
No related attributes |
Scoping Roles & Project Proposal Preliminary Report Final Report Final Presentation & Group Interview |
To undertake a learning experience based on a real-life case study that develops the interpersonal and personal skills relevant for Civil or Environmental engineering design |
No related attributes |
Scoping Roles & Project Proposal Preliminary Report Final Report |
To apply key aspects of safety in design to mitigate construction risk and ongoing operation and maintenance |
No related attributes |
Presentation and Questions Final Report |
To assess and integrate stakeholder requirements including Treaty of Waitangi and Resource Management Act requirements |
No related attributes |
Presentation and Questions Final Report |
Coursework
COURSE ASSESSMENT: Scoping/roles/project specification (Weeks 2&3) 10%
Group presentation/progress check (Week 6) 10%
Overview team report (Week 11) 8%
Final team report (including peer assessment) (Week 12) 62%*
Final team presentation and interview (Week 12/13+) 10%
(*An individual grade will be assigned taking account of contributed components and peer assessment. All team members will participate in at least one of the verbal presentations.)
Exam rules
No exam.
Inclusive learning
Students are urged to discuss privately any impairment-related requirements face-to-face and/or in written form with the course convenor/lecturer and/or tutor.
Other assessment rules
The assessment will include
a) Team performance: organization, coordination, time management, professional attitude and cooperation.
b) Communication: verbal interaction with colleagues and clients, presentations for technical and non-technical audiences, written documentation, technical drawings and illustrations.
c) Technical integration: Understanding the breadth of a problem, identifying the varied and competing constraints, developing innovative and feasible design solutions, appropriate use of analytical and design tools.
This project is intended to integrate and reinforce existing subject knowledge, it is not focused on new engineering science knowledge but will require some self-learnt technical extension specific to the project
Academic integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting his or her learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the world-wide web. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
All students enrolled at the University of Auckland are required to complete a compulsory Academic Integrity course, usually in their first semester/year of enrolment. The University of Auckland’s full guidelines on procedures and penalties for academic dishonesty are available here.
Actions shared/based on previous feedback
Feedback from Civil 706 last year has been significant in constructing the course, selecting group sizes, and defining expected outcomes.
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