Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering (CIE)

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with Civil Engineering CAD software and reading civil based drawings. Students will also develop a skill to visualize 3D terrains and 3D objects from their 2D projections in order to think in 3D about objects in space. One formal lecture per week, focused on civil and environmental engineering applications of the software is given. This is supplemented by multiple tutorials written for the software. Students will be required to complete the tutorials in recitation and on their own time and submit a copy of completed tutorials by the due date.

This course introduces environmental engineering tools and applications, and provides a roadmap for the environmental engineering BS degree. Tools include mass, energy, and number balances; risk; and sustainability. Applications include systems modeling, drinking water and wastewater treatment, air pollutant and its control, solid waste and its management, and global climate change.

Introduces students to spatial concepts that are important in the planning, construction, and operation of civil engineering projects and activities. Introduces the expression of these concepts in graphical language, which is central to civil and architectural communication by first developing some basic skills in CAD. Studies concepts and principles of location and layout of points on the surface of the 3-D earth from both a historical and a modern technology perspective. Also covers the problem of converting the curved surface of the earth onto a plane map or computer screen. Reviews the use of plane concepts for local layouts, along with the circumstances under which 2-D plane concepts can be utilized. Discusses and demonstrates the technological basis for modern measurement and positioning systems, such as DME and GPS. Covers techniques used to identify and lay out land areas in the United States. Introduces GIS.

Introduces sampling, descriptive and inferential statistics, probability, probability distribution functions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, covariance and correlation, and linear regression.

First of a two-course sequence required of all civil engineering students. CIE 323 introduces students to the basic techniques for analyzing common structural elements, including beams, trusses, and frames. The course covers methods to analyze both statically determinate and indeterminate structural systems including force and moment diagrams, influence lines and calculation of deflections.

The second of a two-course sequence required of all civil engineering students. CIE 324 introduces students to analysis and design of complex structural systems: the art of using the principles of statics and mechanics to calculate the design axial and shear forces and moments and then determine the size and arrangement of structural elements under prescribed loads. The course considers design loads, tributary areas, and load paths in real-world structures. LRFD design principles are introduced and applied to design reinforced concrete beams and slabs. Modern computing tools will be used.

Laboratory testing to enhance and extend the student's understanding of the fundamental principles of structural analysis, civil engineering materials, and fluid mechanics. One 3-hour lab per week or equivalent.

Introduction to Structural Materials: Concrete, Steel, Wood, and Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP); Physical, mechanical, and durability properties and microstructure of materials; Cement chemistry & cement hydration reactions; concrete mix design and quality control; atomic structure, imperfections, and alloying to manufacture steel; yielding and failure theories for steel; Reinforced concrete basics; Types of woods; FRP design basics; Introduction to High Performance Concrete; Recent Innovations in Materials; Influence of materials on infrastructure resilience and sustainability.

Soil formation and identification. The physical and mechanical properties of granular and cohesive soils. The nature and flow of water in soils, stress distribution, consolidation, analysis of deformation and strength of soils, stress path dependent behavior and slope stability.

This course introduces the quantitative analysis of natural and engineered systems in the context of environmental engineering. Basic concepts include mass, energy, and number balances and risk. Applications include water pollution and treatment, air pollution and its control, solid waste management, sustainability, and global climate change.

CIE 341 covers basic concepts of microbiology and chemistry and their links to applications in environmental engineering, including, but not limited to, water and wastewater treatment, hazardous waste management, and ecology. Content is closely coordinated with CIE 340 Environmental Engineering, taught in fall semester of the sophomore year, which serves as the introduction to CIE 341.

Application of fundamentals of fluid mechanics to pressurized flow systems, hydraulic machinery and open channel systems with introduction to hydraulic drag and surface/subsurface hydrology. Topics include minor and major losses in laminar and turbulent flow, pipe networks, flow measurements, pump and turbine operation and design, uniform and nonuniform open channel flow, surface profiles, hydraulic drag formulas, introduction to steady groundwater flow with emphasis on well hydraulics and introduction to hydrologic processes with detailed coverage of surface runoff.

Provides an introductory treatment of the dynamics of fluids, emphasizing incompressible fluids. Develops and applies hydrostatics, thermodynamics, fluid characteristics, kinematics, and dynamics; methods of analysis including the infinitesimal and finite control volume; stress rate-of-strain relations; and basic equations for continuity, energy, motion, and force-momentum. Measurement methods.

CIE 359 is designed to expose students to sustainability issues that are under-appreciated or not relevant in the US, including eco-tourism, monoculture (e.g., coffee, bananas, pineapples), renewable energy (e.g., hydroelectric, wind, geothermal), and societal issues (e.g., social healthcare, immigration). Student participants will be tasked with considering the full life-cycle impacts of each component of the trip. Daily group reflections and personal journals will provide the wider context of the experiences and encourage students to approach sustainability with an open mind. The program provides students an opportunity to directly engage with real-world examples of sustainability, simultaneously teaching them to be comfortable in unfamiliar (and potentially uncomfortable!) situations abroad. Themed around agriculture, energy, and eco-tourism, topics particularly unique to Costa Rica, students will participate in regionally specific tours, lectures, workshops, discussions, outdoor activities, assignments, and reflections intended to highlight sustainability in practice. By getting out of the classroom and engaging with science and engineering practitioners (displaying both good and bad examples of sustainability), the trip will foster a deeper understanding of the oft-discussed but rarely understood concept. Students are challenged to engage with the local culture and economy while considering what it truly means to be sustainable.

Laboratory testing to enhance and extend the student's understanding of the fundamental principles of fluid mechanics and environmental engineering, including modern methods of pollutant analysis. Data are collected and analyzed using statistical and numerical tools. Individual and group reports serve as vehicles for the development of technical communication skills. One 3-hour lab per week or equivalent.

Laboratory testing to enhance and extend the student¿s understanding of soil mechanics and/or hydraulics. Intended for students who have completed a lecture-only course.

The course introduces numerical procedures for the solution of various problems encountered in civil and environmental engineering. It emphasizes the need of numerical analysis, and demonstrates its use as a powerful problem-solving tool. The course introduces a brief review of various civil and environmental engineering problems (e.g., truss analysis, plug flow reactor, dynamics of mass-spring system, regression on traffic problems), which require numerical analysis as a problem-solving tool. In addition, the topics include MATLAB fundamentals, numerical linear algebra, root finding, curve fitting/interpolation, numerical differentiation/integration, and ordinary differential equations.

Ethical issues in civil engineering practice, the professional licensure process, the project life cycle, engineering economics fundamentals, construction contracts and delivery methods, cost estimating fundamentals, project scheduling fundamentals, project control fundamentals.

Second course of a two-course sequence. Students work in teams of four to six on a design problem that is drawn from industry. The project is introduced in CIE 415. Teams compete against each other and are required to complete a preliminary design report and project presentation. Teams meet weekly in smaller groups with faculty and practicing engineers to discuss progress.

Emphasizes the matrix formulation of the equations that describe the response of statically indeterminate systems, and it also provides an introduction to plastic analysis, approximate methods of analysis, and structural dynamics for seismic applications. Implements a modern approach which integrates theory and computational analysis to solve a wide-range of civil engineering structures for vertical and lateral loads.

Basic principles of interactive computer graphics, computer-aided drafting, 3-D modeling, and visualization in modern CAD systems. The use of modern CAD software as a design tool in civil engineering applications. Overview of trends and futures in computer-aided design. Lecture and hands-on laboratory.

Comprehensively introduces the finite element method as applied primarily to structural analysis. Presents the foundations of finite elements by addressing the theory of elasticity, calculus of variations, and variational principles of solid mechanics. Subsequently, applies the finite element methodology to trusses, beams, membrane elements, plates, torsion, and axisymmetry. Introduces students to computer programming aspects of the finite element method. Additional topics (time permitting) are dynamics, stability, fluid flow, heat transfer, Galerkin and Ritz methods.

Emphasizes a theoretical understanding of fundamental concepts in analysis and design of steel structures. Focuses on building structures; topics addressed in the class include materials, probabilistic underpinnings of structural steel design, tension members, compression members, beams and beam-columns, welded and bolted connections and analysis and design of steel structures for gravity, wind, and seismic loads.

This course provides an understanding of fundamental concepts in the analysis, design, and the detailing of reinforced concrete structural members and systems according to the ACI Building Code Requirements. Topics include the behavior of reinforcing steel and concrete; the design for ultimate limit states under flexure, shear, and combined flexure and axial load, considering serviceability (cracking and deflections), economy, and constructability. Applications include beams, slabs, and columns.

Introduces the properties of wood and its grading process. Presents design principles for members under axial tension, column members, beams under flexure, mechanical connections, and shear walls under lateral loads.

Applies soil mechanics to engineering problems. Soil exploration and sampling. States of plastic equilibrium, bearing capacity, and settlement of foundations. Foundation design, spread footing, mat, piles, and drilled shafts. Lateral earth pressures, retaining walls, and braced excavations.

This course addresses the design, operation, control and management of transportation facilities. Topics covered include geometric design of roadways, capacity analysis for freeway segments, signal timing and design, and intersection design and layout. Students will be introduced to a number of traffic analysis and traffic simulation software, including the TRANSIMS model and SYNCHRO/SimTraffic. As a part of this course, students will be required to undertake a comprehensive term project that would involve detailed analysis and/or simulation of a given transportation facility. This course is dual-listed with CIE 536.

Design principles of flexible and rigid pavements. Includes a study of soils and paving materials, their interaction, their behavior under various loading conditions, and their ability to perform under all ambient loading conditions. Topics include surface, base, subbase and base courses: bituminous materials, quality control, and flexible and rigid pavement design methods. Laboratory sessions on asphaltic concrete mix design.

Site investigation, problem identification, and design of earth structures and foundation for small and large buildings and bridges in real-world setting. Plan site investigation. Identify, interpret, and approximate relevant soil properties for design analyses. Design shallow, mat, and deep foundations (including bearing capacity, settlements, lateral loads and driveability analyses), slopes, embankments, earth retaining systems, and ground improvement (consolidation, densification, reinforcement, soil nailing, anchors), as necessary for a given real-world project. Team work, Technical design report writing and oral presentations.

Introduces engineering and planning principles applicable to all types of transportation systems; concept and methods of transportation network analysis; operation and management of transportation systems; traffic engineering elements; traffic flow theory; highway capacity analysis; design and application of traffic control devices.

The focus of this class is on the state-of-the-art methods for forecasting travel demand. The ability to forecast travel demand is fundamental to any transportation planning effort. The first part of the class will focus on the four-step travel demand forecasting process that consists of the trip generation, trip distribution, mode split and traffic assignment steps. This approach, though aggregate and conventional, has been widely used for planning purposes in the US and other countries in the world.. Recent refinements to the process will also be discussed, along with a brief introduction to activity-based analysis, an alternative paradigm of travel demand forecasting that is behavior oriented and tends to increase the sensitivity of transportation planning models to policy making.

Focuses on the physical, chemical, and hydrodynamic processes governing pollutant fate in natural systems. Topics include mass and energy balances, mixing processes, partitioning processes (exchange with solids and air), and particle removal. Examples from natural systems address lake, river, and atmospheric pollution. Environmental Engineering and Civil Engineering majors only.

Overview of environmental engineering treatment systems analysis and design. Topics include water distribution, water treatment, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, sludge processing, and industrial waste management.

Studies the physical processes associated with the components of the hydrologic cycle. Discusses measurement and collection of data. Explores model conceptualization and data analysis for quantification of water flow for design purposes. Emphasizes analysis procedures for surface and ground water hydrology useful for design of urban facilities. Discusses and applies hydrologic design methods to engineering projects. Emphasizes watershed management concepts.

Fundamentals of fluid flow and mass transport in porous media. Derives the governing mass and energy balance equations and develops several commonly applied solutions. Particular topics include groundwater flow under saturated and unsaturated conditions, well hydraulics, introduction to multiphase flow, fundamentals of solute transport, geostatistics, and remediation of contaminated aquifers.

Engineering policy dimensions of sustainability. Topics include: (1) definitions and concepts of sustainability, (2) introduction to climate change science and policy, and (3) relevant analytical tools such as life cycle assessment and carbon footprint analysis. Student teams will conduct studies that integrate environmental, economic, and social concerns in an engineering context, with a strong emphasis on oral and written communications.

Presents fundamentals in aquatic chemistry as applied to natural waters, water treatment, and wastewater treatment. Topics include equilibrium concepts, chemical thermodynamics, acid-base reactions, precipitation and dissolution, oxidation and reduction, carbonate system chemistry, and complexation. This course is dual-listed with CIE 564.

Design of environmental engineering systems, such as water-distribution networks; storm and wastewater collection systems; treatment systems for air, water, and wastewater; and hazardous waste site remediation. This is a professional practice-oriented course and includes process engineering principles, system analysis and design, regulations, economics, guest lectures, and field trips. Students work in design teams and produce written and oral reports for a major design project.

Introduces the fundamental aspects of the science and technologies associated with air pollution. Topics include: atmospheric chemistry and basic chemical kinetics; photochemical reactions in the atmosphere; aerosol physics and chemistry; sources of outdoor and indoor air pollution; climatic effects; pollution reduction technologies; gas phase and aerosol measurement and analytical techniques; health effects; atmospheric meteorology; and plume dispersion and transport models.

Develops experience and expertise in the application of fundamentals of water resources engineering to design civil engineering projects. Specific technique/problem areas are announced when offered. Requires students to complete homework assignments and hour tests, and they are graded on both. May require an in-depth design exercise.

Develops experience and expertise in the application of fundamentals of environmental engineering to design of civil engineering projects. Specific technique/problem areas are announced when offered. Requires students to complete homework assignments and hour tests, and they are graded on both. May require an in-depth design exercise.

A brownfield is a property whose redevelopment is complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances. With more than an estimated 450,000 brownfields in the U.S., their cost-effective and sustainable management is an important national priority. This course covers a variety of engineering and policy issues associated with subsurface pollution. Topics include: (1) evolution of current laws dealing with the management of hazardous wastes and contaminated land; (2) environmental fate and transport of hazardous chemicals; and (3) investigation and remediation of sites with soil and/or groundwater contamination. Students are expected to have familiarity with basic concepts of contaminant chemistry, groundwater, and engineering mathematics.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the principles of geometric design of highways with a focus on highway design objectives and design guidelines and methods. More specific topics include: development and applications of concepts of geometric design of rural and urban highways; design controls and criteria; elements of design, including sight distance, horizontal and vertical alignment; cross section elements; interchange types and design elements; grade separations and clearance; development of visual elements.

Selection, engineering design, construction, monitoring, and performance evaluation of earth structures. Densification: soft ground consolidation, deep dynamic compaction; reinforcement: earth-retaining systems, soil nailing, reinforced earth, micropiles; ground improvement by admixtures: grouting, soil mixing techniques.

Estimation of construction costs. Topics include project life cycle, financial considerations, order-of-magnitude estimates, the project acquisition decision, material/labor and equipment costs, overhead and profit consideration, building systems estimates, uncertainty, the bidding process, value engineering, and cost control.

Life cycle planning of construction projects; contract types, project delivery strategies; bid packaging, bid evaluation, and selection of contractors; preconstruction planning; contract administration procedures; project quality control; value engineering and management; project site layout; and materials management.

Provides field experience through working on a Civil or Environmental Engineering project in a practical setting (Private design, consulting and/or construction company office, governmental agency office, construction site, etc.) under the joint guidance of a practicing engineer and a faculty advisor. Projects are selected that integrate the material learned in academic courses at UB. A written report and an oral presentation are required. This is a variable unit course, up to three (3) credits. The number of credits to be earned is designated by the number of credits for which the student registers. For each credit hour, a minimum of forty-five (45) hours at the internship or jobsite must be completed

Students collaborate with faculty research mentors on an ongoing project in a faculty member's laboratory or conduct independent research under the guidance of a faculty member. This experience provides students with an inquiry based learning opportunity and engages them as active learners in an research setting.

Students electing this course should be accepted for work on a special topic by a member of the teaching staff. Special forms are available in the department office.