Course Descriptions

Basic introduction to the use and adjustments of survey equipment, and the associated field work and data interpretation required for engineering projects.

Prerequisite(s): GE 133.2 or CE 201.0 or CE 202.3 or ENVE 201.3.
Note: This is a 10-day field camp at the end of first year as the discipline-specific bridge course. Students with credit for CE 271 will not receive credit for this course.

Development of engineering drawings and the use of spatial analysis in engineering. Topics include computer aided design (CAD), drafting, mapping, coordinate systems, and engineering design using spatial data and analysis.

Weekly hours: 1.5 Lecture hours and 3 Practicum/Lab hours
Restriction(s): Restricted to students in the Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Geological Engineering programs.
Prerequisite(s): GE 133.2

An introduction to the physical and mechanical properties of materials and the phenomenological bases for these behaviors. Fundamental concepts of materials science and engineering are introduced and applied to materials commonly encountered in civil engineering applications, including Portland cement concrete, metals and alloys, ceramics, polymers and polymer composites, and other materials such as wood, asphalt concrete, and soils.

Prerequisite(s): CHEM 146.3 (taken).

Building upon the concepts introduced in the courses in statics and dynamics and the properties of engineering materials, this course extends equilibrium analysis to deformable bodies. Emphasis is placed on understanding and applying the three fundamental concepts of solid mechanics - equilibrium, constitutive relationships, and geometry of deformation (compatibility). The fundamentals are introduced and reinforced in the context of specific behaviors, including axial tension and compression, pure bending, bending in combination with shear, and torsion of circular shafts. Transformation of stress in two dimensions is introduced.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 1.5 Practicum/Lab hours
Restriction(s): Restricted to students in Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering.
Prerequisite(s): GE 123.3
Note: Students with credit for GE 213.3 may not receive credit for this course.

Provides an introduction to the subject area of fluid mechanics including the properties of fluids, fluid statics, laminar and turbulent flow in pipes, Reynolds Transport Theorem, conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy, Bernoulli equation and its applications, and measurement of fluid properties, pressure, velocity, and discharge.

Prerequisite(s): GE 123.3 and MATH 223.3 (taken).
Note: Students with credit for CHE 210.3 or ME 215.3 will not receive credit for this course.

A design course in which the principles of design are learned by application to a suitable civil engineering project. The course requires that the students work in groups to achieve the desired outcome. Group interaction and performance is monitored throughout. Guest lectures from various industrial and other representatives will be provided to enhance the student's design experience.

Weekly hours: 1.5 Lecture hours and 1.5 Practicum/Lab hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 202.3 and CE 212.3.
Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): (CE 213.3 or GE 213.3), GEOE 218.3, and RCM 200.3.

Extends the concepts learned in CE 225 with respect to flow in pipe systems and potential flow. Additionally includes the topics of dimensional analysis, boundary layer, drag and lift on streamlined and blunt bodies, steady flow in open channels and the hydraulic design of culverts.

Prerequisite(s): CE 225.3 or CHE 210.3.

Introductory concepts for the analysis of structures are presented. Axial forces, shear forces and bending moments in statically determinant structures due to applied loads are determined, and methods for estimating deflections are covered. Computer analysis using the stiffness method is introduced and applied to 2D trusses. Manual analysis methods for statically indeterminate structures are considered briefly. An emphasis is placed on the application of basic analytical techniques, followed by the use of computer-based verifications.

Prerequisite(s): GE 213.3 or CE 213.3.

An introduction to the use of mathematical methods in applied civil engineering problems. Topics include: matrix solution methods for systems of coupled equations, eigenvalue problems, and coordinate transformations; optimization and linear programming; and the solution of differential equations describing non-stationary physical systems using analytical, finite difference and finite element methods. Numerical techniques using computer programs are emphasized.

Prerequisite(s): CMPT 142.3 (taken), CE 225.3 (taken), (CE 213.3 (taken) or GE 213.3 (taken)), and MATH 224.3 (taken).

Basic hydrological processes such as precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, infiltration, interception, and depression storage are introduced. Engineering applications such as streamflow and storm hydrographs, flood routing, hydrologic analyses and design, and watershed simulation are covered.

Prerequisite(s): GE 210.3, CE 225.3 (taken) and MATH 224.3 (taken).

An introduction to the engineering and construction industries: the engineer's role in industry, construction and the economy. Deals with various aspects of engineering including, work plans and related studies. It also deals with the marketing of engineering services. It discusses control on construction projects and methods of ensuring quality. Construction tendering is covered in detail, including the preparation of instructions to bidders, General and supplementary conditions, specifications, receiving tenders and awarding contracts. Bidding and estimating is also discussed. Computerized precedence network scheduling using various software packages is demonstrated. This course includes discussions on construction claims, professional liability, arbitration and the use of courts to settle disputes.

Prerequisite(s): CE 295.3 or ENVE 201.3.
Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): GE 348.3.
Restriction(s): Students must be in the third or fourth year of their studies to register in this course.
Note: Students with credit for CE 420.3 will not receive credit for this course.

The behavior and applications of basic forms of structural systems are reviewed, including beam and column systems, arches and cable systems, trusses, braced systems and rigid frames. Limit States design principles in accordance with the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) are introduced as a means of dealing with uncertainty in design. The estimation of building loads is covered, including dead and live loads, snow and rain loads, and loads due to wind. An introduction is also given to the characteristics of common structural materials, including steel, reinforced concrete and wood.

Prerequisite(s): CE 317.3 and GE 210.3 (taken).

Fundamental topics in the discipline of sanitary/environmental engineering are introduced. Topics include the design of municipal water distribution and wastewater collection systems; an introduction to water chemistry and water quality assessment; and design of physical and chemical treatment processes as they apply to water and wastewater treatment. A brief overview of storm water collection systems is also presented.

Prerequisite(s): CHEM 146.3 and CE 315.3.

The course covers essential concepts in soil mechanics. Topics include compaction, seepage theory, groundwater, stresses and strains in soils, effective stress concept, consolidation, shear strength of soils, and earth pressure theory. The course emphasizes the learning of soil mechanics concepts. Some examples of application of these concepts to geotechnical engineering practice are also provided to reinforce these concepts. Laboratory practicum component of the course provides hands-on experience of laboratory tests that are commonly used for determination of geotechnical properties of soils.

Prerequisite(s): GEOE 218.3, CE 225.3 (taken) and (CE 213.3 (taken) or GE 213.3 (taken)).

This course introduces civil engineering students to the planning, design, operation, and safety of road transportation systems. Topics include fundamentals of traffic flow theory, highway capacity analysis, geometric design, intelligent transportation systems, travel demand forecasting methods, and safety analysis.

Prerequisite(s): CE 171.2 or CE 271.2, GE 210.3, and CE 202.3.

The course focuses on practical application of soil mechanics concepts to the analysis and design of foundations, excavations, slopes, earthworks and earth-retaining systems. Topics include: design and construction of shallow foundations on soils and rocks based on bearing capacity and settlement analysis; design and installation of deep foundations including driven and bored piles; design and construction of earth retaining systems; slope stability; geosynthetics and soil reinforcement; ground improvement; and, special construction techniques. Practicum component includes hands-on experience in extracting design parameters from results of site investigation and laboratory tests and preparing a geotechnical design report.

Restriction(s): Restricted to students in Civil Engineering and Geological Engineering.
Prerequisite(s): CE 328.3

A design course in which the basics of fluid mechanics (hydrostatics, continuity, energy and momentum) are applied to hydraulic design. The concrete gravity dam and spillway structures are used to introduce the basic aspects of hydraulic structure design with respect to forces and hydraulic analysis, including the important topic of energy dissipation. Other structures, such as those used for flood control, irrigation, hydropower, navigation, water supply, land and highway drainage, wildfowl habitat preservation, and water-based recreation, are also considered.

Prerequisite(s): CE 315.3

Presents methods used to design, build, and predict the performance of road structures. The course draws heavily upon a material science and mechanics framework to quantify the effects of alternative materials, traffic loading and environmental loading on road performance. Road structural design, materials specification, construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of flexible and rigid pavements are presented in the overall context of effective road asset management.

Prerequisite(s): CE 328.3 (taken) and CE 329.3.

An introduction to the analysis and design of reinforced concrete structural members. Limit States and ultimate strength methods for beams and one-way slabs (singly and doubly reinforced) in flexure and shear. Introduction to the development of reinforcement. Design of short beam-columns. Deflection, cracking and vibration control. Design of footings.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 3 Practicum/Lab hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 321.3

This course builds on the foundation established in CE 320 Project Engineering. It covers such elements of project management as project scope, time, cost, quality, and risk as applied in an engineering context using case studies from various sectors of industry. A key focus is on the important concept of time management. Elementary applications of advanced project management control tools such as earned value and the basic concepts of quality are introduced so as to provide an overview of the complexities of managing large projects. International standards relating to project management are introduced by describing the minimum project management standards expected by the industry today. Throughout, the focus of the course is on the application of project management concepts to engineering situations involving large industrial infrastructure projects. Students will experience some challenges of managing these types of projects with multidisciplinary teams.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 320.3

Deals with advanced techniques for the analysis of determinate and indeterminate structures, including energy-based methods, moment distribution method with joint translation, influence lines, non-prismatic members. Computer analysis based on the stiffness formulation is presented for space frames. Finite element analysis is introduced for plate-like elements loaded in their own plane. Emphasis is placed on basic analytical techniques, followed by computer verification.

Prerequisite(s): CE 317.3 and CE 318.3.
Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): CE 418.3 or CE 470.3

This course builds on and supplements various aspects of other hydrotechnical courses, especially those related to hydrology. The course focuses on three major parts of water resources engineering practice. Part I deals with watershed analysis and simulation, including use of state-of-the art software, and the effects of urbanization on watershed runoff, including the design of street drainage systems and detention ponds. It also covers determination of peak discharges for hydrologic design. Part II deals with water use and its associated analysis, including irrigation, drought management and hydropower. Part III deals with water excess management and flood damage mitigation. Several aspects of the course include consideration of economics as a decision-making tool, notably those aspects dealing with drought and flood management.

Prerequisite(s): CE 319.3, CE 315.3 (taken), and GE 348.3 (taken).

Analysis, design and construction of various earth structures, encompass virtually every aspect of geotechnical engineering. Topics for this course include embankments, geosynthetic reinforced steep slopes and retaining walls, earth and mine tailings dams, deep excavations and tunnels. The role of instrumentation to ensure the safety of earth structures and to determine their performance during their service life is also presented. Application of key concepts is emphasized during hands-on computer sessions based on the state-of-the-art geotechnical software.

Prerequisite(s): CE 330.3 and CE 318.3 (taken).

The course introduces topics related to planning, management of congestion and safety on urban road networks. These include: urban transportation planning, capacity and delay analysis of signalized and unsignalized intersections; safety performance evaluation; traffic simulation and management; applications of intelligent transportation systems; economic appraisal of changes in the transport network.

Prerequisite(s): GE 348.3 and CE 329.3

Geotechnical aspects of waste and waste containment. Nature of soils, contaminants, and contaminant transport processes in the subsurface. Saturated and unsaturated flow in soils and performance of natural and geosynthetic base barrier, drainage and cover systems. Mechanical aspects and stability of waste containment facilities. Analytical tools and their role in design of containment systems. Key design elements and case studies of municipal, mining and industrial wastes.

Prerequisite(s): CE 328.3.

An introduction to the structural design of members and connections for steel structures in accordance with the National Building Code of Canada and the applicable CSA-S16 design standards. Design principles are based on Limit States Design. Types of members and components include tension members, beams, columns, and beam-columns, as well as bolted and welded connections. Emphasis is placed on basic design and fabrication procedures. Design forces for framed structures are determined using second-order elastic analysis with notional lateral loads.

Prerequisite(s): CE 321.3.

Provides an introduction to the analysis and design of structural masonry components and building systems. The fundamental principles covered in CE 418.3 (Design in Reinforced Concrete) will be extended to flexural members, walls and columns constructed from masonry components, in accordance with the requirements of CSA Standard CSA-S304.1-04 (Design of Masonry Structures). Lateral load resisting systems in low-rise buildings will be discussed, emphasizing the role and behavior of shear walls and horizontal diaphragms. Elementary concepts of building science will also be introduced, focusing on heat and moisture flow through building envelopes.

Prerequisite(s): CE 418.3.

A final design course in which advanced principles of design are learned by application to a suitable civil engineering project. The course, which builds upon the foundation established in CE 295, focuses on approaches to be taken in defining complex problems (including the outlining of project objectives and scope), acquisition of suitable data resources, generation of alternative solutions, methods for selecting design alternatives and project implementation. Design philosophy and methods are discussed and explored in the context of the assignment given for the current year. The course requires that the students work in teams to achieve the desired outcome. Team interaction and performance is monitored throughout. Guest lectures from various industrial and other representatives will be provided to enhance the student's design experience.

Weekly hours: 6 Practicum/Lab hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 295, CE 318, CE 320, GE 348, CE 327 (taken), CE 330 (taken), CE 329 (taken), CE 319 (taken), CE 321 (taken).
Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): 9 credit units from the following group of courses: CE 467, elective list W, elective list G, elective list S.

Offered occasionally to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 1.5 Practicum/Lab hours

The objectives of this course are for the student to become able to: analyze and design reinforced concrete members and structures, recognize the design criteria in CSA Standard A23.3, recognize the fundamental engineering mechanics related to the analysis and design of reinforced concrete members and structures, and document decisions made during the design process in coherent and legible design calculations. Topics may include, but are not limited to: shoring and construction loads; material properties; moment-curvature and load-deflection relationships; column analysis and design including slender columns in frames; bond and development of reinforcement; an introduction to prestressed concrete; shear design using truss models, compression field theory, and the modified compression field theory.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 418 or its equivalent, by permission of instructor.

Behaviour of materials and structures under dynamic loading; simplified analysis and design principles of structures subjected to wind, earthquake and other dynamic loading.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): MATH 338 or equivalent.

This course provides an introduction to structural stability and its applications in design of metal members and structures. The theory of elastic member buckling is presented for columns and beams. The incorporation of member behaviour into design standards is described for common members.

Note: It is recommended students take CE 470 prior to CE 805. Students with credit for CE 898.3 Special Topics in Structural Stability (offered in 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12) may not take this course for credit.

An introduction to recent developments in the application of new materials and innovative solutions for problems in structural engineering. Major topics include the mechanics and applications of fibre-reinforced polymers; rehabilitation, repair and strengthening of structural components; and structural health monitoring of bridges.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 418 or equivalent.

Types of cements, compounds of cements, structure of cement paste, theory and practice of aggregate grading, fresh concrete, mix design of concrete.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

Detailed study of the theory and design of physical and chemical unit processes utilized in water and wastewater treatment. Equalization, sedimentation, flotation, adsorption, gas stripping, membrane processes, neutralization, disinfection, water softening, chemical oxidation, ion exchange are discussed.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

Detailed study of the theory and design of biological suspended-culture and attached-culture systems utilized in domestic wastewater treatment. Activated sludge processes, aerated lagoons, trickling filters, rotating biological contactors, submerged biofilm process, sequencing batch reactors, sludge digestion are discussed.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

Introductory water chemistry for graduate students with focus on natural and polluted waters and the applied chemistry for water and wastewater treatment plant processes. This will include coverage of dilute aqueous solutions chemistry of acid-base reactions, complex formation, precipitation and dissolution reactions, and oxidation-reduction reactions.

Bioremediation research and technical development requires a combined knowledge of physicochemical properties, the fate and transport contaminants in the environment, and microbial interaction with contaminants and environmental matrices. This course is designed to provide advanced and combined knowledge of mass transfer and microbial environmental processes in natural and engineered environments. The engineering aspects of microbially enhanced remediation systems and associated quantitative analyses will be investigated.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): ENVE 478 (or equivalent) or approval of the instructor
Note: Students with credit for CE 875 will not receive credit for this course.

Hydraulics of open channel flow. Conservation laws for open channel flow; specific energy; specific force; uniform flow; water surface profiles; hydraulic jump. Assessment of flow through culverts. Unsteady flow in open channels: development of unsteady flow equations, method of characteristics, surge propagation; flood waves. River ice formation and its impact on flow behavior. Includes a real-world design project and some laboratory experiments.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

Analysis, design and control of channels, canals, and rivers, with erodible boundaries. Topics include initiation of sediment movement, transport processes, sediment transport equations, scour and deposition. Regime Theory for canals and rivers, other river development equations, channel roughness, control of rivers and effects of these controls, movable bed models. Term papers on a topic chosen by the student may be required.

Weekly hours: 2 Lecture hours

Water Resources Engineering is a highly interdisciplinary field that links physical sciences, basic sciences, and social sciences together. This course builds on and supplements undergraduate hydrotechnical courses especially Hydrology (CE 319). The course focuses on three major parts of water resources engineering practice: Part I – Watershed Analysis and Simulation; Part II – Water Use and associated Analysis; and Part III – Water Excess management and associate Analysis. It includes consideration of water resources systems and their management, establishment of the various data needs for water resource systems analysis, the use of economics as a decision-making tool in water resources engineering. While focused on the engineering aspects of water resource management, the student is also exposed to the broader issues which impact the management decisions of the resource (e.g., social, environmental, ethical).

Prerequisite(s):CE 319

This course investigates the transfer of energy at the earth surface as it pertains to hydrological and climatological applications. The following physical processes are covered in detail: turbulent heat exchange, evaporation, ground heat storage, and radiation heat transfer. The course focuses on applications within natural and agricultural environments.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours
Permission of the instructor is required.
Prerequisite(s): Completion of undergraduate coursework in hydrology and environmental physics is required.

An introduction to contaminant transport processes in porous media with a focus on key processes and the related chemical, physical and hydraulic properties of soils. The transport and attenuation processes for the case of saturated, homogeneous and unsaturated soils are reviewed and the governing equations are derived. Special conditions such as fractured or structured soils, unsaturated soils, and multiphase transport and partitioning, are also discussed at length.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 319 or GEOE 375 or SLSC 322 or equivalent.

The course will apply the fundamental chemical, hydraulic and physical properties of soils and contaminants with an emphasis on practical engineering significance. The application of these fundamentals to geoenvironmental practice and problems is illustrated through the use of case studies. Particular focus is on two broad areas; contaminant barriers/waste management and contaminated site remediation.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

The course will encompass practical aspects of geotechnical laboratory testing. It will include tests for determining index properties, strength and compressibility of soils and rocks. The course requirement will include critical review and discussion of test procedure and results as well as background literature.

Weekly hours: 1 Lecture hours and 3 Practicum/Lab hours

Types of geosynthetics; index tests; thermal/mechanical properties of polymers; textile technology; puncture/tear resistance; chemical compatibility, durability and aging; interface shear strength, sliding and pullout; design methods for base reinforcement, reinforced walls and steep slopes; case studies of geosynthetics in drainage, filtration, separation, reinforcement, waste management and mining; specifications for materials, installation. Focus on design by function.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

Focuses on fundamental aspects of shear strength and volume change behaviour of saturated and unsaturated soils. It will also include theoretical and practical aspects of primary and secondary consolidation, settlement analysis and pore pressure parameters. An introduction to critical state soil mechanics and constitutive modelling of soils will also be provided.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 328 or equivalent.

Includes analysis and design of earth slopes, embankments and retaining structures, theory and numerical simulation of seepage through earth structures, methods of stability analysis and their application to natural and engineered slopes, field instrumentation and monitoring the performance of earth structures.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 328 or equivalent.

Air photo interpretation is used to evaluate the physical environment for engineering and environmental planning purposes. The emphasis is on the engineering significance of landforms and their materials. The site investigation portion will focus on methods to extending ground surface interpretation into the subsurface to provide an understanding of the physical environment.

Weekly hours: 1 Lecture hours and 3 Practicum/Lab hours

Stress analysis, theory and design of flexible and rigid pavements, aggregates, soil cement, asphalt aggregate mixtures, salt, lime and other methods of stabilization, study of road tests.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

Aquifer characterization; Mapping flow in regional systems; Groundwater in the hydrologic cycle; Principles of hydraulic testing; Groundwater as a resource; Stress, strain and pore fluids; Heat transport in groundwater systems.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): CE 319 or GEOE 375 or SLSC 322 or equivalent.

Theories on stress distribution around openings in rock. Approaches for characterizing rock masses. Failure criteria in rock and rock masses. Underground instrumentation, monitoring and interpretation. Underground stability design and support methods.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): GEOE 414 or equivalent.

In soils, deformation occurs as a result of strains throughout the soil mass, with the mass behaving essentially as a continuum. By contrast, rock response is controlled by deformations along discrete discontinuities including fissures, cracks, joints, and faults. For this reason, different approaches to characterization analysis and design are required.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): GEOE 315 or equivalent.

Introduces students to advanced topics in fluid mechanics and covers laminar and turbulent flow; boundary layers; turbulence; and turbulent jets. The main theories of fluid mechanics are shown to be based on the conservation of momentum or Navier-Stokes equations.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): Undergraduate course in fluid mechanics.

Review of stiffness matrix method, two dimensional finite element analysis, plate bending formulations and non-linear problems; field problems, seepage, settlement, etc.; analysis of shells, vibration and stability problems; introduction to finite element methods followed by a separate group studies of specific field problems related to structures, geotechnical and transportation problems, engineering mechanics, etc.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

May consist of assigned reading, lectures by staff members, discussion periods and laboratory exercises with reports. Depending on the interests of the student and his/her supervisor, the topics are selected from one of the research fields of Civil Engineering, including: Structural, Soil, or Fluid Mechanics; Sanitary Engineering; Transportation Engineering and related subjects.

May consist of assigned reading, lectures by staff members, discussion periods and laboratory exercises with reports. Depending on the interests of the student and his supervisor, the topics are selected from one of the research fields of Civil Engineering, including: Structural, Soil, or Fluid Mechanics; Sanitary Engineering; Transportation Engineering and related subjects.

A seminar is held periodically throughout the regular session. The current literature is reviewed and discussed. Graduate students are required to attend these meetings for the duration of their program.

Students undertaking the project Master's degree (M.Eng.) must register in this course. It consists of independent study and investigation of a real world problem, and submission of an acceptable report on the investigation.

Students writing a Master's thesis must register for this course.

Students writing a Ph.D. thesis must register for this course.