CIVILENG 7050 - Design Practice

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2024

This course will involve an authentic design project emulating a real-world project in the civil engineering consulting profession. Students will consolidate and apply knowledge form across the structural engineering stream of the Civil Engineering program in order to complete a design according to Australian Standards. In completing this design students will receive mentoring from industry practitioners and become familiar with the complexities and ambiguities of design. Students will need to demonstrate a capacity for self-management, independent learning and higher-level professional communication skills.

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Course Details

Course Code	CIVILENG 7050
Course	Design Practice
Coordinating Unit	Civil Engineering
Term	Semester 2
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 4 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Professor Phillip Visintin

Course Coordinator Phillip Visintin is supported by a range of academic and industry consultants.

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1 Apply knowledge of structural/water/geotechnical engineering design principles to the conceptual design of civil infrastructure through the synthesis of the client’s requirements and evaluation of potential design options;

2 Demonstrate effective oral communication skills by delivering a client briefing to present the conceptual designs evaluated;

3 Demonstrate the fluid application of engineering techniques by scoping and subsequently preparing detailed design calculations to Australian design standards;

4 Critically review design calculations prepared by others;

5 Communicate the final design of a structure through the production of engineering drawings;

6 Demonstrate orderly management of self and professional conduct by managing time effectively and behave in a professional manner in relationships with clients, industrial mentors and other stakeholders involved in the project; and

7 Demonstrate the ability to function as an effective team member by earning the trust and confidence of colleagues through competent and timely completion of tasks, recognising the diversity of the team members and respect for alternative viewpoints.

The above course learning outcomes are aligned with the Engineers Australia Entry to Practice Competency Standard for the Professional Engineer. The course develops the following EA Elements of Competency to levels of introductory (A), intermediate (B), advanced (C):

1.1	1.2	1.3	1.4	1.5	1.6	2.1	2.2	2.3	2.4	3.1	3.2	3.3	3.4	3.5	3.6
B	B	B	—	B	C	B	A	B	A	A	A	—	A	A	A

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1, 3
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	1
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	2,3,4,6
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	5

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Australian Standards are required for this course, these can be accessed through the university library website.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course is delivered through design workshops. Students will work in groups to complete an authentic industry led design project that covers aspects of structural, geotechnical and water engineering.

Students will be required to engage with industry and university consultants during the design process to complete ongoing assessment tasks that cover subsections of the overall design.

Each student will be required to participate in a short interview covering both technical design and project management approach taken througout the project.

A final exam will assess technical aspects of design.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Each week contains two workshops which will be staffed by academics and design practitioners, in addition consultation sessions will be held each week.

Learning Activities Summary

This course consists of:
- a series of design project submissions (topics covering: structural, geotechnical and water engineering).
- an interview (covering design techniques and project management approach).
- a final examination covering all topics.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Weighting (%)	Individual/ Group	Formative/ Summative	Due (week)*	Hurdle	Learning outcomes
Design report	65 (see myuni for breakdown of activites)	Group	Summative	ongoing (see myuni)	-	1-6
Interview	5	Individual	Summative	12	-	6-7
Examination	30	Individual	Summative	Exam Period	Yes	1, 3, 4, 5
Total	100

This assessment breakdown is registered as an exemption to the University's Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy. The exemption is related to the Procedures clause(s): 1. a. i

Assessment Detail

Group design phases will be submitted throughout the course with numerical solutions provided shortly after the submission date to enable all students to continue to the next phase of the design with a common answer.

An individual interview will assess communication of technical design approaches and project management of the project.

A final exam will assess aspects of the design from across each of the subdisciplines (structures, water and geotech).

Submission

Specific submission due dates and times will be provided throughout the course. Group phases of the design project will be submitted with answers returned the following day. Missed assessments will therefore be assessed via a reweighting of the examination.

Individual interviews will be completed face-to-face in week 12 and 13 of the sememster.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator