Note: This unit is an archived version! See Overview tab for delivered versions.
CIVL2010: Environmental Engineering (2018 - Semester 2)
| Unit: | CIVL2010: Environmental Engineering (6 CP) |
| Mode: | Normal-Day |
| On Offer: | Yes |
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Faculty/School: | Civil Engineering |
| Unit Coordinator/s: |
Dr Marks, Benjy
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| Session options: | Semester 2 |
| Versions for this Unit: |
| Campus: | Camperdown/Darlington |
| Pre-Requisites: | None. |
| Prohibitions: | CIVL3010. |
| Brief Handbook Description: | This unit introduces students to the role of civil engineers and the historical development of the profession, and relates this to the Code of Ethics - Engineers Australia; impact of engineering on the human and natural environment; energy consumption, resourcing and renewal, dealing with variability in climate; definitions and practice of sustainability; environmental assessment tools and life-cycle analyses. As graduates, students may expect to find themselves in a position which touches upon a wide variety of Engineering fields (including legal, institutional, and environmental considerations). In both small and large firms they could be acting as agents and managers of technology-driven change which has social and environmental impact. Engineering decision-making and problem-solving are made more complex by technical, economic, environmental, social and ethical constraints. The goals of this unit are to introduce students to major problems of environmental deterioration and engage students in active reflection on the role of civil engineers in addressing these issues; to develop the students skills at quantifying the impact of engineering decisions within the broader economic, environmental and socio-cultural contexts; to develop communication skills through participation in group discussions, video production and written report writing. Lectures, group discussions, case problems and projects are all used in teaching and learning in this unit of study. |
| Assumed Knowledge: | MATH1023 AND ENGG1801. Strong calculus knowledge from first year MATHS and substantial report writing skills are recommended for success in this subject, as well as the ability to program in MATLAB. Basic understanding of structural mechanics (CIVL2201) is also an advantage. |
| Timetable: | CIVL2010 Timetable | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Time Commitment: |
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| T&L Activities: | Independent Study: Readings and weekly study, following lectures. |
Attributes listed here represent the key course goals (see Course Map tab) designated for this unit. The list below describes how these attributes are developed through practice in the unit. See Learning Outcomes and Assessment tabs for details of how these attributes are assessed.
| Attribute Development Method | Attribute Developed |
| (1) Ability to analyse impacts of engineering decisions, especially in relation to short and long-range air pollution and energy. (2) Ability to develop sustainable design and use of design and analysis tools. | Design (Level 2) |
| (1) An appreciation of the various form of information within the engineering discipline including technical books and reports, research articles, customer requirements, company standards and an appreciation of the main legal definitions. (2) An ability to identify, utilise and locate appropriate information resources including literature, electronic media and through personal interaction with both technical and non-technical audiences. (3) An ability to gather, manage, integrate and critique information attained from various sources in order ascertain the relevant information. | Information Seeking (Level 3) |
| (1) An ability to communicate effectively, clearly and concisely ideas, concepts and solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences. (2) An understanding of the various forms of communication including, listening, oral, written electronic, graphical and mathematical and an appreciation of the appropriate forms to use given the context and audience. | Communication (Level 3) |
| (1) An appreciation of the significance and scope of ethical standards in engineering practice and the responsibility that an engineer espouses within both national and international guidelines. (2) An appreciation of the roles and dimensions of an engineer, and an ability to function effectively as either a team leader or member, within multi-disciplinary and multicultural teams. (3) An appreciation of engineering sustainability and the impact of engineering decisions within the broader economic, environmental and socio-cultural context. | Professional Conduct (Level 3) |
For explanation of attributes and levels see Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table 2018.
Learning outcomes are the key abilities and knowledge that will be assessed in this unit. They are listed according to the course goal supported by each. See Assessment Tab for details how each outcome is assessed.
Design (Level 2)
1. Examine anthropogenic climate change including its causes, impacts and implications
2. Calculate the spread of airborne pollution
3. Apply the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics to environmental problems
Information Seeking (Level 3)
4. Interpret scholarly literature in the context of engineering practice
Communication (Level 3)
5. Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, on technical topics
Professional Conduct (Level 3)
6. Analyse the role civil engineers play in addressing global environmental problems such as climate change.
| Assessment Methods: |
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| Assessment Description: |
* indicates an assessment task which must be repeated if a student misses it due to special consideration Aside from Participation (which is graded at pass/fail and must be submitted during class), late submissions will result in a deduction of 20% of the assessment weighting for every day late (e.g. an assessment weighted 10% will have a deduction of 2% per day). Requests for special consideration should be made on the appropriate form available online. Assessments that do not follow presentation guidelines will result in a deduction of 10% of the assessment weighting. The University has authorised and mandated the use of text-based similarity detecting software Turnitin for all text-based written assignments. In order to pass the UoS, students must score 50% Participation AND 50% weighted average for all other assessments. Scoring less than 50% in either component will mean that the highest mark you can achieve in this unit of study will be 48% irrespective of any marks obtained in other components of assessment. Special consideration for the assessments will be applied as follows: Report: Extension of time or, for longer illnesses, alternative assessment. Video: As this assessment is based on groupwork, special consideration arrangements are to be determined by the UoS Coordinator. Quiz: Alternative assessment. Major Project: Extension of time. Participation: Special consideration arrangements are to be determined by the UoS Coordinator. It is possible to obtain full participation marks if ≤4 lectures or tutorials are missed, so special consideration will only be considered if a student has missed 5 lectures or tutorials. There may be statistically and educationally defensible methods used when combining the marks from each component to ensure consistency of marking between markers, and alignment of final grades with unit outcomes and grade descriptors. |
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| Grading: |
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| Policies & Procedures: | See the policies page of the faculty website at http://sydney.edu.au/engineering/student-policies/ for information regarding university policies and local provisions and procedures within the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies. |
| Prescribed Text/s: |
Note: Students are expected to have a personal copy of all books listed.
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| Note on Resources: | Students will be advised during the 1st lecture about what resources are essential. |
Note that the "Weeks" referred to in this Schedule are those of the official university semester calendar https://web.timetable.usyd.edu.au/calendar.jsp
| Week | Description |
| Week 1 | Lecture: Introduction |
| Week 2 | Lecture: Climate change |
| Tutorial: | |
| Week 3 | Lecture: Climate change |
| Tutorial: | |
| Week 4 | Lecture: Pollution |
| Tutorial: | |
| Assessment Due: Report | |
| Week 5 | Lecture: Pollution |
| Tutorial: | |
| Week 6 | Lecture: Pollution |
| Tutorial: | |
| Week 7 | Lecture: Pollution |
| Tutorial: | |
| Week 8 | Lecture: Energy |
| Tutorial: | |
| Assessment Due: Video | |
| Week 9 | Lecture: Energy |
| Tutorial: | |
| Week 10 | Lecture: Energy |
| Tutorial: | |
| Assessment Due: Quiz | |
| Week 11 | Lecture: Energy |
| Tutorial: | |
| Week 12 | Lecture: Energy |
| Tutorial: | |
| Week 13 | Lecture: Major project |
| Assessment Due: Major project |
Course Relations
The following is a list of courses which have added this Unit to their structure.
Course Goals
This unit contributes to the achievement of the following course goals:
| Attribute | Practiced | Assessed |
| Design (Level 2) | Yes | 69.5% |
| Information Seeking (Level 3) | Yes | 3.5% |
| Communication (Level 3) | Yes | 14.5% |
| Professional Conduct (Level 3) | Yes | 12.5% |
These goals are selected from Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table 2018 which defines overall goals for courses where this unit is primarily offered. See Engineering & IT Graduate Outcomes Table 2018 for details of the attributes and levels to be developed in the course as a whole. Percentage figures alongside each course goal provide a rough indication of their relative weighting in assessment for this unit. Note that not all goals are necessarily part of assessment. Some may be more about practice activity. See Learning outcomes for details of what is assessed in relation to each goal and Assessment for details of how the outcome is assessed. See Attributes for details of practice provided for each goal.
