CIVIL 203 : Transport Design and Geomatics

Engineering

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Introduction to Transportation Engineering (mobility for people and goods, sea, land and air transportation systems). Design and construction of longitudinal infrastructure (plans, longitudinal sections and cross sections, earthworks, quantities, mass haul). Transport geometric design (horizontal, vertical and cross sectional design). Geomatic surveying systems (levelling, theodolites, GPS, drones, digital topographical survey systems and remote sensing).

Course Overview

This course is delivered as two modules Transport Design and Geomatics.

The geomatics part of the course provides an introduction to the principles and practical skills involved in engineering surveying to achieve such tasks as traversing, levelling, control surveys, adjustment of errors and the setting out of civil engineering works, including transportation alignment (longitudinal sections and cross-sections) and construction setting out.

The transport design part of the course covers the geometric design of transportation infrastructure, with a particular focus on the geometric design of two-way two-lane roads, typical of the majority of New Zealand highways. Learning opportunities include a design exercise which will help build knowledge needed for the Capstone Design Project in the final year of the BE(Hons) degree, where the skills developed in this course will be extended.

Course Requirements

Restriction: CIVIL 201, 360

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 5: Solution Seeking

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand the place of engineering surveying in civil infrastructure projects, particularly transportation engineering, and the need for accuracy and precision. By the end of the course the student will see the relevance of engineering surveying to civil projects, be able to apply the appropriate tests for accuracy and precision and have a general knowledge of geomatics and its application in the field of engineering surveying and civil and environmental engineering. (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  2. Develop competency in the use of modern surveying instruments and methods. By the end of the course the student will be able to complete the field work, carry out the relevant computations and determine the correctness of the work for tasks such as: traversing, level traversing using differential leveling, long sections, cross sections, earthwork quantities, understand civil drawings and the setting out and control of civil works, particularly transportation engineering. (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  3. Understand and describe the fundamental parameters that affect highway geometric design (plan, long section and cross section), the various speed parameters used and the criteria for the determination of sight distances. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1)
  4. Compute sight distances, horizontal geometry calculations for circular and transition curves, vertical geometry calculations and determine appropriate cross sectional details. (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 5.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quizzes 20% Individual Coursework
Field Exercise 15% Group & Individual Coursework
Test 25% Individual Test
Final Exam 40% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Quizzes
Field Exercise
Test
Final Exam

Students must sit the exam to pass the course. Otherwise, a DNS (did not sit) result will be returned.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 3 hours of lectures/tutorials, 1 hour of labs/fieldwork, 6 hours of reading, thinking about the content, completing assessments, and test/exam preparation, on average per week.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at labs (field exercise) to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities will not be available as recordings.
Attendance on campus is required for the test.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Access to relevant New Zealand Transport Agency and Austroads guidelines will be provided.

Health & Safety

Fieldwork is required for this course. This will be undertaken on-campus and off-campus. The Health & Safety plan will be noted in the first lecture and published on Canvas with a compulsory H&S quiz/participation form. Students will be required to fill in the relevant form/s to comply with the plan before undertaking any labs/fieldwork. Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Lab structure changed to try better align course content to practical applications, less dependent on weather, external permissions, H&S quotas etc. (as much as timetabling allows). 

Scope of transportation design.

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 their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.