CIVIL 303 : Transport Operations and Pavements

Engineering

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Traffic engineering, transportation planning and road pavement design. Topics include the main transport planning and traffic design techniques, criteria and fundamentals used in transportation engineering practice, traffic studies, public transport and active modes and transport modelling (micro and macro simulation). Additionally, pavement design, surfacings, traffic loading, mechanistic approaches and rehabilitation of road pavements, and environmental and sustainability considerations, are included.

Course Overview

An introductory paper in traffic engineering, transportation planning and road pavement design. The paper introduces key concepts in transport planning and traffic design techniques; criteria and fundamentals used in road pavement designs. The course covers traffic studies, transport and land use relationship, transportation planning four-step model, transport modelling (micro and macro simulation), and road pavement design, surfacings, traffic loading, mechanistic approaches and rehabilitation. It covers the following topics:

1. Traffic Measurements and Studies
  • Traffic flow measurements 
  • Traffic studies 
2. Transport and land use
  • Relationship between land use and transport systems
  • Transit orientated designs
3. Transportation Planning
  • Origin-Destination surveys
  • Travel demand analysis,
  • Modelling road networks and flow
  • Gravity model and trip assignment
4. Modelling and Simulation of Transport Facilities
  • Vehicle trajectories on time-space diagrams
  • Traffic flow models and their classification
  • Speed-flow-density relationships
  • Capacity of un-signalized intersections
5. Operational Analysis of Transport Facilities
  • Capacity and level of service concept for transport facilities 
  • Operational analysis for multi-lane highway
6. Introduction to pavement design 
  • Pavement material characterisation and performance
  • Pavement and rehabilitation design 
  • Pavement performance, critical stress and strain criteria analyses

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: CIVIL 203 Restriction: CIVIL 360, 361

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of traffic flow variables and how to conduct traffic studies in field (Capability 3.1)
  2. Describe the two-way relationship between land use and the accessibility of transport modes (Capability 1.1 and 5.1)
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of steps involved in the traditional four step model of transportation planning (Capability 4.1 and 5.1)
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental principles of traffic flow modelling and simulation (Capability 1.1)
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of capacity and level of service concept for transport facilities (Capability 1.1 and 5.1)
  6. Conduct operational analysis for multi-lane highway (Capability 3.1 and 4.1)
  7. Demonstrate fundamental understanding of pavement material characterisation and performance (Capability 3.1)
  8. Undertake pavement and rehabilitation design using AUSTROADS design guide (Capability 3.1 and 3.2)
  9. Analyse pavement performance, critical stress and strain criteria analyses (Capability 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Test 15% Individual Test
Assignments 30% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 55% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Test
Assignments
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 150 hours for lecture, test, assignments and final exam. 

For this course, you can expect 26 hours of lectures, 10 hours of tutorials, and 46 hours of work on the assignments and/or test preparation. Students are expected to use the remaining 68 hours for working through practice problems, reading and studying about the course content.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including lectures/labs/tutorials to complete the components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including computer labs will not be available as recordings.
The course may include live online events including group discussions.
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.

A pdf version of lecture notes prepared for this course is available for free on Canvas. 

Health & Safety

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.

The student feedback in 2023 was to improve clarity of the design project and provide more cohesion between the different modules. This has been achieved, with the design project revised substantially and an overview lecture given to show how all the different modules connect. The feedback in 2024 was very positive. 

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.