https://courseoutline.auckland.ac.nz/dco/course/CIVIL/304/1245

CIVIL 304 : Climate Adaptation Design

Engineering

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Fundamental understanding of the impact of climate change on the built environment and strategies, and design for adaptation. Topic areas include assessing climate change impacts, vulnerability studies, and climate change adaptation strategies, adaptation design and asset management for major infrastructure and infrastructure networks. Awareness and consideration of holistic adaptation strategies including indigenous knowledge perspectives and nature-based solutions.

Course Overview

Climate change has become one of the most pressing challenges in modern times. In New Zealand, we have already experienced a sustained rise in temperature since the 1900s, we are increasingly seeing our warmest years on record, we are experiencing weather extremes, and seeing our sea-levels rise. Climate change effects are causing extreme weather events, droughts, floods, and changing weather patterns that impact our built environment, natural environment, socio-economic environment, and health.

The built environment has a significant role to play in helping communities adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. This course will build your fundamental understanding of the impact of climate change on the built environment and will introduce adaptation principles and design strategies to overcome and be resilient to these impacts. The course will also provide awareness about the consideration of te ao Māori based values and indigenous knowledge and perspectives concerning the environment related to climate change adaptation and alternative strategies such as nature-based solutions. The course aims to prepare you as "civil engineers for the future" with highly sought after skills in climate change adaptation design.

The course consists of a 2-hour lecture and a 1-hour tutorial per week. In addition, there will be laboratory activities and opportunities provided to attend local and international webinars related to the topics covered in the course. You will be expected to learn from additional reading, problem solving (vital) and other work outside formal contact hours. The course is supported by recommended texts which also provide a good source of additional problems.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: CIVIL 200, 203, ENVENG 200 Corequisite: CIVIL 303

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand and explain climate change (Capability 1.1 and 3.1)
  2. Describe and discuss how climate change impacts different infrastructure and communities (Capability 1.1 and 4.1)
  3. Conduct basic vulnerability assessments for different infrastructure and infrastructure networks (Capability 1.1 and 3.1)
  4. Learn and apply climate change adaptation design principles for water treatment and supply networks, slope stability and mitigation processes, building design, construction and operation processes, and asset management (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1)
  5. Understand and apply a systems thinking approach and identify holistic principles to guide climate change adaptation efforts (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Test 15% Individual Test
Assignments 45% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 40% Individual Examination
3 types 100%
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
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 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

The course consists of a 2-hour lecture and a 1-hour tutorial per week.  Students are also expected to spend 7 hours per week reading and thinking about the content in addition to working on assessments including test and exam preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

  • Attendance is required at scheduled activities including labs and tutorials to receive credit for components of the course.
  • Lectures will be available as recordings. On-campus learning activities including tutorials and labs may not be available as recordings therefore attendance is highly encouraged.
  • The course may include live online events for additional opportunities offered as part of the course such as access to webinars.
  • 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.

Health & Safety

Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook.

Students will complete Canvas-based lab induction modules relevant to the MDLS rooms being used. Other specific health and safety information will be made available to students preceding specific activities such as labs.

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 SET feedback received in 2023 included the following:

•    Appreciation for diverse perspectives and industry expertise.
•    Effective use of varied teaching methods and engaging tutorials.
•    Well-organized course structure.
•    Desire for deeper exploration of climate change mechanisms.
•    Request for additional self-learning resources.
•    Concerns about maintaining focus in lengthy 2-hour lectures.
•    Preference for written reports over video submissions.
•    Some students find the course less challenging.

We were very pleased with the course feedback. We will be taking the suggestions on board to include more self-learning resources for students to deepen their learning. We hope to make lectures more interactive to help maintain focus during the 2-hour lecture slots.

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.