CIVIL 756 : Capstone Project

Engineering

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Final year team exercise with students in multi-disciplinary civil and environmental roles integrating technical learning into realistic design outcomes. Comprehensive investigation of an open ended, complex, real or synthetic civil engineering problem with simulated professional design office constraints. Includes technical, economic, cultural, social, ethical, and environmental impact components to complete a scheme assessment report, incorporating safety in design concepts.

Course Overview

This course involves conducting a Preliminary Design (and/or Scheme Assessment) Report for an engineering project. This will include the project coordination and technical considerations of a major design and students will need to consider social, economic and environmental impact with associated construction, safety and occupational health issues.

Student teams undertake a level of preliminary investigation that would be done before a fully detailed design. At the end of the course each team will deliver a professional quality preliminary design report with drawings, cost estimates, environmental impacts and support this with an oral presentation and interview. Individuals in each team of 7-10 students  will be undertaking complementary distinct roles such as geotechnical, traffic, environmental, water, construction and structural specialists. Each team will act as a group of consulting engineers undertaking an open ended preliminary investigation and design with the assistance of technical specialist advisors and a staff member as your nominal client.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 90 points from Part III courses listed in the BE(Hons) Schedule for Civil Engineering or Structural Engineering

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop the technical and problem solving capabilities to deal with the investigation of an open ended, complex, real or synthetic civil engineering problem with simulated professional design office constraints (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of, and apply, the process of civil and environmental design to the preliminary design phase including cost estimates, consulting fees and professional level reporting (Capability 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
  3. Experience learning in the context of a real-life case study that develops the interpersonal and personal skills relevant for a Civil or Environmental engineering design office team (Capability 1.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)
  4. Apply key aspects of safety in design to mitigate construction risk and ongoing operation and maintenance (Capability 3.1, 3.2, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1)
  5. Assess and integrate stakeholder requirements including Treaty of Waitangi and Resource Management Act requirements (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.1 and 8.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Preliminary Report(s) 20% Group Coursework
Presentations & Interviews 20% Group & Individual Coursework
Final Report 60% Group & Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Preliminary Report(s)
Presentations & Interviews
Final Report
The Final Report and Final Presentation & Interview marks will be adjusted to account for individual student contributions and will incorporate peer evaluations.

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 approximately:

  • 6 hours of briefing lectures, 
  • 20 hours of work in the assigned design office (2 hours each week for 10 weeks), 
  • 6 hours of supplementary Question and Answer sessions, 
  • 4 hours for site visit,  
  • 80 hours of work on project deliverables, report and presentation preparation, 
  • 32 hours of independent study, and 
  • 2 hours of team presentations and interviews.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including weekly design office and the site visit components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including Q&A sessions will mostly be available as recordings.
The course will occasionally include live online events including design office group discussions.
Attendance on campus is required for the presentations and final team interview.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable apart from the site visit and final presentation /interview which will be notified as soon as known.

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.

This course largely depends on earlier courses. Information that specifically relates to the project will generally be provided via Canvas.

Health & Safety

Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy. Health and safety will be a significant consideration for site visits. This will be notified specific to the project.

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.

Earlier introduction to basics of client-focussed report writing.

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.