CIVIL 759 : Highway and Transportation Design

Engineering

2022 Semester Two (1225) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Economic and environmental assessments of transport projects. Land transport funding in NZ. Road safety engineering. Crash reduction and prevention methods. Pavement asset management. Pavement rehabilitation techniques. Heavy-duty pavements, highway drainage and chip seal design.

Course Overview

This 15 credit design elective course complements the topics covered in the BE(Civil) Part III courses in Transportation Engineering (CIVIL 360 and CIVIL 361), and also in the BE(Civil) Part IV first semester course Traffic Systems Design (CIVIL 758).  The course content largely builds upon the Geometric Design, Bituminous Surfacings, Pavements and Materials topics of the pre-requisite Civil 360 Transportation Engineering 1 course. 

The main objective is to provide a strong basis for those wishing to include traffic/ roading/ transportation engineering within their field of expertise and to provide a foundation for postgraduate courses.   A relatively wide range of transportation design topics are included in an attempt to cover as much as possible of professional practice while providing a solid basis for further specialization.  
   
Lectures will cover the basic information. Tutorials will be used principally for the projects, problem solving, and assignment exercises but also for revision. Demonstrations of software will be shown at relevant stages.  

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: CIVIL 360 Restriction: CIVIL 461, 661

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Analyse and appraise the economic evaluation of Transportation Projects. This will include the benefit cost assessment of a transportation infrastructure project and an economic evaluation of various improvement options. (Capability 1.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
  2. Analyse and evaluate the complex nature of transport related crashes with respect to the human / vehicle / road and transport environment interaction with the aim of reducing traffic deaths and injuries. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
  3. Apply and anaylse transport safety engineering principles to a Crash Reduction Study using various strategies to investigate, analyse and appraise traffic crash sites and economically evaluate improvement options. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
  4. Evaluate and apply safe intersection design principles for the geometric design of of at – grade Intersections by evaluating various attributes and intersection design layouts, and sketching important plan features. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 6.1 and 6.2)
  5. Apply fundamental knowledge of pavement properties to design pavement structures given various scenarios of traffic loading, subgrade conditions and pavement layer materials. The student will also be able to determine the most appropriate pavement design option based on life cycle considerations. (Capability 1.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.3, 5.2, 6.1 and 6.2)
  6. Apply and integrate fundamental knowledge of hydrology and hydraulics, road geometry and surfacing properties to calculate transport surface drainage requirements. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 6.1 and 6.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Project 30% Group & Individual Coursework
Assignment 20% Individual Coursework
Quizzes 10% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 40% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Project
Assignment
Quizzes
Final Exam
A minimum final exam mark 0f 40% is required to pass the course.  

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 an average weekly workload comprising 3 hours of lectures, that includes tutorials in class and additional Crash Analysis System database laboratories for the project, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 4 hours of work on assignments and/or exam preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

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

The Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) Crash Analysis System (CAS) database that stores all of the information on NZ Police reported traffic crashes on the New Zealand Road network.

Additional Reading will be provided. There are many texts on the web or in the library that provide useful additions including:
“Monetised benefits and costs manual”, (Waka Kotahi, New Zealand Transport Agency, last updated 2020).
“Procedures for Crash Reduction and Prevention” (Land Transport NZ, 2004).
"Austroads and NZ Guides for Road Safety, Pavement Design and Highway Surface Drainage.

Health & Safety

Students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Health and Safety section of the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook. 
Specific Health and Safety procedures will be discussed in class for the Road Safety Project and any potential visits made to investigate road sites.  

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.

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 against online source material 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.