An Introduction to Civil Engineering Practice through Project Work

Civil engineering encompasses a diversity of speciality sub-disciplines, the major ones of which are structural, water resources, environmental, construction, transportation, and geotechnical engineering. Many civil engineers are frequently involved in projects and hold supervisory or administrative positions whilst others work in design, construction, research, and teaching. In this paper, we describe a Unit that has been designed to both provide undergraduate civil engineering students with a perspective and exposure to modern civil engineering practice and an appreciation of the key skills they will need to develop through their course. The students undertake project-based guided learning in small groups. They begin the development of a range of generic skills through the design of a civil engineering project in which a broad range of issues, parameters and constraints are considered, resulting in an appreciation of the complete cycle of a project.