45 graduate courses in Waterloo’s course catalog for Spring 2023, from UW Open Data. uwloo can’t read that term’s Graduate Calendar, so this stands in for it; the calendar itself is in Waterloo’s archive.
This course gives a broad treatment of the subject of engineering decision, risk, and reliability. Emphasis is on (1) the modelling of engineering problems and evaluation of systems performance under conditions of uncertainty; (2) systematic development of design criteria, explicitly taking into account the significance of uncertainty; and (3) logical framework for risk assessment and risk-benefit tradeoffs in decision making. The necessary mathematical concepts are developed in the context of engineering problems.
This course emphasizes the basic concepts in prestressed concrete analysis and design. Prestressing methods: pre-tensioning vs. post-tensioning. Serviceability and limit state design, prestress losses, flexural design of bonded and unbonded sections, fully prestressed vs. partially prestressed sections, design for shear, compression members, continuous prestressed concrete members.
This course deals with the behaviour of reinforced concrete structures, the analysis of such structures, and the background for the design standards. Topics include the analysis of reinforced concrete structures, shear in reinforced concrete members, members in bending and axial loading, and connections.
This course deals with limit states design, torsional analysis of structural steel members; bolted and welded connections; stability and vibration; analysis and design of braced and unbraced steel frames, long span structures, and industrial steel buildings.
Introduction to the mechanics of vibrations and Laplace transforms: dynamics of discretized systems; one degree of freedom systems; free and forced vibration; response to base excitation, stochastic excitation, impact. Lumped - mass multidegree systems: free and forced vibration of two degrees of freedom systems in response to harmonic and step functions, pulses, and general type. Matrix formulation for multiple degrees of freedom, natural frequencies (matrix iteration, Stodola-Vianello, Rayleigh), Lagrange equations, modal analysis. Flexural vibrations of beams, plates and frames. Earthquake response of single and multistorey buildings and practical considerations of earthquake design.
This course focuses on the development of the basic fundamentals of finite element method with applications in fluid flow, mass transport, solid mechanics and structures. Topics include discrete problems, matrix methods, variational principle, method of weighted residuals, element shapes, and interpolation functions.
Urban transportation planning models. land use transportation interaction, trip production and attraction, trip distribution, mode choice, tree building and capacitated and uncapacitated route assignment, aggregate and disaggregate model analysis.
CIVE 641Advances in Public Transportation Planning, Operations & Control
The focus of this course is on the use of quantitative techniques to analyse and solve problems arising in the planning, design, operation and management of urban public transportation systems. Topics include an introduction to public transportation modes, transit performance analysis, fleet sizing and route design; control of transit operations, and paratransit planning, scheduling and dispatching. The course also covers various transit modelling issues arising in the Advanced Public Transportation Systems that aim at maximising transit system efficiency and reliability using emerging technologies such as global positioning systems (GPS), electronic fare payment, and automatic passenger counters and pre-trip/en-route passenger information systems.
This course will focus on the fundamentals of pavement design, construction and management systems. Structural behaviour of flexible and rigid pavements will be discussed in detail. Other topics covered in the course will include: testing of pavement materials including aggregates, asphalt, concrete and various other specialized pavement materials, pavement distresses such as fatigue, rutting and temperature related cracking and the key elements to pavement management systems and their operation. Theoretical principles are combined with practical examples of working systems that enable students to carry out various analyses of hypothetical and real life situations.
This course examines the formulation, derivation, and application of theories associated with traffic flow on interrupted and uninterrupted road networks. Topics include traffic stream characteristics, human factors, car following models, safety, energy and emissions, and traffic flows at signalised and unsignalised intersections. Theoretical models will be tested using field data and simulation.
CIVE 644Innovative and Sustainable Infrastructure Materials
The course focuses on the characterization, behaviour, and the design of the principal materials used in civil engineering projects (natural and artificial aggregates, bituminous and hydraulic binders, asphalt mixes and Portland cement concrete). Other topics covered include: innovation and sustainability practices in the field civil engineering material, the use of alternative materials and by-products, carbon footprint, conventional and advanced manufacturing, smart and high-performance materials, life cycle analysis.
CIVE 645Modeling Transportation and Spatial Economics
This course focuses on modeling the Spatial Economic and Transportation Interaction (SETI) process for the purposes of freight flow forecasting, land use transportation interaction modeling, and economic impact analysis of transportation infrastructure. Topics in the course include the specification, estimation, validation, calibration, and application of econometric input-output models, spatial computable general equilibrium models, and agent-based models of transportation and land use.
CIVE 646Computer Applications in Transportation Engineering
This course focuses on the fundamentals behind some of the most popular computer software packages used in the planning, design, operations, and management of transportation systems. Topics include signal optimization and evaluation at various levels of spatiotemporal scales, forecasting of traffic flows and passenger volumes for both long-term and short-term planning, simulation of traffic and transit systems, design and evaluation of Intelligent Transportation Systems.
Principles and elements of the design and analysis of earth dams and embankments. Field exploration; laboratory tests; design requirements; seepage control; methods of stability analysis for circular and non-circular slip surfaces; computer applications; stability coefficients. Introduction to dynamic (earthquake) analysis; soil liquefaction; tailings disposal systems. Stability of natural slopes and cuts.
Theoretical basis of numerical modeling in geomechanics; constitutive relationships and failure models for soils and rocks; numerical implementation of constitutive models in finite element and finite difference computer codes; engineering applications in areas of embankment and slope stability, mining, tunneling, soil and structure interaction. The course is structured to provide theorectical understanding and hands-on expericence with geotechnical analyses using FLAC3D computer code.
CIVE 670Physico-Chemical Processes of Water and Wastewater Treatment
Principles and design of physico-chemical processes for effecting water quality transformations in water. Process dynamics, reactions and reactors. Filtration, coagulation, flocculation adsorption and ion exchange. Membrane processes including reverse osmosis, electrodialysis and ultrafiltration. Principles of aeration and gas transfer, disinfection solid liquid separation and sludge handling.
The course content includes, but is not limited to: the kinetics and thermodynamics of chemical reactions, acid-base chemistry, solubility and complexation chemistry, redox reactions and essential elements of organic chemistry. The information is applied to water and wastewater treatment processes, and to natural aqueous environmental systems such as those that may be found in stream deposits and groundwater.
CIVE 673Mathematical Methods in Environmental Engineering
This course covers a variety of mathematical concepts and methods needed to develop deterministic models of water and environmental systems governed by ordinary and partial differential equations, including analytical and numerical solution of ODEs/PDEx using Laplace and Fourier transforms, Green's functions, superposition, finite difference methods, finite element methods, complex variable theory, eigenmethods, vector calculus, separation of variables, Sturm-Liouville theorem and others.
Multipurpose nature of water resouces planning and operational problems - cost and benefit variations in water resouces and conditions for project optimality. Optimization techniques - linear programming, dynamic programming, non-linear optimization - water management examples. Capacity expansion problems and long-term planning problems - short-term operation problems - operations decisions for power generation, flood control and irrigation releases as examples - multi-objective analysis models. Simulation of water resouce systems. Introduction to stochasti optimization of water resource systems.
This course will introduce surface water modelling and the role it plays in environmental modelling. The emphasis will be on physical processes that are relevant to near surface partitioning of the energy and water budget; methods for basin representation, including options for sub-grid process; and introduction to data handling, including data acquisition, data sources, remote sensing imagery, digital terrain models, mapping methods.
Review of continuity, energy and momentum equations, resistance to flow in open channels. Gradually varied unsteady flow equations and kinematic wave approximation. Sediment transport equations and channel stability. Similitude of scale models, including distortion effects, laboratory techniques, and case studies.
Covered in this course are the major topics relating to the behaviour and design of cold formed steel structural elements and members. More specifically, the following topics will be addressed from a theoretical and design point of view: local buckling of compression elements subjected to uniform stress and stress gradient; design of flexural members, compression members, beam-columns, composite steel deck slabs and connections; diaphragm design and lightweight steel framing. The governing Canadian CSA Standard S 136 will be used as a guide document.
The course is based on the development of the Ontario Highway Bridge Design Codes (Editions 1, 2 and 3), and the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code, as well as experience with the Limit States Design versions of AASHTO Specifications. The course outline will generally follow these topics as these apply to short and intermediate span structures in North America: Bridge Geometry - types of bridges and various cross sections: Vehicle Loads including dynamic effects, temperature and wind: Earth Forces: Seismic Effects: Load Distribution - how are vehicle force effects transferred to the superstructure, for various cross sectional geometries: Design Criterion - limit states design: Fatigue in Connections: Foundation Design - pile and shallow foundations: Examples of Various Simple Span Designs: Concrete - Prestressed Concrete: Structural Steel: Repair and Rehabilitation.
This course deals with the science of heat and air flow, moisture storage and transport, and psychrometrics. Through the use of worked examples, these principles are applied to the analysis of typical building enclosure systems. Basic concepts are developed for the design of building details that are effective in the control of heat, air, vapour, rain, and that accommodate building movements. Various case studies of problems and solutions will be used.
This course presents advanced construction engineering and project management techniques that can be applied to improve cost, schedule, safety, and quality of projects. The course covers a variety of topics including: Critical Path Method; bidding strategy models; uncertainty and risk assessment; multiple-criteria decision analysis; planning of linear, repetitive, and distributed projects; project control and delay analysis; Enterprise Resource Planning; heavy construction equipment and methods; modelling and simulation; construction methods design; positioning and locating technologies; equipment automation and robotics; opportunity analysis and process of innovation; modularization and prefabrication; and construction human resource management.
CIVE 711Computer-Aided Project Organization and Management
This course deals with the application of computerized tools to develop decision-support systems to effectively manage time, money, and resources associated with construction projects. It covers: introduction to computer tools, review of the CPM method and project management software, optimization using Excel Solver, Expert Systems, Neural Networks, OOP programming, Genetic Algorithms, process modeling and simulation, multi-criteria decision-making, integrated project Management tools, networking, workgroup management, Internet, dealing with project uncertainty using Monte-Carlo simulation, various case studies and computer workshops.
This course will focus on the fundamentals of infrastructure management for civil engineering. It will integrate design, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation and renovation with management procedures and systems. A framework for asset management including the importance of asset valuation, needs assessment, and performance indicators will be discussed in detail. Other topics covered in the course will include: sustainability concepts, decision support systems, database management, role of data in infrastructure management, monitoring and evaluation needs, failure analysis, quality management, economics and life cycle cost analysis and optimization. This course will combine theoretical principles with practical application. The course will include practical examples of engineering systems and will provide a basis for subsequent infrastructure management courses.
This course focuses on the application of Finite Element Method to time dependent and nonlinear problems and the theory that underpins common engineering software used to analyze the deformation of solids and structures, heat transfer, and porous media flow. Topics include: modal analysis; methods of implicit and explicit time integration; the Newton-Raphson method; uniqueness, stability, and convergence in nonlinear problems; introduction to material and geometrical nonlinearities.
This course will focus on advanced pavement engineering. The course is primarily directed toward the management of existing road networks, with emphasis on pavements. Topics include priority programming of investments, in-service evaluation of structural capacity, serviceability of condition and safety, structural design, construction and maintenance management, and data systems. Example applications will be provided on various topic areas.
Over the past ten years, a new group of construction methods, known as trenchless technologies, has gained widespread acceptance. Trenchless technologies include methods for installing and rehabilitating underground utility systems with minimal surface disruption and destruction that results from excavation. Underground utility systems include: water and wastewater distribution and collection systems; gas, petroleum and chemical pipelines; electrical and communications networks; access ways; and other small diameter tunnels used for a variety of applications. The objective of this course is to introduce trenchless technology methods and their importance in public works, pipeline construction, and rehabilitation. Students will be exposed to new topics and concepts through class lectures, specified readings, guest presentations, field trips, student seminars, and the completion of assignments. Topics to be covered include horizontal directional drilling, microtunneling, pipeline assessment, pipe bursting, and pipeline rehabilitation and renewal techniques.
This course is designed to help students understand the fundamental principles and practical methods of geotechnical earthquake engineering. This course will present basic concepts of vibratory motion, dynamics, seismology, earthquakes, and strong ground motion, and introduces procedures of deterministic and probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. Basic concepts of wave propagation are used to develop procedures for ground response analysis and to provide insight into such important problems as local site effects, seismic slope stability, and seismic design of retaining structures.
CIVE 771Biological Wastewater Treatment: Theory and Practice
This course focuses on theory, modelling and application of microbiological processes that are being utilised in the treatment of wastewater. A review of relevant concepts in microbiology will be followed by core principles that are used to assess contaminant removal kinetics and to model bioreactor performance. These principles will be drawn upon in discussion of applications of biological wastewater treatment technologies. If time permits, advanced topics including nonsteady-state systems and complex multispecies interactions will be introduced.
CIVE 774Advanced Numerical Methods for Environmental Applications
The analyses of natural and/or manmade environmental systems commonly lead to quantitative descriptions, or mathematical models, of the underlying chemical, biological and physical processes. Numerical models are used for complex situations that may involve spatial variability of material properties, non-uniform geometry, and transient boundary conditions. The objective of this course is to introduce you to theoretical and practical aspects associated with numerical methods for environmental applications. Topics include: review of field equations, conservation laws, and continua; classification of PDEs; types of boundary and initial conditions; finite difference method, error analysis and stability; equation solvers; weighted residual techniques; finite element method; introduction to the finite volume method; techniques for advective dominated flows; sensitivity methods; and the solution to coupled non-linear equations.
This course focuses on the various technologies available to remediate soil and groundwater. Proven, emerging, and innovative technologies are investigated for application to both porous media and fractured porous media subsurface systems. The underlying theory and relevant engineering design aspects for each technology are presented. Case studies are critically examined.
CIVE 779Advanced Topics in Drinking Water Treatment
This course is intended for graduate students in the field of Water Resources with a strong interest in drinking water treatment. Several key concepts introduced in CIV E 670 are elaborated upon. Advanced drinking water treatment process theory is investigated through formal lectures and student design projects/presentations. Key process components that are addressed include reactors/reactions, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, adsorption, and disinfection.
This course addresses the development of computational models of watershed hydrology in support of water resources management and scientific investigation. The full model development and application cycle is considered: Pre-processing, understanding, and generating input forcing data; system discretization and algorithms for simulating hydrologic processes; parameter estimation; and interpreting model output in the context of often significant system uncertainty. The course will include practical applications of models to alpine, boreal forest, prairie, and agricultural settings in Canada.
An applied research project under the direct supervision of a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is open to MEng students. This 4-month project involves the student working closely with a faculty member towards the solution of a defined applied research problem. The student must complete a final project report discussing the project, the current state of practice, and the lessons learned in relation to published literature. This course is only open to MEng students; course credit may not be used to satisfy MASc or PhD program requirements in programs offered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
A focused, condensed course that trains students on a specific skill and knowledge of a narrow special topic in Civil Engineering. It can take a workshop style and can suit executive professionals who want to upgrade specific skills. Four of these quarter courses can be equivalent to a regular graduate course. This allows professional students higher flexibility to customize the content of their courses.