Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering

CE 100 Introduction to Civil Engineering (1-0-1)

Introduction to CE profession; description of various areas of specialization with a focus on nature of work and duties; orientation of the CE program and choice of electives for concentration in each discipline; field trips to ongoing projects; professional ethics and conduct, responsibilities and role of a civil engineer in the society.

CE 101 Engineering Graphics (1-3-2)

An introductory course on the “language of engineering” and the use of drafting instruments and machines. Topics include freehand sketching, graphic geometry, orthographic projection, sectional and auxiliary views, dimensioning, intersections, developments, and introduction to working drawings and an overview of computer graphics.

CE 201 Statics (3-0-3)

Basic concepts and principles of mechanics; vector algebra; equilibrium of particles in two and three dimensions; definition of moment and couple; reduction of systems forces; equilibrium of rigid bodies; statically determinate structures including beams, trusses, frames, and machines; internal forces, shear force and bending moment diagrams in beams; friction and its applications, centroid and center of gravity of lines, areas, and volumes; moment of inertia and radius of gyration.

Prerequisite: PHYS 101 or PHYS 131

CE 203 Structural Mechanics I (3-0-3)

Concepts of stress, strain, and constitutive relations; stress and deformation of axially loaded members; thermal stresses; pressure vessels; energy concepts; torsion of circular and thin-walled sections; shear and bending moment diagrams in beams; elastic bending; shear stress in beams; compound stresses; stress transformation; deflection of beams and introduction to the concept of singularity functions.

Prerequisite: CE 201

Introduction to computer graphics; graphics laboratory assignments to develop a skill in using the CAD system and to produce a quality engineering drawings; fundamentals of engineering graphics in 2D and 3D drawings, solid modeling, applications to Mining and Civil engineering problems, through length and sloping lines, cut and fill, strike and dip; the forms of graphical communication for designers; example problems to develop student’s perception and visualization ability.

Properties of fluids, hydrostatics with applications to manometers, forces on plane and curved surfaces, buoyancy, equations of continuity, energy and linear momentum with applications, dimensional analysis, dynamic similarity, open channel flow, conduit flow.

Introduction; measuring units, significant figures, direct distance measurement with tapes, tape corrections; electronic distance measurement; levels and leveling; longitudinal profiles and cross sections; contouring; area and volume computations; the theodolite and angular measurements; optical distance measurements; rectangular coordinates; traverse surveys and computations; mapping.

Composition and properties of hydraulic cements; characteristics of local aggregates and water mix; properties of fresh concrete; production, handling and placement of cement and fresh concrete; properties of hardened concrete; mix design; durability in the Gulf environment; problems of hot weather concreting; introduction to repair materials and techniques; types, engineering properties, and usage of structural steel, aluminium, timber, glass and plastics. Laboratory sessions will concentrate on various tests of concrete constituents, fresh and hardened concrete, aggregate gradation and mix design; flexure behavior of reinforced concrete beams; hardness test, tensile and compressive tests on metals, measurement of Poisson’s ratio and stress concentration and bending tests on steel beams.

Shear force and bending moment diagrams for frames; influence lines for beams, frames and 2D trusses; displacement of beams by moment area, and conjugate beam methods; displacements of beams, frames and trusses by virtual work; analysis of statically indeterminate structures; method of consistent deformation, energy methods, slope-deflection and moment distribution; introduction to the flexibility and stiffness matrix methods and computer applications.

Review of properties of structural concrete and reinforcing steel; behavior and design of reinforced rectangular and T-section in flexure; Use of computers in beam design for flexure; behavior and design of beams for shear, bond, and development length including splices and cut-off points; design; design of one-way slab, design of continuous beams with computer application for analysis; control of deflection and cracking; design of short columns; design of single footing; design project of a simple multistory building with one-way flooring system which integrates the design of the different structural components.

Introduction to numerical methods; matrix algebra; solution of nonlinear equations; solution of system of linear and nonlinear equations; numerical solutions of differential equations by finite differences; error analysis; introduction to the finite element method (FEM); modular programming using finite elements and finite differences; application of developed finite difference and finite element software problems in civil engineering; introduction to linear programming.

The hydrologic cycle, precipitation, evaporation and transpiration, infiltration streamflow, hydrograph analysis including unit hydrograph, occurrence of groundwater, fundamentals of groundwater flow including Darcy’s Law and its applications, steady and unsteady flow to wells, laboratory sessions include experiments in fluid mechanics, surface and subsurface hydrology.

Planning and evaluation of transportation systems; transportation in Saudi Arabia; characteristics of transportation systems and vehicles; introduction to design principles and transportation facilities including roadways and airports; flexible pavement design; application of computer software(s) related to transportation.

Field studies for speed, traffic volume counts and delays; introduction and practice in capacity analysis, traffic signal design, pavement material testing and design; intersection, channelization and highway geometric design; introduction to transportation related softwares.

A continuous period of 28 weeks is spent in the industry to acquire practical experience in Civil Engineering under the supervision and guidance of the employer and the academic advisor. During this period the student gains an in-depth exposure and appreciation of the Civil Engineering profession. The student is required to write a detailed report about his training period under the regulation of the CE department.

Soil formation and identification; index and classification properties of soils; clay minerals; soil compaction; capillarity, swelling, shrinkage and effective stresses; flow of water in soils; compressibility and consolidation; stress in soils; shear strength of cohesive and cohesionless soils; introduction to lateral earth pressure and shallow foundation.

Analysis of water distribution and wastewater collection systems, computer modelling of network systems; water treatment including coagulation, flocculation, softening, sedimentation, filtration, desalination and disinfection; water treatment, principles of biological treatment systems including activated sludge, extended aeration, aerated lagoons, and stabilization ponds.

A continuous period of eight weeks of summer working in the industry to gain exposure and appreciation of the civil engineering profession. On-the-job training can be acquired in one of the four specialities of civil engineering. The student is required to write a brief report about his industrial experience. The report should emphasize duties assigned and completed by the student.

In-depth study of composition, characteristics and hydration of cements; structure and properties of hardened cement paste; local aggregates; workability, strength, volume changes and permeability of concrete; failure mechanisms of plain concrete; production, handling and quality control of concrete; mix design; special concretes such as fiber reinforced concrete, ferrocement and polymer impregnated; durability problems of concrete in the Gulf environment; preventive measures, specifications and construction techniques for local conditions.

Durability problems of concrete in the Gulf environment; factors causing deterioration in the local conditions; manifestations and mechanisms of sulfate attack, corrosion of reinforcement, salt weathering, environmental cracking and cement-aggregate reaction; deterioration of concrete in sea water; preventive measures; diagnosis and evaluation of deterioration, repair materials and techniques.

Review of matrix algebra and solution of simultaneous equations; flexibility (force) method analysis; stiffness (displacement) method of analysis; 2-D trusses, beams and frames; development of computer programs using the stiffness method; use of available computer packages for applications in structural analysis; introduction to the Finite Element Method; introduction to Structural Stability.

Bending of beams of non-symmetrical sections; shear center; energy concepts including Rayleigh-Ritz method; use of classical and energy methods in the analysis of curved beams; torsion of prismatic members; beams on elastic foundations; introduction to finite difference and finite element methods; beam-columns; failure theories and members with cracks.

Properties of structural steel; steel sections and introduction to load resistance factor design (LFRD), design of tension members, compression members and capacity calculations; laced columns width-thickness ratios; design of beams with and without lateral supports; design of members under combined axial and bending loads; design and details of simple bolted and welded connections, and an introduction to common building connections; use of softwares for design of elements and overall design of frames.

Students undertake a civil engineering project under the supervision of a faculty member with the aim of achieving a comprehensive design experience through a coherent study of all applicable principles, strategies and methodologies of design, including construction operation, and maintenance as and when applicable. The project should also take into consideration other appropriate factors such as alternative designs, economic feasibility and social and environmental impacts. The student is required to make an oral and written presentation of the design project to an examining committee.

Topics include: drawing conventions; design process; comprehension of tender, contract, working and detail drawings; mapping; technical illustration and presentation; study of drawing office, its equipment, management, automated drawing devices and computer graphics applications.

Behavior and design of columns under axial load and bending including slenderness effects; design of wall footings; design of combined footings; ACI Code provisions for serviceability requirements; deflection of flexural members; design of two-way slabs on beams using the ACI Direct Design Method; analysis and design of frames and continuous beams; design of one-way joist floor system; design of beam column joints; design of stairs behavior and design of retaining walls; introduction to prestressed concrete; design project of multistory building with two-way flooring system which integrates the design of different structural components; computer application in interactive design.

Analysis of multi-storeyed building frames for one-way and two-way flooring systems using approximate and "exact" methods; preliminary and final design of multi-storeyed building frames; mat foundations; water tanks; introduction to reinforced concrete bridges; problem of durability in reinforced concrete buildings; computer application in interactive design.

Introduction to elastic-plastic material behavior, plastic analysis and design of continuous beams and simple frames using load resistance factor design (LRFD); design of built-up beams and plate girders, optimum proportioning of I-beam, design of composite section analysis and design for torsion, design of semi-rigid and rigid connections, computer application and usage in design of rigid frames and steel buildings.

Construction engineering environment and practices, contract documents, types of contract, bidding strategies and professional liabilities; construction equipment and methods, CPM, network analysis, scheduling and resource levelling; cost control and project management with computer applications. Introduction to PERT.

Review of fundamentals of hydrology and advanced treatment for estimation of elements of the hydrologic cycle; hydrologic flood routing; probability concepts in hydrology, flood frequency analysis; hydrologic principles in engineering design; computer applications in hydrology and introduction to minor structure design.

Open channel concepts leading to the development of gradually varied flow computation, computer-aided profile computation, hydraulic factors for the design of reservoirs, dams, spillways and stilling basins. Hydraulic models and similitudes; fundamentals of pumps and turbines; selection of pumps.

Introduction and definitions, ground water storage and supply, Darcy’s Law and its limitation, Dupuit approximation, steady and unsteady flows in confined and unconfined aquifers, radial flow towards wells, storage coefficient and safe yield in a water-table aquifer, design of wells, methods of drilling and construction, development of maintenance of wells.

Irrigation in Saudi Arabia; sources and quality of water for irrigation; design of low diversion dams in wadies; irrigation wells; and soil-water-plant relations, consumptive use; layout of gravity irrigation systems, irrigation methods, furrow, borderstrip, sprinkler and drip systems, computer-aided design of sprinkler system; waterlogging and salinity problems, and drainage in irrigated lands.

Aquifers and wells of Saudi Arabia; trends in recent groundwater developments; exploration methods and location of wells; well hydraulics-steady and unsteady flow, yield vs. well size and yield vs. drawdown; non-equilibrium well formula; design of wells; well screens, well drilling methods, well logging and installing of well screens; design and layout of well point system; well development; disinfecting of wells; encrustation and corrosion of well screens, remedial measures and maintenance; water-well specifications; pumps for wells.

Materials types: asphalts, cement, aggregates and local materials; specifications: material selection and design; tests of asphalts and aggregates, mix design procedures for hot and cold mixes of flexible pavements and concrete mixes for rigid pavements; characterization techniques; modulus of resilience, fatigue, rutting and field control tests.

Pavement types and loading, behavior of pavements under dynamic loads, stresses in flexible and rigid pavements, pavement components, pavement design factors, flexible highway and airport pavement design, rigid highway and airport pavement design; overlay design and computer applications; practical pavement design project of a road and airport.

Course on the fundamentals of highway and airport construction and maintenance; topics include asphalt plants, material placement and compaction methods, quality control, earthwork, highway drainage and roadside requirements; construction standards, pavement performance and evaluation, pavement distress identification, surface treatments, types, application and design; overlay; pavement recycling techniques; computer applications.

Highway planning in rural and urban areas; highway location studies; engineering and aesthetic considerations; geometric design, structural design, highway materials; drainage, highway construction, highway safety engineering; discussion of AASHTO and Saudi highway design manuals; complete geometric design of a two-lane highway; introduction to computer softwares for geometric design.

Vehicle, roadway and driver characteristics; traffic engineering and safety studies; traffic flow theory and highway capacity analysis, and computer applications; traffic control methods and devices; operational considerations for safety; roadway lighting and highway traffic noise.

Fundamental relations of elasticity and plasticity in soil masses; unsaturated soils behavior; deformation properties of cohesionless and cohesive soils; advanced strength concepts in soils and stress path; slope stability analysis; introduction to soil dynamics.

General survey of soil types and their behavior and the available techniques for improvement; shallow and deep mechanical modifications; modifications by admixtures and grouting; modifications by inclusions; the use of geosynthetic material in filtration, seepage control, separation, reinforcement and water retention; hydraulic modifications; and treatment of marginal soils.

Site investigation, including determination of soil properties for design; bearing capacity theory of shallow foundation; settlement of building foundations; design and analysis of retaining walls, sheet piles and braced excavations; design of pile and pier foundations.

Principles that govern the flow of water into soils; equation of continuity and potential theory; flow nets; confined flow; unconfined flow; seepage forces and critical gradient; applications of seepage principles to earth structures; seepage from canals and ditches; seepage into wells; filters and drains; review of selected case histories.

The physical and spectral basis of remote sensing; sensor systems; photographic censors; multispectral scanners; sidelooking airborne radar; passive microwave sensors and remote sensing programs; mission planing consideration; LANDSAT system; image interpretation of remote sensing data; numerical analysis of remote sensing data; pattern recognition in remote sensing; typical steps in numerical analysis; applications of remote sensing.

The earth and its gravity field, scope of geodetic positioning techniques, the figure of the earth, geodetic datum, terrestrial coordinate systems and associated transformations, geodetic position computation on earth as sphere, as ellipsoid, field astronomy, mapping, and projection coordinates of the ellipsoid.

Metric camera, optical principles, mathematical principles, terrestrial photogrammetry, aerial photogrammetry, stereoscopic plotters, analytical photogrammetry, orthophotomaps, holography, flight planning.

Definition of errors, sources of errors, types of errors, Gauss probability distribution of random errors, uni-variate and multi-variate errors propagation, parametric least squares adjustment, single and multiconditional least squares adjustment, least squares solution of mathematical model, statistical testing of observations and mathematical structures.

Laser systems and alignment, electronic distance measurement with high precision, land subdivision and legal aspects; route surveying, hydrographic surveying, mine surveying, construction surveying, ruin surveying, industrial surveying, plane table surveying, structure deformation measurement and monitoring, earth crustal deformation measurement.

Analyses of stream and estuary water quality; composition and disposal of solid wastes; types of hazardous waste generated, and their management; sources, characteristics, and effects of air pollution; meteorology of inversions and dispersion of pollutants; health effects of noise pollution and its control; application of computer models in analysis of environmental data.

CE 473 Design and Operation of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants (3-0-3)

Theory and practice in sanitary engineering including the concepts of processing, design, economic evaluation and computer analysis; class projects incorporating practical considerations in the design and operation of treatment units and the combining of unit processing in water and wastewater treatment plants; field trips will be organized to visit various types of treatment plants in operation.

Design of pumping stations employing both constant speed and variable speed pumps; design of water distribution systems with computer analysis incorporating storage reservoirs, booster pumping, and control valves; design of wastewater collection systems including gravity flow sewers, force mains, and lift stations; and operation of utilities employing telemetry and data processing; site visits will be arranged to see various operational and maintenance practices.