Civil Engineering and Construction Management

You will study two core modules:

Environmental Risk and Responsibility

This module aims to encourage non-environmental students to critically evaluate how their individual professional actions, decisions and leadership of others interacts and how this interacts with society and the impacts of environmental risk and the sustainable future of the planet. We begin with a global view of how the environment is stressed by anthropogenic actions. The module takes a systemic approach to how responsibility for sustainability challenges does not always lie with the decision maker. There is an increasing need for organisations to go beyond pure legal compliance and consider CSR, decarbonisation, and more efficient use of resources, while it is acknowledged that economic viability is a requirement for both private and public bodies. This is an interdisciplinary module so students will be expected to work outside their areas of expertise and interact with other students and members of the community from different cultural, social, and disciplinary areas to evaluate and offer design and technological decisions to reduce environmental risks.

You will study two of the optional modules:

Transport and Infrastructure Engineering and Sustainable Design 

The aim of the module is to gain detailed understanding of the management and design of transport infrastructure in the 21st century using design standards and working with the environment to deliver cost effective, safe and sustainable projects. You will review design practice across a spectrum of transport and infrastructure disciplines including, highways, permanent way and service provision. 

Flood Risk Engineering Management

Approaches to limiting disruption and damage from flooding have changed significantly in recent times. Worldwide, there has been a significant move from a strategy of flood defence to one of flood risk management. This includes the use of flood defences, while recognising that managed flooding is essential to a sustainable flood strategy. You will learn how to critically analyse flood risk assessments and suggest appropriate structural and non-structural methods to reduce the impact of flooding.

BIM and Integrated Project Collaboration 

The emergence and adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as the industry standard approach for design, analysis, and management of building life cycle has significantly changed the way that designs are procured and transformed into reality. The aim of this module is to develop in-depth knowledge and skills in application and evaluation of BIM enabled design in true collaborative environments, critically reflecting upon the current BIM procedures, protocols and standards required to implement efficient integrated project collaboration within the multidisciplinary built environment team. 

Continuing Professional Development and Strategic Management 

This module is designed to develop your managerial skills in preparation for work in a global industry environment. You will study strategic concepts and be able to transfer them into your own industry/specialism through a structured approach. Emphasis is placed on managing the global future by analysis rather than by instinct. You will become adept at forecasting, financial analysis but still operate with regard to business ethics. The CPD (Continuing Professional Development) element allows you to contextualise and concentrate your studies in your own discipline adding to your employability in the work place.

Project Planning, Value Engineering and Risk Management

The aim of the module is to gain an understanding of the philosophies and techniques involved in construction project planning, risk management, value engineering and financial management. There are significant risks involved in undertaking construction projects, whether they are financial or operational, and one of the roles of the civil / construction manager is to succeed in removing, reducing or mitigating such risk.

The nature and size of construction and civil engineering projects varies widely, as do the risks involved, and it is through effective project planning that decisions may be found and actions taken to enable successful project completion both on time and within budget. The module will examine the principles and techniques involved in value engineering, which aims to provide the best value for money for the client over the whole life cycle of a project. You will evaluate industry practice relating to cost control and the financial management of projects, linking this also to the monitoring and control of time related progress.

Sustainable Construction Methods and Materials

The aim of the module is to expand on your undergraduate knowledge and critically evaluate principles, methodologies and techniques involved in the selection and specification of sustainable construction methods and materials. The necessarily site specific context for the specification of materials for a sustainable architecture varies widely. Considering both the energy in use and the embodied energy of materials, one of the important remits of sustainable construction is to mitigate the use of fossil fuel-based energy consumption.

You will be encouraged to explore, critically analyse and evaluate comparative approaches in the effective specification of environmentally sustainable materials that the successful implementation of sustainable architecture requires. As practitioners within the construction industry you must be able to choose the right material for applications with due regard to the life cycle of building materials, the environmental cost and embodied energy in the manufacturing method.

Geomatic Monitoring and Asset Engineering

Engineering Professionals need to ensure that Infrastructure assets are regularly monitored to ensure that embankments remain stable and that reactive measurements can be made to assess structural elements after incidents, such as bridge strikes. The module will consider modes of failure of structures and ancillary elements including embankment. Modelling of these will be done in 3D to allow detailed analysis, methods of data capture using both remote and traditional topographical methods.

You'll establish ground control models to optimise field time and ensure high-density 3D monitoring using industry software packages. The role of asset management will be considered against BIM and ISO 55000 and how engineers can manage risk with proactive intervention.

You will study:

CPD and Strategic Management (core module)

During this module you will develop your managerial skills in preparation for work in a global industry environment. You will study strategic concepts and learn how to transfer them into your own industry or specialism using a structured approach. You will focus on managing the global future by analysis rather than by instinct, and will become adept at forecasting and financial analysis, while considering business ethics.

Project Planning, Value Engineering and Risk Management (prescribed)

The aim of this module is to equip students with an understanding of the philosophies and techniques involved in construction project planning, risk management, value engineering and financial management. There are significant risks involved in undertaking construction projects, whether they are financial or operational, and one of the roles of the civil or construction manager is to succeed in removing, reducing or mitigating such risk.

The nature and size of construction and civil engineering projects vary widely, as do the risks involved, and it is through effective project planning that decisions may be made and actions taken to enable successful project completion.

Flood Risk Engineering Management

The effects of climate change will continue to be debated over the coming years as extreme weather events and global warming become more apparent. In recent years the UK has seen an increase in the number of flood events and flood risk warnings in many areas. This is of increasing concern, to homeowners, developers and insurers.

Approaches to limiting disruption and damage from flooding have changed significantly in recent years. Worldwide, there has been a significant move from a strategy of flood defence to one of flood risk management. This includes the use of flood defences, where appropriate, but recognises that managed flooding is essential to meet the requirements of a sustainable flood strategy. The success of this approach is dependent on integrating enhanced defences and warning systems with improved understanding of the river systems and better governance, emergency planning and disaster management actions.

The module will introduce the concepts of flood risk analysis and management within the context of current UK policies and legislation. Current techniques in considering climate change will be presented in outline, as will latest guidance on producing flood risk assessments. The module will focus on river and urban flooding, including hydraulic modelling techniques, and is designed for anyone who requires an understanding of flood risk and its relevance to river management and development planning.

You will also choose two optional modules, such as:

Negotiated Module

This module is usually studied by part-time students who are in employment as it allows participants to take their practical, work-based experience and develop it within an academic context.

Sustainable Construction Methods and Materials

You will critically evaluate the principles, methodologies and techniques that are involved in the selection and specification of sustainable construction methods and materials. Considering both the energy in use and the embodied energy of materials, one of the important remits of sustainable construction is to reduce the use of fossil-fuel based energy consumption.

Transport and Infrastructure Engineering & Sustainable Design

The aim of the module is to gain detailed understanding of the management and design of transport infrastructure in the 21st century using design standards and working with the environment to deliver cost effective, safe and sustainable projects. You will review design practice across a spectrum of transport and infrastructure disciplines including, highways, permanent way and service provision.

The scope will integrate planning, feasibility, outline and detailed design and draw attention to legal requirements and future costs of maintenance and whole life cycle costing. Project team disciplines will be considered to provide robust and economic designs for current and new infrastructure. You will also consider the role of design checks and the role of information technology.

BIM and Integrated Project Collaboration

The emergence and adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as the industry standard approach for design, analysis, and management of building life cycle has significantly changed the way that designs are procured and transformed into reality. The aim of this module is to develop in-depth knowledge and skills in application and evaluation of BIM enabled design in true collaborative environments, critically reflecting upon the current BIM procedures, protocols and standards required to implement efficient integrated project collaboration within the multidisciplinary built environment team.   

Geomatic Monitoring and Asset Engineering

Engineering Professionals need to ensure that Infrastructure assets are regularly monitored to ensure that embankments remain stable and that reactive measurements can be made to assess structural elements after incidents, such as bridge strikes. The module will consider modes of failure of structures and ancillary elements including embankment. Modelling of these will be done in 3D to allow detailed analysis, methods of data capture using both remote and traditional topographical methods.

Establishing ground control models to optimise field time and ensure high density 3D monitoring using industry software packages. The role of asset management will be considered against BIM and ISO 55000 and how engineers can manage risk with proactive intervention.

You will study:

Independent Scholarship (Built Environment)

This module will enable you to develop your practice in undertaking research by identifying and applying advanced research methodologies, for your postgraduate research project. Your learning will include how to identify, evaluate, and apply diverse research approaches to your own research and the process of collecting and evaluate different types of data and relating your findings to current research. During your study you will be able to construct your own philosophy to approach key research questions. You may also have to compare the use of both quantitative techniques and qualitative techniques in research. You will then utilise and enhance the knowledge and intellectual skills gained during your programme, by means of an extensive investigation of a proposed postgraduate study related to the programme area.

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