Course Descriptions

Civil Engineering Technology Course Descriptions

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(Enter Datatel Course Numbers with the dash. i.e. ENGL-100; use commas to separate multiple Course Numbers)

CIVL-115 - CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS  3 credits
A survey of common materials and methods used in building construction is presented. Materials covered include wood, glue-laminated timber, steel, non-ferrous metals, concrete, plastics, and insulation. Emphasis is placed on their physical properties, use in construction, and construction techniques for completing the project. Three lecture hours. COREQUISITE: ALGB-097 and ENGL-100.
CIVL-120 - ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN  4 credits
An introduction to architectural and construction graphic techniques and written specifications. Emphasis is on residential design/construction and will include site planning, foundations, floor plans, elevations, sections, isometric rendering, lighting/electrical plans, and kitchen plans. Students will have the opportunity to design their own "vacation" homes. Students will learn the fundamentals of blueprint reading and use the blueprint process to generate their own plans. Students will develop a portfolio of drawings that will be used as part of the portfolio requirement for future architectural course work. Two lecture and six lab hours. PREREQUISITE: None.
CIVL-125 - ARCHITECTURAL CAD 1  3 credits
This course is an introduction to the dynamic world of computer-aided design (CAD) using AutoCAD. Students will learn the terminology, capabilities, and operation of this powerful design tool. Students will develop a portfolio of architectural drawings, including floor plans, elevations, sections and details for a light commercial building. Drafting fundamentals and the use of orthographic projection will be reviewed. Students will also be introduced to PowerPoint and will learn to use this software to create professional quality presentations. Two lecture and four lab hours. COREREQUISITE: CIVL-125L
CIVL-220 - CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATING  3 credits
This course is an introduction to the detailed and challenging profession of construction estimating. Students will learn how the wide range of construction materials, construction methods, and business practices impact the overall cost of a construction project. Students will use plans and specifications from a recently-built construction project to produce a detailed construction estimate for that project and better understand the wide range of direct, indirect, and general overhead expenses that impact the cost of a project. Students will be introduced to a variety of cost data resources used in professional practice, and will work on an independent bid proposal for a commercial construction project, culminating in a bid opening. Students will build on the technical drawing skills mastered in CIVL-120. Two lecture and four lab hours. COREQUISITE: CIVL-220L.
CIVL-225 - ARCHITECTURAL CAD 2  3 credits
This course is a continuation of CIVL-125 with the purpose of using AutoCAD to produce architectural drawings for residential and light commercial buildings. Site plans, floor plans, elevations, sections, and construction details are studied, building on the skills learned in CIVL-120 to develop a complete set of working drawings. Students will build a portfolio of drawings that can be used as part of the portfolio requirement for future architectural course work or job placement. Two lecture and four lab hours. PREREQUISITES: CIVL-120, CIVL-125
CIVL-235 - HYDRAULICS AND HYDROLOGY  3 credits
Concepts of continuity, energy, and hydrostatic pressure are included. Pumping systems are designed. Basic hydrological principles of rainfall, runoff, and infiltration are discussed as part of sizing storm drainage system components. A computerized runoff model is introduced. Wetland identification, protection, and remediation are discussed along with the role of regulatory commissions/agencies. The laboratory is devoted to design and problem solving. Two lecture hours and three laboratory hours. PREREQUISITE: CIVL-115; CO-REQUISITE: MATH-132
CIVL-251 - ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN II  3 credits
This studio course will be an introduction to three-dimensional design principally in the field of architecture. It will also serve as a survey to three-dimensional design in a range of fields from product design to interior design. Two lecture, three laboratory hours. Prerequisites: CIVL-120, ARTS-146, ARTS-147. COREQUISITE: ARTS-149 and CIVL-251L
CIVL-270 - GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS  3 credits
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are software tools used by industry and government for processing, viewing, and analyzing spatial data. The course will cover application of ArcView software by ESRI to establish a dataset and develop the data into useful information. Example datasets from the field(s) of public health, planning, civil engineering, public works, and the environmental monitoring/remediation field will be used. Two lecture and three lab hours. PREREQUISITE: ALGB-097, ENGL-100, CMPA-105
CIVL-310 - SURVEYING 1  4 credits
The theory and practice of construction surveying. Field practice is given in the use of tape, level, total station and data collectors. This is a laboratory-oriented course encompassing baseline, differential, profile and cross-section leveling, establishment of contours, traverse closures, construction stakeout of buildings and property lines, and development of topographic maps utilizing engineering software and data collector input from field operations. Two lecture and six lab hours. PREREQUISITE: CIVL-120, MATH-132 and CIVL-225.
CIVL-325 - SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS  4 credits
The theory and concepts of soil mechanics and foundation design. Topics include soil types, behavior, identification, classification; soil properties; site investigation, methods, and goals; permeability, surface tension, capillarity, and related concerns; shear strength; sub-surface stresses, settlement, sizing footings; groundwater contamination; landfill liners and covers; soil compaction. The weekly three-hour lab is devoted to geotechnical testing and application of foundation design theories. Two hours lecture. PREREQUISITE: CIVL-235, MATH-132 and PHYS-130; CO-REQUISITE: CIVL-325L, MATH-232 and ENGL-202.
CIVL-345 - STATICS AND STRENGTH OF MATERIALS  4 credits
An introduction to stress and force theories as they apply to the equilibrium of rigid bodies and particles. Principles of resultant forces, free body diagrams, tension and compression members, truss analysis, applied forces to beams and columns, frictional forces, and torsion are studied. Additional topics include stress and strain, mechanical properties of engineering materials, factors of safety, centroids, and moments of inertia. The weekly three-hour lab is devoted to in-depth problem analysis and solutions that expand classroom theories, plus laboratory tests that demonstrate the practical applications of these theories. Three lecture and three lab hours. PREREQUISITE: MATH-132 and PHYS-130
CIVL-410 - REINFORCED CONCRETE ANALYSIS  3 credits
Topics include batching, transporting, placing and curing concrete. Standard ASTM quality control tests are conducted, and Class A Concrete Field Certification is completed. Reinforced beams, slabs, and footings are analyzed and designed. Wall stability analysis is conducted. Weekly laboratories are devoted to design and concrete testing. Two lecture hours and three laboratory hours. PREREQUISITE: CIVL-345.
CIVL-420 - CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT  3 credits
A study of specialized business and management topics which are of particular interest to the construction industry. Topics include basic operational patterns, types of business ownership and company organization, the competitive bid process including specifications and bid openings, subcontracting procedures, contract bonds, construction insurance, accounting processes including depreciation, job scheduling with introduction to critical path method, labor law, and job-site safety and OSHA. Three lecture hours. PREREQUISITE: ENGL-100 and CIVL-120; CO-REQUISITE: CIVL-220.
CIVL-430 - TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING  3 credits
A study of the practical application of transportation engineering on road and highways. Topics include: highway design, earthwork, geometry, standards, construction, subdrainage systems, curve layout, residential subdivision, and parking lot layout. Specialized investigations for transportation planning, design and layout are included. Weekly laboratories are devoted to design, layout, and computations. Two lecture and three lab hours. PREREQUISITE: CIVL-310 or permission of instructor.
CIVL-446 - STRUCTURES  3 credits
A continuation of the stress and force theories from CIVL-345 Statics is presented as they apply to structural design. The design of structural steel floor, beam, girder, and column systems begins with the development of shear and bending moment diagrams. The design process is studied in depth, utilizing AISC codes, with particular emphasis placed on shearing, bending, and deflection induced on steel load-carrying members. The lab periods are devoted to practical design procedures and analysis of various structural members, especially beams, girders, columns, connections and laboratory experiments to reinforce classroom theory. Students will also have the opportunity to review and discuss the design and construction of major bridge and high-rise buildings and the well documented causes of some major structural failures. Two lecture and four lab hours. PREREQUISITE: CIVL-345; COREQUISITE: CIVL-446L
CIVL-451 - ARCHITECTURAL STUDIO  4 credits
The Architectural Studio course will serve as a capstone experience for the Architectural associate degree option. In this course the student will be encouraged to use artistic expression, creative thinking and problem solving to design an original architectural project. The student will develop presentation skills using presentation elevations and plans as well as isometric, one-point and two-point perspective drawings. Students will also have the opportunity to use architectural scale models as a presentation tool. Students will be required to assemble a portfolio of their projects from this class as well as projects from their previous design related studies and display them in a final juried presentation. Three hours lecture and three lab hours. PREREQUISITE: CIVL-225
CIVL-455 - MATERIALS TESTING  3 credits
Engineering properties of soil determined using ASTM methods. Test include soil classification, Proctor, permeability, specific gravity, in- place density, and shear strength. Compression test are conducted on wood columns. Innovative student-designed and constructed plywood beams tested to failure. For steel, tensile and bending/deflection tests conducted. Data analysis and presentation emphasized; weekly reports required. Onsite Title V sewage disposal system designed. Two lecture hours and three lab hours. PREREQUISITE: CIVL-320, CIVL-345
CIVL-460 - PROJECT SCHEDULING  3 credits
An introduction to construction project planning and scheduling, using project scheduling software. A principal focus of this course is on planning projects and controlling costs. Lectures expand pertinent aspects of job-site safety and address construction project legal issues such as sexual harassment, work place discrimination and substance abuse, which are tied to worker and employer responsibilities. The three hour computer lab will be devoted to project scheduling software applications. Two hours lecture. PREREQUISITES: CMPA-105, ENGL-100; COREQUISITE: CIVL-460L.