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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA 2008-2009 undergraduate bulletin
undergraduate bulletin index

updated 8/15/2008

Civil and Environmental Engineering

M. Hanif Chaudhry, Chair

Professors
Ronald L. Baus, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 1980
M. Hanif Chaudhry, Ph.D., University of British Columbia, 1970, Mr. and Mrs. Irwin B. Kahn Professor of Civil Engineering

Associate Professors
Joseph Raymond V. Flora, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, 1993
Sarah L. Gassman, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1997
Jasim Imran, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1997,
Graduate Director
Anthony S. McAnally, Ph.D., Auburn University, 1989, Undergraduate Director
Michael E. Meadows, Ph.D., University of Tennessee, 1976
Charles Pierce, Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1998
Richard P. Ray, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1983
Dimitri Rizos, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, 1993
Paul Ziehl, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 2000

Assistant Professors
Juan M. Caicedo, D.Sc., Washington University at St. Louis, 2003
Mecit Cetin, Ph.D., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 2002
Jonathan L. Goodall, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 2005
Liv M. Haselbach, Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 2000
Nathan Huynh, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 2005

Distinguished Professors Emeriti
Joseph Hugh Bradburn, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 1968
Richard Boykin Pool, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1963
James B. Radziminski, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1965

Distinguished Professors Emeriti and Deans Emeriti
W.K. Humphries, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 1966
J.D. Waugh, M.S., Yale University, 1964

Professors Emeriti
John R. Dickerson, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1967
Robert R. Roberts, Ph.D., West Virginia University, 1975


Overview

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree with a major in civil engineering. Civil engineering is the planning, design, and construction of projects that define a civilization. Civil engineers have built landmarks that now stand as tributes to the profession's creative spirit and ingenuity. Civil engineering is everywhere: the buildings in which we live and work, the roads on which we travel, the water we drink, the bridges we cross. Civil engineers design industrial and commercial buildings, bridges, towers, dams, tunnels, and mass transportation facilities. They manage urban planning and public works projects, perform air quality monitoring, and plan and design waste collection and handling systems.

The objectives of the civil engineering undergraduate program are to prepare our graduates with the knowledge and skills needed for:

  • entry to civil engineering practice and/or postbaccalaureate education
  • life-long learning and continuing professional development.

The first two years of the undergraduate curriculum form the necessary foundation in mathematics, computer programming, the physical sciences, and basic engineering sciences, together with courses in the liberal arts, to provide the student with a well-balanced educational experience. The upper-division civil engineering program includes the study of construction materials, structural analysis and design, soil behavior, systems analysis, water supply, and pollution control. The department offers elective courses in such areas of engineering as environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources.

The civil engineering graduate is prepared to enter the job market with federal, state, and municipal agencies and with private consulting firms involved with aspects of planning, design, construction, or environmental control. Students may, following graduate study, also pursue careers in teaching and in research and development.

Bachelor's/Master's Accelerated Program

A combined B.S.E./M.S. or M.E. degree program is available to undergraduate civil and environmental engineering students with GPAs of 3.50 or above and 90 or more hours earned toward their baccalaureate degrees. Up to 6 credit hours of 500-level or above courses may be applied toward both the B.S.E. and M.S. or M.E. in Civil Engineering degree requirements. The approval of the student's advisor and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate director are required. Questions about this program may be directed to the civil and environmental engineering graduate director.

Degree Requirements

Civil Engineering Curriculum

(129 hours)

ENGL 101, 102 (6 hours)
Liberal Arts (12 hours)
MATH 141, 142, 241, 242 (14 hours)
STAT 509 (3 hours)
CHEM 111
, 112 (8 hours)
PHYS 211, 211L
, 212, 212L (8 hours)
ECIV 111, 200,
201, 210, 220, 303, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 362, 405, 470 (43 hours)
ECIV
laboratory (2 hours)
ECIV distribution and electives (24 hours)
Engineering, science, or mathematics electives (9 hours)

Notes:
The liberal arts courses must include at least one history course, one fine arts course,
one social science course, and one professional development course. The department maintains a list of acceptable history, fine arts, social science, and professional development courses.

ECIV laboratory includes two courses selected from ECIV 303L, 330L, 350L, 362L.

ECIV distribution includes one course from four of the following five areas: environmental, geotechnical, structures, transportation, and water resources. The department maintains lists of courses for each area.

ECIV electives are chosen from additional courses offered in the department. The department maintains lists of courses for each area.

The department maintains a list of acceptable engineering, science, or mathematics electives.


Course Descriptions (ECIV)

  • 101 -- Introduction to Civil Engineering. (3) (Prereq: first-year freshman status or permission of instructor) Fundamental concepts in each of the disciplines of civil engineering are discussed. Critical thinking skills are formally fostered by hands-on experiences and group discussions.
  • 111 -- Introduction to Engineering Graphics and Visualization. (3) Principles and practice of visualization and graphical representation using modern computer-aided design tools.
  • 200 -- Statics. (3) (Prereq: MATH 141) Fundamentals of engineering mechanics. Equilibrium of particles and rigid bodies. Free-body diagrams, analysis trusses and frames. Distributed forces, centroids, centers of gravity, and friction.
  • 201 -- Programming and Graphics for Civil Engineering. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 111, C or better in MATH 142 and ECIV 200) Advanced programming and CAD with emphasis on civil engineering applications. Overview of numerical methods. Use of spreadsheets to analyze data.
  • 210 -- Dynamics. (3) (Prereq: C or better in ECIV 200 and in MATH 142) Kinematics of particles and rigid bodies. Vector representation of force and motion. Free-body diagrams, application of energy and momentum methods to solve problems. Rigid body and central force motion.
  • 220 -- Mechanics of Solids. (3) (Prereq: C or better in ECIV 200 and in MATH 142) Concepts of stress and strain; stress analysis of basic structural members. Vectors, free bodies, equilibrium and elastic behavior. Combined stress, Mohr's circle. Beams, columns, torsion, and rotation.
  • 300 -- Civil Engineering Measurements. (3) (Prereq: MATH 241) Theory and application of plane surveying and mapping techniques. Lecture plus laboratiory.
  • 303 -- Civil Engineering Materials. (3) (Prereq: grade of C or better in ECIV 220) Mechanical and thermal properties of mineral aggregates, cements, concrete, timber, asphalt, metals, and plastics.
  • 303L -- Civil Engineering Materials Laboratory. (1) (Prereq: ECIV 201; Coreq: ECIV 303) Experiments, exercises, and demonstrations to accompany ECIV 303. Three hours per week.
  • 320 -- Structural Analysis I. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 201 and C or better in ECIV 220) Equilibrium, shear and moment diagrams, and influence lines for statically determinate trusses, beams, and frames. Energy principles and other methods for displacement calculations. Introduction to indeterminate structural analysis.
  • 325 -- Structural Steel Design. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 320) Behavior and design of steel beams, columns, and tension members; strength and stability; design of connections using welded, bolted and riveted construction.
  • 327 -- Reinforced Concrete Design. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 320) Behavior and design of reinforced concrete beams, columns, continuous beams and one way slabs, and footings.
  • 330 -- Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering. (3) (Prereq: grade of C or better in ECIV 220) Engineering properties of soil and rock; hydraulic conductivity, flow nets, drainage design; consolidation theory, shearing strength of soil.
  • 330L -- Geotechnical Laboratory. (1) (Prereq: ECIV 201; Coreq: ECIV 330) Laboratory associated with ECIV 330. Soil mechanics experiments, exercises, and demonstrations. Three hours per week.
  • 340 -- Introduction to Transportation Engineering. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 201, C or better in ECIV 210) Transportation design, planning, and operational analysis, including roadway, airway, and railway systems; transportation elements, including traveled way, vehicle, control, terminals, and advanced technology; traffic data collection, interpretation, and analysis.
  • 350 -- Introduction to Environmental Engineering. (3) (Prereq: CHEM 112 and C or better in MATH 142) Concepts of environmental engineering, including air and water pollution, solid and hazardous waste disposal, and noise pollution. Qualitative and quantitative development of engineering techniques for pollution control.
  • 350L -- Introduction to Environmental Engineering Laboratory. (1) (Prereq: ECIV 201; Coreq: ECIV 350) Physical, chemical, and biological analysis of water and wastewater. Three laboratory hours per week.
  • 360 -- Fluid Mechanics. (3) (Prereq: C or better in ECIV 210; Coreq: MATH 241) Principles of fluid statics and dynamics. Conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. Similitude and dimensional analysis, open channel flow, lift and drag forces, and introduction to turbulent flow.
  • 362 -- Introduction to Water Resources Management. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 360) Application of fluid mechanic principles to water resources engineering problems; pipe systems, pumps, open channel flow, peak runoff, seepage, hydraulic structures.
  • 362L -- Introduction to Water Resources Engineering Laboratory. (1) (Prereq: ECIV 201; Coreq: ECIV 362) Experiments, exercises, and demonstrations on flow in pipes and open channels, pumps, flow measurement, seepage, and infiltration.
  • 405 -- Systems Applications in Civil Engineering. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 201) Systems approach to analysis and design; application of engineering economic principles to the evaluation of design alternatives; deterministic modeling and optimization emphasizing civil engineering applications.
  • 426 -- Structural Design. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 325 or ECIV 327) Design of steel structures including elastic and plastic design concepts. Design of concrete structures including continuous members and long columns.
  • 470 -- Civil Engineering Design. (4) (Coreq: two ECIV distribution courses) Application of hydraulic, geotechnical, and structural principles in design; project scheduling; cost estimation; ethics; environmental and social impact; design drawings; report documents.
  • 490 -- Special Problems. (3) (Prereq: advance approval of project proposal by advisor and instructor) Individual investigation or studies of special topics. A maximum of three credits may be applied toward a degree.
  • 499 -- Undergraduate Research in Civil and Environmental Engineering. (1-3) Research experience for undergraduates on current topics in civil and environmental engineering.
  • 503 -- Structural Modeling and Experimental Methods. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 327) Introduction of structural modeling; strain gauge instrumentation; force, displacement, acceleration, pressure, temperature measurements; concrete and steel modeling; size effects; analysis of experimental data.
  • 520 -- Structural Analysis II. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 320) Advanced methods of structural analysis with emphasis on matrix methods. Development of the generalized matrix force and matrix displacement methods of static analysis, with applications to trusses and frames.
  • 521 -- Numerical Methods in Mechanics. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 201) Numerical modeling of typical engineering problems. Numerical solution of linear and nonlinear, boundary and initial value problems. Introduction to optimization.
  • 524 -- Structural Vibrations. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 320) Response of single- and multiple-degree of freedom structurally dynamic systems to impact, harmonic, wind, and seismic excitations.
  • 530 -- Foundation Analysis and Design. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 330) Subsurface investigation procedures. Theoretical and practical aspects of the design of earth retaining structures, spread footings, and pile foundations.
  • 533 -- Geosynthetics and Geotechnical Design of Landfills. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 330) Principles for the design, construction, and performance of waste containment systems. Characterization of barrier materials; geosynthetics; design of liner and leachate collection systems; stability and deformation analyses of landfills.
  • 535 -- Geotechnical Engineering in Transportation. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 330) Remote sensing and engineering geology. Field and laboratory testing. Design and maintenance methods for flexible and rigid pavements. Topics in tunnel design and buried conduit.
  • 539 -- Experimental Methods in Geotechnical Engineering. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 330, 330L) Overview of transducers, signal conditioning and data acquisition; test control methods, data analysis and measurement errors; testing systems to measure soil strength, stiffness, and hydraulic conductivity; laboratory projects and examinations.
  • 540 -- Transportation Systems Planning. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 340 or instructor's approval) Fundamental interactions between supply and demand in transportation systems. Modeling transportation demand and trip-making behavior. Evaluation of alternatives for decision making.
  • 541 -- Highway Design. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 340 or instructor's approval) Design of transportation facilities using relevant tools and guidelines with emphasis on physical and operational aspects of arterials, freeways, intersections, and interchanges, including geometry, capacity, control, and safety.
  • 542 -- Traffic Engineering. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 340 or instructor's approval) Capacity analysis of freeways and arterials. Traffic flow characteristics and basic relationships among traffic flow parameters. Signalized and unsignalized intersection control and signal timing design.
  • 551 -- Elements of Water and Wastewater Treatment. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 350 or instructor's approval) Unit operations and processes employed in the physical, chemical, and biological treatment of water and wastewater. Design of water and wastewater treatment systems.
  • 555 -- Principles of Municipal Solid Waste Engineering. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 350, graduate standing or approval of the instructor) Fundamentals and engineering principles of solid waste generation, characterization, collection and transport, source reduction and recycling, and physical, chemical, and biological treatment strategies.
  • 556 -- Air Pollution Control Engineering. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 350 or instructor's approval) Introduction to the sources of air pollution and the engineering principles used for control and prevention.
  • 557 -- Sustainable Construction for Engineers. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 350, 570, or instructor's approval) Instruction to sustainable engineering design alternatives and principles for construction and site development from preconstruction through design and the construction phase. (Minimum of junior standing required.)
  • 558 -- Environmental Engineering Process Modeling. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 350, 570, or instructor's approval) Modeling fate and transport phenomena in environmental processes with applications in engineered unit operators and natural systems.
  • 560 -- Open Channel Hydraulics. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 360) Steady and unsteady flows in single or multiple-channel systems.
  • 562 -- Engineering Hydrology. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 360 or consent of instructor) Applications of hydrologic techniques to design problems; stormwater simulation models; urban stormwater.
  • 563 -- Subsurface Hydrology. (3) (Prereq: ECIV 201, 360) Hydrologic cycle, subsurface physical properties, equations of groundwater flow, well flow, well design, groundwater resource development, design of dewatering systems, groundwater contamination.
  • 570 -- Land Development for Engineers. (3) (Prereq: three from ECIV 320, 330, 340, 350, and 362, or instructor's approval) Restricted to upper division. Fundamentals of designing and permitting the conversion of land to new or altered states, including environmental issues, traffic and parking, utility resources, site engineering, ADA, safety, planning, and zoning requirements.

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