Course Descriptions

Applied Geographic Information Systems
Sustainable Construction Practices
Principals of Design-Build Project Delivery
Techniques of Project Planning and Control
Advanced Construction Techniques and Methods
Fundamentals of Construction Accounting and Finance
Construction Safety Management
Construction Law
Conceptual Estimating
Special Topics in Construction Engineering
Environmental Cleanup
Air Pollution Control
Advanced Environmental Engineering
Environmental Management
Surface Water Quality Management
Special Topics in Environmental Engineering
Shallow And Deep Foundation Design
Geoenvironmental Engineering
Ground Improvement Methods
Designing with Geosynthetics
Earthquake Engineering
Earth Retaining Structures
Special Topics in Geotechnical Engineering
River Engineering
Coastal Engineering
Design of Stormwater Management Systems
Ports and Harbors Engineering
Special Topics in Hydraulic Engineering
Prestress Concrete
Advanced Structures
Finite Element Analysis
Introduction to Structural Dynamics
Advanced Concrete Design
Advanced Composite Materials and Structures
Bridge Design I
Special Topics in Structural Engineering
Pavement Analysis and Performance
Graduate Directed Study
Special Topics in Civil Engineering
Infrastructure Funding and Regulation
Infrastructure Program Management
Civil Engineering Seminar
Graduate Project
Thesis 1
Thesis 2
Issues in Integrated Engineering Management

ECE5103 Applied Geographic Information Systems, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of graduate advisor.
This course will introduce students to the theory and practice of geographic information systems. Topics include: coordinate systems and transformations; raster and vector data; mapping; spatial databases; topology; analyzing patterns; spatial relationships; data queries; and decision making with spatial data. The concepts will be applied to the fields such as environmental and water resources, transportation/urban planning, land development, and infrastructure management. State-of-the practice software is implemented in the course.

ECE5113 Sustainable Construction Practices, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of graduate instructor.
Coverage of construction methods and techniques that employ the principles of sustainable development. Materials and methods of construction, infrastructure planning and development, and environmental implications of construction activities.

ECE5213 Principals of Design-Build Project Delivery, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of Course Coordinator.
This course introduces students to the business, construction and design aspects of design-build project delivery. Students compare and contrast various delivery methods with traditional and hybrid design-build methods. Best practices for team building and integrating all aspects of the project are discussed. Prescriptive and performance specifications are discussed and contrasted. The procurement process for public and private projects, including quality based selection, is reviewed.

ECE5233 Advanced Construction Techniques and Methods, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
An in-depth evaluation of current and emerging construction techniques and methods that are designed to improve the constructability, performance and life-cycle costs of civil infrastructure projects. New materials, design approaches and construction techniques are investigated by examination of specific experiences in the construction industry.

ECE5243 Fundamentals of Construction Accounting and Finance, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of graduate instructor.
Introduces the concepts and fundamentals of financial accounting and economics in general, and specifically in the construction industry. Financial statement understanding and analysis, accounting concepts, project accounting methods, and the nature of project costs. Case study of major construction contractor. Ownership structure, working capital, and the sources and uses of funds.

ECE5263 Construction Safety Management, 3 CREDITS
Minimum safety requirements are reviewed and discussed in a practical context for immediate application in the construction site. Course material includes review of the OSH Act, recording and reporting requirements and citations policies. OSHA Standards for the construction industry are reviewed, as well as selected sections of OSHA standards for general industry, and general principles of construction safety management. Students who attain a minimum grade are eligible to receive an OSHA 30-Hour Training Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health for Construction.

ECE5273 Construction Law, 3 CREDITS
This course is a survey of legal issues with respect to the construction industry. Topics discussed include bid errors and disputes, contract disputes involving schedule claims, and chanted conditions. Students are provided an overview of the legal considerations of various project delivery methods, and the clauses found in proprietary and industry standard contract documents. The requirements of the Michigan Lien Law, the Builder's Trust Fund, and other construction related statues are reviewed and discussed.

ECE5283 Conceptual Estimating, 3 CREDITS
Advanced procedures and methods to prepare quantity measurements, obtain material costs and develop conceptual estimates based on the building systems method. In-class and on-line lectures by the instructors and guest experts address generating estimates within the framework of integrated project delivery methods, such as design-build and construction management. Students participate in individual and group projects where they learn problem-solving and best practice techniques for generating conceptual estimates while utilizing the Uniformat classification system.

ECE5293 Special Topics in Construction Engineering, 3 CREDITS
May need permission of department chairman.
Material of a specialized nature that is of interest to faculty and students.

ECE5323 Environmental Cleanup, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing of permission of instructor.
Remediation management at contaminated sites involving remedial investigation and feasibility study process. Remedial investigation focuses on data collection and site characterization. Feasibility study emphasizes data analysis and decision making on applicable remedial technologies. discussion of subsurface transport fate of contaminants.

ECE5333 Air Pollution Control, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of graduate advisor.
Methods of source testing and monitoring. Control of air pollution by process modification and various air pollution control methods. Design techniques coupled with air dispersion modeling and their relative effectiveness.

ECE5343 Advanced Environmental Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
Recent advances in the design of unit operations in water and wastewater treatment plants. New developments in natural systems for waste management and treatment practices. Microcomputer applications.

 ECE5353 Environmental Management, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
Designing and implementing environmental regulations and impact assessment programs. Techniques used in environmental impact assessment and regulation. Methods of analysis and the process of environmental planning and management.

ECE5363 Surface Water Quality Management, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
Management models in the cause-effect analysis of water quality in surface water bodies such as lakes, estuaries, bays, harbors, streams and rivers. Waste load allocation management strategies to reduce waste inputs to surface water bodies. Water quality modeling and control in the transport and fate analysis of contaminates in surface water.

 ECE5393 Special Topics Environmental Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Senior standing or permission of graduate adviser.
Material of a specialized nature that is of interest to faculty and students.

ECE5413 Shallow and Deep Foundation Design, 3 CREDITS

The salient aspects of shallow and deep foundation design. Selection of the type; determination of bearing capacity and settlement of spread footings, mats, single piles, pile groups, drilled piers and caissons.

ECE5423 Geoenvironmental Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of department chairperson.
Waste containment facilities design, construction and operation; including linear systems and geosynthetics, interaction of soil with chemicals, and transport of chemicals and water in soils.

ECE5433 Ground Improvement Methods for Foundations, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisites: ECE3424; Graduate standing or permission of department chairperson.
Practical and innovative design methods for ground improvement related to soft ground, deep foundations, slope stability, seismic activity, and geosynthetics. Combines investigation of case histories, current projects, design methodology, and geotechnical engineering theory.

ECE5443 Designing With Geosynthetics, 3 CREDITS
Design methodology for civil engineering application using geosynthetics. Geosynthetics are planar products manufactured from polymeric materials used with soil, rock, earth, or other geotechnical engineering related  material as an integral part of a man-made project, structure, or system. Manufacturing, material testing, and design aspects related to reinforcement, filtration, drainage, separation, and containment applications, Design approaches are emphasized.  

ECE5463 Earthquake Engineering, 3 CREDITS

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
Geotechnical considerations of earthquake engineering and foundation vibrations. Stress-strain behavior of soils under dynamic loading; seismicity; liquefaction; soil-structure interaction; foundation vibrations.

ECE5473 Earth Retaining Structures, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of department chair.
Analysis and design of retaining walls, braced cuts, tie back cuts, and mechanically stabilized earth.  Lateral earth pressure due to soil, water, surcharge, and other effects; local and overall stability; and the design of earth retaining systems.

ECE5493 Special Topics in Geotechnical Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Senior standing or permission of graduate advisor.
Material of a specialized nature that is of interest to faculty and students.

ECE5523 River Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of department chair.
An investigation into multi-purpose river usage.  Sediment erosion, transportation and deposition in rivers and reservoirs.  Channel modification practices and impacts.  Hydraulic design of river structures.  River restoration techniques.  Computer modeling.  Possible field trips.

ECE5533 Coastal Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of department chair.
An overview course on coastal engineering including Great Lake applications.  Fundamentals of water wave motion including wave generation, propagation, and breaking.  Coastal sediment transport and shore erosion processes.  Functional planning and design of coastal structures.  Computer modeling.  Possible field trips.

ECE5543 Design of Stormwater Management Systems  3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of department chair.
Theory, planning, analysis, and design of hydraulic structures in urban areas for stormwater management. Both traditional design and innovative low impact development techniques are included in course content. Computer modeling and possible field trips. 

ECE5553 Ports and Harbors, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of department chair.
This course will investigate the design procedures behind ports and harbors ranging from private small craft harbors to large commercial ports.  The course will focus both on hydrodynamic concerns and construction aspects such as breakwater design, berthing layout, and dredging.  Basic coastal engineering knowledge is preferred, but not a pre-requisite.  See instructor if you have not taken a coastal engineering course.

ECE5593 Special Topics in Hydraulic Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Senior standing or permission of graduate advisor.
Material of a specialized nature that is of interest to faculty and students.

ECE5713 Prestress Concrete, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: ECE4743 or equivalent; Graduate standing or permission of department chairperson.
Use of prestressed concrete in infrastructure applications: prestressing principles, analysis and design of pre- and post-tensioned systems, losses, flexure, shear, bond, camber and deflection, continuous prestressing, columns, and circular prestressing. Use of advanced composite materials such as prestressing strands to solve infrastructure problems. ACI and PCI prestressed concrete design manual discussed.

ECE5723 Advanced Structures, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: ECE4733 or equivalent; Graduate standing or permission of department chairperson.
A unified presentation of the entire field of structural analysis, including introduction to the analysis of indeterminate structures, force method analysis and applications, displacement method analysis and applications, analysis of shear walls, plastic analysis of continuous beams and frames, and concrete, steel and wood design topics.

ECE 5733 Finite Element Analysis for Structural Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of department chair.
The course presents an advanced analysis of truss and framed structures, and also of continuous structures like shear walls and dams. The course emphasizes the finite element method for analyzing structures. The course also addresses the issues of symmetry in structures, structural dynamics and thermal stress.

ECE5743 Introduction to Structural Dynamics, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: ECE4733 or equivalent; Graduate standing or permission of department chairperson.
Practical analysis and design of real structures; basic theory and numerical analysis of one- and two-degree elastic systems, lumped-mass multi-degree systems; distributed mass and load, approximate design approach, earthquake analysis, and earthquake design.

ECE5753 Advanced Concrete Design, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of department chair.
Advanced concepts of reinforced concrete design. Design methods presented for structural components including flat slabs, waffle slabs, and foundations. Also, advanced concepts related to design for torsion and buckling are covered.

ECE5783 Bridge Design I, 3 CREDITS

This course introduces the structural design and evaluation of major elements of modern typical highway bridges. This course will also focus on maintenance, rehabilitation, budget constraints, and various other aspects of bridge network management a bridge owner is responsible for. The objective is to introduce students to concepts, requirements and fundamental skills for highway bridge design and evaluation. Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to design the major structural elements of typical highway bridges according to current AASHTO standards for both LFD and LRFD design specifications.

ECE5763 Advanced Composite Material and Their uses in Structures, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: ECE3723 or equivalent; Graduate standing or permission of department chairperson.
Definitions, mechanical properties and durability of advanced composite materials. Protruded sections and fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) bars. Concrete structures reinforced and/or prestressed with FRP bars; behavior and strength in bending and shear. Repairs and rehabilitation of structures. New applications and design concepts.

ECE5793 Special Topics in Structural Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of graduate advisor.
Material of a specialized nature that is of interest to faculty and students.

ECE5813 Pavement Analysis and Performance, 3 CREDITS

Analysis and performance of pavement structures: stress and deformation analysis of commonly used highway and airport structures subjected to static and repeated loading as well as thermal and moisture gradients; performance evaluation and predictions; and rehabilitation timing and techniques.

ECE5911-3 Graduate Directed Study, 1-3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of department chair.
In-depth study of particular civil engineering topic.  Normally a written report is required.  Hours of credit designated by last digit in course number.

ECE5923 Special Topics in Civil Engineering, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisites: May need the permission of the department chairperson.
Topic or topics of current interest in the field of civil engineering. Course content subject to change each time the course is offered.

ECE5933 Infrastructure Funding And Regulation 3 CREDITS

Students review design documents and technical specifications for various infrastructure components, such as water distribution systems and roadway networks. Regulations governing the design, construction and management of infrastructure components are discussed, including permitting and jurisdictional interaction. Federal, state, and local funding sources for infrastructure projects are discussed in the context of the preparation of various capital improvement plans and the grant application process.

ECE5943 Infrastructure Program Management 3 CREDITS

This course covers many aspects of the management of design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure facilities. Due diligence, quality control and assurance, and risk management considerations of materials and construction methods are discussed. Case studies are utilized extensively throughout the course to critically review failures of various infrastructure components, such as roads, bridges and water distribution systems.

ECE6011-31 Civil Engineering Seminar, 1 CREDIT
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Includes a schedule of invited speakers on infrastructure-related and graduate level civil engineering topics. An individual presentation is also required. Normally required for three semesters.

ECE6053 Graduate Project, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Completion of research or design project which merges infrastructure concerns with the student’s area of specialization. Report required.

ECE6073 Thesis 1, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Initiation of a graduate thesis based on applied research. Normally available only with an approved and funded project. 

ECE6083 Thesis 2, 3 CREDITS
Prerequisite: ECE6073.
Completion of thesis. Normally available only with an approved project.

ECE6213 Issues in Integrated Engineering Management, 3 CREDITS
This course addressed the contractual and practical risks and challenges experienced when integrative project delivery methods are utilized. The course is project management based: the five project management processes, initiation, planning, executing, closing-out and monitoring and controlling serve as the underpinnings for the review of various standard industry contract documents. Construction industry practitioners with extensive experience in integrative projects will guest lecture on various subjects, including design management and design-assist.