Mar 28, 2024  
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) 
    
2013-2014 General Catalog (Summer, Fall 2013) ARCHIVED CATALOG: To search archives, MUST use search box to left. Current catalog: catalog.usu.edu.

Civil and Environmental Engineering


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Department Head: Craig Adams
Location: Engineering Laboratory 211
Phone: (435) 797-2938
FAX: (435) 797-1185
E-mail: sheila.jessie@usu.edu
WWW: http://www.cee.usu.edu/

Undergraduate Advisor:
Civil Engineering:

Engineering Advising Center, Engineering 314A, (435) 797-2705, kathy@engineering.usu.edu

Environmental Engineering:

Engineering Advising Center, Engineering 314A, (435) 797-2705, kathy@engineering.usu.edu

Department Undergraduate and Graduate Advisor:

Marlo A. Bailey, Engineering Laboratory 211F, (435) 797-2783, marlo.bailey@usu.edu

Undergraduate Division Heads:
Civil Engineering:

Paul J. Barr, Engineering Laboratory 262, (435) 797-8249, paul.barr@usu.edu

Environmental Engineering:

David K. Stevens, Engineering 216, (435) 797-3229, david.stevens@usu.edu

Graduate Program Division Heads:
Environmental Engineering:

David K. Stevens, Engineering 216, (435) 797-3229, david.stevens@usu.edu

Geotechnical Engineering:

James A. Bay, Engineering Laboratory 266, (435) 797-2947, jim.bay@usu.edu

Irrigation Engineering:

Christopher M.U. Neale, Engineering 230, (435) 797-3689, christopher.neale@usu.edu

Structural Engineering:

Marvin W. Halling, Engineering Laboratory 264, (435) 797-3179, marv.halling@usu.edu

Water Engineering:

Gilberto E. Urroz, Engineering 223, (435) 797-3379, gurro@engineering.usu.edu

Transportation Systems Engineering:

Anthony Chen, Engineering 231, (435) 797-7109, achen@engineering.usu.edu

Degrees offered: Bachelor of Science (BS) in Civil Engineering; BS in Environmental Engineering; Master of Engineering (ME), Master of Science (MS), Civil Engineer (CE) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Civil and Environmental Engineering; MS and PhD in Irrigation Engineering

Graduate specializations: Environmental Engineering, Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Hazardous Waste Management, Structural Engineering and Mechanics, Transportation Engineering, Water Engineering, Water Resources Engineering and Hydrology

Undergraduate Programs

Objectives

Civil and Environmental Engineering is concerned with planning, designing, constructing, and operating various physical works; developing and utilizing natural resources in an environmentally sound manner; providing the infrastructure which supports the highest quality of life in the history of the world; and protecting public health and renovating impacted terrestrial and aquatic systems from the mismanagement of toxic and hazardous wastes. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering and in Environmental Engineering. Both degrees are accredited by the EAC Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.

The objectives of the undergraduate programs in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering are to graduate engineers who have a solid educational foundation with broad experiences in engineering, the sciences, and the humanities; and who are prepared to enter graduate school, other professional training, or the workplace as effective professionals. These graduates will understand the significance of life-long learning and the importance of ethical conduct and will be qualified to assume roles of leadership in business, community, government, and the engineering profession and contribute significantly to global society as a whole.

Outcomes

The Program Outcomes of the Civil Engineering undergraduate program are the following:

  1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering principles to civil engineering problems.
  2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
  3. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired goals in civil engineering applications.
  4. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.
  5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
  6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
  7. an ability to communicate effectively.
  8. a broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context.
  9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, lifelong learning.
  10. knowledge of contemporary issues in civil engineering.
  11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
  12. the understanding and application of engineering knowledge of specialized areas in Civil Engineering.*
  13. the understanding of basic project management techniques and leadership.**
  14. the understanding of basic professional practices, including work procurement and legal issues.

*Students in the Civil Engineering program should gain proficiency in a minimum of four of the following six recognized major civil engineering areas. These engineering areas include: (1) environmental, (2) geotechnical, (3) hydraulics, (4) structural, (5) transportation, and (6) water resources and hydrology.
**Basic project management techniques can include multiple principles, such as the interaction between design professionals and the construction professions to construct a project, as well as the principles of cost and scheduling, drawing and plans, and project inspection.

The Program Outcomes of the Environmental Engineering undergraduate program are the following:

  1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering principles to civil engineering problems.
  2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data.
  3. an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired goals in civil engineering applications.
  4. an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.
  5. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.
  6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
  7. an ability to communicate effectively.
  8. a broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context.
  9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, lifelong learning.
  10. knowledge of contemporary issues in civil engineering.
  11. an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Assessment

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department employs several methods to assess the quality of the two BS programs offered by the department. Assessments are made prior to graduation by measuring the performance of students in each class. In addition, the results of the FE exam, senior exit interviews, and faculty reviews of student portfolios are used. Postgraduate assessment of Civil and Environmental Engineering graduates is also conducted up to six years after graduation. Assistance from outside reviewers is also obtained in making the assessment. For more details, see the CEE assessment website at: http://www.engineering.usu.edu/cee/assessment/

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements  for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are the same as those described for the University in this catalog. Students in good standing may apply for admission to the department. In addition, students must maintain the academic requirements outlined for the College of Engineering .

Departmental Honors

Students who would like to experience greater academic depth within their major are encouraged to enroll in departmental honors. Through original, independent work, Honors students enjoy the benefits of close supervision and mentoring, as they work one-on-one with faculty in select upper-division departmental courses. Honors students also complete a senior project, which provides another opportunity to collaborate with faculty on a problem that is significant, both personally and in the student’s discipline. Participating in departmental honors enhances students’ chances for obtaining fellowships and admission to graduate school.

In the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, departmental honors can be earned by completing 20 credits of upperdivision honors engineering courses. Students should work with the department in selecting appropriate courses.

Interested students should contact the Honors Program, Main 15, (435) 797-2715, honors@usu.edu. Additional information can be found online at: http://www.usu.edu/honors/

Additional Information

For more information about Bachelor of Science requirements and the sequence in which courses should be taken, see Civil Engineering - BS  and Environmental Engineering - BS  or in the online catalog.

Concurrent BS/Master’s Program

The concurrent BS/Master’s program allows engineering students to begin taking graduate-level classes during their senior year. This permits them to complete requirements for both the BS degree and the master’s degree concurrently during two years. Students in this program have a greater selection of graduate courses, since many graduate courses are taught during alternate years. In addition, the student’s senior design project could be a start for a graduate design project or thesis. After completing their BS degree, students in the program can earn a master’s degree in only one additional year. Both the BS and the master’s degree can generally be earned with 155-159 total credits, although students should note that a Plan C MS requires 3 extra credits. Finally, students with a master’s degree can expect a much higher starting salary following graduation. (For more information, see College of Engineering )

Graduate Programs

Admission Requirements

See general admission requirements . Admission committees consider GRE scores and experience, undergraduate record and curriculum, and formal recommendations. A student without an undergraduate civil and environmental engineering background may be required to complete selected undergraduate courses prior to admission as a fully matriculated graduate student.

Graduate Program Divisions

The graduate program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is administered through six academic divisions, as described below.

Structural Engineering

The structural engineer is involved in the design, construction, repair, and retrofit of all types of structures: buildings, bridges, dams, and many others. The safety of the structures we occupy and utilize every day is the responsibility of structural engineers. They must be able to evaluate the loads placed on a structure, determine their effects on the structure, and select the appropriate materials and structural elements, or repair strategy, to withstand these loads. Today’s structural engineer is using new space materials in the design of new structures or the retrofit of older structures.

Mathematics, physics, and materials science constitute a foundation for structural engineering. Structural analysis and design are added to this foundation and become the focus of the structural engineering program. Graduate students in the structures program also engage in structural mechanics, numerical methods, structural dynamics, geotechnical engineering, and the study of new structural materials. Current research in the structures area is focusing on the dynamic characteristics of structures, their potential response to earthquakes, and new seismic retrofit measures, using advanced composite materials, for older structures. Materials research is focusing on cementious materials and constitutive modeling.

Geotechnical Engineering

Engineering studies of soils are concerned with the physical and engineering properties of soils and how these are related to engineering projects.

Traditional geotechnical engineering includes the application of engineering principles to the analysis and/or design of building foundations, earth embankments, retaining walls, drainage systems, earthquake motion, buried structures, and other systems involving soil and rock. Engineers and architects cannot ignore the problems of investigating properties of soils in connection with engineering construction. Undergraduate and graduate courses offered by the department provide the basic knowledge necessary for the design of foundations and various types of earth structures. Fundamental concepts and their application are emphasized so that the student will be properly trained for his or her initial job, as well as being prepared to understand future development in this field.

The Geotechnical Engineering Division, in cooperation with the Environmental Engineering Division, is offering a new program in Geoenvironmental Engineering. This new program uses the strengths of both divisions to provide a program involving the geotechnical aspects of hazardous waste management, the investigation of hazardous waste sites, and the design of hazardous waste containment systems.

The geotechnical division has a strong research program. Current research projects in this division include studies on liquefaction, seismic slope stability, pile foundations, landslides, mechanically stabilized embankments, risk analysis of dams, finite element analysis of soil-structure systems, and the long-term properties of clay soils used in hazardous waste containment systems.

Water Engineering

The water engineering program is a multidisciplinary graduate program in the College of Engineering and is intended to enable engineers and scientists interested in water to obtain graduate degrees in the areas of fluid mechanics and hydraulics, hydrology, groundwater, and water resources engineering. Core courses and departmental offerings cover these fundamental areas, as well as essential numerical and statistical methods. The water engineering faculty are committed to a strong academic program. The curriculum offered is one of the most comprehensive offered in the U.S. Elements of ongoing research projects are routinely and effectively incorporated into the classes. The program combines training, research, and experience to understand the water issues and water resources management challenges in the United States and internationally. Graduate students can supplement departmental offerings by selecting courses in Mathematics and Statistics; Watershed Sciences; Applied Economics; Economics; Geology; Biological and Irrigation Engineering; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; and Plants, Soils, and Climate. This ensures that graduates are well-grounded in the fundamentals, but have a breadth of training and are prepared to contribute professionally to the solution of multidisciplinary local, national, and international water problems. Graduate students in the water program have the opportunity for research support through the Utah Water Research Laboratory (UWRL) while working on theses or dissertations. Excellent laboratory and computing facilities are available. Strong, continuous state and federal research funding keeps the research topics and facilities current. Specialty areas within the program comprise fluid mechanics and hydraulics, hydrology, groundwater, and water resources engineering.

Fluid mechanics and hydraulic engineering covers both fundamental principles and theory and their applications in a variety of engineering fields. Elementary fluid mechanics, based on fundamental principles of conservation of mass, energy, and momentum, is the logical core for all water-related engineering programs. Consequently, other specialties in water engineering study fluid mechanics. Students specializing in fluid mechanics and hydraulics emphasize theoretical fluid mechanics, hydraulic design, numerical methods, and laboratory hydraulic techniques. A good variety and balance of courses supporting research in theoretical fluid mechanics, open channel hydraulics, hydraulic design, transients, sedimentation, municipal water system design, and cavitation are available at the graduate level. Graduates in fluid mechanics and hydraulics find employment in a broad range of professional engineering fields, including consulting, university teaching and research, and state and federal government agencies.

Hydrology is a branch of geoscience concerned with the origin, distribution, movement, and properties of waters of the earth. The hydrologic cycle encompasses the atmosphere, the land surface, lakes and oceans, and the subsurface. Complex, interacting processes at varied time and space scales describe the hydrologic cycle. The concepts and practice of hydrology derive from an integration of field observations, laboratory investigations, and conceptual, mathematical, chemical, statistical, and probabilistic models.

The hydrology program at USU has strength in both theoretical and applied aspects of modern hydrology. Past and present research focuses on a broad spectrum of hydrologic problems. These range from climate modeling, rainfall processes, floods, droughts, terminal lake analyses, soil erosion, and stream water quality models to groundwater contamination characterization and remediation and watershed analyses. A particular emphasis of the program is on an understanding of the global water and energy cycles at nested scales from the hemisphere to the continent to the watershed from a holistic perspective that recognizes the two-way linkages between water reservoirs and fluxes through oceans, atmosphere, land surface and subsurface, and biota.

Groundwater engineering is concerned with fluid flow and transport of contaminants in the subsurface environment. It encompasses the theory of flow in porous media; groundwater hydrology; fate and transport of contaminants in subsurface; and analytical, numerical, and stochastic modeling of such processes. Emphasis is placed on the quantitative analysis of physical and chemical principles governing these processes and on the application of these principles to practical field problems, with all their difficulties related to the complex structure of subsurface formations. Examples of such problems include groundwater supply and management, capture zone analysis, well hydraulics, subsurface cleanup technologies, health risk assessment, and analysis and remediation of groundwater contamination. These problems are of a multidisciplinary nature, and their solutions require a multidisciplinary approach, involving, among others, soil and water chemistry, chemical engineering, and economics. The groundwater professional is an important team player in solving such problems.

Water Resources Engineering prepares engineers to be lead members in water resources planning teams, often charged with coordinating the information and concepts supplied from other disciplines. This need for breadth requires considerable flexibility in the training and arrangement of degree programs.

Water resources engineers draw principles from hydrology, fluid mechanics, hydraulics, environmental engineering, economics, ecology, political science, and other disciplines in the design and operation of projects and nonstructural methods for water resources planning and management. They need a sound understanding of how water storage, delivery, and other management systems function; of criteria used in evaluating and selecting among alternatives; of the techniques of operations research that can be used in systems design; and of the institutional aspects of decision-making in the public sector. A focus area of the program is to develop decision support systems for sustainable water quantity and quality management in the United States and in developing regions of the world. Evolving information sources and tools, such as spatial data sets encoded in geographical information systems, climate forecasts, and cognitive models of the human decision process and societal group dynamics, are being integrated in representative institutional contexts.

An internationally-recognized specialized program has been developed in dam safety risk assessment. Students take classes in dam engineering; hydrology and hydraulics; geotechnical engineering; geology; decision analysis; risk assessment; probability and statistics; and natural resources economics, planning, and management. Students work on practical applications, as well as research projects, for improving the state-of-the art.

Environmental Engineering

The Division of Environmental Engineering is a multidisciplinary graduate program in the College of Engineering and provides coursework and research experience to enable engineers and scientists interested in the environment to obtain graduate degrees relating to potable water and waste treatment, toxic and hazardous wastes management, air quality management, natural systems engineering, and environmental impact assessment. The program provides an interdisciplinary educational approach to fundamental principles that can be applied to  environmental phenomena. Research and training projects are a part of the program and provide the student with appropriate research experience leading to a thesis or dissertation.

Hazardous Waste Management. This specialization has been developed within the broader scope of the environmental engineering program to provide an integrated approach for students with a BS in engineering or natural sciences to deal with the complex issues of toxic and hazardous waste. Aspects of toxic/hazardous waste management, including characterization, treatment, disposal, control, monitoring, and environmental impacts, are dealt with in this program.

Natural Systems Engineering is the study of the interaction of engineered systems with nature, emphasizing impacts to aquatic ecosystems. Techniques include assessment of aquatic habitat through computer simulation and model verification, quantification of aquatic habitat using remote sensing systems, and data analysis and display through integrated statistical and GIS approaches. These tools are used to evaluate impacts on threatened and endangered species, habitat enhancement, instream flow assessments, fish habitat, stream sediment, and hydraulic features.

A bioprocess engineering program has been developed as a cooperative effort between the Division of Environmental Engineering and the Biological Engineering Department. This program provides students with specialized coursework and research experience in areas of bioreactor processing of environmental materials and engineering scale-up of biologically-based environmental reactions. Areas of specialization include waste to energy, fermentation, composting, and industrial waste (agricultural and chemical) reuse, recycling, and technologies based on biological processes, as well as engineering optimization of aquatic habitats.

Irrigation Engineering

In the irrigation engineering area, USU has attained worldwide prestige through the successful professional contributions of its graduates during a period of 80 years. The CEE Department is substantially involved in overseas research and training activities, for example in the Dominican Republic, Armenia, and Tatarstan, concerned with managing irrigation systems, on-farm water management, water resource development, and soil assimilation and recycling of industrial residues. Specific research projects in the irrigation and drainage engineering option include hydraulics of surface irrigation, consumptive use, return flow quantity and quality of irrigation waters, transient flow in tile drainage systems, drain envelopes, sprinkler irrigation, trickle irrigation, crop production and water requirements, salt movement, regional groundwater modeling for optimizing sustainable yield, conveyance system modeling and control, and remote sensing.

Transportation Engineering

The graduate program in Transportation Engineering offers education and research opportunities in transportation systems planning, design, and management. It is designed to enable aspiring planners, engineers, and managers to obtain advanced degrees while specializing in infrastructure management, traffic network analysis, facility design, traffic operations, transportation economics and finance, and project appraisal. Up-to-date computer and laboratory facilities, as well as the Transportation Division’s close links with local and state transportation agencies, enable students to gain hands-on experience and practical perspectives.

Past and present research undertaken by the Transportation Division faculty and researchers ranges from microscopic traffic flow simulation, dynamic route assignment, and network reliability to traffic accident modeling, pavement management, video image processing, and intelligent transportation systems. The focus remains on efficient and effective solutions to transportation problems.

Transportation Division course offerings expose students to the theoretical and practical aspects of goods and passenger transportation. State-of-the-art analytical tools and new research findings are introduced into the courses through periodic revision of notes, examples, problem sets, and computer software. Students are encouraged to design their own programs of study according to their personal and professional goals. Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of transportation, students are encouraged to include in their program of study course offerings from other programs in CEE, as well as from Mathematics and Statistics, Environment and Society, Applied Economics, Economics and Finance, Management, and Sociology.

Financial Assistance

Both departmental and formal grant support are available to graduate students and are awarded on a competitive basis. Students requesting financial support should apply to the department by March 15 for the coming academic year.

A number of fellowships are available through the University and the department. Teaching assistantships are available through the department and research assistantships are available through the Utah Water Research Laboratory and departmental faculty members who have ongoing projects or who hold special research grants from the University, private companies, or state and federal agencies.

Acceptance to pursue graduate studies in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department does not guarantee the student financial assistance. Inasmuch as funds are limited, the assistantships are awarded by the department to cover specific teaching assignments and by the faculty members to provide for research as funds are available.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty

Professors
A. Bruce Bishop, engineering systems and planning 
William J. Doucette, environmental analytical chemistry
R. Ryan Dupont, hazardous waste management, bioremediation
Marvin W. Halling, structural dynamics, earthquake engineering
Jagath J. Kaluarachchi, subsurface hydrology, water resources
Mac McKee, water resources planning and analysis
Gary P. Merkley, conveyance systems
Christopher M. U. Neale, remote sensing, biological and irrigation engineering
Richard C. Peralta, groundwater
William J. Rahmeyer, hydraulics, hydraulic structures, scour and erosion
David K. Stevens, treatment process analysis
David G. Tarboton, hydrology and water resources
Wynn R. Walker, Associate Dean, College of Engineering; surface irrigation
Kevin C. Womack, structural mechanics

Professors Emeritus
Loren R. Anderson, geotechnical engineering
Jay M. Bagley, hydrology, water resources
David S. Bowles, risk assessment, hydrology, water resources engineering
Gordon H. Flammer, hydraulics
William J. Grenney, water resources
Robert W. Hill, irrigation and water resource extension
Trevor C. Hughes, water resources systems analysis
C. Earl Israelsen, hydrology, hydraulics, water resources, erosion control
Roland W. Jeppson, numerical modeling
Jack Keller, sprinkle and drip irrigation
Fred W. Kiefer, Jr., geotechnical engineering
J. Paul Riley, water resources systems, hydrology
Glen E. Stringham, surface irrigation
J. Paul Tullis, hydraulics, hydraulic structures, and hydromachinery
Reynold K. Watkins, geotechnical engineering

Adjunct Professors
Lloyd H. Austin, water resources
Steven C. Chapra, water-quality modeling
George G. Goble, deep foundations and structural dynamics
Roger D. Hansen, water resources
Jeffrey R. Keaton, geotechnical engineering, engineering geology
Upmanu Lall, climate modeling, statistical hydrology, water resource systems
Neil Parrett, performance and safety of dams
Norman E. Stauffer, Jr., engineering hydrology and computer modeling
Alan Steinberg, road maps for intelligence
Daniel A. Stone, environmental chemistry

Research Professor Emeritus
L. Humberto Yap-Salinas, drainage

Associate Professors
Paul J. Barr, reinforced concrete, bridge design
James A. Bay, geotechnical engineering
Joseph A. Caliendo, geotechnical engineering
Anthony Chen, network analysis and logistics, transportation planning
Michael J. McFarland, environmental engineering (biosolids)
Laurie S. McNeill, environmental engineering (drinking water)
Robert T. Pack, geomatics and engineering geology
Blake P. Tullis, hydraulics, hydraulics structures, and hydromachinery
Gilberto E. Urroz, hydraulics, hydraulic structures

Research Associate Professor
Randal S. Martin, environmental engineering (air pollution)

Adjunct Associate Professors
Danny Marks, snow hydrology
Eva C. Nieminski, water quality
Anthony F. Turhollow, transportation
Ross A. Woods, water

Associate Professors Emeritus
Edwin C. Olsen III, international irrigation, water management
J. Derle Thorpe, engineering materials, measurements

Assistant Professors
Kevin P. Heaslip, transportation
Bethany T. Neilson, environmental engineering
John D. Rice, geotechnical engineering
David E. Rosenberg, water resources

Research Assistant Professors
Steven L. Barfuss, hydraulics
Luis Bastidas, hydrology
Jeffery S. Horsburgh, water, environmental management
Michael C. Johnson, hydraulics

Research Assistant Professor Emeritus
R. Kern Stutler, irrigation structures

Adjunct Assistant Professor
Charles H. Luce, forest hydrology

Affiliate Faculty
Sonia S. Manuel-Dupont, technical communication
Joan E. McLean, fate and behavior of metals in the subsurfaces
Judith L. Sims, research associate professor, Biological Engineering; soil biology
Ronald C. Sims, Department Head and professor, Biological Engineering; biological process engineering
Darwin L. Sorensen, aquatic microbiology

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