Courses
Civilizations have always faced challenges – whether naturally occurring or manmade – and have had to design solutions in order to survive. Our modern civilization is no different; we face major societal challenges related to resilient cities, human safety and security, decision-making and healthcare, energy infrastructure, and space exploration and habitation, among others, and solving these challenges will require an interdisciplinary approach. This course will look to the past – studying the engineering solutions developed by ancient civilizations – and at the current state of affairs – in preparation for designing solutions to the grand challenges of the future.
Area: Engineering
Electricity and magnetism underpins much of modern engineering, as an alternative or addendum to classical Physics this, largely, hands-on laboratory course exposes engineers to the principles of electromagnetism and how they are leveraged in the modern world with a focus on their application in infrastructure and sensor networks.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.
Area: Engineering, Natural Sciences
Why do buildings and bridges look the way they do today? Students will be provided the tools to answer this question for themselves through a study of the history of the design of buildings and bridges throughout the world from both engineering and architectural/aesthetic perspectives. Only simple mathematics is required (no calculus). Students will participate in individual and group critique of structures from engineering, architectural, and social points of view.
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
Writing Intensive
From sketching to 3D printing, students in this course will work directly with the tools that civil and systems engineers use to plan and communicate their ideas. Hands-on learning activities will help students develop these skills, with an emphasis on communication and collaboration using graphical tools such as CAD and GIS software and physical specimens fabricated with manual construction and 3D printing.
Area: Engineering, Natural Sciences
Through this course, students will be introduced to various design principles and further explore the role of civil and systems engineering design in communities and society. Students will work collaboratively with a civil and systems engineering senior design team or research group to explore the impact of their intended design on communities.
Area: Engineering
This course combines statics - the basic principles of classical mechanics applied to the equilibrium of particles and rigid bodies at rest, under the influence of various force systems - with mechanics of materials - the study of deformable bodies and the relationships between stresses and deformations within those bodies. Fundamental concepts in statics include the proper use of free body diagrams, the analysis of simple structures, centroids and centers of gravity, and moments of inertia. The study of mechanics of materials will focus on the elastic analysis of axial force, torsion, and bending members to determine corresponding stresses and strains. Stress transformations and principal stresses will be introduced.For most majors, students are required to register for both 560.201 Statics and Mechanics of Materials and 560.211 Statics and Mechanics of Materials Laboratory.
Prerequisite(s): AS.171.101 OR AS.171.107 OR (EN.530.123 AND EN.530.124) or instructor permission.
Corequisite(s): EN.560.211
Area: Engineering
The complementary laboratory course for and required corequisite to EN.560.201 Statics and Mechanics of Materials. For most majors, students are required to register for both 560.201 Statics and Mechanics of Materials and 560.211 Statics and Mechanics of Materials Laboratory.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.
Corequisite(s): EN.560.201
Area: Engineering
This course covers the essentials of probability and statistics with an emphasis on their use for reliability, risk, and decision making for civil and systems engineering applications. Topics include the basics of probability theory (random variables, moments, single and multi-variate distribution functions), an introduction to occurrence probabilities and extreme value statistics and their use in assessing risk of civil infrastructure systems, and introductory concepts in structural reliability and reliability-based design.
Prerequisite(s): AS.110.109
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
This first course in mathematical decision-making introduces optimization models and their role in solving complex problems. The methods are motivated by a set of real-world problems from various domains including Transportation, Energy, Health, Management, and Space, among others. The course covers linear and integer optimization formulations, solution algorithms, sensitivity analysis, network models, simulation examples, and hands-on solution techniques and coding.
Prerequisite(s): EN.553.291 AND EN.500.113
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
This course will introduce students to the modeling and analysis of dynamical systems using analytical, numerical and qualitative (geometric) techniques. The course will focus on dynamical systems arising in mechanics and vibrations, global climate models and infectious disease modeling. The following topics will be covered: first order systems, phase space, bifurcations, numerical integration, second order linear systems, stability, finite differences, nonlinear systems, higher order systems, introduction to chaos.
Prerequisite(s): EN.553.291 AND AS.171.101
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
Having learned basic Python programming skills in Gateway Computing, CaSE Coding will provide an opportunity for students to apply and further develop their coding skills by using them to analyze, interpret, and visualize real-world data from the materials, structures, and infrastructure systems that make up our built environment.
Prerequisite(s): AS.110.109 AND EN.500.113
Area: Engineering
An introduction to the research process, students in this project-based course will develop an appreciation for the role of research in our society and will learn the tools indispensable to researchers, including how to conduct literature reviews, how to read and write technical literature, as well as how to formulate and test a research hypothesis. Students will explore the research process through a variety of methods including as an exercise in uncertainty quantification.
Area: Engineering
This course will introduce students to the structural design workflow from concept and ideation to structural modeling and analysis to member and connection design using the reliability-based limit states approach. This first course in a two-course sequence will focus on the analysis and design of structural systems composed primarily of axial force members (e.g. trusses, cables, and arches). Connections to mechanics-based principles will be emphasized and practical applications using common structural materials such as timber, steel, and reinforced concrete will be covered.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.201
Area: Engineering
This second course in the two-course structural systems sequence will reinforce the structural design workflow from concept and ideation to structural modeling and analysis to limit states design, but with a focus on the analysis and design of structural systems composed of bending members (e.g. frames). Connections to mechanics-based principles will again be emphasized and practical applications using common structural materials such as timber, steel, and reinforced concrete will be covered.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.301
Area: Engineering
Basic principles of soil mechanics. Classification of soils. Compaction theory. Consolidation seepage and settlement analysis. Stress-strain and shear strength of soils. Introduction to earth pressure theories and slope stability analysis.
Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed Lab Safety training prior to registering for this class. To access the tutorial, login to myLearning and enter 458083 in the Search box to locate the appropriate module.;EN.560.201 AND EN.560.211
Area: Engineering
Application of soil mechanics theory and soil test results to the analysis and design of foundations for structures; retaining walls; embankments; design of pile and shallow footing foundations; slope stability.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.305
Area: Engineering
This course will provide an in-depth exploration of the mechanics of solid and liquid materials with a focus on constitutive equations. The course will cover both linear and nonlinear equations and their applications to solid and liquid materials under various loading conditions. Topics will include stress and strain, (visco-)elasticity and plasticity, failure criteria, and fluid mechanics. Students will study the derivation and use of constitutive equations for materials such as metals, polymers, and (non-)Newtonian liquids.
Prerequisite(s): EN.553.291 AND EN.560.201
Area: Engineering
CaSE Careers I provides students with opportunities to explore the wide range of career paths available to civil and systems engineering graduates (e.g. consulting, academia, government, industry, and construction) through invited speakers, field trips to design offices / construction sites, and attendance at professional society meetings. Topics related to engineering ethics, professional licensure, and other current professional issues are also discussed.
Area: Engineering
CaSE Careers II provides students with opportunities to explore the wide range of career paths available to civil and systems engineering graduates (e.g. consulting, academia, government, industry, and construction) through invited speakers, field trips to design offices / construction sites, and attendance at professional society meetings. Topics related to engineering economics and other current professional issues are also discussed.
Area: Engineering
Survey of the major theories of engineering design and the contexts in which they have evolved, and are applied. Practice in three dominant schools of modern engineering design: (i) waterfall or sequential design as commonly employed in civil construction; (ii) iterative/spiral design as employed in rapid prototyping or agile development for devices and software; and (iii) human-centric design as employed by engineers challenged to confront individual or social scale needs.
Area: Engineering
Following 560.401 Design Theory and Practice, students select and complete a capstone design project under the guidance of a faculty member with the goal of addressing a grand challenge in the field of civil engineering. Students will work individually or in small groups. Formal progress reports will be required, and a full design report will have to be submitted along with a final presentations made to the department.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.401
Area: Engineering
This course will cultivate broad knowledge of the use of engineering principles in the art of architecture. Fundamental definitions of architecture in the basic provision of shelter and social use are paired with aesthetics and cultural heritage. The course emphasizes structural frameworks and systems within the Civil Engineering curriculum, while expanding upon their critical intersections with the highly varied specialized components and systems of modern architecture, and the corresponding community of specialists that represent them. Topics include a historical view of the evolution of specialization in architecture, a quantitative review of loads and resistance systems, architectural and structural determinants of form, the function and aesthetics of building surface, and an introduction to environmental systems and their role in design sustainability. The class will include a trip to Fallingwater, the house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in western Pennsylvania, which stands as an iconic example of American architecture and a complex example of architectural engineering. This course is co-listed with?EN.560.621.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.302
Area: Engineering
The renovation of existing buildings often holds many advantages over new construction, including greater economy, improved sustainability, and the maintenance of engineering heritage and architectural character in our built environment. Yet, the renovation of existing structures presents many challenges to structural engineers. These challenges include structural materials that are no longer in widespread use (e.g., unreinforced masonry arches and vaults, cast iron, and wrought iron) as well as structural materials for which analysis and design practices have changed significantly over the last half-century (e.g., wood, steel, and reinforced concrete).This course will examine structures made of a wide variety of materials and instruct the student how to evaluate their condition, determine their existing capacity, and design repairs and/or reinforcement. The investigation and analysis procedures learned from this course may then be applied to create economical and durable structural alterations that allow for the reuse of older buildings. Site visits near Homewood campus will supplement lectures. Co-listed with 560.629.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.301 AND EN.560.302
Area: Engineering
Building on the content in Preservation Engineering I: Theory and Practice, this course will begin with materials introduced at the start of the Industrial Revolution--namely with the beginning of the use of iron materials as major structural elements within buildings. The course will continue with the introduction of cast iron, wrought iron, and finally, structural steel members. After introducing iron materials the course will continue with the early use of reinforced concrete as a major structural material. The course will discuss the historic structural analysis methods associated with such materials and contrast such methods with more modern analytical approaches. It will also discuss concrete deterioration and repair methods. Concepts related to masonry facade investigation and repair will be presented along with the analytical methods associated with thin-shell masonry construction from the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will conclude with a review of the assessment and retrofit of historic foundations.Course is co-listed with EN.560.631 and EN.565.631.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.429 OR Permission from the instructor.
Area: Engineering
This course will discuss the analysis and design of structures exposed to fire. It will cover the fundamentals of fire behavior, heat transfer, the effects of fire loading on materials and structural systems, and the principles and design methods for fire resistance design. Particular emphasis will be placed on advanced methods and numerical modeling tools for performance-based design. Applications of innovative methods for structural fire design in buildings and other structures will also be presented. Course is co-listed with graduate-level EN.560.634.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.302
Area: Engineering
Matrix methods for the analysis of statistically indeterminate structures such as beams, plane and space trusses, and plane and space frames. Stiffness and flexibility methods. Linear elastic analysis and introduction to nonlinear analysis. Co-listed with EN.560.619.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.301
Area: Engineering
This course revolves around the grid integration of renewable energy systems and operations of energy systems with renewables. The main emphasis is on grid level effects of renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power systems, and how these effects can be analyzed using mathematical modeling and modern software tools. The course begins with an introduction to basic power system concepts (transmission/distribution system modeling, power transformers, conventional and renewable generation technologies) along with power flow analysis and optimization. Following that, the course considers applications of optimal power flow and its variants to electricity market operations. An important component of this course is a guided project that will be carried out by students in small groups; each group will choose a real-world energy system to research and analyze and will present their findings at the end of the semester. Prior knowledge of circuits (including operations with complex numbers), linear algebra, calculus, and optimization is helpful, but not required. This course is co-listed with EN.560.649.
Prerequisite(s): AS.110.202
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
An introduction to operations research and its applications. The course will review the basics of mathematical modelling, linear programming, primal and dual Simplex methods, post-optimization analysis, decomposition methods, and heuristic methods along with sample applications. Recommended course background (EN.553.291 or AS.110.201) and AS.110.109 or equivalent. This course is co-listed with EN.560.650.
Prerequisite(s): Students who have taken EN.560.650 are not eligible to take EN.560.450.
Area: Engineering
Many real-world problems can be modeled using network structures, and solved using tools from network theory. For this reason, network modeling plays a critical role in various disciplines ranging from physics and mathematics, to biology and computer science, and almost all areas of social science. This course will provide an introduction to network theory, network flow algorithms, modeling processes on networks and examples of empirical network applications spanning transport, health and energy systems. Co-listed with EN.560.653.
Prerequisite(s): EN.553.291 AND EN.500.113
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
System dynamics is a versatile analytical framework to understand and tackle problems which involve complex interactions among multiple variables and constraints. This course introduces the basics of systems thinking and system dynamics modeling and analysis. Qualitative and quantitative tools are discussed. Students will learn to identify and formulate system's structure and simulate their behavior using specialized software in order to develop potential intervention strategies. Fields of applications include engineering, climate change, resilience, logistics, public policy analysis, business, and decision-making.
Prerequisite(s): AS.110.109
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
This course provides an in-depth discussion of the simulation of disaster risk on socio-technical systems (from countries to cities). The course covers the algorithmic structure of catastrophe models; modeling of the intensity fields of hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods; methods to develop building and infrastructure vulnerability functions, structure of exposure layers, and estimation of post-disaster injuries and casualties. The students learn to produce basic stochastic catalogs from where risk metrics are calculated. Finally, the risk-reduction policy formulation process is presented using as input the catastrophe model-generated information. The course has a strong real-life application side analyzing World Bank risk reduction projects. Students will gain introductory experience in the use of GIS, Matlab, and R. This course is co-listed with EN.560.658.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.240
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
Future Food Manufacturing will cover the engineering principles, motivations, and scientific obstacles behind foods that are to replace traditionally animal-derived ingredients such as meat and dairy. Concepts include 3D printing and extrusion of plant-based proteins, biophysics of proteins and fats, fermentation of genetically engineered microbes, and tissue engineering in cultured meat applications. This interdisciplinary course will consist of guest lecturers from multiple departments to encompass the multiple manufacturing angles by which to ensure food security in decades to come. This class will have no exams, instead students will be connected to existing alt protein companies and they will propose solutions for a major pain point in their manufacturing process.
Area: Engineering
This course provides an overview of the various modes of failure found in traditional and non-traditional structural materials. The concepts will be demonstrated through computational models and physical demonstrations. This is the second course in a two-semester engineering mechanics sequence that starts with 560.362 Engineering Mechanics and Materials. These courses may be taken out of sequence only with the instructor’s permission.
Prerequisite(s): EN.560.201
Area: Engineering
Research in Civil Engineering
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration, Online Forms.
This section has a weekly research group meeting that students are expected to attend.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration, Online Forms.
Undergraduate students pursue research problems with a faculty supervisor. Although the research is under the direct supervision of a faculty member, students are encouraged to pursue the research as independently as possible.
Prerequisite(s): You must request Independent Academic Work using the Independent Academic Work form found in Student Self-Service: Registration, Online Forms.
This course presents a broad survey of the basic mathematical methods used in the solution of ordinary and partial differential equations: linear algebra, power series, Fourier series, separation of variables, integral transforms.
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
Basic solid mechanics for structural engineers. Stress, strain and constitutive laws. Linear elasticity and viscoelasticity. Introduction to nonlinear mechanics. Static, dynamic and thermal stresses. Specialization of theory to one- and two-dimensional cases: plane stress and plane strain, rods, and beams. Work and energy principles; variational formulations.
Covers probabilistic computational modeling in civil engineering and mechanics: Monte Carlo simulation, sampling methods and variance reduction techniques, simulation of stochastic processes and fields, and expansion methods. Applications to stochastic finite element, uncertainty quantification, reliability analysis, and model verification and validation.
Matrix methods for the analysis of statistically indeterminate structures such as beams, plane and space trusses, and plane and space frames. Stiffness and flexibility methods. Linear elastic analysis and introduction to nonlinear analysis.
Area: Engineering
This course will cultivate broad knowledge of the use of engineering principles in the art of architecture. Fundamental definitions of architecture in the basic provision of shelter and social use are paired with aesthetics and cultural heritage. The course emphasizes structural frameworks and systems within the Civil Engineering curriculum, while expanding upon their critical intersections with the highly varied specialized components and systems of modern architecture, and the corresponding community of specialists that represent them. Topics include a historical view of the evolution of specialization in architecture, a quantitative review of loads and resistance systems, architectural and structural determinants of form, the function and aesthetics of building surface, and an introduction to environmental systems and their role in design sustainability. The class will include a trip to Fallingwater, the house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in western Pennsylvania, which stands as an iconic example of American architecture and a complex example of architectural engineering. This course is co-listed with?EN.560.421.
Area: Engineering
The course introduces the theory and practice of uncertainty quantification. Methods for quantifying aleatory and epistemic uncertainty are considered, probabilistic and non-probabilistic approaches are discussed. The course introduces: propagation of uncertainty including statistical sampling methods, surrogate modeling, and numerical methods; inverse uncertainty quantification using Bayesian methods; global sensitivity analysis; and reliability/probability of failure analysis. The course is project-based and will require prior knowledge of both probability theory and coding (preferably in Python).
Area: Engineering
This course will explore bridge design and analysis by studying local bridges of various forms, materials, and load demands. Topics include an overview of the history of bridge engineering, an introduction to the AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges, analysis techniques and load ratings, bridge details, and substructure design.
Area: Engineering
The renovation of existing buildings often holds many advantages over new construction, including greater economy, improved sustainability, and the maintenance of engineering heritage and architectural character in our built environment. Yet, the renovation of existing structures presents many challenges to structural engineers. These challenges include structural materials that are no longer in widespread use (e.g., unreinforced masonry arches and vaults, cast iron, and wrought iron) as well as structural materials for which analysis and design practices have changed significantly over the last half-century (e.g., wood, steel, and reinforced concrete).This course will examine structures made of a wide variety of materials and instruct the student how to evaluate their condition, determine their existing capacity, and design repairs and/or reinforcement. The investigation and analysis procedures learned from this course may then be applied to create economical and durable structural alterations that allow for the reuse of older buildings. Site visits near Homewood campus will supplement lectures. co-listed with 560.429.
Area: Engineering
Functional and computational examination of elastic and inelastic single degree of freedom systems with classical and non-classical damping subject to various input excitations including earthquakes with emphasis on the study of system response. Extension to multi-degree of freedom systems with emphasis on modal analysis and numerical methods. Use of the principles of structural dynamics in earthquake response.
Building on the content in Preservation Engineering I: Theory and Practice, this course will begin with materials introduced at the start of the Industrial Revolution--namely with the beginning of the use of iron materials as major structural elements within buildings. The course will continue with the introduction of cast iron, wrought iron, and finally, structural steel members. After introducing iron materials the course will continue with the early use of reinforced concrete as a major structural material. The course will discuss the historic structural analysis methods associated with such materials and contrast such methods with more modern analytical approaches. It will also discuss concrete deterioration and repair methods. Concepts related to masonry facade investigation and repair will be presented along with the analytical methods associated with thin-shell masonry construction from the 19th and 20th centuries. The course will conclude with a review of the assessment and retrofit of historic foundations.This course is co-listed with EN.560.431 and EN.565.631.
Area: Engineering
Why do buildings deteriorate, and how do we address this problem? This course examines the deterioration (by human and nature) of building materials and systems. Through lectures and a field trip, students will learn how to set up and execute an investigation, study the symptoms, diagnose the problems, determine what kinds of tests are needed, design the necessary repairs, and maintain existing systems. This course is co-listed with Engineering for Professionals EN.565.633.
Area: Engineering
This course will discuss the analysis and design of structures exposed to fire. It will cover the fundamentals of fire behavior, heat transfer, the effects of fire loading on materials and structural systems, and the principles and design methods for fire resistance design. Particular emphasis will be placed on the advanced modeling and computational tools for performance-based design. Applications of innovative methods for fire resistance design in large structural engineering projects, such as stadiums and tall buildings, will also be presented.
Area: Engineering
Writing Intensive
This course discusses advanced topics in numerical modeling by the nonlinear finite element method with application to structural systems subjected to thermal loads. Covered topics include heat transfer and structural analyses, computational constitutive modeling, best practices for constructing and interpreting numerical models, and use of numerical modeling to support performance-based structural design. The course includes hands-on projects with a nonlinear finite element software. At least one graduate-level course in finite element method and one in structural analysis are prerequisites.
Area: Engineering
From earthquakes to wind events, lateral forces constitute some of the most extreme loading conditions for which new and existing building structures must be analyzed and designed to resist. This course provides a fundamental yet practical introduction to the development and application of earthquake and wind loadings on building structures, the dynamic response and behavior of structures to lateral forces, and the bases and requirements for ductile design and detailing of steel, concrete, wood, and masonry lateral force resisting elements. The course will build on these analysis and design fundamentals to examine the technical considerations and methodologies for evaluating the lateral force resisting systems of existing, oftentimes monumental, building structures, and for designing and implementing repairs and retrofits to these lateral systems, including the application of Performance Based Design. This course is co-listed with EN.565.636.
Area: Engineering
The goal of this course is to introduce a series of optimization modeling techniques, including linear, integer, and robust optimization. The course covers theoretical aspects of modeling and solution methods, as well as foundations and tips for practical examples. Enrollees are expected to know basic linear algebra. Familiarity with linear programming, real analysis, and coding is recommended but not required.
Area: Engineering
The goal of this course is to introduce various advanced topics in optimization, including integer optimization, robust optimization, and inverse optimization. The course covers theoretical aspects of modeling and solution methods, as well as foundations and tips for practical examples. Enrollees are expected to have completed EN.553.761 or a comparable course on Linear Programming.
In recent years, sustainability progress has resulted mainly from developing and implementing smart, sustainable technology solutions. This course examines opportunities to drive sustainability through technology applications, deemed the “smart city”. Smart city technology ranges from intelligent infrastructure in modern cities to mobile applications that enable the “sharing economy” and facilitate energy access in remote regions of East Africa. This course will not only concern “first-world” problems; we will explore the transformative solutions currently driving growth in emerging markets and the developing world. Students will develop the skills to piece together a sustainable, smart city.
Area: Engineering
This course revolves around the grid integration of renewable energy systems and operations of energy systems with renewables. The main emphasis is on grid level effects of renewable energy, particularly solar and wind power systems, and how these effects can be analyzed using mathematical modeling and modern software tools. The course begins with an introduction to basic power system concepts (transmission/distribution system modeling, power transformers, conventional and renewable generation technologies) along with power flow analysis and optimization. Following that, the course considers applications of optimal power flow and its variants to electricity market operations. An important component of this course is a guided project that will be carried out by students in small groups; each group will choose a real-world energy system to research and analyze and will present their findings at the end of the semester. Prior knowledge of circuits (including operations with complex numbers), linear algebra, calculus, and optimization is helpful, but not required. This course is co-listed with EN.560.449.
Area: Engineering
An introduction to operations research and its applications. The course will review the basics of mathematical modelling, linear programming, primal and dual Simplex methods, post-optimization analysis, decomposition methods, and heuristic methods along with sample applications. Recommended course background (EN.553.291 or AS.110.201) and AS.110.109 or equivalent. This course is co-listed with EN.560.450.
Prerequisite(s): Students who have taken EN.560.450 are not eligible to take EN.560.650.
Area: Engineering
Many real-world problems can be modeled using network structures, and solved using tools from network theory. For this reason, network modeling plays a critical role in various disciplines ranging from physics and mathematics, to biology and computer science, and almost all areas of social science. This course will provide an introduction to network theory, network flow algorithms, modeling processes on networks and examples of empirical network applications spanning transport, health and energy systems.
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
Our space systems are under attack. Cyberattacks are among the most prevalent threats to space assets. They are often stealthy, inexpensive and highly effective at achieving an adversary’s goal – be it data corruption, IP theft or physical destruction of the satellite. Given space systems are complex, composing ground stations, communications and satellites the surface area of attack is vast and considering the constrained computing capacity of space systems, many traditional security mechanisms are not applicable. This course introduces how an adversary would approach attacking a satellite, opportunities for systems engineers to develop cyber-resilient assets and relevant policies and best practices to support space system cybersecurity. Recommended classes - EP 675.600 and 675.601.
Area: Engineering
System dynamics is a versatile analytical framework to understand and tackle problems which involve complex interactions among multiple variables and constraints. This course introduces the basics of systems thinking and system dynamics modeling and analysis. Qualitative and quantitative tools are discussed. Students will learn to identify and formulate system's structure and simulate their behavior using specialized software in order to develop potential intervention strategies. Fields of applications include engineering, climate change, resilience, logistics, public policy analysis, business, and decision-making.
Area: Engineering
This course provides an in-depth discussion of the simulation of disaster risk on socio-technical systems (from countries to cities). The course covers the algorithmic structure of catastrophe models; modeling of the intensity fields of hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods; methods to develop building and infrastructure vulnerability functions, structure of exposure layers, and estimation of post-disaster injuries and casualties. The students learn to produce basic stochastic catalogs from where risk metrics are calculated. Finally, the risk-reduction policy formulation process is presented using as input the catastrophe model-generated information. The course has a strong real-life application side analyzing World Bank risk reduction projects. Students will gain introductory experience in the use of GIS, Matlab, and R. This course is co-listed with EN.560.458.
Area: Engineering, Quantitative and Mathematical Sciences
Additive Manufacturing (AM) removes many geometric constraints imposed by traditional manufacturing processes. Resultingly, systems can be designed to support and improve multiple design objectives, which has the potential to alter the way products are designed. While this allows for the fabrication of more complex and often unprecedented geometries, it also increases the complexity designers face. In addition, engineers must not only understand AM technologies and materials, they must also be able to synthesize its economic and environmental impacts on a manufacturing value chain. Additive Manufacturing and Design will provide an in-depth overview of the most common – and promising – AM technologies, materials, and design methods by including examples from state-of-the-art research. A particular emphasis is placed on Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), where the different topics will converge to fully utilize the newly created design space.
Area: Engineering
Writing Intensive
This course will discuss the computational design tool of topology optimization and its application to the design of “structures", including structural systems, complaint mechanisms, multifunctional devices, and material architectures. Particular emphasis will be placed on the emerging trend known as Design for Additive Manufacturing (AM), and the role of topology optimization in guiding the design of parts to be fabricated by AM processes (3D printing, Selective Laser Sintering, etc). The course will largely focus on design problems concerned with mechanical properties, with extensions to fluidic, thermal, optical, etc. properties also discussed. The course assumes some familiarity with finite element methods and assumes no prior coursework in optimization.
Area: Engineering
Graduate students are expected to register for this course each semester. Both internal and outside speakers are included. The first three meetings are dedicated to presentations by the faculty from the Civil and Systems Engineering Department.
Seminar series of speakers on various aspects of civil engineering. Different speakers are invited each semester. Full time civil engineering graduate students must enroll in the seminar course every semester unless excused by the Department.
Variational methods and mathematical foundations, Direct and Iterative solvers, 1-D Problems formulation and boundary conditions, Trusses, 2-D/ 3D Problems, Triangular elements, QUAD4 elements, Higher Order Elements, Element Pathology, Improving Element Convergence, Dynamic Problems.
Concepts of stability of equilibrium, stability criteria, work energy and variational methods. Elastic buckling of columns, beams, frames, and plates. Introduction to inelastic and dynamic buckling.
Addresses advanced topics in various areas of the finite element methodology. Covers a range of topics, viz. element stability and hourglass control, adaptive methods for linear and nonlinear problems, mixed and hybrid element technology, eigen-value problems, multi-scale modeling for composites and polycrystalline materials. Recommended Course Background: EN.530.730 or EN.560.730
This course will discuss state of the art theoretical developments and modeling techniques in nonlinear computational mechanics, for problems with geometric and material nonlinearities. Large deformation of elastic-plastic and visco-plastic materials, contact-friction and other heterogeneous materials like composites and porous materials will be considered. A wide variety of applications in different disciplines, e.g. metal forming, composite materials, polycrystalline materials will be considered.
This course provides an overview of bilevel optimization in large-scale, regional-level energy systems. Topics covered include Mathematical Programs and Equilibrium Problems with Equilibrium Constraints, Binary Equilibrium, Energy Infrastructure, and Pricing in Electricity Markets. At least one graduate-level course in continuous optimization as well as programming experience are prerequisites.
Independent Study.
Area: Engineering
Graduate students pursue research problems with a faculty supervisor. This course will provide a Civil and Systems Engineering graduate-level research experience to those pursuing their graduate degrees (Master’s or doctoral degree) which will help a student engage in research on a specific topic and/or in specific research group under faculty supervision. Prior to course registration, students will submit a research proposal for approval by the research supervisor and the student’s faculty advisor.
Graduate students pursue research problems with a faculty supervisor. This course will provide a Civil and Systems Engineering graduate-level research experience to those pursuing their graduate degrees (Master’s or doctoral degree) which will help a student engage in research on a specific topic and/or in specific research group under faculty supervision. Prior to course registration, students will submit a research proposal for approval by the research supervisor and the student’s faculty advisor.