Master of Engineering (Environmental)

The aim of this subject is to provide an introduction to modelling the stresses and deformations that occur when axial, torsional and flexural loads are applied to a body in static equilibrium, as well as the translational and rotational motions that eventuate in a body subject to different load applications. This material will be complemented with laboratory and project based approaches to learning.

The subject provides the basis for all the mechanical engineering subjects that follow. The calculations introduced in this subject are the most common type of calculations performed by professional mechanical engineers in all sectors of the industry.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics to be covered include free-body diagrams; equilibrium; force systems; stresses and strains; coordinate systems; statically indeterminate systems; flexure; bending under combine loads; torsion; power transmission; kinematics; relative motion; particle kinetics; impulse and momentum; vibration; rigid body motion; angular impulse and momentum; work and energy.

AIMS

This subject concerns the fundamental science of fluid flow relevant to a range of engineering applications, and is essential for specialisations relating to Chemical, Civil and Environmental Engineering.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include - Fluid statics, manometry, derivation of the continuity equation, mechanical energy balance, friction losses in a straight pipe, Newton’s law of viscosity, treatment of pipe roughness, valves and fittings; simple pipe network problems; principles of open channel flow; compressible flow, propagation of pressure wave, isothermal and adiabatic flow equations in a pipe, choked flow. Pumps – pump characteristics, centrifugal pumps, derivation of theoretical head, head losses leading to the actual pump head curve, calculating system head, determining the operating point of a pumping system, throttling for flow control, cavitation and NPSH, affinity laws and pump scale-up, introduction to positive displacement pumps; stirred tanks- radial, axial and tangential flow, type of agitators, vortex elimination, the standard tank configuration, power number and power curve, dynamic and geometric similarity in scale-up; Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, Multi-dimensional fluid flow-momentum flux, development of multi-dimensional equations of continuity and for momentum transfer, Navier-Stokes equations, application to tube flow, Couette flow, Stokes flow.

This subject introduces important mathematical methods required in engineering such as manipulating vector differential operators, computing multiple integrals and using integral theorems. A range of ordinary and partial differential equations are solved by a variety of methods and their solution behaviour is interpreted. The subject also introduces sequences and series including the concepts of convergence and divergence.

Topics include: Vector calculus, including Gauss’ and Stokes’ Theorems; sequences and series; Fourier series, Laplace transforms; systems of homogeneous ordinary differential equations, including phase plane and linearization for nonlinear systems; second order partial differential equations and separation of variables.

AIMS

This capstone subject involves an investigation and problem-solving project which will require students to apply a broad knowledge to realistic problems typical of what would be expected with employment in the environmental engineering industry. The subject revolves around the engineering education framework - CIDO: conceive, design, implement, operate, with the addition of 'monitor and evaluate'. Students will apply skills developed in other subjects to a single overarching project that will run through the entire semester. The project will require the students to develop a conceptual and quantitative model of a small-scale environmental engineering system (e.g. a biofiltration system). The students will then build and operate these systems and undertake monitoring and analysis of their behaviour to provide a critical appraisal of the original model. Having characterised the system, interpretation and evaluation of the impacts of a scaled up system on associated human and non-human stakeholders will form part of an evidence based report. Students will also be expected to critically evaluate the quality of their model, assumptions, data and analysis. The subject will be supported by specialised lectures and workshops.

AIMS

In this subject students will be introduced to physical earth processes and their engineering applications and implications. In particular, the subject concentrates on engineering aspects of climate, water and soils and their interactions. Simplified modelling and relevant analytical techniques are introduced throughout the subject. The students will learn about fundamental material required for later year subjects such as CVEN30010 System Modelling and Design, CVEN90044 Engineering Site Characterisation and CVEN90050 Geotechnical Engineering.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Climate and seasonality; carbon cycle, global water cycle and catchment water cycle; rainfall, infiltration, runoff and evapotranspiration; catchment processes and stochastic rainfall modelling; soil identification; landscape forming processes; basic soil mechanics; earth engineering stability; revision.

AIMS

This subject introduces transport processes in biomedical systems, complementing and reinforcing material learned in related biology subjects. Students will be introduced to the process of developing engineering models and simple conceptual designs in the context of biological systems. The subject covers fundamental concepts of diffusion and conservation within momentum, heat and mass transport. Within momentum transport, specific topics include Newton’s law of viscosity, viscosity of gases and liquids, conservation of momentum, velocity distributions in simple laminar flows, boundary layer concepts and turbulence and the Reynolds number. Within heat transport, Fourier’s law of conduction is covered. Within mass transport, specific topics include Fick’s first and second laws of diffusion, diffusivities of gases, liquids and solids, binary mixture diffusion and conservation of mass, concentration distributions in simple binary systems including identifying appropriate boundary conditions, concentration boundary layer concepts, Schmidt and Sherwood numbers, definition and use of mass transfer coefficients.

Students will examine transport of molecules and cells in biological systems to describe various key processes, such as cell migration and provision of cell nutrition. The role of transport processes in biological systems and employed in clinical applications, such as dialysis, will be described using simple engineering models.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include momentum transport, viscosity, turbulence, heat transport, mass transport, diffusion in binary systems, unsteady state mass transfer, and modelling biological transport processes.

This subject introduces students to the nature of engineering work and the engineering profession.  The one activity that professional engineers spend the majority of their work time undertaking is communication, whether in the verbal or written form.  One of the aims of this subject is to develop the critical skills of effective oral and written communications allowing them to learn how to effectively engage with stakeholders and clients.  Students will also learn about how engineers identify problems then formulate solutions.  Engineers need to be able to assimilate information from a range of sources.  In this subject, students will learn effective use of library and information resources, how to share information and to manage knowledge.  As engineers rarely work in isolation, students will develop their teamwork skills and will learn about meeting and group dynamics.  Other professional topics covered include ethics and academic honesty, and the engineering recruitment process.

The aim of this subject is to give participants both practical experience in, and theoretical insights into, elements of engineering innovation.

The subject is intense, challenging, experiential and requires significant self-direction. Participants will work on an innovation project sponsored by a local organisation.

A key theme is that the individual cannot be separated from the technical processes of engineering innovation. The impact of both individual and team contributions to the engineering and innovation processes will be examined in the context of real world challenges.

All project sponsors will require that students maintain the confidentiality of their proprietary information.  Some project sponsors will require students to assign any Intellectual Property created (other than Copyright in their Assessment Materials) to the University.  The projects may vary in the hours needed for a successful outcome.

AIMS

This subject will focus on how risk analysis and management principles and techniques can be applied to engineering projects. The subject introduces a range of risk analysis techniques, which are put in the context of engineering projects and analysed using the framework of the risk standard (AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009). Risk is a fundamental concept that is applied to every engineering project, whether it is ascertaining the risk of health impacts of water treatment processes, prevention of loss of life by flood mitigation projects, or catastrophic losses caused by the failure of structure in earthquakes or storms.
The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in Engineering management, but is also of relevance to a range of engineering design disciplines where design for the total life cycle of the product or infrastructure should be considered.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include: an introduction to the history of engineering failures; the forms of risk and risk identification; project risk analysis; the sociological implications of acceptable risk; approaches to risk management, monitoring for compliance, risk perception and design implications.

A capacity to interpret data is fundamental to making informed decisions in everyday life. The design of experiments, analysis, and interpretation of biological data also lie at the very heart of the scientific enterprise. You cannot be a scientist without an understanding of data and design. This subject introduces you to fundamental concepts in data science for biology, with emphasis on modern statistical methods. Drawing on real biological problems and datasets, as well as drawing on data collected by the class, the lectures cover foundational concepts in experimental design and statistical modelling. The subject emphasises hands-on problem solving. As well as a solid grounding in statistical methodology, you will also develop practical skills, developing your capacity to design experiments, collect data, and analyse those data using the R statistical environment.

AIMS

Environmental problems are highly complex and challenging to analyse and are often addressed through modelling. Being skilled at environmental modelling is a core professional requirement for an Environmental Engineer. This subject focuses on environmental modelling methodology including the steps of model conceptualisation, model construction, model evaluation and model application using a range of energy, water and waste models in Matlab. The subject complements ENEN90032 Environmental Analysis Tools and ENEN90028 Monitoring Environmental Impacts which provide other core environmental engineering skills. It provides modelling skills for a wide range of discipline based subjects such as ENEN90006 Solid Wastes, ENEN90034 Environmental Applied Hydrology and ENEN90027 Energy for Sustainable Development. The subject is of particular relevance to all Environmental Engineers but is also of relevance to a range of engineering and environmental analysis disciplines that require advanced modelling skills.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The relationship between theoretical and empirical understanding and their use in model conceptualisation and construction will be explored. This subject introduces a range of environmental modelling techniques applicable to different environmental problems. In this subject students will conceptualise and construct, evaluate and utilise their own model to undertake a technical evaluation of a specified range of potential solutions to an environmental problem. Students will also develop professional judgement skills to critically evaluate models and model results.

Specific topic areas:

• System conceptualisation
• Model construction and validation (computational accuracy)
• Model evaluation
• Calibration and optimisation
• Model uncertainty assessment techniques
• Issues of appropriate model complexity
• Students will have an opportunity to review a modelling topic of their choice.

Students will use MatLab to undertake modelling tasks and will be required to learn some MatLab programming skills in the subject.

This subject provides an overview of a wide range of issues relating to infrastructure engineering, with a particular focus on the environmental, economic, and equity of projects. Students will gain an understanding of the complexities of decision-making, including the role of government and regulation, considerations of intergenerational and intragenerational equity, and assessment of economic and environmental impacts. Students will learn about the influential role that infrastructure plays in shaping a society, and the effects both short-term and long-term. Students will also learn to apply various analytical methods to evaluate infrastructure projects from a sustainability perspective. Lectures and workshops will be structured around case studies of infrastructure projects. Workshops will also provide students with opportunities to enhance oral and written communication skills.

This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects. Engineering Site Characterisation studies how to determine the character of a site for an infrastructure project. Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how a project relates to the broader social, economic, and environmental context. Engineering Project Implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project.

AIMS

Characterisation of sites is an important step in any engineering study or design. In order to devise a design for an engineering project a range of contextual factors need to be determined. These include intrinsic aspects of natural and anthropogenic history, such as geological context and former industrial use as well as it indigenous heritage. Extrinsic impacts on the site such as the risk of flood, fire, and earthquake also need to be well understood. Finally the relationship with the surrounding natural and social environment needs to be characterised to ensure cross boundary effects of the project implementation of post-commissioning use do not cause unpredicted adverse impacts. This subject will examine typical technical tools for characterising a site for infrastructure development, covering a range of the above aspects that are relevant to the site and development. In doing so students will learn the skills and an approach to conduct site assessments, including the ability to select the appropriate geo-environmental tools for site investigations.

This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects; Engineering Site Characterisation studies how to determine the character of a site for a infrastructure project, Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how the project relates to the broader social, political, economic and environmental context, while Engineering Project Implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project. Together they form the basis of further professional infrastructure engineering subjects. Students who have completed this subject will have valuable skills to gain engineering work experience.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Geotechnical site investigations, noise evaluation and mitigation, natural disaster characterisation (fire, wind, earthquakes), introduction to surveying and levelling, in situ testing (soil), geophysical testing and fieldwork, and exposure to laboratory testing (compaction and permeability).

AIMS

The subject has a strong practical component with a five-day field camp during the week before the mid-semester break involving student-led environmental monitoring. There is also a semester long project to design and implement an environmental monitoring program supported by weekly practice classes.

Component skills taught in this subject:

• Conceptualising environmental responses
• Selecting and using environmental measurement techniques (considering scale issues)
• Analysis of environmental monitoring data.

This subject is a critical foundation for a career for environmental engineering but is also relevant to civil and other engineering disciplines where environmental impacts of engineering projects must be addressed to ensure sustainable engineering solutions.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Selection of measurement techniques and consideration of measurement scale, conceptualising environmental responses to human activities, environmental sampling and monitoring design, systematic review of causal evidence, statistical analysis of environmental effects, risk assessments for occupational health and safety during environmental field programs.

AIMS

The aim of this subject is to help students develop capability to effectively summarise environmental variables met in the course of research and design, to select appropriate statistical models describing the data structure, and to conduct statistical inference on underlying processes. Students will apply a variety of models from a conventional or Bayesian approach to solve the problems at hand and derive deterministic or stochastic inferences from them.

The subject is composed of four wide-ranging topics from exploratory data analysis to spatial modelling. At the beginning of each topic, students are provided with a set of data from environmental research, and a number of analysis tools are conveyed in the lectures. The mathematical aspects of the subject build on concepts developed in fundamental engineering mathematics and statistics courses from undergraduate courses. It supports student learning in the capstone design and research projects where data analysis skills are assumed.

The subject provides a fundamental skill for a career in environmental engineering where the ability to analyse and communicate the meaning of time series and spatial data sets are expected.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Specific topics include:

1. Exploratory Data Analysis

• Summary statistics and probability models
• Analysis of variability and hypothesis test
• Linear regression and verification/validation.

2. Time Series Analysis

• Introduction to multivariate analysis
• Principle component analysis
• Stochastic forecast and verification.

3. Methods for Multivariate Data

• Multivariate linear regression
• Principle component analysis.

4. Analysis of Spatial Data

• Simple spatial interpolations
• Analysis of spatial variability
• Spatial models and Kriging.

Systems Modelling and Design is a capstone subject including components from hydrology, hydraulic engineering and geotechnical engineering. This subject contains a design project capsulising knowledge from all three areas. Students will be given briefings on related topics in hydrology, hydraulic engineering and geotechnical engineering in lectures and tutorials; but the emphasis is on self-learning and problem-solving. Students will gain an understanding of the principles governing the flow of water through soil and its consequent impact on failure of soil structures such as what occurs in landslides. Computer models to investigate these areas and laboratory experiments illustrating these phenomena will also be conducted. Students will also learn how to use the systems approach to solve engineering design problems. The application of the systems approach is illustrated via the major design project and complemented with optimisation techniques.

To complete the capstone design project, students are required to apply their knowledge in hydrology, hydraulics and geotechnical engineering to solve a number of design problems while considering multiple and sometimes conflicting design criteria. Students are required to prepare a technical report that documents the designs, relevant data, and result analysis. Both the technical knowledge (e.g. catchment modelling, water distribution system design, and seepage and slope modelling) and transferable skills (e.g. systems approach for problem solving, optimisation, trade-off analysis, data management, communication) obtained through this subject will prepare them for employment in the industry, as well as future study or research.

This subject builds on knowledge gained in subjects such as Engineering Mathematics, Fluid Mechanics and Earth Processes for Engineering and assumes a familiarity with concepts of sustainability and engineering systems. This subject also delivers introductory material for engineering graduate coursework subjects including Geotechnical Engineering, Civil Hydraulics and Quantitative Environmental Modelling.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Stresses in soils, permeability and seepage, flow nets, the effect of seepage on stability, slope stability principles, surface runoff, landslides, design and remediation, trade-off analysis in engineering design, optimisation techniques, the use of computer simulation models to solve engineering design problems.

AIMS

Students that successfully completely this subject will have the skills to practice under a chartered engineer to analyse problems and propose designs in the field of civil and environmental hydraulic engineering. Analysis of water flow in natural and constructed channels is studied in the river hydraulics module. This gives students the fundamental tools to learn techniques such as flood prediction, the design of channels for water movement in irrigation, and the prediction of water levels in channels in environmental flow studies. The movement of water and sediment along coasts due to wave action and currents is the focus of the coastal hydraulics module. An understanding of wave processes in coastal and surf zones is an essential starting point for the design of coastal structures such as piers, groins and jetties. With impending sea level rise, this will be a significant area of civil engineering practice for the foreseeable future. In the third module, the focus will be on processes of sediment transport and geomorphological change in rivers and coastal waters. The ability to analyse these processes can lead to graduates working in the area of river engineering, where for example the erosion of sediment from bridge abutments must be controlled. It is also important in ecological modelling where the movement of sediments and entrainment in water can impact on the habitat of stream biota.

The subject will draw on students’ existing knowledge of fluid mechanics, systems modelling, statistics, engineering mathematics and geomorphology gained from undergraduate or other preparatory study.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

1. River Hydraulics: revision of basic concepts of steady-state open channel flow and extend this with applications in natural river channels, time dependent behaviour and flood hydraulics
2. Coastal Hydraulics: basic wave theory and processes including in the surf zone
3. Sediment Transport and Water Quality: mechanisms and models of particulate and solute transport in rivers and coastal environments.

AIMS

Project management provides an organization with powerful tools that improve its ability to plan, organize and manage resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. In undertaking this subject students will explore the principles and distinct technical skills of engineering management that are needed to implement a project. The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in engineering project management, but is also of relevance to a range of engineering design disciplines where design for the total life cycle of the product or infrastructure should be considered. This subject is part of a trio of subjects that consider different aspects of infrastructure projects; Engineering Site Characterisation studies how to determine the character of a site for a infrastructure project, Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering examines how the a project relates to the broader social, political, economic and environmental context, while project implementation concentrates on the operational aspects of implementing a project.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include key aspects of the management principles, project planning & scheduling, management systems & control and management practices to enable execution of the project in a timely and financially prudent manner.

Note: This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practice Hurdle (EPH).

AIMS

This subject involves a major design project that concentrates on preparing a design proposal for a larger spatial scale infrastructure system such as a suburban precinct, a transport system for a small city, or a precinct level water and renewable energy supply system. The preparation of a feasibility study or conceptual design report will be the key deliverable for this subject. Students would work in small teams and receive guidance from experienced engineers in preparing the infrastructure design proposal, which would concentrate on scoping a design to meet societal needs.

AIMS

This subject involves a major design project that concentrates on conducting a more detailed design of a piece of civil infrastructure such as railway station, airport, school, sports stadium, shopping centre, etc. The design would have scope for structural solutions, site works, innovative energy and water supplies, etc., and would be based on a broad conceptual design proposal that has been given to the design team. The design proposal will be presented at a functional level where the broad specifications of the design and how it might be constructed are generated and evaluated, rather than detailed specifications required for construction.

AIMS

This subject provides the capstone experience for students in Infrastructure Engineering. Students will combine their expertise in interdisciplinary groups or as individuals to address real-world problems, typically in contact with industry.

Project topics will be advertised well in advance of commencement of the subject so that students can make an informed choice of topic and enrol early. Students must register their topic, group and supervisor before the subject commences.

Students with an average score of H1 in the previous 100 points of study and an interest in a PhD have the opportunity to undertake an individual research project.

Notes

Note 1: CVEN90064 IE Research Project 1 Part 1 and CVEN90065 IE Research Project 1 Part 2 must be taken in 2 consecutive semesters. Students may commence in either Semester 1 or Semester 2 and continue their enrolment in the consecutive semester.

Note 2: Students wishing to directly incorporate work done during a non-teaching period must qualify for doing an individual project and have the agreement of a project supervisor and subject coordinator. During the non-teaching period the student must maintain a journal, and review the online lectures, but all assessment will occur at the regular times during the teaching semester.

Note 3: Students and their supervisors must adhere to the University Code of Conduct for research, which may include obtaining human or animal research ethics approval.

Note 4: Students working in University laboratories must comply with OH&S requirements and may be required to undertake additional training such as Workshop Tools Training before access the labs.

Note 5: Students are advised to enrol in the subject at the earliest opportunity to ensure ease of communication prior to the start of semester.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The first half semester addresses research training and comprises online lectures and tutorials with group homework on topics such as project development, literature review, methodology development, skill development, critical thinking, project documentation, reflective writing, and scientific writing. Students will practise these skills throughout their project topics with supervisors providing feedback on the results.

Students then continue the project within their groups and with regular progress meetings with their supervisor for the remainder of the year. The project culminates with students presenting their project and findings on a poster at a student expo, as an oral presentation, and also in written form in the style of a conference paper.

This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practice Hurdle (EPH).

Choice of Research Subject for the Master of Engineering

CVEN90047 is a semester long capstone research project taken over one semester.  It is less suited to research projects that are dependent on methodologies requiring experiments that take longer than 6 weeks to complete, field work, and problems involving research on humans (for example surveys).  It is more suited to methodologies involved computer simulations, analysis of pre-existing data, theoretical studies and shorter experimental programs.

CVEN90064/65 IE Research Project 1 Part 1 and Part 2 have the same assessment and learning outcomes at CVEN90047 but are taken over two consecutive semesters.  Students may commence in either Semester 1 or Semester 2 and continue their enrolment in the consecutive semester.  Because of the extended length and the possibility of work in the break between semesters students wanting to pursue a project that requires extra duration due to logistical issues should enrol in CVEN90064/65

Refer to CVEN90064 IE Research Project 1 Part 1 for details

AIMS

This subject provides the capstone experience for students in Infrastructure Engineering. Students will combine their expertise in interdisciplinary groups or as individuals to address real-world problems, typically in contact with industry.

Project topics will be advertised well in advance of commencement of the subject so that students can make an informed choice of topic and enrol early. Students must register their topic, group and supervisor before the subject commences.

Students with an average score of H1 in the previous 100 points of study and an interest in a PhD have the opportunity to undertake an individual research project.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The first half of semester addresses research training and comprises online lectures and tutorials with group homework on topics such as project development, literature review, methodology development, skill development, critical thinking, project documentation, reflective writing, and scientific writing. Students will practise these skills throughout their project topics with supervisors providing feedback on the results.

Students then continue the project within their groups and with regular progress meetings with their supervisor for the remainder of the year. The project culminates with students presenting their project and findings on a poster at a student expo, an oral presentation at a student conference, and also in written form in the style of a conference paper.

This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practice Hurdle (EPH).

Notes

Note 1: Students wishing to directly incorporate work done during a non-teaching period must qualify for doing an individual project and have the agreement of a project supervisor and subject coordinator. During the non-teaching period the student must maintain a journal, and review the online research techniques lectures, but all assessment will occur at the regular times during the teaching semester.

Note 2: Students and their supervisors must adhere to the University Code of Conduct for research, which may include obtaining human or animal research ethics approval.

Note 3: Students working in University laboratories must comply with OH&S requirements and may be required to undertake additional training such as Workshop Tools Training before access the labs.

Note 4: Students are advised to enrol in the subject at the earliest opportunity to ensure ease of communication prior to the start of semester.

Choice of Research Subject for the Master of Engineering

CVEN90047 is a semester long capstone research project taken over one semester.  It is less suited to research projects that are dependent on methodologies requiring experiments that take longer than 6 weeks to complete, field work, and problems involving research on humans (for example surveys).  It is more suited to methodologies involved computer simulations, analysis of pre-existing data, theoretical studies and shorter experimental programs.

CVEN90064/65 IE Research Project 1 Part 1 and Part 2 have the same assessment and learning outcomes at CVEN90047 but are taken over two consecutive semesters.  Students may commence in either Semester 1 or Semester 2 and continue their enrolment in the consecutive semester.  Because of the extended length and the possibility of work in the break between semesters students wanting to pursue a project that requires extra duration due to logistical issues should enrol in CVEN90064/65