Introduction to Civil Engineering Design
and Digital Skills

Module Lead

Gary Underwood

Tutors

Franziska Conrad
Dr Lyndon Buck
Dr Tim Woolman
Dr Ara Khodavirdi
Dr Maria Stagno Navarra
Dr Jack Denny
Prof Dave White
Carl Leroy-Smith

Civil engineering is a design discipline that is broad and holistic, while also focused and precise. It utilises experimentation, creativity, numerical analysis and the application of scientific principles to deliver sustainable solutions for people, our societies, cultures and environments. It requires engineers who have refined their skills through experience and demonstrate they can apply learning within a highly communicative, process-driven, teamworking environment.

This module encourages Civil Engineering students to apply fundamental design processes to create viable, sustainable engineering solutions. Beginning with human- centred research methods, students learn how to produce multiple concepts before selecting an appropriate design.

Practical skills in hand-drawing, metalworking, riveting, welding, model making, 3D printing and laser cutting are taught alongside digital skills in AutoCAD and Python computer programming. Communication skills are also a main feature of the module, and students express their ideas in a range of media including sketches, digital and physical models, presentations and design portfolios.

The module culminates in a group project, where students use their learnt practical and computational skills to design a bridge for a real-world market and location. which they model and test to analyse its performance.