Program Description The MSc in Civil Engineering satisfies the demand in academia and industry for highly-qualified personnel in the field of Civil Engineering.The MSc in Civil Engineering satisfies the demand for highly-qualified personnel in the field of Civil Engineering. This demand is fueled by the requirements to maintain an aging infrastructure and to maintain and develop natural resources with minimal environmental impact to natural systems. Sustainability and structural durability and the impact of climate change on civil engineering works have become increasingly important challenges in the field of civil engineering.
This program offers students the opportunity for advanced study and the development of independent research abilities in the discipline areas of construction, environmental, geotechnical and geoenvironmental, rock, structural, transportation and water resources engineering. Students will have the opportunity to conduct advanced study in emerging areas such as: intelligent construction equipment management and computer-integrated construction engineering; electrokinetic ground improvement and remediation; rockburst dynamics and dynamic stability of structures; structural fire engineering; structural health monitoring and structural dynamics; and studies on multiphase jets and plumes and dynamics of complex fluids. The program requirements are achieved through a combination of course work and research towards the completion of a thesis.
Several laboratories are equipped to support the broad range of advanced experimental research, including a new state-of-the-art Structural Fire Testing and Research Laboratory. This world-class facility has a large fire testing furnace that allows study of the fire resistance of various large-scale building components, such as beams, columns and floor assemblies.
Research areas include the following: Construction Engineering: Automated construction performance monitoring; Intelligent data collection systems; Greenhouse gas emission reduction in construction; Innovative methods for construction in cold regions. Environmental Engineering: Water and wastewater treatment; Cold regions environmental engineering. Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering: Electrokinetic ground improvement; Durability of cement-based concrete; Electrokinetic remediation; Hydrogeological and contaminant transport monitoring and analysis; Waste containment barriers; Hazardous waste site characterization. Rock Engineering: Rock mechanics and mining engineering; Tunnelling and underground excavations; Landslides and open pit slopes; Rockburst dynamics; Structural reliability; Dynamic stability of structures. Structural Engineering: Fire resistance testing of steel, concrete and heavy timber structures; Finite element modelling of structural components subjected to fire; Performance-based design of structures; Building fire and smoke computer modelling; Health monitoring and rehabilitation of civil engineering structures under natural or man-made excitations; Structural dynamics; Vibration and control; Sensors and sensing technology; Earthquake engineering; Experimental studies of steel connections. Transportation Engineering: Design, operational and safety performance evaluation of transportation systems including intersection analysis, capacity analysis, transportation safety studies, transportation software applications and pavement performance. Water Resources Engineering: Experimental and numerical investigations on hydraulic structures; Experimental and numerical studies on multiphase flows; Investigations on non-Newtonian and complex fluids; River modelling; Hydrologic systems analysis and investigations; Drought analysis; Drainage and irrigation systems analysis; Flow through porous media analysis.
