Students can take part in hands-on design experiences through courses and design contests.
Integrated Engineering Design Courses
As part of the required senior design experience at Duke's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, second semester seniors elect to take either CE 192 - Integrated Structural Design or CE 193 - Integrated Environmental Design. These two classes are interwoven with each other and three other courses (CE 162 - Architectural Engineering II, CE 292 - Structural Engineering Project Management, and CE 293 - Environmental Engineering Project Management). These five classes work together to tackle a "real-world" engineering project.
In the Spring semester of 2005, our seniors collaborated on the design of approximately 40,000 square feet of research space on the campus of Duke University. The site selected for this project was a 2-acre parcel located at the corner of Science Drive and Towerview on the West Campus of Duke University.
Our students were individually responsible for different facets of the project, with the course being conducted as if project team members were actual employees of an engineering firm. Students completed all the analysis and evaluation required for a cost-effective design. As deliverables for the project, students developed design drawings with suitable documentation/reports supporting design assumptions, sufficient to release for bidding to potential contractors.
The approximate scope each team's responsibilities were:
Architectural Division Tasks (CE 162)- Siting of Project
- Foundation Design for the Building
- Column and Beam Design for the Building
- Slab on Grade and Floor Slab Design
- Retaining Wall Design
- Environmental Site Assessment/Remedial Design
- Wastewater Treatment Unit Process Design
- Grading and Erosion Control Plan (including an analysis of the slope stability)
- Stormwater Plan
- Stream Restoration and Wetland Creation Design
- Water Distribution Design
- Wastewater Conveyance System Design
Project Management Tasks (CE 292/293)
- Establishing Direct vs. Indirect Expenses and Associated Multiplier, Bill Rates and Budget for the Project
- Tracking Utilization and Schedule Compliance
For the successful completion of the project, it was critically important that the five classes work together as the decisions made by one class affected the work plan of the other classes (layout and location of the building impacted the foundation design, the grading plan, the foundation wall height and location, potential stream and wetland creation requirements, etc.). During the semester, the classes held joint roundtable discussions where design issues affecting all the classes could be addressed. To further assist in the "real-world" experience, practicing professionals were invited to join in one of the discussions.
In the final design, the students from all five courses presented engineering designs that were creative, integrated, and followed excellent engineering standard of care.
Regional, National and International Design Contests
Students from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department annually compete in design competitions where they test their design abilities against those of colleagues studying at other institutions.
- The ASCE Carolina's Conference, where students compete in a regional competition focusing on the various sub-disciplines within the field, culminates in the annual steel bridge and concrete canoe competitions. As part of the competitions student teams conceptualize and fabricate a canoe made of concrete and/or a steel bridge. They then report on the process and finally race their creations in head-to-head competitions and build and test their bridge. Students can get involved in this activity through Duke's ASCE chapter.
- The WERC Environmental Design Contest held annually in Las Cruces, New Mexico, attracts international environmental engineering teams who compete in a selected task or tasks to address real-world engineering problems. The contest challenges the students with devising technologies to resolve problems that challenge government and industry, and they compete for recognition and cash prizes. The competition culminates during a week-long event held in April where students showcase their work through research papers, oral and poster presentations and bench-scale demonstrations. Environmental professionals working in government, industry and academia judge their work. The WERC partnership is comprised of New Mexico State University (its administrative location), University of New Mexico, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Diné College and Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories. The consortium's mission is to develop the human resources and technologies needed to address environmental issues through education, public outreach and technology development.
- The annual Environmental Protection Agency P3: People, Prosperity and the Planet Sustainable Design Competition, held annually in Washington, DC gives students a chance to try out their ideas for sustainable living. The National Sustainable Design Expo, held in the spring each year on the National Mall in Washington, DC, was created to bring together professional scientists, engineers, and business leaders around innovations designed to advance economic growth while reducing environmental impact.
