Civil Engineering in a Changing Environment

Overview

This module will consider how our environment is changing and the role of civil engineers to both mitigate this change and adapt to it. The module will present the science of the climate emergency, which is one of the most pressing issues facing humanity. It will set out how as civil engineers must reframe everything we do in order to prevent further climate change (climate mitigation) and discuss the myriad of ways that engineers are adapting to the changes that we are already experiencing (climate adaption).

International targets that have been set to slow and ultimately prevent further global warming will be discussed with a particular focus on how these apply to what we do as civil engineers. The infrastructure we create contributes 70% of all existing global greenhouse gas emissions, so civil engineers have a key role in rethinking how that infrastructure should be designed, built and operated to reduce these emissions. The module will introduce students to the concept of net zero carbon and will discuss how we use whole life cycle carbon footprinting to make informed decisions about how we design, create, maintain and use infrastructure. Concepts including efficient design, designing out waste, embodied and operational carbon will be covered. Students will also be asked to consider an engineer’s role to question if new infrastructure is actually needed and/or to facilitate behavioural change for end users.

As the effects of global warming can already be seen and (even with effective climate mitigation strategies) will increase over the following decades, the module will also consider how engineers must adapt to changes in climate (climate adaption). This will be done through a series of case studies considering issues such as extreme rainfall, drought, and sea level change.

By the end of this module, the student should have knowledge and understanding of:
• the causes and consequences of past, present and future environmental change and a civil engineer’s role in mitigating and adapting to these changes
• the concept of net zero carbon and how it applies to the civil engineering industry
• how to use sustainability assessments (CEEQUAL, BREEAM etc) for construction projects
• the strategies that can be used to reduce the operational carbon of buildings and infrastructure
• scenarios where engineers are already adapting to climate change (e.g. extreme rainfall, drought, and sea level change)

By the end of this module, the student should be able to:
• define net carbon zero
• calculate the embodied carbon in a development, by taking off quantities and applying appropriate carbon factors
• apply the principles of Designing out Waste to reduce carbon impacts from their designs
• balance any trade-offs between decreasing operational carbon in buildings by increasing their embodied carbon

The key skills developed by taking this module include:
• Independent learning
• Project-orientated group work
• Applying key theoretical concepts and analysis techniques to real life case study examples, allowing students to formulate the results of conceptual assessments in the form of clear, concise and coherent technical reports and oral presentations.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, the student should have knowledge and understanding of:
• the causes and consequences of environmental change
• a civil engineer’s role in achieving net zero carbon to mitigate environmental changes
• scenarios where engineers are already adapting to environmental change

Skills

The key skills developed by taking this module include:
• Independent learning
• Project-orientated group work

Assessment

None