What Civil Engineers Should be Studying

This is my initial list of several classes that probably define many of the future opportunities in civil engineering.  These are classes offered by Columbia University.  I plan on periodically adding to the list when I come across interesting and important classes.

CIEN E4260x Urban ecology studio 4 pts. Lect: 3. Lab: 3. Prerequisites: Graduate standing and the instructor's permission. Conjoint studio run with the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) that explores solutions to problems of urban density. Engineering and GSAPP students will engage in a joint project that address habitability and sustainability issues in an urban environment, and also provides community service. Emphasis will be on the integration of science, engineering and design within a social context. Interdisciplinary approaches and communication will be stressed.

CIEN E6131y Quantitative infrastructure risk management 3 pts. Lect: 3. Prerequisites: IEOR E4003, CIEN E4133 or the equivalent. Core concepts of risk analysis, risk mitigation, and quantitative risk management applied to civil infrastructure systems. State of art of simulation applied to infrastructure risk management during construction and operation. Public Private Partnership (PPP) risk management: identification, quantification, mitigation of risks in transportation and energy PPP systems. Risk management during construction using the envelop method.

CIEN E6132y Advanced systems and technologies for global project collaboration 3 pts. Lect: 3.Not offered in 2013-2014. Prerequisites: CIEN E4129 or the equivalent. Systems and technologies that support collaborative work in global projects. Information technologies for design, visualization, project management, and collaboration in globally distributed networks of design, fabrication, and construction organizations, including Web-based, parametric computer-aided modeling, project organizational simulation, and other emerging applications. Global team project with students at collaborating universities abroad.

CIEN E6133y Advanced construction and infrastructure risk management using real options Not offered in 2013-2014. Prerequisites: CIEN E6131 Advanced concepts of risk analysis and management applied to civil engineering systems. Identifying and valuing flexibility in construction and operation. Tools to perform risk analysis in flexible civil infrastructure systems. Valuation methods for real options. Risk flexibility analyis; integrating real options analysis with quantitative risk analysis. Applications to case studies on construction management, life-cycle cost analysis for infrastructure assets, public-private partnerships projects, real estate developments, and renewable energy infrastructure projects.

CIEN E4139x The Theory and Practice of virtual design and construction 3 pts. Lect: 3. Prerequisites: CIEN E4129 or Instructor's Permission. Virtual Design and Construction describes a methodology that encompasses the authoring, analysis and management of multidisciplinary as well as multi-dimensional, data-based models, commonly referred to as Building Information Models (BIM). Very broadly, a BIM is a 3D representation of the physical and functional aspects of a building, in essence a virtual geometric database. Although other industries such as manufacturing or gaming have long since adopted the use of 3D models, the building industry has only recently begun to recognize the value of this innovation and its implications. This course will review the history and development of Building Information Modeling, its uses in Design and Construction, and introduce the importance of planning in BIM Implementation. This course focuses on the role of visual design and construction concepts and methodologies including integrated project delivery forms in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry from project design, cost estimating, project scheduling, coordination, fabrication, installation, and financing. The global building industry is experiencing a unique period of disruptive change fomented by a challenging economic environment and enabled by the use of new concepts and processes for the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. Virtual design and construction is a revolutionary leap forward in technology that is characterized by its information-centric approach to 3-dimensional modeling. However, the benefits of virtual design and construction are ultimately limited by the quality of the underlying processes and workflows upon which its overlaid, which is where Lean for process improvement delivers its value. Enhancing the whole are new forms of contractual agreements, such as integrated project delivery, that enmesh designers, construction managers, and trade contractors in a more collaborative atmosphere. In this course students will be introduced to the historical convergence of building information modeling, integrated project delivery forms; the applications and limitations of their use; and the implications for the future of the industry and its practitioners.

CIEN E4137y Managing Civil Infrastructure Systems 3 pts. Lect: 3. Examination of the fundamentals of infrastructure planning & management with a focus upon the application of rational methods that support infrastructure decision-making. Institutional environment & issues. Decision-making under certainty and uncertainty. Capital budgeting & financing. Group decision processes. Elements of decision and finance theory. This course takes the perspective that infrastructure managers are primarily decisionmakers. For instance, infrastructure managers routinely: (a) choose between various technologies, (b) allocate resources, (c) program capital investments and (d) make repair or replace decisions, just to name a few. Over roughly the last quarter century, the fields of decision and management science have developed a variety of useful tools that promulgate rational decision processes. These approaches provide a means for structuring and resolving decision problems systematically. Thus, we will spend the majority of our time covering these methods and techniques and discussing how they might improve infrastructure planning & management. We will also discuss: (a) the unique institutional environment of infrastructure management, (b) the role infrastructure plays in contemporary socioeconomic systems and (c) pertinent special topics such as financing, performance assessment and management systems. Students enrolling in the course should be comfortable with the fundamentals of probability and engineering economics.

CIEN E4135y Strategic management global design and construction 3 pts. Lect: 3.Not offered in 2013-2014. Core concepts of strategic planning, management and analysis within the construction industry. Industry analysis, strategic planning models and industry trends. Strategies for information technology, emerging markets and globalization. Case studies to demonstrate key concepts in real-world environments.

CIEN E4133x or y Capital facility planning and financing 3 pts. Lect: 3. Prerequisites: CIEN E4129 or equivalent. Planning and financing of capital facilities with a strong emphasis upon civil infrastructure systems. Project feasibility and evaluation. Design of project delivery systems to encourage best value, innovation and private sector participation. Fundamentals of engineering economy and project finance. Elements of life cycle cost estimation and decision analysis. Environmental, institutional, social and political factors. Case studies from transportation, water supply and wastewater treatment.