THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2022/2023

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Engineering : Civil

Undergraduate Course: Environmental Engineering 3 (CIVE09020)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Engineering CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThis course presents a broad introduction to Environmental Engineering. A set of fundamental principles that serves as the foundation for the entire field of environmental engineers will be overviewed. These principles are based on scientific fundamentals: chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics. This course explores how these fundamental principles are applied. Applications are selected from water quality engineering, air quality engineering, and hazardous waste management. The main elements of assessing environmental impacts of human activities, projects and plans will be explained. Students will conduct an environmental impact assessment and apply environmental design techniques for a specific problem definition.

This course will encourage students to think in an interdisciplinary way, make judgements and decisions to solve environmental problems in an integrated way.
Course description Lectures
Module 1: Fundamentals
L1 Introduction to Environmental Engineering
Overview of course objectives and working approach. Historical background and examples of environmental challenges and engineering approaches. Units of measure. Dimensional analysis
L2 Water, air and their impurities
Water and hydrosphere. Air and the Atmosphere. Impurities in Environmental media.
L3 Transformation processes
Factors governing contaminant concentrations. Governing concepts. Material balance, phase changes and partitioning. Equilibrium vs non-equilibrium dynamics.
L4 Physical processes
Reactor models: batch reactor; completely mixed flow reactor; plug flow reactor; advance examples.
L5 Biological processes and environmental risk.
Ecosystem structure and function; population dynamics; energy and material flows in ecosystems; biodiversity, environmental risk and sustainability
L6 Transport phenomena
Basic concepts and mechanisms. Particle motion, diffusion, advection reaction models; Streeter-Phelps model; exchange processes at interfaces
L7 River ecomorphodynamics. Concepts of river mechanics and sediment transport; physiology and phytology of riparian vegetation; water-sediment-vegetation interactions; short, medium and long term dynamics

Module 2: Applications
L8 Applications - Air Quality Engineering Nature of Air Pollution Problems
L9 Applications - The nature of water quality problems. Overview of Water Quality Regulations and Treatment Systems. Physical, chemical and biological wastewater treatment
L10 Applications - River restoration, soil water regime management and remediation

Module 3: Tutorials and coursework
* Coursework: Report Writing and Presentation
* Tutorials: Tutorial Questions will be handed out as relevant to topics. Tutorials will be arranged when required.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 22, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 65 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) 100% coursework
Feedback Formative, mid-semester, end of course
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. describe the role of Civil/Environmental Engineers in the face of the Climate Emergency;
  2. describe environmental challenges and identify solutions;
  3. describe and explore climate impacts in the built and natural environments
  4. evaluate design solution alternatives within the water environment;
  5. analyse an environmental problem and define the problem characteristics
Reading List
* Mihelcic, J.R., Zimmerman, J.B. (2010) Environmental Engineering: Fundamentals, Sustainability, Design. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
* Nazaroff, W.W., Alvarez-Cohen, L. (2001) Environmental Engineering Science. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
* Cunningham, W.P., Cunningham, M.A., Woodworth Saigo, B. (2007) Environmental Science: A global concern. McGrawHill Higher Education
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills This course contributes to knowledge and understanding of:
* The underpinning principles and theories of all main aspects of the discipline of Civil Engineering.
* The role of the engineer in the infrastructure project cycle, and their responsibilities in promoting environmentally sustainable solutions, and in ensuring safe working practices.
* The fundamental knowledge of chemistry and biology that underpin all environmental engineering processes.
* Physical, chemical and biological processes and their interaction with the natural and built environment.
* Life cycle assessment of environmental engineering activities.
This course develops intellectual skills so that on completion students will be able to:
* Identify and apply appropriate analytical tools for the analysis and solution of engineering problems.
* Approach problems and design holistically, and work to an appropriate level of detail for the stage of analysis or design that is required.
* Learn new theories, concepts, methods, etc and how to apply them in environmental treatment processes and technologies.
Practical skills developed in this course include the ability to
* Apply a range of software tools in design.
* Work effectively in a group environment.
* Improve presentation, reading (reports and scientific papers) and writing skills.
Transferable skills developed in this course include the ability to
* Competently use computers and general software including spreadsheets, word processing and presentation packages.
* Apply analytical skills to a wide variety of problems.
* Communication skills.
Knowledge of the science and mathematics underpinning Civil Engineering is developed in this course so that students acquire
* Knowledge and understanding of the fundamental scientific principles that underpin an education in civil engineering, and an appreciation of their application.
* The ability to use mathematical methods and tools in the analysis and solution of civil engineering problems.
* An awareness of developing technologies in a specialised area of civil engineering.
* Knowledge and understanding of mathematical models relevant to civil engineering, and an appreciation of their limitations.
Areas of engineering analysis acquired in this course include
* The ability to apply knowledge and understanding of engineering principles to the solution of civil engineering problems.
* Knowledge and understanding of underpinning principles and theories in environmental engineering and sustainability.
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserProf Lindsay Beevers
Tel: (0131 6)50 7209
Email:
Course secretaryMr Craig Hovell
Tel: (0131 6)51 7080
Email:
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