PENG9510 Advanced Project within Structural Engineering and Building Technology Course description

The project assignment deals with complex engineering issues within the field of structural engineering and building technology. The special topics of the assignment are customised in accordance with the focus research area (PhD subject area) of the PhD students. The selected project gives the students experience in applying the theoretical knowledge, scientific methods and suitable simulation, analysis and design tools for solving complex engineering problems.

The course will be offered once a year, provided 3 or more students sign up for the course. If less than 3 students sign up for a course, the course will be cancelled for that year.

Master's degree in structural engineering, building technology or similar field.

Students who complete the course are expected to have the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge:

On successful completion of the course, the student:

• is at the forefront of knowledge within the topic of his/her engineering project.
• has a profound understanding of the state-of-the-art and the latest developments in the professional engineering field relevant to his/her doctoral thesis.
• can apply the theories, methods and processes in scholarly projects as well as in professional engineering projects specific to his/her field of engineering.

Skills:

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• apply theoretical knowledge, scientific methods and simulation tools suitable for solving complex civil engineering problems.
• deal with complex professional issues with an academic approach and reflect critically on established knowledge and practice within the research field of the project.
• plan and conduct scholarly work within the topic of his/her the engineering project.
• analyse existing theories, methods and standardised solutions on practical and theoretical engineering problems.

General competence:

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• apply his/her knowledge and skills to carrying out advanced tasks and projects.
• communicate issues, analyses and solutions to both specialists and non-specialists.
• assess the need for, and initiate innovation in his/her field of expertise.

Through focused seminars, in cooperation with the master's degree in structural engineering and building technology at OsloMet, a wide range of typical complex engineering issues related to analysis and design of buildings and structures are presented. Furthermore, the students are expected to present their research ideas and the results of the project at a seminar.

As example, the course can include the following specific topics:

• Design and durability of concrete, timber and steel structures.
• Rehabilitation of buildings and structures.
• Degradation of building materials. Compatibility of new materials in historic structures.
• Heat, Air and Moisture (HAM) transport through building envelopes.
• Building Physics and Climate Adaptation.
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for simulating the interaction between exterior climatic conditions, e.g. wind, and buildings/structures.
• Bioclimatic architecture, Passive building design and Building Energy Simulation (BES)
• Innovative building materials and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Seminars, project assignment (scholarly work), scientific report and oral presentation.

None.

A project assignment and an oral presentation.

Both exams must be passed in order to pass the course.

The oral exam cannot be appealed.

All aids are permitted.

Engineers have to make many important decisions on use of tools, work processes, project organizations, technical frameworks and many other topics throughout their career. Currently, too many of these choices are based on what is fashionable and argumentation made by people with vested interested. This course has as its main goal to teach students how to be evidence-based and make better judgments and decisions in engineering disciplines. To be evidence-based means in this context to base important decisions and judgments on well-formulated decisions and questions, collection of valid, relevant and representative empirical evidence, proper analyses and synthesis of the evidence, and use of the synthesized evidence as input in properly designed judgment and decision processes.

The course will be offered once a year, provided 5 or more students sign up for the course. If less than 5 students sign up for a course, the course will be cancelled for that year.

None.