MABY5000 Specialization in Civil Engineering Emneplan

This course introduces students to real-life challenges and recent research advancements closely related to their specializations. It provides an opportunity for students to refine their master’s thesis topics and identify a suitable supervisor, effectively laying the foundation for MABY5900. The course includes a series of seminars delivered by experts from academia and industry. These sessions cover a diverse array of topics, including but not limited to:

• Analysis and design of buildings and large structures (e.g., bridges, offshore installations, high-rise buildings)
• Building physics
• New building materials
• Transport infrastructure
• Geotechnical engineering

A central element of this course is the project assignment, in which students will prepare a supervised specialization report. The topic for the report may be inspired by the seminars presented during the course. MABY5000 offers opportunities for students to select a suitable project and a relevant supervisor. The project will allow students to apply both theoretical knowledge and practical skills to address complex, real-world issues. The specialization report can be a literature review, preliminary studies (experimental or numerical), or case studies as part of a larger research initiative. This report (MABY5000) may serve as a foundational work for the master’s thesis (MABY5900). Students may keep the same topic for their master’s thesis or explore a new topic and supervisor, depending on their evolving interests and career goals.

Language of instruction: English

None.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge:

The student:

• understands the application of digital twins, machine learning, and optimization techniques in sustainable building design.
• has advanced knowledge of building physics, climate impacts, and building materials to propose robust and innovative solutions.
• can evaluate climate adaptation solutions for building envelopes and components.
• has insight into the physical and thermal properties of building materials and their life cycle impacts.
• is knowledgeable about embodied and operational emissions from buildings and strategies to reduce them.
• understands the integration of sustainability principles and advanced tools to create environmentally sound building designs.

Skills:

The student is capable of:

• Applying digital twins and machine learning to predict energy performance and occupant comfort.
• using LCA and GA optimization to enhance design sustainability and efficiency.
• analyzing and justifying choices for materials and components based on building physics calculations and life-cycle assessments.
• designing comprehensive sustainable building envelopes with detailed descriptions of materials and components.
• interpreting simulation tool results to improve and optimize designs.
• assessing the condition and maintenance needs of materials and components in existing buildings.

General competence:

The student is capable of:

• keeping up with the latest advancements through scholarly research.
• collaborating effectively in teams to address complex design challenges.
• presenting findings and designs in a professional and scholarly manner through written reports.

The teaching will largely consist of digital and physical lectures, software demonstration and exercises. Students will also be given a major project assignment in which they are to design an sustainable building with regards to building physics, climate adaptation, energy efficiency and indoor environment as well as CO2 emissions.

Digital lectures will be recorded, and the material will be made available to students on CANVAS.

Each student must complete and pass an individual knowledge test with a minimum score of 75% in order to be eligible to submit the final project.

If this requirement is not met, the student will be granted one opportunity to retake the test by a specified deadline.

Project report prepared in groups of 2 students, approx. 80 - 100 pages (excl. appendices).

The exam can be appealed.

All aids permitted.

Grade scale A-F.

Two internal examiner. (External examiners are used regulary).