MAEN5900 Master's Thesis Course description

The course gives students an introduction to how consulting engineers in the fields of building technology, structural engineering, transport infrastructure engineering, geotechnical engineering and smart water process and infrastructure engineering can actively contribute to the development of sustainable solutions in the construction industry of the future. Sustainable design and construction requires more information, calculations and assessment and a greater degree of interdisciplinary cooperation.

The Master's thesis is based on all subjects from previous semesters or similar competences. To be eligible to write a master's thesis, all courses from the first year of the program must be successfully completed.

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:

· has knowledge of the sustainability concept and is able to identify common environmental impacts from buildings, structures and infrastructures

· has knowledge of the drivers behind the development and implementation of sustainability assessments

· has in-depth knowledge of life-cycle methodology, with the focus on system limits, service life and functional units

· is capable of recommending relevant standards, guidelines and commercial methods for sustainability assessments and life-cycle analyses.

Skills:

The student is capable of:

· comparing methods for assessing the environmental performance of civil engineering solutions

· applying regulations, relevant standards, guidelines and commercial methods in the performance of sustainability assessments and life-cycle analyses of buildings, structures and infrastructures

· performing calculations and documentation of greenhouse gas emissions in a life-cycle perspective for buildings, structures and infrastructures

· using spreadsheet tools and BIM-based software for the collection, processing, sharing and presentation of relevant information in interdisciplinary assessments

· choosing appropriate civil engineering solutions based on sustainability and life-cycle assessments

General competence:

The student is capable of

· analyzing complexity and assessing the scope of possibility for design and construction to achieve sustainable solutions

· cooperating in groups on a real, interdisciplinary task

· presenting academic results and evaluations in a scholarly manner.

Fornybare energikilder er viktig for å få til en bærekraftig økonomi. I et globalt perspektiv reduserer den miljømessige og sosiale negative effekten av konvensjonelt fossil brensel. I dagens i energisystemet brukes ofte fornybare og konvensjonelle energiteknologier parallelt.

Valgemnet igangsettes forutsatt at det er et tilstrekkelig antall studenter som velger emnet.

Master's thesis, a written report of approx. 60 pages. Prototypes and/or other products that the student has developed can be included as part of the submission. Oral presentation of the thesis after which the examiners ask the candidate questions. The examiners will set the grade for the master's thesis after the oral presentation and query.

The report, presentation, answers and eventual prototype will be graded as one unit.

Students can complain about a given grade in accordance with § 5-3 of the Act on Universities and Colleges. In case of complaint, the written report (as well as any prototype) will be reassessed. If the grade after reassessment differs from the original, the student must retake oral presentation and questioning, and the grade can be adjusted up or down, based on the presentation and answers to questions.

All aids are permitted.

Graded scale A-F

One internal sensors.

External sensors are used regularly.