Use of Tangible and Augmented Reality Models in Engineering Graphics Courses

Engineering graphics courses are typically a requirement for engineering students around the world. Besides understanding and depicting graphic representation of engineering objects, the goal of these courses is to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between three-dimensional (3D) objects and their projections. However, in the classroom, where time is limited, it is very difficult to explain 3D geometry using only drawings on paper or at the blackboard. The research presented herein aims to develop two teaching aids; a tangible model and an augmented reality (AR) model, to help students better understand the relationship between 3D objects and their projections. Tangible models refer to the physical objects which are comprised of a set of differently shaped pieces. The tangible model we developed includes eight wooden blocks that include all the main geometrical features with respect to their 3D projections. The AR models are the virtual models which can superimpose 3D graphics of typical geometries on real-time video and dynamically vary view perspective in real-time to be seen as real objects. The AR model was developed using the ARToolKitPlus library and includes all the geometrical features generally taught in engineering graphics courses or technical drawing courses. To verify the effectiveness and applicability of the models we developed, we conducted a user test on 35 engineering-major students. The statistical results indicated that the tangible model significantly increased the learning performance of students in their abilities to transfer 3D objects onto two-dimensional (2D) projections. Students also demonstrated higher engagement with the AR model during the learning process. Compared to using the screen-based orthogonal and pictorial images, the tangible model and augmented reality model were evaluated to be more effective teaching aids for engineering graphics courses.     

Graphical Approach for Manpower Planning in Infrastructure Networks

Infrastructure networks such as highways and pipelines have recently been at the center of attention for contractors and owner organizations. Due to their large size and their repetitive/distributed nature, construction and/or maintenance operations for such networks become complex tasks that require huge resources, particularly manpower. In order to provide a transparent tool for quick manpower planning and sensitivity analysis, a graphical approach (using nomographs) is introduced in this paper. The nomographs encode the mathematical formulation, and the results of many optimization experiments, of a distributed model for scheduling large projects with multiple sites. Accordingly, the nomographs can be readily utilized by practitioners to estimate the manpower needed to meet a predefined deadline, under anticipated network-level risks due to unfavorable site conditions. Details on the development of the nomographs are presented in the paper along with an example to demonstrate their usefulness for supporting manpower planning decisions and for what-if analysis. The nomographs also present researchers with a simple yet powerful approach to make research results readily usable by practitioners.     

Superior–Subordinate Relationships in Korean Civil Engineering Companies

The Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) relationship quality between superiors and subordinates in Korean civil engineering companies were empirically examined for superiors’ feedback-seeking behaviors. The results showed that for superiors, affect, loyalty, and contribution toward subordinates were positively related to seeking negative as well as positive feedback from subordinates. From subordinates’ point of view, affect, contribution, and professional respect toward their superiors were positively related to superiors’ negative feedback seeking, but affect was negatively related to superiors’ positive feedback seeking. It was also found that superiors and subordinates were not consensual in LMX and superiors’ feedback-seeking behaviors. For example, for superiors, all of the four LMX dimensions were positively related to superiors’ asking subordinates directly for feedback, whereas for subordinates, none of the LMX dimensions were significantly related to superiors’ asking subordinates directly for feedback. These and other findings are discussed in detail, and implications for the findings are provided.     

Training Faculty to Teach Civil Engineering

Adoption of ASCE’s Policy Statement 465 and subsequent discussion of the what, how, and who of teaching the body of knowledge (BOK) that will be required for professional civil engineering practice has heightened the need for continued improvement in civil engineering education. ASCE has explicitly said the role of educators and practitioners in teaching the body of knowledge is critical and has listed faculty-related success factors for teaching the BOK. A key success factor is statement 465’s call for faculty and practitioners to properly prepare to “effectively engage students in the learning process.” This paper considers this challenge and discusses an instructor training program that effectively prepares faculty and practitioners to actively engage students in the learning process as envisioned by Policy Statement 465. We will show quantifiable evidence of the positive results gained by using this instructor training program through student and instructor feedback. Additionally, alternative shorter courses based on this program of preparation are highlighted that may be attended by the faculty of multiple engineering programs and by practitioners.     

Introducing Students to Professional Practice in Civil Engineering

This paper describes a module that was introduced into a civil engineering degree program with the help of professional engineers. The aim was to develop a bridge between the world of learning and professional practice by putting students in the role of consulting engineers working with industry to produce a feasible solution to a real inquiry from a client. The module is placed in context by comparing the goals of accredited civil engineering programs in the United Kingdom and America, by describing how it is linked to the degree program and by explaining the matrix developed to identify the skills the students needed to demonstrate their ability to practice as professional engineers. Details of the module are given with examples of student work and feedback.     

Evaluation of Student Learning for an Engineering Graphics Course

The ability of students to master various skills defined by a set of course learning objectives of an engineering graphics course at San Jose State University was assessed. One semester offering of the introductory course was reviewed. The course objectives were evaluated by the amount of coverage each received on the exams and the level of cognitive skill required according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. Student learning was assessed by review of their ability to produce documented evidence of mastering the skill. In addition two methods of assigning grades based upon student performance were compared. The primary finding of the study was that the ability of students to master particular skills varied widely on both objectives and taxonomy levels. Secondary findings were that the exams did not address each objective equally, and that some important objectives did not receive the coverage they likely deserved. Recommendations about improved wording of some objectives were made to more clearly state the instructor’s intent. The grade assigned to a student would have been different depending upon the method the instructor uses for evaluating their score for an exam. If scoring is weighted based upon the taxonomy level, then some students would receive higher grades while others would have been lower. The distribution of points received for exam questions covering objectives of different taxonomy levels showed that C-students generally performed poorer than A-students, but that at some levels performed better.     

Flooding Probability-Based Optimal Design of Trapezoidal Open Channel Using Freeboard as a Design Variable

A flooding probability based cost effective design of open channel section has been proposed using freeboard as an additional design variable. The freeboard of the channel is calculated based on the flooding probability value. The proposed model is solved using classical optimization techniques as well as a nondominated sorting genetic algorithm. The results of the model are compared with an earlier reported model to demonstrate its superiority and field applicability.     

Graphical 3D Visualization of Highway Bridge Ratings

Aging highway infrastructure requires effective rating methodologies to prioritize bridges for rehabilitation and repair. To aid engineers in decision making regarding bridge maintenance, a three-dimensional (3D) visualization system is developed for rating reinforced concrete deck-girder bridge. Color codings show the most probable mode of failure for girder cross sections under combined moment-shear forces and allow an engineer to determine a rehabilitation strategy. The visualization system relies on 3D finite-element analyses using the open source framework OpenSees, making the system readily extensible to a wide range of bridge types and loading scenarios, as well as emergent reliability-based rating methodologies. Important features of the visualization system are emphasized, including the use of lighting and feature edge detection to improve the visual quality of a bridge model. Recent developments in scientific visualization are discussed for potential application to civil engineering problems.     

Student Assessment of a Problem-Based Learning Experiment in Civil Engineering Education

This paper describes an experiment with problem-based learning (PBL), an instructional methodology used in response to the challenges posed by today’s professional education. Contrary to the conventional model that places an application problem after concepts or topics have been introduced, PBL uses the problem to initiate learning. Besides promoting the construction of knowledge, it may also contribute to the development of some skills and attitudes deemed important for engineers’ professional practice. This research, of a qualitative nature, intended to investigate how students evaluate this methodology and its potential to attain the educational goals set for the course. In order to answer the research question, the methodology was implemented in the civil engineering curriculum of a Brazilian public university. The results herein presented, deriving mainly from classroom observations and an end-of-course questionnaire, show that most of the students evaluate the methodology positively. Even considering the short duration of the course and its small number of credits, it may also have promoted the development of some skills and attitudes besides knowledge acquisition.     

Tradition and Innovation in Teaching Structural Design in Civil Engineering

This paper briefly reviews the history of structural engineering education: The dawn, development, and consolidation of traditional education systems, as well as their fall into decline in the contemporary technological world. Recent graduates in civil engineering do not have all of the skills and knowledge that the labor market is demanding and civil engineering is losing the social prestige and professional recognition that our profession deserves. It is necessary to improve traditional education systems to produce the best civil engineers. The writers present a detailed discussion of their experiences teaching structural design at the School of Civil Engineering of Ciudad Real, Spain, using project-based and cooperative learning methods, as well as implementing knowledge management and transference to the learning process. Results and costs of these methods, as well as the problems related to faculty selection, are set out. The paper concludes with a reflection on the major educational possibilities and historical opportunities presented through the introduction of these new methods and suggest that this is the best way to combine engineering education and practice.     

Analytical Approach to Augmenting Site Photos with 3D Graphics of Underground Infrastructure in Construction Engineering Applications

This paper proposes an analytical approach to incorporating computer-generated three-dimensional (3D) graphics of invisible underground infrastructure into site photos so as to present a richer and more integral view of the site situation in construction engineering applications. The proposed approach simulates the image-forming process of a camera and produces a virtual photo of the underground scene, whose virtual coordinate axes coincide with the real coordinate axes of the aboveground site scene. As a result, the virtual photo and the site photo can be seamlessly merged in terms of perspective, position, and scale. This research simplifies the calculation of the camera’s spatial orientation by use of only two reference points’ positions, i.e., the camera station position and the object focus position. The whole procedure of the proposed approach is analytical and can be automated into a computer program. In practice, nondestructive subsurface imaging technologies are generally used to obtain the spatial data of the underground infrastructure, which can be readily processed into a 3D as-built model as one component in composing the virtual underground scene. The proposed approach is demonstrated with a case study in which the underground as-built data are superimposed onto the aboveground site photo for the purpose of quality investigation of a bored pile construction.     

Incorporating the Social Dimension of Sustainability into Civil Engineering Education

Social sustainability is often overlooked in favor of environmental and economic considerations in civil engineering (CE) education. To help address this issue, this paper presents two instructional approaches to introduce students to social sustainability by using a conceptual model derived from four dimensions of social sustainability: community involvement, corporate social responsibility, safety through design, and social design. In the first instructional approach, the instructor is the primary facilitator; in the second approach, the students become the experts, sharing their knowledge with their peers. Methods to assess student understanding of these dimensions, such as concept mapping, are proposed. By providing the conceptual model and methods to teach it, this paper is for the purpose of assisting those teaching the social dimensions of sustainability to CE students, who will gain an understanding of how their technical decisions affect social sustainability.     

Certification and Accreditation in Civil Engineering

Certification has been common for technicians for many years but specialty certification is rapidly becoming important to engineering practitioners in addition to or as a substitute for licensure in some fields. Certification and accreditation are closely related but there are also important differences. International standards now exist for accreditation of certification programs and could provide the basis for mutual recognition of specialty certification worldwide. ASCE should seek international accreditation of its specialty certification programs and play an appropriate role in defining international standards related to specialty certification and assessment of conformity to those standards.     

Information Technology in Civil Engineering Curriculum

The fast-moving world of information technology confronts the civil engineer with constant change. This creates challenges for educators and students because rapid change requires curricula to be flexible and educators to gain competency and access to new equipment and software. Whereas a decade ago, civil engineering educators debated how to teach “programming,” the picture is now much more complex. The paper reports on how information technologies are changing the practice of civil engineering and offers a new framework for integrating next-generation information technology into the civil engineering curriculum at the department level.     

Uniform Flow of Modified Bingham Fluids in Narrow Cross Sections

A model of modified Bingham fluid is used to investigate uniform mudflows in narrow cross sections of the kind typical of hillslope incisions. The problem is tackled both numerically and experimentally. Experiments were performed using carboxymethylcellulose, a shear thinning fluid whose rheological behavior can be interpreted by a modified Bingham fluid model. For narrow rectangular, trapezoidal, and triangular cross sections, the capability to flow has been expressed by a general relationship that defines a dimensionless coefficient (f) as a function of two dimensionless parameters: the Bingham number and an aspect ratio of the channel. We also derive plots for the critical Bingham number for incipient flow of modified Bingham fluids as a function of the aspect ratio of the channel. The present calculations and the experimental results demonstrate that the narrow character of the channel as well as its shape strongly affect the flow conductance and the critical value of the Bingham number.     

Standards in Civil Engineering Design Education

In the United States, requirements in the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) engineering criteria provide a strong incentive to integrate engineering codes and standards into civil engineering undergraduate curricula. Under the current criteria, specifically Criterion 4, appropriate engineering standards must be incorporated into the major design experience. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the current ABET Engineering Criteria requirements with respect to engineering standards and suggest some ways standards can be included in both the technical and nontechnical portions of undergraduate curricula.     

Impact of Nanotechnology on Future Civil Engineering Practice and Its Reflection in Current Civil Engineering Education

Current civil engineering education should address the need to provide a broad vision, develop the higher-order skills of future civil engineers, enable them to adopt emerging technologies, and formulate innovative solutions to complex problems. This paper introduces relevant nanotechnology developments to convey the new vision and inspire creativity in civil engineering. It also presents a pedagogical framework for integrating nanotechnology education into a civil engineering curriculum and cultivating self-regulated learning and creativity skills for civil engineering students. The pedagogical framework includes the introduction of nanotechnology innovations and other relevant innovative technologies, and explicit instructions on cognitive strategies for facilitating and inspiring self-regulated learning and creativity. It is implemented with problem/project-based learning for a cocurricular project that requires self-regulated learning and creativity. This pedagogical framework provides a model for integrating emerging technology education and higher-order skill development into existing engineering curriculum. The outcomes from the implementation of the pedagogical framework are presented, and their further improvements are discussed.     

Education for Sustainable Development and Civil Engineering for Children: Interactive Model Case Study

This paper describes the further development of a previously reported interactive model developed to enhance the understanding of the concept of sustainable development (SD) and the role of civil engineers among school children. The earlier model and associated teaching materials for a lesson based around a river valley flooding problem for small groups of 6th grade pupils were modified and trialed with a larger group of 8th grade pupils. Subsequently a further lesson using the same model framework was developed based around groundwater contamination from landfill leachate. This was trialed with small groups of both 6th and 8th grade pupils. A competitive element in landfill liner design was introduced into the lessons. The model and lessons received praise and were shown to achieve their aims of teaching SD in a memorable and practical context and explaining something of civil engineering, though the smaller group lessons were found to be much more successful than the larger group lesson.