It is suggested that plant operators can be useful in designing sewage treatment plants. The advantages of this cooperative arrangement to the consulting engineers and the city, and the pitfalls, are discussed. (BB)

A British polytechnic's civil engineering course emphasizing creative problem solving, begun in the late 1960s, has shown that it is possible to increase students' creative ability in the course of a degree program. Research into the identification of students who will benefit from the approach is continuing. (MSE)

Second year civil engineering students are given a choice of topics for specialized independent study and problem solving to develop their engineering appreciation and critical thought. (IR)

Discusses civil engineering education and the need to extend engineering education longer than four years. (SL)

Focuses on the language of civil engineering as manifested in the professional journal "Civil Engineering ASCE." Articles are analyzed, both syntactically and lexically, in terms of three major rhetorical functions: description, prescription, and persuasion. (17 references) (GLR)

Tensile and compressive forces in planar trusses can be analyzed using either the method of sections or the method of joints. This article summarizes and extends a project accomplished by a high school student using the method of joints and graphing calculators, spreadsheets, and matrix-manipulation software. (MKR)

A discussion of the problem of providing multidisciplinary education in transportation and a means for educators to communicate their approaches and experiences provided the purpose of the conference. Among the areas discussed were the comprehensiveness of transportation education, societal issues, systems aspects, transportation research,…

Calculations and diagrams are given for determining parameters useful for the operation of screw pumps. (BB)

Geotechnics (which encompasses soil and rock mechanics, engineering geology, foundation design, and ground engineering methods) is a major component of virtually all civil engineering courses. Show how mini-projects are used to teach this subject. Format of projects, development of presentation skills, and assessment considerations are discussed.…

Since the early nineties the Civil Engineering Faculty of the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, Poland has been involved in three Tempus projects, aimed at modernizing the Faculty educational system and its adjustment to European Union standards. The first and second projects were directed at creating new specialties: City Regeneration…

Discusses the nature of and steps required in building an expert system. Includes comments by students given an assignment to choose a suitable topic and develop a small expert system related to that topic, as well as favorable faculty comments on the strategy. Also includes a student-developed expert system on rock-blasting. (JN)

Describes a three-credit elective course at Notre Dame, Design of Environmental Health Control Systems, offered to senior civil engineering students and graduate students in health engineering. (CS)

Presents background information concerning the establishment of a State Professional School of Civil Engineering with Teaching Clinic and Collectanea for Florida. (CS)

Analyzes the effectiveness of introducing practical design projects at an early stage within a civil engineering undergraduate program. Traces the success of this strategy at each stage from its introduction to the final evaluation. Findings indicate that the projects were successful in improving the understanding of basic concepts and encouraging…