HERE - CETaL - University of Texas at El Paso

Engineering in Practice for aSustainable Healthy Living CommunityLearning through Professional PracticeCarlos M. Chang-Albitres, Ph.D., P.E.Ivonne Santiago, Ph.D., P.E.

About the Program• Engineering in practice is a program hosted by theCollege of Engineering at the University of Texas at ElPaso (UTEP) to foster best engineering practices.• The pilot program began at the Department of CivilEngineering Fall 2010.• Supports activities both at the undergraduate andgraduate level that connect professional practice andeducation.

Why this Program?• The need of having engineers who are aware ofon-going changes in the economic, social, andenvironmental conditions has increased in a worldthat is constantly evolving.• Address multidisciplinary engineering challenges.Engineering in practice = Engineering in service

Other Objectives• To merge education, research, and professionalpractice with a team composed of faculty, graduateand undergraduate students to work with professionalengineers.• To propose solutions to engineering problems thatpose a threat for a healthy living community.

Expected Outcomes• To transfer professional knowledge accumulatedthrough years of practice to the students.• To increase student’s awareness thatengineering problems need to be understoodunder their own decision-making context.

How to Join the Program?• Students should identify an expert group ofinterest and contact the coordinator to look fortopics.• Faculty members interested in developing orjoining an expert group.• Professional engineers who have identified aspecific problem of interest can contact the expertgroup coordinator to join the program.

Expert Groups• Expert groups will addressdifferent types ofengineering challenges for asustainable healthy livingcommunity.• The expert group will includeundergraduate and graduatestudents, faculty members,and professional engineersfrom sponsor organizations.• Construction Techniques• EnvironmentalEngineering• Infrastructure• Innovative Materials• Pavements• Transportation Systems• Water ProcessingSystems (Desalination,others)

Courses• Undergraduate and graduate students who are takingthese courses, but not limited to, will be eligible toparticipate in the program.Undergraduate program:• CE 1205 Graphic Fundamentalsin Engineering Design• CE 2341 Economics for Engineersand Scientists• CE 3313 Engineering Measurements*• CE 3336 Engineering Materials• CE 4188 Senior Design I*• CE 4288 Senior Design II*Graduate curricula:• CE 6195 Civil Engineering Seminar *• CE 6301 Infrastructure Management*• CE 6315 Infrastructure Planning• CE 5324 Construction Management• CE 5310 Risk and Reliability Analysisof Engineering Systems* These classes participated in EIP in 2011 and 2012

ActivitiesNovember 2012October 2011Roadway Safety by ARTBAApril 2011Asset Management by AgileAssetsFebruary 2011Forgiving Highways by Barrier SystemsBorder Environment CooperationCommission Plans and Projects

NCEES Engineering Award• In 2009, NCEES introduced this award torecognize college engineering programs forengaging their students in collaborativeprojects with licensed professional engineers.• The NCEES Engineering Award forConnecting Professional Practice andEducation was established to promoteunderstanding of the value of licensure and toencourage partnerships between theengineering profession and education.

NCEES Awarded Projects• “Development of a Sustainable InfrastructureManagement System for the City of El Paso”• “Multidisciplinary Smart Design of Fire Station513”.

2011 and 2012 NCEES Awards20112012

NCEES 2011 AWARD

NCEES 2012 AWARD

Multidisciplinary Smart Design of Fire Station 513Civil Engineering Senior Design Project

Goal• Give the students a real world first-handknowledge of how the engineering designworks in a client/consultant environment.

General Description• The design problem was defined in collaborationwith partners from City government and faculty• Senior Design Capstone Course: One Year/3credit/two Semester project

Minimum Requirements: 1 st Semester• Mentor: Architect• Review Codes and Regulations• Become familiar with required permitting• Conceptual Design• Floor plan (with dimensions)• Site plan

Conceptual Design

Minimum Requirements• Environmental• Geotechnical• Structural• Construction Management• Transportation

Environmental Design• LEED• 52 points (location, stormwater management plan,landscaping, and use ofsustainable materials,among others).• Surface run off• shallow channels linedwith river rocks leading toseveral smaller decorativeponds.

Geotechnical• Geo-tech analysis• Foundation Design

Structural• Complete structure (beams, columns) andchecks for stresses and deflections

Construction Management• Cost Estimate, schedule for design andconstruction (pre, during, and after)

Transportation• Traffic flow, curves, parking

Knowledge and skills gained

Student’s Feedback• Biggest challenge faced in the project or EIP programand how it was overcome• Rate the EIP program objectives• Knowledge of professional practice acquired• Knowledge of professional code of ethics• Learn to make an effective oral presentation• Work effectively as a team/group member• Did the EIP program on project experience help youto be prepared to get a job?• Mention the areas that you feel are most important tofocus on the program• Mention what positive experiences you had by beingpart of the project/EIP program

Conclusions• Students are exposed to professional practice and researchtechniques and challenged to use all their creativity to comeout with practical solutions to real world problems.• Allowed students to learn and develop skills not capable ofbeing taught in a classroom:• Professional practice and responsibility, leadership, timemanagement, teamwork, and compromise• Faculty members are able to show students the application oftopics lectured in class and demonstrate how research can beused to develop practical solutions.