Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (CVEN20001)

Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering focuses on sustainable design, and the creation of engineering solutions minimising impact on the environment while maximising societal benefit. A series of guest lectures from well-known domain experts, will highlight contemporary and future demands on infrastructure, exploring holistic engineering solutions.

In concert with these guest lectures, the foundations and methods of sustainability assessment will be established such as the engineering metrics functionality or longevity. Environmental, economic and social assessment methods will be introduced, widening the awareness of the overall impact and side effects of engineering projects. Selecting indicators and measuring them on carefully established scales, students will gain a holistic understanding of the complexities of – and potential trade-offs in – decision-making, including considerations of social equity, quality of life and wellbeing. Techniques like life-cycle analysis, material (flow) balance, and footprint analysis will be introduced together with transferable skills like technical report writing. In parallel, students will learn about the influential role that infrastructure plays in shaping communities, both short-term and long-term, i. In a staged design project.

This subject is essential for students in an infrastructure engineering discipline – civil engineering, digital infrastructure engineering, or environmental engineering. It is also relevant to students with an interest in an environmental, economic or social domain who seek to better understand the role of the engineered built environment in their discipline.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• ILO 1. Demonstrate knowledge and skills to evaluate an infrastructure project with regard to its environmental, economic, and social sustainability, alongside its engineering performance
• ILO 2. Use different sustainability assessment frameworks, apply a set of multi-attribute assessment methods, and critically interpret results for decision making on engineering projects
• ILO 3. Synthesise complex information and concepts to understand the relationships between infrastructure and its broader societal context, including public policy, ethics, equity, and stakeholder interests
• ILO 4. Communicate in technical reports and oral presentations.

Generic skills

• Critical thinking and analytic skills
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Working in teams, assuming a complementary role, and contributing to joint outcomes
• Understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities, and commitment to them