Graduate Course Descriptions + Timetable

The Challenges of Urban Policy-Making
Addressing societal and engineering challenges in the 21st century requires engineers to think holistically about the systems we design and build. Public policy often dictates what engineering projects are commissioned and what values are being optimized for in engineering practice (e.g. cost, beauty, environment, safety, equity). However, too few engineers understand the drivers of public policy, how public policy is developed, and the role it plays in engineering. Similarly, too few policy makers understand the applied science of engineering. The interplay between policy and civil engineering is particularly acute in the urban environment, where civil engineering works (transportation, housing, water services, libraries, etc.) are concentrated and where, in Canada, the public policies of three levels of government influence engineering practice.
This seminar course challenges engineers to think about how public policy is made and how it guides the practice of engineering both directly and indirectly. Particular focus is placed on urban policy and urban engineering. The first month of the course will deal with the process of urban policy making examining how issues emerge, how important ideas are framed, priorities are established, and agendas are set and managed. Factors to be considered include the role of bureaucratic and political actors, organized interests and non-governmental groups, the importance and influence of networks, and the potential for new models and options for the engagement of stakeholders and citizens at large.
The second and third month of the course will focus on the relationship between public policy and the practice of civil engineering. The focus of the course will be to examine the myriad ways public policy and priorities intersect with the development of the built environment. The relationship between public policy and engineering in housing, transport, energy and sustainability will be discussed. The focus of the course will be on Canadian cities with examples from cities located elsewhere in the high-income world; examples and experiences from other parts of the world are welcomed.

Registration in this course is reserved for MEngCEM students. Other students wishing to register must request permission from the Office of Student Services.

Infrastructure and Urban Prosperity
The course explores the evolution of great cities over time, looking at form and function to understand urban economic growth and accumulation of wealth. Drawing from various strands of economic thought, topics include: value theory; quantification of urban wealth; microeconomics of real estate markets; infrastructure for competitive financial centres; macroeconomics of urban form; growth theory; and evolutionary economics applied to urban systems. Using current and historical examples of urban development, the implications of infrastructure planning and management on the health/wealth of cities is examined.

Registration in this course is reserved for MEngCEM students. Other students wishing to register must request permission from the Office of Student Services.

Solid Mechanics II
This course provides a continuing study of the mechanics of deformable solids. Stress and equilibrium conditions, strain and compatibility conditions, stress-strain relations and yield/failure criteria are considered in the context of civil engineering materials. Two-and three-dimensional elasticity theory is developed, with an introduction to the use of tensor notation. Advanced topics in bending, shear and torsion of beams are also covered, as is elementary plate bending theory. The course concludes with a further development and application of energy methods including virtual work, potential energy, strain energy, and related approaches.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Introduction to Structural Dynamics
The concept of dynamic equilibrium and corresponding equation of motion will be introduced. The theoretical solution of a songle degree of freedom system will be derived and the effects of verious types of loads, such as impulse load, sinusoidal load, or random vibration on the structural response will be discussed. To solve dynamic problems of multi-degree of freedom (MDOF) systems, concepts of mass, stiffness, and damping matrix will be introduced, which will be followed by eigen value analysis and modal analysis. The concepts of Fourier Transformation will be introduced, which will be used to interpret dynamic responses of structures or dynamic nature of applied loads. Dynamic experiments of elastic systems will be demonstrated using an educational shaking table.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Prestressed Concrete
An introduction to procedures for predicting the load-deformation response of prestressed concrete elements and structures with emphasis on how these procedures can be used in the design of new structures and in the evaluation of existing structures. Topics include: prestressing technology; control of cracking; response to axial load and flexure; response to shear and torsion; disturbed regions; restraint of deformations; design codes.

Prerequisite: CIV313H1 or CIV357H1 or equivalent.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Structural Analysis II
The general flexibility and stiffness methods of analysis; multispan beams, trusses, frames and grids; loadings due to force, support displacement, temperature change and member prestrain; axial and flexural stability; basic plasticity. Topics in this course represent the basis for the finite element method of analysis.

Prerequisite: CIV214H1.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Geotechnical Design
This course is built around a transportation project that contains all the essential geotechnical investigation and design elements and illustrates how they all come together on a project. The students will be taken through the entire design process from project initiation to construction. In essence, the project will include a bridge over a river with some property constraints requiring the use of a retaining wall as well as deep and shallow foundations and some groundwater control. The highway will require a soil cut. One section crosses a low-lying swampy area that will require embankment construction over deep soft soils. A short tunnel section is planned beneath a railway that cannot be taken out of service. A pavement design will be required along the entire route as well as materials testing and construction monitoring.

Prerequisite: CIV321H1/CME321H1; equivalent or permission of instructor.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Urban Activity, Air Pollution and Health
This is an interdisciplinary course where the challenge of air pollution is introduced with a focus on urban areas. The interdependencies between transportation, air quality, and health are demonstrated. The city and the behaviour of its inhabitants constitute the context for the following course topics: overview of air pollutants in urban areas, urban air quality monitoring networks, mobile source emissions, air pollution and meteorology, atmospheric dispersion, chemical processes specific to cities, personal mobility and exposure to traffic-related air pollution, epidemiology of air pollution.
View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Groundwater Flow and Contamination
Mechanics of saturated and unsaturated fluid flow in porous media. Confined and unconfined flow. Flow to wells. Analytical and numerical solutions of groundwater flow equations. Non-reactive and reactive contaminant transport on groundwater systems. Analytical and numerical solutions of contaminant transport equations. Flow and solute transport in fractured porous media. Assessment of environmental impacts of waste disposal operations. Remediation of contaminated groundwater.

Prerequisite: JVM270H1/CIV270H1/CME270H1, CIV250H1/EDV250H1 or equivalent.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Studies in Building Science
This course examines the basic principles governing the control of heat, moisture and air movement in buildings and presents the fundamentals of building enclosure design. With this background, students are required to research advanced topics related to emerging areas of Building Science, and to write and present to the class an individual comprehensive paper related to their research. Lectures for this course will be jointly offered with those of CIV375H1.

Exclusion: CIV375H1.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities
Developing infrastructure for sustainable cities entails understanding the connection between urban morphology and physiology. This course uses a systems approach to analyzing anthropogenic material flow and other components of urban metabolism, linking them to the design of urban infrastructure. Elements of sustainable transportation, green buildings, urban climatology, urban vegetation, water systems and local energy supply are integrated in the design of sustainable urban neighbourhoods.

Prerequisite: CIV340H1, [CIV375H1/CIV575H1], CIV531H1.

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Engineering and Management of Large Projects
This technical elective course will investigate the role of stakeholders in major civil engineering projects; the complexities of managing project stages, multiple stakeholders, and technical challenges, and, social and environmental factors.

Each week includes a different speaker who can address issues related to technical, social, and environmental challenges in the project and how they were overcome.
View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Bridge Engineering
This course deals with advanced topics in modern bridge design. Actual course content will vary from year to year, and will include topics selected from the following list: concrete segmental bridges, cable-supported bridges, arches, precast concrete systems for rehabilitation of existing bridges, and innovative composite systems. For a given topic, the approach taken will be to define performance requirements; describe structural systems, components, and critical details; and develop analytical methods for dimensioning and validation, giving special consideration to the interaction between design and construction. There will be a strong emphasis throughout the course on the application of leading-edge and emerging technologies, including high-performance materials.

Advanced Topics in Building Design
Introduction to various structural systems; analysis of coupled shear walls using various techniques such as Laminar method, Finite difference formulation, Equivalent Frame method; stagewise incremental analysis of walls including plastification of laminae; design of walls and coupling beams; shear wall-frame interaction; behaviour of framed tubes; shear lag in tubes; approximate methods of analysis for frame tubes and multi-storey frames. Individual projects involving specialized topics will form an integral part of the course.

Finite Element Methods in Structural Mechanics
Review of required mathematical concepts. Thorough development of the displacement method of finite element analysis; Derivation of the element matrices for planes stress and strain, three dimensional, axisymmetric and plate bending elements; Introduction to nonlinear analysis; Application to structures using existing computer capabilities.

Structures Under Blast and Impact
The behaviour of structures subjected to accidental or intentional blast or impact loading is exemplified beginning from understanding the nature of threats and blast loading evaluation, to dynamic analysis and specific structural design considerations. Topics presented include:

1. Threat and risk assessment;
2. Explosive processes. Detonation and deflagration;
3. Explosion effects. Loads on structures;
4. Dynamic analysis of structures;
5. Material behaviour under high-strain rate loading;
6. Design of reinforced concrete structures;
7. Design of steel structures;
8. Behaviour of glazing systems;
9. Pressure-impulse diagrams;
10. Industrial explosions;
11. Design for impact loading; and
12. Progressive collapse.

The course addresses the existing lack of expertise in the area of extreme loading on structures and resilience of critical infrastructure, at a time when the need for knowledge in protective design is continuously increasing worldwide. At the forefront of engineering science, the course is unique in Canada and enhances the area of Structural Engineering, in general, and Physical Infrastructure Protection, in particular.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Design of Timber Structures
Special studies courses are offered when a Professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Instrumentation Techniques for Cement and Concrete Researchers
The study of Concrete Technology makes use of many test methods not normally associated with Civil Engineering. Methods include those for pore structure and surface area by BET; mercury porosimetry; permeability to vapour, gas and liquids; mineralogy by optical microscopy x-ray diffraction and thermal analysis; microstructure by optical and electron microscope; and chemical analysis by XRF, AA, IR, IC or neutron activation. Published literature will be discussed with respect to differences in such procedures, and interpretation of data.

Prerequisite: CIV514H1 or equivalent.

Chemistry of Cements and Concrete


Prerequisite: CIV 514H
Chemistry of Cements and Concrete

Construction Modelling Methods
Course Objectives In this course, students will learn ways in which data can be modeled in the application of construction management: probabilistic and process.

• Probabilistic models (Bayesian Networks) – students will learn about BNs, understand the way in which they model data, their strengths and shortcomings, and their application in a construction context. Students will be expected to use MSBNx software (freely available)


• Simulation modeling – students will learn how discrete event simulation engines work. They will learn to build a model for a construction operation, understand their strengths and shortcomings, and process input and output data.

Asset Management: Quantitative Tools and Methods
This is an introductory course in asset management of civil infrastructure assets with a particular focus on urban infrastructure systems. The course presents a generic framework with well defined processes for managing municipal infrastructure systems. Topics covered include asset inventory, condition assessment, valuation, risk management, performance measures, levels of service, stakeholder consultation, and municipal infrastructure finance. The use of Canadian and International case studies of asset management implementations will be used throughout the course. Guest lecturers will be invited to highlight lessons learned from asset management implementation.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - The Business of Selling Civil Engineering Knowledge
Special studies courses are offered when a Professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Low Impact Development and Stormwater Systems<

Physical and Chemical Treatment Processes
Theory and application of physical and chemical operations and processes for the treatment of water and wastewater. Specific processes covered include sedimentation, coagulation, filtration, and disinfection, with an overview of reactor theory. Laboratory experiments are designed to support and demonstrate the lecture material.

Chemistry and Analysis of Water and Wastes
This course deals with the major chemical processes occurring in aqueous environments, in both natural systems and treatment systems. The topics covered include: chemical thermodynamics and kinetics; acid/base chemistry; quantitative equilibrium calculations; acid-base titrations; dissolved CO2 chemistry; mineral solution chemistry; complexation; redox reactions; and the solid-solution interface. The lectures are complemented by laboratory experiments in which students learn some of the standard analysis techniques of aquatic chemistry.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Global Health

Soil Properties and Behaviour
The fundamental concepts of soil mechanics and foundation engineering presented at the undergraduate level will be further developed in the context of advanced topics including: undrained loading and soil liquefaction; coupled hydro-mechanical modeling using Biot theory; cemented soils; unsaturated soil mechanics; constitutive models and laboratory test methods; and field monitoring techniques. Extensive reading assignments will be given. Research papers, numerical modeling assignments, and class presentations will be used as the basis for evaluation.

Advanced Rock Engineering: Fractured Rock Masses
Rock masses can be defined as made of intact rock blocks and discontinuities (joints, faults, etc…). It is the presence of those weak features that determine the overall hydro-mechanical response of the rock mass that engineers observe in the field. Therefore, to correctly engineer any structure in rock, we cannot relay only on the mechanical properties of the intact rock, but we need to be able to properly understand the role that fractures play on the overall behaviour that we observe, and how to account for them during the different phases of the rock engineering design.
This course will try to address this specific issue by presenting the latest scientific discoveries and engineering approaches in the field. It will also present students with innovative methodologies for the quantification of fracture shear strength, rock mass mapping, and rock mass modeling tools such as the Combined Finite-Discrete Element Method for simulating damage and fracture in geomaterials.

Specials Studies in Civil Engineering: Constitutive Modelling in Geomaterials
Special studies courses are offered when a professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Mining and Geomechanics
Special studies courses are offered when a professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Rock Fracture Dynamics and Induced Seismicity: Experimental Methods
Fractures play a major role in the strength and behaviour of materials at all scales from global earthquakes in rock to grain scale microcracks within individual crystals. Mechanically, cracks make materials more compliant and influence fluid flow. A key consequence of fractures (both density and alignment) is their significant influence upon elastic wave velocity and the development of anisotropy in materials. This course will focus on the experimental imaging of microcracks and fractures in rock and rock like materials using a combination of rock-mechanical and geophysical methods. Induced Seismicity is both a monitoring tool and a hazard and its causes and utilization for engineering the subsurface will be analyzed. Case studies of hydraulic fracturing, waste water injection, deep geological disposal of radioactive waste and mining- induced seismicity will be studied.
The lectures will provide a framework for the geophysical interpretation of fractured materials and induced seismicity. The main focus of the course will be to conduct laboratory-controlled experiments to measure the effect of fractures on the strength and behavior of rock, under simulated earth-like and engineering conditions and interpret the results.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering: Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Special studies courses are offered when a professor is available to instruct on a new or unusual topic. Each topic offered constitutes one normal half-course. Special studies course codes may be taken more than once provided that the topic is different each time.

Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

Students will learn about the physical processes that cause earthquakes and how they are used to quantify the effects of earthquakes on built environment. Basic dynamics concepts will be introduced and used to understand how site effects influence the load transferred to structures. Liquefaction will be introduced as a primary source of earthquake-induced damaged to all types of structures and various methods of assessing its potential and consequences will be studied. This course is a necessity for anyone working in geotechnical engineering concerning seismically active parts of the world, and useful to those in earthquake structural engineering area.

Special Studies in Civil Engineering - Applications of Urban Geology in Civil Engineering
This course will provide students with the foundation for an understanding of geology as it applies to civil / geotechnical engineering in urban areas. Topics include the role and importance of geology in civil / geotechnical engineering practice, including glacial geology and landforms, hydrogeology, urban geology of Canadian cities and case studies with practical applications. This course will not address mining, mineral or rock engineering.

Applied Probability and Statistics in Civil Engineering
A lecture and tutorial course designed to build on the prerequisite introduction to probability in the form of applied probability and statistics with emphasis on techniques appropriate for investigating the random behaviour of complex civil engineering systems. Topics include: a review of probability theory; extreme value distributions; engineering reliability; conditional distributions; applications of common probability models; parameter estimation and confidence intervals; significance testing; elementary Bayesian analysis; simple stochastic processes.

Prerequisite: CIV263H1 or equivalent.

Transportation Research Seminars
This is a credit/non-credit seminar series that is mandatory for research students in the Transportation Research Group. This course does not count toward program course requirements. Talk to your supervisor for more information on how this course fits into your program.

Airport Planning and Engineering
The objective of this course is to provide an overview of the planning, design and operation of the airport component of a modern air/highway inter-modal transportation system including airside, terminal and groundside elements. Students will be introduced to current trends in the air transportation industry as these impact on air travel demand and the requirement for airport facilities and services. Aviation demand forecasting and management will be studied, as will aircraft and passenger characteristics. A central focus of the course will be airfield (runways and taxiways) and terminal design, both passenger and cargo. While Canadian standards will be used in all design examples and exercises, these are generally compatible with ICAO recommended practices and the analytic methods broadly applicable elsewhere. Case Studies will draw heavily on the current Master Plan being developed for Pickering Airport and the ongoing development program at Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport. The course will conclude with a brief look at the critical environmental issues facing airports, particularly noise and water pollution, and at airport economics and finance.

Transportation and Development
The land use - transportation interaction is the focus of this course. Basic concepts underlying urban spatial processes are introduced. Land use forecasting models used to project future land use (principally population and employment distributions) for input into transportation planning studies are presented. Models reviewed include the Lowry Model, econometric-based models and urban simulation techniques. The remainder of the course deals with the qualitative and quantitative assessment of impacts of major transportation facilities on land use patterns. A term project dealing with the analysis of the impact of a current transportation proposal within the Greater Toronto Area on adjacent land use constitutes an important component of the course work.

Prerequisite: CIV531H

Transportation Demand Analysis
This course deals with the quantitative analysis and modeling of transportation demand for planning purposes. The course principally deals with urban passenger demand, but an introduction to freight and intercity travel demand is also provided. A theoretical framework for the study of transportation demand is developed from basic micro-economic principles of consumer behaviour. The primary modeling approaches considered are: disaggregate choice models; entropy-based models, and an introduction to the activity-based approach to travel demand modeling. An understanding of the theory of the demand for transportation is coupled with practical experience in the specification, estimation, and use of transportation demand models.

Prerequisites: CIV531H1, CIV1504H.

Fundamentals of Acid Rock Drainage
Geochemistry of acid rock / acid mine drainage (ARD/AMD) which covers the role of bacteria in generating this global mining pollution issue and how mines currently treat and attempt to prevent it. An introduction to the underlying chemical reactions involved, the role of microbes in these processes and the mitigation and treatment strategies currently available.

* Course offering pending Faculty Council approval for 2018-19 academic year.


Prerequisite: APS110H1/CHE112H1 or equivalent.

Integrated Mine Waste Engineering

View full course description in the Engineering Undergrad Academic Calendar.

Project Management
Project management has evolved from being an accidental job title into being a chosen profession with a career path, code of ethics and its own body of knowledge. This course covers most of the knowledge areas of the Project Management Institute: integration, scope, cost, time, risk, human resources, and communications management. We take a practical, applied approach, using a textbook and discussing case studies. There is a term paper on "lessons learned" from an actual project. More info

Operations Research for Engineering Management
This course introduces optimization techniques applicable in solving various engineering programs. These techniques are widely used in engineering design, optimal control, production planning, reliability engineering, and operations management. The contents of this course can be classified into two major categories: modeling techniques and optimization algorithms. Topics include linear programming, sensitivity analysis, nonlinear programming, dynamic programming, decision making under uncertainty, new developments in optimization techniques. The course will also examine several case studies to gain understanding of real applications of optimization techniques. More info

Infrastructure Resilience Planning
Planning for resilience is a fundamental of strategic and operational planning of infrastructure and requires an in-depth understanding of the operation one wishes to make resilient, its context and operating environment. This course teaches resilience planning from first principles, including the development and application of international and Canadian infrastructure resilience and investment policy, demand and dependency management, all-hazards and mitigation strategies and its relationship to Enterprise Risk Management and Business Continuity Planning. More info

Environmental Decision Making
This course introduces and critically considers concepts and methods for making decisions about environmental problems. Topics include critical thinking, quantitative and qualitative approaches to decision making, science and the use of models, addressing conflicting objectives and stakeholders through formal evaluation methods and collective decision making, dealing with uncertainties, values, perceptions and ethical considerations. The material is presented through lectures and class discussions using examples and case studies. Note that all course material may not be posted on the site, and students must ensure that they receive all announcements and handouts given out during the classes.
More Info

Environmental Law
Law is a key instrument in environmental management. What is the general framework which governs the Canadian environment? What are the values, assumptions, and guiding principles which underlie this framework? Are there alternative models for regulation? How does the Canadian model compare to other models? This course will address these questions with the intention of giving students a basic understanding of regulatory policies in Canada governing the environment, natural resource use and allocation.
More Info

Graduate Seminar in Environment and Health
There is a pressing need to study the complex relationships between the environment and human health, especially as we are increasingly challenged by environmental health issues. This course introduces students to various issues related to environment and health in providing an academic environment of inquiry and dialogue in which academics and graduate students from various disciplines can exchange ideas, information and insights. The aim is to expose the students to the many ways that issues related to the environment and health are framed, examined, discussed and engaged. The course will stimulate students to reflect on this diverse discussion and to integrate their work into a broader context and perspective. Students will have the opportunity to explore linkages between environmental factors and health issues as these intersect with environmental and health policy, standards and guidelines; biological impacts; psychosocial factors; economic factors; and ethical and legal issues.
More Info

Global Ecology and Biochemical Cycles
More Info

Environmental Microbiology
The objective of this course is to develop fundamental aspects of microbiology and biochemistry as they relate to energetics and kinetics of microbial growth, environmental pollution and water quality, bioconversions, biogeochemical cycles, bioenergy and other bioproducts. More info

HVAC Fundamentals
Introduction to the fundamentals of HVAC system operation and the relationship between these systems, building occupants and the building envelope. Fundamentals of psychrometrics, heat transfer and refrigeration; determination of heating and cooling loads driven by occupant requirements and the building envelope; heating and cooling equipment types and HVAC system configurations; controls and maintenance issues that influence performance; evaluation of various HVAC systems with respect to energy and indoor environmental quality performance. More Info