MEng Civil Engineering / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Mechanics (Civil)

Course unit fact file
Unit code CIVL10602
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 1
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

The taught element consists of 24 formal lectures and 6 worked-example sessions. Taught material is supported by a 2-hour lab, where students undertake 4 desktop experiments in small groups, and by a short written coursework exercise containing multi-part, exam-type questions.

Aims

- To equip students with the knowledge and skills required to develop and solve mathematical models of simple dynamical systems.

- To enable students to apply fundamental mechanical principles to break down, simplify and analyse the behaviour of complex systems met in later modules of their engineering course.

Syllabus

(1) Kinematics: velocity and acceleration; multidimensional motion in Cartesian and polar coordinates; motion under gravity in 2 dimensions; variable acceleration.
(2) Momentum: laws of motion in force-momentum, impulse-momentum and energy forms; conservation of momentum; direct and oblique collisions; friction; extended objects; centre of mass.
(3) Energy: definitions of kinetic energy, work, power, efficiency; Mechanical Energy Principle; conservative and non-conservative forces; gravitational and elastic potential energy; virtual work and potential-energy criterion for equilibrium.
(4) Rotation: rotational kinematics; rotational dynamics; moments of inertia; combined rotation and translation.
(5) Oscillations: SHM; undamped and damped free vibration; forced oscillations and resonance.

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Other 10%
Written exam 80%
Practical skills assessment 10%

Other - assessed tutorial work 10%

Feedback methods

Comments on scripts and answers & classwide feedback in Blackboard

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 24
Practical classes & workshops 2
Tutorials 6
Independent study hours
Independent study 68

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
David Apsley Unit coordinator

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