Graduate Courses

Environmental Engineering

GS/CIVL 6110 3.0 Physical Principles of Environmental Engineering
This course introduces the student to aspects of fundamentals and applications of mass, momentum, and heat transport in environmental engineering and will be introduced to concepts of advection, diffusion, dispersion, settling, surface transfer, kinetics and equilibrium processes in air, water and soil. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6111 3.0 Advanced Laboratory Analytical Methods
This course is aimed specifically at Engineers who need a broad base introduction to analytical instrumentation tools for the measurement of different chemical, structure, and biological properties and processes. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6112 3.0 Emerging Trace Contaminants
The goal of the course is to familiarize the student with the problem of emerging organic and other contaminants in wastewater and wastewater sludge and other environments, such as soil, water and sediments, which are principal sources and sinks for these pollutants. Thus, the course deals with theoretical notions on the type of different emerging contaminants, the properties, and sources and how to deal with them at trace levels. This course enhances student’s knowledge on analysis of these emerging contaminants by utilizing different analytical options e.g. LC/MS (Liquid Chromatography/Mass spectrophotometry); GC/MS (Gas Chromatography/Mass spectrophotometry); FTIR (Infrared Spectroscopy); ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) spectroscopy and Cytofl uorometry.

The students will gain knowledge in 1.) fate and transport of emerging contaminants; 2.) analytical challenges at micro-and nano-levels; and 3.) treatment and removal from complex environments.

GS/CIVL 6120 3.0 Environmental Bioengineering Processes
This course introduces the student to aspects of molecular biology of environmental engineering processes and will be introduced to modern techniques and practices in biotechnology and bioengineering and develops the basic skills required to design an environmental biotechnology. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6121 3.0 Air Pollution Engineering
This course is aimed at preparing the students to the diverse nature of the air pollution problem, and atmospheric dispersion of air pollutants. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6100 3.0 Special Topics in Environmental Engineering
Emerging, current, or timely topics in Environmental Engineering that may be offered as a Directed Reading course.

Geotechnical Engineering

GS/CIVL 6200 3.0 Special Topics in Geotechnical Engineering
Emerging, current, or timely topics in Geotechnical Engineering that may be offered as a Directed Reading course.

GS/CIVL 6210 3.0 Advanced Soil Mechanics
Soil properties and behaviour examined using Critical State Soil Mechanics (CSSM). Topics include: soil as a geomaterial; soil properties and their measurement; soil constitutive modelling; isotropic and anisotropic elastic models; plasticity theory; elastic-plastic model; Cam-clay model; critical states; shear strength of soils; stress-dilatancy; elastic-viscoplastic model; applications of elastic-plastic soil models. Students are expected to have completed an undergraduate course in Soil Mechanics or an equivalent course.

GS/CIVL 6211 3.0 Geosynthetics
This course provides students a fundamental understanding of geosynthetic design for a geotechnical engineer. The course focuses on the manufacturing and industrial applications of a wide variety of geosynthetics, design calculations and considerations and evaluation of a geosynthetic design failure. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6212 3.0 Unsaturated Soil Mechanics
This course provides students a fundamental understanding of the basic principles of unsaturated soil mechanics presented as an extension of classical saturated soil mechanics. Students are expected to have completed soil mechanics/geotechnical engineering course at the undergraduate level.

GS/CIVL 6213 3.0 Geotechnical Lab and Field Testing
This course is designed to develop a student’s understanding of how geohazards impact geotechnical engineers. The course is designed to first develop the student’s knowledge on the triggers, mechanisms and risks associated with geohazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tsunami’s before focusing on landslide susceptibility and risk.

GS/CIVL 6216 3.0 Advanced Geological Engineering
Many geotechnical designs require the use of geological engineering design principles in order to ensure the stability of rock slopes and excavations in rock. Empirical, analytical, numerical methods are used by industry to design and analyze such slope and excavation projects. This course will focus on design and construction challenges related to the inherent variability of intact rock and rock mass properties. The use of industry standard design approaches (empirical and analytical) and software will be incorporated into analysis and open-ended project based design problem.

GS/CIVL 6220 3.0 Advanced Foundation Design
This course presents the planning, analysis, and design of shallow and deep foundations at an advanced level. This course is designed to fully prepare a student to carry out sub-surface investigations, analysis and design of shallow and deep foundations.

GS/CIVL 6221 3.0 Geotechnical Modelling
Principles and applications of theoretical, numerical and physical modelling in geotechnical engineering. Topics include: Introduction to modelling; idealization of soil behaviour; constitutive modelling; numerical modelling; physical modelling; centrifuge modelling; theoretical modelling. Applications include: embankments; soft ground tunnelling; dams; retaining walls; foundations; soil reinforcement; soil-structure interaction.

GS/CIVL 6222 3.0 Geohazards
This course is designed to develop a student’s understanding of how geohazards impact geotechnical engineers. The course is designed to first develop the student’s knowledge on the triggers, mechanisms and risks associated with geohazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tsunami’s before focusing on landslide susceptibility and risk.

GS/CIVL 6223 3.0 Ground Improvement Techniques
Principles and applications of ground improvement techniques. Topics include: Densification, compaction, prefabricated drains (PVDs), vacuum preloading, electrokinetics, chemical stabilization, soil freezing, grouting, soil reinforcement using geosynthetics, anchors, nails and micropiles, stone columns, deep cement mixing (DCM) columns.

Geoenvironmental Engineering

GS/CIVL 6310 3.0 Advanced Hydrogeology
This course advances the student’s knowledge of undergraduate hydrogeology through theory and computer simulations. The course will focus on saturated flow in porous media, followed by mechanics of pumping of confined and unconfined aquifers. Contaminant hydrogeology will also be introduced. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6320 3.0 Flow and Transport in the Vadose Zone
This course provides students a fundamental understanding of the flow and transport in the vadose zone. Theoretical as well as applied aspects of various processes and mechanisms of flow and transport are presented within the context of contaminant migration and remediation.

GS/CIVL 6321 3.0 Contaminant Hydrogeology
This course introduces students to contaminant hydrogeology through theory, field visits, and computer simulations and focuses on contaminant fate and transport, multiphase flow and fractured networks, and end with an investigation into new and emerging environmental pollutants. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6311 3.0 Site Remediation
This course outlines the design and operation of site remediation activities. It expands the students’ knowledge about subsurface contaminant fate and transport and delves into site remediation technologies. The course will include a site visit to an active remediation site and introduce students to new and emerging technologies. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6300 3.0 Special Topics in Geoenvironmental Engineering
Emerging, current, or timely topics in Geoenvironmental Engineering that may be offered as a Directed Reading course.

Structural Engineering

GS/CIVL 6410 3.0 Advanced Reinforced Concrete Design
This course provides students with an understanding of advanced topics in reinforced concrete analysis and design. The content focuses on detailed sectional analysis, slender columns and strut and tie models, and the Modified Compression Field Theory for shear design. Students are expected to have completed reinforced concrete design at the undergraduate level.

GS/CIVL 6411 3.0 Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
This course provides students with an introduction to modern seismology, ground-faulting and characteristics of earthquakes, derivation of the dynamic equations of motion of multi-degree of freedom systems, time-history analysis to ground excitations, damping, nonlinear hysteresis, nonlinear spectra, modal properties, analysis in the frequency domain, torsional response of structures, performance limit states and principles of base isolation.

GS/CIVL 6420 3.0 Advanced Prestressed Concrete
This course provides students with an understanding of the mechanics and fundamental concepts of prestressed reinforced concrete. The content will include analysis and design principles according to Canadian design standards. The course will culminate with an applied design project of a prestressed concrete structure. Students are expected to have completed reinforced concrete design at the undergraduate level.

GS/CIVL 6421 3.0 Seismic Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures
This course provides students with an introduction to seismic design of reinforced concrete structures. Topics range from a review of seismic hazard to the requirements of the National Building Code to state of the art in seismic design philosophy. Students are expected to have completed reinforced concrete design at the undergraduate level. Structural Dynamics & Earthquake Engineering (GS/CIVL 6411) is a prerequisite.

GS/CIVL 6413 3.0 Advanced Structural Steel Design
This course provides students with an understanding of advanced topics in the design of steel structures. Topics will include principles of local and global buckling and stability; plastic design of steel structures; plate girders; and composite members. Emphasis will be placed on overall structural analysis and design. Students are expected to have completed structural steel design at the undergraduate level.

GS/CIVL 6414 3.0 Bridge Engineering
This course provides students with tools in bridge engineering from an understanding of bridge loads, to simplified and advanced methods of analysis, to planning and selection of bridge systems, to design of reinforced concrete, structural steel, and prestressed reinforced bridges and their management, maintenance and monitoring, including corrosion repair. Students are expected to have completed reinforced concrete and structural steel design courses at the undergraduate level.

GS/CIVL 6422 3.0 Advanced Topics in Structural Engineering
This course comprises cutting-edge, new concepts and technological developments in structural engineering. Topics include: computer-based modelling of structures; seismic assessment of existing structures; and, novel construction materials in structural engineering.

GS/CIVL 6400 3.0 Special Topics in Structural Engineering
Emerging, current, or timely topics in Structural Engineering that may be offered as a Directed Reading course.

GS/CIVL 6490 3.0 Human Behaviour in Fires
This course introduces notions of human behaviour in fires, including cognition perception, problem solving, decision-making and information processing. Techniques and ethics around gathering data on human behaviour in fire are presented. In addition to case studies, class discussion and design examples, students gain experience in the limitations, uncertainty and use of computational models and hand calculations associated with evacuation analysis.

GS/CIVL 6491 3.0 Structural Fire Resilience
This course is a basic course on the design and analysis of structures exposed to fire. It aims to enhance student understanding of the behaviour of materials and structural systems under fire load and introduce them to the principles and rational methodologies for Structural Fire Engineering Design in the context of Canadian building codes. Through class discussions, practical examples and case studies, students will obtain the background required to design buildings for fire resilience, gain experience with applications of resilience based design concepts taught in the course and discover current issues related to designing for fire safety.

GS/CIVL 6492 3.0 Fire Dynamics
This course introduces the fundamentals of fire behaviour and practical issues in fire safety, compartment fire development, fire control and hazard assessment. Theoretical concepts and practical examples related to fuels, flammability, and applications of flame spread, ignition, heat transfer and fluid dynamics principles in estimating fire growth and development will be examined. Through class discussions, examples and case studies, students will obtain the background required to make fundamental fire dynamics calculations, gain entry-level experience with applications in compartment fire dynamics principles taught in the course and explore several current issues related to fire safety engineering.

Transportation Engineering

GS/CIVL 6510 3.0 Advanced Transportation Engineering
This course deals with fundamentals of transportation engineering, essential elements of geometric design of highways, traffic safety, and principles of transportation planning and traffic demand forecasting. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6520 3.0 Pavement Materials, Analysis and Design
This course provides students with an introduction to sustainable design of pavements for highways, airports and other industrial applications. Pavement materials and principles of analysis and design of pavements are covered in detail. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6511 3.0 Intelligent Transportation Systems
This course introduces the students to essential features of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and provides them with the opportunity to explore and investigate the applications of ITS in delivering safe and efficient transportation systems and in preserving of transportation assets. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6521 3.0 Road Safety Engineering
This course is designed to provide students with a strong theoretical and methodological foundation in road safety analysis. It focuses on the analysis of road collision data, the evaluation of safety countermeasures, the roadway safety management process, and the roadway design consistency. There are no prerequisites for this course.

GS/CIVL 6500 3.0 Special Topics in Transportation Engineering
Emerging, current, or timely topics in Transportation Engineering that may be offered as a Directed Reading course.

Water Resources Engineering

GS/CIVL 6600 3.0 Special Topics in Water Resources Engineering
Emerging, current, or timely topics in Water Resources Engineering that may be offered as a Directed Reading course.

GS/CIVL 6610 3.0 Computational Methods in Hydrodynamics
This course introduces the scientific principles and practical engineering applications of numerical hydrodynamics. Through this course students will be able to solve the free surface flow equations using mostly finite difference techniques. The course also provides an overview of some of the fundamental mathematical equations governing open channel hydraulics. Throughout this course, students learn and develop advanced computational techniques to solve fundamental unsteady varied hydrodynamic flows, where no analytical solution is available.

GS/CIVL 6611 3.0 Advanced Drinking Water Engineering
This course provides a holistic introduction to drinking water management in Canada and around the world. Drinking water quality, source water protection, the design of drinking water treatment unit processes, drinking water distribution infrastructure, and onsite water management are explored in lectures, laboratory experiments, and industry standard modelling software.

GS/CIVL 6620 3.0 Data-driven Modelling and Uncertainty Analysis for Water Resources
This course will introduce and develop advanced engineering, mathematical and statistical techniques for modelling water resource systems and to quantify the uncertainty of these modelling techniques. The course includes 3 modules related to data-driven models (model development and performance testing), statistical methods (design of experiments, hypothesis testing, Bayesian analysis), and fuzzy set theory (fuzzy models, fuzzy arithmetic, fuzzification techniques).