Click here to view the Department's website.
History of the Department
Civil Engineering has been taught
on this campus since 1885, at first in a building which stood on a site
now occupied by the Department of Mechanical Engineering and later in the
present School of Mines building. However, in 1963 we moved into a new building,
the one which we now occupy. The architects were Norman & Dawbarn and
the engineers, J.Jarvis & Sons, plc. In 1987, we had a refurbishment
of the facade and at that date added the nineteen plaques commemorating
famous engineers. A booklet describing their achievements is available from
the General Office.
For further information about the history of the Department please click here
The Department is open every day from 07.00 until 23.00 hours, with the exception of Christmas and Easter Closures.
Access is by Swipe Card only from 07.00-08.00 and 19.00-23.00, Monday to Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday.
Security passes must be worn at all times.
Students
Around 280 undergraduate students are reading
for the MEng degree of the University of London and for the Associateship
of the City and Guilds of London Institute (ACGI). Over 200 students are
registered for postgraduate study, approximately 150 of whom are registered
for the Master of Science (MSc) degree and the Diploma of Imperial College
(DIC). We also have around 60 research students registered for the Doctor
of Philosophy (PhD) degree, and a small number of occasional students, under
reciprocal arrangements with our Partner institutions in Europe and Australia,
who follow our courses but are not registered for degrees.
Staff
(for a direct link to the staff website click
here)
The departmental staff includes academics,
comprising Professors, Readers, Senior Lecturers, and Lecturers. In addition
to library and administrative staff, there are Research Fellows (post-doctoral
researchers) and Research Assistants (often also registered for PhD degrees)
employed on departmental research contracts. Bureaucracy and communications
are dealt with by 12 support staff. The large research laboratories need
a corps of some 20 well-trained technicians to support the volume of high-quality
research which is currently demanded of the Department.
The Department receives many visitors every day: parents, prospective students, industrial clients, government advisors, professors from other universities. The cleanliness of the building is important to the image of a well-managed and professional team of workers; this responsibility falls mainly on a small complement of cleaning staff, but all of us who regularly use the building, students and staff, have a share in that responsibility.
The Academic Sections
Members of the academic staff are grouped into
the following Sections, the name given in parenthesis being the Head of
Section:
· Concrete
Structures (Prof. M.N. Pavlovic)
· Environmental & Water Resources
Engineering (Prof. H.S. Wheater)
· Fluid Mechanics (Dr. C. Swan)
· Soil Mechanics (Prof.
D.M. Potts)
· Structural Engineering
(to be advised)
·Systems &
Mechanics (Dr. D. Lloyd Smith)
·Transport (Mr. J.W. Polak)
The Sections form a convenient gathering together of academics with similar expertise for the purpose of sustaining the Department's strong tradition in postgraduate advanced course teaching and its prolific and high-quality research. Whereas each postgraduate student (advanced course or research) is assigned directly to an individual Section, undergraduate students are not. For undergraduate instruction, the sectional divisions will not become relevant until a degree of specialisation is introduced in the third and fourth years of your course.
Academic Staff
It is important to understand that the
duties assigned to a university teacher under the terms of his or her employment
are different from those of a school teacher. Among the most important duties
of an academic civil engineer are the:
· Instruction of undergraduate students
· Instruction of postgraduate students
· Supervision and training of research students
· Undertaking of research work
· Provision of specialist short courses for the continuing education of
professional engineers
· Giving of expert professional advice to government and to industry
While all academics perform these duties, giving emphasis to those activities for which they are most suited, some also help with the general management of the Department. The Head of Department has overall responsibility assisted by Department Officers. For more details of these Officers, and their responsibilities and duties, please click here.
The building faces onto Imperial College Road. It is built partially on
the site of the old Imperial Institute: the only remnant of the Institute
is the Queen's Tower. Our building is L-shaped with a 13m width of leg enclosing
a rectangular area of large laboratories. In the original design of the
building, each speciality of civil engineering was allocated a set of rooms
close together - a system which is loosely maintained.
| Level 0, houses the Fluid Mechanics and Concrete Laboratories, heating services, stores etc. |
| Level 1 is street level. The entrance hall has the messenger's desk to the right and the General Office to the left. Staff receive mail and messages via a pigeon-hole system opposite the General Office. Teaching Rooms 101 and 141 are situated to the left of the main Structures Laboratory. |
| Level 2 are the main lecture theatres. Room 201 is at the front (southwest) corner of the building and Rooms 207 and 208 on the south side. The concourse area outside these rooms provides a recreational area. Beyond the lifts, at the back of the building, are two small postgraduate teaching rooms, Rooms 227 and 228, and the Centre for Environmental Control and Waste Management (secretary, Room 230). |
| Level 3 are the Fluid Mechanics Section (secretary, Room 329) and the Concrete Section (secretary, Room 327) and postgraduate research offices: and study rooms 301 and 307. The Senior Tutor, Dr Bommer, is in Room 324, and his secretary, Anna Hikel, in the Undergraduate Office. All coursework must be submitted via the coursework boxes located under the mail racks on Level 2. |
| Level 4 is the location of the Head of Department (Room 442), and his secretary (441). This floor also houses the Department Library on the west-facing leg of the building in Room 402. Most of the staff concerned with the teaching of Structures have their offices on this floor in the front corridor. |
| Level 5 may be found the Soil Mechanics Laboratory, the Soil Mechanics section offices are on this level and the secretary's office is Room 529. Most of the remainder of this floor houses the newly refurbished Environmental Engineering Laboratories. |
| Level 6 you will find the Transport Section, with the Secretary being based in Room 616. Room 601, at the west end of the building, is mainly used for meetings, conferences and for some tutorials. |
Department Library
The library is in Room 402 on Level 4 and
houses a collection of books which specialise in civil engineering and includes
the Rees Jeffreys Transport Library. Students may borrow up to ten standard
loans for three weeks. The library is open between 09.30 and 18.00 hours
during term-time and 10.00 and 17.30 in the vacations.
For further information on the Library click here
Reprographics
Sale of course work material (room 412)
Wednesday only during term time - 2.00 to 2.30 pm.
All purchases must be paid by cheque made out to Imperial College London. Cash, credit and debit cards are not accepted. See below for stock list and special offer.
Report binding material
The Department no longer sells binding material to students. A report binding
service is available from the Guilbert Docunet centre located on the level
2 walkway (next to the climbing wall) between Civil and Electrical Engineering.
Binding equipment may also be purchased from the Walkway ICU shop. Students
purchasing their own binding material may use the Department’s binding
equipment located in room 412.
Photocopiers
A networked photocopier primarily for student use is located on level 2
opposite room 208. Three additional photocopiers are located in room 412.
Two of these three copiers are networked. Students are asked to give staff
priority in the use of these three machines. Room 412 is open from 8 am
to 11 pm daily except weekends. Networked copiers are also used for printing
from the PCs in the Department’s computing laboratories. Further details
will be provided by the IT staff.
Photocopiers are activated using pre-paid copy cards. These are available from vending machines located adjacent to the level 2 copier and inside room 412. Cards are dispensed in units of 100 copies for £3. One A4 sheet is a single unit. An A3 sheet costs two units.
The only machine suitable for printing onto plastic transparencies is the IR 2200 located inside room 412.
Fault and problem reporting
Photocopiers: email REPROHELP and include the text COPY FAULT in the subject
header. All other problems and requests: email REPROHELP.
Computing
The Department has three PC Computer Laboratories,
Rooms 210, 314 and 317, which serve all undergraduate computing needs. These
facilities are open to all registered students of the Department from 08.00
to 22.30 hours daily, except when timetabled for classes (also closed some
Wednesday afternoons for systems work). Laptop facilities are now available
privided that machines are registered with the department first, please
email CVHelp for more information.
Laser printers are provided for student use of two floors, and are accessed using a pre-paid card system. Cards are available from vending machines next to the printers. Printing is charged at 3p per A4 sheet.
Please note that computing facilities are provided for registered students only for their academic studies. Anyone found to be using the facilities for anything other than these purposes could be fined or have their account suspended.
Toilets
Men's rooms are on Levels 2 (near staircase), 3 (near 301 and near 314), 4 (through doors nearest staircase) and 5.
Ladies' rooms are on Levels 2 (near windows at main staircase), 4 (near library) and 5 (behind lifts).
Letter-racks
To avoid any delays in receiving your mail it is advisable to use "Undergraduate Student" as part of your address, using the following format:
Mr/Ms XXXXX
Undergraduate Student
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Imperial College
London SW7 2BU
The letter racks are located in wooden boxes on wall near rooms 207/208. They are cleared regularly, so check them frequently. Please date all mail posted in these racks to avoid build up of uncollected mail.
Fax Machines
Personal faxes may be sent, on your behalf, by
the staff of the General Office, Room 118. A list of charges, both national
and international, is available.
Faxes may be received free of charge, and upon receipt will be put in the letter racks on Level 2. Please ensure that any correspondence you receive is marked clearly with both your name and the legend "Undergraduate Student".
The fax number is + (44) 20 7225 2716.
Lockers
Lockers are only available to Year 1 and 2 students
only. To secure a locker, please follow this procedure
Drink and Snack Machines
Drink and Snacks machines are situated on Level
2 concourse, overlooking the labs.
The level 2 concourse serves as a common area for students. The main student area is the JCR (Junior Common Room) on Sherfield Walkway.
Departmental Officers with Undergraduate Responsibilities
Head of Department
Professor D.A.
Nethercot, Room 442
Secretary: Ms Alice Kwesu,
Room 441
The Head of Department is responsible for all who work in the Department
and for all matters relating to the normal working of the Department. For
policy and planning decisions, the Head of Department is advised by his
senior academics together with the Departmental Administrator. For the day-to-day
management of the undergraduate system, the Head of Department delegates
executive authority to other departmental officers.
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Dr Julian Bommer
Secretary: Ms Anna Hikel, Undergraduate
Office
The Director of Undergraduate Studies is effectively the general manager
of the undergraduate system, responsible for its administration and quality.
He coordinates the teaching programme and he monitors and controls student
workloads.
Senior Tutor
Dr. A.P. Butler,
Room 306
Secretary:Ms Anna Hikel, Undergraduate
Office
The Senior Tutor is responsible for the general care and welfare of all
undergraduate students. He provides guidance and positive help in all matters
that cause concern or worry. Each undergraduate is assigned a Personal Tutor
whom he/she should meet frequently at first. Such meetings help to form
good working and social relationships between students and academic staff;
they can assist students to develop the necessary responsibility for their
own academic progress; and they often serve to identify and eradicate small
worries before they become performance-wrecking problems. The Senior Tutor
coordinates the arrangements for personal tutoring. With the help of the
Year Coordinators, the Senior Tutor monitors the academic progress of all
undergraduates.
Appointments with the Senior Tutor are made through
Anna Hikel. They will typically take place between 12:30 and 1:30 pm on
Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays.
|
The Senior Tutor is the only member of staff of the
Department with the authority to |
Coordinator of the Year Abroad
Dr. C.J. Onof,
Room 410
Admin: Fionnuala Donovan,
General Office
The coordinator for the Year Abroad Programme provides advice and assistance
to those students registered for their final year abroad, and for students
visiting Imperial College through our academic exchange links with partner
institutions abroad.
Undergraduate Course
Year Co-ordinators
1st Yr: Ms. A.L.
Ahearn Rm 321
2nd Yr: Professor R. Sobey, Rm
3rd Yr: Prof. S. Glaister,
Rm 611
4th Yr: Dr R.D. Noland Rm
606
These officers provide an important line of communication between the students and staff in all matters that concern the smooth-running of the course. They liaise closely with student representatives to eradicate difficulties such as may be caused by unavoidable variations in the timetable or coursework schedule.
When necessary, they intercede with Subject Co-ordinators to ensure that students receive sufficiently early and informative progress reports in respect of their coursework assessments.
All Year Coordinators are supported by Ms Anna Hikel in the Undergraduate Office.
Industrial Liaison Tutor
Dr. R. D. Wing,
Room 434
The Industrial Liaison Tutor forges and strengthens links between the Department
and industry. This he does in the best interests of the career development
of students. The Academic Administrator assists him. They administer a growing
number of schemes for industrial sponsorship of students during their undergraduate
career; assist students in finding relevant industrial experience through
industrial placement and vacation training; advise on general employment
opportunities for graduates; maintain strong links with the Institution
of Civil Engineers; and ensure that the College's Careers Advisory Service
provides for the needs of undergraduates in this Department. For further
information on this and Career Development please click here.
Academic Administrator
Mrs Louise Green,
Room 440B
The Academic Administrator handles all Undergraduate applications to the
Department under the guidance of Professor Roger Hobbs. They ensure that
all new entrants are adequately qualified to undertake the degree course
and that the officially prescribed target number of Home and European Union
students is achieved. Mrs. Green is also responsible for the organisation
and administration of Undergraduate examinations under the guidance of Dr.
Michael H. deFreitas, Examinations Officer.
Departmental Technical Services
Manager
Mr A.C. Hargreaves,
Room 218 Liaison Librarian
: Ms R.E.J. Harrison The Liaison Librarian is responsible for the overall
provision of the library service to the Department, including developing
the collection and providing information skills training. The Library is
staffed by qualified professionals who are available at all times to assist
students. Introductory sessions on the Library and its services are given
to all new students. Students are encouraged to develop research skills
and be proactive in their use of the Library. Departmental Administrator
The Technical Services Manager (TSM) is responsible for the management of
the Department's technical workforce, laboratories and workshops. He also
manages the Department's cleaning staff and support services such as photography,
reprography and electrical testing. Additional responsibilities include
security, telecommunications, car parking and purchasing. Maintenance and
building works for the Department with the College Estates group also come
under the control of the TSM.
Departmental Safety Officer
Dr G.D. Fowler, Room 415
In any university department there are hazards to safe working. The Safety
Officer is responsible for ensuring that all materials and equipment are
safe and that all working practices of students and staff conform to legal
requirements.
Mr C.J. Kerr,
Room 440A
The Departmental Administrator is managerial assistant to the Head of Department.
He co-ordinates all departmental administration and is especially responsible
for monitoring and control of the financial planning and financial activities
of the whole department. He issues the undergraduate timetable and determines
the allocation of rooms for teaching purposes.
Education Development Co-ordinator
Ms. A.L. Ahearn,
Room 321
Each department and division in Imperial College appoints a member of staff
to act as Education Development Co-ordinator, to help raise awareness amongst
staff and students of new ideas for teaching methods and improving student
learning. Ms Ahearn is happy to receive feedback and comments from students
about teaching and learning, and to give assistance to students who want
to rethink their own learning techniques. The EDC scheme is organised by
the Pro-Rector for Educational Quality through the College's Education Development
Unit.
The Importance of Research Work in the Department
| An important function of the university sector,
in addition to teaching, is to provide the research needed by society
to develop its science and technology base. This may be fundamental
"blue skies" research which is driven by curiosity and seeks
new knowledge which may underpin major technological developments in
the far future. On the other hand, it may address current needs of industry,
or more generally, society, for improved methods to tackle long-standing
problems and raise competitiveness, or for new methods to address new
problems. Most academics are excited by the challenge of research, and
see great benefits to their teaching in being at the forefront of new
developments in their field. Research is also important to the Department in terms of its reputation, and funding. The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department is widely regarded as the leading Civil Engineering department in the UK in terms of the breadth and quality of its research, and has always been awarded the highest possible grade in the national assessment of research quality. This grade translates into funding from central government. In addition, though, the Department does not receive enough central funding to pay staff salaries, and income from externally-commissioned research is important for the Department to support its staff numbers and resource base. Research money is won from the government research councils through competitive bidding, from the EU, and from UK and overseas industry and UK and overseas governments. The new ideas being generated, and the associated research tools and facilities, play an important role in stimulating and supporting undergraduate research projects, and there may be opportunities for some for vacation work, and to go on to study for a higher degree through research. The quantity of research in the Department is too great and diverse to be simply summarised. The Department is organised into Sections, based on research interests, and the Departmental and Section web-sites provide lots of detail. Topics are as diverse as the role of robotics in construction, the behaviour of ageing construction materials, the seismic behaviour of buildings as observed in reconnaissance missions after major earthquakes, wave loading on offshore oil platforms, the effects of climatic change on flooding, and the problems of disposal of society's wastes. This research and the associated expertise feeds through to prestigious projects, such as the leaning tower of Pisa and the Jubilee line and the resolution of international environmental conflict, and to the formation of the next generation of design codes and management tools. The success of the Department in research attracts high quality staff and underlies the Department's major international reputation. Why not find out a little about this important side of the Department? A good way to start is to simply ask your personal tutor or lecturer what his or her current research interests are - but be prepared for an over-enthusiastic response. |
The Role of Postgraduate Advanced Courses
Education does not cease when you leave school, or even when you complete your undergraduate studies; it is an activity that lasts for a lifetime. Continuing education allows you to adapt to changing circumstances. For professional engineers, it is essential to keep abreast of new methods and procedures that will improve the scope, the quality, the safety or the competitive thrust of their work. For younger engineers, usually after a period of training in industry, the question may arise: "Shall I specialise?" Many of those who wish to become specialists in some particular branch of engineering then return to university to take an advanced course.
The MEng course allows, in its fourth year, a programme of specialist studies in two divisions of civil engineering, providing up-to-date knowledge and skills appropriate for current professional practice but without demanding substantial professional experience. Such a course is designed to be quite general, providing fundamental scientific knowledge and inculcating the attitude of mind that will allow you to adapt to changing circumstances or to continue your education as you desire. For graduates who wish to specialise in one particular branch of civil engineering, the Department offers the expertise and facilities of a major centre of postgraduate education.
There is presently a choice of 25 one-year postgraduate advanced courses for the degrees of MSc and DIC, grouped within the following four clusters; Advanced Structural Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering and Transport:
Advanced Structural Engineering Cluster
Concrete Structures
Concrete Structures and Business Management
Concrete Structures and Sustainable Development
Earthquake Engineering
General Structural Engineering
Structural Steel Design
Structural Steel Design and Business Management
Structural Steel Design and Sustainable Development
Environmental Engineering Cluster
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering and Business Management
Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development
Hydrology for Environmental Management
Hydrology and Business Management
Hydrology and Sustainable Development
Geotechnics Cluster
Engineering Geology
Engineering Geology and Business Management
Engineering Geology and Sustainable Development
Soil Mechanics
Soil Mechanics and Engineering Seismology
Soil Mechanics and Environmental Geotechnics
Soil Mechanics and Business Management
Soil Mechanics and Sustainable Development
Transport Cluster
Transport
Transport & Business Management
Transport & Sustainable Development
Department Based Advisory Services
The Department has various ways of enabling you to air and resolve problems, both academic and personal.
Personal Tutors
While in the Department, you will have a Personal
Tutor, who will take an interest in your social, academic and professional
development, with whom you can discuss any issues and to whom you can turn
for advice and help. The Department also has a Senior Tutor, Dr
Adrian Butler (Room 306), who has overall pastoral responsibility for
students and will always give assistance and advice.
Departmental Disabilities Officer
Dr.
Lidija Zdravkovic, Room 535, Extn: 46076
The Departmental Disabilities Officer is normally available Monday to Friday,
to discuss worries that you, as a students, may have, and wish to address,
in complete confidence, including examinations.
Mentors/Buddies
An enhanced buddy scheme has been set up to help
freshers connect with more senior students. Three events will be timetabled
in first term so that there is time for fresher/second year buddy pairs
to meet each other. After that,buddy pairs must take the initiative to make
use of their connection. The Academic Year Representatives (elected students)
and the CivSoc
will organise some social events but the scheme works best if the buddy
pairs simply choose to meet regularly. Buddies can help freshers get to
know London, Imperial's facilities, how to handle workload, what is essential
and what is optional and simply provide some social contact. Helping each
other maintain motivation is a key to the success of the scheme which we
hope will make student life more enjoyable and promote a good learning environment.
Year Co-Ordinators and Subject
Co-Ordinators
If there are more general problems with your work,
which you and your colleagues may experience, you can always discuss these
with the individual lecturer, the SUBJECT COORDINATOR, as is listed in the
syllabus section, (Appendices A-E), of this site, or with the YEAR
COORDINATOR .
Staff-Student Liaison Committees
There are three such committees, for the Undergraduate, MSc and Research Students/Staff. they meet once each term, their remit is as follows:
To recieve feedback from students.
To initiate enquiries or investigations on matters of concern to students.
To represent the interests and requiremnts of the student body.
To air grievances.
Undergraduate Staff-Student Liason Committee
Most difficulties can be resolved by discussion with members of staff but sometimes it will be necessary to talk about matters more genrally. This forum, which has two elected student representatives from each year also includes the Head of Department, Year Course Coordinators, Examinations Officer, and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. This group meets once a term to exchange ideas, resolve difficulties and discuss how the course could be improved.
Each undergraduate year elects two of its members as representatives who sit on the Staff-Student Liason Committee.
Membership
The staff membership includes the Senior Tutor (Chairman), Director of Undergraduate Studies, Chairman of the board of Examiners, Examinations Officer, Year Course Co-ordinators and Co-ordinator of the Year Abroad Programme.