The semester project provides an opportunity to apply the concepts discussed in the classroom to an engineering problem of interest to the student. Typically, the student will use commercial software to investigate an engineering problem - analysis or design - that can benefit from information provided by a dynamic model. Other types of projects might include library research or laboratory experiments.
I am open to your suggestions for project topics. In the past, topics have included:
Other possible topics might include:
Students may select projects related to their work or research. Work- or research-related topics have the advantage of a clear objective and relevant results. If the topic is related to a research or design project that a student has been or is currently working on, he or she must indicate what portion of the work was performed for this class project in addition to that required for his or her thesis or other assignments.
The analysis project should presented as a written technical report. Typically reports are 10 to 20 pages long. The final report and all progress reports should be double spaced. Otherwise, any standard technical report format is acceptable, e.g., ASCE's Author's Guide.
On-campus students will also give an oral presentation of their project. The American Society of Civil Engineers provides these suggestions for presentations. The Transportation Research Board provides similar resources. (Scroll down to the section: "About the Design of Your Visual Aids"). You should follow these guidelines in your presentations.
The report should focus on the nature of the problem and how the model aided the solution of the problem. Typically the report will mention important aspects of the model such as material properties, boundary conditions, and loads. Assumptions and simplifications and other limitations of the model should be discussed. The report should also discuss how the accuracy of the solution was verified.
Students will submit a project proposal, two project updates, and a final report. Due dates are listed in the course calendar.