Module manager: Professor Fleur Loveridge
Email: f.a.loveridge@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
Admission to UG programmes in the School of Civil Engineering
CIVE3860 CIVE3160
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module combines technical design with real-world experience. Students start with a feasibility study, then progress to detailed design, producing drawings, risk assessments, and sustainability plans. A programme-specific assignment deepens disciplinary expertise, while professional skills activities build communication and ethical awareness. The highlight is Constructionarium, a five-day field course where teams construct a scaled-down project under authentic site conditions. This immersive approach develops practical skills, teamwork, and confidence for professional engineering practice.
The objectives of this module are:
-To undertake a feasibility study of a civil engineering project considering various aspects, resulting in a recommended general scheme.
-To complete elements of detailed design, demonstrating that the a proposal is practicable.
-To communicate your scheme using writing, construction drawings and oral presentation.
-To manage and implement a construction project during a residential field trip (Constructionairium), where you work in teams.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes (contributing to the AHEP4 learning outcomes indicated between brackets):
1) Apply engineering principles to produce outline and detailed design solutions for complex problems addressing different stakeholder needs and promoting inclusion. (M1, M5, M11).
2) Evaluate the cost and benefits of complex infrastructure solutions, considering environmental and social impacts, project costs, engineering materials, technologies, and construction practices, while assessing the full project lifecycle to ensure buildability and sustainability of the solution. (M7, M13 most, M15 part)
3) Integrate different data sources to formulate, analyse and iterate a range of interconnected engineering problems to provide conclusions and recommendation of a preferred infrastructure solution. (M2)
4) Critically sift and select available data, solutions, and design approaches using different computational and analytical techniques. (M3, M4)
5) Develop design solutions that are safe to build, use, maintain and decommission. (M5)
6) Identify and understand ethical issues that may arise in construction and make appropriate professional decisions on that basis (M8) .
7) Use risk management techniques to evaluate safety, environmental, and security risks to projects, and actions required to minimise risk (M9, M10) .
8) Use a range of methods to effectively communicate to diverse audiences about engineering solutions to complex problems, while justifying decisions and articulating their limitations (M17) .
9) Work effectively both as an individual and within a team, using self-reflection to evaluate performance and recommend development actions for continuous improvement. (M16, M18)
LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR CONSTRUCTIONARIUM:
10) Demonstrate practical insights in construction processes, including planning techniques, construction techniques, basic setting out, costing, and estimating, constructability, site management, and team dynamics. (M1, M2, M5, M12, M16)
11) Demonstrate the ability to integrate health and safety risk management principles and security measures to ensure the safe execution of construction activities. (M9, M10, JBM thread).
12) Develop and apply effective method statements and construction control processes to manage quality, safety, and risk on construction sites. (M10, M14, JBM thread)
13) Plan and execute construction activities, considering time, resources, costs, and health and safety considerations, while adhering to change management processes. (M15, JBM thread)
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
14. Planning and Organisation/Time management
15. Technical skills (including related to technical disciplines, analysis approaches, and implementation of CAD/BIM)
16. Decision-making
17. Communication
18. Systems thinking
19. Problem solving
20. Group working and collaboration
The module consists of five linked components:
1) In the first part (‘feasibility’), to be completed by the end of week 5, students will produce an outline of a recommended solution selected after considering the broad aspects of the problem including environmental, technical, financial constraints etc. Students will be required to consider the detailed definition of the project, define, compare and contrast the factors affecting the solution and present a well-argued case for that solution, which should be described in sufficient detail so that it can be seen to be practicable. An important part of this stage of the project is to compare and evaluate very different factors.
2) In the second part (‘detailed design’) groups of students will assess their reports and select the solution they consider to be the most suitable. The student groups will then carry out a more detailed analysis and design of most elements of the scheme, including drawings, risk assessment and considerations of 'buildability' and sustainability, for inclusion in a group design report.
3) In the third part (‘programme specific’), students will be set an assessed piece of coursework specific to the programme they are enrolled on (e.g. Civil & Structural Engineering, or Civil & Environmental Engineering). This coursework, which will be agreed with the programme leaders prior to the commencement of each session, will be related to the feasibility study and/or detailed design outlined in in 1) and 2) above.
4) The fourth aspect (‘professional skills’) involves: (i) working in groups to produce a video presentation capturing an ethical situation related to the scheme in 1) to 3) above; (ii) making an individual presentation on the feasibility study; (iii) reflecting on achievements made within current year, aims for next year and how these next year aims are going to be achieved, via production of an individual reflective review.
5) The fifth component (Constructionarium) involves a five day fieldcourse during which project teams plan, manage and execute the construction of a scaled down real construction project under site conditions. The fieldcourse will include onsite instruction on Health and Safety, construction techniques, use of power tools etc. The fieldcourse is preceded by mandatory briefings and workshops and each student has to submit a pre-fieldcourse report.
Methods of assessment
The assessment details for this module will be provided at the start of the academic year
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 30 | 1 | 30 |
| Seminars | 2 | 7 | 14 |
| Seminars | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Seminars | 10 | 2 | 20 |
| Fieldwork | 5 | 10 | 50 |
| Independent online learning hours | 31 | ||
| Private study hours | 250 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 119 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 400 | ||
The regular design tutorials (weekly in Part 3) and the consultations (twice during Part 2) provide students with feedback on their own work and the chance to compare their own progress with others. There are also weekly tutorials for the Constructionarium field course in the run up to the event. Design Tutorials and consultations are led by academic staff, but student participation is encouraged and developed over the course of the module. Construction planning tutorials are student led with staff support and feedback.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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