Homework Assignment -- INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL Engineering CVE 100

For this assignment you will find information on a topic chosen from the list at the bottom of this assignment, or approved by your professor. Find materials in the library and its online resources (a book, a reference book, one journal article) and find information on the web. Write a short paper (less than one page) on the topic. References must be included.

Your assignment is due to Professor Swanson October 13, 2011 when your class meets. Submit your assignment in paper format.

Assignment

1. Choose a topic from either the list below, or an idea approved by your professor.

2. Find a book with information on your topic.

• Connect to the UC Library Catalog . Search by keyword for your topic.  Use "Tips for using the catalog" at the right of the search page.
• You may also use the e-book collections listed under Books Online. Suggested collections include
  • CRCnetBASE
  • Knovel
  • Referex
  • OhioLINK's Electronic Book Center (EBC)
  • Science Direct books from Elsevier
• Select one book in the Library or online and locate pages in it relevant to your topic.
• You can email the library catalog record to yourself for printing or editing.  It has all the information you need for citing it in your paper.  Mark the desired records, click "Save Marked Records" and then View Saved Records. Brief Display has the information you need for citing the reference.  You can also export records to RefWorks if you have an account.

3. Find a reference book, in paper or online:

• From the CEAS Library homepage, click on the link called Engineering and Applied Science Reference Guides. Select Civil Engineering or Environmental Engineering or Transportation from the list of guides.
• Review the titles listed in the section of the guide entitled HANDBOOKS and ENCYCLOPEDIAS.
  • Use the call numbers provided to find the books in the CEAS Library Reference collection, or follow links to online books.
  • Identify specific pages in the selected Reference book with relevant information

4. Find one article on your topic in a journal (magazine, periodical).  Choose one of the following four sources.

• Computer and Applied Science Complete (CASC)

• From the CEAS Library homepage, select Databases Online - C, then Computer and Applied Science Complete.
• Search by keyword or subject for your topic.
• Choose the record that is most appropriate. Use the "Article Linker" or "Find a copy" to find the article.  Read the article.
• If you want to send the record to yourself, click on the full record and use the E-mail icon. Or add it to a folder and send folder contents.
  

  OR

• ASCE's Civil Engineering Database
• From the CEAS Library homepage, select Databases Online - A, and then ASCE....
• Search in All Text Fields.
• When searching this database, be sure to select "Journals - all" as your document type, and set the dates after 1990 so that you will be able to find an article online. Read the article.

OR

• Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • From the CEAS Library homepage, select Databases Online - C, and then Civil....
  • Use Advanced Search to set up your query.
  • Read the article.

 

OR

• Transport
  • From the CEAS Library homepage, select Databases Online - T, and then Transport....
  • Select Transport 2003-2010/06, open the database and enter your search
  • Read the article or report.

5. To find a website:

• Choose a search engine such as Google Scholar and their Advanced Scholar Search tips to formulate a search. Or use Scirus for a scientific search engine. Or Google and limit to a non-commercial domain.
• Search for your topic.
• Select a non-commercial site with current pages and information, and clear authorship. There is a lot of low-quality information on the web!

6. Write up your findings.

• In your own words, write a one page summary on your topic based on your findings.  DO NOT cut and paste information from the abstracts or articles you found. Improper citing of quoted or paraphrased material constitutes plagiarism.
• At the end, cite each source (book, reference book, journal article and web site) you used in preparing the summary.  Use the ASCE format to cite your sources.  To cite a web site for this assignment, provide the location (URL beginning with http://), the title of the web page, who is responsible for it, and the date if any. (Add the access date in parentheses.)
• Be sure to include page numbers for the reference book and journal article.

Topics to research (Note: Other topics are permissible with permission from Dr. Swanson)

Civil:

• Artificial intelligence in Civil Engineering (also check artificial neural networks in civil engineering)
• Building design for earthquake resistance
• Bridge failures
• Channel hydraulics
• Construction management or scheduling
• Construction traffic safety
• Global aspects of Civil Engineering
• LEED building certification
• Lightweight concrete
• Pavement design
• Prestressed concrete and bridges
• Reinforced concrete
• Slope stability
• Structural dynamics
• Structural steel
• Traffic simulations
• The use of remote sensing technology in Civil Engineering

Environmental :

• Activated carbon treatment
• Air pollution and rain control
• Disinfection of drinking water
• Flue gas desulfurization
• Global aspects of Environmental Engineering
• Groundwater pollution
• Groundwater transport of contaminants
• Hazardous waste treatment or solidification

9/29/11 twb
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