Useful links
Unit of study_
CIVL1810: Engineering Construction and Surveying
2025 unit information
Construction: Fundamental understanding of construction materials and techniques underpins Civil design and complements a rigorous analysis covered in other units such as Structural Mechanics and Soil Mechanics. In this unit students will be introduced to the realities of on-site civil construction. For many students this comes as a completely foreign experience and the methods they need to use to succeed in this unit rely on the student building his or her own awareness of the construction world and how it operates. This will be guided by the lectures and on-line material, but will not be spoon-fed to the students. This unit presents concepts introducing students to engineering construction including: - design, control, management, measurement and construction methods for excavation, embankments and other earthworks, hauling and associated operations; - conceptual and formative exposure to building construction methods and materials, including reinforced concrete, masonry, steel and timber; - drilling and blasting. Surveying: The unit also introduces Engineering Survey topics, where the aims are: - give an overall view of the functions of surveying and it's service role in Civil construction; - become acquainted with selected specific surveying techniques, such as: (a) to provide basic analogue methods of distance, angle and height measurement and, (b) to provide an understanding of three dimensional mapping using basic total station electronic field equipment with associated data capture ability, and; - to give an insight into future trends in the use of GPS and GIS systems. Students should develop basic competency in earthwork engineering and awareness of costing issues in formulating building proposals (through simplified examples). Economic optimisation is investigated, and how this impinges on decisions of construction, including proposing and analysing systems and methods, estimation of probable output, unit cost and productivity evaluation. Students should have a basic knowledge of vertical construction in reinforced concrete, masonry, steel and timber. Students should also develop proficiency in the design and implementation of mapping systems in Civil Engineering, using analogue and electronic field equipment and associated software packages. The tutorial exercises give practise for students to implement what they have learned from lectures and their own research about the framework under which construction projects are formulated and analysed; construction engineering fundamentals; construction systems related to excavation, hauling and embankment construction, including selection and evaluation of plant and methods as well as the expected output and cost; introduction to construction operations management, introduction to engineering surveying, distance measurement, angle measurement, levelling, traversing, topographic surveys, electronic surveying equipment, future surveying technologies. While prior exposure to an actual construction site would be beneficial, in any case the key for success in this unit is for the student to develop a hungry curiosity for the world of construction and the professionals and personalities which form the intricate patchwork of talent which sees complex projects through to successful completion.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Engineering
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Civil Engineering |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
|
None |
|---|---|
|
Corequisites:
?
|
None |
| Prohibitions:
?
|
CIVL2810 |
| Assumed knowledge:
?
|
CIVL1900. Some statistical awareness is an advantage and co-enrolment in MATH1005 Statistics is advised. HSC Mathematics Extension 1 or completion of (MATH1021 and MATH1002) or MATH1061 are sufficient for non-statistical maths preparation |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Ability to convey complex technical information clearly and concisely.
- LO2. Skill in organizing ideas logically and presenting them in a structured format.
- LO3. Competence in using appropriate language and terminology for the target audience.
- LO4. Ability to create, modify, and annotate 2D drawings using AutoCAD software.
- LO5. Skill in accurately dimensioning and scaling drawings to industry standards.
- LO6. Knowledge of AutoCAD tools and commands relevant to civil engineering design and drafting.
- LO7. Understanding the impact of construction projects and aspects to be considered in selecting methods and materials.
- LO8. Understanding the principles and theories related to excavation, embankments, and other earthwork operations.
- LO9. Knowledge of geotechnical investigation techniques and their role in assessing soil conditions for earthwork projects.
- LO10. Understanding equipment selection, operation, and maintenance for earthwork activities.
- LO11. Knowledge of surveying techniques and equipment used for stakeout, elevation control, and as-built surveys in earthwork projects.
- LO12. Understanding of environmental regulations and sustainability practices relevant to earthwork projects.
- LO13. Understanding common building materials' properties, characteristics, and applications, such as concrete and steel.
- LO14. Ability to comprehend and apply construction methods and techniques specific to reinforced concrete and steel structures.
- LO15. Familiarity with local and international building codes and regulations related to reinforced concrete and steel structures.
- LO16. Familiarities with surveying instruments' types, components, and operations, such as total stations, theodolites, levels, and EDM (Electronic Distance Measurement) devices.
- LO17. Ability to select and employ appropriate methods for distance measurement, including tape measures, electronic distance measurement, and laser-based technologies.
- LO18. Understanding of angular units, principles of angular measurement, and the use of theodolites and total stations for precise angle measurements.
- LO19. Skill in setting up and operating theodolites or total stations to measure horizontal and vertical angles.
- LO20. Competence in planning and organizing surveying tasks, including selecting appropriate methods for distance, angle, and height measurements based on project requirements.
- LO21. Knowledge of the basic principles and functioning of GPS, including satellite constellations, signals, and positioning methods.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Semester 2 2025
|
Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
Find your current year census dates
Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
