KB6012 - Environmental Engineering

The module will include a range of learning materials such as presentations, notes, seminar questions for you to answer, and other resources such as video links, spreadsheets and specific software-related files. All these resources will be arranged in a convenient learning journey, giving you a clear expectation of the material to be studied and tasks to be completed on a week-by-week basis. You will be expected to complete the appropriate tasks in your weekly journey before either attending classes or taking part in online sessions. You will take part in lectures to develop your knowledge and understanding of the module material and in seminars, where you will learn to apply the concepts learned to civil engineering problems. You will also participate in workshop sessions, where you will discuss the module material and coursework tasks with your tutors and with other students and exercise creativity in developing design solutions. There may be occasions within the semester where normal teaching will be suspended to allow your learning to be supplemented by a range of activities such as design workshops, guest presentations, professional body events, site visits and field work.

You will be supported by staff in seminars and workshops, giving you ample opportunity to ask questions to clarify and deepen your understanding of the module material, as well as to seek specific help, for example with assessment tasks. At other times, you will have regular access to University academic staff online, including the use of discussion boards and chat rooms in the University’s virtual learning environment (VLE). This will allow you to access support regularly at convenient times.

The module and the wider programme teams will also provide a supportive approach, enabling you to quickly and easily access and speak to any member of the programme team, as required.

The University Library and other student services also offer a variety of academic skills training both online and face to face, which you can access as needed.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge and Understanding:
1. Evaluate examples of engineering interventions to improve environmental quality and public health in developed and developing nations.
2. Critique engineering techniques employed for common environmental engineering tasks such as water treatment and the remediation of contaminated land.


Intellectual/Professional Skills and Abilities:
3. Evaluate possible solutions to problems in environmental engineering including relevant ethical considerations.

You will be assessed by means of two coursework tasks.
The first will be an individual report of maximum length 2500 words, weighted at 30% of the module marks and will assess MLOs 1 and 2 in part. The second will be an identified individual contribution to a group design report of maximum length 3500 words (for the individual contribution) and will assess MLOs 2 in part and 3. This will be weighted at 70% of the module marks. Group members will need to document agreement of individual contributions to group activity to be of equal difficulty and value.
However, the course works include both individual and group components, with the individual component accounting for at least 50% of the module's marks.

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Environmental Engineering is about applying engineering knowledge and techniques to address the current Climate Emergency, promote Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions, prevent degradation and promote enhancement of the natural environment. In class, we discuss key the issues of the topic with examples taken from historical and contemporary practice and set against the enormous challenge of the Climate Emergency. The coursework assessment then allows you to conduct independent research and focus your thinking on the environmental impacts, positive and negative, of a specific task related to a real civil engineering project.