Engineering Reports and Case Studies – Civil Engineering

Engineering Studies – H1 Civil Engineering – The Engineering Profession

This topic outlines the purpose and contents of an engineering report. Case studies of Australian innovation and achievement in civil structures are key concepts for this topic.

Key Concepts

Reports

• The purposes of a civil engineering report
• Why a report is relevant
• Data collection and representation
• The key components of an engineering report
• The importance of test data and methods of testing

Case Studies

• The process of developing a product considering:
  • Material selection based on material properties
  • Manufacturing selection based on material properties
  • Structural design based on mechanical analysis
  • Testing and evaluation processes
• Australian achievement and innovation

Discussion Questions

Reports

1. What are the purposes of engineering reports?
2. Discuss the features of a civil structure report.
3. Who writes an engineering report?
4. Who is the audience for an engineering report?
5. What data is collected for an engineering report?
6. How is data collected and displayed?
7. Why is test data and the method of testing important?

Case Studies

1. Does the structure apply any engineering technologies you recognise?
2. What typical engineering structures can be identified in the structure?
3. What skills did the team members have who worked on the design of the structure?
4. How might the design of the structure change during development?
5. What can be stated about how engineering decisions were made, and how are engineering ‘criteria’ used to determine the ‘best’ engineering answer?
6. What might have been the biggest engineering challenge in developing the structure?
7. How did the Australian drawing standards help in the communication of the design?
8. How do you think structures might be developed in the future?
9. Sample Case Study
   1. Discuss the development of a civil structure in terms of:
      • Engineering design process
      • Safety guidelines and Australian Standards
      • Materials selected
      • Environmental considerations
      • Manufacturing techniques
      • Technical communication
      • Engineering reports
   2. Discuss the process for design development (teamwork, project management). What role do engineers take at this stage?
   3. Describe examples of material choice and manufacturing options. Explain specific detail about polymer/metal/composite choices. What criteria are used to make engineering decisions with materials and processes? What are the technical specifications?
   4. What mechanical analysis was conducted? Was this done using particular testing equipment or modelling? How are the specifications for the product determined regarding strength and other properties?
   5. What role did engineers take in developing manufacturing specification and the technical drawings/graphics?
   6. What modelling was done? Was a prototype constructed and how was that made? How was the prototype tested?
   7. When was the engineer report written?
   8. What are the future plans?