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Materials for Constructed Facilities

The Materials for Constructed Facilities (MCF) program offers an opportunity for advanced study and research in the physical and mechanical behavior of materials used in the construction of buildings, pavements, bridges, and other civil infrastructure. Specific focus is placed on asphalt, concrete, fiber reinforced composites, granular materials, and wood.

The program is designed to provide a flexible curriculum of course work and research that allows students to prepare for professional practice or careers in research and teaching covering MCF engineering. The Department offers the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy with a major in Civil Engineering. Basic requirements for these degrees are established by the Graduate School at UW-Madison and are described in detail in the Graduate Catalog.

The faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering including those of the MCF Engineering Program have adopted additional requirements described in the Graduate Catalog and/or in these guidelines. Excerpts from the graduate school Graduate Catalog relevant to the program in structural engineer ing are enclosed in the attachment to this document.

Master of Science Degree

Admission

Admission to the graduate school is granted to those students who show promise and provide sufficient evidence that they can meet the scholastic requirements of study at an advanced level. To be granted admission with full standing to the MCF engineering program leading to the degree of Master of Science in Civil Engineering, an applicant would normally hold a degree from an ABET-accredited institution equivalent to the B.Sc. in the University's undergraduate civil engineering curriculum. However, students in other branches of engineering, physical science, or related fields may have achieved the technical background needed to pursue advanced work in the field of MCF engineering. Such students are encouraged to apply because civil engineers with interdisciplinary training can provide vital ideas to the solution of complex problems. Either admission with deficiencies or admission on probation may be granted to students not meeting the normal admission requirements. A student may be required to satisfy undergraduate course deficiencies without graduate credit. Applicants are referred to the graduate school website for further details concerning these types of admission status.

Programs of Study

The goals of the study necessary to receive the master's degree in the area of MCF engineering are to prepare engineers for the practice of the discipline and for the conduct of advanced research studies. A student working towards the M.S. degree in the MCF engineering program can select between Programs A, B, and C.

Program A is normally pursued by students who wish to conduct significant research in a well-defined area of specialization. These areas include asphalt, concrete, fiber reinforced plastic composites, granular materials, and wood. Selection of Program A depends on the student interest and goals, and the major professor's evaluation and acceptance of the student's background. The program requires preparation of a Thesis that is formally presented to the UW Graduate School. Program A requires completion of 30 credits with a minimum of 18 credits of course work and 6 to 12 credits of thesis research.

Program B requires the student to be involved in an Advanced Independent Study project and the preparation of a written report. The Advanced Independent Study project does not have to meet the UW Graduate School requirements for a thesis but has to show independent thinking of the student. This program requires completion of 30 credits with a minimum of 24 credits of course work and 3 to 6 credits of Advanced Independent Study.

Program C is for students without a BS degree in Engineering. It requires a minimum of 40 credits of graduate level work, with at least 30 credits of coursework in Civil and Environmental Engineering, including CEE 320, CEE 310, CEE 311, CEE 330, and CEE 395. The student is expected to be enrolled for at least 1 credit of Advanced Independent Study or Thesis, and to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better every semester enrolled as a graduate student.

Selection of the program type (A or B) is done by the student in consultation with the major professor or faculty advisor. The Major professor is selected either by:

  1. a professor expressing interest in the student's background and willingness for advising the student,
  2. mutual agreement between the professor and the student if the student was accepted by more than one professor, or
  3. assignment by the Program Coordinator.

Changing of the major professor at any time is possible and requires a mutual agreement between the student and another faculty member. A request for change should be submitted to the program coordinator to facilitate the timing and transfer of student file to the new advisor.

Plan of Study

Students are required to form a study plan upon initial registration with their advisor. This plan is intended as a working document that includes a list of courses for each semester and to be amended as the student progresses. Before the end of the eighth week of the second semester in the program, the following should be added to the plan of study: a) a topic for research or independent study, b) a plan for doing the research or study work, and c) a list of at least two faculty members (in addition to the major professor) who will serve on the final examination committee.

Final Oral Examination

A final oral exam is required to fulfill the requirements of the masters degree. The exam consists of an oral presentation of the student's research thesis or independent study and may cover the general field of study. Possible outcomes of the exam are pass, conditional pass, resubmit thesis, and fail. Re-submittal of thesis requires a second oral presentation.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree

Admission

To be granted admission with full standing to the MCF engineering program leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, an applicant would normally hold a degree equivalent to the Master of Science in the Department's graduate curriculum and show clear potential to conduct independent thinking and research.

Program of Study

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is intended to prepare students for careers in research and teaching and for the highest level of practice of the discipline. Attainment of a Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of two years of study and research beyond the degree of Master of Science. Prospective candidates must show expertise in MCF engineering, ability of independent thinking and proficiency in oral and written English. Basic requirements for the Ph.D. degree with a major in Civil Engineering include:
  1. Qualifying Examination;
  2. Preliminary Examination;
  3. Thesis Research; and
  4. Final Oral Examination.

In addition, all Ph.D. students must have a minimum of one course in technical writing in English and one course in technical presentations in English. A grade of B or better must be earned in these courses. This requirement may be satisfied at the graduate or undergraduate level.

Qualifying Examination

Prospective candidates must pass a qualifying examination usually administered during the first year of residence. The Qualifying Examination involves a written and/or an oral presentation of solutions to problems that cover broad areas of MCF engineering.

The purpose of the exam is to assess the candidate's knowledge of the materials' engineering fundamentals, the ability to conduct independent thinking, the ability to effectively communicate technical ideas, and to define an academic program to remedy any academic or language deficiencies. Examination problems may be given to the student in advance, prior to the exam date, and/or new problems may be presented during the examination itself. The qualifying examination is administered by a committee formed by at least four faculty members in the program of MCF engineering.

The possible outcomes of the exam are pass, conditional pass, re-take, and fail. Advancement to candidacy for the doctoral degree will be granted only after the student has satisfactorily passed the qualifying examination. Students are allowed to re-take the exam once before dismissal from the program.

Preliminary Examination

Ph.D. candidates must pass a preliminary exam, which determines the acceptability of their proposed research programs. The exam usually consists of an oral presentation of the research proposal of the thesis. The purpose of the preliminary exam is to determine the acceptability of the proposed research program and the ability of the candidate to carry out independent research. The proposed investigation must represent an original contribution to the candidate's area of specialization. At a minimum, the proposal document should include a problem statement, hypotheses, research objectives, research methodology, and expected contribution to existing knowledge.

The student is officially admitted to the Ph. D. degree only after successful completion of the preliminary exam. The qualifying examination is administered by a committee of at least three faculty members in the division of MCF engineering and one member outside the CEE department, preferably in the area of the Ph.D. degree minor. This member of the committee is selected by the student in agreement with the major advisor.

Attainment of a Ph.D. degree requires the preparation of a thesis on a research topic selected by an agreement between the student and the major advisor. Once a research topic is selected, the student must choose his/her thesis committee. The thesis committee shall consist of four faculty members (besides the student's advisor) in the area of specialization of the student. At least one, but no more than two members of the committee shall be from outside the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Final Oral Examination

A final oral exam (defense) is required to fulfill the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The exam consists of an oral presentation of the student's research thesis and may cover the general field of major and minor studies. Possible outcomes of the exam are pass, conditional pass, resubmit thesis, and fail. Re-submittal of thesis requires a second oral presentation.

Courses

Students are required to complete 9 credits of core courses in the area of fundamental knowledge of MCF. These credits could be completed by selecting one course from each of the following list of classes. The selection of the courses should match the student research plan and must be approved by the major advisor. Completion of these courses with a grade B or better is mandatory for students enrolled in the MS and Ph.D. program:

  1. EMA 506 - Advanced Mechanics of Materials I or EMA 545 - Mechanical Vibrations;
  2. EMA 405 - Practicum in Finite Elements or EMA 605 - Introduction to Finite Elements;
  3. CEE 431 - CEE Automated Laboratory and Field Measurement or EMA 611 - Advanced Mechanical Testing of Materials or ME 570 - Experimental Mechanics.

CEE Courses

A minimum of 9 credits for Options A and B should be taken in the CEE department by students seeking the Masters degree. Ph.D. students are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits in the CEE department. The following is a partial list of CEE graduate courses offered by the MFC Program Faculty: The detailed contents of these courses are included in Appendix A.


CEE 431 - CEE Automated Laboratory and Field Measurement
CEE 575 - Advanced Highway Materials and Construction
CEE 695 - Design and Construction of Bituminous Mixtures
CEE 649 - Special topic — Advanced Concrete Materials
CEE 698 - Special topic courses commonly offered by the MCF program faculty
CEE 731 - Properties of Geosynthetics
CEE 733 - Physicochemical Basis of Soil Behavior
CEE 795 - Characterization of Asphalt Binders
CEE 949 - Seminar (every full-time graduate student is expected to register for this course each semester it is offered)

Supporting Courses

Students are encouraged to take other advanced courses in CEE, Engineering Mechanics, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics as part of their graduate study. A partial listing of the courses and their content that are recommended are included in Appendix A.

Facilities

The Kurt F. Wendt Library serves the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Wendt library's collection contains about 285,000 bound volumes plus 1.5 million microfiche reports and a full U.S. Patent collection. The library currently receives about 1,400 journals and 1,500 other serials. Most of Wendt library's holdings are included in the campus-wide on-line catalog. Wendt library has a number of bibliographic databases on CD ROM within the building and across campus. In addition, this system is interconnected with CD ROM database networks in other campus libraries.

Several computing systems are available for research and instruction. The College of Engineering provides several computer laboratories equipped with a range of computing systems connected by a network and supports a variety of software applications.

The Wisconsin Structures and Materials Testing Laboratory includes separate facilities for preparation and testing of concrete materials, fiber reinforced plastics, and asphaltic materials. In addition the Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory includes equipment and space for studying various types of granular materials. These laboratories combined offer more than 2000 square feet of space and more than one million dollar worth of advanced testing equipment to conduct experimental research in MCF. engineering.

The structures laboratory has a 24 ft by 50 ft structural test floor with an adjacent 40 ft long reaction wall, and an 8 ft by 8 ft soil's pit for full scale testing of structural components and multi-layer pavement structures. The laboratory is outfitted with servo-controlled hydraulic test equipment, several hydraulic actuators, computer based data acquisition systems and electronic data recording devices. The following is a partial list of current research projects active in the MCF. Division:

Research Projects

Asphalt

Concrete

Construction Methods

Fiber Reinforced Composites

Granular Materials

Wood

The Faculty and their Research

Hussain U. Bahia
(Current Coordinator of the Program)

Lawrence C. Bank

Peter J. Bosscher

Steven M. Cramer

Tuncer B. Edil

José A. Pincheira

Jeffrey S. Russell

For further information please write to:

H. Bahia
The Materials for Constructed Facilities Program
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison
2210 Engineering Hall
1415 Engineering Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Telephone: 608/265-4481
Fax: 608/262-5199

Appendix A
Recommended Engineering Sciences Courses
For MS/PhD in The Materials for Constructed Facilities (MCF) Program

Civil and Environmental Engineering

CEE 431 - Automated Laboratory and Field Measurement. I or II; 3cr. Covers basic use of laboratory and field instrumentation and data acquisition systems for CEE measurements such as strain, force, and pressure. Also includes methods of minimizing measurement error. P:Comp Sci 110, 310, & Jr st in CEE.

CEE 442 - Wood Structures I. I or II; 3cr. Properties of wood; structural wood products; design loads; sawn, glue-laminated and plywood beams and columns; shear walls and diaphragms; connections and fasteners; trusses. P:Civ Engr 340 & 341.

CEE 533 - Waste Geotechnics. (Crosslisted with GLE533.) I or II; 3cr. The geotechnical aspects of waste disposal and storage. Critical aspects of geotechnical design, construction, and testing relevant to the performance of earthen structures used for the storage and disposal of wastes or the remediation of contaminated sites are discussed. P:Civ Engr 330 & 320 or cons inst.

CEE 575 - Advanced Highway Materials and Construction; 3 cr. Soils, Soil Stabilization, aggregates, compaction methods, bituminous mixtures design and construction, concrete mixtures design and construction, construction and maintenance of flexible and rigid pavements. P: CEE 395 or cons inst.

CEE 576 - Advanced Pavement Design; 3 cr. Current methodologies used for design of flexible and rigid pavements in new construction projects and in rehabilitation projects. The course includes theoretical background and design procedures based on empirical and mechanistic relationships between materials, geometry and performance. P: CEE 395 or cons inst.

CEE 594 - Building Materials and Construction II. II; 3cr. Principles of semi-fire resistive, fire resistive and industrial type building construction; manufacture and performance characteristics of materials; framing systems; prefabrication of components; field erection equipment; typical details, finishing materials. Analysis of building design and construction process. P:Cons inst.

CEE 532 - Soil Physics Laboratory. (Crosslisted with Soil Sci) 2 cr. Soil physical measurements. Bulk density, porosity, particle density, particle-size distribution. Water content, potential, conductivity characteristics. Infiltration, redistribution, drainage, evaporation. Solute and gas movement. Soil temperature. Plant water potential. P: Intro calculus and physics; Soil Sci 301; or cons inst. Limited enrollment.

CEE 649 - Special topic- Advanced Concrete Materials. 3 cr. Types of cements, microstructure of hardened and fresh concrete, selection and evaluation of aggregates for Portland Cement Concrete (PCC), Testing and properties of fresh and hardened PCC, non-destructive testing of PCC, durability problems and solutions, using and specifying admixtures. P: CEE 395 or 575 or cons inst.

CEE 695 - Design and Construction of Bituminous Mixtures. 3 cr. Selection of aggregates and binders for asphalt mixtures, mechanical and durability properties of mixtures, engineering principles relating binder and mixtures properties to pavement performance, mixture production and construction, design for constructibility, specification and contracting methods, quality control and quality assurance, pavement performance and management, pavement maintenance and rehabilitation. P: CEE 395 or 575.

CEE 698 - Special Topics in Construction Engineering and Management. Irr.; 1-4 cr (A). Advanced topics of special interest to seniors and grad students in construction engineering and management.

CEE 730 - Engineering Properties of Soils. (Cross listed with GLE 730.) I or II; 3cr. Determination and interpretation of soil properties for engineering purposes; physio-chemical properties of soil-water systems, permeability and capillarity, compression characteristics of soils, measurement of soil properties in the triaxial test, properties of frozen soils and permafrost. P:Civ Engr 330.

CEE 731 - Properties of Geosynthetics. (Crosslisted with GLE) 3 cr. Properties and behavior of geosynthetics (plastics sheets and geotextiles used in geotechnical and geo-environmental construction) are discussed and measured in a laboratory setting. Students learn how to measure and quantify geomechanical and hydraulic behavior of geosynthetics which are used in design. P: Grad st & Civ Engr 330, or cons inst.

CEE 733 - Physicochemical Basis of Soil Behavior. (Crosslisted with GLE, Soil Sci 733.) I or II; 3cr. Applications of physiochemical, mineralogical and environmental considerations to the engineering behavior of soils. Soil composition, formation, fabric, pore fluid chemistry and interaction of phases. The particulate nature of soils and the fabric-engineering property (volume change, strength, deformation and conduction) relationships. P:Civ Engr 330 or cons inst.

CEE 795 - Asphalt Binder Characterization795 Characterization of Asphalt Binders. 3 cr. Fundamentals of asphalt production methods, refining practices, and modification techniques, asphalt rheo-logical testing, linear and non-linear visco-elasticity, conventional and Superpave characterization techniques. The role of asphalt rheology in pavement response and pavement performance. Course includes hands-on training on using different rheometers used in binder grading systems. P: Civ Engr 395 or 575.

CEE 790 - Master's Research or Thesis. 1-9 cr. P: Grad st, for Master's candidates only.

CEE 890 - Pre-Dissertator's Research. 1-9 cr. P: Grad st, for post-master's, pre-dissertator stdts only.

CEE 990 - Thesis. 1-12 cr. Required for some M.S. and all Ph.D. degrees. P: Dissertator status.

Computer Sciences

CS 367 - Introduction to Data Structures 3 cr Study of data structures (including stacks, queues, trees, graphs, and hash tables) and their applications. Development, implementation, and analysis of efficient data structures and algorithms (including sorting and searching). Experience in use of an object-oriented programming language. Prereq:CS302 or consent of instructor. Students are strongly encouraged to take CS367 within two semesters of having taken CS302.

CS 412 - Introduction to Numerical Methods 3 cr. Interpolation, solution of linear and nonlinear systems of equations, approximate integration and differentiation, numerical solution of ordinary differential equations. Prereq:Math223/234, CS302, or equivalent and knowledge of matrix algebra.

Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE 376 - Electrical and Electronic Circuits. I, II, SS; 3 cr. DC and AC electrical circuit analysis methods, and analog and digital circuit design and analysis including operational amplifier linear circuits, digital combinational logic circuits, and computer interface circuits which combine both digital and analog devices for interfacing physical systems. Includes five laboratory sessions. P: Math 222 & Physics 202.

ECE 468 - Digital Computer Projects in Control and Instrumentation. I, II; 4 cr. On_line and real_time applications of digital computers in instrumentation and control systems; design of hardware interfaces and software; emphasis on student projects.

Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics

EMA 405 - Practicum in Finite Elements. I, II; 3 cr. Use of finite elements (FE) for solving practical problems in mechanics. Elementary theory of FE is discussed. A commercial computer program is used for applications. Major emphasis is on behavior of FE, modeling, and evaluation of results for correctness. P: EMA 214, 303, 304, or 306; EMA 202 or 221; knowledge of elementary matrix algebra or cons inst.

EMA 506 - Advanced Mechanics of Materials I. I, SS; 3 cr. Analysis and design of load-carrying members, shear center, unsymmetrical bending, curved beams, beams on elastic foundations, energy methods, theories of failure, thick-walled cylinders, stress concentrations, design to prevent failure by excessive elastic deformation, plastic deformation and fracture. P: EMA 214, 304, or 306/307.

EMA 508 - Composite Materials. (Cross listed with EMA 508.) Irr; 3cr. Physical properties and mechanical behavior of polymer, metal, ceramic, cementitious, cellulosic and biological composite systems; micro_ and macro-mechanics; lamination and strength analyses; static and transient loading; fabrication; recycling; design; analytical_ experimental correlation; applications.

EMA 518 - Fatigue of Engineering Materials. I;3 cr. Influence of repeated stress in engineering design, fatigue testing machines and procedures, factors influencing fatigue properties, theory of fatigue failure. P: EMA 214, 304, or 306/307.

EMA 519 - Fracture Mechanics. II; 3 cr. Introduction to the mechanics of fracture of linear and nonlinear materials. Crack stress and deformation fields; stress intensity factors; crack tip plastic zone; fracture toughness testing; energy release rate; J-integral. Criteria for crack growth initiation/stability; application to design. P: EMA 214, 304, or 306/307.

EMA 545 - Mechanical Vibrations. II; 3 cr. General theory of free, forced, and transient vibrations; vibration transmission, isolation, and measurement; normal modes and generalized coordinates; method of matrix equation formulation and solution. The application of theory and methods to the analysis, measurement and design of dynamic systems. P: EMA 202 or 221; EMA 304 or 306/307; Math 223; or cons inst.

EMA 605 - Introduction to Finite Elements. I, II; 3 cr. A first course in finite elements, with theory and applications in stress analysis and in areas related to structural mechanics. Practice in the use and/or development of computer programs.

EMA 611 - Advanced Mechanical Testing of Materials. II; 3 cr. Theory and use of servo-controlled, electro-hydraulic equipment for research of mechanical properties of engineering materials. Measurement of stress, strain, hysteresis energy, and material properties during deformation and at fracture. Analysis of four significant components of total strain. P: EMA 307 or equiv; EMA 518 or 519; or cons inst.

EMA 622 - Mechanics of Continua. I or II; 3 cr (P-A). Tensor analysis; analysis of stress, strain and rate of strain; application of Newtonian mechanics to deformable media; mechanical constitutive equations; field equations of fluid mechanics and elasticity. P: Math 340 & Math 321 or cons inst.

EMA 700 - Theory of Elasticity. II; 3 cr. Equations of elasticity in curvilinear and rectangular coordinates; two dimensional problems; problems of prismatic bars; variational methods and energy principles; complex variable and numerical methods; thermal stress problems. P: EMA 506 & Math 321 or cons inst.

EMA 703 - Linear Viscoelasticity and Plasticity. II, Even Yrs; 3 cr. Linear theory of solid and fluid viscoelasticity. Solution of problems by transform techniques. Wave propagation. Thermoviscoelasticity. Yield criteria. Plastic stress-strain relations. Solution of problems for the perfectly plastic material and the elastoplastic material. P: EMA 622 or cons inst.

EMA 708 - Advanced Composite Materials. (Crosslisted with ME 708.) Irr; 3cr. Contemporary topics such as new materials; smart materials/structures/systems; fatigue; fracture; experimental techniques; nondestructive evaluation; transient, micro, three-dimensional, nonlinear, inelastic and environmental effects; manufacturing methods: repair and applications. P:ME/EMA 508 or cons inst.

Materials Science and Engineering

MS&E 330 - Thermodynamics of Materials 3 cr. Thermodynamics of Materials. II; 4 cr (P-I). Introduction to metallurgical thermodynamics, equilibrium constants, solutions, heterogeneous equilibria and electrochemistry. P: Chem 103 & Math 222.

MS&E 350 - I, II, SS; 3 cr (P-E). Basic structure and resulting properties, phase equilibria, metastability, rate and growth processes in solids. P: Chem 103 or equiv or cons inst.

MS&E 352 - Materials Science Transformation of Solids. II; 3cr. The basic factors that determine phase equilibria and structural characteristics of solids. Phase transformations, nucleation, re-crystallization, precipitation, corrosion, and oxidation. P:MS&E 350, or 351 or cons inst.

MS&E 448 - Crystallography and X-Ray Diffraction. I; 3 cr (P-A). Crystal symmetry, projection methods, X-ray studies of structural problems in the solid state. P: Cons inst.

MS&E 474 - Rock Mechanics. (Cross-listed with GLE) I; 3 cr. (A). Classification of rock masses, stress and strain in rock, elastic and time-dependent behavior of rock, state of stress in rock masses, failure mechanisms, lab testing, geological and engineering applications. P: EMA 201 or 214, 304, or cons inst.

Mathematics

Math 319 - Techniques in Ordinary Differential Equations. I, II, SS; 3 cr (N-A). Review of linear differential equations; series solution of linear differential equations; boundary value problems; Laplace transforms; possibly numerical methods and two dimensional autonomous systems. P: Math 222.

Math 320 - Linear Mathematics. I, II; 3 cr (N-A). Introduction to linear algebra, including matrices, linear transformations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Linear systems of differential equations. Numerical aspects of linear problems. P: Math 234. Credit may not be received for both Math 320 & 340.

Mechanical Engineering

ME 424 - Statistical Experimental Design for Engineers. (Crosslisted with ME424.) I,II,SS; 3cr. Concepts of randomization, blocking, confounding, transformations, replication; block designs, factorial and fractional methodology, evolutionary operation, and response-surface methodology. P:Stat 224. Loh, Shao.

ME 570 - Experimental Mechanics. (Crosslisted with EMA 570.) I; 3cr. Experimental methods for design and analysis of mechanical components, structures and materials. Electrically and optically recorded stress, strain and deformation data; computer acquisition/reduction/presentation techniques; applications to static and transient events, sensors, transducer design, NDT, fracture and residual stresses.

For more information about undergraduate and graduate courses and programs in CEE please refer to the following web-sites:
Undergraduate Catalog, Civil Engineering Curriculum: http://www.wisc.edu/pubs/ug/07engineering/civileng.html#cur
Graduate School Catalog, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Transportation and City Planning: http://www.wisc.edu/grad/catalog/engr/ceeC.html#trans


Copyright 2004 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Date last modified: Friday, 05-Dec-2003 16:58:00 CST
Date created: 25-Jul-2002
Content by: cee@engr.wisc.edu

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