Learning Outcomes:
On completion of the course a student will be able to:
1. Understand how engineering design decisions should be performed and the need for a rationale of assessment for engineering decisions;
2. Understand how a wide range of factors and decision makers may have influence on the performance of engineering systems;
3. Construct robust and appropriate criteria for assessing design alternatives;
4. Construct extensive lists of possible alternative solutions for a given design problem;
5. Construct and implement simple models of dynamical systems representing design alternatives from verbal descriptions to quantitative predictions of performance;
6. Calculate optimal solutions to engineering problems using both linear and nonlinear methods as applicable;
7. Assess and apply appropriate multi-criteria decision methods and understand the need of a decision-maker to work with multiple indicators;
8. Understand when the tools of systems analysis are appropriate and have the confidence to apply them.
9. Understand the importance of systems analysis in the achievement of the SDGs.
10. Be able to characterize a systems problem, and solve it using adequate computational-aided techniques.
Students in CVEN4007W will also learn the importance of computational tools in the management of engineering systems. Students will be introduced to the importance of mathematical modelling and coding in the analysis of engineering systems, and development of decision-making schemes.
Indicative Module Content:
A student of Civil Engineering Systems will study:
1. Introduction to Systems Analysis.
2. Decision makers and the importance of measures of effectiveness;
3. Assessment criteria;
4. Generation of alternative solutions and the role of probability and statistics;
5. Mathematical characterization of a systems problem;
6. Modelling and Simulation;
7. Linear and nonlinear optimization;
8. Modelling of discrete and continuous systems
9. System dynamics
10. Multi-criteria decision analysis;
In Civil Engineering Systems, a system of interest will be evaluated in the module through group work, where the knowledge acquired should be applied in the evaluation of this system.