Spring Quarter and CEE 421 and CEE 422

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Course Information:

CEE 421 will not be offered Spring 2016. Instead, CEE 422 Energy and Transportation will be taught. The current class size is limited to 35 but that might be increased depending on the assigned classroom (which we do not yet know…however classroom assignments are typically easier to sort out for late afternoon classes).

Registration Information:

  • Course Title: CEE 422: Energy and Transportation
  • Prerequisites: CEE 327
  • Offered: Spring 2016
  • Instructors: Tim Larson and Joe Mahoney
  • Time Schedule: T/TH from 4:30 to 6:20 PM

Course Description of CEE 422: Introduces climate change; vehicles, energy requirements and pollution; transportation fuels; energy and power plant terminology; traditional fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable energy plants; permitting power plants and projects. CEE 422 is being added to the Construction Core technical elective list thus it will count as taking at least one course in the construction subarea specialty (read on to see a full description of the Construction Core courses).

Planned Weekly Content:

  • Week 1 Pavements and Pavement Design
  • Week 2 Pavement Design and Construction
  • Week 3 Vehicles
  • Week 4 Transportation Fuels
  • Week 5 Energy Fundamentals
  • Week 6 Traditional Energy Sources—Coal and Nuclear Power Plants
  • Week 7 Traditional Energy Sources—Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Hydroelectric Power Plants
  • Week 8 Renewable Energy Sources—Wind
  • Week 9 Renewable Energy Sources—Solar and Geothermal
  • Week 10 Permitting Renewable Energy Facilities

Notes: The first two weeks will focus on pavements, in part, to recognize that some students actually want to learn about them (don’t ask why…however in the construction/transportation capstone there is usually pavement embedded in the projects). Included with the pavement content will be up-to-date software, treatment of AASHTO 1993 and more. We will also tie this portion of the course to heavy vehicles, their emissions, and road design (and damage) due to oil and gas operations in the US—which—ties to the other infrastructure elements in CEE 422.

To accommodate the increased focus on pavement structures we will delete the climate change topic otherwise the course will largely conform to the current course description. We feel that most of you understand the basics associated with climate change and do not need to hear more about it from us. The course student activities will be weekly short in-class quizzes, 3 projects (may either be individual or group—that is not yet decided), and at least one group presentation/discussion before the class. All course content will be contained within Canvas. Field trips are being considered and those will likely include the UW Power Plant and possibly methane production/processing from the Cedar Hills Landfill or a visit to a hydroelectric plant.

Finally, CEE 422 is being added to the Construction Core technical elective list thus it will count as taking at least one course in the construction subarea specialty. The core courses in the construction subarea are currently listed on the CEE website as:

Construction Core

  • CEE 404 Infrastructure Constr (4)
  • CEE 420 Engineering With Developing Communities (3)
  • CEE 421 Pavement Design (3)
  • CEE 429 Sustainability in Building Infrastructure (3)

We will get this list updated as soon as possible.

If you have more questions about CEE 422, it is best to save them for next quarter when we will do an info session….assuming there is a need to do so.