The UTC Department of Civil Engineering was awarded $7500 by the 2009 National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) for Connecting Professional Practice and Education.
NCEES Engineering awards recognize engineering programs that demonstrate meaningful partnerships between professional engineers and students. All Engineering Accreditation Commission/Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (EAC/ABET) accredited engineering programs were invited to enter projects that demonstrated such a partnership.
The 28 submissions were judged by NCEES members and representatives from academic institutions and professional engineering organizations.
NCEES recognition of UTC’s submission “Intermodal Transit Center” places the University among outstanding academic achievers according to the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Dr. Will Sutton.
“This student performance is significant for Chattanooga because it demonstrates the outstanding quality of our students in a national head-to-head competition with great schools, like Virginia Tech. I am particularly pleased that the students worked closely with the professional community in Chattanooga, integrating their education with practice, to solve a real-world transportation problem,” Sutton said.
The submission was prepared and entered by Ipshita Thomas, Project Manager for the ITC team. The project itself was a collaborative effort among team members Sean Blocher, Josh Bobo, Bryce Evans, Michael Gilliam, Eric Hagerman, Ben O’Neill, Ipshita Thomas and Jonathan Wooten.
According to the abstract, “City X” is rapidly emerging; it is home to many manufacturing and service industries and has been labeled as the fastest growing major city in “State X.” Along with this prosperity, however, there comes more traffic, increased emissions, and less parking. How can these challenges be overcome?
A team of eight senior-level engineering students sought to find a solution to the problem. Their answer: an Intermodal Transit Center (ITC), a facility whose function is to connect various modes of transportation in an efficient manner. A successful ITC can reduce transportation costs for the user, ease traffic congestion, supply parking, and provide environmental benefits, including reduced emission. The objective of Phase I of the ITC project was to propose a preliminary design for an ITC in City X, home to the students’ university. Phase I was completed during the fall 2008 semester and fulfilled the requirements for part one of the capstone design class under which it was supervised. Phase II of the project, to be completed in the spring 2009 semester (in part two of the capstone design class) will involve the detailed structural design of the ITC, traffic flow study, and cost analysis.
Phase I of ITC project involved collaborative efforts between government officials, engineers, urban planners, transportation specialists, local businesses, city personnel, transportation providers, environmental specialists, and financial contributors. Students were able to apply classroom knowledge to a real world scenario using skills from a variety of disciplines. In the civil engineering field, structural analysis and transportation planning (including applicable legislative procedures) were used. Environmental engineering knowledge was used in determining building materials, site location, and facility layout. Good engineering management skills ensured practical schedules and productive meetings. The student design team also used the principles of safety engineering to design an ITC that would assure public welfare.
Students also made use of available technology to enhance the project. Computer programs such as AutoCAD, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint were utilized. In addition, students established a web page (to be made available to the public upon completion of Phase II) through the university website which showcases the project and informs readers about how an ITC would impact City X. Furthermore, the team used an online file exchange system to maintain strong communication and document progress.
By combining engineering skills, professional guidance, and technology, the student team successfully proposed a preliminary design for an ITC in City X. The design is tailored for the needs of City X and includes the following features: parking, public transit connections, shuttle services, smart car rentals, restaurants, retail space, free Wi-Fi, bicycle rentals, bicycle repair shop, bicycle parking (long-term and short-term), access to bicycle routes, lockers & showers, PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle)> refueling stations, and accommodations for future rail connection.”
Sutton noted that this interdisciplinary design project courses (ENGR 485) was led by Dr. Phillip Kazemersky and Dr. J. Ronald Bailey, Guerry Professor and Director of the UTC Center for Energy, Transportation and the Environment, with technical advising by Dr. Ignatius Fomunung, Associate Professor and Dr. Joseph Owino, UC Foundation Associate Professor. Dr. Dhamshala, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, assisted in determining energy consumption and associated costs for an ITC. Dr. Tricia Thomas, Assistant Professor and Dr. Cecelia Wigal, UC Foundation Professor reviewed the submission and provided critical feedback.
“If there are no conditions on the award funds, I plan to put the money back into the American Society of Civil Engineers student group for similar competitive projects. Civil Engineering in the College has a great track record of engaging the community in projects like this. I want the students in our College not just to be competitive, but to win these national events,” Sutton said.
Profiles of the winning submissions will be posted online at www.engineeringaward.com the week of March 23.
“This is the first year we’ve offered the award,” said NCEES Executive Director Jerry Carter. “We’re very pleased with the interest we’ve had so far, and we look forward to building on these efforts to bring professional engineers and students together.”
NCEES is a national nonprofit organization composed of engineering and surveying licensing boards representing all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. An accredited standards developer with the American National Standards Institute, NCEES develops, scores, and administers the examinations used for engineering and surveying licensure throughout the United States. NCEES also provides services facilitating professional mobility for licensed engineers and surveyors. Its headquarters is located in Clemson, S.C.
See the poster the UTC team submitted for the NCEES Award.
