Summary of Developments in the Civil Engineering Capstone Course at Purdue University

Abstract

The civil engineering capstone senior design course at Purdue University involves all seniors in their last semester before graduation and is titled “Civil Engineering Design Project.” The course catalog describes it as “Planning, design, and analysis of a civil project; an integrated and realistic group project involving as much as possible all major aspects of the civil engineering profession.” This high-enrollment course (30–120 students per semester) has been team taught since the early 1960s and many approaches to teaching it have been utilized. Since 2001, the version of the course discussed in this paper has been taught in the spring semester with the student teams responding to a request for proposals (RFP) for local projects following the design-build method of project delivery. The proposals are submitted in two phases: (1) conceptual designs and alternatives analyses; and (2) design-build project proposal with approximately 30% complete design, total construction cost, and scheduling. The design-build proposal is the culminating activity in the course. Both phases have oral presentation components. Students are assigned to teams on the basis of factors that include overall grade point average, grades in key courses, work experience, computer software skills, and Meyers-Briggs typology. Peer evaluations, time sheets, and invoices for services are required. Since 2007, projects have had to meet LEED requirements specified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Continual development of the Purdue University civil engineering capstone course is anticipated to serve as a case study for other civil engineering programs looking to develop or revise their senior design course.