Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

As a railway civil engineer you may have much more responsibility than simply understanding and maintaining the track in the permanent way. Construction of new track and reconstruction of existing track must be able to be managed by you with insight and competence, requiring an appreciation of contracts and their administration, together with an ability to assess construction and geotechnical risks and specify appropriate construction processes. Furthermore, the rail corridor or right-of-way also has within it various structures that need management of their construction. This unit addresses these issues and is located later in the course to enable you to gain a good grounding in track and train related matters in earlier units.

Aims

This unit aims to help you take responsibility for management of construction activities of track and of non-track facilities within the rail corridor.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Contribute to the leadership and management of railway-related construction projects, taking into account the social and ethical responsibilities involved in such activities.
2. Describe aspects of interpersonal team dynamics and their relevance to the management and execution of construction projects.
3. Undertake due consideration of the risks of geotechnical hazards in the rail corridor.

Content

The content of this unit will include aspects of:

• Track construction contracts, methods, planning, site establishment, track materials.


• Progress monitoring and contingencies, commissioning, testing and acceptance, cost drivers.


• Design and defects in civil structures, preventative and reactive maintenance.


• Geotechnical hazards in the rail corridor, risk assessment.


• Slope stability in soil and rock, evaluation and management.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

You will undertake this unit entirely in an external study mode; the teaching approaches in this unit are based on principles of adult learning, where theory is connected with workplace situations and issues. Approaches used in this unit include:

• Interactive, interpersonal explorations of personality styles.


• Simulation of a collaborative approach to problem solving.

The study notes and some of the resources you will need are contained within the online materials you will access via QUT Blackboard. A number of the authors of the modules that comprise the study materials in this unit are also those who will be interacting with you during your study and will be assessing the assignments you submit. The authors are all highly experienced and senior personnel in the railway industry. They and the academic staff at QUT are keen to provide you with assistance via telephone, email, fax and mail. Although the supplied study materials direct you to certain texts and standards for you to read, the external nature of the unit also requires you to draw on your own skills and other human and written resources at your disposal for information to complete some assignments.

Teleconferences
Teleconferences are an important part of learning by distance education. They enable you to have a more personal contact with the QUT academic(s), conduct conversations with the experts contributing to the unit, and to establish and grow networks with your fellow students. Many important learning issues are covered in the teleconferences and they contribute strongly to the quality of your engagement with the resources and the assessment tasks. The teleconferences will be held at times that best suit most participants in the unit.

Assessment

This unit incorporates combined formative/summative assessment through submission of three assignments, which will be marked using criterion referenced assessment (CRA) and returned with feedback to enable you to understand how you are progressing and how your work can be improved. The purpose of the assessment as defined in this Unit Information document is to classify your abilities in respect of the professional capabilities and unit objectives.Formative assessment: feedback provided to you progressively, focusing on how your work can be improved, rather than the standard of the outcome.

Summative assessment: grading of your work focusing on outcome, standard achieved and comparison with criteria.

Assessment name: Self-assessment
Description: You will be required to evaluate your personality traits with regards to team skills, then work with others to assemble a team that comprises complementary and compatible personalities.
Relates to objectives: 2
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 3

Assessment name: Professional Plans
Description: You will prepare construction plans related to a new rail line.
Relates to objectives: 1
Weight: 25%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Week 7

Assessment name: Simulation
Description: You will draw on the plans from Assessment 2 to progress the construction of the new rail line.
Relates to objectives: 1, 3
Weight: 55%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: First week of exams

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

You will find all the primary resource materials you'll need are provided through the unit's Blackboard website. The course study text is there as well as standards and other documents from a number of rail authorities. In the Course Materials Database you'll find a number of articles reproduced under Australian copyright law. You will be expected at times to find additional information through your company's resources.

Recommended reading:
1. Rory, B (2007) Project Management Techniques, College Edition, Burke Publishing, (ISBN 13: 978-0- 9582-7334-3)

2. Hinze, J. W. (1998) Construction planning and scheduling, Prentice-Hall Inc, (ISBN 0-13-541301)

3. Lock, D. (2007) Project Management 9th edition, Burlington, VT: Ashgate

4. Mawdesley, M, Askew, W and O'Reilly, M (1997) Planning and controlling construction projects, Longman,UK (ISBN 0-582-23409-3)

Risk assessment statement

There are no unusual risks associated with this unit; you are not required to undertake activities that attract risks different from those in an ordinary office environment.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 03-May-2012