Units

---

Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

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

Rationale

This unit prepares you, as a part of a team, for the essential civil engineering work of investigating, designing and constructing solutions to waste containment and soil and groundwater pollution problems. This includes management of solids and hazardous wastes generated from domestic, commercial, and industrial facilities, to ensure protection of human health and the environment from actual and potential threats posed by the waste material; as well as optimisation of resource management. This unit is offered in third year as it builds on previous studies of sustainable development. It also prepares you for further postgraduate study in these specialist areas given that waste management is such as important aspect of civil and environmental engineering practice.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to help you to learn how to design and construct solutions to waste containment and soil and groundwater pollution problems and to introduce you to the principles of environmental resource management and how they impact on human health and the environment.

Objectives

At the completion of this unit you should be able to:

1. Explain basic concepts and techniques used for the investigation and analysis of groundwater flow and contaminant transport.
2. Investigate and design the construction of geotechnical solutions for waste containment and for soil and groundwater pollution control.
3. Explain the principles of waste management, and hierarchy of waste management options, including waste avoidance; recycling; energy production; treatment; and disposal;
4. Apply and evaluate strategies and technologies available for waste minimisation, recycling, energy production, treatment and disposal.

Content

This unit covers the following:
· Introduction to Environmental Resource Management
· Fundamental principles of Contaminant Hydrogeology, Chemistry and Waste Management
· Site investigation and Risk Assessment
· Principles of Landfill Design and Operations
· Visit to a Landfill and a port
· EMS/ Waste Management Plans, OH&S
· Industrial Waste Management
· Acid sulphate, soil investigations as part of engineering projects
· Control and Remediation: Site selection to minimise contamination. Case studies of contaminant
· control and site remediation

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Total hours per week: 4
Lectures: 2 by 2 hr lectures
Site visits: 2
Formal lecture sessions cover the theory and illustrate some practical applications of the concepts studied. Lecture slides and additional readings will be made available online on the unit website. The unit is very practically oriented with assessment based on a group project including group visits to a nominated port facility and landfill. The group project will be given in Week 3 of the Semester with oral presentation and written submission due at the end of the Semester. Progress reports will be assessed around 3 weekly intervals to ensure effective project and time management.

Assessment

Assessment for the unit consists of project related team work including two site visits, a presentation and an oral report as well as a final exam.You will receive feedback on project progress reports throughout the semester. Both verbal and written feedback will be provided for Group project submissions. Feedback will be based on detailed criteria given to you for each assessment task.

Assessment name: Examination (Theory)
Description: The exam questions will be based on lecture content and field trip notes.
Relates to objectives: 1- 4
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Examination period

Assessment name: Report
Description: Field trip reports. You will undertake two field trips (port and landfill) and a groundwater monitoring assessment item and submit individual reports.

Students will be required to submit progress reports in Weeks 5 and 7 as well as the final submission in Week 11.
Relates to objectives: 1 - 4
Weight: 25%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Week 11

Assessment name: Project (applied)
Description: Final Report & Presentation. As a group, you will give an oral presentation and submit a written report on the project.
Relates to objectives: 1 - 4
Weight: 25%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Week 13

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

There is no textbook for this unit. The following library resources are recommended references.
Type: Book
Author: Tchobanoglous, Theisen Vigil
Title: Integrated Solid Waste Management - Engineering Principles and Management Issues?
Year: Publisher: 1993
Edition: 2nd

Type: Book
Author: LaGrega, M.D., P.L. Buckingham & J.C. Evans
Title: Hazardous waste management?,
Year: Publisher: McGraw Hill International Edition, 1994

Type: Book
Author: Fetter, C.W.
Title: "Contaminant Hydrogeology"
Year: Publisher: 2001, Maxwell Macmillan, Sydney
Edition: 4th

Unit website address: Blackboard

Risk assessment statement

The unit will require you to participate in field trips, of a supervised and self-guided nature. A risk assessment for the trip has identified only low impact risks. You will be provided with relevant safely guidelines prior to any field trip. You will be required to obey all safety guidelines and directions while attending field trips. You are required to visit construction port and landfill sites and must have a current Site Safety Card and relevant safety equipment. You will undertake lectures in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres.

You will be required to undertake practical sessions in the laboratory under the supervision of the lecturer and technical staff of the School. The School's occupational health and safety policies and procedures will apply to these sessions. In any laboratory practicals you will be advised of requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. closed shoes or steel capped shoes); on any field trips or site visits, you will progress through a safety induction session and where necessary obtain a safety induction card. If you do not follow legitimate instructions or endanger the safety of others or do not act in accordance with the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety Act, you will be required to leave the session/site.

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: 22-Oct-2012