307594 (v.1) Engineering; its Evolution, Development, Successes and Failures 100

Area:

Department of First Year Engineering Studies

Credits:

12.5

Contact Hours:

3.0

Lecture:

1 x 1 Hours Weekly

Other:

1 x 2 Hours Weekly

Syllabus:

An examination of the works and contributions of engineers throughout history, and allied trades like mathematicians and scientists, and how their work has contributed to present day practice. It will look at how engineers have combined knowledge-of-the-day, contemporary engineering practice and engineering 'nous' to meet their engineering challenges. Examples will be taken from ancient Roman and Chinese engineers through to examples of modern practice across a range of engineering disciplines in Europe, America, North, Central and South, and Australia. Examples of failures and successes from each discipline. It will analyse the technological, engineering and other - human, economic and legal for example, reasons for the failures and why the successes did not fail. It will then examine how current practice has learnt and built on these features.

Unit Outcomes:

On completion of this unit, students should be able to - Appreciate the development of engineering and its component parts, how and why engineering practice evolved to be what it is today. Have a better appreciation of engineering fundamentals. Understand the factors and circumstances that lead to engineering success or failure.

Text and references listed above are for your information only and current as of September 30, 2003. Please check with the unit coordinator for up-to-date information.

Unit References:

Lancaster J. (1997). Engineering Catastrophes; Causes and Effects of Major Accidents. Cambridge, Abington Publishing.

Unit Texts:

Rae J. and Volti R. (2001).The Engineer in History. New York. Peter Lang publishing.

Unit Assessment Breakdown:

TBA

Year	Location	Period	Internal	Area External	Central External
2004	Bentley Campus	Semester 2	Y