School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Civil and environmental engineers should understand the strength of materials, behaviour of soil, performance of structures, water resources and flow, foundation capacities, transport and environmental interactions, treatment of contamination, management and design concepts. They should also apply their theoretical knowledge and technical skills to create cost effective, sustainable and properly-designed facilities for the progressive well-being of humanity. They contribute in creating, improving and protecting the environment, in providing facilities for community living, industry and transportation, and in providing structures for the use of our fast growing society.

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the planning, design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works such as: bridges, roads, railways, canals, dams, tunnels, power plants, water and wastewater treatment plants, landfills, buildings and towers.

The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering has a very proud record in teaching and research ever since it was set up among the first activities of UTS.

Members

The school is led by its Head, Prof. Bijan Samali. 

The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering staff listing provides details of all the school's members.

Teaching and learning

Graduates from this school receive the highest quality practice-based engineering education given by dedicated staff who are themselves highly qualified with national and international reputations for the quality and creativity of their engineering teaching, research and industrial consultancy work. The school's high graduate employment rate for many years indicates that industry also has a very high regarded for our graduates.

The school contribution to the UTS: Engineering courses include:

• undergraduate majors in:
  • Civil, with specialisations in:
    • Construction, or
    • Structures
    and,
  • Civil and Environmental
• postgraduate program (master and certificate) in environmental engineering management
• majors in the postgraduate technical courses in:
  • Civil Engineering
  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Local Government
  • Local Government & Environmental Engineering
  • Structural Engineering
  • Water Engineering
  • Geotechnical Engineering

Course areas

Members of the school teach courses in:

• UTS: Engineering.

Research

The school's record in research continues to be strong and vibrant. Combination of existing senior academics and appointment of several new academics and research personnel in the civil and environmental engineering disciplines, the school has continuously enjoyed an exiting and challenging research outlook capturing a wider array of areas including, dynamics of structures, smart construction materials, effects of seismic loads, ground improvement techniques, geographic information systems, natural disaster mitigation and climate change issues, advanced numerical techniques, highly developed water and wastewater treatment technologies etc. This builds on the experience and outstanding record in winning competitive research grants and a commendable completion of doctoral students.

Greater interaction with industry colleagues in all disciplinary areas has created synergies with the inevitable result of industry-based grants in research through the Australian Research Council (ARC), Road and Traffic Authority (RTA), Engineers Australia, City Councils, private sectors and various government organisations. The healthy number of research students an impressive rate of peer-reviewed publications, infrastructure grants for upgrading laboratories and increased participation of international academics in research activities have maintained the reputation of the school as one of the best in Australia.

Research in the school explores the role and significance of, and interrelationship between materials, ground and structures, the environmental impact of engineering development and the innovative use of resources, they include:

• sustainable infrastructure,
• dynamics of structures,
• smart construction materials,
• effects of seismic loads,
• ground improvement techniques,
• geographic information systems,
• natural disaster mitigation and climate change issues,
• advanced numerical techniques, and
• highly developed water and wastewater treatment technologies.

Centres and strengths

Research predominantly takes place in the following centres and strengths:

• Centre for Built Infrastructure Research (CBIR)
• Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater (CTWW)

Want more information?

Find out about civil and environmental engineering research:

• areas of research interest, and
• research supervisors.