Civil & Structural
Structures, geotechnics, hydraulics, transportation, surveying and construction.
112 topics: 39 beginner, 37 intermediate, 36 advanced.
About this discipline
Civil and structural engineering builds and maintains the places people live, work and travel through. It covers the ground beneath structures, the loads they carry, the materials they are made from, and the networks of water, roads and rail that connect communities.
The course begins with loads, materials and surveying, then covers soils and foundations, structural analysis and design in steel, concrete and timber, and finally transport, water, environment and project management.
Who it is for
Civil and structural students, site engineers, surveyors, planners and anyone who needs to understand how buildings and infrastructure are designed, built and kept in service.
How the levels build
Beginner topics cover loads, load paths, materials, surveying and basic soil properties. Intermediate topics cover foundations, retaining walls, structural analysis, reinforced concrete and steel design, and bridges. Advanced topics cover water and environment engineering, transport, construction management and resilience.
Use cases
- Designing foundations for a building on soft clay.
- Checking the reinforcement in a concrete slab for bending and shear.
- Planning a drainage system to pass a design storm.
- Scheduling a construction project with a critical path network.
Beginner Civil & Structural
Topic 1Role of civil engineeringPlanning, designing and maintaining infrastructure such as buildings, roads, bridges and water systems.Topic 2Building loadsDead, live, wind, snow and seismic loads must be combined for design.Topic 3Load pathsLoads travel from slab to beam to column to foundation to soil.Topic 4Structural elementsBeams, columns, slabs, walls and foundations each carry specific load types.Topic 5Types of structuresFrames, trusses, arches, shells, cables and walls suit different spans and uses.Topic 6Construction materialsConcrete, steel, timber, masonry and composites chosen for strength, cost and durability.Topic 7Cement and its typesPortland cement hydrates to bind aggregates; types vary in strength and setting.Topic 8AggregatesSand and gravel provide bulk and strength in concrete.Topic 9Concrete mix designSelect water-cement ratio, cement content and aggregates for target strength.Topic 10Water-cement ratioLower ratio gives higher strength and durability but less workability.Topic 11Workability and slump testSlump measures the consistency of fresh concrete.Topic 12Curing of concreteKeeping concrete moist develops strength and reduces cracking.Topic 13Compressive strength testingCubes or cylinders tested at 28 days define grade.Topic 14Reinforced concrete conceptSteel bars carry tension while concrete carries compression.Topic 15Structural steelStrong, ductile material used for frames and bridges.Topic 16Timber and masonryTraditional materials with specific strength and moisture behaviour.Topic 17Bricks and blocksMasonry units tested for strength and water absorption.Topic 18Surveying basicsMeasures distances, angles and elevations to map land.Topic 19Chain and tape surveyingDirect distance measurement for small areas.Topic 20LevellingDetermines height differences using a level and staff.Topic 21Theodolite and total stationInstruments that measure horizontal and vertical angles and distances.Topic 22GPS and GNSS surveyingSatellite positioning gives accurate coordinates.Topic 23Contours and mapsLines of equal elevation represent terrain.Topic 24Site investigationBoreholes and tests determine soil and rock conditions.Topic 25Building codes and standardsLegal rules specifying design and safety requirements.Topic 26Soil formation and classificationSoils are classified by grain size and plasticity.Topic 27Soil phase relationshipsVoid ratio, porosity, water content and unit weights describe soil composition.Topic 28Atterberg limitsLiquid and plastic limits characterise clay behaviour.Topic 29CompactionDensifies soil using moisture control; Proctor test finds optimum moisture content.Topic 30PermeabilityDarcy's law v=ki describes water flow through soil.Topic 31Effective stressTerzaghi's principle: σ'=σ-u controls soil strength and deformation.Topic 32ConsolidationSlow squeezing of water from saturated clay causes settlement over time.Topic 33Shear strength of soilMohr-Coulomb criterion τ=c+σ tanφ.Topic 34Bearing capacityMaximum pressure a foundation soil can support without shear failure.Topic 35Shallow foundationsFootings and rafts spread load near the surface.Topic 36Deep foundationsPiles and caissons transfer load to deeper strong layers.Topic 37Retaining wallsHold back soil; designed against overturning, sliding and bearing failure.Topic 38Earth pressure theoriesRankine and Coulomb methods compute lateral soil pressure.Topic 39Slope stabilityAnalyses factor of safety against sliding of embankments and cuts.
Intermediate Civil & Structural
Topic 40Ground improvementGrouting, compaction and geosynthetics improve poor soils.Topic 41LiquefactionSaturated loose sand loses strength during earthquakes.Topic 42Tunnelling and excavationMethods to build underground spaces while controlling ground movement.Topic 43Statically determinate structuresCan be solved by equilibrium equations alone.Topic 44Influence linesShow how a moving load affects reactions or internal forces.Topic 45Slope-deflection methodClassical analysis of indeterminate beams and frames.Topic 46Moment distribution methodIterative method balancing joint moments in continuous beams.Topic 47Matrix stiffness methodComputer-based approach that assembles element stiffness into a global system.Topic 48Virtual work and energy methodsCompute deflections and solve indeterminate structures.Topic 49Plastic analysisCollapse load found using plastic hinge mechanisms.Topic 50Limit state designCheck ultimate strength and serviceability separately with partial safety factors.Topic 51Working stress vs limit stateOlder elastic method vs modern probabilistic approach.Topic 52Design of RC beamsDetermine section and steel for bending and shear.Topic 53Design of RC slabsOne-way and two-way slabs depend on support conditions and aspect ratio.Topic 54Design of RC columnsAxial load plus bending with minimum eccentricity and ties.Topic 55Development length and detailingBars must be anchored sufficiently to transfer stress to concrete.Topic 56Prestressed concretePre-compression counters tensile stresses and allows longer spans.Topic 57Steel beam and column designCheck bending, shear, lateral-torsional buckling and local buckling.Topic 58Steel connectionsBolted and welded joints transfer forces between members.Topic 59Composite structuresSteel and concrete working together increase strength and stiffness.Topic 60Timber designAllowable stresses depend on species, moisture and duration of load.Topic 61Masonry designLoad-bearing walls resist compression but have limited tension.Topic 62Wind engineeringWind pressure depends on speed, height, shape and terrain.Topic 63Seismic designStructures must dissipate earthquake energy through ductility and detailing.Topic 64Base isolation and dampersReduce seismic forces transmitted to buildings.Topic 65Tall building systemsCore, outrigger and tube systems resist lateral loads.Topic 66Bridge engineeringBeam, arch, cable-stayed and suspension bridges span different lengths.Topic 67Bridge loadingMoving vehicle loads, impact and fatigue govern design.Topic 68Bearings and expansion jointsAllow thermal movement and rotation in bridges.Topic 69DamsGravity, arch and embankment dams resist water pressure.Topic 70Structural health monitoringSensors detect damage and deterioration in real time.Topic 71Corrosion and durabilityChlorides and carbonation corrode reinforcing steel.Topic 72Repair and rehabilitationMethods for restoring or strengthening damaged structures.Topic 73Fire engineeringFire resistance ratings and protective measures preserve structural integrity.Topic 74HydrologyStudy of rainfall, runoff and water cycle for design.Topic 75Rainfall-runoff analysisRational method and hydrographs estimate peak flows.Topic 76Open channel designChannels are sized with Manning's equation for uniform flow.
Advanced Civil & Structural
Topic 77Culverts and drainageConvey water beneath roads and away from sites.Topic 78Water supply engineeringSourcing, treating and distributing drinking water.Topic 79Water treatment processesCoagulation, sedimentation, filtration and disinfection.Topic 80Water demand estimationPer capita use and peak factors size supply systems.Topic 81Water distribution networksPipes, pumps and tanks maintain pressure and flow.Topic 82Wastewater treatmentPrimary, secondary and tertiary processes remove solids, organics and nutrients.Topic 83Sewer designGravity sewers sized for self-cleansing velocities.Topic 84Solid waste managementCollection, recycling, composting and landfilling.Topic 85Air and noise pollution controlEngineering measures reduce emissions and noise.Topic 86Environmental impact assessmentEvaluates project effects on environment before approval.Topic 87Hydraulic structuresWeirs, spillways and gates control and measure water.Topic 88Groundwater and wellsAquifers yield water; well hydraulics predict drawdown.Topic 89Irrigation engineeringDelivers water for crops using canals and efficient methods.Topic 90Flood managementLevees, reservoirs and floodplain zoning reduce damage.Topic 91Coastal and harbour engineeringBreakwaters and shoreline protection manage waves and sediment.Topic 92Transportation planningForecasts travel demand and chooses modes and networks.Topic 93Highway geometric designSight distance, curves and gradients ensure safety and comfort.Topic 94Pavement designFlexible and rigid pavements distribute wheel loads to subgrade.Topic 95Traffic flow theoryRelationships among flow, speed and density.Topic 96Intersections and signalsTiming and design reduce delay and conflicts.Topic 97Railway engineeringTrack geometry, ballast and rolling stock requirements.Topic 98Airport and port engineeringRunways, terminals, quays and logistics facilities.Topic 99Intelligent transportation systemsSensors and data manage traffic and tolling.Topic 100Construction project managementPlan, schedule and control cost, time and quality.Topic 101CPM and PERTNetwork methods identify the critical path of activities.Topic 102Estimating and costingQuantities and rates produce project budgets.Topic 103Contracts and tenderingLegal frameworks allocate risk and responsibility.Topic 104Construction equipmentExcavators, cranes, pavers and mixers selected for productivity.Topic 105Formwork and scaffoldingTemporary structures support concrete and workers.Topic 106Construction safetyHazard identification and PPE reduce site accidents.Topic 107Building information modellingShared 3D models carry data across design, construction and operation.Topic 108Green buildings and sustainabilityDesign for energy, materials, water and life-cycle impact.Topic 109Urban planning and smart citiesIntegrate land use, infrastructure and data.Topic 110Resilience and climate adaptationDesign infrastructure to withstand hazards and changing climate.Topic 111Performance-based earthquake engineeringDesigns structures to meet stated damage levels at given hazard levels.Topic 112Digital twins for infrastructureSensor-fed models predict deterioration of bridges and networks.
Frequently asked questions
What is Civil & Structural?
Structures, geotechnics, hydraulics, transportation, surveying and construction.
How many topics are in Civil & Structural?
112 topics, ordered from beginner to advanced: 39 beginner, 37 intermediate and 36 advanced.
Where should a beginner start in Civil & Structural?
Start with "Role of civil engineering" and work through the list in order. Each topic builds on the one before it.
Why are design codes so important?
Codes set minimum safety and performance rules that have been agreed through experience and research. Following them is a legal and professional requirement.
Why is concrete reinforced with steel?
Concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension. Steel bars carry the tension, and the two materials bond well and expand at similar rates.
What causes most foundation problems?
Unexpected ground conditions, groundwater and poor site investigation are common causes. Thorough investigation before design prevents many costly failures.
What is the difference between strength and serviceability?
Strength limits prevent collapse. Serviceability limits control deflection, cracking and vibration so the structure stays comfortable and functional in daily use.
How do civil engineers keep infrastructure working for decades?
Through inspection, condition monitoring, durability design, timely repair and, increasingly, digital models that predict deterioration.
Practise in the interactive course with quizzes, tests and labs.