Course description
Students must complete 45 credits of 6000 or 7000 level courses. The courses must be selected as follows: (Course descriptions)
* 1. A minimum of 21 credits chosen from one of the Course Groups in List A. This set of courses may also include the project and seminar courses ENGR 6991, BCEE 6961.
* 2. A minimum of 12 credits chosen from the Topic Area E35 and those Course Groups of List A other than the group chosen in (1) above. These groups of courses could include special program courses put on for or by a given industry in conjunction with the Faculty.
* 3. A maximum of 12 credits chosen from the Engineering Courses section including E72 (M.B.A. courses).
List A: Course Groups for M.Eng (Bldg) List of Topic Areas
* Group 1 - Building Environment - BLDG 6611* plus courses in the Topic Areas: E07, E21, E23.
* Group 2 - Building Science - BLDG 6611 plus courses in the Topic Areas: E21, E22
* Group 3 - Building Structures - Topic Areas: E06, E21, E31
* Group 4 - Construction Management - Topic Areas: E21, and E24
* Students who completed the undergraduate equivalent of BLDG 6611 must replace it by a course to be approved by the Graduate Program Director.
Building Engineering Courses
BCEE 6961 Graduate Seminar in Building and Civil Engineering (1 credit)
MEng students must attend a set of seminars identified by the Department and submit a comprehensive report on selected topics. The report, including an abstract, must be suitably documented and illustrated, should be at least 1000 words in length, must be typewritten on one side of 21.5 cm by 28 cm white paper of quality, and must be enclosed in binding. Students are referred to Form and Style: Thesis, Reports, Term Papers, fourth edition by Campbell and Ballou, published by Houghton Mifflin.
Note: This course cannot be taken by MASc or PhD students.
BLDG 6061 Structural Systems for Buildings (4 credits)
Building components and assembled systems. Structural efficiency and economy: rigid frames, shear walls, framed tube, latticed structures; membrane, air and cable supported structures. Selection and preliminary design of building structural systems, materials and components. Case studies.
BLDG 6071 Wind Engineering and Building Aerodynamics (4 credits)
Atmospheric circulations; atmospheric boundary layer; wind structure; wind speed and turbulence measurements; bluff body aerodynamics; mean and fluctuating wind forces on buildings; internal wind pressures; along-wind, across-wind and torsional building response to wind; snow drifting and accumulation problems; dispersion of gaseous pollutants. A case study or a project.
BLDG 6111 Computer-Aided Building Operation (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6711.
Computer systems for energy management, including scheduling and operation of HVAC systems and lighting. Applications for intelligent buildings. Use of simulation and knowledge-based software for automatic regulation of building operation. Diagnosis of malfunctions and modifications of operations. Computerized building security systems. Actions during extraordinary conditions such as fire emergencies. A project.
BLDG 6151 Database Applications in Building and Civil Engineering (4 credits)
Components, properties and limits of databases and database management systems (DBMS). Database requirements for engineering tasks. Design of database schema and implementation in commercially available DBMS. Engineering data modeling techniques. Topics include: the entity/relationship model; the relational data model; the standard database language SQL; and the object-oriented data model. A project.
Note: Students who have taken ENGR 6151 may not take this course for credit.
BLDG 6221 Design of Computer-Aided Systems in Building and Civil Engineering (4 credits)
Object-oriented modeling of physical components, design objectives, performance requirements and engineering processes. Identification of objects and definition of their arrangement and interaction to model engineering processes. Overview of the life-cycle of an engineering software project. Project on implementation of a small scale computer-aided engineering system.
Note: Students who have taken ENGR 6221 may not take this course for credit.
BLDG 6231 Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Building and Civil Engineering (4 credits)
Introduction to artificial intelligence techniques in an engineering context; heuristic search methods, logical reasoning, knowledge-based systems, neural networks, genetics algorithms, and case-based reasoning. Algorithmic versus knowledge-based programming for engineering applications. Emphasis on knowledge-based systems and their characteristics, capabilities and limitations. Case studies in design, failure diagnosis and processing of standards. A project.
Note: Students who have taken ENGR 6231 may not take this course for credit.
BLDG 6541 Heat Transfer (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the Bachelor of/Baccalaureate in Engineering (Building) Program).
Steady state heat conduction. Convection and radiation heat exchange. Refrigeration cycles. Theory of air vapour mixtures. Introduction to heat transfer in building environment. Unsteady state of heat transfer. Case studies.
BLDG 6561 Building Economics I (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the Bachelor of/Baccalaureate in Engineering (Building) Program).
Development of economic performance measures of interest to developers, owners, contractors and users. Sources of finance and the determinants of the cost of money. Elementary estimating; cost indices; forecasting techniques; value of money; economic comparison techniques; evaluation of projects in private and public sectors; tax regulations; inflation; life-cycle costing; risk analysis; non-economic attributes. Case studies of economic analysis of projects, single building and building components. A project.
BLDG 6571 Project Management (4 credits)
Introduction to managing the development, design and construction of buildings. Examination of project management for the total development process, including inter-relationships between owners, developers, financing sources, designers, contractors and users; methods of project delivery; introduction to planning and scheduling; role and tasks of the project manager; feasibility analyses; construction claims; financing and cash-flow analysis; government regulations; environmental and social constraints; introduction to control of cost, time and technical performance; human factors; computer applications. A project.
BLDG 6581 Decision Analysis (4 credits)
Development of a basic theory of decision making under uncertainty. Rationales of decision makers, utility, the concept of the value of perfect information. The Bayesian approach to decision making; pre-posterior analysis and optimal fixed-sized analysis for random processes. Decision analysis with multiple objective, structuring the problem, multi-attributed utility functions, case studies. A project.
BLDG 6591 Computer-Aided Building Design (*) (4 credits)
Prerequisites: BLDG 6561.
Identification of objectives, decision variables, processes and information flow in building design. Application and evaluation of computer systems to components of the building design process. Determination of decision variables in problem modelling and sensitivity of results. Current applications in structural analysis and design, space layout, electrical distribution systems, HVAC design, lighting design, estimating, specification editing and scheduling. Evaluation of issues of interdisciplinary information control and interchange. A project.
BLDG 6601 Building Enclosure (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the undergraduate equivalent).
Prerequisite: BLDG 6611.
Schematic and detail design of walls, windows and roofs. Complex building types will be examined to show the relationships between massing, materials, energy conservation and building use. Solar shading, daylighting, rainscreen and air barrier principles will be emphasized. A project.
BLDG 6611 Building Science (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the Bachelor of/Baccalaureate in Engineering (Building) Program).
Environmental exterior and interior influences on inner environmental control. Topics include: thermal energy exchanges, psychrometrics, vapour and fluid flow, air leakage, ventilation and design comfort conditions, selection of materials and building systems. A case study or a project.
BLDG 6621 Modern Building Materials (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the undergraduate equivalent).
Prerequisite: BLDG 6611 previously or concurrently.
Structural, thermal and acoustical properties of new building materials such as: plastics, synthetic fibres, adhesives, sealants, caulking compounds, forams, sandwich panels, composites, polymer-concrete systems, fibre-reinforced concretes, plastic mortars, polymers for flooring, roofing, synthetic wall papers. Consideration of corrosion, bio- and thermal degradation, stability under ultraviolet and solar radiation. A project.
BLDG 6631 Fundamentals of Facility Management (4 credits)
Systems approach to planning, organization and implementation of a facility, including space allocation, leasing and marketing, operation, maintenance, and renovation over the life of the building. Forecast of budget requirements for effective operation, maintenance, and renovation. Correlation between the operation of the building and health risks, comfort, productivity, and costs. Integrated approach to the planning, analysis, evaluation, organization and optimization of physical systems of facilities. Case studies.
BLDG 6641 Industrialized Building (4 credits)
Trends toward off-site fabrication of buildings. Needs and technical requirements of international markets. Principal types of industrialized systems, materials and components. Optimization of industrialized production. Planning, design, construction and maintenance. Codes and standards. A case study and project.
BLDG 6651 Fire and Smoke Control in Buildings (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the undergraduate equivalent).
Prerequisite: BLDG 6611.
Topics treated include: fire and smoke control; failure mechanisms of building enclosure, illustrated by case studies; performance codes for enclosure systems; enclosure design for extreme operation environments. A project.
BLDG 6661 Hygrothermal Performance of the Building Envelope (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6611 previously or concurrently.
Modelling of dynamic building envelope thermal performance. Thermal bridges. Modeling of transient moisture transfer, condensation and accumulation. Advanced glazings and evaluation of window performance. Active building envelope components for heat and moisture control. Experimental techniques for performance evaluation of the building envelope; infrared thermography, guarded hot box and calibrated hot box tests. A project.
BLDG 6671 Diagnostics and Rehabilitation of Building Envelope (4 credits)
Failures in building envelopes. Modes of deterioration including freeze-thaw, chemical, movements. Diagnostics and investigation techniques including field survey instruments. Assessment of intervention magnitude and performance of proposed solutions. Codes, standards and regulations. Case studies.
BLDG 6701 Building Environment (4 credits)
Design criteria of indoor environment. Assessment of thermal comfort and sensation. Mathematical models of thermal comfort: predictive models and adaptive models. Prediction of thermal sensation using: computer simulation, and measurements with thermal comfort meter. Verification of compliance with standards. Visual comfort. Standards for quality of visual environment. Calculation of photometric parameters. Preliminary design of the indoor lighting system. Evaluation of illuminance level using commercially available software packages. Acoustical comfort. Standards for quality of acoustical environment. Sound control measures through the design of buildings and HVAC systems. Two projects.
BLDG 6711 Mechanical Systems in Building (4 credits)
Co-requisite: BLDG 6701.
HVAC Systems. Analysis, selection and operation; design of air and water distribution systems in buildings; waste water disposal and sprinkler systems. A project.
BLDG 6721 Building Acoustics (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the undergraduate equivalent).
An understanding of sound and an examination of the major factors which contribute to a controlled acoustic environment in buildings. Topics covered include: basic vibration, sources, measurement and description of environmental noise, psychological and physiological aspects of sound perception; sound transmission through building elements; reverberation, measurement and control; and room acoustics. Case studies and a project.
BLDG 6731 Building Illumination (*) (4 credits)
Quantitative and qualitative aspects of illumination systems. Photometric quantities, visual perception and colour theory, standards, daylight and artificial illumination systems, radiative transfer. Fixture and lamp characteristics, control devices for improved energy efficiency. Design of advanced fenestration systems for daylighting. Field measurements and artificial sky tests. Virtual reality and other computer simulation techniques for lighting. A project.
BLDG 6741 HVAC Control Systems (4 credits)
HVAC control loops: classification and structure, specifications, hardware, tuning and testing. Optimization of single- and multi-loop control systems. Energy management systems for monitoring, control and diagnostics of HVAC system operation. A project.
BLDG 6751 Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation (*) (4 credits)
History and development of indoor air science. Relevant national and provincial standards and regulations. Principles of occupational hygiene; identification, evaluation and control of physical, biological, and chemical agents in indoor environment. Ventilation requirements. Definition of ventilation efficiency and removal effectiveness; measurement techniques and modelling. Indoor air monitoring; field studies of gases, fumes, solvents, and dusts. Plan for building walkthrough evaluations; strategies for improving indoor air quality. Building design for acceptable indoor air quality, material selection and specification. A case study or project.
BLDG 6761 Intelligent Buildings (4 credits)
Issues related to the Intelligent Building; automation, communication and security. Mechanical, electrical, electronic subsystems and their integration within the building; configuration and operational characteristics; performance specifications; analytical models; design methods; case studies. A project.
BLDG 6781 Energy Management in Buildings (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6611 previously or concurrently.
Energy-related standards, codes and by-laws. Methods of assessment of the actual energy performance. Conventional and innovative measurement and analysis techniques. Energy-oriented renovation or replacement of building sub-systems (e.g. HVAC and lighting systems). Prediction of energy and cost savings using commercially available software packages. Verification of compliance with standards. Life cycle analysis. A case study and project.
BLDG 6791 Thermal Building Simulation (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6611.
Mathematical models of heat and mass transfer phenomena through building components: transfer function methods and numerical methods. Models of radiative and convective heat transfer phenomena within buildings. Application to equipment-based modelling of HVAC systems: first principle models and correlation-based models. System-based modelling of HVAC systems. Validation of computer models. A project.
BLDG 6801 Construction Planning and Control (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6571.
Methods of delivering construction. Contractual relationships and organizational structures. Phases of project development. Estimating resource requirements; costs and durations. Bidding strategies. Network analysis using CPM and PERT, time-cost trade-off, resource allocation. Cash flow analysis. Earned-value concept for integrated time and cost control. Quality control. Value engineering. A case study and project.
BLDG 6811 Labour and Industrial Relations in Construction (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the undergraduate equivalent).
The study of labour legislation with special emphasis on the construction industry, union organization, the theory and practice of negotiations, mediation, contract administration and arbitration. Review of actual contracts, discussion of future trends. Case studies.
BLDG 6821 Legal Issues in Construction (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the undergraduate equivalent).
Legal concepts and processes applicable to the development of constructed facilities and to the operation of the construction firm. Emphasis on Quebec law and institutions. Case studies.
BLDG 6831 Construction Processes (4 credits)
(Cannot be taken for credit by students who have completed the undergraduate equivalent).
A study of current construction methods and techniques. The subjects include wood framing, masonry, concrete forming, slipforming, precast construction, industrialized building, deep excavation shoring and underpinning. The methods are described in terms of materials involved, equipment required, current field practice and safety considerations. Case studies.
BLDG 6851 Project Cost Estimating (4 credits)
Techniques and procedures used for estimating cost of construction projects. Topics include: cost estimation process; elements of project cost; conceptual and detailed cost estimation methods; risk assessment and range estimating; case studies; computer-aided estimating. A project.
BLDG 6861 Simulations and Design of Construction Operations (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6831.
Principles of modelling and simulation. Classification and validation of simulation models. Analysis of input data and outputs. Object Oriented Simulation (OOS). Simulation languages. Application of discrete event simulation in construction operations including earthmoving operations, building construction operations, and tunneling operations. A project.
BLDG 691 Topics in Building Engineering I (4 credits)
Note: Subject matter will vary from term to term and from year to year. Students may re-register for these courses, providing that the course content has changed. Changes in content will be indicated by the letter following the course number, e.g. CIVI 691A, CIVI 691B, etc.
BLDG 6921 Trenchless Technology for Rehabilitation Works (4 credits)
State of Canadian urban infrastructure with a focus on underground facilities; current industry practice; common types of defects in underground pipes; diagnostics of defects and evaluation techniques for the conditions of water and sewer mains; planning, equipment, materials and methods for rehabilitation of water and sewer mains; case studies.
Note: Students who have taken ENGR 6721 may not take this course for credit.
BLDG 6931 Infrastructure Rehabilitation (4 credits)
State of Canadian urban infrastructure. Rehabilitation techniques as applicable to steel and concrete structures; degradation mechanisms; detection and classification of defects. Evaluation and assessment of the conditions of buildings and bridges. Rehabilitation materials and methods. Codes and guidelines. Case studies.
Note: Students who have taken ENGR 6731 may not take this course for credit.
BLDG 6951 Passive Solar Building Design (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6611.
Design principles of solar buildings, including direct gain, indirect gain and solaria. Analytical and computer models of passive systems. Performance of glazing systems, transparent insulation, and airflow windows. Building-integrated photovoltaic systems. Thermal storage sizing for solar energy storage; phase-change thermal storage. Thermosyphon collectors. Prevention of overheating, shading systems and natural ventilation. A project.
Note: Students who have taken ENGR 6651 may not take this course for credit.
BLDG 7401 Dispersion of Building Exhaust (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6611.
Atmospheric parameters, wind velocity profiles, meteorological data. Gaussian dispersion equations. Plume rise and trajectories. Evaluation of stack gas plume dispersion. Trapped plumes; Turner’s approximation. Potential reingestion of building exhaust. Analytical, numerical and experimental modelling of dispersion process; design guidelines fumigation. A case study or a project.
BLDG 7511 Integrated Building Design (4 credits)
Prerequisites: BLDG 6601 and BLDG 6711.
Compatibility among building subsystems (structural, envelope, mechanical, lighting, materials) and between the building and the environment. Integration issues in the design, production and operation of the built facility. Case studies of failures caused by lack of compatibility. Consideration for tolerances and sustainable development. A project.
BLDG 7521 Advanced Computer-Aided Building Design (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6231.
Characteristics of the building design process. Traditional versus emerging roles of computers pertaining to building design activities. Preliminary design and integrated design issues: analysis with incomplete/imprecise data, automatic sizing and checking based on Standards, interfaces between CAD and analysis routines, communications across disciplines and through design stages, standardization. Applications involving operations research techniques, KBS and analysis packages for engineering performance evaluation. A project.
BLDG 7601 Durability of Building Materials (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6611 or equivalent.
Concepts underlying long-term performance of building materials such as: ceramics, stucco and synthetic stucco, lightweight concrete, wood and wood-based products, thermal insulation, selected composite materials, sealants, membranes used for waterproofing and air barriers. Methods of fabrication, properties and evaluation for durability. Failure mechanisms under combined actions of mechanical and environmental loads (temperature, moisture, freeze-thaw, solar radiation, salt solutions, air pollution, and microorganisms). A case study and project.
BLDG 7811 Project Acquisition and Control (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6571, 6801.
Study of techniques and procedures used for construction project procurement and control. Topics treated include: marketing, bidding strategies, work break-down structure and contract packages, techniques for integrated time and cost control; management information systems for control, procurement; productivity measurement, contingency and escalation analysis and control. A project.
BLDG 7831 Building Economics II (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6561, 6581.
Topics include: replacement analysis; risk analysis of projects; sensitivity analysis; forecasting techniques, profitability analysis; multi-attributed decision analysis, case studies. A project.
BLDG 7841 Information Technology Applications in Construction (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 7811.
Use of computers in estimating, cost engineering, scheduling and resource analyses, materials control, report generation and operations simulation. Information systems: information-based theories of management; information technology, cost and value information; analysis, design and implementation of a network based control system. Considerations for computer usage in construction firms; hardware, software, operations, economic, human and organizational. Product and process modelling; Internet use in product delivery. A project.
BLDG 7861 Business Practices in Construction (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6801.
A study of business practices as they relate to the construction industry. Topics treated include: organization; marketing; bid preparation; bonding; personnel management; financing; accounting; cash-flow analysis; capital budgeting. The principles are first presented and then followed by case studies. A project.
BLDG 7871 Construction Equipment Management (4 credits)
Prerequisite: BLDG 6561.
The study of various classes of equipment, (cranes, excavators, loaders, tractors, etc.) used in construction. Methods are developed for selecting, acquiring, maintaining and replacing equipment. Treatment of simulation and its use for the optimal selection of equipment spreads. A project.
BLDG 791 Topics in Building Engineering II (4 credits)
Note: Subject matter will vary from term to term and from year to year. Students may re-register for these courses, providing that the course content has changed. Changes in content will be indicated by the letter following the course number, e.g. CIVI 691A, CIVI 691B, etc.
