CEE 3804

Computer Applications in Civil Engineering

Modeling an Arrestor Bed in CEE 3804.
Course Information
Cour se Obj ect i ves
Text book and Mat er i al s
Comput er Li t er acy
Cour se Eval uat i on
Homewor k Pol i cy
Of f i ce Hour s
Syl l abus
Assi gnment s
Homework Solutions
Mat l ab Tut or i al Fi l e
I. COURSE INFORMATION
I nst r uct or : Dr . Ant oni o A. Tr ani
Addr ess: Pat t on Hal l 301- P
Depar t ment of Ci vi l Engi neer i ng
Vi r gi ni a Tech
Tel ephone: ( 540) 231- 4418 ( of f i ce)
Emai l : vuela@vt.edu
Teachi ng Assi st ant : Mr . Ross Power s and Mr . Yang Zhang
Addr ess: Pat t on Hal l 301 ( Gr aduat e St udent Of f i ces)
Depar t ment of Ci vi l Engi neer i ng
Vi r gi ni a Tech
Tel ephone: ( 540) 231- 3363 ( TI SE Gr aduat e St udent Of f i ce)
Emai l :
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management, computer programming and optionally data structures.
II. COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the completion of this course, you should be able to:
Identify the operational features of computer program and their use in engineering computations
Create user-defined functions in Excel and Matlab
Perform linear algebra and matrix operations and their application to solve Civil Engineering problems
Solve sets of linear equations and determine roots and nonlinear equations
Construct, interpret and solve simple optimization problems (using Excel Solver)
Develop and program engineering analyses using Matlab and Excel
Create and modify simple user interfaces using a programming environment (Excel and Matlab).
Understand the principles of relational databases and construct simple databases
Learn to solve civil engineering problems with differential equations using Matlab and/or Simulink
Perform numerical integration (using Matlab)
III. TEXTBOOK AND READING MATERIALS
For this class we will use partial readings form two E-books available through the Virginia Tech library. We will also employ coursethe
notes posted on my web site.Class notes (in PDF or PPT format) are availlable in the Syllabus page. You are responsible to read all the
materials designated every week.
1) Essential Matlab for Engineers and Scientists (0-12-374883-6, 978-0-12-374883-6), 4th ed. / Hahn, Brian. Academic Press, 2009.
This book has a 5th edition available from Elevier Store.
2) Excel 2013 In Depth (0-13-325931-5, 978-0-13-325931-5), Bill J elen.. Que, 2013.
IV. COMPUTER LITERACY
Students are expected to have access to a computer with recent version of Excel (either 2010 or 2013), Visual Basic for Applications
(included in versions 2010 and 2013 of Excel for Windows and Macintosh) and the numeric package (MATLAB - any version above 7
would work). The software is available in the CEE Computer Lab (Patton Hall 316) for everyday use. However, be aware that PAT 316
is a computer lab that is heavily used by all CEE courses and the time slots when the room is availbale during the day are limited. . It is
required that you install Excel and Matlab in your portable computer. If you do not have access to Matlab or Excel, please purchase a
copy from VT Software Distribution. The Software Distribution Office is located in 3240 Torgersen Hall. If you use a Mac computer,
like me, Excel 2011 has VBA and macro support.Otherwise, you can run Excel in Windows using virtualization software (like Parallels
or VMWare) or Apple Bootcamp (dual boot procedure).
V. HOMEWORK
No late assignments will be accepted unless there is a very justifiable reason for you to miss it (e.g., family emergencies or medical
visits). Labs (or homeworks) will be assigned on Wednesdays every week. You will have one week to do the assignments. due before the
class of every week. You are encouraged to attempt all the assignments as they count a good percentage of your grade. I do not drop any
assignments at the end of the course. My expectation is that you work continuously throughout the course and every effrot counts.
I expect you to follow the Honor Code of Virginia Tech. If you do not know the Honor Code of Virginia Tech please refer to your
student handbook or read more about it at http://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/. Some computer assignments will require electronic
submissions. I will provide details of the procedure in class. Nevertheless, I would like to see hard copies of the labs since each lab has a
series of questions for analysis. Each lab should include the Honor Code Cover Page of Virginia Tech (http://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/).
I encourage discussion between individuals in class and outside class on how to solve problems. However, it is expected that you turn in
individual assignments that reflect your own work. This is criticall for you to do well in the quizes and final exam. The number of
computers in the class requires you to share a computer while doing practice examples in class. However, it is your responsibility to
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Flowchart (when applicable),
Problem solution (including VBA or Matlab source code),
Analysis of results and comments.
In other words, I do not like to see your results (i.e., output) without a clear explanation of each output set. In order to give you credit,
your computer code (Excel, Matlab or Visual Basic, etc.) needs to have comments. Comments help me and the teaching assistant
understand the rationale of your program.. I suggest that your homework should be typed in word processor if possible. You should
include figures that contain screen captures with source code or scripts.Hand in a hard copy of the homework. Do not email or do not
hand in multiple electronic files.
Things to watch in homeworks: a) figures and tables without labels and captions, b) results without calculations, c) results without
comments or explanations, d) number of significant figures in tables and results, e) grammar errors and incoherent statements. All of
these issues will result in a penalty.
VI. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
1) Bring a USB drive to save class files class everyday
2) Keep backups of all submitted work and work in progress in your backup hard drive
3) Let me know early if you do not understand something
4) Clearly identify all submitted material. This includes the name of the assignment, your name, and the names of any partners
5) Timing is tight for most classes. Be ready to start at beginning of class
6) We may work on portions of the homework in class. Read the homework assignment prior to coming to class.
VII. COURSE EVALUATION
The following weighting system will be used in this course
Homewor k 39 %
Cl ass At t endace + Pr esent at i on 3 % +3%
Qui zzes ( 3) 35 %
Fi nal Exam
20 %
You are expected to attend all lectures of this class. I will make random attendance checks in the semester. Class participation includes
participation in class discussions and also delivering a 3-minute presentation on topics related to the class subject. You will be required
to brief the class on some recent trends in computers and engineering. This can inlude Civil Engineering software packages, new
electronic devices that have application in the civil engineering field, etc.
Tentative grading system
Grade Range Grade Range
A [93.34-100] C [73.34-76.67)
A- [90.00-93.34) C- [70.00-73.34)
B+ [86.67-90.00) D+ [66.67-70.00)
B [83.34-86.67) D [63.34-66.67)
B- [80.00-83.34) D- [60.00-63.34)
C+ [76.67-80.00) F [0.00-60.00)
VIII. OFFICE HOURS and Other HELP
My office is located in Patton Hall 301P . You can reach me in my office during office hours (best method) of call me at (540) 231-4418
or e-mail to vuela@vt.edu. I will have the following office hours this semester.
Computer Applications in Civil Engineering Home Page http://128.173.204.63/courses/cee3804/ce_3804.html
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will have the following office hours.
TA Name Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ross None 3:30-5:00 PM None 3:30-5:00 PM None
Yang 2:00-3:30 PM None None None 9:00-10:30 AM
Special Accommodations
Students are encouraged to address any special needs or special accommodations with me during the first two weeks of the semester, or
as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Faculty Letter from
the Services for Students with Disabilities office (540-231-0858) located at 250 S. Main Street Suite 300 (Kent Square). You can visit
the following web site for information http://www.ssd.vt.edu/ ).
University Principles
Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of
Virginia, the nation, and the world community. Learning from the experiences that shape Virginia Tech as an institution, we
acknowledge those aspects of our legacy that reflected bias and exclusion. Therefore, we adopt and practice the following principles as
fundamental to our on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all
of its members:
We affirm the inherent dignity and value of every person and strive to maintain a climate for work and learning based on mutual
respect and understanding.
We affirm the right of each person to express thoughts and opinions freely. We encourage open expression within a climate of
civility, sensitivity, and mutual respect.
We affirm the value of human diversity because it enriches our lives and the University. We acknowledge and respect our
differences while affirming our common humanity.
We reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including those based on age, color, disability, gender, national origin,
political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. We take individual and collective responsibility for
helping to eliminate bias and discrimination and for increasing our own understanding of these issues through education, training,
and interaction with others.
We pledge our collective commitment to these principles in the spirit of the Virginia Tech motto of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).
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