Outline

Computer-Aided Engineering Curriculum

Professor James H. Garrett, Jr.

Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University

Introduction
Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Vision
Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Mission
CAE Faculty
Example Project

Widespread use of IT in CEE

Opportunity

CEEs have many planning, design and management

responsibilities
Computers and computer-based information
technologies a common component of CEE practice
CEE is in the midst of a technological revolution
stemming from a widespread use of IT

Few coordinated research/educational efforts exist

that combine:

CAE Vision

CAE Faculty

Apply and extend new information technologies

to develop civil engineering practice that
advances and influences the profession.

Educate our graduates as professional leaders in

this transition.

understanding of CEE processes with

understanding of opportunities provided by explosive
developments in computer science and information
technology

Prof. Steven Fenves

Prof. Susan Finger
Prof. Jim Garrett
Prof. Irving Oppenheim
Prof. Dan Rehak

CAE Mission

CAE Mission, cont.

Keep abreast of developments in CEE profession:

Apply these approaches to specific CEE processes

by implementing prototype systems
Test these prototype systems
Evaluate the efficacy of these approaches

identify new demands

identify bottlenecks and pinchpoints in process
identify developments requiring innovation

Monitor and participate in the emergence of new

information technologies:

do they make the process more efficient?

Do they improve the quality of the resulting product?

identify approaches that can be adapted, expanded and

applied to CEE practices and processes

Where do our students go?

Example Project

MS Students:

Support for Field Computing

Major engineering firms (e.g., Bechtel, Michael Baker)

CAE firms (e.g., Autodesk, Jacobus, Prescient
Technologies, Premisys, Applied Research Associates)
Government labs (e.g., NIST, Oak Ridge Nat. Lab)

PhD Students
Academic Positions (e.g., MIT, UIUC, Stanford, GaTech)
Industrial Research Labs (Exxon, Schlumberger, IBM)
Government labs (e.g., NIST, Oak Ridge Nat. Lab)

Summary
CAE is at the intersection between the traditional
disciplines of civil engineering, and the enabling
technologies provided by computer science and
computer-based information technologies.
The objective of the CAE group for its graduates:
understand CEE processes
understand developments in information technology;
propose improvements to CEE processes through
application of computer-based tools and methods