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Unit of study_
CIVL2010: Environmental Engineering
2026 unit information
This unit of study introduces students to fundamental principles of environmental engineering, focusing on water and air quality, energy and climate change, as well as concepts of sustainability and how they inform the work of civil engineers. Students will learn about physical, chemical and biological principles underlying water and wastewater treatment technologies, how to design solutions to water treatment problems, major urban air pollutants and their sources, how to model airborne pollution plumes and how air pollution control technologies work. Basic principles of energy, including laws of thermodynamics, and various forms of energy, will be introduced and discussed. Simple models of planetary radiative balance, based on system dynamics, will be used to better understand anthropogenic climate change, including mitigation and adaptation, and how they are likely to influence the future of civil engineering practice. Concepts of sustainability will be discussed through lenses of energy, thermodynamics and complex systems. In addition to the above, students will develop communication skills through report writing and group discussions. They will learn how to interpret environmental data, perform calculations and build simulation models of environmental problems. Lectures, tutorials, and project workshops are all used in teaching and learning in this unit of study. By the end of the unit, students will develop a practical understanding of how civil engineers can help deliver cleaner water, air and energy, as well as more sustainable solutions for communities. They will have developed a better understanding of the complex environmental, technological, ethical and social contexts of engineering decision-making.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Engineering
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Civil Engineering |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
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MATH1061 and MATH1062 |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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CIVL3010 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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ENGG1810 |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. apply thermodynamics principles to understand environmental problems
- LO2. interpret scholarly literature in the context of engineering practice
- LO3. communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, on technical topics
- LO4. calculate the spread of airborne pollution
- LO5. examine anthropogenic climate change including its causes, impacts and implications.
- LO6. analyse the role civil engineers play in addressing global environmental problems such as climate change
- LO7. assess the source, potential and impacts of different forms of energy
- LO8. critically appraise environmental sustainability through the prism of system dynamics
- LO9. develop numerical models to analyse environmental problems
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Semester 2 2026
|
Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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