Construction Management 586
Utility System Construction

Course Introduction

Welcome

Welcome to Construction Management 586. This is a required course for the Certificate Program in Infrastructure Construction and for the distance learning Master of Science in Construction Management or Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering program. The course is a study of the materials, methods, and techniques associated with the construction of major utility systems, including underground utilities and utilities plants.You will have ten weeks to complete all course requirements.

Is This Course for You?

You should possess an undergraduate degree in either construction management or civil and environmental engineering before seeking enrollment in this course. It is assumed that you are familiar with the basic components of utility systems. This course is not about designing utility systems. Instead, the purpose of this course is to provide the skills and knowledge needed to be able to analyze a prospective utility system construction project and to plan and manage its construction. The course involves a series of lessons, in which you learn about the materials and construction methods used in constructing underground utility systems as well as water and sewage treatment plants. There are two case studies that require you to apply the knowledge learned in planning the construction of actual projects.

Technology Requirements and Skills

See the Online Student Handbook for the technology requirements and skills necessary for this course.

Course Objectives

When you have completed this course, you will be able to

• describe the major types of utilities systems and the major tasks involved in their construction;
• identify the major materials used in constructing underground utilities and select appropriate equipment for their construction;
• identify hazards associated with the construction of underground utilities and select appropriate safety measures;
• prepare a plan for managing the construction of underground utilities;
• describe the major components of a water treatment plant and identify the major considerations in planning the construction of one;
• describe the major components of a sewage treatment plant and identify the major considerations in planning the construction of one; and
• prepare a plan for managing the construction of a utility plant.

The Online Environment

Your online course offers several advantages to the traditional classroom, including the comprehensive Online Student Handbook, the ability to communicate electronically with students and with your instructor, and links to a rich array of online resources.

Online Student Handbook

This handbook answers questions about your online learning course, such as how to purchase your text, schedule an exam, obtain a transcript, and get technical help if you need it. The handbook also provides additional resources, such as how to order books or journals from the library and how to study for an online course.

Communication with Your Instructor and Student Peers

• Online Discussion Forums, designed by the University of Washington award winning Catalyst team, allow you to communicate with other currently enrolled students and with your instructor. We encourage you to use the forum to exchange ideas, resources, and comments about your course work with other students in this course. This unstructured forum is monitored by your instructor.
• You can use e-mail to ask me a question or preferably post your question on the discussion forum. I will reply on the same forum.

Online Resources

As an online student, you have access to a wealth of Web resources compiled to provide fast, easy access to information that supports your online learning experience. Organized by subjects, Online Resources link you to sites with help for writing and research, study skills, language learning, and library reference materials. All links have been assessed for credibility and reliability, and they are regularly monitored to ensure their usability.

About This Course

This course is a study of the major types of utilities systems and the issues involved in their construction.We start with a general overview, and then discuss the construction of underground utilities systems.You are then asked to analyze a case study to apply the principles learned in the previous lessons. Then we will shift our focus to the construction of utility plants, and discuss the major issues to be faced in their construction. In the last lesson, you are asked to analyze another case study to apply the principles learned relating to the construction of utility plants.

Besides lessons, assignments, and the exam, the course includes discussion

A Course Schedule is linked from your syllabus providing due dates for online discussions, written assignment submissions, and final exam.

About the Lessons

The course is organized into ten lessons that are to be completed in ten weeks. The time allocated for each lesson is Monday through Sunday. Because a textbook is not available for this course, for most lessons, readings will consist of the online commentary and selected Internet references. The exceptions are Lessons Six and Ten, which are based on actual case studies. Each lesson includes a two-part assignment: discussion forums postings, and a written assignment or case study.

Lesson One: Introduction to Utilities System Construction

This lesson provides an overview of utility systems and the major challenges to be encountered in utility systems construction.

Lesson Two: Underground Utilities—Materials

This lesson examines the major materials that are used in constructing underground utilities and their influence on construction techniques. It also examines the different types of natural conditions that may be encountered in constructing underground utilities and their influence on planning and management of construction operations.

Lesson Three: Underground Utilities—Excavation and Safety Consideration

This lesson examines the various excavation techniques that can be used for constructing underground utilities. It also examines safety considerations associated with underground utility construction and related safety regulations.

Lesson Four: Underground Utilities—Construction Considerations

This lesson examines the types of equipment that may be used in constructing underground utility systems, equipment selection criteria, crew productivity estimation, job site organization and project management issues.

Lesson Five: Underground Utilities—Trenchless Construction

This lesson examines trenchless techniques for construction of underground utilities, such as micro-tunneling.

Lesson Six: Underground Utilities—Case Study

In this lesson, you are given a set of plans and specifications for the construction of an underground utility system. You are asked to analyze the project, determine the tasks to be performed, select the type of equipment to be used, determine crew size, and describe your plans for managing the project.

Lesson Seven: Water Treatment Plants

This lesson examines the major components of water treatment plants and discusses the major challenges to be encountered in their construction.

Lesson Eight: Sewage Treatment Plants

This lesson examines the major components of sewage treatment plants and discusses the major challenges to be encountered in their construction.

Lesson Nine: Utility Plant Construction Considerations

This lesson examines the types of equipment that may be used in constructing utility plants, equipment selection criteria, crew productivity estimation, job site organization and project management issues.

Lesson Ten: Utility Plant Construction—Case Study

In this lesson, you are given a set of plans and specifications for the construction of a utility plant. You are asked to analyze the project, determine the tasks to be performed, select the type of equipment to be used, determine crew size, and describe your plans for managing the project.

About the Assignments

Each assignment has two parts:

1. a discussion forum question (s) to be answered in the discussion forum for that assignment.
2. a written assignment (Lessons One–Five, Eight, and Nine ) to be submitted to the instructor.
   
   or a Case Study (Lessons Six and Ten)

Discussion Forums

Each week, you will participate in an online discussion forum to discuss questions posed for each lesson, and to address any of your questions. You are expected to provide a written response, or posting, to each question posed in the assignment by the deadline specified on the Course Schedule.

Once all the student responses have been posted, you are expected to review the responses of all other students and post a discussion of at least one other student's response by the deadline specified on the Course Schedule.

It is assumed that many of you may use the weekend to prepare your lesson assignments. The reason for requiring participation in the discussion forums during the week is to motivate you to review the online lesson material before the weekend, think about the issues addressed and ask any questions while the instructor is available. The instructor may not be available during the weekend.

Written Assignments and Case Studies

Some answers to assignment questions may not be found in the specific reading material for the individual lesson.You are expected to apply your basic knowledge of the construction industry when responding to these assignment questions. Submit your answers to the instructor using the Assignment Turn-in Area on the Course Syllabus by the deadline specified on the Course Schedule.

Final Examination

The final examination will consist of a series of small case studies that will require you to apply the principles learned in the course. You will be expected to write short answers to each question directly on the examination booklet. No materials or notes may be used during the final examination. You will be allowed two hours in which to complete the examination and return it to your proctor.

You will arrange for a proctor (and provide the name and contact information to Distance Learning Program Support Services) and take your final examination in person with your selected proctor by the dates specified on the Course Schedule for "Arrange for Final Exam Proctor" and "Final Examination. The proctor will return the examination to the instructor for grading.

Consult the "Examinations" section in the Online Student Handbook for information on selecting and using a proctor. If you wish, you can contact Distance Learning Program Support to consult the "Proctor Database" and identify a UWEO-approved proctor near you. Click on "Help Information" at the top of your course syllabus to make that request.

Grading

Each part of the assignments and the final exam will be graded on a percentage basis, with 100 the maximum grade. Individual grades will be weighted, and final percentage grades will be computed on the following basis:

Discussion Forums	Individual grades on each discussion forum will be averaged and count as 10% of the final percentage grade.
Written Assignment (except Lessons Six and Ten)	Individual grades on each written assignment will be averaged and count as 40% of the final percentage grade.
Case Studies (Lessons Six and Ten)	The grades on the two case studies will be averaged and count as 25% of the final percentage grade.
Final Examination	The final examination will count as 25% of the final percentage grade.

The final course grade will be determined by converting the final percentage grade to one on a 4.0 basis using the standard conversion scale:

	Grade	Percentage
A	4.0–3.9	100–97.5
A-	3.8–3.5	97.4–92.5
B+	3.4–3.2	92.4–88.7
B	3.1–2.9	88.6–85.0
B-	2.8–2.5	84.9–80.0
C+	2.4–2.2	79.9–76.2
C	2.1–1.9	76.1–72.5
C-	1.8–1.5	72.4–67.5
D+	1.4–1.2	67.4–63.7
D	1.1–0.9	63.6–60.0
D-	0.8–0.7	59.9–57.5
F	0	57.4 and below

Please note that a grade of 2.7 or above must be earned if the course is to count toward a Master of Science degree.

Study Tips

• The lesson commentary provides a general discussion of the major teaching points of each lesson. Read the commentary first.
• After you complete the reading, answer the discussion forum questions. You may not find specific answers to all questions in the reading assignment. Many of the questions require you to apply the concepts discussed in the reading to hypothetical construction applications. The objective is to understand the major concepts and be able to apply them in realistic scenarios.
• After you complete the discussion forum, review the responses provided by other students and make appropriate comments.
• After you review all student responses, answer the questions posed in the lesson assignment.

About the Developer

Dr. Schaufelberger is a full-time faculty member who teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses. Prior to joining the University of Washington faculty in 1994, he served 30 years as a military officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, managing major construction projects throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. As a government contracting officer, he managed over $2 billion in design and construction contracts, including acquisition planning, contractor selection, and contract administration.

His major research activities involve project delivery methods and project management techniques. Dr. Schaufelberger developed this online course to share his contracting experiences and research results. He is also the current instructor.

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