Electric Vehicle Weights and Infrastructure in Civil Engineering Courses
- Conference
- Location
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Publication Date
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June 22, 2025
- Start Date
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June 22, 2025
- End Date
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August 15, 2025
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Student Division (STDT)
- Page Count
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20
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/56325
Paper Authors
Liliana Elizabeth Tarud Auburn University
Liliana Tarud is a student in the Civil Engineering Department at Auburn University. She is hoping to focus on structural engineering and has a sustainability minor.
Joan Tisdale University of Colorado Boulder
Dr. Joany Tisdale is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Integrated Design Engineering program. She earned a PhD in Civil Engineering with a focus on Civil Systems and a certificate in Global Engineering from CU Boulder. She holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn University. Her research centers on integrating sustainability into engineering curricula, aligning with her commitment to fostering holistic engineering education. Before transitioning to academia, Joany worked for over five years as an engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where she contributed to advancing renewable energy technologies.
Abstract
Electric vehicles are significantly heavier than their petroleum counterpart, some weighing an additional 3,000 pounds. In addition to the electric vehicles being drastically heavier than petroleum cars, petroleum cars have increased in size which directly correlates with the weight of the vehicle. The average car weighs approximately 650 pounds more today than they did 60 years ago. The additional weight places higher demands on our infrastructure. As civil engineers, we are counted on to provide safe and secure infrastructure. This work studies the additional weights of current vehicles and its integration into civil engineering university courses. Faculty were surveyed at 3 institutions. The survey consisted of one 4-pt Likert-type question pertaining to their perceived importance of the topic of vehicle weights and infrastructure. It also included 3 further questions for faculty who have not included this topic in their courses and 5 further questions for faculty who had included this topic in their courses. The remaining questions were on the topic areas of applicable courses and teaching methods. The results are shared and combined with suggestions of civil engineering courses that align well and incorporation ideas. Courses of interest for incorporation include Mechanics of Materials, Transportation Systems, Computational Structural Analysis, and Reinforced Concrete Design. Teaching methods suggestions include case studies, simulation projects material comparison, bridge design, impact studies, predictive modeling and cost-benefit analysis.
Tarud, L. E., & Tisdale, J. (2025, June), Electric Vehicle Weights and Infrastructure in Civil Engineering Courses Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/56325
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