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Incorporation of a Comprehensive Design Experience in the Integrated Engineering Project Design Model: The Capstone Course at UPRM

Abstract The Civil Engineering program at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez aware of the ABET EC- 2000 educational objectives has developed a capstone course in which the students have the opportunity to address a real world problem with a real world engineering solution methodology. As part of this process, the students develop each year a unique integrated engineering project design experience incorporating also the sustainable design features in the development of a wide variety of projects including but not limited to commercial, industrial, residential, sport facilities, etc. In order to gave the students real projects, a partnership was also created between the CE program, the industry and government. Faculty and engineers from the industry, the Municipality of Mayagüez and other local companies along with government agency representatives had worked together directing students into this new learning experience. A summary of all the different activities the students have been involved are presented. The activities begins with the creation of the company, the feasibility analysis of the selected site for the proposed use, and the development of conceptual drawings, preliminary drawings, and final drawings, along with a cost estimate and specifications for the selected alternate solution. It must be pointed out that due to the limited amount of time, the level of construction drawings are limited to a complete set of plan drawings of the site plan, architectural, structural and transportation but without the level of detail and quality in the drawings. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings are limited also to the site information. The specifications are also limited to the architectural, site and structural.

1. Introduction

For the past years, the current curriculum in the Civil Engineering Curricula is changing according to the new global developments and industry needs and the integration between the academia, the government and the industry is needed to achieve an adequate academic preparation for the practice of civil engineering at professional level in the 21th century

Some changes in the Civil Engineering Curricula are: • Reduction in the number of credits • Emphasis on hands-on and alternate learning experience such as COOP; Undergraduate research; professional practice; internships at the government and industries, etc. • Distance and web based learning • Involvement of Industry, government, consultants and professional organizations • Change in the evaluation systems with emphasis in the outcome based evaluations.

To assure the education objectives the ABET and ASCE are focusing the attention in the following tasks: • Improve the accreditation and assessment process requiring 11 outcomes named as a thorugh k which is listed and defined in the ABET 2004. • Define the Body of Knowledge (BOK) as stated by the ASCE, 2004 to call the attention of three major aspects: 1. What shoud be taught and learned? 2. How should it be taught and learned? 3. Who should teach and learn it?

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Guevara, J., & Pagan-Trinidad, I., & Valdes-Diaz, D., & Pesantes, E., & Maldonado-Fortunet, F., & Pando, M. (2006, June), Incorporation Of A Comprehensive Design Experience In The Integrated Engineering Project Design Model Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--917