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RECYCLED TIRE BALES FOR WALL CONSTRUCTION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECT FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN EDUCATION Dr. Robert Knecht, Dr. Suzanne Scott Colorado School of Mines

Introduction The Design Engineering Practices Introductory Course Sequence (EPICS) program is a two semester, six credit-hour sequence that is required of all first and second-year students at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). During the Design (EPICS) sequence, students working in teams are guided through a hands-on experience of basic, sound engineering practices that incorporate creativity and inventiveness, technical thinking, decision-making, communication skills, and graphical demonstration. The sequence is consistent with current views about engineering design education. Douglas1 views engineering design as a creative process to convert ideas into “processes for producing new materials.” Pahl and Beitz2 consider the integration of technical, psychological, systematic, and organizational aspects of engineering design as “prerequisites for the physical realization of solution ideas.” Ullman3 views engineering design in terms of managing people and information. These themes continue to repeat themselves throughout discussion of engineering design. Horenstein4 defines the results of the design process more specifically as “a set of desired specifications.” Bieniawski5 recognized that many skills required for engineering design, frequently not taught in formal classroom settings, are developed only through practice. He describes a process of developing behavioral standards necessary to produce a quality product. Our sequence, on the cutting edge of engineering design methodologies, provides students with a broad-based introduction concerning engineering design, technical communications and teamwork early in their academic career.

This report summarizes several years of research and engineering activities conducted by undergraduate students to fulfill their requirement for engineering design throughout their curriculum. During the past 4 years 42 undergraduate students at various levels of their education and from various disciplines on campus have directly participated in the process of creating a noise abatement wall from recycled tire bales. As we write this report we summarize the progress of the various teams and reflect on the value of the project to their overall learning objectives. Two questions evolve from this project that focus our discussion on the relationship between an authentic engineering design and the mission of the engineering design stem at CSM: Ø How does this project represent an authentic engineering design experience for engineering students? Ø What value does an authentic engineering design experience offer to engineering students and design courses?

“Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright Ó 2002, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Scott, S., & Knecht, R. (2002, June), Recycled Tire Bales For Wall Construction: A Multidisciplinary Project For Engineering Design Education Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10471