Civil Engineering for Non-Civil Engineers
Fee: $2,345 / Online / Mar 31 - Apr 2, 2027 / Course Code: 17-0309-ONL27
OVERVIEW
Please note, This instructor-led course has specific dates and times:
This course is held online over 3 days on the following schedule (All times in Eastern Time Zone): 10 am to 6 pm Eastern (Will include the usual breaks) Special Features & Requirements Participants should possess basic knowledge of materials, mechanics, and civil engineering concepts. A hand-held calculator is recommended for completing exercises and practicing problem-solving tasks effectively. Please note that it is a requirement for all attendees to sign a "Confidentiality Agreement" prior to receiving the course notes for this online offering.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Apply core civil engineering principles to evaluate infrastructure systems and construction approaches
- Interpret material behaviour and structural response to support design and field decisions
- Assess structural and pavement systems and determine appropriate solutions for real-world conditions
- Identify common deterioration mechanisms and recommend effective maintenance and repair strategies
- Apply practical analysis techniques to support multidisciplinary collaboration on civil projects
Description
Civil engineering concepts are often required when working on infrastructure and construction projects, even when your background is not in civil engineering. Gaps in understanding how materials behave, how structures respond to loads, and how systems are designed can lead to risks in decision-making, coordination challenges, and inefficiencies in project execution.
This course provides a practical foundation in civil engineering principles with a focus on how they are applied in real projects. You will explore how materials, structural behaviour, and construction methods influence the performance of pavements, bridges, foundations, and reinforced concrete systems. The course emphasizes how to interpret conditions, assess design approaches, and understand the implications of engineering decisions across the project lifecycle.
Through applied examples and guided exercises, you will develop the ability to evaluate civil systems, identify common issues, and support more informed technical decision-making. The result is a stronger ability to contribute effectively to multidisciplinary teams working on infrastructure and construction projects.
Who Should Attend
This course is designed for:
- Engineers and technical professionals working outside of civil engineering disciplines
- Mechanical, electrical, chemical, mining, and agricultural professionals involved in infrastructure-related work
- Architects, contractors, and manufacturers supporting civil systems and construction projects
- Project engineers, facility managers, and operations professionals responsible for asset performance
- Municipal staff, inspectors, and professionals involved in infrastructure planning or oversight
- Early- to mid-career professionals seeking practical civil engineering knowledge for applied work
Special Requirements
- Basic familiarity with engineering concepts such as materials and mechanics is recommended
- A calculator is recommended for completing exercises
SYLLABUS
Day I
Welcome, Introduction, Workshop Preview, Learning Outcomes, and Assessment Method
Civil Engineering Disciplines
- Structural engineering
- Geotechnical engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Water resources engineering
- Transportation engineering
- Construction engineering
- Geomatics and surveying engineering
- Urban planning
- Other related disciplines
Section and Structural Properties
- Stress-strain behaviour
- Stiffness
- Section Properties
- Strength and factors of safety
- The concept of limit state design
Loads, Mechanics, Stress and Strain
- Loads and equilibrium
- Determinate and indeterminate structures
- Axial loading
- Bending
- Torsion
- Shear
- Combined loading
Day II
Civil Engineering Construction Materials
- Cement and concrete
- Aggregates
- Mineral and chemical admixtures
- Concrete mixtures and proportioning
- Asphalt cement and concrete
- Wood and timber
- Steel
- Fiber-reinforced composites
Roads and Pavements
- Pavement design principles
- Traffic data for road design
- Soil data for pavement design
- Weather data for pavement design
- Design of flexible pavements
- Design of rigid pavements
Foundations
- Different types of foundations
- Basic Concept of Foundation Design
- Shallow foundations
- Foundation under machines
- Pile foundations
Day III
Temporary Structures and Formwork
- Shoring and scaffolding
- Formwork systems
- Formwork for columns
- Formwork for slabs and beams
- Formwork for bridges
Structural Design
- Design codes and standards
- Reinforced concrete design
- Slabs
- Beams
- Columns
- Shear walls
- Footings
- Retaining walls
- Prestressed concrete
Non-Destructive Testing and Condition Assessment
- Ultrasonic transmission
- Impact echo
- Infrared thermography
- Ground penetrating radar
- Corrosion NDT techniques
Damage Mechanisms of Concrete Structures and Repair Techniques
- Corrosion
- Freeze-thaw damage
- Sulfate attack on concrete
- Alkali aggregate reactivity damage
- Fire damage
- Surface repair techniques
- Structural strengthening techniques
Questions and Answers, Feedback on Achievement of Learning Outcomes
INSTRUCTOR
Dean, College of Engineering and Physic — University of Guelph
Guelph, ON
Dean, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Moncef received his BASc from Laval University, MASc from Sherbrooke University, and Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, all in civil engineering. He is currently dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Guelph. He was previously professor and chair of the Department of Civil Engineering at McMaster University and professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Western University, where he also served as associate director for Environmental Research Western.
His industrial experience includes serving as technical manager for three different companies. He was licensed as a professional engineer in British Columbia in 1998 and in Ontario in 1999. He is the past chair of the ACI committee 555 on recycled materials, past chair of the CSCE sub-committee on cement and concrete, past chair of the CSCE Materials and Mechanics Division, is deputy chair of the RILEM committee on concrete data science, and was co-chair of the Infrastructure Division of NSERC’s Discovery Grant Committee 1509. He has provided consulting services for some world landmark projects, including some of the world's tallest buildings, the world’s largest airport, the world’s most venerated pedestrian bridge, and the world’s deepest and second-largest water treatment plant.
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