Laboratory and Field Methods for Environmental Engineering

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The objectives of this course are to learn principles and methods for designing, building and testing systems to sense and quantify environmental processes. Measurements in the environment focus on monitoring natural ecosystems, sustainable environmental infrastructure, atmospheres and water bodies. Design and fabrication of sensing systems for monitoring heat, mass, chemicals, energy, and biota will be considered. Measurements of velocity, temperature, transport and concentration levels will be covered. The concentrations of hazards in the air, water, land and urban environment will also be explored. Group research sessions and fieldwork are an integral part of the course. The course will involve the class in the planning and execution of studies to sense environmental systems: such as the South Bend/Lake Michigan waterways and other terrestrial/aquatic systems; Green Roofs, Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO); terrestrial hazards; urban air-quality, and field method design/development/execution.