Infrastructure Design Proposal
8 weeks · 0 milestones
Produce a design proposal for a small-scale civil infrastructure element — a pedestrian footbridge, retaining wall, stormwater drainage system, or equivalent — covering the full engineering design process from requirements to final proposal. The proposal must include: a brief with functional requirements and constraints (span, loading, site conditions, budget order of magnitude), at least 2 design alternatives with documented screening criteria, the selected design with a general arrangement drawing showing principal dimensions and key structural features, at least one supporting engineering calculation demonstrating the design is feasible (structural, hydraulic, or geotechnical as applicable), and a construction sequencing note identifying the key construction stages. Preferred proof: a design proposal prepared for a real project or a structured design challenge (ICE Civil Engineering Challenge, university capstone, or community infrastructure need). Accessible alternative: a design proposal using FreeCAD or LibreCAD (both free) for drawings, with hand calculations or SkyCiv free tier for structural feasibility — the design scenario must be physically grounded (a real site or a published design brief). Proof artifacts: the general arrangement drawing (design artifact) and the supporting calculation (analysis artifact) and the design proposal document (documentation artifact). Verification: a civil engineer reviews the design — 'how does this structure behave during construction before it is complete?' and 'what is the most likely failure mode during a 1-in-100-year flood?' — requiring specific reasoning from your own design.
Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Select a civil infrastructure design scenario requiring a formal design proposal. Suitable scenarios include: a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge over an urban waterway; a rural road upgrade to accommodate increased freight traffic; a stormwater drainage improvement for a flood-prone catchment; a small retaining wall to stabilise a highway cutting; or a wastewater pumping station upgrade. Define the infrastructure need: what problem does this infrastructure solve, who are the users or beneficiaries, what are the design life requirements, and what are the regulatory constraints (relevant design standards — e.g. Eurocodes, AASHTO, local highway design standards). Conduct a site assessment using freely available data: topography (OpenTopoData or USGS 3DEP), land use (OpenStreetMap), hydrology (USGS NWIS or Environment Agency flood maps), and ground conditions (publicly available borehole records or BGS/USGS geological maps). Identify the key design constraints from the site assessment.
Proof required
Submit: (1) a problem statement (150–200 words) defining the infrastructure need, the users, and the design life; (2) a site assessment summary — a structured description or table of: topography, land use, hydrological conditions, ground conditions, and utilities or existing infrastructure; (3) a constraints summary listing at least five design constraints (physical, regulatory, or environmental) with the source of each constraint; (4) a site location map (OpenStreetMap screenshot or equivalent, annotated to show the site boundary and key features).
What gets checked
- Each design constraint cites its source — 'maximum structure height 8 m above existing ground level (local planning authority height restriction, planning reference XYZ)' is a valid constraint; 'height is constrained by planning' is not
- Site assessment distinguishes between confirmed data and assumed data — 'ground conditions assumed as stiff clay based on BGS 1:50,000 geological map (Sheet 256); site investigation data not available' is a valid qualified statement; presenting assumed ground conditions without qualification is misleading
- At least five constraints are listed from at least two different constraint categories (physical, regulatory, environmental, operational, budgetary) — a constraints list that is entirely physical constraints has not considered the full design context