Thomas J. Siller

FUZZY REPRESENTATION AND REASONING IN GEOTECHNICAL SITE CHARACTERIZATION

Abstract Geotechnical site characterization is an important first step in all geotechnical engineering problems. It is important to have a model of the subsurface conditions when doing any geotechnical analysis. To create this profile, samples are taken in boreholes which are then used to infer a subsurface profile. This paper discusses a method that uses fuzzy sets to represent the data collected from samples in a borehole. Then, a fuzzy reasoning system is developed to infer the subsurface profile. The resulting fuzzy system creates a new approach to developing subsurface profiles.

How an engineering college uses a University's quality enhancement system to generate and manage evidence for multiple accreditation and accountability bodies

Abstract Colleges and universities interact with multiple constituents or quality monitoring groups that require programme‐level assessment of student learning. These required assessments might be used to demonstrate accountability, programme improvement or a combination of both. These demands often challenge instructional faculty to choose between the competing interests of research in their discipline and research on student learning for assessment purposes. This article offers one approach for engineering departments that simultaneously makes student learning research more meaningful for instructional faculty while farming out to the central administration those jobs it does not have the time or resources to do effectively. An engineering programme is better able to ensure the ownership, development and integrity of and research into its own curriculum if it has a centralized university improvement system that presents unit‐level quality management research to external market and accountability groups.

Magnitude Recurrence Relations for Colorado Earthquakes

Colorado has a significant potential for damaging earthquakes. The Colorado Geological Survey has identified 92 potentially active faults. Two faults have documented slip-rates approaching 1 mm per year. Four hundred and seventy-seven Colorado earthquakes have been felt and/or equaled or exceeded magnitude of 2.0 between 1870 and 1996. Eighty-two earthquakes have equaled or exceeded an MMI Scale of V. Colorados largest historical earthquake, which occurred on 7 November 1882 (8 November UCT), had an estimated magnitude of 6.5 and maximum MMI of VII to VIII. Colorados maximum credible earthquake has been estimated at 7.5 ML. In this paper we analyze independent earthquakes (foreshocks, aftershocks, and fluid-injection induced earthquakes removed) to develop magnitude-recurrence relations. Analysis of instrumentally measured earthquakes predicts that a 6.5 ML or larger earthquake occurring somewhere in Colorado has a mean recurrence interval of about 420 years. A magnitude 6.6 ML earthquake has a 10 percent Poissons probability of exceedance in 50 years. A 7.5 ML earthquake has a 2 percent Poissons probability of exceedance in 50 years. Colorados magnitude-recurrence (Gutenberg-Richter) relation is log N=2.58−0.80 ML.

An expert system approach to liquefaction analysis part 2: Evaluation

Abstract This is the second paper in a two-part series describing the development of LIQUEFY. The functional issues in designing LIQUEFY are presented: the implementation of five different methods for liquefaction hazards assessment and their incorporation into a unique framework for liquefaction evaluation. The system groups the implemented liquefaction methods into a preliminary and a final task. The performance of LIQUEFY is compared to published case histories which shows that LIQUEFY may be an effective tool in solving liquefaction hazard problems and make liquefaction evaluation methods more accessible to the profession.

AN EXPERT SYSTEM APPROACH TO LIQUEFACTION ANALYSIS. PART 1: DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract This paper presents the development of the rule-based expert system, LIQUEFY, which evaluates the liquefaction potential of sites using several commonly accepted liquefaction evaluation methods. In this paper the issues in the design of the rule-based are addressed including: knowledge acquisition, knowledge representation, and system validation. LIQUEFY was developed for the personal computer and includes 470 rules, an explanation facility, and methods for handling uncertainty in input data and resulting conclusions.

What Do Sustaining Life and Sustainable Engineering Have in Common

Medical Education professionals in the U.S. have realized that medical education now consists of three main features: diagnosis, cure and in the case of chronic illness, health management (sustaining life). In a similar way, engineering education may be characterized by problem definition (diagnosis), problem solving and in the case of chronic engineering problems, problem management. Medical education has taken steps to modify its curriculum and pedagogy to reflect this new awareness whereas engineering education has not. What can engineering education learn from the medical education community? And, in particular, how do further challenges of sustainable engineering impact how engineering education should change?

A pass/fail option for first-semester engineering students: A critical evaluation

The first semester of a collegiate engineering program can be quite stressful for a student, resulting in anxiety and decreased academic performance. While there are various factors leading to these outcomes, the pressure of grades early in an engineering program can be a significant contributor. GPA is typically used to determine a students academic success, but the reality is that the student often needs time to learn how to earn and keep good grades in college before they accurately reflect the students performance and potential. Considering this, Colorado State University recently offered an option for incoming engineering students to take all of their first-semester classes as pass/fail. For the fall semester of 2010, 138 of 448 first-year students enrolled in the pass/fail option. In this first semester of the program, success was determined from a few measures by comparing performance of students in the pass/fail option to those in traditional A-F grading. In the first analysis described herein, GPA was reviewed for both groups of students, which revealed that students who selected the option received lower grades than those who did not. Authors review the program critically, often holding opposing viewpoints on whether outcomes have been and will be positive.

Specialization: A Detriment to Problem Conception

Specialization is an agent of separation, both between competing specialists and between technology and society. Specialization is not an agent of integration. In the problem conception phase of the engineering design process, the emphasis must be on formulating and developing the questions that will frame the ultimate design solution. Using specialists in this phase often leads to biased questions based on the specialists’ areas of expertise. Rather, what is needed is a suspension of commitment to particular solutions and to ask questions without preconceived biases. This study takes a critical look at engineering education as now practiced versus the practice of 40 years ago and concludes with a recommendation for more broadly educating future engineers.

A Holistic Approach to Transforming Undergraduate Electrical Engineering Education

Our diverse team of educators at Colorado State University are redefining what it means to teach and learn in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Supported by a five-year “RED” grant from the National Science Foundation, we are, in effect, throwing away courses to overcome the challenges of the current engineering educational system. Approaching the degree from a holistic perspective, we no longer view our program as a set of disparate courses taught by autonomous (and isolated) faculty, but as an integrated system that fosters collaboration among faculty and students. This paper describes our new organizational and pedagogical model, which emphasizes knowledge integration and interweaves thematic content threads throughout the curriculum. We also share our process for implementing the new approach, along with the successes and challenges that we have experienced along the way. Through this project, we strive to become a catalyst for change in engineering education.

The correlation between creativity and engineering knowledge among engineering undergraduate students

Creativity has long been recognized as important in the engineering field. Despite the fact that creativity is an important element in the engineering profession, educators in engineering education still face difficulties in assessing or quantifying creativity among their students. It has been reported that the creativity levels among American students decreased from 1990 to 2010. Surprisingly, the decline in creativity starts around the third year of college. Therefore, a study assessing creativity among college-level engineering students is necessary to ensure the quality of engineering graduates and for future quality of life of the society who depend on engineers. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between creativity and engineering knowledge among undergraduate engineering students. A non-experimental correlational research design was used in the study. Senior year students in the College of Engineering at Colorado State University were selected for the study and eighty-eight students voluntarily participated (n=88). The results indicated there is no significant relationship between creativity and engineering knowledge (r=.031, p > .05). Although there was a non-zero correlation between the creativity test construct and engineering knowledge, there was no statistically significant relationship between engineering knowledge as measured by engineering grade point average (GPA) and creativity as measured by Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (Figural A). Perhaps the college GPA is not the best indicator to be used and represent the student domain-specific knowledge.