International Certificate in Infrastructure Asset Management (CIAM) Courses

Courses offered in the 2010–2011 academic year:

Advanced Construction Engineering Management I (3 credits)

Dr. Trefor Williams, Rutgers University, CAIT

Students get a thorough view of advanced techniques for financial and management control of construction projects; construction company financial control and accounting; project cost control; estimating and bid preparation; equipment management; and computer and expert system applications to construction financial control.

Bridge Management, Preservation, and Rehabilitation (3 credits)

Drs. Emin Aktan and Frank Moon, Drexel University

Highway bridges serve as critical structural nodes within any surface transportation system. Their operational, structural serviceability, durability, and safety functionalities—as well as the cost of their inspection and maintenance—are critical concerns impacting the entire transportation system.
This course will provide an overview of how bridges are currently being designed, inspected, evaluated, maintained, and rehabilitated along their life cycles.

Expected near-term innovations in bridge engineering and management are discussed, with an emphasis on project delivery mechanisms for bridge planning, financing, design, construction, fabrication and erection. Additionally, future mechanisms for operations, inspections, evaluations, maintenance, and renewals are covered.

Finally, paradigms such as performance-based engineering, network-level risk-based asset management, structural identification, and health monitoring are introduced. Links between bridge management and highway management are explored. This course brings a number of case studies and examples on bridge structural identification and health monitoring to give students a well-rounded, real-world approach to maintaining structural vitality.

Environmental Management of Maritime Infrastructure (3 credits)

Mr. Scott Douglas, New Jersey Department of Transportation and Rutgers University, CAIT

The course deals with navigational engineering, maritime construction, and port development. Emphasis is on dredged material management and regulation, fate and transport of sediment and contaminants from dredging, dredged material management, and use of dredged materials in remedial design. Aspects of sediment characterization, estuarine dynamics, and environmental modeling also are explored.

Freight Transportation Systems (3 credits)

Maria Boile, Rutgers, from Rutgers University, CAIT

This course covers freight transportation demand and supply models, freight network modeling, freight flow forecasting, operating, service, and cost characteristics. Case studies in the analysis and design of freight transportation systems are presented.

Pavement Management, Preservation, and Rehabilitation (3 credits)

Dr. Nick Vitillo, Rutgers University, CAIT

Transportation Infrastructure that supports the national economy is rapidly aging and deteriorating. The funds to repair or replace the roads are stretched to the limit.

As a result, today’s pavement engineers need tools to better manage and preserve new and existing pavements, while also reducing costs. To help achieve these objectives, this course introduces students to the concepts of pavement management, pavement preservation, and pavement rehabilitation. The course includes discussion of pavement management concepts and pavement management systems, pavement condition assessment, pavement performance modeling, pavement preservation activities and treatments, economic analyses, pavement evaluation, and pavement rehabilitation and reconstruction design.

Port Planning, Management, and Operations (3 credits)

Drs. Maria Boilé and Sotiris Theofanis, Rutgers University, CAIT

This is an overview of port planning, management, and operations with strong emphasis on terminal processes and the engineering aspects of port development, port functions and management models, port pricing and financing, port security and safety, environmental management, and human resources management in ports.

Structural Health Monitoring (3 credits)

Dr. Farhad Ansari, University of Illinois, and Dr. Nenad Gucunski, Rutgers University, CAIT

The focus of the structural-health monitoring course is on assessment of existing condition and remaining life of roads, bridges, utilities, and other infrastructure assets. The technical fundamentals and comparative capabilities of sensor-based and nondestructive (NDE) techniques will be discussed at length.

State-of-the-art NDE technologies such as GPR and ultrasonic and electromagnetic systems, as well as a complete series of sensor-based systems including fiber optic sensor systems, will be discussed in detail. The course also includes the review, planning, and implementation of a modern structural-health monitoring program useful to both professionals and students.

Transportation Asset Management and Economics (3 credits)

Dr. Sue McNeil, University of Delaware

The course presents a unified approach to the management of physical assets and civil infrastructure systems. Topics include analytical methods, development of data collection technologies, life cycle cost, prioritization, and optimization. Software tools for infrastructure management decision making and asset management are introduced, and critical infrastructure protection is addressed. Types of infrastructure considered in the course include pavements (roads and airports), bridges, drainage and sewer systems, water supply systems, and energy supply facilities.

Transportation Safety and Security (3 credits)

Dr. Tayfur Altiok and Mr. Harold Neil, Rutgers University, CAIT

The course presents an overview of the safety and security issues for surface transportation, aviation, and maritime transportation systems. Topics include transportation infrastructure, incidents, incident command structure and management, emergency operations planning, business continuity, threat assessments, and critical infrastructure protection.  Safety and security risk analysis and case studies are discussed. Simulation modeling for transportation planning, operations, and decision making are introduced.