MODULE – 1 : Engineering Economics

Module Duration:

12 hours of recorded videos and 4 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty Profile:

Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam

Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras

Topics covered:

Engineering economics allows students to understand how economic and financial decisions are made between project alternatives. Which project do we choose to construct? Which equipment do we choose to rent? What is the return on an infrastructure investment that we plan to make? These and similar questions will be answered in this module. Candidates will be exposed to concepts relating to the time value of money, inflation, comparison of alternatives, internal rate of return, cost-benefit analysis, replacement analysis, break-even analysis and similar topics.

Learning Outcomes:

Candidates will learn how to judiciously select one among many project alternatives from an economic and financial perspective. The candidate will achieve a good degree of proficiency in financial and economic analysis of engineering projects and situations.

Applications of the Module

This module can be useful at a personal level as a candidate decides what investments to make. At a professional level, this is a critical skill that any design or construction firm requires to select a project to take on, and to decide what kind of return/profit they are likely to make out of this project. Financiers and investors also regularly use the tools taught in this module to make investment decisions in the infrastructure and other sectors. 

MODULE – 2 : Concrete Technology

Module Duration :

12 hours of recorded video and 4 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty:

Prof. Ravindra Gettu

V S Raju Chair Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras.

Prof. Manu Santhanam

Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras.

Topics covered:

Concrete is the most widely used construction material, and is progressively changing in components, composition, properties and response. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the scientific fundamentals and the recent developments in the technology, as well as the performance in different scenarios. This module will cover the basics needed to apply concrete appropriately in the field and the various aspects of the behaviour in the fresh and hardened states. Supplementary cementitious materials, special concretes and sustainable practices would also be introduced.

Learning Outcomes:

This module would provide a refresher about the basics of the science and technology of concrete, knowledge about newer components such as superplasticizers and supplementary cementitious materials, understanding of the performance in the fresh and hardened state, and the ability to choose the best concrete for a project. Further, this would also help in troubleshooting problems that are related to concrete usage in a construction site.

Applications of the Module:

This module would be of relevance to all aspects of construction with concrete, including the production of concrete, fabrication of precast elements and in situ construction.

MODULE 3 : Road and Pavement Technology

Module Duration:

15 hours of recorded videos and 5 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty Profile:

Prof. Surender Singh

Assistant Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras

Topics covered:

This particular course will consist of 6 modules covering most of the aspects of both bituminous and concrete pavements. These modules will focus mainly on pavement material characterization, formulation of mixture designs for unbound as well as bound layers, construction, quality control, and repair & rehabilitation of pavements, etc. Also, successful case studies will be discussed

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this course, the candidates will be able to decide the suitability of various materials as well as pavement types for different highway applications. The candidates will be able to formulate the materials to be used for construction of different layers of the pavements. Construction and quality control techniques are expected to be fully learnt at the end of this course. It is expected that the candidates will be able to identify different structural as well as functional distresses in pavements and will be able to address the same. 

Applications of the Module :

The candidates working in industries will be able to use the knowledge learnt for solving various field related issues; also, the knowledge will help them to make cost-effective decisions. 

MODULE 4: Construction Planning and Control

Module Duration:

12 hours of recorded videos and 4 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty Profile:

Prof. Sivakumar Palaniappan

Associate Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras.

Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam

Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras

Topics covered:

Project planning, project scheduling and project control are integral components of a construction project. The Government of India plans to invest a substantial amount of the national budget towards construction and infrastructure development. Timely completion of construction projects within the planned budget, while meeting the requirements in terms of quality, safety and sustainability, is important to promote economic growth and prosperity in the country. This module on project planning and control consists of three components: 

(i) Introduction: Project management, project planning and scheduling, work breakdown structure, and bar charts.

(ii) Project scheduling: Critical Path Method, Precedence Diagram Method, Floats, and Resource Planning.

(iii) Project control: Earned value analysis and cumulative ‘S’ curves.

Learning Outcomes

The course participants will complete the following learning outcomes:

1. How to prepare work breakdown structure and use this for preparing a construction schedule?
2. How to use CPM and PDM methods for project scheduling?
3. How to interpret the concept of floats in a construction schedule?
4. Demonstrate the application of Resource leveling and Resource constrained planning.
5. Demonstrate the application of earned value analysis for monitoring the schedule and cost performance of construction projects.

Applications of the Module

Effective project planning and execution will minimize schedule delays and cost overrun, which  are common in the construction industry. This module will be useful for construction managers, planning managers, scheduling professionals and cost managers to promote effective project planning, monitoring and control.

MODULE 5: Construction Processes & Productivity

Module Duration:

12 hours of recorded videos and 4 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty:

Prof Koshy Varghese

Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras.

Topics covered:

• Project vs Process – Concepts and Management Tools
• Project / Process / Task Productivity
• Factors Influencing Productivity
• Productivity Measurement and Improvement
• Introduction to Automation
• Case-Studies

Learning Outcomes: 

• Understand the difference between project and process management in the context of a construction project and basic concepts in project production process planning and measurement
• Exposure to Tools to plan and monitor project production processes, (Productivity measurement systems, Work Sampling, Collaboration)
• Illustrate the application of the tools through case-studies

Applications of the Module: 

This module is relevant to practicing engineers and those who want to improve project performance at the site level. The concepts covered in this module can be directly applied to planning and progress monitoring of projects.

MODULE 6: Quality

Module Duration : 

12 hours of recorded videos and 4 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty Profile: 

Prof. Piyush Chaunsali

Assistant Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras

Prof. Sivakumar Palaniappan

Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras.

Topics covered:

The materials module will cover the physical and chemical characteristics of basic ingredients of concrete. Testing procedures of ingredients (e.g. cement, mineral admixtures, aggregate, water) and concrete will be examined. Furthermore, important aspects dealing with curing and non-destructive evaluation of concrete will be discussed.
The construction module will cover the basics of quality management, management tools for quality and an overview of BIS standards available for quality management.

• Basics of quality management: Definition, eight dimensions of quality, total quality management, quality gurus, quality tools, cost of quality, and quality function deployment.
• Management tools for quality: Deming’s fourteen points for quality management, Juran’s approach to quality (universal breakthrough sequence), and Crosby’s fourteen steps for quality improvement.
• An overview of BIS standards available for quality management.

Learning Outcomes:

The candidate will be able to understand the role of material selection and various measures in enhancing the quality of concrete. The candidate will be able to understand the concepts of total quality management and the management tools available for quality improvement and apply these concepts in practice. Further, the candidate will be aware of the relevant BIS standards in this area.

Applications of the Module :

This model will help in ensuring construction quality in various projects. Candidates will learn how to control quality during construction from both technical and management perspectives, and also how to observe quality defects during inspections

MODULE 7: Durability and Repair

Module Duration:

12 hours of recorded videos and 4 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty:

Prof Radhakrishna Pillai

Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras

Topics covered:

This course will provide an introduction to various deterioration mechanisms of concrete and embedded reinforcement and how a structure can be designed for a target corrosion‑free service life. The course will provide introduction to the following topics:

•  Concepts on durability and service life design of concrete structures
•  Chloride-induced corrosion, carbonation-induced corrosion, sulphate attack
•  Advantages of using fly ash, slag, corrosion inhibitors, coated rebars, concrete surface coating, cathodic prevention
•  Service life design tools, Performance parameters, tests, specifications, and acceptance criteria
•  Surface/Near surface repair, Material properties, Material selection for repair works, Surface preparation techniques
•  Structural strengthening techniques
•  Design of durable repairs using cathodic protection techniques
•  Water-proofing techniques

Brief Concepts :

• Introduction
• Steel corrosion
• Concrete deterioration
• Creep and shrinkage
• Performance specifications & acceptance criteria
• Principles of Lab/Field tests (condition assessment/forensics)
• Durability design methods/examples
• Approach for selection of repair materials
• Surface preparation methods
• Electrochemical repair strategies
• Waterproofing and grouting techniques
• Structural strengthening techniques
• Pavements: functional and structural distresses, evaluation of distresses

Learning Outcomes:

Students will learn how to understand how the concrete structures would degrade in various exposure conditions, and how to specify and select materials and design concrete structures to prevent such degradation. They would also learn how to identify critical parameters affecting service life, how to select various construction materials and systems and how to design concrete structures to achieve the target corrosion-free service life. Moreover, they would learn how to define performance specifications and acceptance criteria to control quality and ensure that the design features are actually implemented in the field. They will also learn how to understand the root cause of deterioration, and how to specify and design for a target service life for repairs – thereby avoiding frequent repairs of concrete structures while allowing continued degradation/corrosion.

Applications of the Module:

Today, the cost of corrosion in India is estimated to be about 3 to 5% of GDP. This course will enable the graduates to enhance the service life of the new and existing structures and thereby contribute to reducing the economic burden. The course is very much valuable for the structural engineers and consultants, concrete technologists, decision makers, construction managers, etc.

MODULE 8: Safety

Module Duration:

15 hours of recorded videos and 5 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty Profile:

Prof Nikhil Bugalia

Assistant Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras

Topics Covered

The construction sector continues to be among the poorest performing sectors regarding Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issues. The construction sector is complex, where numerous humans, machines, organizational processes, and policies interact together in an often difficult-to-predict manner to affect safety performance. However, conventionally Safety has been seen as a relatively simple problem agnostic of the underlying complexity involved. To address this gap in understanding what “Safety” is, the module will introduce the concepts of Safety Management through a lens of System Thinking. Such a lens will be helpful for the students in developing a comprehensive understanding of the OHS issues in the construction sector.

Learning Outcomes

The course participants will gather an overview of System-Thinking for Safety Management by recognizing the interactions between various equipment, human, managers, organizational process, and rules and how they affect safety. The participants will then examine the four major types of construction accidents (commonly known as Fatal 4) and their solutions through the lens of system thinking. The participants will also get an overview of Occupational Health issues and how system thinking can help them devise strategies for their organizations.

Applications of the Module

The module will be helpful for construction professionals to understand why even the most well-thought and well-intentioned safety interventions do not work in reality and what they could do to improve the effectiveness of these interventions.

Module 9 –Construction Contracts

Module Duration:

12 hours of recorded videos and 4 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty:

Prof KN Satyanarayana

Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Tirupati

Topics Covered

• Law and Construction Industry
• Different Types of Contracts and Their Working
• Claims and Disputes

Brief contents:

• Applicable Laws
• Parties Involved and Contract Documents
• Liabilities in Construction Process
• Contract Commercial Terms
• Documents Comprising the Contract
• Standard forms of Contracts
• Key Contract Clauses
• Prime Contracts, Subcontracts, Purchase Orders, Insurance and Surety Bonds

Learning Outcomes

• The student will gain a rudimentary understanding of the following:
  1. Parties involved in a construction contract
  2. Legal framework and what constitutes a contract
  3. Various types of contracts
  4. Rules of interpreting a contract
  5. Commercial terms
  6. Conditions of a contract
  7. Significant contract clauses
  8. Dispute resolutions – litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution techniques

Applications of the Module

All operations in the construction industry involve agreements between the various parties involved including owners, architects/engineers, constructors, material & equipment suppliers, legal & financial agencies, regulatory agencies etc. It is very important that the participants in the industry are well aware of the contractual framework they operate in.

Module 10 – Resource Constrained Schedule Optimisation

Module Duration:

12 hours of recorded videos and 4 live online interactive sessions.

Faculty:

Prof Benny Raphael

Professor

Dept of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras

Topics Covered

This module covers the fundamentals and applications of schedule optimization subject to resource constraints. Different types of constraints in the planning of construction projects are discussed. Mathematical modeling of the schedule optimization problem and solution techniques are explained. Full-scale case studies are presented to illustrate the practical application. Use of software tools are also covered. 

Learning Outcomes

Understanding of resource constraints

Practical means of solving resource constrained scheduling problems

Applications of the Module

Project planning and scheduling