undergraduate engineering dissertation examples

• USF Research
• USF Libraries

Digital Commons @ USF > College of Engineering > Mechanical Engineering > Theses and Dissertations

Mechanical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Metachronal Locomotion: Swimming, Scaling, and Schooling , Kuvvat Garayev

A Human-in-the-Loop Robot Grasping System with Grasp Quality Refinement , Tian Tan

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Health Effects of Oil Spills and Dispersal of Oil Droplets and Zooplankton by Langmuir Cells , Sanjib Gurung

Estimating the As-Placed Grout Volume of Auger Cast Piles , Tristen Mee

Hybrid RANS-LES Hemolytic Power Law Modeling of the FDA Blood Pump , Joseph Tarriela

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Dynamic Loading Directed Neural Stem Cell Differentiation , Abdullah Revaha Akdemir

An Investigation of Cross-links on Crystallization and Degradation in a Novel, PhotoCross-linkable Poly (Lactic Acid) System , Nicholas Baksh

A Framework to Aid Decision Making for Smart Manufacturing Technologies in Small-and Medium-Sized Enterprises , Purvee Bhatia

Formation of Gas Jets and Vortex Rings from Bursting Bubbles: Visualization, Kinematics, and Fluid Dynamics , Ali A. Dasouqi

Development of Carbon and Silicon Carbide Based Microelectrode Implantable Neural Interfaces , Chenyin Feng

Sulfate Optimization in the Cement-Slag Blended System Based on Calorimetry and Strength Studies , Mustafa Fincan

Interrelation of Thermal Stimulation with Haptic Perception, Emotion, and Memory , Mehdi Hojatmadani

Modeling the Ambient Conditions of a Manufacturing Environment Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) , Yang Liu

Flow Visualization and Aerosol Characterization of Respiratory Jets Exhaled from a Mannequin Simulator , Sindhu Reddy Mutra

A Constitutive-Based Deep Learning Model for the Identification of Active Contraction Parameters of the Left Ventricular Myocardium , Igor Augusto Paschoalotte Nobrega

Sensible/Latent Hybrid Thermal Energy Storage for the Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycle , Kelly Osterman

Evaluating the Performance of Devices Engineering to Quantify the FARS Test , Harsh Patel

Event-Triggered Control Architectures for Scheduling Information Exchange in Uncertain and Multiagent Systems , Stefan Ristevski

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Experimental Investigation of Liquid Height Estimation and Simulation Verification of Bolt Tension Quantification Using Surface Acoustic Waves , Hani Alhazmi

Investigation of Navigation Systems for Size, Cost, and Mass Constrained Satellites , Omar Awad

Simulation and Verification of Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage , Marwan Mosubah Belaed

Control of a Human Arm Robotic Unit Using Augmented Reality and Optimized Kinematics , Carlo Canezo

Manipulation and Patterning of Mammalian Cells Using Vibrations and Acoustic Forces , Joel Cooper

Stable Adaptive Control Systems in the Presence of Unmodeled and Actuator Dynamics , Kadriye Merve Dogan

The Design and Development of a Wrist-Hand Orthosis , Amber Gatto

ROBOAT - Rescue Operations Bot Operating in All Terrains , Akshay Gulhane

Mitigation of Electromigration in Metal Interconnects Passivated by Ångstrom-Thin 2D Materials , Yunjo Jeong

Swimming of Pelagic Snails: Kinematics and Fluid Dynamics , Ferhat Karakas

Functional Gait Asymmetries Achieved Through Modeling and Understanding the Interaction of Multiple Gait Modulations , Fatemeh Rasouli

Distributed Control of Multiagent Systems under Heterogeneity , Selahattin Burak Sarsilmaz

Design and Implementation of Intuitive Human-robot Teleoperation Interfaces , Lei Wu

Laser Micropatterning Effects on Corrosion Resistance of Pure Magnesium Surfaces , Yahya Efe Yayoglu

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Synthesis and Characterization of Molybdenum Disulfide/Conducting Polymer Nanocomposite Materials for Supercapacitor Applications , Turki S. Alamro

Design of Shape-Morphing Structures Consisting of Bistable Compliant Mechanisms , Rami Alfattani

Low Temperature Multi Effects Desalination-Mechanical Vapor Compression Powered by Supercritical Organic Rankine Cycle , Eydhah Almatrafi

Experimental Results of a Model Reference Adaptive Control Approach on an Interconnected Uncertain Dynamical System , Kemberly Cespedes

Modeling of Buildings with Electrochromic Windows and Thermochromic Roofs , Hua-Ting Kao

Design and Testing of Experimental Langmuir Turbulence Facilities , Zongze Li

Solar Thermal Geothermal Hybrid System With a Bottoming Supercritical Organic Rankine Cycle , Francesca Moloney

Design and Testing of a Reciprocating Wind Harvester , Ahmet Topcuoglu

Distributed Spatiotemporal Control and Dynamic Information Fusion for Multiagent Systems , Dzung Minh Duc Tran

Controlled Wetting Using Ultrasonic Vibration , Matthew A. Trapuzzano

On Distributed Control of Multiagent Systems under Adverse Conditions , Emre Yildirim

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Synthesis and Characterization of Alpha-Hematite Nanomaterials for Water-Splitting Applications , Hussein Alrobei

Control of Uncertain Dynamical Systems with Spatial and Temporal Constraints , Ehsan Arabi

Simulation and Optimization of a Sheathless Size-Based Acoustic Particle Separator , Shivaraman Asoda

Simulation of Radiation Flux from Thermal Fluid in Origami Tubes , Robert R. Bebeau

Toward Verifiable Adaptive Control Systems: High-Performance and Robust Architectures , Benjamin Charles Gruenwald

Developing Motion Platform Dynamics for Studying Biomechanical Responses During Exercise for Human Spaceflight Applications , Kaitlin Lostroscio

Design and Testing of a Linear Compliant Mechanism with Adjustable Force Output , William Niemeier

Investigation of Thermal History in Large Area Projection Sintering, an Additive Manufacturing Technology , Justin Nussbaum

Acoustic Source Localization with a VTOL sUAV Deployable Module , Kory Olney

Defect Detection in Additive Manufacturing Utilizing Long Pulse Thermography , James Pierce

Design and Testing of a Passive Prosthetic Ankle Foot Optimized to Mimic an Able-Bodied Gait , Millicent Schlafly

Simulation of Turbulent Air Jet Impingement for Commercial Cooking Applications , Shantanu S. Shevade

Materials and Methods to Fabricate Porous Structures Using Additive Manufacturing Techniques , Mohsen Ziaee

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Large Area Sintering Test Platform Design and Preliminary Study on Cross Sectional Resolution , Christopher J. Gardiner

Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Remediation of Organics in Water Using Zinc Oxide and Titanium Oxide Nanostructures , Srikanth Gunti

Heat Flux Modeling of Asymmetrically Heated and Cooled Thermal Stimuli , Matthew Hardy

Simulation of Hemiparetic Function Using a Knee Orthosis with Variable Impedance and a Proprioception Interference Apparatus , Christina-Anne Kathleen Lahiff

Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Molybdenum Oxide Nanomaterials , Michael S. McCrory

Effects of Microstructure and Alloy Concentration on the Corrosion and Tribocorrosion Resistance of Al-Mn and WE43 Mg Alloys , Hesham Y. Saleh Mraied

Novel Transducer Calibration and Simulation Verification of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Channels on Acoustic Microfluidic Devices , Scott T. Padilla

Force Compensation and Recreation Accuracy in Humans , Benjamin Rigsby

Experimental Evaluation of Cooling Effectiveness and Water Conservation in a Poultry House Using Flow Blurring ® Atomizers , Rafael M. Rodriguez

Media Velocity Considerations in Pleated Air Filtration , Frederik Carl Schousboe

Orthoplanar Spring Based Compliant Force/Torque Sensor for Robot Force Control , Jerry West

Experimental Study of High-Temperature Range Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage , Chatura Wickramaratne

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Al/Ti Nanostructured Multilayers: from Mechanical, Tribological, to Corrosion Properties , Sina Izadi

Molybdenum Disulfide-Conducting Polymer Composite Structures for Electrochemical Biosensor Applications , Hongxiang Jia

Waterproofing Shape-Changing Mechanisms Using Origami Engineering; Also a Mechanical Property Evaluation Approach for Rapid Prototyping , Andrew Jason Katz

Hydrogen Effects on X80 Steel Mechanical Properties Measured by Tensile and Impact Testing , Xuan Li

Application and Analysis of Asymmetrical Hot and Cold Stimuli , Ahmad Manasrah

Droplet-based Mechanical Actuator Utilizing Electrowetting Effect , Qi Ni

Experimental and Computational Study on Fracture Mechanics of Multilayered Structures , Hai Thanh Tran

Designing the Haptic Interface for Morse Code , Michael Walker

Optimization and Characterization of Integrated Microfluidic Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors and Transducers , Tao Wang

Corrosion Characteristics of Magnesium under Varying Surface Roughness Conditions , Yahya Efe Yayoglu

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Emissions, Human Energy, and Cultural Perceptions Associated with Traditional and Improved Methods of Shea Butter Processing in Ghana, West Africa , Emily Adams

Experimental Investigation of Encapsulated Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage , Tanvir E. Alam

Design Of Shape Morphing Structures Using Bistable Elements , Ahmad Alqasimi

Heat Transfer Analysis of Slot Jet Impingement onto Roughened Surfaces , Rashid Ali Alshatti

Systems Approach to Producing Electrospun Polyvinylidene Difluoride Fiber Webs with Controlled Fiber Structure and Functionality , Brian D. Bell

Self-Assembly Kinetics of Microscale Components: A Parametric Evaluation , Jose Miguel Carballo

Measuring Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Mechanical Properties Using Flat Punch Nanoindentation Focusing on Obtaining Full Contact , Federico De Paoli

A Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Flow Induced Noise In Hydraulic Counterbalance Valves , Mutasim Mohamed Elsheikh

An Experimental Study on Passive Dynamic Walking , Philip Andrew Hatzitheodorou

Use of Anaerobic Adhesive for Prevailing Torque Locking Feature on Threaded Product , Alan Hernandez

Viability of Bismuth as a Green Substitute for Lead in Jacketed .357 Magnum Revolver Bullets , Joel A. Jenkins

A Planar Pseudo-Rigid-Body Model for Cantilevers Experiencing Combined Endpoint Forces and Uniformly Distributed Loads Acting in Parallel , Philip James Logan

Kinematic Control of Redundant Mobile Manipulators , Mustafa Mashali

Passive Symmetry in Dynamic Systems and Walking , Haris Muratagic

Mechanical Properties of Laser-Sintered-Nylon Diamond Lattices , Clayton Neff

Design, Fabrication and Analysis of a Paver Machine Push Bar Mechanism , Mahendra Palnati

Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Properties of Polyaniline Thin Films , Soukaina Rami

A Technical and Economic Comparative Analysis of Sensible and Latent Heat Packed Bed Storage Systems for Concentrating Solar Thermal Power Plants , Jamie Trahan

Use of FDM Components for Ion Beam and Vacuum Applications , Eric Miguel Tridas

The Development of an Adaptive Driving Simulator , Sarah Marie Tudor

Dual 7-Degree-of-Freedom Robotic Arm Remote Teleoperation Using Haptic Devices , Yu-Cheng Wang

Ductility and Use of Titanium Alloy and Stainless Steel Aerospace Fasteners , Jarrod Talbott Whittaker

Advanced Search

• Email Notifications and RSS
• All Collections
• USF Faculty Publications
• Open Access Journals
• Conferences and Events
• Theses and Dissertations
• Textbooks Collection

Useful Links

• Rights Information
• SelectedWorks
• Submit Research

Home | About | Help | My Account | Accessibility Statement | Language and Diversity Statements

Privacy Copyright

• Study and research support
• Academic skills

Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

• Undergraduate examples
• Taught Masters examples

Edinburgh Research Archive

•   ERA Home
• Engineering, School of

Engineering thesis and dissertation collection

By Issue Date Authors Titles Subjects Publication Type Sponsor Supervisors

Search within this Collection:

Recent Submissions

Nanostructured composite adsorbents and membranes for selective dye, oil and heavy metal ion separation , data-driven aerodynamic instabilities detection in centrifugal compressors , guided direct time-of-flight lidar for self-driving vehicles , properties and tunable nature of electrochemically-grown peptide-based hydrogels at single microelectrodes , thermal integration of waste to energy plants with post-combustion co₂ capture technologies , development and modelling of sustainable polymer–based membranes for gas separation and packaging , holographic single photon lidar for adaptive 3d imaging , operational data mining for offshore wind farm maintenance , dynamics of rigid and soft particles in a cross-slot flow at finite inertia , using machine learning for long-term track bed behaviour analysis and maintenance scheduling optimisation , developing a multi-scale parallelised coupled system for wave-current interactions at regional scales , uav-aided hybrid rf-optical wireless networks , turbulence in real-sea conditions and its impacts on tidal energy devices , investigating the role of mechanical and structural properties of scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering , additive manufacturing of polyaniline-based electrodes for energy storage and memristive devices , modelling and optimisation of monolithic solid-to-gas heat exchangers , nanostructured metal-organic frameworks with exceptional thermal and hydrothermal stability: synthesis, characterisation and applications in environmental remediation , water tunnel testing of highly-cambered plates and wings for downwind yacht sail applications , impedance-optical dual-modal imaging for tissue engineering , deep learning-enhanced 3d direct time-of-flight imaging .

ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst

Home > Engineering > CEE > CEE_DISS

Civil & Environmental Engineering Dissertations Collection

Current students, please follow this link to submit your dissertation.

Dissertations from 2024 2024

DEVELOPMENT OF A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM WEBTOOL FOR HISTORIC AND FUTURE LOW FLOW ESTIMATION IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES WITH APPLICATIONS OF MACHINE LEARNING FOR ADVANCING PHYSICAL AND STATISTICAL METHODOLOGIES , Andrew F. DelSanto, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Application of Machine Learning in Improving Maintenance Scheduling of Railway Tracks , Saeed Goodarzitaeme, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dissertations from 2023 2023

FUNCTIONALIZING THREE-DIMENSIONAL SUPERHYDROPHOBIC MATERIALS , Li He, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Spatial Analyses of Pedestrian Network Safety, Accessibility, and Equity Across Metropolitan Regions , Emily Rose Hennessy, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Steel deck diaphragms: Characterizing the hysteretic behavior of light gage steel, screw-fastened, support and sidelap connections and the influence of support connections on the stability behavior of panels , Divyansh Kapoor, Civil Engineering

WATER RESOURCES PLANNING UNDER DEEP UNCERTAINTY FOR PHYSICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND POLITICALLY COMPLEX SYSTEMS , Sarah St. George Freeman, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dissertations from 2022 2022

SIZE PROGRESSION OF OXYGENIC PHOTOGRANULES (OPGs) AND ITS EFFECT ON OPG WASTEWATER TREATMENT , Ahmed S.A. Abouhend, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Optimizing Transportation Systems with Information Provision, Personalized Incentives and Driver Cooperation , Sayeeda Ayaz, Civil and Environmental Engineering

LATERAL RESPONSE OF COLD-FORMED STEEL DIAPHRAGMS WITH VARIABLE SHEATHING , Hernan Castaneda, Civil Engineering

ENHANCING MANAGEMENT OF BUILT AND NATURAL WATER AND SANITATION SYSTEMS WITH DATA SCIENCE , Nelson da Luz, Civil and Environmental Engineering

ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF BICYCLE TREATMENTS ON BICYCLE SAFETY: A MULTI-METHODS APPROACH , Aikaterini Deliali, Civil and Environmental Engineering

REMOTE SENSING OF HIGH LATITUDE RIVERS: APPROACHES, INSIGHTS, AND FUTURE RAMIFICATIONS , Merritt E. Harlan, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Experimental Investigation of Clay Aggregate and Granular Biofilm Behavior , Tao Jiang, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Big Data Nanoindentation: Concepts, Principles and Applications to Cemented Materials , Yucheng Li, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Analysis and Fate of 2,6-Dichloro-1,4-Benzoquinone in Real and Model Drinking Waters , Aarthi Mohan, Civil Engineering

PREDICTING WATER QUALITY VULNERABILITY UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE WITH MACHINE LEARNING , Khanh Thi Nhu Nguyen, Civil and Environmental Engineering

THE ROLE OF EXTRACELLULAR POLYMERIC SUBSTANCES IN THE ACCUMULATION AND TRANSPORT OF POLYSTYRENE NANOPARTICLES IN BIOFILMS , Joann Marie Rodríguez Suarez, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Equitable resource allocation to improve safety: An evaluation based on risk , Alyssa M. Ryan, Civil Engineering

Dissertations from 2021 2021

DENSITY STATE AND SHEAR BEHAVIOR OF GRANULAR SOILS WITH INFLUENCE OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION , Yibing Deng, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Harnessing the Mechanics of Thin-Walled Metallic Structures: from Plate-Lattice Materials to Cold-Formed Steel Shear Walls , Fani Derveni, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Cold-Formed Steel Stud Assemblies Bearing on Concrete Slabs , Abbas Joorabchian, Civil and Environmental Engineering

EXTRACELLULAR POLYMERIC SUBSTANCES IN OXYGENIC PHOTOGRANULES: INVESTIGATION OF THEIR ROLE IN PHOTOGRANULATION IN A HYDROSTATIC ENVIRONMENT , Wenye Camilla Kuo-Dahab, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Prediction of the Formation, Speciation, and Health Risks of Unregulated Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking Water using a Kinetic Binomial Model , Xian Ma, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Material Property Heterogeneity in Dimensional Lumber and its Relationship to Mass Timber Performance , Fiona O'Donnell, Civil and Environmental Engineering

MULTISCALE INVESTIGATION OF THIXOTROPY IN SOFT CLAYS , Jing Peng, Civil Engineering

Optimization and Technology-Based Strategies to Improve Public Transit Performance Accounting for Demand Distribution , Charalampos Sipetas, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Understanding the Safety Impacts of Left-Turn Infrastructure on the Vulnerable Driving Population , Francis Tainter, Civil and Environmental Engineering

A Comprehensive Protocol for Inspection and Assessment of Aging Steel Bridges: Experiments, Computations and 3D Laser Scanning of Field Corroded Girders , Georgios Tzortzinis, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Synthesis and Properties of a Novel Class of Superhydrophobic Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Polymers , Dongfang Wang, Civil Engineering

BUCKLING OF THIN CYLINDRICAL SHELLS: IMPERFECTION SENSITIVITY, NON-DESTRUCTIVE TECHNIQUE FOR CAPACITY PREDICTION AND APPLICATION FOR WIND TURBINE TOWERS , Kshitij Kumar Yadav, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dissertations from 2020 2020

Investigating the role of iron in the photogranulation phenomenon , Abeera Ayaz Ansari, Civil Engineering

Characterization of a Natural Clayey Silt and the Effects of Sample Disturbance on Soil Behavior and Engineering Properties , Øyvind Blaker, Civil and Environmental Engineering

METHODOLOGIES FOR RESERVOIR SYSTEMS ANALYSIS: APPLICATION OF OPTIMIZATION AND DEEP LEARNING , Soheyl Borjian, Civil Engineering

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF GEOPOLYMERS CAST AND CURED IN SALINE WATER AND THE POTENTIAL APPLICATION IN CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING , Xiaonan Ge, Civil and Environmental Engineering

SCALING UP THE OXYGENIC PHOTOGRANULE (OPG) WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROCESS , Joseph G. Gitau, Civil and Environmental Engineering

EVALUATION OF DRIVERS' TRUST IN AUTOMATED VEHICLES , Foroogh Hajiseyedjavadi, Civil and Environmental Engineering

NANOINDENTATION CHARACTERIZATION OF ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF SHALES AND SWELLING CLAY MINERALS , Shengmin Luo, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dissertations from 2019 2019

FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION OF BONDED AND MECHANICALLY ANCHORED SHEAR INTERFACES OF EXTERNALLY APPLIED FRP SHEETS TO CONCRETE AND WOOD-CONCRETE COMPOSITES , Alaa Al-Sammari, Civil Engineering

A Multiline Anchor Concept for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines , Casey Fontana, Civil Engineering

EQUITY AND EFFICIENCY IN MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS , Nicholas M. Fournier, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Applications of Machine Learning Methods in Macroscopic Crash Analysis for Transportation Safety Management , Somaye Garmroudi Dovirani, Civil and Environmental Engineering

MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS WITH MISSING MEMBERS: FROM BUILDINGS TO ARCHITECTED MATERIALS , Panagiotis Pantidis, Civil and Environmental Engineering

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF BOTTOM BAR SPLICE LOCATION ON PERFORMANCE OF BEAMS IN REINFORCED CONCRETE PERIMETER FRAMES , Jorge Rivera Cruz, Civil Engineering

Laboratory Study of the Geotechnical Properties of Abraded Railway Ballast with Natural and Clay Mix Fouling , Andrew Rohrman, Civil and Environmental Engineering

APPLICATION OF GROUND PENETRATING RADAR FOR USE IN THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY SITE INVESTIGATIONS , Aaron J. Rubin, Civil Engineering

The Effects of Solute Composition and Nanoparticle Surface Properties on Nano-Bio Interactions , Zehui Xia, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Modeling and Optimizing Routing Decisions for Travelers and On-demand Service Providers , Xinlian Yu, Civil Engineering

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Role of Manganese Oxide in the Formation of Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking Water Treatment , Arianne A. Bazilio, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Preparing Water Supply Systems for Climate Change: The Role of Hydrologic Forecasting in the Northeast , Leslie DeCristofaro, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Evaluation of The Erodibility of Soft Clays and the Influence of Biopolymers , Pamela Judge, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Intersection Signal Control and Design for Improved Person Mobility and Air Quality in Urban Multimodal Transportation Systems , Farnoush Khalighi, Civil and Environmental Engineering

EVALUATING POLICY AND CLIMATE IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES SYSTEMS USING COUPLED HUMAN-NATURAL MODELS , HASSAAN FURQAN KHAN, Civil and Environmental Engineering

An Experimental Investigation of the Influence of Sampling on the Behavior of Intermediate Soils , William Lukas, Civil and Environmental Engineering

MODELING DEFORMATION BEHAVIOR AND STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF SAND-SILT MIXTURES: A MICROMECHANICAL APPROACH , Mehrashk Meidani, Civil and Environmental Engineering

COMPRESSIBILITY AND NORMALIZED UNDRAINED SHEAR BEHAVIOR OF SOFT COASTAL FINE-GRAINED SOILS , Arash Pirouzi, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Flood Risk Assessment, Management and Perceptions in a Changing World , Katherine Schlef, Civil and Environmental Engineering

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF HYDRAULIC FRACTURING FLUID ON SHALE AND SOIL , Zhenning Yang, Civil Engineering

ORIGINS AND SEASONAL VARIATION OF DISINFECTION BYPRODUCT PRECURSORS , Ran Zhao, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Seismic behavior of concrete frames with jacketed columns , Jose Alvarez, Civil Engineering

Microbial Dynamics and Design Considerations for Decentralized Microbial Fuel Cell Applications , Cynthia Castro, Civil Engineering

Total Organic Iodine Quantification and Occurrence in Drinking Water, and Toxicity Assessment of Iodinated Disinfection By-Products , Rassil El Sayess, Civil Engineering

Evaluating the Influence of Breakdown Fouling and Moisture Content on Mechanical and Electromagnetic Properties of Ballasted Railroad Track , Hamed Faghihi Kashani, Civil Engineering

Evaluating the Impacts of Driver Behavior in the Speed Selection Process and the Related Outcomes , Cole D. Fitzpatrick, Civil Engineering

AN EVALUATION OF TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES AND DRIVER DISTRACTION ON DRIVER BEHAVIOR AT RAILWAY-HIGHWAY GRADE CROSSINGS , Radhameris A. Gomez Gabriel, Civil Engineering

MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING WHEN PLANNING SUSTAINABLE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION ROUTES in a LINEAR CORRIDOR , Marie Louis, Civil Engineering

Modeling Performance, Cost, Delivery, And Trip Distribution Of Demand Responsive Transit Systems With Zoning , Mahour Rahimi, Civil Engineering

Methods for incorporating ecological impacts with climate uncertainty to support robust flood management decision-making , Caitlin M. Spence, Civil Engineering

Microbial Competition in Bioelectrochemical Systems , Varun Srinivasan, Civil Engineering

DECISION ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR ROBUST WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING UNDER DEEP UNCERTAINTY , Mehmet Umit Taner, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Modeling and Modifying Day-to-Day Travel Behaviors: Empirical Results and Methodological Advances , Yue Tang, Civil Engineering

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Modeling Choice Problems with Heterogeneous User Preferences in the Transportation Network , Mahyar Amirgholy, Civil Engineering

Adaptive Route Choice in Stochastic Time-Dependent Networks: Routing Algorithms and Choice Modeling , Jing Ding-Mastera, Civil Engineering

Investigation of Effluent Nitrogen Derived from Conventional Activated Sludge (CAS) and Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) Systems and Its Impact on Algal Growth in Receiving Waters , Heonseop Eom, Civil Engineering

Predictive modeling of riverine constituent concentrations and loads using historic and imposed hydrologic conditions , Mark Hagemann, Civil Engineering

Proactive Assessment of Climate Change and Contaminant Spill Impacts on Source Water Quality , Lillian C. Jeznach, Civil Engineering

Modeling Interactions Between Human Factors and Traffic Flow Characteristics , Chaoqun Jia, Civil Engineering

The Stability of Ferrate(VI) in Water and Its Impacts on Disinfection Byproduct Precursors , Yanjun Jiang, Civil Engineering

Detailed Study of Integral Abutment Bridges and Performance of Bridge Joints in Traditional Bridges , Brooke H. Quinn, Civil Engineering

A Vulnerability Framework for Assessing the Risks to Water Supply Systems Under Climate Uncertainty in the Urban Northeastern United States , Sarah Whateley, Civil Engineering

The Fate of Haloacetonitriles in Drinking Waters , Yun Yu, Civil Engineering

Transit Preferential Treatments at Signalized Intersections: Person-based Evaluation and Real-Time Signal Control , Yashar Zeiynali Farid, Civil Engineering

Dissertations from 2015 2015

Microscopic Modeling of Driver Behavior Based on Modifying Field Theory for Work Zone Application , Andrew L. Berthaume, Civil Engineering

Soil-Structure Modeling and Design Considerations for Offshore Wind Turbine Monopile Foundations , Wystan Carswell, Civil Engineering

Evaluation of Ferrate Preoxidation for Drinking Water Treatment , Joseph E. Goodwill, Civil Engineering

An Analysis of Partial-Depth, Floating, Impermeable Guidance Structures for Downstream Fish Passage at Hydroelectric Facilities , Kevin Mulligan, Civil Engineering

Dissertations from 2014 2014

A FRAMEWORK AND ANALYTICAL APPROACH TO EVALUATE ALTERNATIVE VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED (VMT) FEE SYSTEMS , Elizabeth V. Ebacher, Civil Engineering

Impact of water heating on disinfection byproducts concentration , Boning Liu, Civil Engineering

Essays on the Quantification and Propagation of Uncertainty in Climate Change Impact Assessments for Water Resource Systems , Scott Steinschneider, Civil Engineering

Dissertations from 2013 2013

Mesostructural Characterization and Probabilistic Modeling of the Design Limit States of Parallel Strand Lumber , Alireza Amini, Civil Engineering

Development of Miniature Full Flow and Model Pipeline Probes for Testing of Box Core Samples of Surficial Seabed Sediments , Adriane G. Boscardin, Civil Engineering

Measurement of the Hydraulic Conductivity of Gravels Using a Laboratory Permeameter and Silty Sands Using Field Testing with Observation Wells , Aaron Judge, Civil Engineering

Geochemistry and Inorganic Carbon Transport of a Glacial Till Drumlin at a Road Salt Facility , Houbao Li, Civil Engineering

A hazard-based risk analysis approach to understanding climate change impacts to water resource systems: application to the Upper Great Lakes , Paul Markert Moody, Civil Engineering

Travelers' Route Choice Behavior in Risky Networks , Hengliang Tian, Civil Engineering

Investigation of microalgae cultivation and anaerobic codigestion of algae and sewage sludge for wastewater treatment facilities , Meng Wang, Civil Engineering

Dissertations from 2012 2012

Investigation Of Excess Sludge Reduction By An Anaerobic Side-Stream Reactor (ASSR): The Role Of EPS And Enzymes In Sludge Floc , Dong-Hyun Chon, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Investigation of excess sludge reduction by an anaerobic side-stream reactor (ASSR): The role of EPS and enzymes in sludge floc , Dong-Hyun Chon

Risk Quantification of Maple Trees Subjected to Wind Loading , Cihan Ciftci, Civil Engineering

Real-Time Information and Correlations for Optimal Routing in Stochastic Networks , He Huang, Civil Engineering

Performance Monitoring and Analysis of Integral Abutment Bridges , Emre Kalayci, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS
• Collections
• Disciplines

Author Corner

• Login for Faculty Authors
• Faculty Author Gallery
• Expert Gallery
• University Libraries
• Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
• UMass Amherst

This page is sponsored by the University Libraries.

© 2009 University of Massachusetts Amherst • Site Policies

Privacy Copyright

Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings? In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

You Might Also Like:

36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

• What Is A Literature Review (In A Dissertation Or Thesis) - Grad Coach - […] is to write the actual literature review chapter (this is usually the second chapter in a typical dissertation or…

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Print Friendly

Home > USC Columbia > Engineering and Computing, College of > Electrical Engineering > Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Analysis, Measurement, and Modeling of Millimeter Wave Channels for Aviation Applications , Zeenat Afroze

Physics-Based and Behavioral Models for Fuel Cells , Charles Chima Anyim

Novel Structures and Thin Film Techniques for Reconfigurable RF Technologies With Improved Signal Integrity , Jinqun Ge

Suitability of Quantized DEVS-LIM Methods for Simulation of Power Systems , Navid Gholizadeh

Quantized State Simulation of Electrical Power Systems , Joseph Micah Hood

Optimization of Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductor Materials for Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors (HFETs) , Mohi Uddin Jewel

Deep Learning Based Fault Diagnosis and Prognosis for Bearing , Guangxing Niu

High-Performance Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Power Modules Enabled by Advanced Two-Phase Mini-Channel Cooling , Bo Tian

Magnetic Softness Tuned Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles for Highly Efficient Cancer Theranostics , Jie Wang

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

MIMO Antenna Systems for Wireless Handheld Devices , Ahmed H. Abdelgawwad

Applications of Laser Liftoff Technique for Wide Bandgap Power and Flexible Electronics , Md Didarul Alam

Non-intrusive Microwave Surface Wave Technique For Cable Damage and Aging Detection , Ahmed Shah Arman

Pulse Width Modulation-Based Voltage Balancing and Circulating Current Control for Modular Multilevel Converters , Md Multan Biswas

Networked Digital Predictive Control for Modular DC-DC Converters , Castulo Aaron De la O Pérez

Development of Micro-Sized Algan Deep Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes and Monolithic Photonic Integrated Circuits , Richard Speight Floyd III

Distributed Interdigital Capacitor (IDC) Sensing for Cable Insulation Aging and Degradation Detection , Md Nazmul Al Imran

Epitaxial 4H-SiC Radiation Detectors for Harsh Environment Applications , Joshua W. Kleppinger

Growth, Characterization and Evaluation of CdZnTeSe Single Crystals for Room Temperature Radiation Detectors , Ritwik Nag

Automated Contingency Management for Water Recycling System , Shijie Tang

Closed Form Implicitly Integrated Models for Computationally Efficient Simulation of Power Electronics , Andrew Wunderlich

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Real Time Simulation and Hardware in the Loop Methods for Power Electronics Power Distribution Systems , Michele Difronzo

Time-Domain Measurement of Magnetization Dynamics in Ferrofluids , Brian Egenriether

Increased Detectivity and Low Temperature Performance Analysis of Sub-20μm Micropixel Array A1GaN UV Photodiodes , Samia Islam

Operating Strategies and Disturbance Characterization for DC Microgrids , Miles Leonard-Albert

Real-Time Probabilistic Solvers for Digital Twins of Power Electronic Systems , Matthew Aaron Milton

Ultrawide Bandgap Algan-Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors With High- K Gate Dielectrics , Md Abu Shahab Mollah

Temperature Dependence of Electroluminescence and Current-Voltage Characteristics of Arrays of Deep Ultraviolet Algan Micropixel Led , Dhruvinkumar Prakashchandra Patel

Robust Adaptive Model Predictive Control of Nonlinear Sample-Data Systems , Lixing Yang

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Methods for Dynamic Stabilization, Performance Improvement, and Load Power Sharing In DC Power Distribution Systems , Hessamaldin Abdollahi

Data-Driven Modeling Through Power Hardware in the Loop Experiments: A PV Micro-Inverter Example , Hayder Dawood Abbood Almukhtar

Novel Multi-User Chirp Signaling Schemes for Future Aviation Communication Applications , Nozhan Hosseini

The Hybridization of a Graphene and Silicon Carbide Schottky Optoelectronic Device by the Incorporation of a Lead Sulfide Quantum Dot Film , Joshua Letton

Channel Modeling and Tropospheric Effects on Millimeter Wave Communications for Aviation Applications , Jinwen Liu

30 GHz Path Loss Modeling and Performance Evaluation for Noncoherent M-ary Frequency Shift Keying in the 30 GHz Band , Mohanad Razak Mohsen

Room Temperature Semiconductor Radiation Detectors Based on CdZnTe and CdZnTeSe , Mohsin Sajjad

Optimization of Vehicle to Grid System in a Power System With Unit Commitment , Charles Uko

Design of High Efficiency Wireless Power Thansfer System With Nonlinear Resonator , Yibing Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

DC Bus Stabilization and Dynamic Performance Improvement of a Multi-Converter System , Silvia Arrua

Fabrication and Characterization of Thin Films for Heterojunction Solar Cells and Radiation Detectors , Towhid A. Chowdhury

Low Frequency Injection as a Method of Low-Level DC Microgrid Communication , Matthew Davidson

Modeling and Loss Analysis of SiC Power Semiconductor Devices for Switching Converter Applications , Soheila Eskandari

Path Loss Models for Two Small Airport Indoor Environments at 31 GHz , Alexander L. Grant

Wireless RF Induced Energy Absorption and Heating of Lanthanum-Nickel Alloy in the Near-Field , Michael Dillon Lindsay

Fractional Order and Virtual Variable Sampling Design of Repetitive Control for Power Converters , Zhichao Liu

Curbside Antenna to Vehicle Path Loss Measurements and Modeling in Three Frequency Bands , Patrick Murphy

Finite Element Electromagnetic (EM) Analyses of Induction Heating of Thermoplastic Composites , Ankit Patel

Constrained Consensus in Continuous-Time Multi-Agent Systems , Zheqing Zhou

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Study Of 4H-SiC And ALxGA1-xN Based Heterojunction Devices For Ultraviolet Detection Applications , Venkata Surya Naga Raju Chava

Photovoltaic Inverter Control to Sustain High Quality of Service , Yan Chen

Novel Wideband EBG Structures For Isolation Improvement Between Cosite Antennas , Paul John Czeresko III

High Resolution Radiation Detectors Based On 4H-SiC N-Type Epitaxial Layers And Pixilated CdZnTe Single Crystal Devices , Cihan Oner

Ku-Band AG Channel Modeling , Albert Smith

Quantifying Time Retarded Electromagnetic Fields and Their Applications in Transmission Lines , Brandon Thomas Gore

Structurally Integrated Reconfigurable Wideband Array For Conformal Applications , Michael Damon Wright

Multifunction Radio Frequency Composite Structures , David L. Zeppettella

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Dynamic Model and Control of Quadrotor in the Presence of Uncertainties , Courage Agho

Ultra High-Speed Signaling and Return on Technology Investment (ROTI) for the Electrical Interconnects Sector , Azniza Abd Aziz

High Quality Low Offcut 4h-Sic Epitaxy and Integrated Growth of Epitaxial Graphene for Hybrid Graphene/Sic Devices , Anusha Balachandran

Cable Health Monitoring System Built Into Power Converter Using Time Domain Reflectometry , Hossein Baninajar

Low Bandwidth Communication for Networked Power Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation , Sean Borgsteede

Fault Protection In DC Microgrids Based On Autonomous Operation Of All Components , Qiu Deng

Distributed Optimization Method for Intelligent Control of DC Microgrids , Yuanyuan Fan

Three Segment Adaptive Power Electronic Compensator for Non-periodic Currents , Amin Ghaderi

Study of Mos2 and Graphene-Based Heterojunctions for Electronic and Sensing Applications , Ifat Jahangir

Evaluation Of Multicarrier Air Interfaces In The Presence Of Interference For L-Band And C-Band Air-Ground Communications , Hosseinali Jamal

Analysis and Design of a Highly Compact Ellipse-Shaped Ultra-Wideband Bandpass Filter (Uwb-Bpf) with a Notched Band , Xuetan Liu

Study of Ultra Wide Band Gap AlxGa1-xN Field Effect Transistors For Power Electronic Applications , Sakib Mohammed Muhtadi

Growth and Characterization of Anisotropic GaSe Semiconductor for Radiation Detection and THz Applications , Haseeb Nazir

Physical Characterization of Electrodeposited PCB Copper Foil Surfaces , Blessing Kolawole Ojo

Wideband Low Side Lobe Aperture Coupled Patch Phased Array Antennas , Dhruva Poduval

Software Modelling For Real World Faults On AC Transmission Protective Systems Analysis And Effects , Iandale Tualla

Improved N-Type 4h-Sic Epitaxial Layer Radiation Detectors and Noise Analysis of Front-End Readout Electronics , Khai V. Nguyen

Integrating Nano-Patterned Ferromagnetic and Ferroelectric Materials For Smart Tunable Microwave Applications , Tengxing Wang

An Application of Dempster-Shafer Fusion Theory to Lithium-ion Battery Prognostics and Health Management , John Weddington

A Lebesgue Sampling based Diagnosis and Prognosis Methodology with Application to Lithium-ion Batteries , Wuzhao Yan

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Positive Feedforward Control Design For Stabilization Of A Single-Bus DC Power Distribution System Using An Improved Impedance Identification Technique , Silvia Arrúa

Simulation Of GaN Based MIS Varactor , Bojidha Babu

High Gain Pattern Reconfigurable Antenna Arrays for Portable and Body-Centric Wireless Applications , Nowrin Hasan Chamok

An Improved Ship Design Tool for Comparing Performance of Multiple Ship Designs across User-Defined Missions , Helder Jose de Almeida Pais

Estimating Local Average Power In A Line-Of-Sight Indoor Channel: Spatial Sampling And Processing , Israt Jahan Disha

Time-Domain Measurement Of Ultrafast Magnetization Dynamics In Magnetic Nanoparticles , Brian Egenriether

Finite Control Set Model Predictive Control Of Direct Matrix Converter And Dual-Output Power Converters , Ozan Gulbudak

Distributed Optimization And Control Of Islanded Microgrids , Md Rishad Hossain

Engineering Model Of III-Nitride Power Heterostructure Field Effect Transistor On Silicon Substrate , Mohammad Mirwazul Islam

A Comparison Of FPGA Implementation Of Latency-Based Solvers For Power Electronic System Real-Time Simulation , Matthew Aaron Milton

Investigation Of Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Devices For Radiation Detection Applications , Rahmi Orhon Pak

Modeling and Loss Analysis of Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Devices , Kang Peng

Miniaturized RF Components With A Novel Tunable Engineered Substrate For Wireless Communication Systems , Yujia Peng

Wireless Channel Modeling For Networks On Chips , William Rayess

Comparative Analysis Of Current Control Methods For Modular Multilevel Converters , Jordan D. Rogers

Applications Of Impedance Identification To Electric Ship System Control And Power Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation , Jonathan Siegers

System Level Analysis And Design For Wireless Inter-Chip Interconnection Communication Systems By Applying Advanced Wireless Communication Technologies , Xin Zheng

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Design, Fabrication, and Characterization of Pseudomorphic and Quasi-Pseudomorphic AlGaN Based Deep Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes Over Sapphire , Fatima Asif

III-V Nitride Based Microcantilever Heaters for Unique Multimodal Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds at Low Temperature , Ifat Jahangir

Defect Characterization of 4H-SIC by Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) and Influence of Defects on Device Performance , Mohammad Abdul Mannan

AN INVESTIGATION INTO QUASI-TUNABLE RF PASSIVE CIRCUIT DESIGN , Terry L. Moss

Fabrication and Characterization of Graphene based Biocompatible Ion-Sensitive Field Effect Transistor (ISFET) , Rina Patel

Investigation of Modular Multilevel Converter Performance under Non-Ideal Distribution System Conditions , Rostan Rodrigues

Technology Development and Characterization of AIInN/GaN HEMTs for High Power Application , Mahbuba Sultana

Dual-Band Non-Stationary Channel Modeling for the Air-Ground Channel , Ruoyu Sun

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS
• Collections
• Disciplines

Submissions

• Give us Feedback
• University Libraries

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Find Dissertations and Theses

Popular pages on the Library website

Find University of Salford dissertations and theses

During the course of your studies, you may find that you need to search for dissertations or theses. Maybe you would like to see what other research has been undertaken in relation to your topic, or perhaps you would like to see what a dissertation or thesis looks like? There are many reasons why looking for this type of research can be useful.

You can use Library Search to help you find them and there are a number of different ways to search, depending on what you want to find.

You can access dissertations and theses by previous University of Salford students. Use the 'Advanced Search' option in Library Search to find these, and take a look at our University of Salford e-theses collection . This collection covers mostly PhD level research.

Digital dissertations - University of Salford

For help accessing our University of Salford dissertations and theses, watch this video:

Finding University of Salford dissertations and theses

Use databases to find other dissertations and theses.

There are a number of dissertation and theses databases you can use to find dissertations and theses from other academic institutions.  You can access these through Library Search .

Some of the databases you can access include:

• EBSCO Open Dissertations
• EThOS – Electronic Theses Online System
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses

Find out more about the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database on our blog post: ProQuest Dissertations and Theses - You can do more/

We also have a ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global LibGuide to help you find out more.

For help accessing the wide range of dissertation and theses databases, watch this video:

Helpful tips when looking for dissertations and theses

• Identify a couple of keywords to start with and use these when searching.  Don't try to enter too many keywords all at once as it's often useful to see what else there is around your topic.  Also, entering too many keywords can make your search too specific and you may struggle to find what you need. Do not try searching using your whole dissertation topic title – this will not work!
• Can't find what you need? Many databases only contain PhD level manuscripts.  Using 'Advanced Search' options within databases can sometimes allow you to specify other manuscript levels.
• Don't worry about topic area too much if you just want to see what a dissertation looks like and get a rough idea of layout and format.
• Ensure you are looking at the correct level of research for your study. There is a BIG difference between a Masters' dissertation and a PhD level thesis!
• Always check any guidelines you have been given by your school with regards to the layout, format and length of your own dissertation, so you know what to expect. If in doubt, speak with your supervisor.

Get help writing a dissertation

• Read our Dissertations and Theses guidance for help on writing and formatting a dissertation.
• Check out our Online resources for dissertation students reading list – it contains links to really useful online dissertation resources and textbooks to help get you started.
• Contact your Academic Support Team for further help and advice.

Further recommended resources

The University of Leeds have a selection of dissertation examples with an indication of the mark awarded to the student. Additional support resources are located on their Final Chapter webpage.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation

Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples

Published on 9 September 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on 6 April 2023.

It can be difficult to know where to start when writing your thesis or dissertation . One way to come up with some ideas or maybe even combat writer’s block is to check out previous work done by other students.

This article collects a list of undergraduate, master’s, and PhD theses and dissertations that have won prizes for their high-quality research.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

Award-winning undergraduate theses, award-winning master’s theses, award-winning ph.d. dissertations.

University : University of Pennsylvania Faculty : History Author : Suchait Kahlon Award : 2021 Hilary Conroy Prize for Best Honors Thesis in World History Title : “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the “Noble Savage” on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807”

University : Columbia University Faculty : History Author : Julien Saint Reiman Award : 2018 Charles A. Beard Senior Thesis Prize Title : “A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man”: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947

University: University College London Faculty: Geography Author: Anna Knowles-Smith Award:  2017 Royal Geographical Society Undergraduate Dissertation Prize Title:  Refugees and theatre: an exploration of the basis of self-representation

University: University of Washington Faculty:  Computer Science & Engineering Author: Nick J. Martindell Award: 2014 Best Senior Thesis Award Title:  DCDN: Distributed content delivery for the modern web

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

University:  University of Edinburgh Faculty:  Informatics Author:  Christopher Sipola Award:  2018 Social Responsibility & Sustainability Dissertation Prize Title:  Summarizing electricity usage with a neural network

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Education Author:  Matthew Brillinger Award:  2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Humanities Prize Title:  Educational Park Planning in Berkeley, California, 1965-1968

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty: Social Sciences Author:  Heather Martin Award:  2015 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  An Analysis of Sexual Assault Support Services for Women who have a Developmental Disability

University : University of Ottawa Faculty : Physics Author : Guillaume Thekkadath Award : 2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Sciences Prize Title : Joint measurements of complementary properties of quantum systems

University:  London School of Economics Faculty: International Development Author: Lajos Kossuth Award:  2016 Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Title:  Shiny Happy People: A study of the effects income relative to a reference group exerts on life satisfaction

University : Stanford University Faculty : English Author : Nathan Wainstein Award : 2021 Alden Prize Title : “Unformed Art: Bad Writing in the Modernist Novel”

University : University of Massachusetts at Amherst Faculty : Molecular and Cellular Biology Author : Nils Pilotte Award : 2021 Byron Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation Title : “Improved Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths”

University:  Utrecht University Faculty:  Linguistics Author:  Hans Rutger Bosker Award: 2014 AVT/Anéla Dissertation Prize Title:  The processing and evaluation of fluency in native and non-native speech

University: California Institute of Technology Faculty: Physics Author: Michael P. Mendenhall Award: 2015 Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics Title: Measurement of the neutron beta decay asymmetry using ultracold neutrons

University:  Stanford University Faculty: Management Science and Engineering Author:  Shayan O. Gharan Award:  Doctoral Dissertation Award 2013 Title:   New Rounding Techniques for the Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms

University: University of Minnesota Faculty: Chemical Engineering Author: Eric A. Vandre Award:  2014 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics Title: Onset of Dynamics Wetting Failure: The Mechanics of High-speed Fluid Displacement

University: Erasmus University Rotterdam Faculty: Marketing Author: Ezgi Akpinar Award: McKinsey Marketing Dissertation Award 2014 Title: Consumer Information Sharing: Understanding Psychological Drivers of Social Transmission

University: University of Washington Faculty: Computer Science & Engineering Author: Keith N. Snavely Award:  2009 Doctoral Dissertation Award Title: Scene Reconstruction and Visualization from Internet Photo Collections

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Social Work Author:  Susannah Taylor Award: 2018 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  Effacing and Obscuring Autonomy: the Effects of Structural Violence on the Transition to Adulthood of Street Involved Youth

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

George, T. (2023, April 06). Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 22 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/thesis-dissertation/prize-winning-dissertations/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Other students also liked, how to choose a dissertation topic | 8 steps to follow, how to write a thesis or dissertation conclusion, dissertation & thesis outline | example & free templates.

Engineering: The Literature Review Process

• How to Use This Guide

What is a literature review and why is it important?

Further reading ....

• 2. Precision vs Retrieval
• 3. Equip Your Tool Box
• 4. What to look for
• 5. Where to Look for it
• 6. How to Look for it
• 7. Keeping Current
• 8. Reading Tips
• 9. Writing Tips
• 10. Checklist

A literature review not only summarizes the knowledge of a particular area or field of study, it also evaluates what has been done, what still needs to be done and why all of this is important to the subject.  

• The Stand-Alone Literature Review A literature review may stand alone as an individual document in which the history of the topic is reported and then analyzed for trends, controversial issues, and what still needs to be studied.  The review could just be a few pages for narrow topics or quite extensive with long bibliographies for in-depth reviews.   In-depth review articles are valuable time-savers for professionals and researchers who need a quick introduction or analysis of a topic but they can be very time-consuming for authors to produce. Examples of review articles:   Walker, Sara Louise (2011)   Building mounted wind turbines and their suitability for the urban scale - a review of methods of estimating urban wind resource .   Energy and Buildings  43(8):1852-1862. For this review, the author focused on the different methodologies used to estimate wind speed in urban settings.  After introducing the theory, she explained the difficulty for in-situ measuring, and then followed up by describing each of the different estimation techniques that have been used instead.  Strengths and weaknesses of each method are discussed and suggestions are given on where more study is needed.   Length: 11 pages. References: 59. Calm, J.M. (2008)   The next generation of refrigerants - historical review, considerations, and outlook.   International Journal of Refrigeration  31(7):1123-1133. This review focuses on the evolution of refrigerants and divides the evolution into 4 generations.  In each generation the author describes which type of refrigerants were most popular and discusses how political, environmental, and economic issues as well as chemical properties effected choices.  Length: 11 pages.  References: 51.  
• The Literature Review as a Section Within a Document Literature reviews are also part of dissertations, theses, research reports and scholarly journal articles; these types of documents include the review in a section or chapter that discusses what has gone before, how the research being presented in this document fills a gap in the field's knowledge and why that is important.   Examples of literature reviews within a journal article:  Jobert, Arthur, et al. (2007) Local acceptance of wind energy: factors of success identified in French and German case studies.  Energy Policy  35(5):2751-2760.  In this case, the literature review is a separate, labeled section appearing between the introduction and methodology sections.  Peel, Deborah and Lloyd, Michael Gregory (2007)   Positive planning for wind-turbines in an urban context.   Local Environment  12(4):343-354. In this case the literature review is incorporated into the article's introduction rather than have its own section.   Which version you choose (separate section or within the introduction) depends on format requirements of the publisher (for journal articles), the ASU Graduate College and your academic unit (for ASU dissertations and theses) and application instructions for grants.   If no format is specified choose the method in which you can best explain your research topic, what has come before and the importance of the knowledge you are adding to the field.    Examples of literature reviews within a dissertation or thesis :  Porter, Wayne Eliot (2011)   Renewable Energy in Rural Southeastern Arizona: Decision Factors: A Comparison of the Consumer Profiles of Homeowners Who Purchased Renewable Energy Systems With Those Who Performed Other Home Upgrades or Remodeling Projects .    Arizona State University, M.S. Thesis.  This author effectively uses a separate chapter for the literature review for his detailed analysis.  Magerman, Beth (2014)   Short-Term Wind Power Forecasts using Doppler Lidar.   Arizona State University, M.S. Thesis. The author puts the literature review within Chapter Two presenting it as part of the background information of her topic.   Note that the literature review within a thesis or dissertation more closely resembles the scope and depth of a stand- alone literature review as opposed to the briefer reviews appearing within journal articles.  Within a thesis or dissertation, the review not only presents the status of research in the specific area it also establishes the author's expertise and justifies his/her own research.   

Online tutorials:

• Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students Created by the North Caroline State University Libraries

Other ASU Library Guides: 

• Literature Reviews and Annotated Bibliographies More general information about the format and content of literature reviews; created by Ed Oetting, History and Political Science Librarian, Hayden Library. ​

Readings: 

• The Literature Review: A Few Tips on Conducting It Written by Dena Taylor, Health Sciences Writing Centre, University of Toronto
• Literature Reviews Created by The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 
• << Previous: How to Use This Guide
• Next: 2. Precision vs Retrieval >>
• Last updated: Jan 2, 2024 8:27 AM
• URL: https://libguides.asu.edu/engineeringlitreview

The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Arizona State University's four campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. ASU Library welcomes members of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh, and all Native nations to the Library.

• How it works

Sample Undergraduate Civil Engineering Full Dissertation

Here is a sample that showcases why we are one of the world’s leading academic writing firms. This assignment was created by one of our expert academic writers and demonstrated the highest academic quality. Place your order today to achieve academic greatness.

View a different grade

An Analysis of the Implications of Using Digital Engineering and Bim in the Design, Construction and Maintenance of Highway Infrastructure in the UK

Digital engineering in construction comprises all digital technologies and tools that are imperative for the construction project. One of the most advanced and commonly used digital technologies in the construction segment is BIM or Building Information Modelling.

BIM has been able to virtually assess all the important aspects of a construction project from planning designs to planning the resources and assessing the risks of the design and cost-effectiveness. Based on these aspects, the current study aimed to analyse the implications of digital engineering and BIM in the UK’s design, construction and maintenance of highway infrastructure.

To address the aim of the study, a survey was conducted amongst the employees associated with various highway infrastructure projects in the UK. The study included 68 employees associated with various highway infrastructure projects in the UK. Based on the current findings, it was indicated that all the implicative factors of using BIM and the advantages of using BIM in the projects are significant as the p-value was less than 0.05. Therefore, the usage of BIM is very important in highway construction projects and overall usage. Limitations and future scope of the study have also been presented.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Digital Engineering, “the targeted form of the digital transformation of engineering is emerging with different names globally, such as Industry 4.0. Digital engineering incorporates digital technologies such as IoT, smart cyber-physical systems, big data, AI, ML, robotics, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), digital twin, 3D printing, digital trust, and blockchain (Zimmerman, Gilbert, and Salvatore, 2019).

Digital engineering is a manifestation of digital transformation in the field of engineering. Digital Engineering in the construction segment, or Building Information Modelling (BIM), is much more than developing models. It emphasises harnessing the true potential of the construction industry and creating a platform for multiple applications by integrating digitisation and GIS.

This state-of-the-art digital technology enables the industry to integrate data about a building’s design, construction, and future function to develop the most efficient delivery methods (Zimmerman et al. 2019). In due course of time, the utility of BIM has only increased and using different modules, and the industry will be able to apply digital engineering solutions to many problems that otherwise have convoluted solutions (Smith, 2014).

Construction has started to use these engineering methods to develop connected systems of sensors, intelligent machines, mobile devices, and new software applications, all integrated on a central platform of building information modelling (BIM) (Shen et al. 2010). Their adoption has only increased in the past decade enabling companies to boost productivity, manage complexity, reduce project delays and cost overruns, and enhance safety and quality.

Rationale of the Study

Many incumbents in this fragmented industry have been struggling to adapt and benefit from BIM and digital technologies. A wide range of successful implementations highlights opportunities along the construction value chain (Shen et al. 2010). Digital engineering and BIM have allowed the commercial, infrastructure, and industrial sectors to showcase tremendous efficiency and productivity gains for the industry.

Digitalisation has fundamentally changed the industry, enabling efficiency and quality gains along the value chain and reshuffling the competitive league table of companies and countries. The key feature of the technology transformation is the software platform and control layer, which consists in large part of BIM.

As the successor to traditional computer-aided design (CAD), BIM now serves all stakeholders along the value chain, using virtual modelling and information to simulate any aspect of the asset’s life (He et al. 2012). Further up the architecture, new additive construction methods, such as 3-D printing, are becoming applicable even to large-scale building components and concrete structures (Merschbrock and Munkvold, 2015).

Companies can also use 3-D scanners to create digital models of complex buildings and thereby facilitate renovations, conduct quality assurance, and monitor the deterioration of materials. The application of digital technologies in specific use cases demonstrates the enormous opportunities along the value chain, from early conceptual design to the very end of an asset’s life cycle, in the demolition phase (He et al. 2012).

By applying the right technologies in the right way, construction companies can reduce the asset’s construction time and whole-life-cycle cost and enhance the quality of processes and improve safety, working conditions, and sustainability.” Therefore, it is important to understand how digital engineering and BIM have been applied to the highway infrastructure projects of the UK.

Aims and objectives

The research aims to analyse the implications of using digital engineering and BIM in the UK’s design, construction and maintenance of highway infrastructure.

The research objectives are;

To analyse the present methods of designing, constructing and maintaining highways

To evaluate the potential of digital engineering and BIM in construction projects

To investigate how digital engineering and BIM can be used in the UK for the design, construction and maintenance of highway infrastructure

Research Questions

The research questions of the study are;

• What are the present methods of designing, constructing and maintaining highways?
• What is the potential of digital engineering and BIM in construction projects?
• How can digital engineering and BIM be used in the UK to design, construct and maintain highway infrastructure?

Research Structure

The current research structure has been segregated as introduction being chapter 1 with a brief background of the study report followed by chapter 2, the literature review. The literature review had presented an in-depth assessment of the theories and review of past literature. In chapter 3, the methodology used in collecting data and other processes has been presented, chapter 4 presented the data findings and the results. Lastly, chapter 5 is the conclusion chapter whereby the research objectives have been addressed.

Hire an Expert Dissertation Writer

Orders completed by our expert writers are

• Formally drafted in the academic style
• 100% Plagiarism-free & 100% Confidential
• Never resold
• Include unlimited free revisions
• Completed to match exact client requirements

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Introduction.

In this chapter, theoretical aspects of digital engineering and BIM has been presented based on the findings from the past literature papers and journal as well as relevant whitepapers and e-news. The in-depth description of the need and importance of digitalisation and its impact on the construction industry have been presented.

Building Information Modelling (BIM) and its Contribution to the Construction Industry

BIM or building information modelling is a form of digital engineering technology “whose role is to provide with the digital form of construction and asset operations. It combinescombines technology, process improvements and digital information to radically improve client and project outcomes and asset operations (Merschbrock and Munkvold, 2015).

BIM is a strategic enabler for improving decision-making for buildings and public infrastructure assets across the whole lifecycle. It applies to new build projects; crucially, BIM supports the renovation, refurbishment and maintenance of the built environment, the largest sector share.

BIM offers economic, environmental and social benefits across a range of different public stakeholders (Eadie et al. 2013). Social benefits can be delivered to the public infrastructure owner by utilising BIM effectively in public planning and consultation to build support for new or updated public infrastructure, such as highway placement, water containment features or public building refurbishment.

This public engagement can support public infrastructure that is well designed and aligned with the needs of the local community resulting in improved social outcomes such as better resource planning, greater use of public facilities or mapping and protection of architectural historic heritage (Merschbrock and Munkvold, 2015).

BIM can support environmental benefits, such as more accurate material ordering leading to less waste to landfill and optimised simulation of energy analysis leading to lower energy demands from the built environment (Latiffi et al. 2013). BIM allows to harness the value of data by using model information and new ways of working to better support new construction techniques, scheduling, cost, quality, coordination, fabrication, sequencing and facilities management to name but a few.

BIM also helps architects, engineers, and constructors visualise what is to be built in a simulated environment to identify any potential design, construction, or operational issues (Eadie et al. 2013). BIM technology provides an accurate virtual model of a building digitally constructed.

When completed, the building information model contains precise geometry and relevant data needed to support the design, procurement, fabrication, and construction activities required to realise the building (Khosrowshahi and Arayici, 2012).” Therefore, it may be implicated that the BIM assists in more effective and efficient infrastructure project design, construction and maintenance.

Existing Construction Methods

Information technology is one of the most important existing technologies that are used in every industry for different business operations as well as in the infrastructure and construction segment. It helps to improve the construction projects’ management system and better management of resources in designing infrastructures and other applications (Stark, Israel, and Wöhler, 2010).

Information sources are very important in the project success, especially in construction projects as it helps with resource management like cost assessment, schedule management, designing of infrastructure and assessment of the designs. Some of the major areas of IT application in the construction segment are resource assessment, procurement of resources, schedule management, construction flow management, cost maintenance, and project planning (Eadie et al. 2013).

One of the greatest contributions of IT in the construction industry is CAD or Computer-Aided Drafting, a widely used primary designing and infrastructure management tool. It helps in designing and assessing the designs but also helps in construction planning, organising, operation, and control. CAD has also evolved over the past few decades and has developed from designing from 2D to 3D images and now even helps in 4D imaging of the infrastructure (Stark et al. 2010).

The main purpose of using CAD is to assess the durability of a structure, types of materials that will improve the structure, animation of the design, and others, enabling complete assessments and predictions for the design. Another similar technology is a 3D studio, but unlike CAD it is limited to only designing and assessing the design in the construction project.

AutoCAD Architecture is another existing tool still used massively in all construction projects. They help design windows, doors, walls, and the entire building or an infrastructure roadmap (Khosrowshahi and Arayici, 2012). Similar other technologies are still being used in the construction segment even when new emerging technologies have improved the efficiencies in construction.

Implementation of BIM in the UK

Over the past decade, “construction projects have been completed and documented in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Singapore and Australia, demonstrating the capability of BIM in construction. Projects are demonstrated for more sustainable products than non-BIM usage (Eadie et al. 2013).

BIM tools and processes have been developed to considerably improve productivity in the industry and make it possible to manage the information generated and maintained throughout the lifecycle of buildings more efficiently. Research has shown that business and IT directors of the UK’s largest contractors and consultants are fully aware of the benefits of advancements in information and communication technologies.

The main barriers to implementation relate to organisational readiness to change (Dakhil, Underwood, and Alshawi, 2019). Amongst the construction companies in the UK that have adopted the BIM tool had implemented them in 3 stages; stage 1 being object-based modelling, stage 2 is model-based collaboration and stage 3 is network-based integration.

In stage 1, migration from 2D to 3D and object-based modelling and documentation occurs. The BIM model is made of real architectural elements that are represented correctly in all views. The BIM model is still single-disciplinary and the deliverables are mostly CAD-like documents, existing contractual relationships and liability issues persist (Eadie et al. 2013).

Stage 2 is about designing and managing a building is a highly complex process that requires smooth communication and collaboration among all project team members. This stage requires integrated data communication and data sharing between the stakeholders to support this collaborative approach.

The last stage comprises transition from collaboration to integration and reflects the real underlying BIM technology (Dakhil, Underwood, and Alshawi, 2019). At this stage, project lifecycle phases dissolve substantially and players interact in real-time to generate real benefits from increasingly virtual workflows.

So, BIM is seen as an efficient information management methodology within construction projects. Different BIM technologies available to date may provide different organisational capabilities; hence, stakeholders are required to assess currently available technologies on the market so that selection of suitable technology may intercept a future strategy (Eadie et al. 2015).

This may incorporate further services that the organisation is willing to provide in the future. Similarly, multiple tools may be required to achieve specific outcomes in some circumstances. Due to the variety of software and tools being used many different types of file formats are involved.

Given that such tools provide various features with different complexities, stakeholders should ensure forward compatibility with their goals. Quantity and quality management has been an important part of such product listings. Quantity data can also assist the appropriate site management feature, like site safety and minimising onsite storage.

Costing and scheduling can provide timely project completions with maximum profits/savings (Dakhil, Underwood, and Alshawi, 2019). From a UK perspective, The National Building Specification has conducted annual BIM reports and surveys, the latest 32 NBS BIM report 2015 depicts an expanding outlook, showing that BIM adoption in the UK has gained traction, 33 increasing its adoption level from 13% in 2010 to 40% in 2012 and continuing to 50% in 2014 a substantial increase 34 in a short period of time (Eadie et al. 2015).

In the UK alone, the lack of interoperability is estimated to cost £100 million a year due to waste processes of poorly structured information sharing. This suggests that since the raised awareness and utilisation of BIM in the UK, traditional methods are unable to innovate and adapt.

In some projects, however, it is still essential to adopt traditional 2D CAD drawings; especially for firms that have not invested in BIM, so that they can contribute to projects and make cost estimations. This way of working can still provide a positive cost improvement overall as both approaches are being utilised. For the companies that have adopted BIM methods, 2D CAD formats are compatible with BIM and can be imported and exported to the required software (Gledson and Greenwood, 2017).

The adoption of BIM has heightened since the UK government announced in 2011 that all construction projects are to be delivered utilising BIM, especially in 3D (Kumar, 2015). BIM utilisation can prove to be highly efficient as a means of providing an information-sharing environment among stakeholders and as a means of eliminating excessive printing and storing of documents. This is very positive for the design team as the data required is readily available to all involved and an overall view of the project’s development is also accessible.”

Emerging Digital Engineering Technologies for Infrastructure

Digital engineering comprises of industry 4.0 and in the construction industry, it is termed as Construction 4.0. One example of digital engineering is the application of blockchain, “which provides solutions to many current problems in construction information management (Tilson, Lyytinen, and Sørensen, 2010).

However, it is more likely that it will be built into generic IT infrastructure on top of which construction applications are built, rather than used directly by authors of construction-related software. It can potentially make construction processes less centralised, opening the need for research in that direction.

Industry 4.0 strives on the principle of creating a smart construction site, simulation and virtual storage of data allowing construction companies to arrange and evaluate data from different stages of the construction project and from end-users after completion of the construction project towards delivering a faster, more flexible construction project at a higher-quality and reduced cost (Klinc and Turk, 2019).

However, despite the advantage and benefits of applying industry 4.0 concepts for construction projects, few studies have been conducted globally towards examining the awareness of construction professionals for the application of the industry 4.0 concept in the construction segment.

The main idea of digital engineering is to create a digital construction site assisted by attaching internet-connected sensors like IoT on the equipment and each stage of the construction project to monitor progress coupled with drones and virtual simulation (Klinc and Turk, 2019).

This opinion recognises different digital technologies as the process of implementing modern technology to encourage the digitisation of the construction industry as well as the supply chain; thereby, leading to an increased performance of the” sector.

Table 1: List of emerging digital engineering tools

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

This “chapter of the study details the research methods, which are to be undertaken for the completion of the research regarding the implications of using digital engineering and BIM in the design, construction and maintenance of highway infrastructure in the UK.

Research Paradigm and Philosophy

The research paradigm depicts a verified and established model being used to investigate how the research problem can be addressed (Antwi and Hamza, 2015). The three types are methodological, epistemological and ontological. The research philosophy depicts the investigator’s ideas and thoughts regarding approaching the research to answer the research problem (Kumar, 2019).

Positivism research philosophy is related to the concept of learning the truth and science to gain adequate knowledge related to the subject area. A positivism research philosophy has been used in this investigation for or procuring transfers the knowledge about the challenges of training and progress of the workforce in the construction of the UK from verifiable sources using quantitative methods and their perceptions.

The research related to the challenges associated with executives in the construction sector would be conducted by gaining information from all the possible sources, which help the researcher to extract the truth about the subject with having factual details.

Research Design

Research design refers to the general planning that has demonstrated the stages for justifying the fulfilment of the research goal. The research design depicts the investigator’s overall plan for providing a solution to the research problem (Kumar, 2019). The exploratory research design has been used in this investigation to evaluate the perceptions of using digital engineering and BIM in the design, construction and maintenance of highway infrastructure in the UK.

Moreover, the information based on the strategies and planning against the challenges are also reflected through the following exploratory research design. Following a particular research design, the researcher would also identify the working fields in the construction sector and the loopholes of service from the end of employees or management that has affected the service quality.

Research Approach

Research approach has enabled the researcher to determine the progress pattern of the study through evaluating the evidence and formulating effective decisions. Following an inductive research approach, the connection between the research components is explored.

The inductive research approach would also help the researcher connect the study parameters for framing the justification and analysis against the particular research goal. The research would receive a new direction of the study by extracting quality details about the challenges in the construction sector from the secondary sources highlighted as the advantage of research. On the other hand, relying on factual details would also make contradictions related to the strategies associated with preventing the challenges. The assessment of the study would also be critical by following the approach.

Research Strategy

Research design is described through the activities that need to be incorporated for completing the study and publishing adequate information against the argument. The research strategy is mainly formulated based on the study pattern and the researcher’s capabilities, which has also indicated the completion of research in a systematic manner (Saunders and Lewis, 2012).

It involves the appropriate selection of research philosophy, approach and design, data collection method, and interpretation of collected data. The research related to the implications of using digital engineering and BIM in the construction sector would be progressed through a quantitative manner as the information of employees would be explored for extracting the details related to the issues of the employees.

Data Collection Methods

The data gathering method mainly focused on the approaches and techniques of collecting the information that will be analysed for exploring the study. The general research studies follow the primary and secondary data collection method (Saunders and Lewis, 2012).

The research on the perceptions of digital engineering and BIM usage in the design, construction and maintenance of highway infrastructure in the UK has been conducted through the following survey methodology. The secondary information has been collected from the journal articles, books, website articles and reports published by different companies. Primary data will be collected from the employees of different construction companies in the UK to help the researcher interpret the subject’s critical details.

Sampling Methods

Sampling is considered the approach applied in the statistical analysis where the predetermined observation numbers are extracted from a large population for any meaningful purpose. As the study would explore the perceptions of usage of digital engineering and BIM, purposive method from non-probability sampling has been incorporated which allowed the choice of targeting all employees from the construction industry in the UK to be chosen randomly for the survey.

Initially, a total of 120 questionnaires were received from the survey and after compilation and cleaning of the data only 68 questionnaires or responses were selected based on completely filled-in responses. Therefore, the same size of the study is 68 employees from the companies that are working on highway infrastructure projects in the UK.

Data Analysis

The data analysis section will demonstrate the system of assessing and evaluating the information by utilising analytical and legal reasoning. The interpretation of collected primary and secondary data would justify the execution of the goal of the research (Kumar, 2019). The quantitative data would be analysed through descriptive analysis which would explore the critical aspects of the faced challenges of employees in the construction sector.

Quantitative data gathered from the participants would be evaluated using the SPSS tool to justify the employees’ opinions about their perceptions of digital engineering and BIM usage. Different statistical tools have been conducted, like distribution analysis, frequency analysis, correlation, ANOVA testing and regression.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical aspects also need to be followed by the researcher to make the study reliable and validate for future recommendation. The research is based on identifying perceptions of digital engineering and BIM usage in the construction segment, especially highway infrastructure in the UK.

The employees are also not asked questions requiring personal data, which is included under the ethical principles. In contrast, the employees are already informed about the questions asked in the survey. The research would also follow the legal aspects of the Data Protection Act (1998) which has ensured the maintenance of security protocol for conducting the study.” The university however provided the ethical approval.

Chapter 4: Data Analysis

In this chapter, “the findings from the statistical assessments have been presented. The study conducted only statistical analyses and was segregated into the descriptive and inferential analysis. The descriptive assessments were presented in the form of frequency assessments and graphical presentations, whereas, the inferential part was presented through ANOVA, correlations, and regressions.

This chapter has further five more sections, the demographic part, the general description, reliability tests, hypothesis 1 testing and hypothesis 2 testing. In addition to these sections, there is also a summary section that concludes the findings from the statistical assessments.”

Descriptive Assessment

Based on the current findings, it was found that the majority of the participants of the study were technicians (18%), followed by 16% for civil engineers, 10% were highway contractors, 13% were also architects.

Figure 1: Occupation

Furthermore, it was also found that 24% of the total participants were maintenance contractors, 19% were building contractors and civil engineering contractors, and only a few were from government authorities or local authorities involved in the targeted highway projects.

Figure 2: Type of company

To assess the systems used in order to gather and store information on projects and programs of work, it was found that 34% of them use BIM whereas 18% still use symbology and 25% use the company’s own systems.

Figure 3: Type of systems used

Furthermore, the level for BIM usage used in the current highway projects has been assessed and 52% of them use level 2, which comprises basic BIM applications, followed by 19% using level 3, which includes iBIM, lifecycle management, and other advanced BIMs.

Figure 4: Level of BIM usage

Furthermore, the level of BIM do clients ask for on highway projects and programs was also assessed and 32% believe that customers demand level 2 application of BIM whereas 26% of them say that customers demand level 3 BIM applications.

Figure 5: Level of BIM demanded by clients

Furthermore, the participants of the study were also asked for their perceptions on the benefit of applying all levels of BIM on highway projects. It was noted that at least 72% of the total participants of the study indicated that there is a benefit of applying all levels of BIM on highway projects and programs. However, 9% of the participants also denied the same. This may indicate that they either have low information on the applications of BIM or have only used BUM for certain levels of construction work.

Figure 6: There is a benefit of BIM

In this section, the employees were asked for the type of technology used other than BIM in the highway project and 54% of the total state that they use 3D and 4D CAD tools, followed by 24% using 3D studios for the projects and 22% used other commercial applications.

Figure 7: Tools other than BIM in construction

Lastly, the implications to using BIM indicated that the majority of the participants perceived them to be all relevant and they were cost-effectiveness, environmental preservation, low carbon footprint, redesigning of existing infrastructure, mapping of the highways, assessment of raw materials, predictive assessment of the durability, risk assessment and efficiency of the project workflows. No relevance was however also mentioned for cost-effectiveness and Redesigning of existing infrastructure, whereas, for others, some also stated that it was irrelevant from BIM usage.

Figure 8: Advantages of using BIM

Hypothesis 1

In this section, the first hypothesis has been tested and interpreted using correlation tests, regression, and ANOVA tests. A correlation test was conducted to check the degree of relationship between the independent and the dependent variables because the Pearson correlation test was conducted (Gogtay and Thatte, 2017).

Furthermore, the ANOVA test was done to check the degree of variance amongst the responses or independent variables and its overall impact on the dependent variables. Finally, the regression test was conducted to check the independent variables’ impact on the dependent variable and explore if the null hypothesis is rejected or accepted.

The independent variables of the current hypothesis were It is the responsibility of the Government to ask for BIM on all highway projects and programs, The civil engineering/highways industry should take the lead in promoting BIM, BIM is solely the

responsibility of the client organisation, There is a need to raise the profile of BIM within the Civil / Highway engineering Industry, There is a need to raise the profile of BIM for the Public, Asset holding statutory authorities should introduce BIM on all Civil & highway maintenance Programs, The use of BIM systems should be mandatory for all new civil / highways infrastructure schemes.

There is a slow-up take in the use of BIM on highway schemes in the UK due to the cost of the systems. From the correlation test (table), it was observed that all the independent variables of the hypothesis had a high correlation value and positive at more than 0.8 and all the variables are significant at p<0.05.

All the factors like the responsibility of the Government to ask for BIM on all highway projects and programs, the civil engineering/highways industry should take the lead in promoting BIM, BIM is solely the responsibility of the client organisation, there is a need to raise the profile of BIM within the Civil / Highway engineering Industry, there is a need to raise the profile of BIM for the Public, asset holding statutory authorities should introduce BIM on all Civil & highway maintenance Programs, the use of BIM systems should be mandatory for all new civil / highways infrastructure schemes, and there is a slow-up take in the use of BIM on highway schemes in the UK due to the cost of the systems were found to have a correlation value of more than 0.8.

Table 2: Correlation for hypothesis 1

Furthermore, the ANOVA test also found that over 95% of the responses lie in the regression line or 95% of the participants gave similar responses to the implementation of BIM. All the factors like the responsibility of the Government to ask for BIM on all highway projects and programs, The civil engineering/highways industry should take the lead in promoting BIM, BIM is solely the responsibility of the client organisation, there is a need to raise the profile of BIM within the Civil / Highway engineering Industry, there is a need to raise the profile of BIM for the Public, asset holding statutory authorities should introduce BIM on all Civil & highway maintenance Programs, the use of BIM systems should be mandatory for all new civil / highways infrastructure schemes, and there is a slow-up take in the use of BIM on highway schemes in the UK due to the cost of the systems were found to have p<0.05 at 95% CI.

Table 3: Regression and ANOVA for hypothesis 1

Hypothesis 2

Again, in this section, hypotheses were tested for the impact of BIM to enhance operations in the construction industry based on opportunities of the same was assessed. Similar to the previous section, hypothesis 2 has been tested and interpreted with the help of correlation tests, regression, and ANOVA tests (Kim, 2017).

In this section, the significant aspects of using BIM in the construction segment have been assessed. The independent variables of the study are BIM aids collaboration and brings different sectors together, the application of BIM reduces the amount of time taken on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM reduces the amount of cost taken on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM increases the quality of delivery of civil / highway engineering projects, asset holding statutory authorities should introduce BIM on all Civil & highway maintenance programs, use of BIM and the consideration of whole life costs should drive the use of innovative products, and the use of BIM improves highway maintenance therefore road safety in use.

From the correlation test (table), it was noticed that all the factors of BIM have a significant impact and its implementation in highway infrastructure. Therefore, factors like BIM aids

collaboration and brings different sectors together, the application of BIM reduces the amount of time taken on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM reduces the amount of cost taken on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM increases the quality of delivery of civil / highway engineering projects, asset holding statutory authorities should introduce BIM on all Civil & highway maintenance programs, use of BIM and the consideration of whole life costs should drive the use of innovative products, and the use of BIM improves highway maintenance, therefore, road safety in use were all found to have significance in the application of BIM.

Table 4: Correlation for hypothesis 2

Furthermore, the ANOVA test findings suggested that at least 99% of the independent variables lie on the regression line and so 99% of the responses were also the same for factors of the significance of the application of BIM and its opportunities in the highway construction segment of the UK. From the regression assessment, in the table below, it was also found that the factors like BIM have a significant impact and their implementation in highway infrastructure. Therefore, factors like BIM aids collaboration and brings different sectors together, the application of BIM reduces the amount of time taken on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM reduces the amount of cost taken

on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM increases the quality of delivery of civil / highway engineering projects, asset holding statutory authorities should introduce BIM on all Civil & highway maintenance programs, use of BIM and the consideration of whole life costs should drive the use of innovative products, and the use of BIM improves highway maintenance, therefore, road safety in use had a p-value less than 0.05 at 95%. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected and it may be stated that.

Table 5: Regression and ANOVA for hypothesis 2

Discussions

Two main areas of hypothetical models were chosen for the current study, one was the implications of implementation of BIM, and the other was the advantages of implementing BIM at highway infrastructure in the UK. With respect to implications of implementation of BIM, all the factors or opportunities for implementation were found to be significant, so it may be implicated from the findings that the UK government has a significant role in the implementation of BIM in the construction industry.

Apart from the government, it is also the responsibility of the client organisations and the construction contractors to implement BIM or demand for the same so that the projects are cost-effective and resilient. These findings can be related to the study by Kumar, (2015) who indicated that the UK government has made it mandatory for all the construction companies to implement since 2011 and therefore, it may be stated that government is one of the most important motivators in implementation of BIM for highway infrastructure projects.

Furthermore, it was also found from the second model that there are multiple advantages of using BIM as perceived by the participants. The most relevant advantages are cost-effectiveness, schedule management, effective planning and designing and risk assessment.

These findings can also be related to the studies conducted by Eadie et al. (2013) and Latiffi et al. (2013) who also found similar implications and the advantages of using BIM in construction projects. They found that BIM has multiple advantages over other existing tools and computational systems as they help manage the overall project planning and thereby improve the construction project’s performance.

Therefore, it may be implicated that, the UK government has a significant role in the mandatory implementation of BIM in construction projects, and this is because BIM implementation provides for cost-effectiveness, schedule management, effective planning and designing and risk assessment.

In this chapter, the data analysis findings were presented, and descriptive and inferential analyses were presented. As for the descriptive analysis, the general information like occupation, category of company, systems currently used in order to gather and store information on projects and programs of work, level of BIM application, level of BIM demanded by customers, types of technology using other than BIM, and the most relevant importance of BIM was assessed.

Furthermore, from the inferential analysis, it was also observed that the main hypotheses that the implementation of BIM is important and the opportunities to apply BIM in highway infrastructure were accepted. This is because all the factors the like responsibility of the Government to ask for BIM on all highway projects and programs, the civil engineering/highways industry should take the lead in promoting BIM, BIM is solely the responsibility of the client organisation, there is a need to raise the profile of BIM within the Civil / Highway engineering Industry, there is a need to raise the profile of BIM for the Public, asset holding statutory authorities should introduce BIM on all Civil & highway maintenance Programs, the use of BIM systems should be mandatory for all new civil / highways infrastructure schemes, and there is a slow-up take in the use of BIM on highway schemes in the UK due to the cost of the systems as implications of BIM implementation.

Again, all factors like BIM aids collaboration and brings different sectors together, the application of BIM reduces the amount of time taken on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM reduces the amount of cost taken on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM increases the quality of delivery of civil / highway engineering projects, asset holding statutory authorities should introduce BIM on all Civil & highway maintenance programs, use of BIM and the consideration of whole life costs should drive the use of innovative products, and the use of BIM improves highway maintenance, therefore, road safety in use were also found to show significant opportunities in the implementation of BIM in highway infrastructure. In the next chapter, discussions and the objectives have been addressed along with recommendations and limitations of the study.

Chapter 5: Conclusions

The research aims to conduct an analysis of the implications of using digital engineering and BIM in the design, construction and maintenance of highway infrastructure in the UK. The key feature of the technology transformation is the software platform and control layer, which consists in large part of BIM.

Further up the architecture, new additive construction methods, such as 3-D printing, are becoming applicable even to large-scale building components and concrete structures. By applying the right technologies in the right way, construction companies can reduce the asset’s construction time and whole-life-cycle cost and enhance the quality of processes and improve safety, working conditions, and sustainability.

Therefore, a survey assessment was done amongst the employees associated with different highway infrastructure development projects in the UK. The study included 68 employees associated with various highway infrastructure projects in the UK. Two main aspects were explored, the implications of using BIM in construction projects and the advantages of using BIM in the highway infrastructure project. In both cases, there was a significant implication on motivating the usage of BIM. The BIM applications have different advantages in highway infrastructure as the p-value was found to be less than 0.05 at 95% CI.

Addressing the Research Objectives

Based on the literature review, it was indicated that apart from BIM and digital engineering methods, there are technologies like 3D and 4D CAD, 3D designing tools and other virtual reality methods that help in designing, constructing and maintaining highway infrastructure projects.

Comparing this to the statistical findings, it was found that the current tools used for designing, constructing and maintaining highways include BIM, CAD, 3D modelling and other computerised methods. It was also found from the survey assessment that many highway infrastructure companies have designing systems that help them design, construct and maintain highway projects in the UK.

Based on the literature findings and comparing to the survey findings the potential of digital engineering and BIM in construction projects comprises cost-effectiveness, environmental preservation, low carbon footprint, redesigning of existing infrastructure, mapping of the highways, assessment of raw materials, predictive assessment of the durability, risk assessment, and efficiency of the project workflows.

However, the potential of using BIM is based on the motivations and directions by the government as well as the demand of the customers. The government has also made it mandatory in the UK to use BIM for any construction project. Multiple contractors and organisations have also excelled in applying BIM. So there is a huge potential for the application of BIM in construction projects. Furthermore, the asset holding statutory authorities also moderate the role in the implementation of BIM and so, there is a huge potential in the same.

To address this question, the literature review indicated that BIM can be used for virtual modelling and refurbishment of existing infrastructure. By virtualisation of the process, the cost, time is taken and risks are all estimated. Furthermore, engineers can use digital engineering and BIM in highway projects to make road maps, estimate the variables, resources needed and much other functionality.

However, this can also be related to the current statistical findings whereby BIM aids collaboration and brings different sectors together, the application of BIM reduces the amount of time taken on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM reduces the amount of cost taken on the delivery & construction of highway schemes, the application of BIM increases the quality of delivery of civil / highway engineering projects, use of BIM and the consideration of whole life costs should drive the use of innovative products, and the use of BIM improves highway maintenance, therefore, road safety in use were all found to help in the design, construction and maintenance of highway infrastructure in the UK.

Therefore, based on the implications from both the literature review and the survey it is indicative that digital engineering and BIM can help in predictive modelling of the infrastructure as well as predict the durability, make a schedule for the project, assess costs and reduce costs, sustainability and others, and therefore, digital engineering and BIM can be used in the UK for the design, construction and maintenance of highway infrastructure.

Limitations and Future Scope

The main limitations of the current study were that only construction projects involved in highway infrastructure were included in the study. In future studies, it must be seen that all construction companies from different segments like refurbishment, industrial segment, residential, highways, and others must be included to better understand the potential of BIM application and its effects.

Another limitation was that the study was not able to include interview data because of lack of time for the completion of the study, and most of the managers approached for the same rejected the proposal for interviews. Interviews would help to gather in-depth information on the applications of BIM, its challenges and opportunities and others and so, in future studies, a qualitative study using interviews must also be conducted.

One last limitation of the study was schedule management. Due to the current travel restrictions and social distancing protocols, the induction of the survey questions and the collection of the same took longer than expected. Therefore, in the future, an electronic method of survey questionnaire must be used so that more participants can be targeted.

If you need assistance with writing your dissertation, our professional dissertation writers are here to help!

Antwi, S.K. and Hamza, K., 2015. Qualitative and quantitative research paradigms in business research: A philosophical reflection. European journal of business and management, 7(3), pp.217-225.

Dakhil, A.J., Underwood, J. and Alshawi, M., 2019. Critical success competencies for the BIM implementation process: UK construction clients. Journal of information technology in construction (ITcon), 24, pp.80-94.

Eadie, R., Browne, M., Odeyinka, H., McKeown, C. and McNiff, S., 2013. BIM implementation throughout the UK construction project lifecycle: An analysis. Automation in construction, 36, pp.145-151.

Eadie, R., Browne, M., Odeyinka, H., Mahon, C. and McNiff, S., 2015. A survey of current status of and perceived changes required for BIM adoption in the UK. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 5(1), pp.4-21.

Forcael, E., Ferrari, I., Opazo-Vega, A. and Pulido-Arcas, J.A., 2020. Construction 4.0: A Literature Review. Sustainability, 12(22), p.9755.

Gledson, B. and Greenwood, D., 2017. The adoption of 4D BIM in the UK construction industry: An Innovation Diffusion approach. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 24(6), pp.950-967.

Gogtay, N.J. and Thatte, U.M., 2017. Principles of correlation analysis. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 65(3), pp.78-81.

He, Q.H., Qian, L.L., Duan, Y.F. and Li, YK, 2012. Current situation and barriers of BIM implementation. Journal of Engineering Management, 1, pp.12-16.

Khosrowshahi, F. and Arayici, Y., 2012. Roadmap for implementation of BIM in the UK construction industry. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 19(6), pp.610-635.

Kim, T.K., 2017. Understanding one-way ANOVA using conceptual figures. Korean journal of anesthesiology, 70(1), p.22.

Kline, R. and Turk, Ž., 2019. Construction 4.0-digital transformation of one of the oldest industries. Economic and Business Review for Central and South-Eastern Europe, 21(3), pp.393-496.

Kumar, B., 2015. A practical guide to adopting BIM in construction projects. Whittles Publishing.

Kumar, R., 2019. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage.

Latif, A.A., Mohd, S., Kasim, N. and Fathi, M.S., 2013. Building information modeling (BIM) application in Malaysian construction industry. International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 2(4A), pp.1-6.

Merschbrock, C. and Munkvold, B.E., 2015. Effective digital collaboration in the construction industry–A case study of BIM deployment in a hospital construction project. Computers in industry, 73, pp.1-7.

Saunders, M.N. and Lewis, P., 2012. Doing research in business & management: An essential guide to planning your project. Pearson.

Shen, W., Hao, Q., Mak, H., Neelamkavil, J., Xie, H., Dickinson, J., Thomas, R., Pardasani, A. and Xue, H., 2010. A review of systems integration and collaboration in architecture, engineering, construction, and facilities management. Advanced engineering informatics, 24(2), pp.196-207.

Smith, P., 2014. BIM implementation–global strategies. Procedia Engineering, 85, pp.482-492.

Stark, R., Israel, J.H. and Wöhler, T., 2010. Towards hybrid modelling environments—Merging desktop-CAD and virtual reality technologies. CIRP annals, 59(1), pp.179-182.

Tilson, D., Lyytinen, K. and Sørensen, C., 2010. Research commentary—Digital infrastructures: The missing IS research agenda.

Information systems research, 21(4), pp.748-759.

Zimmerman, P., Gilbert, T. and Salvatore, F., 2019. Digital engineering transformation across the Department of Defense. The Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation, 16(4), pp.325-338.

APPENDIX (Questionnaire)

This questionnaire has been produced to carry out research and gather information on Building Information Modelling (BIM) within the Civil Engineering community. The information you provide will help to gather data on how BIM is used currently within your organisation and your job role and how you feel BIM could benefit you and your work in the future. All the information you provide will be kept confidential with no identifiable information about you being passed on to any other bodies.

About yourself

⦁ Which discipline most aptly describes your occupation? (✔ the most appropriate)

About your Company

⦁ Which category most aptly describes the Company you work for? (✔ the most appropriate)

⦁ What systems do you currently use in order to gather and store information on projects and programs of work? (✔ the most appropriate)

⦁ If you use BIM. What level do you currently use on highway projects & programs? (✔ the most appropriate)

Summary of levels:

⦁ What level of BIM do clients ask for on highway projects and programs? (✔ the most appropriate)

⦁ Do you feel there is a benefit in applying all levels of BIM on highway projects and programs? (✔ the most appropriate)

⦁ Types of digital engineering used other than BIM (✔ the most appropriate)

⦁ Advantages of using BIM and digital engineering that is most relevant (✔ the most relevant for each of the factors)

⦁ Enter answers from 1 to 5 below in the box provided:

⦁ Should you wish to provide any further information please use the space provided

⦁ I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your time and effort in completing this questionnaire

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time it takes to write an undergraduate full dissertation.

The time to write an undergraduate full dissertation varies, but it typically takes several months, including research, drafting, and revisions.

USEFUL LINKS

LEARNING RESOURCES

COMPANY DETAILS

• How It Works