Advanced Computational Methods in Civil Engineering

 

In the last few decades, the field of computational methods in Civil Engineering has grown constantly and has developed essential tools for modern engineers. As a consequence, nearly every engineering problem can now solely be solved with computational methods.

Advanced Computational Methods in Civil Engineering (AdCom) is one reaction to that development and is a specialization taught in English within the Master’s degree Civil Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. AdCom graduates are able to apply and develop numerical methods and simulations for the realization of innovative civil engineering structures. The curriculum is interdisciplinary with courses from the faculties of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Math to get a deeper understanding of the key-skills in structural mechanics, fluid mechanics, and numerical mathematics.

Students learn to master challenges which arise from the use of new resource-conserving materials and advanced composite materials as well as challenges resulting from the trend towards extremely light load-bearing structures. They are able to assess and develop lightweight structures which are subject to dynamic loads such as wind and traffic. In order to assess the strengths and limits of numerical modeling in civil engineering, students are trained in numerical methods, the development of software codes, and in mechanical principles.

The curriculum includes the following courses, among others

• Nonlinear Structural Analysis
• Continuum Mechanics and Mechanics of Materials
• Biomechanics
• Advanced Structural Analysis
• Finite Elements in Fluids and Solids
• Multiscale Techniques
• Parallel Computing Methods

Furthermore, the curriculum is highly scientific and research-orientated and thus prepares graduates for a Ph.D. program and a scientific career in research and industry. To this end, a new research module and a scientific mini-thesis are part of the curriculum in addition to the Master’s thesis.