Civil and Environmental Engineering Capstone Design
CE490/CE491 Senior Design is the capstone course of the undergraduate Civil Engineering Curriculum at Clarkson University. Students in this course execute a multi-disciplinary project focused on the breadth of civil engineering practice and covering all of the stages of the design and construction planning process. This page is intended to highlight some of the design products and presentations of the students in the class as well as describe how the class proceeds for those interested in learning more about Clarkson's efforts to build Civil Engineers for tomorrow.
Example Projects:
|
Semester |
Project Name |
Project Team |
Product |
|
Spring 2023 |
Waddington Museum |
||
|
|
Design Pathways |
Final Synopsis |
|
|
|
SCWABAM Design Group |
Final Synopsis |
|
|
Town Line Road Bridge |
|||
|
|
Real Steel Structures |
Final Synopsis |
|
|
|
Truss-Me Contractors |
Final Synopsis |
|
|
Potsdam Cross-Town Canal |
|
|
|
|
|
Suez Sailors Consulting |
Final Synopsis Final Submission/Report |
|
|
Market Square Mall/Parking/Fall
Island Area |
|
|
|
|
|
Curtis Construction |
Final Synopsis Final Submission/Report |
|
|
|
Square Construction |
Final Synopsis Final Submission/Report |
|
|
Potsdam West Damn Powerhouse
Retrofit |
|
|
|
|
|
I’ll Be Dammed |
Final Synopsis Final Submission/Report |
|
|
Clarkson Hall Renovation |
|
|
|
|
|
We Deserve a Bonus |
Final Synopsis Final Submission/Report |
|
|
|
Renovation Royalty Group |
Final Synopsis Final Submission/Report |
|
|
Spring 2022 |
North Creek Ski Bowl Development |
||
|
Environmental/Site Assessment of the Existing Site |
Clark and Sons Construction |
||
|
Site Assessment of Potential New Site |
G & G Consulting |
||
|
Building/Facilities Design for the New Facility |
North Country Engineering Co. |
||
|
Ski Bowl Park Site Master Planning |
North Country Contractors |
Final Submission/Report |
|
|
Bayside Cemetery Gatehouse |
Sandstone Engineers |
||
|
Fort Drum PX/Commissary Parking Lot |
|||
|
Traffic Planning and Parking Demand |
Upstate Engineering |
||
|
Parking Lot & Storm water Design |
Wave Consulting |
Final Submission/Report |
|
|
Potsdam Crosstown Canal Mapping and Improvements |
|||
|
Environmental Assessment and Flow Mapping/Design |
Peak Performance Consulting |
Final Submission/Report |
|
|
Geophysical Mapping and Correction Design |
Precision Waterway Solutions |
||
|
Ellsworth Homestead Housing |
|||
|
Site Assessment of Potential New Site |
NCUG Engineering |
||
|
Building Design |
Knights Engineering & Design |
||
|
Spring 2021 |
Drainage Corrections at Potsdam Town and Country Club |
Hole in One Construction |
|
|
Analysis and Design of Improved Rigging Capacity at Cheel Arena |
Tony’s Big Cheel Contractors |
||
|
Fort De La Presentation Footbridge |
Rowley Corp. Engineering |
||
|
ME446 Group 4 |
Final Presentation Final Report |
||
|
Improved Bike Infrastructure for the Clarkson Potsdam Campuses |
Knight Bike |
||
|
Clarkson Woods ROTC Improved STX Lanes/Permanent Fire Pits |
Back 40 Engineering |
||
|
Denning’s Point Eco-Shelter |
Kaizen Construction |
RAPS Poster Presentation Final Design Presentation Final Poster Final Synopsis Final Submission/Report |
|
|
Mirror Lake Waterfront Restoration |
Placid Planning |
Final Design Presentation Final Poster Final Synopsis Final Submission/Report |
|
|
Spring 2020 |
New York Olympic Region FISU Games Preparation Projects |
||
|
Peacock Park Upgrades and Changes |
ADV Engineering |
||
|
Volleyball Courts |
Golden Knight Construction |
||
|
Community Bus Shelters |
Golden Knight Construction |
||
|
Power Pond Plan and Design Elements |
Brooks Builders |
||
|
Heritage Sculpture |
Clark & Sons Construction |
||
|
Spring 2020 |
Bayside Cemetery |
GK Engineering |
|
|
Spring 2020 |
Bayside Cemetery |
Ghost Builders |
|
|
Spring 2020 |
Potsdam West Hydro Power House |
Raquette Engineering |
|
|
Spring 2019 |
St. Mary’s Parish Hall |
Golden Crew Construction |
|
|
Spring 2018 |
MTEC Facility |
Wild Knight Group |
|
|
Spring 2018 |
Cheel Outdoor Pavilion Design |
Atrium Engineering |
|
|
Spring 2018 |
Jones Road Bridge Replacement |
Trussworthy Engineers |
|
|
Spring 2018 |
Fort Drum ECS Drainage Correction |
New World Engineering |
|
|
Spring 2017 |
Maple City Trail Extension |
Scratch Your Backus |
|
|
Spring 2016 |
House in a Box |
Innov8 Industries |
|
|
Spring 2016 |
ROTC Storage Building |
6Ps Design |
|
|
Spring 2016 |
Munter Trail Extension and Bridge |
Raquette River Engineering |
|
|
Spring 2016 |
Armenian Eco Village |
Eco Design |
|
|
Spring 2016 |
House in a Box |
Peak Design |
|
|
Spring 2016 |
Munter Trail Extension and Bridge |
Raquette River Engineering |
|
This list will be updated periodically. All of the above are student work products, and as such all rights are reserved to the authors in conjunction with Clarkson University.
How the Class
Proceeds
Senior design in Civil Engineering at Clarkson mirrors the typical design process executed by consulting firms across the United States/Canada.
Proposal Stage
The Senior Design course begins with the course instructors providing the students a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a construction project. The projects are sourced, most often, from real world problems; either in support of Clarkson Facilities and Services or from Community and Corproate Partners. Students develop a qualification statement and initial concept design as a part of their proposal submittal. Students then conduct a proposal interview.
Schematic Design
Using the comments garnered during the proposal stage, the teams begin developing a design for the problem/project focus. Students are guided by faculty to understand program requirements, develop design criteria, and present potential design solutions. As part of this stage, students execute life cycle cost analysis, integrate sustainability principles, and follow code requirements. Students use design guidance and follow design standards that match the state of the art in the industry, often requiring the implementation of new technologies and techniques. At the end of this stage, students submit a deliverable that is evaluated, and make a presentation. During this stage, students also respond to an ethical decision making case study.
Final Design
The last major phase of this course is the final design of the project. Students prepare a final design product, often including design plans and specifications that enable the project to be built. At this stage the students also complete a cost estimate for the proposed design solution as well as a preliminary construction schedule.
Final Presentation
The last part of the Senior Design course is a formal presentation of their design. These presentations are feature events, open to the public and inviting in the project sponsor to see the result of the student work and the anticipated final deliverable for the client.