Incorporating "Green" Ideas Into Civil Engineering Materials Courses

Civil engineers are facing a new era where they must not only design structures and roadways to meet serviceability requirements, but they must also be conscientious of how these projects impact the environment. Rarely do civil engineering courses address issues of sustainability, and while it may be unrealistic to introduce new courses into an already crowded curriculum, some courses can easily be amended to include new “green” ideas. One such course, Civil Engineering Materials, is required in almost all curriculums at the sophomore or junior level and is one of the first true engineering courses in the degree sequence. In this article, three professors at different universities in different regions of the country share three projects which can help students learn how concrete can be an environmentally friendly material.