A Pragmatic Approach To Development Of An Undergraduate Construction Curriculum In Trenchless Technology

Although trenchless technology has become an economically viable alternative to open-cut construction, the schools of civil and construction engineering are generally lagging behind in providing instruction on trenchless technology to our undergradu ate students. There is a lack of knowledge about the role of trenchless technology in dealing with our underground infrastructure problems, and a general unawareness among the design and construction professionals. The fundamentals of trenchless technology are multi- disciplinary in nature; hence the field of trenchless technology can be taught at the undergradu ate level. This paper addresses a multi-disciplinary approach to development of undergradu ate construction curriculum in trenchless technology with instruction spanning the fields of soil mechanics, hydraulics, construction specifications, contract administrati on, etc. The authors have found that building on the infrastructure of the existing construction curriculum, and making modifications to the curriculum as you go along, is the most practical approach to teaching the fast developing subject matter of trenchless tec hnology.