Project in Environmental Engineering

Objectives

The central goal of the project is the conception of solutions for a real job, in one of the core areas of intervention of Environmental Engineering, integrating design, computation, viability assessment and planning of execution. It is a comprehensive assignment, with professional level and done for a client, preferably a company or institution under a partnership agreement.

The project is developed as a team, usually 3-4 students. The emphasis is on the acquisition of practical skills: consolidation and integration of disciplinary knowledge, autonomy, teamwork, resolution of complex problems, planning, work by objectives, effectiveness, answer to the partner´s needs.

General characterization

Code

10388

Credits

6.0

Responsible teacher

João Miguel Dias Joanaz de Melo, Tomás Augusto Barros Ramos

Hours

Weekly - 6

Total - 16

Teaching language

Português

Prerequisites

Available soon

Bibliography

General: environmental law and standards; reports from previous case studies

Melo JJ & Ramos TB (2002). Notas metodológicas sobre avaliação de impactes ambientais. FCT-UNL.

Books:

Graedel TE, Allenby BR (1996). Design for Environment. AT&T/Prentice Hall, USA. H.

Wizsäcke E, Lovins AB & Lovins LH (1997). Factor Four — Doubling Wealth, Halving Resource Use. Earthscan.

Zadek S., Pruzan P & Evans R (1997) Building Corporate Accountability, Earthscan.

Petts J (ed) (1999). Handbook of environmental impact assessment. Volumes 1 and 2. Blackwell, Oxford. 

Vanclay F & Bronstein DA (ed) (1995), Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, John Wiley & Sons

Environmental Agency (2005). Good Practice Guidelines for Strategic Environmental Assessment. Environmental Agency, United Kingdom.

Jones C et al (2006). Strategic Environmental Assessment And Land Use Planning: An International Evaluation, Earthscan Publications. 

Teaching method

The key teaching method is on the job training, closely supervised by a tutor, with at least two meetings a months for the duration of the project. There are relatively few conventional classes, and those are centred on project management methods and the overcoming of practical difficulties. Experience interchange between the teams is encouraged.

Teaching language may be Portuguese or English depending on students´ origin and external partner.

Evaluation method

Evaluation integrates the project report, its defence and its usefulness for the partner. Evaluation and grading considers both the team performance (overall quality of the work) and individual performance of each student, at individual tasks and contribution to the defence of the project.

Subject matter

Contents and organization:

- Selection of project themes and tutors;

- Preparation of work plan, by team, including meetings with external partners;

- Orientation classes: case-studies, methods for project planning and management, client relations, “trade secrets” and report execution;

- Development of the project report, as a team, but with specific assignments by element;

- Tutorials with each team: regular supervision and orientation of the development of the project;

- Presentation of results to the external partner and/or in a seminar.

Project domains: environmental auditing and management systems, environmental performance evaluation, life cycle amalysis, eco-design, strategic environmental evaluation, environmental impact assessment, energy auditing, energy efficiency planning, soil remediation, ecosystem restoration and management, sustainable development strategy.

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: