Civil & Environmental Engineering

Overhead map

West Burlington - Downtown Streetscaping

Published
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Academic year
2025-2026

The City of West Burlington sought an evaluation and redesign of its downtown area to enhance functionality and visual appeal, facilitate public events, attract visitors. For their capstone project, a group of Civil and Environmental students designed multiple components for the downtown area, including green medians, permeable paved roadways, covered parking, a pedestrian walkway, and reconfigured parking. 

three young people in winter coats standing outside on a sunny day with an industrial site behind them.

Burlington - South Riverfront Park Redesign

Published
Monday, December 9, 2024
Academic year
2024-2025

For their capstone project in Civil and Environmental Engineering, a team of students created engineering and design plans for a park to be located on a former industrial site. Located adjacent to the Mississippi River, the project had several obstacles, notably possible soil contamination and flooding. The team reviewed the site, selected amenities that worked with these challenges, and made recommendations for ways to incorporate the historic rail yard that formerly stood at the site.

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Burlington - Parks and Forestry Facility Design and Engineering

Published
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Academic year
2024-2025

For their capstone project, three senior Civil and Environmental Engineering students designed a Parks and Forestry facility that prioritizes energy efficiency, long-term durability, and architectural integration with the natural park environment in which the facility will be located.

old brick building

Burlington - Industrial Building Adaptive Reuse

Published
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Academic year
2024-2025

Several former industrial buildings are in close proximity to the central downtown of the City of Burlington. Currently unused, the city is seeking to revitalize the area and adapt the structures to new purposes. For their capstone project in Civil & Environmental Engineering, a trio of students designed an adaptive reuse plan for the Dial Soap Factory, a 1.28-acre site on a prime location.

Red welcome sign

New Sharon - Subdivision Design and Engineering

Published
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Academic year
2024-2025

As part of the senior design capstone project, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering designed a new subdivision on a greenfield site in New Sharon, Iowa.

rendering

Bondurant Public Works Facility

Published
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

As part of their Senior Design Capstone Course, a team of students in Civil and Environmental Engineering designed a Public Works Facility for Bondurant's new Civic Campus. They devised three alternatives and created final designs with the client's input.

Digital image of two rows of trees with a path down the middle.

Bondurant - Chichaqua Valley Trailhead and Trail Improvements

Published
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

For their capstone project in Civil and Environmental Engineering, a team of students devised a way to connect two sections of the popular Chichaqua Valley Trail, and developed engineering designs and cost estimates to help the City of Bondurant implement the project.  

rendering of energy use in a building

Dubuque - Five Flags Center Cool & Green Roof Designs

Published
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

For their capstone project in Civil and Environmental Engineering, students researched best practices for cool and green roofs and applied their findings to the city-owned Five Flags Civic Center. 

Defined as a built environment that experiences higher temperatures than suburban or rural areas, all communities have areas that possess higher heat ratios due to more pavement, fewer trees, and other elements. These are often in downtown. Two increasingly popular methods for addressing urban heat islands are cool and green roofs. 

Metal round storm water cover

Dubuque - Stormwater Climate Action Plan

Published
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

For their capstone design project, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering prepared a Stormwater Climate Action Plan that addresses current and future problem areas within the city’s stormwater system and provide potential action items to account for climate change effects.

intersection from above

Dubuque - JFK Road Analysis and Redesign

Published
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Academic year
2023-2024
Partner

For their capstone design project in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a team of students analyzed the JFK corridor from Carter Rd to Highway 20 and created designs to improve its safety and accessibility

Four young adults wearing winter coats and hats stand in front of a bronze sculpture.

Sidney Park Expansion

Published
Monday, June 19, 2023
Academic year
2022-2023
Partner

For their senior capstone project in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, four students create plans to expand features in Sidney's central downtown park. The space is relatively small, but the City wanted to add a multipurpose court for both basketball and pickle ball; a restroom; storage; and increased car and bicycle parking. The team calculated the wastewater runoff created by the additional surfaces in the park and also added a rain garden.

Headshots of three young adults, one white skinned woman, one white skinned man, and one brown skinned man.

North Liberty Traffic Impact Study

Published
Monday, June 19, 2023
Academic year
2022-2023

On behalf of the City of North Liberty, a group of Civil and Engineering students reviewed current conditions at an intersection in the growing municipality. The team set up traffic counters and used that data to create a simulation model to investigate different traffic scenarios along both Ranshaw and Penn corridors.