The University of Kansas main campus is located in Lawrence, Kansas, approximately forty miles west of Kansas City. The city of Lawrence was originally settled in 1854 for the sole purpose of having Kansas join the Union as a slavery-free state. The city began as a small outpost on the banks of the Kansas River, and much of the original atmosphere is preserved in the tree-lined main street located a few blocks from campus. The University of Kansas is committed to excellence and fosters a multicultural environment in which the dignity and rights of the individual are respected. Currently, more than 19,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate students are enrolled at KU.

The Department of Civil, Environmental,

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and Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas has excellent teaching, laboratory, and research facilities. The department is a diverse group of 30 faculty members with interests in all major areas of civil engineering. Three members of the faculty are University Distinguished Professors and one is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Research in earthquake engineering has focused on analytical modeling of structural systems and experimental testing of structural components. Work using health and performance monitoring and developing evaluation methods for structures and components complement the goals of this research. Faculty at Kansas have participated in workshops on seismic isolation, energy dissipation, control, performance-based design, and sensor technology. Following the Northridge Earthquake, members of the faculty helped analyze and evaluate the performance of reinforced concrete buildings and steel connections. Faculty from Kansas also traveled to Turkey following the 1999 earthquake events to document and analyze the distribution of damage to reinforced concrete structures in northwestern Anatolia. There is faculty participation in the FEMA-funded SAC Steel Project.

Research and Educational Facilities

The structural-testing laboratory at the University of Kansas has static and servo-hydraulic test equipment. The structural test bay has 4,000 square feet of open laboratory area, with a clear height of 28 ft. for large-scale structural testing. Loads up to 100 kips can be applied on 3 ft. centers over a 50 ft. by 80 ft. area by static jack systems. A 110-kip MTS structural test system is used for cyclic and dynamic testing of full-scale structural components within the test bay. A 55-kip MTS hydraulic actuator and four 10-in. stroke, 150-kip hydraulic rams were recently purchased for the structures laboratory.

The structural engineering materials laboratory has hydraulic and mechanical testing machines with static loading capabilities up to 200 kips. Thirty-five-kip and 110-kip closed-loop, servo-hydraulic universal testing systems are used in conjunction with data acquisition systems for materials testing. A Hewlett-Packard measurement plotting system is used to monitor high-speed tests. The lab is equipped to run standard rapid and medium-term corrosion tests of reinforcing steel. The laboratory is a 1,800 square foot facility with independent temperature, humidity, and dust control systems, and provides a stable environment for material tests.

The Engineering Microanalysis Laboratory is equipped with a Philips 515 Scanning Electron Microscope, an ELMDAS Digital Image Acquisition System, and an EDAX PV-9900 Energy Dispersive Spectrometer with light element capability. Specimens are coated using a Technics Hummer X Sputter Coater.

The faculty has dedicated class time and resources to provide quality education of earthquake engineering principles to engineering students and design professionals. In addition to traditional lessons of structural dynamics and earthquake engineering, graduate courses are offered on modeling techniques for nonlinear and linear analysis, soil-structure interaction, seismic detailing practices, structural rehabilitation, fracture mechanics, performance-based design, composite materials behavior and design for construction and repair, and methods for nondestructive evaluation. The student chapter of EERI is very active with speakers and field trips in the region and across the country.

The University of Kansas plays an important role in providing continuing education for design professionals in nearby Kansas City. To fill this role, weekly seminars are offered in the spring, and the annual KU Structures Conference traditionally draws over 400 engineers from the region. Each program involves several presentations regarding new research or state-of-the-art practices for earthquake-resistant design and analysis procedures. The presentations always receive high enrollments and result in quality interaction with the design community.

Degree Programs

The Master of Science degree program in civil engineering is for students who have a baccalaureate degree in civil engineering or a closely related engineering area, and who have either a broad interest in civil engineering or a particular interest in structures, soil mechanics and foundations, transportation, construction, or engineering mechanics. There are two options for completing the M.S. degree. Option 1 requires 30 hours of credit including a thesis of 6 hours, and requires a final oral examination including defense of the thesis. Option 2 requires 30 hours of credit including a 3- or 4-hour special problem investigation in the major of interest, and requires a final examination. Option 2 does not require a thesis.

The Master of Civil Engineering degree provides an option for working professionals who need the research component offered by the five M.S. degrees. A baccalaureate engineering degree is required for admission. This degree requires two courses in engineering management to complement the technical engineering graduate courses. A final written examination covering the technical specialty is required unless the student passed the Professional Engineers examination. The Master of Civil Engineering degree requires 34 semester hours of graduate course work, of which a minimum of 7 hours must be in engineering management core courses.

The programs leading to degrees of Doctor of Philosophy with a major in civil engineering and the Doctor of Engineering degree cover the full range of engineering disciplines represented in the department. An aspirant for the Ph.D. degree must pass a qualifying examination. The department normally gives this examination upon completion of the M.S. work or at a comparable level for non-M.S. students. The candidate must possess basic skills in two of the following areas: foreign language, computer skills, mathematical skills, laboratory techniques, or physical and biological science skills. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must also satisfy all Graduate School requirements for the degree. Requirements for the Doctor of Engineering degree are in accordance with the requirements of the School of Engineering.

In addition to programs on the Lawrence campus, the graduate faculty regularly teaches evening courses on the Edwards campus in the Kansas City area for employed graduate engineers working toward one of the master’s degrees offered in the Department.

Applications

There are various financial aid packages available, including teaching and research assistantships and fellowships. Applications for admission to the graduate program are accepted year-round, but applicants seeking financial assistance for the fall semester should be submitted before February 15 for scholarships and fellowships and before April 15 for teaching or research assistantships.

For more information about the programs of study and admission procedures please contact Reta Solwa at solwa@ku.edu, (785)-864-3826, or visit the website at http://ceae/ku.edu