MSc Bridge Engineering

Entry standards

A minimum of 60 percent in an honours degree in civil engineering or equivalent. Alternatively, at least five years’ relevant industrial experience (preferably design) or a professional qualification. 

English language requirements

Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).

Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.

MSc Bridge Engineering - structure and modules

Module Titles

Specific Bridge Engineering Modules

• Bridge Deck Loading and Analysis
• Bridge Management 
• Long Span Bridges 
• Steel and Composite Bridge Design 
• Pre-stressed Concrete Bridge Design 
• Durability of Bridges and Structures 

Module Overview

There are over 30 modules available, each worth 15 credits, covering the general areas of bridge engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, water engineering, transport planning and construction management. The MSc is classified as technical for the purposes of accreditation by the relevant professional bodies. 

Specific Bridge Engineering Modules: 

Bridge Deck Loading and Analysis 

Loading: types of load; traffic loads; application of loads; load combinations; partial safety factors; shrinkage and temperature loads; the use of influence lines. Analysis: types of bridge deck and their behaviour; distribution of loads; skew deck analysis; use of influence surfaces; computer methods (grillage, finite element, finite strip). 

Bridge Management 

Inspection, assessment and strengthening; technical approval procedures; maintenance strategies, systems and procedures; whole-life costing and asset management; the assessment of reinforced concrete, pre-stressed concrete, steel and composite bridges; load testing of bridges; methods of strengthening; the design of bridges for durability of maintenance. 

Long Span Bridges 

Historical perspective and case studies; the analysis, design and construction of long span cable supported bridges; the design of main elements – cables, towers, hangers, deck and foundations; construction processes; aerodynamic considerations. 

Steel and Composite Bridge Design 

Propped and unpropped construction; serviceability and ultimate limit states; design for bending, shear and combined bending and shear, continuous construction, plastic analysis; reference to current codes of practice; the design of steel plate girders for shear and bending interaction; the design of transverse stiffeners; fatigue behaviour of steel bridges and connections; appraisal to Part 10 BS 5400; means of improving fatigue performance of steel bridges; the design of bolted and welded steel bridge connections; the design of longitudinally and transversely stiffened webs and flanges for box girders; the design of plate elements, longitudinal stiffeners and cross frames.

Pre-stressed Concrete Bridge Design 

Pre-stressed concrete: simple design equations; kern limits; losses; cable design; end block design; differential shrinkage; continuous beams. Box girders: design concept; construction methods; cost benefits; global analysis; pre-stress design; distortion effects; end blocks; diaphragms; reinforcement. 

Durability of Bridges and Structures 

Overview of durability; the durability of concrete, metals, reinforcement in concrete and polymers; testing and monitoring structures; the assessment of structures, repair methods and materials; the design and construction of durable structures; failures of durability and their consequences.

To achieve the MSc Bridge Engineering you will need to pass eight modules, with at least four being chosen from the Bridge Engineering group of modules and a further two being chosen from the Structural or Bridge Engineering groups of modules. The remaining two modules are a free choice from all the Civil Engineering module groups.

Programme Structure 

The modular arrangement is intended to tailor the programme to your individual needs and provide maximum flexibility in terms of attendance of full-time and part-time students. 

The majority of modules run for ten weeks and comprise approximately 30 hours (three hours per week) of class time and 120 hours of self-study and assignments. 

Successful completion of four modules is required for a student to gain a Postgraduate Certificate, eight modules for a Postgraduate Diploma. Eight modules and a dissertation are required for the award of an MSc. 

Individual modules can be used to contribute towards a continuing professional development programme.

Mode of Study 

Apart from the usual full-time mode, there are also part-time options. The majority of Bridge, Geotechnical and Structural Engineering modules can be studied by distance learning through the use of an interactive web-based e-learning platform (ULearn). 

Civil Engineering Module Groups 

MSc programmes in Bridge Engineering, Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering share module options. The modules fall under six streams of study: 

Bridge Engineering modules 

• Bridge Management 
• Bridge Deck Loading and Analysis 
• Durability of Bridges and Structures 
• Pre-stressed Concrete Bridge Design 
• Steel and Composite Bridge Design 
• Long Span Bridges 

Structural Engineering modules 

• Steel Building Design 
• Space Structures 
• Structural Mechanics and Finite Elements 
• Concrete Building Design 
• Structural Safety and Reliability 
• Earthquake Engineering 
• Design of Masonry Structures 

Construction Management modules 

A number of management modules will be available covering:

• Construction Organisation 
• Project and Risk Management 
• Construction, Management and Law

 Geotechnical Engineering modules 

• Soil–Structure Interaction 
• Geotechnical Engineering 2

Water Engineering modules* 

• Environmental Health 
• Water Treatment 
• Wastewater Treatment and Sewerage 
• Applied Chemistry and Microbiology (Intensive) 
• Pollution Control and Waste Management 
• Groundwater Control 
• Regulation and Management 
• Water Resources Management and Hydraulic Modelling 

* Currently under review.

* Students must meet prerequisites for some of these modules to be able to take them. 

Transport Planning and Practice modules

• Transport Policy 
• Transport Strategies and Interventions 
• Developing Transport Solutions 
• Transport Appraisal Methods 
• Design and Analysis of Transport Schemes 
• Asset Management and Maintenance 
• Transport Modelling 

MSc Bridge Engineering - entry standards

Entry standards

A minimum of 60 percent in an honours degree in civil engineering or equivalent. Alternatively, at least five years’ relevant industrial experience (preferably design) or a professional qualification. 

English language requirements

Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).

Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.

Planned intake

Unlimited

Start date

September, February

Programme director

• Dr Muhammad Imran Rafiq

MSc Bridge Engineering - fees and funding

Fees

Full time:

UK/EU - £5,740 
Overseas - £14,830

Part time (part time - per module and for the dissertation):

UK/EU - £638 
Overseas - £1,648

www.surrey.ac.uk/pgfees/2012

Funding

Overseas students should contact the British Council in their home country for available funding.

MSc Bridge Engineering - professional context

Professional recognition

This degree is accredited as meeting the requirements for Further Learning for a Chartered Engineering (CEng) candidate who has already acquired an Accredited CEng (Partial) BEng (Hons) or Accredited IEng (Full) BEng /BSc (Hons) undergraduate first degree.

See www.jbm.org.uk for further information.

MSc Bridge Engineering - teaching

Teaching hours

Each module corresponds to 150 hours of work, which includes 30 hours of lectures in the case of contact students.

Staff perspective

Mr Tony Thorne

As with the Structural Engineering and Civil Engineering MScs, the Bridge Engineering MSc is available by distance learning and benefits from the module notes and e-learning support in place to aid the module learning.  

As a distance-learning student, you will have the benefit of contact through e-learning with other distance-learning students and the campus-based students. As a campus-based student, you will have e-learning contact with the distance-learning students many of who will be working full time in the industry.

A project is a compulsory element of the MSc programme and to meet this requirement the Department has excellent laboratories and computing facilities, enabling a wide range of projects to be undertaken based upon current research or new, relevant industrial practice

MSc Bridge Engineering - learning

Academic Support, Facilities and Equipment 

Modules related to the different groups are taught by a total of 17 full- or part-time members of staff as well as over 20 visiting lecturers. 

An extensive library, which stocks more than 85,000 printed and e-books and more than 1400 (1100 online) journal titles, all in the broad area of engineering, caters for the students’ studying needs. The library support can be extended further through inter-library loans. 

Our excellent testing facilities can support experimentally based MSc dissertation projects. 

As part of your learning experience, you will have at your disposal a wide range of relevant software, including ANSYS, ABAQUS, DIANA, SAP 2000, Integer SuperSTRESS, LUSAS, CRISP, PertMaster and DRACULA.

Assessment 

Modules are generally assessed by a combination of examinations and continuous assessment. The latter will be based on solutions to tutorial questions, reports covering practical sessions and fieldwork, and essays on a number of suitable topics.

Each module is examined separately. There is a written final examination for most modules (some modules are examined by continuous assessment only) at the end of each semester. The modules and the dissertation have a minimum pass mark of 50 per cent.

MSc Bridge Engineering - graduate profile

MSc Bridge Engineering - more

MSc Bridge Engineering - apply

• MSc Bridge Engineering - Full-time - starting February 2012
• MSc Bridge Engineering - Part-time - starting February 2012
• MSc Bridge Engineering - Distance Learning - starting February 2012
• MSc Bridge Engineering - Full-time - starting September 2012
• MSc Bridge Engineering - Part-time - starting September 2012
• MSc Bridge Engineering - Distance Learning - starting September 2012
• MSc Bridge Engineering - Full-time - starting February 2013
• MSc Bridge Engineering - Part-time - starting February 2013
• MSc Bridge Engineering - Distance Learning - starting February 2013