Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Renovated Kiewit Student Study Center and Highway Design Classroom Dedicated

For nearly a year, crews worked to renovate two rooms in the CCEE department: the Kiewit Student Study Center (room 194) and Highway Design Classroom (room 196). In August, the completed rooms were dedicated in a ceremony involving students, alumni, faculty, and industry personnel.

Kiewit Student Study Center

In response to student surveys indicating a study space specifically for civil and construction engineering students was necessary, the CCEE department decided to develop a group workspace. With the help of Kiewit and the College of Engineering, the CCEE department renovated room 194 in Town Engineering Building to create the new Kiewit Student Study Center. This renovation helps ensure the CCEE department meets the study needs of its students and provides adequate group interaction space to engage students in more effective group work.

The space was planned and designed by senior-level civil and construction engineering undergradu­ate students. Highlights of the room include new lighting, walls, ceiling, computer workstations, raised tables for review of plans, seating, plan stor­age, and a plasma screen for announce­ments. Future plans include the addi­tion of a copy machine.

Two small group study rooms also have been added. They include projec­tors, white boards, and storage cabinets.Funding for the renovation was generously provided by the Iowa State University College of Engineering and Kiewit.

Highway Design Classroom

Almost all civil engineering students take a highway design course during their senior year. This course involves extensive highway design laboratory experience, leading up to and involving the production of grading, profile, cross-section, and pavement plans for a hypo­thetical, but realistic, highway project. That’s why the CCEE department created the Highway Design Classroom.

This classroom provides Iowa State civil engineering students with job-related experience on state-of-the-art equipment. This experi­ence will make students more market­able and valuable to employers than students graduating from universities lacking the ability to provide real-world highway design experience. Highway design classes started using the new high­way design classroom this fall.

Other civil engineering students in areas such as design of bridges, drainage systems, and structures also may use the design classroom in the future to provide similar real-world design experience.

The highway design classroom previously was used to store survey equipment. It was remodeled to provide improved lighting and HVAC; team cubicles with dual-monitor design computers; a long conference table for layout of strip aerial photos and plots, and for large group collaboration; and wall space for highway plans.

The room also will include a teach­ing kiosk (with a computer and DVD player) and instructor computer.

Support for the classroom was generously provided by HDR, HR Green, Snyder & Associates, Gerald and Audrey Olson, the College of Engineering, and the CCEE department.