SYLLABUS – ES AC030 FUNDAMENTALS OF ARCTIC ENGINEERING

Course description: ES AC030 introduces professional engineers, architects, and landscape

architects to a variety of design and construction challenges unique to cold regions of the
world. Students will gain awareness of cold regions technical problems and modern solutions
as a basis for further study.

Registration restriction: A baccalaureate degree in engineering, architecture, or landscape

architecture from an accredited institution.

Lead instructor: Orson Smith, UAA Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, is lead ES
AC030 instructor for fall 2015. See “Faculty Information” in the course web page for more
information about Dr. Smith and the other faculty members making presentations for the
course. Questions and comments should be addressed to Dr. Smith by email
(opsmith@uaa.alaska.edu).

Reading assignments: No textbook is required for the course. A bibliography of relevant

texts for reference during or following this course is included below. Reading of online
materials is assigned as part of each learning module. Module presentations consist of narrated
slide files and pdf files for saving presentation slides and narrative scripts. Module files are
located in "Course Materials" section of this web site.

Homework assignments: Homework assignments are series of questions or problem

statements for which responses are submitted online. Questions may involve multiple answers
(one or more right answers), multiple choices (one right answer), fill-in-the-blank answers, or
true/false answers. Multiple attempts are allowed for the homework quizzes, i.e., a student can
take the quiz several times to improve their score before the due date. Homework assignments
are submitted by individual students in keeping with the academic honesty provisions of the
UAA Student Code of Conduct. Due dates and times for homework assignments are given in
the Course Schedule at the end of this Syllabus.

Comprehensive Final Exam: The final exam follows the format of the homework quizzes,
except that only one submittal is allowed (unlike multiple attempts allowed for homework
quizzes). The exam is timed such that after initial access each student has at most 4.5 hours to
complete the exam. It is possible to download the exam, save progress, and return to the exam
to submit answers within the 4.5-hour time limit.

Grading policy: Student learning outcomes for this short course are assessed on a "pass/no
pass" basis. A cumulative score is computed from homework submitted on time (20%) and
the final exam (80%). A cumulative score of 70 percent or better is assessed as "pass."

© University of Alaska Anchorage 1 10/6/2015

 SYLLABUS – ES AC030 FUNDAMENTALS OF ARCTIC ENGINEERING

Outcomes: Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
 Include climate variation considerations in the Arctic designs
 Conduct elementary heat transfer calculations with correct units of measure
 Recognize effects of ice and snow on Arctic infrastructure
 Recognize effects of ground freezing on foundations and roads
 Recognize effects of freezing air temperatures and snow on building design
 Recognize errors of design of utilities due to Arctic conditions
 Recognize effects Arctic conditions on construction, winter safety and survival
 Recognize effects of Arctic conditions on mechanical and electrical engineering systems

Bibliography

 AIA Alaska, 2004. Northern Building Design, American Institute of Architects, Anchorage.
 Andersland and B. Ladanyi. 2004. Frozen Ground Engineering, 2nd. ed., ASCE Press
 ASCE Journal of Cold Regions Engineering, ASCE Press, Reston, VA.
 Doré, G. and Zubeck, H., 2009. Cold Regions Pavement Engineering, ASCE Press, Reston, VA
 Eranti, E., and Lee, G., 2000. Cold Region Structural Engineering, McGraw-Hill, NY,
 Freitag, D. and McFadden, T. 1997. Introduction to Cold Regions Engineering, ASCE Press,
Reston, VA.
 Rice, Eb, 1996. Building in the North, University of Alaska
 Smith, D. W., ed., 1996. Cold Regions Utilities Monograph, 3rd ed., ASCE Press, Reston, VA.

Professional Registration

The Alaska regulation governing registration and licensing by the State Board of Registration
for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors (12 AAC 36.110) reads "...An applicant for
registration as an architect, engineer, or landscape architect must have successfully completed
a board-approved university level course in Arctic engineering or its equivalent...." ES AC030
Fundamentals of Arctic Engineering is approved by the Board for this purpose. The Board's
Licensing Examiner is notified, with permission of each student, by the UAA College of
Engineering of the names of students who passed the course according to the grading policy
described above. Scores are not reported to the Board.

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 SYLLABUS – ES AC030 FUNDAMENTALS OF ARCTIC ENGINEERING

Course Schedule – ES AC030 Fundamentals of Arctic Engineering – Fall 2015

Date Module Topic Homework Due Date1

Number
Oct 12 1 Global Perspectives; Climate Change (Orson Smith) HW #1: October 13
Oct 13 2 Units of Measure; Heat Transfer (Orson Smith) HW #2: October 14
Oct 14 3 Ice Engineering (Jon Zufelt, Steve Daly) HW #3: October 15
Oct 15 4 Snow Engineering (Jon Zufelt) HW #4: October 16
Oct 16 5 Frozen Ground Engineering (Hannele Zubeck) HW #5: October 19
Oct 19 6 Arctic Roads (Hannele Zubeck) HW #6: October 20
Oct 20 7 Arctic Buildings (Bart Quimby) HW #7: October 21
Oct 21 8 Arctic Utilities (Dan Schubert) HW #8: October 22
Oct 22 9 Arctic Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (Dan Schubert);
Questions on these topics will appear on
Arctic Construction (Hannele Zubeck, Orson Smith)
the comprehensive final exam
Oct 12-23 10 Winter Safety and Survival (Hannele Zubeck, Orson Smith)
Oct 23 Comprehensive Final Exam: Modules 1-10 12:30 am – 11:59 pm (Alaska)

1
All work is due before 11:59 pm Alaska time

© University of Alaska Anchorage 3 10/6/2015