Transportation CAD-Laboratory: An Education Project: Final Report

01001206606412692005Final Report, Year 16 (Sept '03 - Aug '04)PDFTech ReportProject No. UMEE16-9DTRS99-G-0001College studentsComputer aided designQuality of workSoftwareParking lotsPresentationCAD designStudent workColor coded graduated threat alertsPublic TransportationSecurity and EmergenciesUnited StatesMaineNew England University Transportation CenterMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyGarder, Per E.University of Maine at Orono. Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyNew England University Transportation CenterUniversity Transportation Centers Program (U.S.)US Transportation CollectionThis report describes the restructuring of transportation courses at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maine to use CAD-software in student project designs. The current version of Bentley\u2019s MicroStation for Windows x86 is used. This report shows examples of student work from the 2004/2005 academic year. The overall effect of introducing computer-aided help, i.e. the Microstation software, as a design tool in the transportation courses is that the presentation quality of the designs have improved. Overall, the technical quality may not have improved but neither has it been impacted negatively. A major advantage with computer aided design is that modifications of \u2018final\u2019 drafts can be done numerous times without losing quality as when hand drawings are modified (irrespective of if ink or pencil is used). Other advantages are that measurements become more precise and that repeated characteristics easily can be duplicated. A major disadvantage is the time it takes students to learn to master the not so user-friendly software. Also, sketching which can be integrated when doing pencil designs still has to be done before going into the computer-based design.74