Digital Infrastructure Engineering Systems

Digital infrastructure is critical for human development, for social, economic and political inclusion, resilience, and for sustainable management of resources. At the core of digital infrastructure is the concept of location.  Climate change can only be observed in relation to locations. Climate action in agriculture, environmental protection, or urban planning relies on location information. Disaster response to protect life, infrastructure, and properties relies on location information. Renewable energy production and energy distribution relies on location information. The tracking of containers, parcels, and vehicles for efficiency in resource consumption or emissions relies on location information. Shared mobility in the city is relying on location information. Contact tracing in public health relies on location information. Digital infrastructure drives how information is formed or sourced, how resources are managed, and how complex systems can be successfully managed or predicted. Practically each sustainable development goal of the United Nations requires digital infrastructure.

This subject introduces you to the use of digital infrastructure. The subject will transform the way you understand and visualise our geographic environments in digital systems. In detail, this subject will cover underlying and cross-disciplinary concepts of geographically referenced information and geographic information systems (GIS), and techniques and challenges of analysing and visualizing this information. You will apply these new skills in a project on data integration, analysis, and cartographic representation to support multi-criteria decision making in a planning task relating to climate adaptation, urban sustainability, or similar. You will also hear from professional experts about the broad range of applications in industry, governance and non-governmental organisations.

Students who are not familiar with the software used in this subject must make themselves familiar before the semester starts. Familiarity is a condition (a hurdle requirement) for this subject. LMS will provide pointers and material for learning on your own initiative in the pre-teaching period.

Next to learning how to use professional GIS software in a major project, the subject also provides a systematic introduction to professional skills, and an active learning experience requiring attendance in person.

Please view this video for further information: Applying Digital Infrastructure

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AIMS

Many engineering disciplines make use of numerical solutions to computational problems. In this subject students will be introduced to the key elements of programming in a high level language, and will then use that skill to explore methods for solving numerical problems in a range of discipline areas.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Algorithmic problem solving
• Fundamental data types: numbers and characters
• Approximation and errors in numerical computation
• Fundamental program structures: sequencing, selection, repetition, functions
• Simple data storage structures, variables, arrays, and structures
• Roots of equations and of linear algebraic equations
• Curve fitting and splines
• Interpolation and extrapolation
• Numerical differentiation and integration

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This subject will introduce students to principles, technologies and procedures used for sensing and measurement of different physical environments and explore how the collected information supports decision making in various applications. This subject explains the theoretical and practical aspects of mapping the physical world to a digital representation. Students will learn the concept of a digital twin, the role of sensing and measuring for connecting the physical world with its digital representations, and exemplary applications of sensing and measuring in the domain of infrastructure engineering. The practical sessions will give hands-on experience with a range of sensing and measurement technologies in a problem-solving context. Students who develop proficiency in the practice of this subject will be able to apply this knowledge in the workplace for capturing and sensing the environment.

The subject content is based on the fundamental insight that, since no exact measurement exists, we always observe phenomena with uncertainty. Error theory and concepts of sensing and measurement are discussed and accompanied by computations such as levelling, traversing, IoT, positioning, deformation monitoring, map projections and the shape of the Earth, data capturing, map preparation and incorporation of field surveys into drafting, modelling applications, and Digital Twins. The fieldwork will make arrangements for students.

Please view this video for further information: Sensing and Measurement

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Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering focuses on sustainable design, and the creation of engineering solutions minimising impact on the environment while maximising societal benefit. A series of guest lectures from well-known domain experts, will highlight contemporary and future demands on infrastructure, exploring holistic engineering solutions.

In concert with these guest lectures, the foundations and methods of sustainability assessment will be established such as the engineering metrics functionality or longevity. Environmental, economic and social assessment methods will be introduced, widening the awareness of the overall impact and side effects of engineering projects. Selecting indicators and measuring them on carefully established scales, students will gain a holistic understanding of the complexities of – and potential trade-offs in – decision-making, including considerations of social equity, quality of life and wellbeing. Techniques like life-cycle analysis, material (flow) balance, and footprint analysis will be introduced together with transferable skills like technical report writing. In parallel, students will learn about the influential role that infrastructure plays in shaping communities, both short-term and long-term, in a staged design project.

This subject is essential for students in an infrastructure engineering discipline – civil engineering, digital infrastructure engineering, or environmental engineering. It is also relevant to students with an interest in an environmental, economic or social domain who seek to better understand the role of the engineered built environment in their discipline.

Please view this video for further information: Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering

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AIMS

This subject will focus on how risk analysis and management principles and techniques can be applied to engineering projects. The subject introduces a range of risk analysis techniques, which are put in the context of engineering projects and analysed using the framework of the risk standard (AS ISO 31000:2018). Risk is a fundamental concept that is applied to every engineering project, whether it is ascertaining the risk of health impacts of water treatment processes, prevention of loss of life by flood mitigation projects, or catastrophic losses caused by the failure of structure in earthquakes or storms.
The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in Engineering management, but is also of relevance to a range of engineering design disciplines where design for the total life cycle of the product or infrastructure should be considered.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include: an introduction to the history of engineering failures; the forms of risk and risk identification; project risk analysis; the sociological implications of acceptable risk; approaches to risk management, monitoring for compliance, risk perception and design implications.

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AIMS

This subject will introduce students to the use of imagery in the mapping of both human and natural environments. Imaging is often the most convenient way to gain spatial information about the environment, especially for large areas. Analysis and interpretation of the imagery requires understanding the principles of electromagnetic radiation, interaction of light with the atmosphere and the object surface, and how the reflected light is recorded by the imaging sensors. This enables the students to identify and analyse the image content such as different land cover types, vegetation, water, and man-made objects. Once interpreted, the information must be communicated to others, usually in the form of maps or reports. This subject builds on a student’s knowledge of the physical and built environment relevant to their discipline and allows them to interpret and communicate that knowledge. On completion of the subject students should have the skills to perform routine image analysis tasks in the workplace using industry standard software. The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in infrastructure engineering, civil engineering, property management, surveying, spatial information and urban planning but is also relevant to a range of disciplines where imaging should be considered.

Please view this video for further information: Imaging the Environment

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In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, Digital Infrastructures (DI) serve as the essential framework enabling governments, industries, and societies to adapt to global challenges and market evolution. Drawing on knowledge from surveying, location intelligence, and allied fields, this subject introduces the foundational principles, concepts, and design strategies required for robust DI development.

Students will explore how to overcome the limitations of isolated, disconnected systems by establishing seamless data flow and interoperability. By examining the integration of hardware, software, networks, databases, and applications, this subject highlights how DIs act as an enabling platform for efficient data exchange, improved decision-making, and streamlined business processes. This subject covers innovative methodologies and technologies shaping the future of connected systems, including:

• Data Systems & Management: Data interoperability, multi-sourced data integration, data sharing, discovery, access, and use.
• Emerging Technologies: The Internet of Things (IoT), web-mapping, web-delivery, and the latest developments in Digital Twin technology.
• Governance & Frameworks: Technical governance, national and international data infrastructure frameworks, institutional policies, strategies, and standards.
• Global Impact: The role of DIs in driving sustainability and supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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This subject provides a basis for students in the Digital Infrastructure Systems major to integrate and apply the knowledge they have gained throughout their studies to solve real-world problems. The students will work on projects to use knowledge of sensing, measurement, imaging, information system and information infrastructures. They will apply the acquired knowledge from their fundamental training and demonstrate an ability to design sustainable engineering projects. The subject will also provide ample opportunity for the students to gain experience and skills in how to conduct a real-world, client-driven, interdisciplinary project, including important communication and organizational skills.

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