CEE 218 Term Project, Part 1

January 16, 2005

1 Introduction
Engineering generally deals with problems that involve a relatively high degree of
complexity a result of interconnections between social, environmental, technical, and
other factors. In fact, engineering designs seldom involve purely technical considerations,
because the solutions that engineers develop must interact with what already exists in the
real world.
As examples of this interaction, consider that a bridge connects existing road
networks, building designs take into account other buildings and infrastructure around the
proposed site, and flood management structures generally protect regions that already
contain buildings and infrastructure. In other words, the context of an engineering problem
is important, and any design that fails to consider this context is likely to fail. Therefore,
designs of bridges, buildings, flood management infrastructure, and other structures
explicitly consider social and environmental factors, with such considerations generally
mandatory for obtaining construction approvals. For example, before a design of a flood
management structure is approved by an appropriate government agency, environmental
assessments and public hearings must be completed in order to investigate the possible
negative effects of the proposed structure on the surrounding environment and society.
From a practical perspective, the linkages between so many different elements of the
real world can be difficult to identify; however, it is important to consider the technical,
social and environmental factors among others that influence any engineering design.
Systems theory and systems engineering provide guidance in this respect. Therefore, the
purpose of this project is to introduce you to these problem-solving approaches, and to help
you to see the links between what may initially seem to be separate systems. You will then
begin to view engineering design as part of a larger picture.

2 Project Definition
The West London Dyke, which has a length of roughly 2400 m and lies along the
west bank of the North Branch and the north bank of the Main Branch of the Thames River
in London Ontario, was first built in the 19th century and then rebuilt in 1914. As one of
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many flood management projects in the region that reduce the risks of both loss of life and
property damage, the dyke protects roughly 1000 homes in West London from flood
damage the Thames River is susceptible to serious flooding.
A routine inspection of flood management structures in 2004 found serious damage
in a 350 m section of the West London Dyke and stated that repair was not possible.
Instead, the dyke requires replacement:
It was concluded that a significant portion of the 350 m section of the dyke has
come to the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced rather than repaired
(West London Dyke report, 2006)
According to the inspection, the average height of the dyke is currently 0.7 m below the
regulatory 1:100-year flood event line, and the new dyke must provide protection against a
1:250-year flood event.
The main objective of this project is to examine the options for reconstruction of the
West London Dyke, using the tools and techniques presented in this course. After each
major section of the course, you will be required to submit, as a team, each component of
the project there will be five components in all. You will be given instructions and groupwork time on each component of the project during the tutorial periods. Please note,
therefore, that you are required to attend all tutorials. We will take attendance weekly.
At the end of the term, a final report (one per group) must be submitted that ties
together the different topics of the course. Further instructions on this part of the project
will be provided at a later date.

3 Project Component 1: Problem Formulation

3.1 Quantitative versus Qualitative Criteria
Traditional engineering criteria are generally quantitative, and your years at Western will
provide ample opportunity for you to acquaint yourself with these issues. The following are
examples of quantitative criteria:
1. How high must the dyke be to protect against a flood of x magnitude?
2. What is the required length of the dyke?
3. How much soil must be excavated for the foundation of the dyke?
4. What is the amount of material required for the dyke itself and for the backfill? What
are the prices of each component?
5. What are the rates for labour and for equipment rental for the project?
6. What is the total project duration?
7. What is the cost of the entire project? Is it too high?
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When engineering projects involve social and environmental factors, qualitative criteria
often become important too. If bridges, buildings, and flood management structures were
required only to be functional, it is likely that each would have a fixed, optimal design that
would remain relatively unchanged over time. However, as Henry Petroski points out in To
Engineer is Human (1992: 2),
[The human] world does not have the constancy of a honeycombs design,
changeless through countless generations of honeybees, for human structures
involve constant and rapid evolution. It is not simply that we like change for the
sake of change It is that human tastes, resources, and ambitions do not stay
constant. We humans like our structures to be as fashionable as our art
Engineering designs, then, are subject to changes in the tastes of society as well as to
structural issues, and many of these important social and environmental factors are not
easily quantified. For example, while we can often say that our design must not risk the
survival of rare ecosystems, or that it must not clash visually with surrounding architecture,
the importance of these factors is difficult to express in numerical form. The best we can
do, in general, is to express the relative importance of various social, environmental,
economic and technical factors.
Therefore according to Kulak and Gilmor (1998)1, a designer must:
1. Provide a safe, reliable structure that satisfactorily performs the function for
which it was intended;
2. Provide a structure that is economical to build and to maintain; and,
3. In most cases, provide a structure that is aesthetically pleasing.
Qualitative issues in engineering design can be divided into many categories, some of
which include,
1. The level of creativity. Even though every flood management structure is designed
to serve essentially the same purpose (i.e., protection from floods), each design
presents its own unique challenges. In the case of a proposed dyke, the designer
must determine the best location, best type, dyke length and height, and so on, that
solves the given problem while attaining maximum safety level at the minimal cost.
Sometimes this can be achieved by using new approaches and standards that result
from modern scientific research.

1 Kulak, G.L., and M.I. Gilmor. (1998). Limit States Design in Structural Steel. Canadian Institute of Steel
Construction, Willowdale, Ontario.
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2. Practical Considerations. All flood management structures are designed and built to
protect people and property from serious flooding. The design should take into
account basic safety and economic factors, and should follow established
construction practices (this helps to minimize costs). However, sometimes
innovative approaches can prove to be financially sound and should then be used.
3. Project Aesthetics. This aspect of flood management structure design is one that
leaves the most impression on people. We remember structures that stand out. If a
person doesnt feel protected by the new structure, chances are, he or she will
choose not to live near it. If the public finds the structure ugly, nearby property
values may decline and such decline does not come without a political impact.
4. Character. Buildings, bridges, and other structures should possess a certain
character about them. The West London Dyke protects a popular and busy area of
the city, with Harris Park on one side of the river and Labatt Park on the other.
Enhancing the pleasant and peaceful feelings inspired by a walk along the top of the
dyke is an important consideration in the final design.
5. Structural Proportions. The proportions of the flood management structure should
achieve harmony with its environment; therefore, a structure should not stick out,
unless the specific intention of its designers is to draw the publics attention. Large
government buildings remind the public of the governments presence, which is
intended to reassure citizens in a country like Canada; looming dykes remind the
public of serious danger, which will likely frighten citizens living nearby.
In summary, traditional design concepts are closely interconnected with many social and
environmental considerations in contemporary engineering, which means that quantitative
and qualitative considerations greatly influence one another. Table 1 gives examples of
factors to consider in design, as well as specifics that need to be considered in the case of
the West London Dyke please note that the list is by no means complete.
Table 1: Design factors and design specifics
Factors

Specifics

Technical

Location

Functional

Length and height

Economic

Material type

Construction

Dyke design

Geometry

River bed

Environment

Changes in flow pattern

Social

Dyke appearance
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To understand the interaction between the general factors and the specifics, you must
realize that, in every design, each affects the other. For example, the economic
requirements (a factor) drive the choice of materials (a specific) to be used for example,
you would not expect the dyke to be made of stainless steel while the material type (a
specific) affects the construction scheme (a factor), with one procedure for concrete and a
different procedure for earthen structures. Next, the construction scheme affects both the
environment and the economy (both factors), since inefficient construction methods arent
good for either. Thus, quantitative and qualitative considerations have influenced each
other such that we have come full circle, having started and ended with the economic
requirement. There are links other than those mentioned above; however, we leave those
for you to investigate in your project.

3.2 Problem Formulation

Each group has been hired to prepare a replacement plan for the West London Dyke.
As part of the preliminary analysis, you will answer the following questions:
1. How would you rank the relative importance of the factors listed in Table 1, and
why would you rank them in this fashion? (There are no right answers here, but
some answers are better than others. Remember, as a firm hired to plan the
replacement of the West London Dyke, you must be able to explain your rationale to
the City of London, to other engineers, to the public in general, and to public interest
groups).
2. Apply the systems approach from section 2.2 of your notes to the design of the West
London Dyke. Recall that the systems approach is a framework for analysis and
decision making. It does not solve problems, but does allow the decision maker to
undertake resolution of a problem in a logical, rational manner. The systems
approach has the following steps:
a. Definition of the problem;
b. Gathering of data;
c. Development of criteria for evaluating alternatives;
d. Formulation of alternatives;
e. Evaluation of alternatives;
f.

Choosing the best alternative; and,

g. Final design/plan implementation.

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In applying the systems approach, you will need to identify design (or decision)
variables, objectives (or objective functions) and constraints for both the quantitative
and qualitative aspects of the design. For example, in terms of quantitative criteria,
an objective function could involve minimization of dyke costs. Constraints could
involve length of the replacement area or the area that can be disturbed (remember,
the dyke is located in a settled area), and the design variables could be the amounts
of construction materials. Of course, the above is a preliminary list you will have
to expand on such a list significantly, and include (brief) justification for your
choices. For the qualitative criteria, you must also identify decision variables,
objectives, and constraints. Where possible, you must identify units; otherwise, you
may use scales (from 1 to 5, for example), linguistic interpretations (such as poor,
good, very good, excellent), or any other weighting method you think is appropriate.
3. The project presentation (from the first tutorial on Jan 9, 2007)2 showed a set of four
options for dyke reconstruction. These options include:
a. A pre-cast reinforced earth system;
b. A reinforced concrete cantilever wall;
c. A pre-cast concrete revetment (essentially a reconstruction of what is already
present); and,
d. A pre-cast modular block structure.
Using the following figures (also on course website) of these replacement options,
identify design/decision variables, objectives, and constraints based on your answers
to part 2, above.

See course website for a copy of the presentation

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CEE 218 Term Project, Part 2

February 6, 2007

1 Introduction
This part of your project deals with simulation models, and in particular with the system
dynamics simulation methodology. At the most basic level, a model is a simplified
representation of reality. This means that a modeller must choose which parts of a real
world system to include in the model and which parts to ignore. This kind of picking-andchoosing depends on the problem definition and specified system boundaries.
As an example of a model, consider a city map. City maps omit many details, such as
houses, trees, car dealerships and so on, so that one can identify the interested features
quickly, rather than being overwhelmed by unnecessary information. To build useful
models, a fine balance must be struck. Modellers follow a general rule in doing this, where
they: MODEL THE PROBLEM, NOT THE SYSTEM. Therefore, before undertaking any
modelling work, the problem must be clearly defined.
In this part of the project, you will apply the system dynamics simulation method
and simulate long term regional flood protection in the vicinity of the Forks of the Thames,
located in downtown London. You may recall that system dynamics is based on explicit
modelling of feedback loops.
The important message here is that system dynamics clarifies the internal structure
of the system under study, allowing one to examine the relationships between different
parts of the system. With some skill in system simulation, we can use the lessons we learn
from such models and make decisions in the real world.
Through this simulation approach, we can investigate connections between parts of
the model by changing values of different variables or equations connecting them, and
seeing the effects of these changes. Recall that such changes represent real world decisions,
and should therefore be realistic and practical. As you consider the assignment below,
remember that system dynamics focuses on modelling problems with a number of
components connected together with feedback loops.

2 Project Component 2: Simulating Flood Protection

You are asked to create a system dynamics simulation model for the region of the City
of London that lies behind the West London Dyke. The purpose of the model is to
investigate long term impact of the flood management infrastructure on regional
demographics. The study area is bounded by Oxford Street to the north, Riverside Drive to
the south, Wharncliffe Road to the west, and the Thames River to the east. Assume that the
area under study currently holds about 1,000 homes, and that all lots contain houses (which
may or may not be occupied). The number of people currently residing in the area can be
taken as 1,500, while 4 persons/house is taken to be the maximum. Each house is
estimated to be worth approximately $120,000 on average, and the value of the contents
inside each house is about 30% of the home's value (i.e., each house is therefore worth
$120,000 x 1.3 = $156,000). It is estimated that under the best of economic conditions
(with increased levels of development), average worth of each house in the region will jump
to $200,000, while the value of contents is expected to increase to 40%.
[Loop 1] As the region under consideration is an older part of the city, it is
reasonable to assume that some of the older dwellings may be unoccupied, or if they are
occupied, they may not always be occupied at capacity. As more people move to the area
(and regional rate of in migration increases), the overall population is expected to increase
as well. As this happens, the region may see more businesses and services move to the
area; this means more restaurants, shops, malls, banks, etc. An increase in the economic
well being of the area is expected to bring additional people (increasing in migration rate),
thus fuelling growth and further increasing the regional population.
[Loop 2] However, the regional population can not grow forever, as there is a
limited number of homes/apartments available in the region. As the population grows and
more people find homes in the area, the regional occupancy is expected to gradually grow.
Occupancy may be defined as a percentage of occupied space in each house. For example if
a house can comfortably hold four people, and if only two people currently reside at the
residence, the occupancy ratio is 0.5. As the occupancy begins to reach its capacity,
population growth is expected to gradually slow, as additional dwellings may not be readily
available (or if they are available, they are expected to be very expensive). This means that
it will be increasingly difficult for potential new residents to find affordable dwellings (as
dwellings are no longer available), thus discouraging further in migration to the area
thereby lowering population.
[Loop 3] The level of flood protection also places a limit to area's growth and
expansion. Flood protection is defined here as a level of safety offered by the dyke and
other flood management infrastructure. For example, a higher dyke offers a greater level of
flood protection than a dyke of lower elevation. Assume that a direct link exists between
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increased population, occupancy and further development. As occupancy increases and

more people end up living in the area, it is expected that a level of development in the area
will also increase. Increased level of development implies residents will invest in home
improvement, renovation, use of basements, and other activities that will tend to increase
the value of their homes and its contents. This implies that the dyke and other flood
management measures will be expected to protect more properties, therefore increasing the
amount of protected assets. As this happens, desired level of flood protection will also
increase, as the residents are expected to want their assets to be adequately protected from
floods.
Therefore, if the desired flood level protection increases, the gap between the
current level of flood protection rendered by the dyke and the desired flood level of flood
protection is lowered. As the gap decreases, existing residents are expected to feel less and
less secure about being able to cope with future flooding. This feeling is expected to make
the area unattractive to future residents, therefore reducing in migration rates eventually
lowering population.
[Loop 4] In order to cope with inadequate levels of current flood protection, the city
and its residents may initiate policies to expand the current level of flood protection, and
thus widen the gap between desired and current floods protection levels. As the gap
decreases, perceived need to invest in additional flood protection increases, which after
feasibility studies and expert reports, eventually leads to expansion of the current level of
flood protection. This expansion may involve repairing and/or rebuilding the dyke, or initiate
other policies to enhance flood protection. As the current level of flood protection is
increased, the gap widens, and the residents once again feel more safe and secure,
therefore allowing population growth to increase.

2.1 Questions
1. Create a causal loop diagram of the entire problem. Explain clearly the choice of your
newly added variables, together with their names. Illustrate how the variables link
together within the proposed model, and explain the feedback loop(s) they create.
Label all link and loop polarities.
2. Translate the causal loop diagram into a stock and flow structure in Vensim, but
ignore Loop 4 (i.e., assume that the current level of flood protection is set to some
value). Trace out the loops in the stock and flow diagram, and link it to loops of your
causal loop diagram. Make sure all variables have appropriate units. Note that you
may have more variables in the stock and flow model that in the causal loop, as you
may have to include extra variables as intermediate steps.
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3. Enter the necessary equations and data into your stock and flow model. Provide your
reasoning and justification of your proposed formulation. List all relevant data used.
4. Run the model and provide graphical output that illustrates the model behaviour
under the base case (as is scenario). Next, increase the variable that describes the
current level of flood protection, and compare the model output with the output from
the base case scenario. In essence, this scenario simulates the expansion of the
dyke, and should show the impact dyke (and other flood protection measures) will
have on the regional demographics. As the third scenario alter the relationship used
to link occupancy to protected assets, and provide its results in graphical form
(again, compare it against the base case scenario). This scenario is expected to show
the impact of altered investment practises in flood damage protection on regional
population.

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CEE 218 Term Project, Part 3

February 23, 2007

1. Introduction
In the previous section, you learned to use simulation technique to understand the
behaviour of a system under changing conditions. This section deals with an optimization
technique that allows us to find the best (optimal) solution from a set of alternatives. By
this time, you are aware that most civil engineering problems aim to optimize (maximize or
minimize) an objective in the form of an objective function while satisfying some
restrictions, in the form of constraints.

Depending on the type and complexity of the

problem, different methodologies are available to obtain the optimal solution. For example,
optimization problems limited to one or two variables can be solved using graphical
methods, but for problems with more variables, graphical methods can no longer be used
and appropriate mathematical methods are necessary. If the objective can be expressed as
a continuous objective function that has first and second derivatives, the Method of Calculus
is an efficient way to solve both constrained and unconstrained optimization problems.
This section will give you the opportunity to apply optimization by calculus for your dyke
design problem.

2. Problem formulation
In reconstruction of the West London Dyke, West bank of the channel requires attention.
For the west bank, the existing dyke will be removed and replaced by a new dyke according
to the instructions below. Options for reconstruction of the West London Dyke include:
(1) The creation of a rock-faced dyke similar to the existing dyke (see Case 1),
(2) The erection of a concrete flood-wall at the river bank (see Case 2), and,
(3) The construction of a simple earthen dyke (see Case 3).

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CASE 1: Rock faced dyke

Water level for 250 year

Rock lining
Earth fill

East side

West side

(Harris Park)

(Labatt Park)

X1
X=15 m

CASE 2: Vertical concrete flood wall

Water level for 250 year

Vertical concrete floodwall

Earth fill

West side
East side

(Labatt Park)

(Harris Park)
X1

CASE 3: Earthen dyke

Water level for 250 year

Earth

Earth fill
East side

West side

(Harris Park)

(Labatt Park)
X1
X = 28 m

The dyke on the west side must provide protection against a 250-year flood event.

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Preliminary cost-benefit analysis has concluded that the cost of the project should include
costs of labour, material, maintenance and other, that are all functions of dyke volume (to
be calculated from the height, width and length of the structure). Benefits are generally a
little more complicated, since two factors are under consideration: level of flood damage
prevention and aesthetics of the dyke. Each additional unit of dyke height provides more
protection to the area behind, and therefore serves as a measure of direct benefit - the
increase in property value protected by the dyke.

However, above a certain height, the

dyke will dominate the local landscape and cause properties close to the dyke to become
less attractive, resulting in decreased of property value.
You can consider that the total value of protected properties will increase by $1,000,000 for
every meter of increase in dyke height. Decrease in total value of protected properties,
above a certain dyke height, will be $500 for every meter of dyke height squared. In other
words the benefit function will take the following form:
B = 1,000,000 [$/m] *dyke height [m] 500 [$/m2] *(dyke height)2 [m2]
Use the following costs for the West Dyke construction:
For rock faced dyke (rock lining + earth + labour + maintenance) = $1000/m3
For vertical concrete flood wall (concrete + earth + labour + maintenance) = $200/m3 and
For earthen dyke (earth + labour + maintenance) = $500/m3
Constraints:
For Case 1 (rock faced dyke)

: The slope of the dyke (height:width) = 1:1.65

For Case 2 (concrete flood wall) : The height (h) of the dyke
For Case 3 (earthen dyke)

= width (X1) of the dyke

: The slope of the dyke (height:width) = 1:3

2.1 Questions
1. For each case, clearly define: your decision variables; the objective function; and the
constraint.
2. Find the optimal dimensions of the dyke for each case using the Lagrangian
multiplier method.
3. Compare the three solutions and recommend one option. Explain how did you make
your recommendation.
4. Provide the interpretation of Lagrangian multiplier in each case.

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