CIV E 401 - CIVIL ENGINEERING AND SOCIETY

SPRING 2010

SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR TERM PAPERS

Choose a topic starting February 22 for Section 1 (Monday) and February 24 for Section 2 (Wednesday). Submit the following on that date (on a sheet of paper): Name, e-mail, and selected topics: first, second, and third choice (use short name). The instructor will inform you of your topic through e-mail.

  1. History of civil engineering (HISTORY)

  2. The Tragedy of the Commons and groundwater (COMMONS)

  3. The Tragedy of the Commons and the atmosphere (ATMOSPHERE)

  4. What have we learned from Hurricane Katrina? (KATRINA)

  5. What to do about the San Andreas fault? (SAN ANDREAS)

  6. What are we going to do about climate change? (CLIMATE)

  7. How to minimize the impact of gold mining on the environment? (GOLD)

  8. The future of new materials in civil engineering (MATERIALS)

  9. Where is Southern California going to get its water in the future? (WATER)

  10. What to do about groundwater depletion in California? (GROUNDWATER)

  11. How to manage coastal erosion in San Diego County? (EROSION)

  12. Should San Diego implement secondary treatment at Point Loma? (POINT LOMA)

  13. What should San Diego do about its solid waste disposal site at Miramar? (MIRAMAR)

  14. The plight of the San Joaquin Valley (SAN JOAQUIN)

  15. History of the California Aqueduct (AQUEDUCT)

  16. The future of earthquake resistance design in California (EARTHQUAKE)

  17. The future of roundabouts in California (ROUNDABOUTS)

  18. The future of permeable pavements in California (PAVEMENTS)

  19. The future of hydroelectric energy in California (HYDRO)

  20. The future of salinity control in California (SALINITY)

  21. The future of solar energy in California (SOLAR)

  22. The future of wind energy in California (WIND)

  23. The future of ecological architecture in California (ARCHITECTURE)

  24. The future of sand mining in California (SAND)

  25. The future of basin salt balance in California (BALANCE)