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CCE 114 — Geomatics

Welcome to the course site for Civil and Construction Engineering 114 (Geomatics) at Brigham Young University. The course is taught every Fall (September to December) and Winter (January to April).
Dr. Dan Ames Tuesday concept lectures · 430N EB · dan.ames@byu.edu · office hours
Dr. James Halgren Thursday demos and hands-on sessions · james.halgren@byu.edu
Teaching assistants Names, office hours, and contact details for the current semester are on Learning Suite

Description

This course is an introduction to the world of surveying, remote sensing, spatial data, and geographic information systems (GIS). Students who take this class will learn the fundamental principles of geomatics including basic surveying measurements, earth surface models, spatial data types, map design, and spatial data analysis. Students will also gain technical skills in using surveying equipment and conducting GIS analysis. By completing this course, students will also be prepared to take Engineering Applications of GIS (CCE 414), which opens many doors for internships and research projects.

Prerequisites

  • CCE 170 — Computational Methods
  • CCE 101 — Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering

Textbook

GIS Fundamentals by Paul Bolstad and Steven Manson, 7th edition, through the BYU Store. The access card is required: the reading quizzes are keyed to this book, and each week's reading is listed on that week's page.

Software

QGIS — free and open source. The lab computers in 234 CB run QGIS 3.44 LTR, and screenshots throughout this site are taken from that release. Install the current LTR release on your own laptop before Lab 1, and bring that laptop to Thursday sessions. Public data comes mostly from the Utah SGID.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Engineering measurements. Use land surveying equipment to measure angles, distances, and areas.
  2. Acquiring spatial data. Locate, understand, and retrieve spatial data from government and other repositories using metadata.
  3. Data models. Describe all common spatial data formats and data models and select an appropriate data model for a specific use.
  4. Projections and coordinate systems. Select an appropriate geographic projection for engineering-specific problems and describe the key characteristics of common coordinate and projection systems.
  5. Spatial data analysis. Use GIS tools for spatial analysis, understanding, and design of engineering systems.

How the Course Works

  • Tuesday: concepts. A lecture with discussion and short in-class activities.
  • Thursday: demo and hands-on. Working in QGIS on the week's topic. Bring your laptop.
  • Each week you read the assigned textbook pages, take an open-book online quiz, and complete a lab. Quizzes and lab reports are due Saturday at 11:59 pm.
  • Two Concepts Exams in the Testing Center and a hands-on Final Exam in the regular classroom during finals week. See Exams.
  • A final mapping project in the last weeks of the semester. See Final Project.
  • Each class period starts with a brief mini-devotional: a prayer, a spiritual thought, and a personal note offered by class members.

The Assignments page gives an overview of every kind of graded work: labs, reading quizzes, in-class activities, experiences, and the final project.

Where Everything Lives

Each week has its own page, and every week page has the same four sections: Presentation Slides, In-Class Practice (the Tuesday activity, the Thursday hands-on session in QGIS, and self-check quizzes), Lab Assignment, and Reading Quiz. Exams and other deadlines appear in a box at the top of the week they fall in. Start from the Schedule or pick a week from the Schedule menu at the top of the page. There are eleven labs, and each one is linked from the week it is due — there is no separate lab list to keep in sync.

Each Thursday session from Week 2 through Week 12 also has a Hands-On page: a step-by-step QGIS guide with a practice run, the walkthrough, the graded upload, and the snags that usually come up.

On any slide deck, navigate with the arrow keys; press F for fullscreen and P for presenter view with speaker notes.

Learning Suite holds the current semester's dates, quizzes, submissions, grades, the attendance system, and TA contact information. Where this site and Learning Suite disagree, Learning Suite wins.