Emad Alfar

The rapidly evolving landscape of global industry, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, sustainability imperatives, and pervasive digitalization, demands a parallel and urgent evolution in engineering pedagogy. Traditional, heavily instructive models, focused on passive knowledge transfer through lectures, are proving insufficient for cultivating engineers who are not only technically proficient but also adept at complex problem-solving, multidisciplinary collaboration, and systemic innovation. This article explores the critical pedagogical frameworks and evidence-based teaching methods that are actively reshaping modern engineering education to meet this challenge. It argues for a strategic and intentional shift towards blended, student-centred, and digitally enhanced learning environments that effectively bridge the persistent gap between theoretical knowledge and practical, impactful application. The discussion is grounded in an analysis of prevalent methods such as Project-Based Learning (PjBL), flipped classrooms, and technology-enhanced simulation, highlighting their role in developing crucial professional skills. Supported by recent data on industry skill gaps and longitudinal educational outcomes, the paper demonstrates how these approaches correlate with improved conceptual retention, higher student engagement, and better preparedness for the workforce. Ultimately, this paper provides a coherent roadmap for educators and institutions to redesign curricula and teaching practices, aiming to cultivate the next generation of agile, ethical, and competent engineers equipped to tackle the complex, real-world challenges of the 21st century. Furthermore, the paper addresses the significant barrier of faculty development and institutional change management, acknowledging that the adoption of innovative pedagogy requires sustained support and a cultural shift within engineering departments. It concludes by framing this pedagogical transformation not as a rejection of foundational rigor, but as its essential evolution, ensuring that graduates are truly practice ready. By synthesizing current research with practical implementation strategies, this work serves as a critical resource for advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) within the engineering discipline.

Growing human population and its conterminous effect on infrastructure development has led to challenges with the availability of soil with good bearing capacity and strong settlement resistance to support these built structures. These challenges have often been addressed by installing pile foundations to secure the structure to a more stable bedrock beneath the weak soil or by replacing the weak soil with one having more potent geotechnical properties. However, these solutions are expensive and time-consuming, especially for low structural loads. Many studies have therefore been conducted to explore techniques for improving in-situ soil properties to avoid the significant cost that will be incurred. Stone columns are mostly used due to their adaptability in improving the bearing capacity and reducing differential settlement in various soils. The sourcing of aggregates for stone columns from quarry sites is an unsustainable approach due to the potential depletion of the natural resource. Innovative and environmentally friendly means of using alternative materials like construction waste have thus been explored. This study focused on using numerical methods to evaluate an improvement in settlement of clayey sandy gravel of South-Central Leeds using recycled concrete aggregate as filler material for stone columns. Analysis of the settlement characteristics of this soil was performed on Settle3 software. From the analysis, total consolidation was reduced by up to 19 % when the sample was reinforced with stone columns made of recycled concrete aggregate. So did an improvement in differential settlement.

There have been numerous studies on the designing of a pile raft foundation for nuclear power plants. However, the main focus of this study is the design of pile raft foundations for both containment and auxiliary buildings. The total area of the plant is divided into 4 quadrants where each quadrant is separated by 1m of dilatation. Since there are limited studies on the use of dilatation in pile raft foundations, this paper focused on the effectiveness of dilatation in pile-raft foundations of superstructures. This paper explores the design of five distinct rafts, one for each quadrant of the nuclear power plant, with each foundation section having specific pile arrangements and thicknesses. The central raft for the reactor building bears the highest load and requires thicker reinforcement. Advanced design methodologies were employed, including software like GEO5 software for geotechnical analysis and Tekla Structural Designer for structural modelling. In particular, the paper incorporates pile spacing of 2.5 meters and 5 meters for the containment and auxiliary buildings, respectively, with pile lengths of 20 meters for the containment and 15 meters for the auxiliary buildings. The findings demonstrate that with the combination of pile-raft, the differential settlement can be significantly reduced. The research concludes that dilatation in CPRF design can effectively mitigate the risks associated with foundation movement, ensuring structural integrity and long-term operational safety. Finally, the result of the pile and raft design shows that the total load of 26000 kN will be safely carried by the pile-raft foundation.

This study explores how a visualised GIS model can aid decision-making in pavement maintenance management, focusing on roads under Local Road Authorities (LRA) control in the U.K. Factors influencing decision-making in pavement maintenance were identified and ranked through a nationwide questionnaire survey, followed by interviews with LRA experts to validate the rated factors. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to configure priority rankings. Subsequently, a GIS-based decision support model was developed and tested using Runnymede roads within Surrey County Council. Fourteen influential factors affecting pavement maintenance were identified and ranked. The GIS model was deemed a rational, simple, and usable tool for pavement management. With growing pressures on LRAs from limited budgets, increased accountability, and ageing roads facing higher traffic loads, efficient decision-making processes are crucial. GIS is a valuable tool for visualising results and optimising pavement maintenance strategies.

This report presents some key recommendations and suggestions for Highways England (HE) to help
improve Earthworks operations by re-addressing issues like collaboration, good governance, real-time data
sharing and appropriate use of innovation to achieve maximum competence. Department for Transport
has decided to spend £15.2 billion on over 100 major schemes to enhance, renew and improve the network
over next 5 years that will help increasing user satisfaction, smoothen traffic flow and reduce interruptions
on roads. It is critical to spend this money in the most efficient manner to achieve the desired strategic
outcomes over the next five years. Highways England is supposed to generate £1.2 Billion worth of savings
over the 5 years plan.