Transportation Capstone Design Project: Review and Future Directions

The main technical and pedagogical aspects of a capstone design course presented at Northeastern University's Department of Civil Engineering for the undergraduate transportation concentration are described. An outline of the design problem, specifications, parameters, and major physical and operational features provides the basic scope of the work to be done. Comments are then made about the way the course is structured and how students, instructor and invited guest practitioners interact to provide a real‐life design situation, covering the definition of the demand for the facilities to layout, engineering specifications, a presentation typically needed for public information meetings, and a final report that also addresses the comments of those who attended the presentation. The approach adopted, the opportunities and constraints inherent in the presentation of the course, the perceived successes, the problems and difficulties encountered, and students' evaluation of the course are described. Comparisons are made with guidelines of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology for the content and conduct of engineering design courses in undergraduate engineering curricula in universities throughout the United States. The paper concludes with suggestions for alternative design problems and ways in which the course may be improved.