Engineering and Built Environment
Engineering and Built Environment
Be The Change - Adam
‘I come from a working-class family and I’m the first person in my family to do a degree. If you want to do something and it’s your passion, go and do it, there’s opportunities out there.’
Our Civil Engineering degree encourages creativity and innovation where students use advanced digital tools to shape their imaginations and translate them to specifications for structures and systems.
Whatever career path you decide is for you, join us today and Be The Change.
Undergraduate courses
Postgraduate courses
About us
UEL engineering and built environment graduates have a strong track record of finding work with leading companies, including Hitachi, Atkins, GE (Malaysia) and the Atomic Energy Authority.
You'll benefit from an academic team with high-calibre industrial experience and a track record of leading research. And you will learn in superbly equipped laboratories that are among the best you'll find in any university in the country.
Why choose us?
We're one of a few universities in the UK that offer weekly site visits to major engineering and construction projects in London, helping you get work experience in engineering for your future career.
You'll enjoy superb, up-to-date facilities, including CAD suites, a control and power electronics lab and an electrical principles and electronics lab.
You can enhance your learning through our programme of expert guest lectures and site visits. You'll see how engineering theory is put into practice in one of Europe’s biggest regeneration areas - right on your doorstep.
Our facilities
We have dedicated laboratory facilities for engineering, computing and architecture housed in new, purpose-built labs at our Docklands Campus. These provide an ideal environment for students to test theories and master practical skills.
Our facilities include:
- Open Plan Engineering Laboratories (including Large Structures, Concrete, Soil Mechanics and Engineering Geology)
- Mechanical and Mechatronics Laboratory
- Communications Laboratory
- Hydraulics Laboratory
- Geotechnical Research Laboratory
- Advanced Materials Laboratory (Microanalytics)
- Surveying workshop
Some of our unique facilities include:
- The 7th generation robotic arm
- 6k RPM CNC
- SEM-EDX
- XRD
- XRF
- Dynamic triaxial shear strength machine
- CHN Analyser
- Environmental Chamber
- CNC Plasma
- Laser cutter
- 3D printing suite
Our staff
Find out more about our staff by visiting the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (ACE).
![ACE Electronic Engineering Laboratory](/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_grid/public/ace-electronic-engineering-laboratory.jpg.webp?itok=wAD60cos)
Mechanical engineers are responsible for conceiving, designing, manufacturing, testing and marketing devices and systems that alter, transfer, transform and utilise the energy forms that cause motion. A mechanical engineer is something of a jack-of-all-trades with problem-solving and analytical abilities. This makes them a multi-skilled employee."
Dr Kalok Lee
Mechanical Engineering, BEng (Hons) Course Leader
What we're researching
The engineering and built environment cluster has an integrated research structure to enable major engineering challenges to be tackled effectively.
The subject cluster has world-class and unique facilities, internationally established research leaders, a strong Postgraduate Research population and a culture of innovation and enterprise.
The five Research Themes are:
1. Connected Devices and Smart Systems
Lead: Dr Jaswinder Lota
This group works towards development of novel devices and systems for building future environments with higher connectivity, for good health and improving quality of life.
Research topics include:
- Next generation mobile communication including beyond (B) 5G/6G/THz
- Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV), vehicle-to everything (V2X) communication
- Biomedical Systems
- Connectivity in biomedical sensors for online/IoT based monitoring
- Smart manufacturing
To learn more or see how to join the team, email:
Dr Jaswinder Lota j.lota@uel.ac.uk
Dr Samir Morad S.Morad@uel.ac.uk (Biomedical Systems)
or Dr Subramaniam Arunachalam S.Arunachalam@uel.ac.uk (manufacturing)
2. Innovative Materials and Construction Systems
Lead: Dr Ali Abbas
This research team works towards development of innovative materials and construction systems towards betterment of the current construction practice, quality of life and the environment.
Research topics include:
- Structural Engineering for employing eco-friendly and lightweight composite structures, such as steel-concrete and fibre reinforced polymer, structures, structural analysis and design.
- Numerical modelling and experimental work, performance assessment of corroded reinforced concrete structures, stochastic deterioration modelling and reliability.
- Construction Management including decision support systems and hazard preventive solutions.
To learn more or see how to join the team, email:
Ali Abbas - a.abbas@uel.ac.uk
3. Emerging Geohazards
Lead: Dr Arya Assadi-Langroudi
The team studies the mechanisms of classic and emerging ground hazards, their early prediction, prevention, mitigation and recovery through a new generation of technologies that are citizen-centric, more tailored, less intrusive and more courteous to the natural ground systems. Research topics include:
- Monotonic, dynamic, and anisotropic properties of geocomposite materials;
- Micromechanics of granular matters;
- Problematic soils in particular expansive and collapsing soils, loess and liquefiable soils;
- Advanced numerical analysis (FEM, RSFEM, FDM, DEM-CFD, …)
To learn more or see how to join the team, email:
Dr Arya Assadi Langroudi - A.AssadiLangroudi@uel.ac.uk
4. Flood Risk Modelling and Mapping
Lead: Dr Ravindra Jayaratne
Research topics within this group include:
- Coastal and river engineering, prevention mechanisms for tsunamis, storm surges and high waves
- Advanced algorithms for processing survey data and flood risk management
- Performance assessment of deteriorating infrastructures and flood risk management with stochastic modelling, improving reliability and optimising maintenance
To learn more or see how to join the team, email:
Dr Ravindra Jayaratne - r.jayaratne@uel.ac.uk
5. Sustainable Urban Built Environment
Lead: Dr Mihaela Ciupala
Research topics include:
1. Smart Sustainability:
- Exploiting environmental and engineering data to address data quality in large scale Cyber Physical Systems in Smart Cities/places;
- Digital technology: BIM, Digital Twin technology, IoT in construction;
2. Sustainable Engineering/Built Environment:
- Retrofitting solutions: Sustainable Smart retrofitting solutions for energy efficiency in housing; Sustainable Engineering solutions: seismic retrofitting of RC frames with innovative materials (carbon fibre polymer materials);
- Green infrastructure and ecological systems; Resources management;
- Safety and well-being of individuals and communities;
3. Sustainable Construction:
- Sustainable Project Management;
- Sustainable International Development; Global cooperation, Sustainable infrastructure development;
- ICT in Construction;
- Green building construction technology
To learn more or see how to join the team email:
Dr Mihaela Ciupala - m.a.ciupala@uel.ac.uk
Careers
Because of its wide-ranging subject matter, you will find engineering opportunities in a huge variety of sectors across the spectrum of electrical, mechanical, structural and civil engineering. These include aerospace, automotive, construction, defence, energy, manufacturing, marine, materials and metals, pharmaceuticals, railways, sport, surveying, and the utilities industries. Excellent engineering graduates can also pursue their doctoral studies for careers in the academic sector.
At UEL, you'll have access to:
- Employability skills training such as interview techniques and CV writing.
- Career Assessment, giving you the opportunity to learn about yourself and Career Coach will help you to discover career suggestions based on your interests.
- UEL Skills Academy, where external professionals deliver sessions on the competencies most prized by graduate employers.
- Internships, placements and volunteering opportunities from our work placements team.
- Professional mentoring scheme, matching students with staff from major companies.
- Networking opportunities and annual careers fair.
- Support with setting up your own business.
Our location
Our location in one of Europe’s largest regeneration areas and our extensive links to local employers will also give you access to fantastic engineering internships and placements. From heavy industry to high-tech, health and social care to the arts, there are many opportunities right on our doorstep.
Career Coach
Find out the different career paths that your chosen subject area can lead you to.
Get information on specific careers, job roles, potential wages and available jobs in the sector.
Or take a quick quiz to find a career to match your personality type!
Strong links with industry
On all of our courses, our strong links with industry mean that you'll be well placed to find work experience, or you can take the option of a year's placement to develop your practical skills and boost your CV.
After graduating, you'll be well on your way to a stimulating engineering career in planes, trains and automobiles – or whatever sector interests you most.