 | University of Virginia annual announcements, with a catalogue of the officers and students of the University of Virginia |  |
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION.
Instruction in the foregoing subjects is conveyed by a course of systematic
lectures, combined with assiduous practice in the field and at
the drawing-board, continued throughout the course.
In the Lecture Course, after careful elucidation of fundamental
principles, the rules of construction are deduced, and applied to the
criticism of existing structures and the design of proposed works.
Typical examples are selected, based usually on engineering works in
course of actual construction; the loads upon these are determined,
the straining actions accurately computed, and the structures designed
complete in every detail.
In the Field Course the adjustments and use of the instruments are
carefully taught, and the student, after a thorough drill in the methods
of measuring and estimating lengths, altitudes and angles, is required
to execute for himself surveys of lands, buildings, and topography; to
locate lines for railways, highways and canals; and to set out earthworks
and masonry.
In the Course of Design the easy and accurate use of pen and brush
is first acquired by exercises in projective and topographic drawing.
The student is then required, from assigned data, to compute the dimensions
of proposed structures, and on the basis of his computations to
prepare bills of material, and general and detailed drawings of the
works; to draw up specifications and furnish estimates of quantities.
To facilitate the instruction in this department, the University has
provided a commodious and well-lighted lecture room and drawing
hall, a liberal supply of field instruments of the best construction, and
models and drawings of a large variety of structures, illustrating the
best practice of modern engineers, American and foreign.
The preparation essential for students who desire to enter this School
is a good working knowledge of the elements of Algebra, Geometry,
both Plane and Solid, and Plane Trigonometry. And in the course of
instruction elementary mathematical methods are mainly employed.
Nevertheless students of engineering are encouraged to take the complete
course in Pure Mathematics (p. 29) and those who acquire this
sound mathematical training will find their powers of dealing with the
more complex questions of their profession greatly augmented thereby.
| University of Virginia annual announcements, with a catalogue of the officers and students of the University of Virginia | |