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Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Studying Abroad in Prague

June 11, 2018
CCEE Study Abroad students walk through underground tunnels once part of the wastewater treatment plant in Prague. In addition to the technical interest of this site as civil infrastructure, it has also been used as film locations including a scene featuring Tom Cruise in a Mission Impossible film.

Twelve students from the CCEE department are studying abroad for six weeks at the NC State European Center in Prague.  In addition to choosing one or two electives, our students will be completing a Traffic Engineering course (CE305) taught by Dr. Daniel Findley.

“Prague offers a unique opportunity to observe a vibrant, multimodal city,” Findley said. “Each day, the students have the option to walk or to travel by streetcar, bus, or subway to reach the NC State Prague campus.”

From a transportation perspective, this experience will emphasize the importance of system redundancy, accessibility, and the efficiency of moving people to their destinations.  One of their first field trips included an exhibit featuring design options for public transit shelters, which was on display at the Pilson City Hall in Pilson, Czech Republic. In addition to interactions with the transportation system, the students will visit and discuss other civil engineering infrastructure, including a historic wastewater treatment plant designed and built in the early 1900s now designated as a cultural monument. They will also tour the historic Charles Bridge, and the famous ‘Dancing House’ designed by American architect Frank Gehry and known for its nontraditional, deconstructivism architecture.

Students observe part of the boiler machinery used at the wastewater treatment plant, which was in operation from 1906 through 1967, and is considered a unique example of the history of architecture, engineering and wastewater treatment. It was the first modern, urban site of its kind in the Czech Republic.
From left to right: Dr. Daniel Findley, Luke Justice, Roberta Gunnels, Cooper Grissom, Nicole Harmon, Liam Locklear, Sarah Schmid, Tucker Mills, Grant Jacob, Molly Burke, Ryan Samet, Tim Nifong, and Lucas Vazquez.
Study abroad students visited the Pilson City Hall, in Pilson, Czech Republic where they toured an exhibit featuring design options for public transit shelters.