Master’s in Construction Equipment Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in construction equipment engineering, structured in 12 modules covering excavation and loading, earth haulage, grading, compaction, road paving, concrete equipment, lifting, tunnelling and foundations, demolition and recycling, and productivity and costs under UNE-EN 474-1 and the Spanish work equipment and crane regulations, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Classify construction equipment by function.
Calculate excavation, loading and haulage outputs.
Select grading and compaction equipment.
Plan paving trains and concrete pours.
Plan crane lifts safely.
Select equipment for tunnels, foundations and demolition.
Estimate hourly costs and costs per work unit.
Who it's for
- Site plant managers.
- Construction production engineers.
- Plant fleet managers.
- Site planning technicians.
- Machine control specialists.
- Civil engineering site managers.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter construction and civil engineering.
What you'll work with
- UNE-EN 474-1 (earth-moving machinery)
- Royal Decree 1215/1997 (use of work equipment)
- Royal Decree 837/2003 (self-propelled mobile cranes)
- Royal Decree 836/2003 (tower cranes)
- UNE-EN 500-1 (mobile road construction machinery)
- UNE 103500 (standard Proctor test)
- Royal Decree 105/2008 (construction and demolition waste)
- Trimble Business Center
- Presto
- Microsoft Project
- Autodesk Civil 3D
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Classification of equipment by function1.2Life cycle of a construction project1.3Equipment selection at design stage1.4Ownership versus hire1.5Manufacturers and the Spanish market1.6Technology trends in the sector1.7Equipment and site productivity1.8Regulations on the use of work equipment1.9Organisation of the plant fleet1.10Case study: plant fleet for a motorway
2.1Tracked and wheeled excavators2.2Backhoe loaders2.3Wheel loaders2.4Skid steers and compact loaders2.5Bucket capacity and fill factor2.6Breakout and digging forces2.7Loading cycle times2.8Selection according to material2.9Tools and attachments2.10Lab: hourly output of an excavator
3.1Rigid site dumpers3.2Articulated all-terrain dumpers3.3Construction trucks3.4Self-loading motor scrapers3.5Rolling resistance and grade3.6Rimpull and speed curves3.7Haul cycle times3.8Optimum number of units3.9Maintenance of site haul roads3.10Practical exercise: sizing a dumper fleet
4.1Bulldozers and their blades4.2Rock ripping4.3Motor graders for fine grading4.42D and 3D machine control4.5Earthworks tolerances4.6Bulldozer output4.7Motor grader output4.8Selection of grading equipment4.9Integration with surveying4.10Case study: earthworks with 3D machine control
5.1Theory of soil compaction5.2Reference Proctor test5.3Smooth vibratory rollers5.4Padfoot rollers5.5Pneumatic-tyred rollers5.6Intelligent compaction with sensors5.7Quality control with plate load testing5.8Compaction output5.9Compaction of asphalt layers5.10Lab: designing a compaction plan
6.1Asphalt pavers6.2Screed and thickness control6.3Cold planers6.4In-situ recyclers6.5Slipform concrete pavers6.6Asphalt plants6.7Material transfer6.8Mix temperature control6.9Paving productivity6.10Practical exercise: paving train for a road
7.1Concrete batching plants7.2Truck mixers and their logistics7.3Concrete pumps7.4Vibrators and finishing7.5Concreting at height7.6Planning of concrete pours7.7Concrete quality control7.8Precast equipment7.9Safety in pumping7.10Case study: concreting a foundation raft
8.1Tower cranes8.2Self-propelled mobile cranes8.3Truck-mounted cranes8.4Telehandlers in building construction8.5Mobile elevating work platforms8.6Load and radius charts8.7Lifting plans8.8Crane regulations8.9Lifting safety8.10Practical exercise: lifting plan with a mobile crane
9.1Shield tunnel boring machines9.2Roadheaders and face drilling9.3Drilling jumbos9.4Shotcreting equipment9.5Piling rigs and pile drilling9.6Diaphragm wall and anchoring equipment9.7Sheet pile driving9.8Muck removal logistics9.9Tunnel safety9.10Case study: equipment for an urban tunnel
10.1High-reach demolition excavators10.2Breakers and shears10.3Demolition robots10.4Mobile jaw crushers10.5Mobile screens10.6Recycling of construction waste10.7Dust and noise control10.8Construction waste regulations10.9Demolition safety10.10Practical exercise: selective demolition plan
11.1Calculation of theoretical outputs11.2Output correction factors11.3Hourly ownership cost11.4Hourly operating cost11.5Comparison of alternatives11.6Planning of plant on site11.7Production control11.8Telematics and site data11.9Benchmarking between sites11.10Case study: cost per cubic metre of a cutting
12.1Selection of the project12.2Quantities and work units12.3Equipment selection12.4Output calculations12.5Plant plan12.6Cost analysis12.7Safety and environment12.8Final optimisation of the plan12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
The programme is delivered 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, making it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Trimble Business Center, Presto, Microsoft Project and Autodesk Civil 3D, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for machinery output calculations, compaction plans and lifting plans. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: UNE-EN 474-1, Royal Decree 1215/1997, Royal Decree 837/2003, Royal Decree 836/2003, UNE-EN 500-1, UNE 103500, Royal Decree 105/2008.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Trimble Business Center, Presto, Microsoft Project and Autodesk Civil 3D, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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