Students are assigned real-world, infrastructure problems to solve in teams of four to five. Each team has, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students. Students are assigned specific tasks to complete where they inspect an infrastructure. Sophomores and juniors attend a one-credit class to pick up necessary background information on civil infrastructure, materials, and types of deteriorationin the first eight weeks. After that, they are not required to be in the course with the seniors who learn about advanced technologies, but they are required to work on the final project and present at the end of the class.

Student tasks includ such processes as: "proposing different solutions for how to fix this problem, evaluate different alternative solutions economically based on life-cycle coast analysis and recommend the alternative that has the greatest benefit to cost ratio. The whole process is documented in a professional report and is presented by students as a team. The process is from A to Z what a competent forensic engineer would do."

Students complet fieldwork and ran experiments using state-of-the-art non-destructive testing techniques. They assisted groups such as the Virginia Department of Transportation studying pavements, bridges and underground culverts and the Town of Blacksburg in examining a water tank. Faculty arrangs projects for students, facilitate contacts, and oversee necessary permissions to work off campus.