All about Civil Engineering

Broadly defined, engineering is the science-based profession by which the physical forces of nature and the properties of matter are made useful to humanity in the form of structures, machines, and other products or processes at a reasonable expenditure of time and money. Civil Engineering is a broad engineering discipline that incorporates many different aspects of engineering. As a CE, you generally would work in one of the following areas:

1. In Private Practice: Plans, designs, constructs and operates physical works and facilities used by the public.

2. In Academia: Teaches students the fundamentals of civil engineering. Also involved in research in order to advance the state-of-the-art.

3. In Public Practice: Involved in city and/or regional planning, layout and construction of highways and pipelines.

4. In Combination with other Disciplines: A civil engineering degree combined with an other degree such as: Engineering Geologist, Engineering Economist, or Engineer/Attorney

Civil Engineering itself is composed of various different areas of engineering. The general types of civil engineers include:

Structural Engineer, Water Resources Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Transportation Engineer, and Construction Management Engineer

Below is a short description of each of the above types of Civil Engineers.

A. Structural Engineer – Planning and design of buildings of all types, bridges and specialized structures (power plants, nuclear reactors, television towers and radar facilities.) Wherever concrete, steel, aluminum or wood are requiorange to carry loads, Structural Engineers do the planning and design. Usually work closely with the Architect.

* Scott-White & Hookins Trivia

* Council of American Building Officials

B. Water Resources Engineer – Works with water, its control and the development of water supplies. One can work in several areas:

1. Hydraulic Engineer/Hydrologist – Analyzes rain fall data, characteristics of flow in open channels and pipes, designs, reservoirs, studies pollution migration and coastal and shore line protection.

2. Sanitary Engineer – Plans and designs municipal water facilities such as water treatment plants and sewage treatment plants. Also, may operate and maintain these facilities.

3. Water Related Structural Engineer – Design such project as: hydroelectric plants, canals, docks and piers.

* Water Works

* Hydrology-Related Internet Resources

* NSF International

C.Geotechnical Engineer – Works in the field of soil and rock mechanics. Analyzes subsurface conditions, determines, and designs the type of foundation to be used for the particular structure. Also designs dams, tunnels, and mining facilities.

* The World Wide Web Virtual Library of Geotechnical Engineering

* EQE Earthquake and Natural Hazards Site

D.Transportation Engineer – Designs highway systems (layout, routing), pavement material, airport runways, and rapid transit projects. Also involved in computer control of traffic signals.

* Institute of Transportation Engineers

* The American Public Works Association

E.City Planning Engineer – Urban planner, zoning requirements, member of advisory board.

* CityNet – Find any city in the world

* Better Cities: Program Guidelines

F.Construction Management – Major responsibility for insuring that a project is being built properly and according to schedule. In charge of actual construction.

* Parsons Engineers and Constructors

* FCN InfoCenter – Construction Management Schools

G.Research Engineer – Works for a University or large firm (R&D.) Might study stronger concrete, better wearing asphalt, new construction materials and methods.

Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and water supply and sewage systems. Civil engineering, considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines, encompasses many specialties. The major specialties within civil engineering are structural, water resources, environmental, construction, transportation, and geotechnical engineering.

Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions, from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer. Others may work in design, construction, research, and teaching

Civil engineering is the oldest branch of the profession of engineering after military engineering. Many of the important things in our lives that we take for granted are the product of civil engineering:

The construction of the dams and power stations that provide the electricity we use every day requires civil engineers

The water and sewage treatment plants that provide us with safe water supplies require the expertise of civil engineers

The paths and roads we travel are civil engineering projects

In fact most structures, large and small, require the help of a civil engineer whether in the designing, planning or managing of the project.

Within the field of civil engineering, students can specialize in one of several traditional areas: Coastal, Environmental, Geotechnical, Materials, Structural, Transportation and Water Resources

Civil engineers also help to preserve our environment by assisting in the cleaning up of existing pollution and planning ways to reduce future pollution of our air, land and water

In the past few years however, the scope of civil engineering has grown to include several new areas of study: Bioengineering, Project Management, Life-cycle Design, Real-time Monitoring, Rehabilitation, Smart Systems, Space Structures…

History of Engineering

Around 2550 BC, Imhotep, the first documented engineer, built a famous stepped pyramid of King Zoser located at Saqqarah.

Military Engineering

The first engineers were military engineers, combining military and civil skills. During periods of conflict the engineers made and used instruments of war such as catapults, battering rams, towers, and ramps to aid in attacking their enemies’ forts & encampments and also to defend their own. During the periods of peace, they were involved in many military and civil activities such as building fortifications for defence against further attacks, roads, bridges, aqueducts, canals and cathedrals. The construction and hydraulics techniques used by the medieval engineers in China, Japan, India and other regions of the Far East were far more sophisticated than those of the medieval European engineers.

Civil Engineering.

Civil engineering is the oldest of the main disciplines of engineering. The first engineering school, the National School of Bridges and Highways in France, was opened in 1747. John Smeaton was the first person to actually call himself a “Civil Engineer”. These civil engineers built all types of structures, designed water-supply and sewer systems, designed railroads and highways, and planned cities. In 1828 the world’s first engineering society came into being, the Institution of Civil Engineers in England.

Disciplines of Civil Engineering – Coastal, Geotechnical, Structural, Water Resources, Materials, Project Management, Real Time Monitoring, Bioengineering, Rehabilitation, Transportation, Environmental, Materials.

Geotechnical engineering is a discipline of civil engineering that deals with soil, rock and underground water, and their relation to design, construction and operation of engineering projects. It is also sometimes called soils engineering, ground engineering or geotechnics as it is closely related to engineering geology. Nearly all civil engineering structures are supported on or built into the ground, and thus require at least geotechnical engineering

Coastal engineers are concerned with engineering problems in the coastal environment. They design and maintain harbours, marinas, and coastal structures such as breakwaters, seawalls, and jetties. They are also concerned with the control of erosion, the study of waves and currents and their effect on coastal structures and with pollution of the coastal waters.Ocean engineers are involved in the design of offshore structures. They study the way wind and waves, climate, currents and earthquakes affect a structure and its foundation.

More about:

* harbours

* marinas

* breakwaters

* docks, piers & jetties

* other types of beach protection

* canals

* dykes

Structural engineers plan and design structures of all types. As structures become more complex, the structural engineer strives to provide improved building performance. They must identify special building problems and find innovative solutions. They deal with advanced building materials, earthquake resistance, building aerodynamics, construction management, rehabilitation and maintenance of structures, energy efficiency, ice-structure interaction, computer analysis of structures, and much more. Structural engineers are involved in:

* the basic planning and designing

* Bridges

* Dams

* Tunnels

* Water towers & Light Houses

* Hydro-electric plants, coal fired plants, gas fired plants, nuclear power plants

* Research facilities

* Buildings (office, apartment & special purpose)

* Storage facilities

* Roller Coasters & Ferris Wheels & other Recreational Facilities

* Rare & Unusual Structures

Water resources engineers are concerned with the problems associated with the use and control of water.

Water resources engineering is the profession that is responsible for the planning, development and management of water resources. From estimating the amount of water available to designing the physical and non-physical infrastructure needed to meet the water needs of society and the environment, civil engineers play a central role within a multi-disciplinary team. To ensure access to clean safe drinking water, civil engineers design, build and manage the water intakes, the water treatment plants and the network of pipes that convey water to your tap. Civil engineers use state-of-the-art technologies to treat domestic and industrial wastewaters before discharging treated water back into the environment. Civil engineers also devise physical (dams, dikes) and non-physical (flood forecasting) solutions to minimize the threat to lives and property due to flooding. Water resources engineering involves:

* Water and Wastewater treatment plant design

* Water Distribution, Wastewater and Storm water Sewer Systems

* Irrigation Engineering

* River Engineering, Hydraulics, Hydrodynamics, Sediment Transport, Contaminant Transport, River Morphology, Ice-covered rivers

* Hydraulic Structures (reservoirs, floodways, dams, dykes, spillways & sluice gates, channels, water intakes,…)

* Drainage Canals

* Groundwater and Seepage, well design, seepage control, underground contaminant transport

* Surface Runoff Analysis

* Hydrology, winter hydrology, climate change

* Extreme events: floods, torrents, mudflows, debris flows

Water Resources engineers are also involved in many of the areas of Coastal Engineering such as wave analysis, coastal sediment transport and maritime hydraulics structures

Materials Engineering as a sub-discipline of Civil Engineering is primarily concerned with the development of new or improved materials for constructing Civil Engineering structures such as buildings, bridges, roads, sewers, dams, airports, etc. Materials engineers are also involved in design of materials and methods to repair existing structures that may be damaged due to, for example, attack by our aggressive environment, structural overload, earthquakes, storms, etc. The role of the materials engineers spans across all of the disciplines within engineering, because all of these disciplines (transportation, structures, water resources, geotechnical, environmental) use materials in their designs. Accordingly, a materials engineer’s job is highly varied: from choosing among a host of suitable materials to re-surface a road on one day, to designing a concrete mix for a large building on another, to participating in a research project to develop strengthening techniques for a damaged building column on a third

Project Management is a structured method for achieving someone’s dreams and objectives, or translating dreams to reality. This involves the marshalling of resources to produce a specified set of results within a definite time-span. Civil Engineers are well suited and trained to become the Project Manager. A Project Manager is a person held responsible for the planning, implementing and controlling the direction of a project.

Real-Time Monitoring Tiltmeters and accelerometers are used to measure the response of the piers of the Confederation Bridge to ice and wind forces. The measured responses can then be used to assess both the behaviour of the bridge piers, as well as the actual forces applied to the piers.

Bioengineering.

Biological engineering is a multidisciplinary program which solves problems related to biological systems. Biological engineers also apply their knowledge of materials, physiology and mechanics to develop medical implants and assistive devices. Others may use their knowledge of microbial systems to design waste treatment and bioremediation processes. A number of students go on to graduate programs in biomedical engineering or other professional programs such as medicine or dentistry.

Rehabilitation Engineering.

Eventually structures will start to deteriorate under the forces of nature. Civil engineers are studying ways of economically rehabilitating and maintaining existing infrastructure rather than replacing it. Rehabilitation and maintenance of reinforced concrete bridges has become an important issue during the last few years.

Transportation Engineering.

Transportation Engineering drives the economy through provision of safe, economic, efficient and environmentally sustainable ways to get around. Be it bus, bike, foot, car, train, or airplane, you literally can’t leave home without it. Transportation Engineering is concerned with the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure associated with vehicles, driver/passengers and rights of way.

Environmental engineers (including Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineers, Civil Engineers, Chemical and Petroleum Engineers and Geomatics Engineers) have a direct impact on the everyday life of the average person. They apply scientific theories and principles to minimize our impact on the environment. They provide safe water, protect the environment and habitat, manage waste and ensure sustainable development.Environmental Engineering covers all of the following areas: Air pollution, Land Management, Radiation Protection, Water Supply, Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste Management, Toxic Materials Control, Wastewater Management, and Public Health.

Civil Engineering: Society’s Problem Solvers

Civil engineers have one of the world’s most important jobs. They build our quality of life. With creativity and technical skill, civil engineers plan, design, construct and operate the facilities essential to modern life, ranging from bridges and highway systems to water treatment plants and energy-efficient buildings. Civil engineers are problem solvers, meeting the challenges of pollution, traffic congestion, drinking water and energy needs, urban redevelopment and community planning. As the technological revolution expands, as the world’s population increases, and as environmental concerns mount, civil engineering skills will be increasingly needed throughout the world. It can truly be said that we cannot have modern civilization without civil engineers.

Unlike any other engineering profession, Civil Engineering has always provided enduring monuments and lasting legacies. From the Pyramids of Egypt to the Roman Aqueducts to the Great Wall of China to the Parthenon of Greece to the Empire State Building, the Hoover Dam, and the Golden Gate Bridge, our legacies endure as beacons of creativity and genius. These structures provide only a glimpse of the exceptional skills and remarkable abilities of Civil Engineers throughout the ages. Their contributions to civilization are indisputable.

Civil Engineers at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration are now developing plans for the Freedom Space Station to serve as a base from which future spacecraft will be launched to Mars and other planets. Using only existing materials and technology, permanent habitats in space could be established before the end of the 21st century. Such colonies would help alleviate overcrowding, pollution, drought, and energy shortages on earth. Thus, Civil Engineers are once again in the forefront, exploring new frontiers and meeting society’s greatest challenges and needs.

The next few decades will be among the most creative, demanding, and rewarding of all times for Civil Engineers. Global competition provides outstanding opportunities and challenges for our profession. The past three decades witnessed the evolution of new technologies and advancement of civilization at a scale unmatched in human history. One thousand years from now, historians will attest to the fact that this period of remarkable progress was led by the United States. From the first man on the moon to the first microcomputer, the flame of human achievement is fueled by the Civil Engineering profession. From the enormous platforms used to launch the Saturn V missile to the moon to the structural and environmental support systems design of the Space Station, the Civil Engineering profession has played a remarkable and profound role.

Qualifications and Trends.

More and more, those entering the civil engineering field must have skills in communication, computers, management and foreign languages, as well as advanced knowledge in a specialty within civil engineering. Students increasingly need to have knowledge of foreign languages or cultures, because many civil engineering mega projects are now overseas: Petronas Towers in Malaysia, the Channel Tunnel in Europe and the new Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan, which is the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Engineers with geotechnical and environmental engineering expertise remain in strong demand. Robotics and computer skills are also prized in civil engineering as automation and information technologies continue to evolve the civil engineering workplace.