What is Civil Engineering? Introduction to Civil Engineering
Works By Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is considered as the first discipline of the various branches of engineering after military engineering, and includes
the designing, planning, construction, and maintenance of the infrastructure. The works include roads, bridges, buildings, dams, canals, water supply and numerous other facilities that affect the life of human beings. Civil engineering is intimately associated with the private and public sectors, including the individual homeowners and international enterprises. It is one of the oldest engineering professions, and ancient engineering achievements due to civil engineering include the pyramids of Egypt and road systems developed by the Romans.
Civil Engineering In Daily Life
Civil engineering has a significant role in the life of every human being, though one
may not truly sense its importance in our daily routine. The function of civil engineering commences with the start of the day when we take a shower, since the water is delivered through a water supply system including a well designed network of pipes, water treatment plant and other numerous associated services. The network of roads on which we drive while proceeding to school or work, the huge structural bridges we come across and the tall buildings where we work, all have been designed and constructed by civil engineers. Even the benefits of electricity we use are available to us through the contribution of civil engineers who constructed the towers for the transmission lines. In fact, no sphere of life may be identified that does not include the contribution of civil engineering. Thus, the importance of civil engineering may be determined according to its usefulness in our daily life
Sub-disciplines Of Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is a multiple science encompassing numerous sub-disciplines that are closely linked with each other. The various sub-disciplines of civil engineering are mentioned below:
Structural Engineering: This discipline involves the design of structures that should be safe for the users, be economical, and accomplish the desired functions. The design and analysis should initially identify the loads that act on the structures, stresses that are created due to loads, and then design the structure to withstand these loads. It includes steel structures, buildings, tunnels, highways, dams, and bridges.
Geotechnical Engineering: Geotechnical engineering deals with soils, rocks, foundations of buildings and bridges, highways, sewers and underground water systems. Technical information obtained from the sciences of geology, material testing, and hydraulics is applied in the design of foundations and structures to ensure safety and economy of construction.
Water Resources Engineering: This discipline of civil engineering concerns the management of quantity and quality of water in the underground and above ground water resources, such as rivers, lakes and streams. Geographical areas are analyzed to forecast the amount of water that will flow into and out of a water source. Fields of hydrology, geology, and environmental science are included in this discipline of civil engineering.
Environmental Engineering: : It is related to the science of waste management of all types, purification of water, cleaning of contaminated areas, reduction of pollution, and industrial ecology. Technical data obtained due to environmental engineering assists the policy makers in making decisions related to environmental issues.
Other Disciplines: Some of the other disciplines included in civil engineering include coastal engineering, construction engineering, earthquake engineering, materials science, transportation engineering, and surveying.
Future Of Civil Engineering
Civil engineering utilizes technical information obtained from numerous other sciences, and with the advancement in all types of technologies, the civil engineering has also benefited tremendously. The future of civil engineering is expected to be revolutionized by the new technologies including design software, GPS, GIS systems and other latest technical expertise in varied fields. Technology will continue to make important changes in the application of civil engineering, including the rapid progress in the use of 3-D and 4-D design tools.
