Civil Engineering is the professional engineering discipline that deals with designing and executing structural works that serve the general public, such as dams, bridges, aqueducts, canals, highways, power plants, sewerage systems, and other infrastructures.
The term was first used in the 18th century to distinguish the newly recognized profession from military engineering, which until then was preeminent.
From the earliest times, however, engineers have engaged in peaceful activities, and many of the civil engineering works of ancient and medieval times—such as the Roman public baths, roads, bridges, and aqueducts; the Flemish canals; the Dutch sea defenses; the French Gothic cathedrals; and many other monuments—reveal a history of inventive genius and persistent experimentation.
History/ Beginning of Civil Engineering
The beginnings of civil engineering as a separate discipline may be seen in the foundation in France in 1716 of the Bridge and Highway Corps, out of which in 1747 grew the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (“National School of Bridges and Highways”). Its teachers wrote books that became standard works on the mechanics of materials, machines, and hydraulics, and led British engineers who learned French to read them.
As design and calculation replaced the rule of thumb and empirical formulas, and as expert knowledge was codified and formulated, the nonmilitary engineer moved to the front of the stage. Talented, if often self-taught, craftsmen, stonemasons, millwrights, toolmakers, and instrument makers became civil engineers.
In Britain, James Brindley began as a millwright and became the foremost canal builder of the century; John Rennie was a millwright’s apprentice who eventually built the new London Bridge; Thomas Telford, a stonemason, became Britain’s leading road builder.
John Smeaton, the first man to call himself a civil engineer, began as an instrument maker. His design of Eddystone Lighthouse (1756–59), with its interlocking masonry, was based on a craftsman’s experience. Smeaton’s work was backed by thorough research, and his services were much in demand.
In 1771 he founded the Society of Civil Engineers (now known as the Smeatonian Society). Its object was to bring together experienced engineers, entrepreneurs, and lawyers to promote the building of large public works, such as canals (and later railways), and to secure the parliamentary powers necessary to execute their schemes.
Their meetings were held during parliamentary sessions; the society follows this custom to this day.
The École Polytechnique was founded in Paris in 1794, and the Bauakademie was started in Berlin in 1799, but no such schools existed in Great Britain for another two decades. It was this lack of opportunity for scientific study and for the exchange of experiences that led a group of young men in 1818 to found the Institution of Civil Engineers.
The founders were keen to learn from one another and from their elders, and in 1820 they invited Thomas Telford, by then the dean of British civil engineers, to be their first president.
There were similar developments elsewhere. By the mid-19th century, there were civil engineering societies in many European countries and the United States, and the following century produced similar institutions in almost every country in the world.
Formal education in engineering science became widely available as other countries followed the lead of France and Germany. In Great Britain, the universities, traditionally seats of classical learning, were reluctant to embrace the new disciplines. University College, London, founded in 1826, provided a broad range of academic studies and offered a course in Mechanical Engineering.
King’s College, London, first taught civil engineering in 1838, and in 1840 Queen Victoria founded the first chair of civil engineering and mechanics at the University of Glasgow, Scotland.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, offered the first courses in civil engineering in the United States. The number of universities throughout the world with engineering faculties, including civil engineering, increased rapidly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Civil engineering today is taught in universities across the world.
Civil engineering functions
The functions of the civil engineer can be divided into three categories: those performed before construction (feasibility studies, site investigations, and design), those performed during construction (dealing with clients, consulting engineers, and contractors), and those performed after construction (maintenance and research).
Feasibility studies
No major project today is started without an extensive study of the objective and without preliminary studies of possible plans leading to a recommended scheme, perhaps with alternatives. Feasibility studies may cover alternative methods—e.g., bridge versus tunnel, in the case of a water crossing—or, once the method is decided, the choice of route. Both economic and engineering problems must be considered.
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Site investigations
A preliminary site investigation is part of the feasibility study, but once a plan has been adopted a more extensive investigation is usually imperative. Money spent in a rigorous study of ground and substructure may save large sums later in remedial works or in changes made necessary in constructional methods.
Since the load-bearing qualities and stability of the ground are such important factors in any large-scale construction, it is surprising that a serious study of soil mechanics did not develop until the mid-1930s.
Karl von Terzaghi, the chief founder of the science, gives the date of its birth as 1936 when the First International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering was held at Harvard University and an international society was formed. Today there are specialist societies and journals in many countries, and most universities that have a civil engineering faculty have courses in soil mechanics.
Design
The design of engineering works may require the application of design theory from many fields—e.g., hydraulics, thermodynamics, or nuclear physics. Research in structural analysis and the technology of materials has opened the way for more rational designs, new design concepts, and a greater economy of materials.
The theory of structures and the study of materials have advanced together as more and more refined stress analysis of structures and systematic testing has been done. Modern designers not only have advanced theories and readily available design data but structural designs can now be rigorously analyzed by computers.
Construction
The promotion of civil engineering works may be initiated by a private client, but most work is undertaken by large corporations, government authorities, and public boards and authorities. Many of these have their own engineering staff, but for large specialized projects, it is usual to employ consulting engineers.
The consulting engineer may be required first to undertake feasibility studies, then to recommend a scheme and quote an approximate cost. The engineer is responsible for the design of the works, supplying specifications, drawings, and legal documents in sufficient detail to seek competitive tender prices.
The engineer must compare quotations and recommend acceptance of one of them. Although not a party to the contract, the engineer’s duties are defined in it; the staff must supervise the construction and the engineer must certify the completion of the work. Actions must be consistent with the duty to the client; professional organizations exercise disciplinary control over professional conduct. The consulting engineer’s senior representative on the site is the resident engineer.
A phenomenon of recent years has been the turnkey or package contract, in which the contractor undertakes to finance, design, specify, construct, and commission a project in its entirety. In this case, the consulting engineer is engaged by the contractor rather than by the client.
The contractor is usually an incorporated company, which secures the contract on the basis of the consulting engineer’s specifications and general drawings. The consulting engineer must agree to any variations introduced and must approve the detailed drawings.
Maintenance
The contractor maintains the work to the satisfaction of the consulting engineer. Responsibility for maintenance extends to ancillary and temporary works which form part of the overall construction.
After construction, a period of maintenance is undertaken by the contractor, and the payment of the final installment of the contract price is held back until released by the consulting engineer.
Central and local government engineering and public works departments are concerned primarily with maintenance, for which they employ direct labor.
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Research
Research in the civil engineering field is undertaken by government agencies, industrial foundations, universities, and other institutions. Most countries have government-controlled agencies, such as the United States Bureau of Standards and the National Physical Laboratory of Great Britain, involved in a broad spectrum of research, and establishments in building research, roads and highways, hydraulic research, water pollution, and other areas. Many are government-aided but depend partly on income from research work promoted by industry.
Branches of civil engineering
In 1828 Thomas Tredgold of England wrote:
The most important object of Civil Engineering is to improve the means of production and of traffic in states, both for external and internal trade. It is applied in the construction and management of roads, bridges, railroads, aqueducts, canals, river navigation, docks and storehouses, for the convenience of internal intercourse and exchange; and in the construction of ports, harbours, moles, breakwaters and lighthouses; and in the navigation by artificial power for the purposes of commerce.
It is applied to the protection of property where natural powers are the sources of injury, as by embankments for the defense of tracts of country from the encroachments of the sea, or the overflowing of rivers; it also directs the means of applying streams and rivers to use, either as powers to work machines, or as supplies for the use of cities and towns, or for irrigation; as well as the means of removing noxious accumulations, as by the drainage of towns and districts to . . . secure the public health.
A modern description would include the production and distribution of energy, the development of aircraft and airports, the construction of chemical process plants and nuclear power stations, and water desalination. These aspects of civil engineering may be considered under the following headings: construction, transportation, maritime and hydraulic engineering, power, and public health.
Therefore, Civil engineers can take on various roles within specific branches of the civil engineering field. Branches of civil engineering are:
- Structural Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Transportation Engineering
- Water Resource Engineering
- Surveying
- Construction Engineering
- Municipal Engineering
Here’s a brief overview of a few of these key subdivisions.
Structural Engineering
The structural engineering branch of civil engineering includes all structural analysis and the design of structures. Structural Engineers are responsible for analyzing and designing structures that can safely bear loads and resist stress and force. Their designs must satisfy all project specifications and meet all safety requirements.
Their structures must be able to withstand natural disasters, and environmental conditions, and meet design criteria and codes to ensure public safety.
Projects structural engineers work on include:
- Working with architects to design and construct buildings such as facilities such as wastewater treatment plants and buildings including skyscrapers, apartments, churches, and more
- Designing bridges, tunnels, or overpasses
- Analyzing the effect of wind on structures
- Evaluating how structures react to earthquakes
- Supervising the construction of structures, including houses, commercial buildings, and schools
- Consulting on structural work or repair
Essentially, every structure that is being designed, built, or repaired can use a structural engineer on hand for a variety of purposes.
Transportation Engineering
Roman roads and bridges were products of military engineering, but the pavements of McAdam and the bridges of Perronet were the work of the civil engineer. So were the canals of the 18th century and the railways of the 19th, which, by providing bulk transport with speed and economy, lent a powerful impetus to the Industrial Revolution.
The civil engineer today is concerned with an even larger transportation field—e.g., traffic studies, design of the road, rail, and air systems, and construction including pavements, dams, bridges, and tunnels.
The following is a list of some of the specialty areas which utilize the services of a transportation civil engineer:
- Highway transportation engineering
- Air transportation engineering
- Waterway transportation engineering
- Aerospace transportation engineering
- Coastal and ocean transportation engineering
- Urban transportation engineering
Example projects that use transportation engineers include:
- Highway or freeway improvements
- Redesigning intersections
- Evaluating stop signs or traffic signals
- Traffic impact analysis
- Developing city-wide traffic plans
There can be some overlap between the types of projects structural and transportation engineers work on, but transportation engineering focuses on the design and implementation of transportation infrastructures that are safe, comfortable, economical, convenient, and environmentally sound.
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Maritime and hydraulic engineering
Harbor construction and shipbuilding are ancient arts. For many developing countries today the establishment of a large, efficient harbor is an early imperative, to serve as the inlet for industrial plants and needed raw materials and the outlet for finished goods.
In developed countries the expansion of world trade, the use of larger ships, and the increase in total tonnage call for more rapid and efficient handling. Deeper berths and alongside-handling equipment (for example, for ore) and navigation improvements are the responsibility of the civil engineer.
The development of water supplies was a feature of the earliest civilizations, and the demand for water continues to rise today. In developed countries, the demand is for industrial and domestic consumption, but in many parts of the world—e.g., the Indus basin—vast schemes are under construction, mainly for irrigation to help satisfy the food demand, and are often combined with hydroelectric power generation to promote industrial development.
Dams today are among the largest construction works, and design development is promoted by bodies like the International Commission on Large Dams. The design of large impounding dams in places with population centers close by requires the utmost safety engineering, with emphasis on soil mechanics and stress analysis. Most governments exercise statutory control of engineers qualified to design and inspect dams.
Power
Civil engineers have always played an important part in mining coal and metals; the driving of tunnels is a task common to many branches of civil engineering. In the 20th century, the design and construction of power plants advanced with the rapid rise in demand for electric power, and nuclear power stations added a whole new field of design and construction, involving prestressed concrete pressure vessels for the reactor.
The exploitation of oil fields and the discoveries of natural gas in significant quantities have initiated a radical change in gas production. Shipment in liquid form from the Sahara and piping from the bed of the North Sea have been among the novel developments. Vast pipelines have also been constructed in Venezuela and across the Canadian-U.S. border.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, demand for renewable energy increased as a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuel use. Civil engineers have developed and installed vast solar and wind arrays in places like California, the United Kingdom, and China, and innumerable smaller constructions have been built around the world, both on land and at sea. Other sources of renewable energy include tidal and geothermal power, though their use is more geographically limited.
Public health
Drainage and liquid-waste disposal are closely associated with antipollution measures and the reuse of water. The urban development of parts of water catchment areas can alter the nature of runoff, and the training and regulation of rivers produce changes in the pattern of events, resulting in floods and the need for flood prevention and control.
Modern civilization has created problems with solid-waste disposal from the manufacture of durable goods, such as automobiles and refrigerators, produced in large numbers with a limited life, to the small package, previously disposable, now often indestructible.
The civil engineer plays an important role in the preservation of the environment, principally through the design of works to enhance rather than damage or pollute.
Water and Wastewater Engineering
Water and Wastewater engineers plan, design, and manage the construction of municipal water supply systems, as well as wastewater treatment systems. Each type of system is designed to meet industry standards and codes to ensure that drinking water meets public safety requirements and that the discharged water from wastewater treatment systems will not have a negative impact on the environment.
Example projects Water and Wastewater engineers would be involved with include:
- Wastewater studies to determine the best and safest way to collect, treat, and transport blackwater, greywater, and irrigation water
- Working with districts, cities, or counties to develop potable water treatment facilities
Environmental Engineering
The environmental engineering branch of civil engineering studies the effects of projects on the environment. Environmental Engineers study and evaluate impacts on cultural resources, noise impacts on threatened and endangered species, water quality, air quality, wetlands, and socio-economic impacts to name a few.
Their aim is to identify the environmental impacts of a project and to suggest ways to eliminate or mitigate those impacts. The goal of environmental engineering is to help develop a project that has the least amount of impact on the natural environment.
Example projects environmental engineers would be involved with include:
- Environmental evaluation, such as assessing project impacts on soil and groundwater
- Assessing wetlands and streams through delineation, determination, and categorization to accurately identify impacts
- Designing mitigation plans that eliminate or off-set impacts on environmental resources
- Presenting project implementation options for avoiding impacts on species of concern, including endangered species
- Helping to develop solutions to environmental issues like erosion control, water or air pollution
- Working with districts, cities, or counties to solve stormwater runoff pollution issues
- Coordinating with agency oversight at the local, state, and federal levels to most reasonably protect environmental resources and achieve project goals
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This division of civil engineering is crucial for long-term, sustainable projects that keep the environment and public health as top priorities.
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FAQ
What is Civil Engineering?
Civil Engineering is the professional engineering discipline that deals with designing and executing structural works that serve the general public, such as dams, bridges, aqueducts, canals, highways, power plants, sewerage systems, and other infrastructures.
What is the History/ Beginning of Civil Engineering?
The beginnings of civil engineering as a separate discipline may be seen in the foundation in France in 1716 of the Bridge and Highway Corps, out of which in 1747 grew the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (“National School of Bridges and Highways”)
What are the functions of Civil Engineering?
The functions of civil engineering can be divided into three categories: those performed before construction (feasibility studies, site investigations, and design), those performed during construction (dealing with clients, consulting engineers, and contractors), and those performed after construction (maintenance and research).
What are the branches of Civil Engineering?
These are the branches of Civil Engineering:
- Structural Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Transportation Engineering
- Water Resource Engineering
- Surveying
- Construction Engineering
- Municipal Engineering