Basics of Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering

What is Civil engineering:

• One who improve the quality of life through the production of infrastructure

           - Buildings, bridges and other structures

           - Highways

           - Dams and levees

           - Water treatment plants, waste disposal

• This infrastructure must be safe, functional, elegant and economically sound.
• Civil engineering is the oldest branch of engineering which is growing right from the stone age civilization.
• 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.

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:

1. Surveying: Surveying is the science of map making. To start any development activity in an area the relative positions of various objects in the horizontal and vertical directions are required.
2. Structural Engineering: This discipline involves the design of structures that should be safe for the users, be economical, and accomplish the desired functions.
3. Geo-technical Engineering: Geo-technical engineering deals with soils, rocks, foundations of buildings and bridges, highways, sewers and underground water systems.
4. 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. 
5. 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.
6. Hydraulics: Hydraulic engineering consists of the application of fluid mechanics to water flowing in an isolated environment or in an open channel.
7. Transportation Engineering: Transportation engineering is the application scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order to provide for the safe, efficient, comfortable, convenient, and economical compatible movement of people and goods.
8. Other Disciplines: Some of the other disciplines included in civil engineering include coastal engineering, construction engineering, earthquake engineering, materials science.

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