Civil
engineering
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| The Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper, 828 metres (2,717 ft) tall |
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline
that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and
naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams,
airports, sewerage systems, pipelines and railways. Civil engineering is
traditionally broken into a number of sub-disciplines. It is the second-oldest
engineering discipline after military engineering, and it is defined to
distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering.Civil
engineering takes place in the public sector from municipal through to national
governments, and in the private sector from individual homeowners through to
international companies.
History of the civil engineering profession
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| Leonhard Euler developed the theory explaining the buckling of columns |
Engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginnings
of human existence. The earliest practice of civil engineering may have
commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC in ancient Egypt, the Indus Valley
Civilization, and Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq) when humans started to abandon a
nomadic existence, creating a need for the construction of shelter. During this
time, transportation became increasingly important leading to the development
of the wheel and sailing.
Until modern times there was no clear distinction between
civil engineering and architecture, and the term engineer and architect were
mainly geographical variations referring to the same occupation, and often used
interchangeably. The construction of pyramids in Egypt (circa 2700–2500 BC)
were some of the first instances of large structure constructions. Other
ancient historic civil engineering constructions include the Qanat water
management system (the oldest is older than 3000 years and longer than 71
km,) the Parthenon by Iktinos in Ancient Greece (447–438 BC), the Appian Way
by Roman engineers (c. 312 BC), the Great Wall of China by General Meng T'ien
under orders from Ch'in Emperor Shih Huang Ti (c. 220 BC) and the stupas
constructed in ancient Sri Lanka like the Jetavanaramaya and the extensive
irrigation works in Anuradhapura. The Romans developed civil structures
throughout their empire, including especially aqueducts, insulae, harbors,
bridges, dams and roads.
In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined
to incorporate all things civilian as opposed to military engineering.The
first self-proclaimed civil engineer was John Smeaton, who constructed the
Eddystone Lighthouse. In 1771 Smeaton and some of his colleagues formed
the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession
who met informally over dinner. Though there was evidence of some technical
meetings, it was little more than a social society.
In 1818 the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in
London, and in 1820 the eminent engineer Thomas Telford became its first
president. The institution received a Royal Charter in 1828, formally
recognising civil engineering as a profession. Its charter defined civil
engineering as:
the art of directing the great sources of power in nature
for the use and convenience of man, as the means of production and of traffic
in states, both for external and internal trade, as applied in the construction
of roads, bridges, aqueducts, canals, river navigation and docks for internal
intercourse and exchange, and in the construction of ports, harbours, moles,
breakwaters and lighthouses, and in the art of navigation by artificial power
for the purposes of commerce, and in the construction and application of
machinery, and in the drainage of cities and towns
History of civil engineering education
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| John Smeaton, the "father of civil engineering" |
Civil engineering is the application of physical and
scientific principles for solving the problems of society, and its history is
intricately linked to advances in understanding of physics and mathematics
throughout history. Because civil engineering is a wide-ranging profession,
including several specialized sub-disciplines, its history is linked to
knowledge of structures, materials science, geography, geology, soils,
hydrology, environment, mechanics and other fields.
Throughout ancient and medieval history most architectural
design and construction was carried out by artisans, such as stonemasons and
carpenters, rising to the role of master builder. Knowledge was retained in
guilds and seldom supplanted by advances. Structures, roads and infrastructure
that existed were repetitive, and increases in scale were incremental.
One of the earliest examples of a scientific approach to
physical and mathematical problems applicable to civil engineering is the work
of Archimedes in the 3rd century BC, including Archimedes Principle, which
underpins our understanding of buoyancy, and practical solutions such as
Archimedes' screw. Brahmagupta, an Indian mathematician, used arithmetic in the
7th century AD, based on Hindu-Arabic numerals, for excavation (volume)
computations
The civil engineer
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| Surveying students with professor at the Helsinki University of Technology in the late 19th century. |
Education and licensure
Civil engineers typically possess an academic degree in
civil engineering. The length of study is three to five years, and the
completed degree is designated as a bachelor of engineering, or a bachelor of
science in engineering. The curriculum generally includes classes in physics,
mathematics, project management, design and specific topics in civil
engineering. After taking basic courses in most sub-disciplines of civil
engineering, they move onto specialize in one or more sub-disciplines at
advanced levels. While an undergraduate degree (BEng/BSc) normally provides
successful students with industry-accredited qualification, some academic
institutions offer post-graduate degrees (MEng/MSc), which allow students to
further specialize in their particular area of interest.
In most countries, a bachelor's degree in engineering
represents the first step towards professional certification, and a
professional body certifies the degree program. After completing a certified
degree program, the engineer must satisfy a range of requirements (including
work experience and exam requirements) before being certified. Once certified,
the engineer is designated as a professional engineer (in the United States,
Canada and South Africa), a chartered engineer (in most Commonwealth
countries), a chartered professional engineer (in Australia and New Zealand),
or a European engineer (in most countries of the European Union). There are
international agreements between relevant professional bodies to allow
engineers to practice across national borders.
The benefits of certification vary depending upon location.
For example, in the United States and Canada, "only a licensed
professional engineer may prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans
and drawings to a public authority for approval, or seal engineering work for
public and private clients." This requirement is enforced under
provincial law such as the Engineers Act in Quebec.
No such legislation has been enacted in other countries
including the United Kingdom. In Australia, state licensing of engineers is
limited to the state of Queensland. Almost all certifying bodies maintain a
code of ethics which all members must abide by.
Engineers must obey contract law in their contractual
relationships with other parties. In cases where an engineer's work fails, he
may be subject to the law of tort of negligence, and in extreme cases, criminal
charges.An engineer's work must also comply with numerous other rules and
regulations such as building codes and environmental law.
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