History and Heritage of Civil Engineering
– Civil engineering is the second-oldest engineering discipline after military engineering.
– Ancient and medieval architectural design and construction were carried out by artisans.
– Archimedes and Brahmagupta made significant contributions to the scientific approach in civil engineering.
– The construction of pyramids and ancient irrigation works showcased early civil engineering.
– The Romans developed various civil structures throughout their empire.
– The term ‘civil engineering’ was coined in the 18th century to differentiate from military engineering.
– Civil engineering has a rich history dating back to ancient civilizations.
Civil Engineering as a Discipline
– Civil engineering applies physical and scientific principles to solve societal problems.
– The history of civil engineering is linked to various fields such as structures, materials science, and geography.
– Ancient structures, roads, and infrastructure were repetitive and incrementally scaled.
– Archimedes’ work in the 3rd century BC contributed to our understanding of buoyancy.
– Brahmagupta used arithmetic for excavation computations in the 7th century AD.
– Civil engineering integrates conception, planning, designing, making, operating, and decommissioning.
– Civil engineering is a discipline that manages complexity and change in infrastructure projects.
Civil Engineering Profession
– Engineering has been practiced since ancient times.
– The distinction between civil engineering and architecture was not clear until modern times.
– The profession of civil engineering exists in both the public and private sectors.
– Norwich University was the first private college to teach civil engineering in the United States.
– Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute awarded the first degree in civil engineering in the United States.
– The first degree in civil engineering granted to a woman was awarded by Cornell University.
Civil Engineering Education
– Various universities and colleges played a role in the development of civil engineering education.
– Civil engineers typically hold a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
– The curriculum includes courses in physics, mathematics, project management, and design.
– Undergraduate degrees provide industry-accredited qualifications.
– Further education and professional licensure may be pursued for career advancement.
Sub-disciplines of Civil Engineering
– General civil engineers work on various projects, collaborating with surveyors and specialized civil engineers.
– Site engineering focuses on converting land from one usage to another.
– Coastal engineering manages coastal areas, including defense against flooding and erosion.
– Construction engineering involves planning, execution, and transportation of materials.
– Earthquake engineering focuses on designing structures to withstand earthquake exposures.
– Environmental engineering deals with the treatment of chemical, biological, or thermal wastes.
– Surveying is the process of measuring dimensions on or near the Earth’s surface.
– Transportation engineering involves designing, constructing, and maintaining transportation infrastructure.
– Municipal or urban engineering focuses on municipal infrastructure like streets, sidewalks, and water supply networks.
Note: Some points may be split into multiple groups if they touch on multiple concepts. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_engineering
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Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings, and railways.
Civil engineering is traditionally broken into a number of sub-disciplines. It is considered the second-oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it is defined to distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering. Civil engineering can take place in the public sector from municipal public works departments through to federal government agencies, and in the private sector from locally based firms to global Fortune 500 companies.
