Civil Engineering: Disciplines and Infrastructure
SNMIMT BCE I & II Modules
Basic Civil Engineering
Introduction to Civil Engineering
“Civil Engineering is the art of directing great sources of nature for the use and convenience of man.” Civil engineers have one of the world’s most important jobs. They build our quality of life. With creativity and technical skill, civil engineers plan, design, construct, and operate the facilities essential to modern life, ranging from bridges and highway systems to water treatment plants and energy-efficient buildings. Civil engineers are problem solvers, meeting the challenges of pollution, traffic congestion, drinking water and energy needs, urban redevelopment, and community planning.
Unlike any other engineering profession, Civil Engineering has always provided enduring monuments and lasting legacies. From the Pyramids of Egypt to the Roman Aqueducts, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, the Parthenon of Greece, the Empire State Building, the Hoover Dam, and the Golden Gate Bridge, our legacies endure as beacons of creativity and genius. These structures provide only a glimpse of the exceptional skills and remarkable abilities of Civil Engineers throughout the ages. Their contributions to civilization are indisputable.
Disciplines of Civil Engineering
As a wide branch of engineering, Civil Engineering has various disciplines, which are the following:
Construction Engineering
The construction phase of a project represents the first tangible result of a design. Using technical and management skills, construction engineers turn designs into reality on time and within budget. They apply their knowledge of construction methods and equipment, along with the principles of financing, planning, and managing, to turn the designs of other engineers into successful facilities.
Structural Engineering
Structural engineers face the challenge of designing structures that support their own weight and the loads they carry, and that resist extreme forces from wind, earthquakes, bombings, temperature, and others. Bridges, buildings, amusement park rides, and many other kinds of projects are included within this specialty. Structural engineers develop appropriate combinations of steel, concrete, timber, plastic, and new exotic materials. They also plan and design, and visit project sites to make sure work is done properly.
Geotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical engineering is required in all aspects of civil engineering because most projects are supported by the ground. A geotechnical engineer may develop projects below the ground, such as tunnels, foundations, and offshore platforms. They analyze the properties of soil and rock that support and affect the behavior of these structures. They evaluate potential settlements of buildings, the stability of slopes and fills, the seepage of groundwater, and the effects of earthquakes. They investigate rocks and soils at a project site and determine the best way to support a structure in the ground. They also take part in the design and construction of dams, embankments, and retaining walls.
Environmental Engineering
The skills of environmental engineers have become increasingly important as we protect our fragile resources. Environmental engineers translate physical, chemical, and biological processes into systems to destroy toxic substances, remove pollutants from water, reduce non-hazardous solid waste volumes, eliminate contaminants from the air, and develop groundwater supplies. Environmental engineers are called upon to resolve the problems of providing safe drinking water, cleaning up contaminated sites with hazardous materials, disposing of wastewater, and managing solid wastes.
Transportation Engineering
The quality of a community is directly related to the quality of its transportation system. Transportation engineers work to move people, goods, and materials safely and efficiently. They find ways to meet our ever-increasing travel needs on land, air, and sea. They design, construct, and maintain all types of transportation facilities, including airports, highways, railroads, mass transit systems, and ports. An important part of transportation engineering is upgrading our transportation capability by improving traffic control and mass transit systems, and by introducing high-speed trains, people movers, and other intermodal transportation methods.
Water Resources Engineering
Water is essential to our lives, and water resources engineers deal with the physical control of water. They work with others to prevent floods, supply water for cities, industry, and agriculture, protect beaches, or manage and redirect rivers. They design, construct, and maintain hydroelectric power facilities, canals, dams, pipelines, pumping stations, locks, seaport facilities, or even waterslides.
Surveying and Remote Sensing
Surveying is to determine the positions of points on, above, or below the surface of the earth by means of direct or indirect measurements of distances, elevations, and directions. These are required for any project in civil engineering. Surveying has advanced from chain surveying to remote sensing with the advent of various electronic, sophisticated instruments.
Relevance of Civil Engineering in Infrastructural Development
Infrastructure is the framework of supporting systems consisting of transportation, communication, energy, lifeline facilities, irrigation facilities, etc., that help a community or a government to function, grow, and develop. Infrastructure development in any country contributes to the economic development of a particular nation. The higher the infrastructure facilities, the higher the growth prospects.
Economic infrastructure contributes directly to economic development, while social infrastructure (e.g., education & training, social welfare, housing, water supply) will have an indirect influence on the economic development of the country.
Infrastructural development has the following major impacts on a country:
- Healthy and comfortable housing facility
- Improvement in communication and transportation
- Protection from drought & flood
- Safe domestic and industrial water supply
- Safe and scientific waste disposal
- Generation of electricity from nuclear, hydel, thermal, solar, or wind energy
- Increase in food production
- Improved wealth, prosperity, and standard of living
Large-scale budget allocation for infrastructure leads to agricultural and industrial developments. It provides employment, eradicates poverty, and enhances per capita income, thereby contributing to the overall development of the country. The role of Civil Engineers in infrastructural development includes:
- Construction of residential, commercial and industrial buildings for urban and rural areas.
- Town and city planning
- Construction of roads, railways, ports, harbors and airports
- Construction of dams for proper utilization of water resources and flood control
- Providing Safe domestic, agricultural and industrial water supply
- Providing secure and scientific waste disposal
- Monitoring land, water and air pollution and take measures to control them
- Maintenance of facilities
- Rebuilding, Rehabilitation, Retrofitting and Repair