The field of Civil Engineering has several different
subfields. These include structural engineering, geotechnical engineering,
transportation engineering, water resources, and environmental engineering.
Structural engineering is exactly what it sounds like. That
area of engineering concerns load bearing structures such as bridges,
buildings, and other large and necessary structures.
Geotechnical engineering is has a lot to do with the
foundations of large structures. Knowing how easily soil will crumple or
compact is extremely important when both building and designing structures.
Transportation engineering is concerned with any movement of
people and goods. This includes, but is not limited to roads, railroads,
subways, airports, and pipelines.
Water resources engineering tries to minimize water demands
and maximize available water. Demands of water are becoming greater and greater
while our water supplies are only decreasing. Water resources engineering also
works with nanotechnology to clean water and make it safe for drinking.
Environmental engineering works with water resources
engineering a lot as environmental engineers try to minimize humans’ impact on
the earth. Environmental engineers help with construction oversight, project
management, site investigation and sampling, and system operation and
management.
Materials engineering is a common part of all of these
subfields of civil engineering (as illustrated in Figure 1). Materials engineering
tests and makes regulations for all materials used in engineering. This
includes concrete, steel, timber, soils, and polymers (plastics). Material
engineers make sure materials are durable and long lasting. They also invent
new materials that better suit the needs of humans.
Figure 1
So! Now that you know a little more about the different
subfields of civil engineering, what makes a good civil engineer? Civil
engineers are expected to have many skills that can be applied to a variety of
projects. Engineers have to be good at math, know general physics laws, and be
able to communicate effectively. Since civil engineers will be designing
systems and structures, they have to know how to organize and create plans,
drawings, blueprints, and other specs.
In addition to this, an engineer is never done learning.
Because technological advancements are being made all the time, civil engineers
have to make sure they stay up to date with all of the technology and updated
regulations of materials and processes. Civil engineers also have to be
knowledgeable of building and construction processes. It wouldn’t make sense
for a civil engineer to be telling construction workers what to build, when the
civil engineers haven’t the faintest idea of how to build it. That would surely
lead to mistakes and failures.
In the civil engineering world, mistakes have dire consequences
and can be very dangerous. Civil engineers pride themselves on working as a
team to carry out a project. Civil engineers check each other’s work, once,
twice, three times. Calculations are verified and verified again. Civil engineers
put together huge portfolios (I’m talking inches thick) spelling out every
minute detail of a project. Thus, civil engineers have to have leadership
skills, be active listeners, be able to work as a team, and be complex problem
solvers.
Civil engineers expect great things of themselves and of
their colleagues, and I am so excited to be a part of it all.
Jennifer, great post on Civil Engineering.
ReplyDeleteAs a mechanical engineer, I wasn’t fully acquainted with all the sub divisions of civil engineering, till now that is. You did a great job breaking down each category of civil engineering and what they do. When I was reading your article I found many similarities between civil and mechanical engineering. We as engineers have to be conscious of the implications of designs we create. As you said to reduce the risk for engineering failures all work needs to be meticulously check and rechecked. This engineering process seems to be universal for all technical fields.
I found particularly interesting the part you had on each civil engineering field. Often times I forget to realize just how much engineering goes into an ordinary structure such as bridge. From what I have heard on the news lately many of our roads and bridges are in dire need for repairs. That great news for you! I look forward to seeing the new and innovative solutions that you and other civil engineers construct.
Jennifer, this is an excellent post about civil engineering. As a mechanical engineering major and did not realize the extensiveness of civil engineering. I also liked reading about how civil engineers work as a team, the little experience in the working world of engineering was spent working on projects alone. So it is very interesting learning how different engineers interact.
ReplyDeleteI found this post to be very well organized and informative. I did know civil engineers were important for building structures, but I did not know the official sub divisions of civil engineering. I also did not know of the environmental engineering and water resource engineering sub divisions. I always thought of bridges, buildings, and roads or the geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and transportation engineering as what civil engineers dealt with or concentrated on instead of the environment and water resources. I can see the importance of environmental engineering and water resource engineering to the world as many places such as California are in a severe drought and must use water in the wisest of ways. I find material engineering to be extremely beneficial to all fields of engineering as engineers of different fields and others need to know the limits of the material they are using for simple projects. Having the limits already calculated and tested saves time on projects and reassures proper material use. Civil engineers are under an extreme amount of pressure since what they do can affects thousands of lives with just one small mistake. I cannot imagine the work that goes into a project like building a bridge.
ReplyDeleteI found this post to be very well organized and informative. I did know civil engineers were important for building structures, but I did not know the official sub divisions of civil engineering. I also did not know of the environmental engineering and water resource engineering sub divisions. I always thought of bridges, buildings, and roads or the geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and transportation engineering as what civil engineers dealt with or concentrated on instead of the environment and water resources. I can see the importance of environmental engineering and water resource engineering to the world as many places such as California are in a severe drought and must use water in the wisest of ways. I find material engineering to be extremely beneficial to all fields of engineering as engineers of different fields and others need to know the limits of the material they are using for simple projects. Having the limits already calculated and tested saves time on projects and reassures proper material use. Civil engineers are under an extreme amount of pressure since what they do can affects thousands of lives with just one small mistake. I cannot imagine the work that goes into a project like building a bridge.
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