Civil Engineering

8 Key excerpts on "Civil Engineering"

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  eBook - ePub

  Practical Civil Engineering

  • P.K. Jayasree, K Balan, V Rani(Authors)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • CRC Press

    (Publisher)

  1      Introduction to Civil Engineering

  1.1     Scope of Civil Engineering

  Engineering discipline is a vast area that offers unlimited specialization. It can be defined as the systematic presentation of scientific principles employed for the advantage of the public. It is the career in which the understanding of mathematics and natural sciences, achieved by learning, understanding, and rehearsal, is supported by wisdom to acquire methods to consume the material and forces of the environment for the utility of society in a cautious way. The conventional divisions of engineering are civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. Other than these basic divisions, there are numerous other branches. To name a few, computer engineering, aeronautical engineering, industrial engineering, chemical engineering, marine engineering, automobile engineering, polymer engineering, textile engineering, ceramic engineering, and so on.

  As engineers with specific skills established their logical knowledge and professional organizations, the opportunity of Civil Engineering was confined to construction, which was the first to utilize scientific principles. For example, the theory of cantilever was first explored by Galileo Galilei. Civil Engineering is an engineering specialty and is considered to be the original one among all branches of engineering. The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), UK, in its royal charter has defined Civil Engineering as “the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for use and convenience of the man.” It includes planning, design, erection as well as repairs of the built structures like bridges, buildings, roads, dams, canals, railways, reservoirs, towers, spillways, and chimneys. However, Civil Engineering alone cannot sustain independently. It has to join hands with other branches of Engineering. In fact, different branches of engineering should balance and also complement each other, though each one including Civil Engineering has its own distinct and precise roles in the development and progress of the society.

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  The basics of engineering

  • Lokesh Pandey(Author)
  • 2023(Publication Date)
  • Arcler Press

    (Publisher)

  7.1. INTRODUCTION Much of the modern society depends on engineered artifacts to function, but many members of modern society are not aware of the engineering techniques and practices that have developed the technology and infrastructure. Engineers’ designs and creations are iPods, cell phones, airplanes, bridges, buildings, vehicles, computers, etc. To the creation or modification of components, systems, and processes (which are often referred to as a product or an artifact) for the benefit of society, engineering is the application of the principles of mathematics and science. To create such artifacts which represent a balance between quality, performance, and cost, engineers use a series of logical steps (the engineering design process). To succeed in the study of those subjects for a professional career in engineering, this chapter explores and examines the role and connections of math and science to engineering and the need. 7.2. TYPES OF ENGINEERING 7.2.1. Civil Engineering It is a study and construction of infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, utilities, and buildings. Sit specialism like structural engineering and mechanical engineering within Civil Engineering. The buildings we live in and work in, the transportation facilities we use, the water we drink, and the drainage and sewage systems that are necessary to our health and well-being are all the effects of Civil Engineering (Figure 7.1). Applications of Engineering Across Various Fields 189 Civil engineers: • Measure and map the earth’s surface. • Design and supervise the construction of bridges, tunnels, large buildings, dams, and coastal structures. • Plan, layout, construct, and maintain railroads, highways, and airports. • For the control and efficient flow of traffic devise systems. • River navigation and flood control projects building and planning. • For water supply and sewage and refuse disposal provide plants and systems. Figure 7.1. Civil engineers doing construction work.

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  Introduction to Engineering Library

  • Paul H. Wright(Author)
  • 2012(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  3. Transportation engineering. 4. Geotechnical engineering. 5. Hydraulic and water resources engineering. 6. Environmental engineering. 7. Geodetic engineering. The largest specialty within Civil Engineering, structural engineering, is concerned with the design of large buildings, bridges, tanks, towers, dams, and other large structures. These engineers design and select appropriate structural 2.6 Civil Engineering 29 Figure 2.1 Geodetic engineering, a branch of civil engineer- ing, involves measuring and mapping the earth’s surface. (Courtesy of Institute Communications and Public Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology.) components (e.g., beams, columns, and slabs) and systems to provide adequate strength, stability, and durability. A large fraction of civil engineers work in the construction industry, building the facilities that other engineers and architects design. The task of construction engineers is to utilize and manage the resources of construction (the vehicles, equipment, machines, materials, and skilled workers) to produce with timeli- ness and efficiency the structure or facility envisioned by the designer. Transportation engineers are concerned with the planning and layout of highways, airports, harbors and ports, and mass transportation systems. They plan and design transportation terminals and devise and operate systems for the control of vehicular traffic. Geotechnical engineers are concerned with the structural behavior of soil and rock. They analyze earth support systems and design foundations, earth walls, and highway and airport pavements. Hydraulic and water resources engineers are concerned with the flow of water through ditches, conduits, canals, dams, and estuaries. They use their special knowledge of fluid mechanics to design dams, irrigation systems, municipal water works, and drainage and erosion control systems.

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  Using the Engineering Literature

  • Bonnie A. Osif(Author)
  • 2016(Publication Date)
  • CRC Press

    (Publisher)

  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,.harbors,.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”.(Merdinger,.1953).(Ferguson.and.Chrimes,.2011) . In.1961,.the.American.Society.of.Civil.Engineers.expanded.on.this.definition.by.stating.that.it. was.“a.profession.in.which.a.knowledge.of.the.mathematical.and.physical.sciences.gained.by.study,. experience,. and. practice. is. applied. with. judgment. to. develop. ways. to. utilize,. economically,. the. materials.and.forces.of.nature.for.the.progressive.well-being.of.humanity.in.creating,.improving,. and.protecting.the.environment,.in.providing.facilities.for.community.living,.industry,.and.trans-portation,.and.in.providing.structures.for.the.use.of.humanity”.(ASCE,.2004,.p . .118) . Based.on.these.definitions,.this.chapter.will.cover.the.areas.of.general.civil.engineering,.con-struction. management,. geotechnical. engineering,. maritime. engineering,. municipal. engineering,. nanotechnology,.structural.engineering,.sustainable.development,.and.water.resources.engineering . . Due.to.the.size.of.the.fields,.energy,.environmental,.and.transportation.engineering.have.their.own. chapters,.although.there.is.much.overlap.between.these.fields.of.engineering.and.the.fields.discussed. in.this.chapter . LITERATURE OF THE Civil Engineering FIELD The.literature.of.civil.engineering.is.scattered.throughout.the.various.specialized.subject.areas.of. the.field . .While.engineering.is.as.old.as.human.history,.its.technical.literature.is.a.recent.develop-ment.

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  eBook - ePub

  Engineering

  A Beginner's Guide

  • Natasha McCarthy(Author)
  • 2012(Publication Date)
  • Oneworld Publications

    (Publisher)

  This chapter will set out the ways in which engineering has changed the physical world. It will show what each engineering discipline involves by examining the impact that each has had on the world around us and the way that we live in it. But it should be recognised that each individual discipline of engineering can have only limited impact on its own. The lines between the specialisms are vague. Many engineers sit on the border of a variety of specialisms and most significant engineering projects are a collaboration between a number of disciplines. One of the essential skills of any breed of engineer is to be multidisciplinary, to be able to work with experts from other areas and to see where their work fits into the wider scheme. Engineers as a collective have changed the world, and no single discipline can claim to be the most influential.

  Civil Engineering: the creation of cities and the taming of the country

  As the last chapter demonstrated, Civil Engineering is the oldest branch of the discipline that we think of as modern engineering. The ‘civil’ in Civil Engineering may initially have distinguished those engineers who worked on non-military projects from those that supported the work of soldiers at war, but it also connects intimately to the concept of civilisation. Living a healthy and safe life in large settlements and cities is made possible by Civil Engineering primarily through its management of water, the key element in supporting human life. Thus civil engineers plan, design and build the hidden labyrinth of pipework that allows the distribution of water to homes for drinking and washing but, perhaps more importantly, they construct the tunnels through which wastewater and sewage is flushed away. The management of clean and contaminated water makes life possible in large towns and cities, and without it we would be, and indeed once were, at risk of poisoning from our own waste. Civil engineers also protect us from the threats that water poses, by building flood defences and dams – allowing us to tame the forces of nature which formerly controlled the place of water in our life.

  Another key element of modern civilisation is the transport system. The transport system allows us to work away from where we live, in centralised offices and factories, and allows us to maintain contact with those we live away from, by allowing cheap and fast travel. Civil engineers produce and maintain the transport infrastructure; the road and rail networks with their bridges and tunnels that allow transport systems to overcome natural barriers. The transport system is not only important for allowing individuals to move around but is also of course essential to industry by making possible the movement of goods produced in one part of the country to another, and also to the shores for export. Before the industrial revolution and the rapid expansion of the railways, civil engineers shaped the waterways of the countryside so that they could meet the transportation needs of mining and industry. The transport infrastructure was also at one time the communications infrastructure – roads and rails making it possible for a postal service to exist, which in turn supported modern industry and personal communications.

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  Planning and Design of Engineering Systems

  • Graeme Dandy, Trevor Daniell, Bernadette Foley, Robert Warner(Authors)
  • 2017(Publication Date)
  • CRC Press

    (Publisher)

  CHAPTER ONE Engineering and Society In this introductory chapter we discuss the nature, history, and scope of engineering work and the role of the engineer in society. In broad terms, engineers are responsible for designing, planning, constructing and maintaining the physical infrastructure that supports modern society and allows it to function effectively. Engineers make extensive use of scientific and mathematical knowledge, but their work is distinguished from the work of scientists and mathematicians by an emphasis on the use of all available relevant knowledge to solve real infrastructure problems as economically and efficiently as possible, in an environmentally and socially responsible way. 1.1 MODERN SOCIETY AND ITS ENGINEERED INFRASTRUCTURE Modern society functions within the framework of a vast and complex engineered infrastructure that supports, and indeed makes possible, modern everyday life. For example, the large volumes of clean water that are used each day domestically, and by industry and agriculture, are supplied by a complex engineering system that is made up of remote rain catchment areas, reservoirs, pumping stations, pipelines, desalination plants, water treatment plants and local networks of reticulation pipes. The water supply system is one small part of the infrastructure. Another system generates and supplies the energy that is used to heat, cool and light the buildings that we live in, work in and relax in. Enormous amounts of additional energy are consumed by our factories and industries. Yet another part of the infrastructure enables communications over large distances and the sending and receiving of large quantities of information almost instantaneously. We use a transport system to move people and goods within and between our cities and urban regions and between countries.

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  Steps toward a Philosophy of Engineering

  Historico-Philosophical and Critical Essays

  • Carl Mitcham(Author)
  • 2019(Publication Date)
  • Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

    (Publisher)

  During the same period as the founding of the first professional engineering schools, a few builders of “public works” began to distinguish themselves from their military forebears with the term “civil engineer”—a designation that continues in some languages to denote all nonmilitary engineering. The creation of this civilian counterpart to military engineering initially gave little cause to alter the basic ethos. Civil Engineering was simply peacetime military engineering for “use and convenience” and engineers remained duty-bound to obey their employers, whether a civilian branch of government or a private corporation. Such an obligation was further rationalized and enforced by an industrial capitalism in which corporate owners exercised state-enforced legal authority over employees, whom they were free to fire at will for poor performance of any kind, especially disobedience. Obedience (sometimes complemented with the honorific term “loyalty”) was a pervasive if not explicitly stated role morality for engineers as employees; this was the case even when technical expertise provided them a modicum of independence, especially when directing major projects of public infrastructure or private industrial construction. Even consulting engineers assumed subservience to larger purposes such as national competition. Much less than scientists were engineers inclined toward cosmopolitanism; engineers were married to the state.

  Along with the emergence of civilian engineering, the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries witnessed the growth of public associations of professionals (such as physicians, lawyers, and engineers) in what Alexis de Tocqueville described as social (rather than economic) organizations intermediate between family and state—and as the foundational institutions of civil society.2 During the same period, technical knowledge became increasingly rationalized in various semiautonomous disciplines, reflecting what sociologists identify as a key feature in the logic of modernity—structural differentiation.3 Intermediate associations of engineers thus formed to reflect disciplinary differentiations of civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and other branches of engineering.

  Historically, ethics too became an issue for differentiation. The American Medical Association at its founding in 1847 drafted a “Code of Medical Ethics,” making a link to the premodern “Oath of Hippocrates” (fifth century BCE

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  Engineering Essentials for STEM Instruction

  How do I infuse real-world problem solving into science, technology, and math? (ASCD Arias)

  • Pamela Truesdell(Author)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • ASCD

    (Publisher)

  According to the American Heritage Dictionary (2009), engineering is “the application of scientific and mathematical principles to practical ends such as the design, manufacture, and operation of efficient and economical structures, machines, processes, and systems.” Most general dictionaries define engineering similarly—as an application of math and science. When we turn to the definitions offered by engineering-based groups, there’s a definite shift toward a more specialized meaning. The American Society for Engineering Education produces a website and publication called Engineering, Go For It, or eGFI for short. (Available at www.egfi-k12.org, it is a great source for teachers and students interested in learning more about engineering fields.) In the October 2009 issue, eGFI states the following: Engineers solve problems using science and math, harnessing the forces and materials in nature. They draw on their creative powers to come up with quicker, better, and less expensive ways to do the things that need to be done. And they find ways to make dreams a reality. (p. 2) The difference from the standard dictionary definition is subtle but important. In the eGFI definition, and for engineers, solving problems comes first. However, we want to be careful not to translate this statement into something oversimplified, such as “to solve problems in math or science classrooms is to do engineering.” After all, at one time it was popular to try to teach critical thinking skills by giving students word problems or story problems. The trouble was, these problems were often one-dimensional and had little relation to the world in which the students lived. Engineers derive the problems they tackle from the real world around them

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