What is Civil Engineering? | Civil 101

Civil Engineering is basically a discipline of engineering which deals with the designing, constructing and maintaining infrastructurefor the general public, for example, roads, dams, canals, pipelines, buildings, bridges, airports etc.

It is said to be the second oldest engineering discipline, after Military Engineering (can you see why its called 'Civil Engineering'? Well because whatever is not military is civil, or non-military in other words).

History of Civil Engineering:

The term 'Civil Engineering' was first used during 18th century to distinguished the profession of constructing structures for the general public, from already popularised Military Engineering. 

Some of the ancient and medieval civil engineering works were the Roman public baths, roads, bridges, and aqueducts; the Flemish canals; the Dutch sea defenses; the French Gothic cathedrals and many more.

National School of Bridges and Highways

Bridge and Highway Corps was founded in France in 1716 which led to the establishment of National School of Bridges and Highways (École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées) in 1747, it was first school for civil engineering specifically. The books written by its teachers became the standard books for Mechanics of materials, hydraulics and machines.

John Smeaton - Father of Civil Engineering

John Smeaton, who is known as Father of Civil Engineering, started as an instrument maker, later he designed the Eddystone Lighthouse (1756–59) using the technique of 'interlocking masonry'.

In 1771, he founded the Society of Civil Engineers (now called Smeatonian Society)

Civil Engineering Functions:

There are 3 basic functions to be performed by a Civil Engineer - 

1. Before Construction: 

Feasibility Studies/Preliminary Surveys, Site-Investigation & Designing.

2. During Construction: 

Dealing with clients, Consulting engineers and contractors.

3. After Construction: 

Maintenance and research.

Branches of Civil Engineering:

1. Construction:

Construction Engineering

All the civil contracts includes some form of construction activity. The engineer’s analysis of a building problem, based on its functional use and budget of the client, determines the building’s structural design.

2. Transportation: 

I-80 Eastshore Freeway in Berkeley, California

This includes the works and contracts dealing with the transportation facilities, for example, traffic studies, Design of roadways, railways and airport runways, and construction of pavements, embankments, bridges, and tunnels.

3. Marine or Hydraulic:

Tungabhadra Dam

This sub-discipline of Civil Engineering deals with the construction & maintenence of hydraulic structures, also it includes the maintenance and development of water supplies, canals, dams etc.

It is also known as Water Resources Engineering.

4. Structural Engineering:

Falkirk Wheel

Structural engineering is concerned with the structural design and structural analysis of buildings, bridges, towers, flyovers (overpasses), tunnels, etc.

5. Public Health:

This is known as Environmental Engineering nowadays and deals with the drainage and liquid waste disposal to avoid any public health issues and prevent the outbreak of any infectious diseases. Hence it is also called as Sanitary Engineering in the old days.

Some other sub-disciplines of Civil Engineering are:

• Earthquake engineering
• Geotechnical engineering
• Surveying
• Municipal or urban engineering
• Coastal engineering
• Forensic engineering
• Materials science and engineering