Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is one of the oldest professions in the
world and can trace its origins to the beginning of civilization. Ever since
humans began moving from a hunter gatherer life style towards permanent
settlements, civil structures have had to be built and designed to meet the
needs of the people living in them. As people started to gather in permanent
settlements, many new problems were created. How do you build structures that
last longer? How do you deal with unpredictable flooding that happens in the
spring? How do you keep the settlement free of human and animal waste to
prevent disease? Although the clear distinction as a civil engineer has not
always been there, people have been working to solve these problems.
The field of civil engineering deals with the design,
construction, and maintenance of civil structures. This might include roads,
buildings, bridges, dams, sewage systems, and often involves working with
municipalities. Often times, civil engineering is broken up in to subcategories
such as structural, water-resources, environmental, transportation,
geotechnical and construction engineering.
Qualities of an Engineer
There are certain qualities that good engineers usually
possess. Generally, good engineers in all disciplines poses strong problem
solving and analytic skills. These skills are particularly vital because
engineers often work with lots of data and complicated requirements, and must
dissect and identify the data and requirements to come up with a solution.
Engineers want to create and innovate and work with the newest technology and techniques
to come up with unique solutions. Communication skills and the ability to work on teams are also vitally important skills. One might consider the design of a new skyscraper for example. Think of how many different departments and engineers must work together to come up with a design. There is no room for miscommunication on such a project as even a small misunderstanding in the design could compromise the project. No matter how brilliant the work, if someone cannot
communicate it effectively, it is worthless.
On a day to day basis, the daily work of a civil engineer
may vary greatly. A structural engineer might spend the majority of his time
working from his office, preforming calculations and working on designs. A
construction engineer might split his time between job sites where he is
overseeing and ensuring the quality of the work, and the office where he is in
meetings and files paperwork.
Integrity
Commitment to ethical integrity is very important in all
engineering fields. Things that are designed by engineers can be very widely
implemented and have a huge effect on people who are using them. A faulty
bridge or building design where corners were cut can result in the death the
occupants or drivers. Such mistakes can kill or injure hundreds of people. A
faulty part in an automobile that did not go through rigorous testing could
catastrophically fail in thousands of cars resulting in countless accidents.
Because of this responsibility, the role of ethics is extremely important in
all engineering disciplines. Many companies and professional engineering
associations have codes of ethics that members must abide by.
Good article. I'm in Mechanical Engineering, and I always wondered about the various branches involved in Civil Engineering. I knew of roads, bridges, dams and other structural projects CE's work on, but didn't realize the broad scope of the field.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about needing to understand how things work. Data analysis and ever-increasing constraints upon projects require a creative and innovative group of people. Modern engineering projects involve hundreds of people with a wide variety of specialties. People need to work together and communicate effectively in order for the project to succeed.
When I took Automatic Controls, the engineer who taught the class said "engineers end up spending more time communicating than calculating." I hadn't considered the need for effective communication skills in engineering, since it is a math and science based field. However, he works as a professional engineer and teaches one class in his off time.
Safety and integrity are also of utmost importance to any engineer. The liability and responsibility of serving the public good requires solid designs but also cost effective designs. The two are usually at odds with each other. Engineers need to be innovative to meet these goals. You make a good case for the costs of engineering failures.
Good article!
I've always liked reading and learning about ancient engineering. A famous civil engineer, Yu the Great, tamed the yellow river in China and went on to found the Xia Dynasty. As a mechanical engineering major, I don't often interact with civil engineering majors, but it is incredibly interesting to learn about what we each contribute.
ReplyDelete