Seminar: “Trends and Issues Concerning Civil Engineering Practice.

Trends can be divided into two domains:

Traditional
▪ it is more than a decade and the focus still remains the same development or
improvement of smart materials like fiber – reinforced concrete, use of different
generations of waste or recycled materials in concrete.
Interdisciplinary science
▪ Making use of interdisciplinary knowledge like the use of computer vision to
understand structural health so as to improve the resiliency.
➢ These two domains’ focus is still the same: “Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure.”
Civil Engineering Trends
• Focus on sustainability
- It is more than a way to meet consumer demands and reduce damage to
the environment, this type of differential also adds better energy
efficiency and renewable energy is already an innovation that has
become common in buildings.
• Building Energy Conservation
- The concept focuses on designs that limit energy usage and reduce
environmental impact, as well as conserving resources and revenues.
- Many building energy conservation projects make use of solar energy for
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Predictive Modelling
- The advent of Big Data and great analytical tools provide civil engineers
with even more predictive acumen. It is now possible to generate
Business Information Models that show outcomes and “play out”
potential issues and stress points.
- This means plans can be made and structures can be created with far
greater insight.
• Learning from The Past
- There is also a strong leaning towards retrospection in the field of civil
engineering. Recent natural disasters including earthquakes and
typhoons, have highlighted the need to revisit many long – held notions
of what is acceptable in construction terms.
• Better Client Interface and Communication
- A trend in civil engineering to grow from modern technology is the
potential for faster response times in planning and delivering
construction projects – with heightened accountability and management
control.
 • Intelligent use of data
- In civil construction, the internet of things (IoT) interconnects sensors
connected to machinery, equipment, employees and management
systems that control inputs and processes.
• Green Architecture
- These includes conservation of the raw materials used in the building
process and strategic approaches to building locations that minimize the
project’s impact to local ecosystem.
- Green building projects may also feature raw materials, such as bamboo
for floors or drywall from recycled materials, which are chosen based on
their eco-friendly nature and reusability.
• Water Resource Engineering
- The process entails new and innovative approaches to the design and
construction of water resources and water facilities geared toward
effectively maintaining a sustainable supply of clean, safe drinking water.
- Projects often include improving designs to water treatment facilities,
wells and other water resources to both minimize water loss and ensure
water safety in addition to watershed development and maintenance,
wastewater management, and recycling.
• Geotechnical Engineering
- It involves the process of evaluating soil and rock properties to determine
the suitability of conditions for building structural foundations and also
includes improving the conditions of soil and rock structures to sustain
infrastructure and prevent the effects of erosion.
• Municipal Engineering
- It is the overall coordination of all urban infrastructure, from the
construction of sidewalks and roads to the effective disposal of waste.

➢ The application of statistics in civil engineering is another widely popular area used
in developing reliability models, hazard prediction models and quantifying
uncertainties in complex civil infrastructure systems.

Issues that Civil Engineers today should be aware about:

• Poor condition of the infrastructure in many nations
- Civil engineering leaders sounded the alarm about the lack of investment
in maintaining and improving the infrastructure.
- Some of those shortcomings were tragically illustrated by the death and
destruction caused by failures in which engineering designs, government
funding, and the community oversight systems were all called into
question.
• The occurrence of corruption in the global engineering and construction industry
- The global civil engineering community cannot rest on its laurels.
 - That’s why, public health, safety, and welfare require giving even more
attention to infrastructure and environment.
• The minimal involvement of civil engineers in political process
- Civil engineers must be more active in the policy- and decision-making
process.

• The need to more fully embrace sustainability

- Enlightened citizens see sustainability, not as an unattainable ideal, but
as a practical goal. To answer that call, civil engineers realize that they
must increasingly transform themselves from designers to builders to
project life-cycle “sustainers.”
- Such broadened responsibilities – along with the increasing breadth,
complexity, and rate of change of professional practice – all put greater
emphasis not only on continuing education but also what a basic civil
engineering education must deliver up front.
• Negotiating in a parting of ways
- Severing ties between employer and employee is often a difficult
endeavor that can affect the livelihoods of those involved.
- To successfully manage a negotiation of a parting of ways, as Canon 4 of
ASCE’s Code of Ethics states, acting professionally and avoiding conflicts
of interest are something that all engineers should pursue.
• Inflating timesheet hours
• Using a P.E. credential on business cards outside of licensed jurisdictions

➢ As an engineer, you are always tackling new challenges. It is important for you to
stay informed on issues affecting your profession, so you can be prepared with
better solutions for tomorrow.

References:
https://www.asce.org
https://online.norwich.edu/academic-programs/resources/5-civil-engineering-trends
https://etechnologytrends.com/civil-engineering-trends-2021-what-to-expect-from-the-
sector/
https://gineersnow.com/engineering/civil/top-5-issues-civil-engineers-today-aware
http://www.lyndoncontracting.com/top-5-key-trends-in-civil-engineering/
https://source.asce.org/five-ethical-gray-areas-in-civil-engineering/

Prepared by:
Simacas, Jessa G.
Villarmea, Aldrineco