CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION

No of Units: 2 units

Course Description: Introduction to various tracks of specialization of civil engineering, emphasis

on ethics, responsibility, and professionalism.

Course General Objectives:

After completing this course, the student must be able to

1. Understand the history of civil engineering and the profession

2. Familiarize with the practices of civil engineers in relation to their interaction with society
3. Know the trend of civil engineering development
4. Understand the relationship of civil engineering to environmental science

WEEK 1-3: History of Civil Engineering

What is Engineering?

It is the application of science and math to solve problems.

It is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures and other things,
including bridges, roads, vehicles and buildings.
The term engineering is derived from the Latin ingenium, meaning “cleverness”, ingeniare,
meaning “to continue, devise.”

What is Civil Engineering?

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design,
construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works
such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewerage systems, pipelines, structural components
of buildings, and railways.

Civil engineering is traditionally broken into a number of sub-disciplines. It is considered the

second-oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it is defined to distinguish non-
military engineering from military engineering.

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 1

Engineering Functions

Problem solving is common to all engineering work. The problem may involve quantitative or
qualitative factors; it may be physical or economic; it may require abstract mathematics or common
sense. Of great importance is the process of creative synthesis or design, putting ideas together to
create a new and optimum solution.

Although engineering problems vary in scope and complexity, the same general approach is
applicable. First comes an analysis of the situation and a preliminary decision on a plan of attack. In
line with this plan, the problem is reduced to a more categorical question that can be clearly stated.
The stated question is then answered by deductive reasoning from known principles or by creative
synthesis, as in a new design. The answer or design is always checked for accuracy and adequacy.
Finally, the results for the simplified problem are interpreted in terms of the original problem and
reported in an appropriate form.

In order of decreasing emphasis on science, the major functions of all engineering branches are the
following:

 Research. Using mathematical and scientific concepts, experimental techniques, and inductive
reasoning, the research engineer seeks new principles and processes.

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 2

 Development. Development engineers apply the results of research to useful purposes.
Creative application of new knowledge may result in a working model of a new electrical circuit,
a chemical process, or an industrial machine.

 Design. In designing a structure or a product, the engineer selects methods, specifies

materials, and determines shapes to satisfy technical requirements and to meet performance
specifications.

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 3

 Construction. The construction engineer is responsible for preparing the site, determining
procedures that will economically and safely yield the desired quality, directing the placement
of materials, and organizing the personnel and equipment.

 Production. Plant layout and equipment selection are the responsibility of the production
engineer, who chooses processes and tools, integrates the flow of materials and components,
and provides for testing and inspection.

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 4

 Operation. The operating engineer controls machines, plants, and organizations
providing power, transportation, and communication; determines procedures; and supervises
personnel to obtain reliable and economic operation of complex equipment.

 Management and other functions. In some countries and industries, engineers analyze
customers’ requirements, recommend units to satisfy needs economically, and resolve related
problems.

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 5

HISTORY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Civil Engineering as Discipline

Civil engineering is the application of physical and scientific principles for solving the
problems of society, and its history is intricately linked to advances in the understanding
of physics and mathematics throughout history. Because civil engineering is a broad profession,
including several specialized sub-disciplines, its history is linked to knowledge of structures, materials
science, geography, geology, soils, hydrology, environmental science, mechanics, project
management, and other fields.

Throughout ancient and medieval history most architectural design and construction was
carried out by artisans, such as stonemasons and carpenters, rising to the role of master builder.
Knowledge was retained in guilds and seldom supplanted by advances. Structures, roads, and
infrastructure that existed were repetitive, and increases in scale were incremental.

One of the earliest examples of a scientific approach to physical and mathematical problems
applicable to civil engineering is the work of Archimedes in the 3rd century BC, including Archimedes
Principle, which underpins our understanding of buoyancy, and practical solutions such
as Archimedes' screw. Brahmagupta, an Indian mathematician, used arithmetic in the 7th century
AD, based on Hindu-Arabic numerals, for excavation (volume) computations.

John Smeaton (June 8, 1729 – October 8, 1792)

 The “Father of Civil Engineering” who coined the term
“Civil Engineering” to distinguish from military engineers.
 Was born in Austhorpe Lodge in the parish of Whitkirk.
He is a son of Yorkshire Lawyer.
 He was a responsible for the design of bridges, canals,
harbours and light houses.

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 6

 The Eddystone Lighthouse
• Used dove detailed blocks of Portland stone to withstand the
pounding of waves.
• This lighthouse remained is use until 1877 when the
rock underlying the structure’s foundations had begun to
erode

The Appian Way

• The Appian Way by Roman Engineers in Rome (, c.312 BC).It
is a crucial road for Roman Empire.
• It connected Rome to some of its most distant settlement.
Originally built by Appius Claudius Caecus.

PRE-HISTORIC AND ANCIENT

• Civil Engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginning of human existence.
• The earliest practices of Civil Engineering may have commenced between 4,000 and
2, 000 B.C.in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (Ancient Iraq).
• Transportation became increasingly important during this time leading to the development of the wheel and sailing.

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 7

 Pyramid of Djoser
• Construction of pyramids in Egypt
(2700-2500BC) might be considered the
first instances of large
structure construction.
• Around 2550 BC, Imhotep, built
a famous stepped pyramid for King
Djoser located at Saqqara Necropolis.
• His greatest contribution to
Engineering was discovery of the art of
building with shaped stones.

Qanat Water System

• An ancient Iranian invention to bring the
groundwater to the surface using
thegravitational force.
• This system is still in use and some of them
back to 3000 years ago. This is the main
contribution of Iranians to Hydraulic

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 8

 Parthenon
• By Iktinos and Kallikrates in Ancient Greece (447-438 BC)
• It was dedicated to the Goddess Athena Pallas or Parthenos (virgin). The temple’s main function
was to shelter the monumental statue of Athena Building.

Great Wall of China

• With a length of 21, 196.18 kilometer.
• It was built in different areas by different dynasties to
protect different territorial borders. The great wall was built
to prevent invasion and to protect Silk Road trade.
•It was built by soldiers, peasants and rebels. The
materials are stone, soil, sand and brick. The built
by hand, rope, cart, and goat. The height of the
great wall is 5-8 meters.

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 9

Who built the Great Wall of China?

• The (Pre-) Warring States Period (770-221 BC)

- A Qi State duke first built walls to prevent invasion from other states.

• The Qin Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)

- Emperor Qin state walls to secure China’s northern border.

• The Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)

- The Han Great Wall was extended to protect Sil Road Trade.

• The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

- Most of today’s great wall was built or restored in the Ming Dynasty.

• The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

- The emperors of the Qing Dynasty didn’t build the Great Wall and even forbade it.

• Modern Times
- Great Wall reconstruction and protection began in 1957.

Civil Engineering in 18th to 20th Century

The first private college to teach civil engineering in the United States was Norwich University,
founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge. The first degree in civil engineering in the United States
was awarded by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1835.The first such degree to be awarded to a
woman was granted by Cornell University to Nora Stanton Blatch in 1905.

In the UK during the early 19th century, the division between civil engineering and military
engineering (served by the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich), coupled with the demands of the
Industrial Revolution, spawned new engineering education initiatives: the Class of Civil Engineering
and Mining was founded at King's College London in 1838, mainly as a response to the growth of the
railway system and the need for more qualified engineers, the private College for Civil
Engineers in Putney was established in 1839, and the UK's first Chair of Engineering was established
at the University of Glasgow in 1840.

CE 101 – CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION | Instructor: Engr. Novel Keith T. Solis 10