UNIVERSIDAD DE ORIENTE

NÚCLEO DE BOLÍVAR
ESCUELA DE CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA
DEPARTAMENTO DE ING. CIVIL
PROF. ALCIDES BRUZUAL SILVA

CIVIL ENGINEERING

The civil engineering field is a wide assortment of engineering responsibilities that deal with the
infrastructure of a planned community and the surrounding areas that will be affected by land
mass utilization. The three construction phases that are followed in every civil engineering
contract are project planning, construction and structural maintenance.

During the project planning phase, several groups in the civil engineering field will consider the
land areas that are available on which large structures can be placed. They will determine how
these structures will be arranged on these properties following a project map of their own
design. The only requirement to qualify for civil engineering services is that these structures
must be constructed on a large scale, rather than simple residential communities, which are not
under their area of responsibility. 

As a primary responsibility that is undertaken during the planning phase, civil engineering
groups will also be responsible for creating maintenance plans for the aftercare of the structures
that will be built. All buildings that are placed on large land masses must undergo this
maintenance determination process.

During the planning phase, civil engineering groups will also determine the environmental
impact that these buildings will have on the surrounding cities and natural resources. During this
time, civil engineering groups will create detailed maps that will outline the routes for all utilities
that will be connected to these structures. All negative feedback that is received covering
environmental impact studies will be corrected and rerouted at this time.

During the project planning phase, civil engineering groups will consider and define all options
to effectively route external transportation frameworks such as railway systems, interstate
highways, bridges, and further design internal transportation areas such as street design, public
transportation, and traffic light placement. The planning phase will include the placement of all
facilities that will be needed to make the planned construction a fully functioning engineered
model such as fire and police stations, and hospitals. 

During the construction process, civil engineering groups will concentrate their efforts on
building these structures that will generate the power needed to bring these built buildings to
life. They will also develop maintenance plans for these power stations. The realm of
responsibility of civil engineers extends underground to the sub-structure levels that will
accommodate electrical lines, water lines, gas lines, telephone cabling, flood control systems,
and security systems. 

The mission of the civil engineering work ethic is focused on how their structural creations react
with nature based on their finesse with interpretive experimentation with equations that are the
base of their designs. This field was conceived with the intention of being primarily for use by
the military and the public. It later became necessary to redefine the meaning of the specialty to
differentiate it from military engineering. There are still some affiliations with the military to this
date through the United States Army engineering section that is defined as the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers. All contracted work is accomplished through an umbrella grouping of civil
engineering sub-specialties that are trained and responsible for completing all phases of the
construction process.

Types of Reinforced Concrete

Fibers are utilized in cement to manage the cracking characteristics and reduce permeability.
The surrounding concrete protects the steel used for reinforcement. Glass fiber reinforced
concrete is used for architectural products and steel fibers are mostly used for paving and inside
tunnels.

History of Reinforced Concrete

Fibers have been used for concrete reinforcement since prehistoric times though technology
has improved significantly, as is applicable for other fields. In the early age, straw and mortar
were used for producing mud bricks, and horsehair was used for their reinforcement. As the
fiber technology developed, cement was reinforced by asbestos fibers in the early twentieth
century.

During the middle of the twentieth century, extensive research was in progress for the use of
composite materials for concrete reinforcement. Later, the use of asbestos for concrete
reinforcement was discouraged due to the detection of health risks. New materials like steel,
glass, and synthetic fibers replaced asbestos for reinforcement. Active research is still in
progress on this important technology. Fiber Reinforced Concrete is considered to be one of the
greatest advancements in the construction engineering during the twentieth century.

Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC)

Glass fiber reinforced concrete has been successfully used since the last 25 years for concrete
reinforcement, in addition to steel. GFRC is being manufactured into big panels with a simple
configuration or into intricate shapes by using special techniques. Originally, GFRC components
were anchored directly with the buildings by the use of metal studs. It was revealed that GFRC
shifts considerably due to which the direct anchors are being replaced by slip anchors. Several
structures use GFRC for dissimilar facing like ceramic tiles, bricks, and architectural purposes.

Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC)

Steel fiber reinforced concrete is a composite material that can be sprayed. It consists of
hydraulic cements with steel fibers that are dispersed randomly and possess a rectangular
cross-section. The steel fibers reinforce concrete by withstanding tensile cracking. The flexural
strength of fiber reinforced concrete is greater than the un-reinforced concrete. Reinforcement
of concrete by steel fibers is isotropic in nature that improves the resistance to fracture,
disintegration, and fatigue. Steel fiber reinforced concrete is able to withstand light and heavy
loads.

Different Types of Fibers Used for Concrete Reinforcement

Natural fiber reinforced concrete (NFRC) consists of cellulose fibers that are processed from
pine trees. This category is also producing good results. The recycled carpet waste has been
successfully used for concrete reinforcement by using the waste carpet fibers.

Polypropylene Fiber Reinforced (PFR) concrete: Polypropylene is a cheap and abundant

polymer widely used due to its resistance to forming chemical reactions.

Asbestos Fibers: These fibers are cheap and provide the cement with mechanical, chemical
and thermal resistance, although the asbestos fiber reinforced concrete appears to have low
impact strength.

Carbon Fibers: These fibers have been recently used due to their very high modulus of
elasticity and flexural strength. Characteristics such as strength and stiffness are better than
those of steel fibers, although they are more susceptible to damage.

Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC)

A fiber reinforced concrete has been developed recently that is called Engineered Cementitious
Composite (ECC). It is claimed that this concrete is 40 % lighter than normal concrete,
resistance to cracking exceeds 500 times, and strain hardening exceeds several percent strain.
Thus, the ductility is significantly greater than normal concrete. It is also known as bendable
concrete since it can easily be molded and shaped. It can self-repair minor cracks by the
reaction with carbon dioxide and rainwater, making the concrete stronger.