CE 101

(CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION)

MIDTERM

Prepared By:
Engr. Von Mykel J. Paraguas
SCOPE OF DIFFERENT FIELDS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

• MUNICIPAL OR URBAN ENGINEERING

Municipal engineering is concerned with municipal infrastructure. This consist of
specifying, designing, constructing, and maintaining streets, pavements, water supply
systems, sewers, street lighting, municipal solid waste management and disposal, storage
depots for various mass materials used for maintenance and public works (salt, sand,
etc.), public parks and bicycle paths. In the case of underground utility networks, it may
also contain the civil portion (conduits and access chambers) of the local delivery networks
of electrical and communications services. It can also include the improving of waste
collection and bus service networks. Some of these disciplines overlay with other civil
engineering specialties, however municipal engineering focuses on the organization of
these infrastructure networks and services, as they are regularly built simultaneously, and
managed by the same municipal authority.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITES

▪ Pursues federal, state and local funding for projects
▪ Develops and manages budgets for engineering services
▪ Plans and supervises design of public works projects
▪ Oversees master plans and information on streets and flood control
▪ Manages staff and assists survey crews
▪ Maintains official maps of the municipality
▪ Ensures compliance within municipal ordinances and policies
▪ Oversees detailed plans and system designs

• MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING / BUILDING MATERIALS

Another part of Civil engineering is materials science. Material engineering
deals with ceramics such as concrete, mix asphalt concrete, metals. Focus around
increased strength, metals such as aluminum and steel, and polymers such as poly methyl
meth acrylate (PMMA) and carbon fibers.
 Materials engineering also consists of protection and prevention like paints
and finishes. Alloying is another aspect of material engineering, combining two different
types of metals to produce a stronger metal.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

▪ Researching the properties of materials

▪ Selecting the best materials for specific purposes, (i.e., lightest, most hard-
wearing)
▪ Testing materials under different conditions to assess how resistant they
are (i.e., to heat, corrosion or chemical attack)
▪ Analyzing material test data using modelling software
▪ Investigating structural issues and advising on material maintenance and
repair
▪ Calculating material costs and advising on the best products to use
▪ Writing reports for project engineers and managers
▪ Developing building prototypes
▪ Considering waste/environmental impact arising from material use
▪ Working in a manufacturing plant, laboratory or office

• CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING / CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

Construction engineering consists of planning and carrying out of the designs
from transportation, site development, hydraulic, environmental, and structural and
geotechnical engineers. As construction firms tend to have higher business risk than other
types of civil engineering firms, countless construction engineers tend to take on a role
that is more business-like in nature: drafting and reviewing contracts, evaluating logistical
operations, and closely examining prices of essential supplies.
One of the main differences is that civil engineers typically focus on a construction
project’s design, analysis, and planning. A construction engineer may participate in this
process, but their responsibilities focus on the on-site management (i.e., execution) of the
project. Construction engineers coordinate, organize, and manage the day-to-day
construction process, ensuring compliance with designs and plans.
 Some areas of a construction engineer’s responsibility include the following:

▪ Creating budgets for the construction process

▪ Assembling necessary equipment and materials
▪ Building and supervising a team of construction and engineering
professionals
▪ Overseeing progress and safety of the building process, and reporting back
to stakeholders
▪ Using machinery or other advanced tools
▪ Using computer software to confirm or modify design specifications

• GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
Geotechnical engineering is a section of civil engineering involved with the rock
and soil that civil engineering systems are supported by.
Some of the one-off difficulties of geotechnical engineering are the result of the
variability and properties of soil. Border conditions are often well defined in other branches
of civil engineering, but with soil, clearly defining these conditions can be impossible. The
material properties and behavior of soil are also hard to guess due to the inconsistency of
soil and limited investigation. This contrasts with the relatively well-defined material
properties of steel and concrete used in other areas of civil engineering. Soil mechanics,
which explains the behavior of soil, is also complicated because soils show nonlinear
(stress-dependent) strength, stiffness, and dilatancy (volume change linked with function
of shear stress)

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

▪ Provide expert engineering advice and recommendations for construction
projects
▪ Perform geotechnical studies, field tests, analysis, and design
▪ Prepare and present findings and recommendations to leadership
▪ Organize and direct geotechnical site assessment
▪ Determine and obtain necessary compliance permits
• HYDRAULICS, WATER RESOURCE AND IRRIGATION ENGINEERING
Water resources engineering is concerned with the collection and management
of water (as a natural resource). As a discipline it therefore combines hydrology,
environmental science, meteorology, geology, conservation, and resource management.
This area of civil engineering relates to the prediction and management of both the quality
and the quantity of water in both underground (aquifers) and aboveground (lakes, rivers,
and streams) resources.
Water resource engineers analyze and model very small to very large areas of the
earth to predict the amount and content of water as it flows into, trough, or out of a facility.
Although the actual design of the facility may be left to other engineers. Hydraulic
engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water. This
area of civil engineering is intimately related to the design of pipelines, water supply
network, drainage facilities (including bridges, dams, channels, culverts, levees, storm
sewers), and canals. Hydraulic engineers design these facilities using the concepts of fluid
pressure, fluid statics, fluid dynamics, and hydraulics, among others.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

▪ Designing sewer improvement plans or flood defense programmes, and

associated structures, such as pumping stations, pipework and earthworks
(the scale may range from an initial outline to a full, detailed design)
▪ Keeping up to date with environmental matters; being aware of policy and
developments
▪ Keeping track of the progress of projects from beginning to end - from
feasibility, to design through to construction and handover (or handling just
one section of a large project)
▪ Supervising the operation and maintenance of water and sewage
infrastructure
▪ Using computer simulations to analyze, for example, potential dam failure
▪ Devising flood defense strategies
▪ Monitoring flood levels at times of high risk
▪ Managing staff, including other engineers, technicians and site workers
• ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Environmental engineering deals with the management of chemical, biological,
and thermal waste, the purification of water and air, and the remediation of unhygienic
sites, due to past waste dumping or unplanned pollution. Among the topics covered by
environmental engineering are pollutant transport, water purification, waste water
treatment, air pollution, solid waste treatment and hazardous waste management.
Environmental engineers can be concerned with pollution cut, green engineering, and
industrial ecology. Environmental engineering also deals with the gathering of information
on the environmental effects of suggested actions and the valuation of effects of
suggested actions for the purpose of helping society and policy makers in the decision-
making process.
Environmental engineering is the modern term for sanitary engineering, though
sanitary engineering traditionally had not included much of the dangerous waste running
and environmental remediation work covered by the term environmental engineering.
Some other terms in use are public health engineering and environmental health
engineering.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

▪ Designing technology for pollution control and waste management.
▪ Collecting and analyzing environmental data.
▪ Carrying out site assessments to determine the environmental impact of
commercial activity.
▪ Studying human influences on the environment.
▪ Improving environmental conservation management, including recycling,
public health, and water and air pollution.
▪ Identifying critical research areas such as renewable energy, climate change,
and food and water security.
▪ Undertaking environmental protection projects such as designing air pollution
management systems.
▪ Ensuring design projects comply with environmental and health regulations.
▪ Writing reports on their environmental investigative efforts.
▪ Consulting and advising policymakers on environmental best practices.
• REMOTE SENSING AND GIS (GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM)
GIS and remote sensing techniques play a crucial role and serves as a complete
platform in every aspect of civil engineering. Geographic information system (GIS)
technology provides the tools for creating, managing, analyzing, and visualizing the data
associated with developing and managing infrastructure.
Remote sensing may be defined as art and science of gathering the information
about objects, occurrence or area without having physical contact with it. Eyesight’s and
photographs are common examples of remote sensing in which artificial light energy from
electricity or sunlight is made to strike an object.

REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

Resource Exploration

Geologists use remote sensing to study the formation of

sedimentary rocks and identify deposits of various minerals, detect oil fields
and identify underground storage of water. Remote sensing is used for
identifying potential fishing zone, coral reef mapping and to find other
wealth from ocean.

Environmental Study

Remote sensing is used to study cloud motion and predict rains.

With satellite data it is possible to study water discharge from various
industries to find out dispersion and harmful effects, if any, on living
animals. Oil spillage and oil slicks can be studied using remote sensing.
Land Use
By remote sensing, mapping of larger areas is possible in short
time. Forest area, agricultural area, residential and industrial area can be
measured regularly and monitored. It is possible to find out areas of
different crops.
Site Investigation
Remote sensing is used extensively in site investigations for dams,
bridges, pipelines. It can be used to locate construction materials like sand
and gravel for the new projects.
 Archaeological Investigation
Many structures of old era are now buried under the ground and are
not known. But by studying changes in moisture content and other
characteristics of the buried objects and upper new layer, remote sensors
are able to recognize the buried structures of archaeological importance.
Natural Hazard Study
Using remote sensing the following natural hazards can be
predicted to some extent and hazards minimized:
• Earthquake
• Volcanoes
• Landslides
• Floods
• Hurricane and Cyclones

• STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Structural engineering is a specialty within the field of civil engineering which
focuses on the framework of structures, and on designing those structures to withstand
the stresses and pressures of their environment and remain safe, stable and secure
throughout their use.
Design considerations will include strength, stiffness, and stability of the structure
when exposed to loads which may be still, such as furniture or self-weight, or dynamic,
such as wind, seismic, crowd or vehicle loads, or transitory, such as temporary
construction loads or impact. Other considerations include cost, constructability, safety,
aesthetics and sustainability.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

▪ preparing reports, designs and drawings
▪ making calculations about loads and stresses
▪ selecting appropriate construction materials
▪ providing technical advice
▪ obtaining planning and/or building regulations approval
▪ liaising with relevant professional staff such as architects
▪ monitoring and inspecting work undertaken by contractors
▪ administering contracts
 ▪ managing projects
▪ inspecting properties to check conditions/foundations

• SURVEYING
Surveying is the process by which a surveyor measures certain dimensions that
generally occur on the surface of the Earth. Surveying equipment, such as levels and
theodolites, are used for accurate measurement of angular deviation, horizontal, vertical
and slope distances. With computerization, electronic distance measurement (EDM), total
stations, GPS surveying and laser scanning have supplemented (and to a large extent
supplanted) the traditional optical instruments. This information is crucial to convert the
data into a graphical representation of the Earth's surface, in the form of a map.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

▪ The surveyors have to measure the distance and the angles between
specific points on the earth surface.
▪ Based on reference points, certain important features points are located by
traveling.
▪ Detailed research is carried out on the records related to the land, survey,
and the titles of the land.
▪ The boundary lines are to be located by searching for the past boundary
present in the site.
▪ The surveying is conducted and the obtained results are recorded. Later
they are verified for accuracy and corrections.
▪ Based on the surveyed records plots, maps, the respective reports of the
surveyed site is prepared.
▪ The findings obtained from the surveying is presented to the clients and the
respective government agencies.
▪ The official land needs and water boundaries are established. These are
established either for lease or deeds.

• TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
Transportation engineering is concerned with moving people and goods
efficiently, safely, and in a manner conducive to a vibrant community. This involves
specifying, designing, constructing, and maintaining transportation infrastructure which
includes streets, canals, highways, rail systems, airports, ports, and mass transit. It
includes areas such as transportation design, transportation planning, traffic engineering,
some aspects of urban engineering, queueing theory, pavement engineering, Intelligent
Transportation System (ITS), and infrastructure management.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

▪ Develop transportation strategies.
▪ Architect, design and develop all transportation systems including traffic
signal systems.
▪ Integrate drainage systems in design and development of transportation
projects.
▪ Develop and maintain traffic systems and processes.
▪ Review and assess project plans.
▪ Analyze and evaluate traffic impacts when building transportation systems.
▪ Write traffic management plans.
▪ Assist and support in traffic management systems.
▪ Implement cost efficient technologies in building transportation systems.
▪ Integrate safety procedures and standards in implementing transportation
operations.