Fields/Careers of Civil Engineering (Part 2)

Introduction to the Topic:

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 wide-ranging profession, including
several specialized sub-disciplines, its history is linked to knowledge of
structures, materials science, geography,
geology, soils, hydrology, environment, mechanics and other fields.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the session, the students should be able to:

1. learn and understand the different fields of civil engineering; and

2. learn what are the roles of different fields of civil engineering.

Water Resources Engineering

Water resources engineering is the study and management of equipment,
facilities and techniques that are used to manage and preserve life’s most
plentiful resource. In addition to assessing how and the best ways in which
to control water as it pertains to water-related activities – such as irrigation,
waste disposal and canal development – water resource engineers are also
frequently involved in water management to ensure that it’s safe to drink
both for humans, plants and animal usage. As previously referenced,
surface water makes up about 71% of the planet, which is the equivalent of
roughly 326 million cubic miles. At the same time, though, just 3% of the
Earth’s water is fresh. And of this total, 2.5% of it is out of reach, contained
in the soil, polar ice caps, the atmosphere, and glaciers or too polluted to
use safely.

What does a water resource engineer do?

Water Resource Engineers must create new equipment and systems to
increase the effectiveness and efficiency of water treatment and aquatic
resource management. A typical workday involves the analysis of data from
relevant areas, then designing new or improved facilities to enhance the
cleansing effects of the water treatment system. A Water Resource Engineer
must take budgetary constraints, government regulations, and other factors
into consideration when designing these systems. A Water Resource
Engineer may then oversee the construction and implementation of these
systems to ensure that they are properly assembled. After completion, they
may manage the maintenance of these systems.

Transportation Engineering
Transportation engineering or transport engineering is the application
of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design,
operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation in
order to provide for the safe, efficient, rapid, comfortable, convenient,
economical, and environmentally compatible movement of people and
goods transport.
It is a field of civil engineering that is involved in the planning, design,
operation, and maintenance of safe and efficient transportation systems.
These systems include roadways, railways, waterways, and intermodal
operations. Typically, the demand is the amount of traffic (people, cars,
railcars, barges) that is expected to use a particular transportation facility,
while the supply is the quantity and type of infrastructure components
(roadways, bridges, pavements, etc.). These systems are typically large and
expensive.

What does a transportation engineer do?

Transportation Engineers focus on designing new transportation systems
and infrastructures, including highways, airports, trains, bridges, etc. They
do this by analyzing data, identifying problems, and solving them with
innovative solutions. Solving these complex problems typically requires the
collection and evaluation of systems, traffic flow, accidents, costs, and other
statistics. Transport Engineers may also be required to collaborate with
other parties on certain projects, including utility companies and
government departments.
Environment and Energy Engineering
Energy and environmental engineering is a branch of energy
engineering which seeks to efficiently use energy and to maintain the
environment. Energy engineers require knowledge across many disciplines.
Careers include work in the built environment, renewable and traditional
energy industries.
Energy engineering requires at least an understanding
of mechanics, thermodynamics, mathematics, materials, stoichiometry, elect
rical machines, manufacturing processes, and energy systems.
Environmental engineering can be branched into two main areas: internal
environments and outdoor environments.
Internal environments may consist of housing or offices or other
commercial properties. In this area, the environmental engineering
sometimes stands for the designing of building services to condition the
internal environment to a comfortable state or the removal of excess
pollutants such as carbon dioxide or other harmful substances.
External environments may be water courses, air, land or seas, and may
require new strategies for harnessing energy or the creation of treatment
facilities for polluting technologies.

What does environmental and energy engineer do?

Environmental and energy engineers use the principles of engineering, soil
science, biology, and chemistry to develop solutions to environmental
problems. One of the most important responsibilities of environmental
engineering is to prevent the release of harmful chemical and biological
contaminants into the air, water, and soil. This requires extensive
knowledge of the chemistry and biology of the potential contaminants as
well as the industrial or agricultural processes that might lead to their
release. With this knowledge, new processes can be designed, or existing
processes can be modified, to reduce or eliminate the release of pollutants.