ES 111

CIVIL ENGINEERING
ORIENTATION

PREPARED BY:
ENGR. EMELIE E. ALVAREZ
 Civil engineering is one of the oldest
engineering disciplines, since civil engi-
neers of one form or another have been
around ever since human started buil-
ding major public works such as roads,
bridges, tunnels, large , ge
public buildings. It is
also an incredibly
broad discipline,
spanning treatment of
 environmental issues, transportation,
power generation, and major structures.
To become a civil engineer, a person
must typically study engineering in the
school and then participate in field work
for practical training.
There are many bran-
ches of civil enginee-
ring and a wide range
of specialties. Some
 engineers focus on
conception and initial
design of a project,
analyzing the site, the
needs, & the resour-
ces to come up with a workable project
plan. Others specialize in contracting,
physically building the structure, mana-
ging the site crew, and handling material
and supply. In other cases, CE focus on
 maintenance of the
project after it is com-
leted, to make sure
that it is safe and use-
ful. One of the prima-
ry concerns of civil eng’g is public safety
and health. A value is also placed on buil
ding structures that are functional, effi-
cient, and also aesthetically pleasing.
Structural soundness, conformity with
 local codes, and functionality are all
issues which are faced in the discipline.
Some CE work directly for the public in
the form of government agencies, while
others find employment with public
firms.
Education does not end with a degree
and a course of fieldwork with trained &
experienced CE. Continuing education is
also important part of this discipline. As
 advances are made in the field, engrs
are expected to keep pace with them,
especially when the advances improve
safety for workers and the public. There
are many trade journals and annual
conferences in the field to keep engrs
updated.
Civil eng’g is a technology that in-
cludes numerous other disciplines that
produce useful facilities for the human
 beings, including roads, dams, waste
disposal and other facilities that are used
in our daily life. Civil eng’g is progressing
at a fast pace as are other technologies.
It is one of those branches of know-
ledge which properly take their places
both among sciences and the arts; for a
science consists of a collection of general
principles or truths relating to any parti-
cular subject, while an art are the appli-
 cation of those principles to practice, for
the purpose of affecting some particular
object. The science of civil eng’g then,
informs us of the general principles of
mechanics and construction, and teaches
us in what to ascertain the strains to
which every part of a structure will be
exposed, and of the dimensions and pro-
portions which should be given to each,
in order that they may be able to sustain
 such strains without injury. The art of ci-
vil eng’g consists in the application of
these principles to the actual construc-
tion of various works, and their judicious
use and modification to meet the several
contingencies which arise in practice.
In general, it is the branch of engg
which deals with the planning, design,
construction and maintenance of the
structures like buildings, roads, bridges
 canals, dams, water supply and
treatment systems, etc. It has a broader
spectrum and comprises of many sub-
diciplines under it.
Civil eng’g is considered as the first
discipline of the various branches of
eng’g after military eng’g, and includes
the designing, planning, construction,
and maintenance of the infrastructure.
The works include roads, bridges, buil-
 dings, dams, canals, water supply and
numerous other facilities that affect the
life of human beings. Civil eng’g is inti-
mately associated with the private and
public sectors, including the individual
homeowners and international enterpri-
ses. It is one of the
oldest eng’g professions
and ancient achieve-
ments due to civil engg
 include the pyramids of Egypt and road
systems developed by the Romans.
Civil eng’g has a significant role in the
life of every human being, though one
may not truly sense its importance in our
daily routine. The func-
tion of civil eng’g com-
mences with the start
of the day when we
 take shower, since the
water is delivered thru
a water system inclu-
ding a well-designed
network of pipes, wa-
ter treatment plant and other numerous
associated services. The network of
roads on which we drive while procee-
ding to school or work, the huge struc-
tural bridges we come across and the
 tall buildings where we
work, all have been de-
signed and constructed
by CE. Even the benefits of
of electricity we use are
available to us thru the contribution of
CE who constructed the towers for trans-
mission lines. In fact, no sphere of life
may be identified that does not include
the contribution of civil eng’g. Thus, the
 importance of civil eng’g may be deter-
mined according to its usefulness in our
daily life.
The functions of CE can be divided in-
to three (3) categories: those performed
before construction (FS, site investiga-
tions, design), those performed during
construction (dealing with clients, con-
sulting engrs, and contractors), those
performed after construction (mainte-
 nance and research).
No major project today is started
without an extensive study of the objec-
tive and without preliminary studies of
possible plans leading to a recommen-
ded scheme, perhaps with alternatives.
Feasibility studies may
cover alternative
methods (bridges
versus tunnel, in
 the case of a water crossing). Both eco-
nomic and eng’g problems must be con-
sidered.
A preliminary site investigation is part
of the FS, but once a plan has been adop-
ted a more extensive investigation is
usually imperative. Money
spent in a rigorous stu-
dy of ground and
substructure
may save large sums later in re-
medial works or in chan-
ges made neces-
sary in cons-
tructional methods. Since the load
bearing qualities and stability of the
ground are such important factors in any
large-scale construction, it is surprising
that a serious study of soil mechanics did
not develop until the mid-1930s. Karl
Von Terzaghi, the chief
founder of the science,
gives the date of its
birth as 1936, when
the First International Conference on Soil
Mechanics and Foundation Engineering
was held at Harvard University and an
international society was formed. Today
there are specialist societies and journals
in many countries, and most universities
 that have a civil eng’g faculty have
courses in soil mechanics.
The design of eng’g works may re-
quire the application of design theory
from many fields- example, hydraulics,
thermodynamics, or nuclear physics. Re-
search in structural analysis and the
technology of materials has opened the
way for more rational designs, new de-
sign concepts, greater economy of mate-
 rials. The theory of structures and the
study of materials have advanced toge-
ther as more and more refined stress
analysis of structures and systematic tes-
ting has been done. Modern designers
not only have advanced theories and
readily available design data, but struc-
tural designs can now be rigorously
analyzed by computers.
 The promotion of civil eng’g works
may be initiated by a private client, but
most work is undertaken for large corpo-
rations, government authorities, and
public boards and authorities. Many of
these have their own eng’g staffs, but for
large specialized projects
it is usual to employ con-
sulting engrs. The consul-
ting engr may be required
 to first undertake FS, then to recom-
mend a scheme and quote an approxi-
mate cost. The engr is responsible for the
design of the works, supplying specifica-
tions, drawings, and legal documents in
sufficient detail to seek competitive ten-
der prices. The engr
must compare quota-
tions and recommend
acceptance of one of
 them. Although he is not
a party to the contract,
the engr’s duties are de-
fined in it; the staff must
supervise the construc-
tion and the engr must certify comple-
tion of the work. Actions must be consis-
tent with duty to the client; the profes-
sional organizations exercise disciplinary
control over professional conduct. The
 consulting engr’s senior
representative on the site
is the resident engr.
A phenomenon of re-
cent years has been the
turnkey or package contract, in which
the contractor undertakes to finance, de-
sign, specify, construct, and commission
a project in its entirety. In this case, the
consulting engr is engaged by the con-
 tractor rather than by the client. The
contractor is usually an incorporated
company, which secures the contract on
the basis of the consulting engineer’s
specification and general drawings. The
consulting engineer must agree to any
variations introduced and must approve
the detailed drawings.
The contractor maintains the works
to the satisfaction of the consulting engr.
Responsibility for maintenance extends
to ancillary and temporary works where
these form part of the overall construc-
tion. After construction period of main-
tenance is undertaken by the contractor,
and the payment of the final installment
of the contract price is held back until re-
leased by the consulting engr. Central
and local government engineering and
public works departments are concerned
 primarily with maintenance, for which
they employ direct labor.
Research in the civil engineering field
is undertaken by government agencies,
industrial foundations, the universities,
and other institutions. Most countries
have government-controlled agencies.
Many are government-aided but depend
partly on income from research work
promoted by industry.
“When God closes a door,
He opens a window.
But at times He shuts both
for He would tear
down the roof
So His blessings could
overflow.