Who builds our world? Civil Engineers Do!

Civil Engineering is the field of Engineering that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings.

Many people always think that civil engineers are the ones who construct everything, and they usually think: "how hard can be to do construction?" Think about what civil engineers have to do. First, find a nice place to build, clean and remove all the organisms and life in that place (trees, plants, animals, etc), and finally build a house, road, building or any other type of structure. Looks simple right? However that is the biggest misconception that civil engineers have to deal with. 

Group of Designers and Engineers working together

Civil engineers are not construction contractors or architects. When people hear that you work at a civil engineering firm, they automatically describe an architectural firm and think that civil engineers design buildings inside and out, but the answer is "NO." An architect designs a building(outside and interiors), a civil engineer designs the site(structure), and the contractor builds it from the designs and specifications. However, civil engineers can help with the other design processes as consultants or inspectors. 

Civil engineers have to do a lot of research and analysis before they can start the design process. During this research,  there are different fields in which a civil engineer could be involved with. These fields can be divided up to multiple sub-disciplines, but these five embrace the most important: Structural engineering, Water Resources Engineering,  Environmental Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Geo-technical Engineering. 

Now, imagine that you are a Civil engineer and you have to construct a new building in a open area with trees, a river close to it, and different types of animals.

Example of Space for new construction

First, you need a design of how you want the building to look like, but remember you are not usually involved in designing the building. This work is saved for the Architects, and you could give opinions and help with the outside design of the building. Once you have a new design, it may look nice in paper but you have not even started to work. After the area of construction is decided, it is the turn for the Geo-technical and Environmental Engineers to do their job. 

Environmental Engineer working

Environmental Engineers will analyze the area of construction, and start to answer questions like:

• Is this building going to affect the environment? 
• How the new building will impact the local animals and plants?
• How the building will affect the water supply and the quality of the air that we breathe?.               

Environmental engineers will look for the answer to these questions and develop ways to limit the harmful effects on the natural surroundings. 

While The Environmental engineers do their work, Geo-technical engineers will be working aside. So how do we start a construction? well, first there is usually a big hole in the area of construction. You probably do not think about it but in order to make a building sturdy and safe, civil engineers have to work from the ground up. Geo-technical engineers will be gathering the facts by studying the rocks, soil and underground water, to make sure this building is located in the correct place and their foundations are designed properly.

Foundation for new construction

Meanwhile the Environmental and Geo-technical engineers finished their work, the Structural, Transportation and Water Resources engineers will start working on their part.

If you have a building you will need to create entrance, exit routes, and parking lots. This is the work of Transportation engineers. They use the information given by the Geo-technical engineers to calculate the necessary quantity of material that is necessary to construct the pavement. Transportation engineers have to figure out how people and vehicles will move smoothly and safely around the building.

Design of new frame for a building

In the other side, somebody will also need to start thinking about the structure of the building. This work is for the Structural Engineers. You probably do not stop to worry about if the building you are in right now can withstand a force of nature like a hurricane or an earthquake, but if you were a structural engineering you will have to design and plan the structures of houses, buildings, schools, and skyscrapers to resist these powerful forces. As a structural engineering you will need to do all the calculations for the building, complex mathematical models and Software are used to study the reliability of the structure, so it can withstand any type of force and support the design. 

Design of water pumps for a building 

Last but not least, you will need to provide the building with important utilities. At home you turn on the tap and out comes water, it's clean and healthy. You drink without stopping to think about it, but if you were a Water Resource engineer, you will have to think about water everyday. As a Water Resource engineers questions like:

• Is it safe for people to drink? 
• Is it getting where it is supposed to be? 
• Is there enough?

This is probably one of the most important jobs on the planet, it helps people to stay alive and healthy providing one of the more important fluids for subsistence . Water Resource engineers will design the appropriate distribution of the water in the building.

After all the calculations, designs, and plans are done, construction takes place. This job is for the contractors and construction firms.

 As you can see if you are given a project to construct a new building, you could not work it all by yourself. You need a whole team to create the building. Civil engineers usually have to pick what sub-discipline they want to focus on, so they can work in that specific area for the project. The idea of sub-disciplines in civil engineering is to form an engineer focus in one specific area so he or she can have a better understanding, experience, and knowledge on that area. 

Engineers reading the plans

Civil engineers play an important roll in our daily life. So when you are driving a highway or road; when you open the tap for water or to take a shower; when you are walking or driving through a bridge; when you walk through a building; or when you go home. Remember, all around you was design by Civil engineers who care about your security and safety through the world in your daily life.






References:

• "Group of Designers and Engineers working together", retrieve on October 13th, 2015 http://www.onlineengineeringdegree.org/
• "Example of landscape for Land construction", retrieve on October 13th, 2015        http://www.i-84waterbury.com/pages/37-photos-july-sept-2015
• "Environmental Engineering working", retrieve on October 13th, 2015  http://www.thecivilengg.com/Branches.php#
• "Foundation for New construction", retrieve on October 13th, 2015  http://ilzconsulting.com/capabilities/
• "Design of new frame for a building", retrieve on October 13th, 2015 http://constro2014.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html
• "Design of water pumps for a building" retrieve on October 13th, 2015  http://cbs.grundfos.com/BGE_Spain/lexica/BOO_Water_supply_systems_in_zones.html?action=Print
• "Engineers reading the plans", retrieve on October 13th, 2015  http://www.riversideca.gov/publicworks/engineering/land_development.asp
• "Civil Engineering Jobs" asceville.org. Web October 13th, 2015      http://www.asceville.org/find-fields.html