By Alexandra Gilchrist Civil Engineering By Alexandra Gilchrist

What does maths have to do with civil engineers? As a civil engineer maths is very important and when measuring certain things they have to try their best to make their measurements as exact as possible. They use maths calculations to work out the height of buildings, depth of foundations, angles between beams in framework, length of bridges etc By using maths it allows them to know with certainty that their structures will successfully fulfil their purpose.

Why is maths so important in civil engineering? They have to get measurements and calculations right so that the buildings and structures that they build and design are safe. They have to have the right measurements and calculations for the building or structure not to collapse. They must be able to still stand, even if there is natural disasters like, floodings, earthquakes and much more. Also bridges and buildings must be able to bear a very large amount of weight, because if they can’t then they would not be safe for people to go on.

Types of maths used Trigonometry – The understanding of angles is the most common skill used by engineers. Algebra – Algebra allows engineers to find out the value of something that they do not know, for example length, material or temperature. Calculus – The study of change with the basic focus being on rate of change and accumulation, this is frequently used in engineering. Geometry – The foundation of civil engineering. Geometry deals with design and construction of roads, bridges etc. Anything that rests on earth

Fun facts Civil engineers created the slipperiness of a water slide, by designing the system to pump the right amount of water to the flume. Civil engineers basically created the fun of water parks, all with the help of maths. There is a rollercoaster in Ohio which is taller than the length of a football field (310 feet) and is faster than a cheetah (92mph) as a civil engineer this is hard to make, and has to have a lot of planning so that nothing goes wrong. Without civil engineers, there would be so many things that wouldn’t be here, and the world wouldn’t be quite so fun!