History of Civil Engineering Types of Civil Engineering and Famous Engineers

Civil Engineering Civil engineering deals with the construction of bridges, roads, buildings, dams, towers, waterways, dykes, levies, sewers, and railways. Civil engineering is the oldest and broadest area of engineering.

Civil Engineering Early examples of civil engineering include: Egyptian pyramids Mayan pyramids Imhotep designed the Pyramid of Djzoser in Egypt almost 5,000 years ago.

Civil Engineering The name civil engineering comes from civilian engineering. In the early days of the profession there were only two types of engineering, Civil and Military.

Civil Engineering John Smeaton was the first engineer to call himself a “Civil Engineer”. Smeaton founded the Society of Engineers in 1771. This society came to be called Institution of Civil Engineers. The American Society of Civil Engineers was founded in 1852.

Civil Engineering Today civil engineering encompasses many different subsets: Structural Engineering Coastal Engineering Geotechnical Engineering Environmental Engineering Transportation Engineering Water Resources Engineering Materials Engineering

Civil Engineering: Structural Engineering Structural engineers focus on the stresses and forces that affect structures such as buildings, bridges, and dams. Structural engineers need to ensure their designs are resistant to earthquakes and other natural stresses while supporting structural load.

Civil Engineering: Coastal Engineering Designing jetties, harbors, canals, dykes, and seawalls are some of the projects coastal engineers might undertake. The Panama Canal is one example of a large scale coastal engineering marvel.

Civil Engineering: Geotechnical Engineering Geotechnical engineers are “grounded” in geology. These specialized civil engineers spend their time “digging” into the impact of designs on the soil and groundwater around them. They test soil and rock to ensure the ground is stable enough for building projects. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is actually a geotechnical engineer’s mistake.

Civil Engineering: Environmental Engineering Environmental engineers develop technologies to improve or sustain our environment. Water supply and treatments plants Landfills Municipal waste recycling centers

Civil Engineering: Transportation Engineering Have you ever wondered why there are six lanes on some roads and only two on others? How do they know how wide to make the lanes, and who determines where to put intersections, traffic lights, and exits? Transportation engineers make these kinds of decisions. Roads, highways, airports, train depots, and the systems that make sure vehicles travel safely are all designed by transportation engineers.

Civil Engineering: Water Resources Engineering Civil engineers that focus on water resources engineering design wastewater treatment plants, water supply lines, and water distribution facilities. The ancient civilization of Machu Picchu is a prime example of water resources engineering.

Civil Engineering: Materials Engineering What type of material is best suited to use in the construction of a bridge that must withstand extreme cold without compromising its strength? Which material would perform best when used to build a road in a hot, arid climate with little precipitation and heavy traffic? Material science is one aspect of civil engineering that spans across all specialties.

Famous Civil Engineers Gustave Eiffel Eiffel is famous for designing the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Eiffel specialized in metal. He also designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty.

Famous Civil Engineers James Buchanan Eads Eads made his fortune using submarines which he designed to bring up salvage from the Mississippi River. During the Civil War Eads designed and built ironclad warships that were instrumental in the Union’s victory. Eads designed and built the first bridge to span the Mississippi River at St. Louis.

Famous Civil Engineers Thomas Brassey A railway engineer in the nineteenth century, Brassey is responsible for the construction of railway lines in North America and Europe.

Famous Civil Engineers Sir Marc Isambard Brunel Brunel created a mechanism for tunneling underwater. He designed and constructed the first tunnel underwater in England over many years. The tunnel opened to traffic in 1843.

Other famous civil engineers: Sir Benjamin Baker John Blume Sir Thomas Bouch Isambard Kingdom Brunel Santiago Calatrava Arthur Casagrande John Frank Stevens George Washington Goethals