1.1 INTRODUCTION
Engineers have probably contributed more to the shaping of civilisation than any other professional
group. In every society, the role of engineers is to develop the technological application to meet practical
needs. For example, the application of an electrical system is to provide power to a city, a water wheel
is to run a mill, an artificial heart is to prolong life, etc. The systems that supply our food, water, fuel,
power, transportation network, communication and other conveniences are the products of engineering
skill. Despite the essential part engineers play in the above progress and in the well-being of humanity,
their exact role is imperfectly understood. Engineering is the art of converting knowledge into useful
practical applications. An engineer is a person, who plays the key role in this process of conversion.
Since engineering is the profession which serves people, their environment is an important
consideration. Often, there have been difficulties in distinguishing engineers from scientists. It is
difficult to determine where the work of the scientist ends and that of the engineer begins. The basic
distinction between the linked professions of science and engineering lies in their goals. Scientists aim
to invent while engineers strive to use the inventions effectively to cater to the needs of mankind. For
example, the German physicist Heinrich Hertz discovered radio waves while Guglielmo Marconi
developed wireless telegraphy using radio waves, a feat of engineering. And after the scientific
principles of nuclear fission were established, the hard work of creating atomic weapons and useful
power plants was accomplished by electrical, chemical and mechanical engineers.
1.2 CIVIL ENGINEERING
Civil Engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and
maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges,
canals, dams, and buildings.
1.3 ROLE OF CIVIL ENGINEER IN SOCIETY
• Main role of Civil engineers is in surveying, planning, designing, estimation and execution of
structures.
• To solve different engineering problems with the help of field experience, laboratory techniques,
numerical methods, mathematical models, using computer and information technology.
,• To implement management techniques for better management of man, material, machine and money.
• To carryout soil investigation for design of foundations of structures.
• To invite tenders and to select contractor for the work.
• To carryout surveying and levelling and fixing the alignments (center-line) of roads, railways, canals,
tunnels, pipes etc.
• To carryout planning of buildings as per its functional needs and also has role in town and regional
planning.
• To carry out the design of structures as per the principles of structural analysis and design. Civil
engineer should ensure that design is safe, durable and economic.
• To supervise the work during execution and to ensure progress of work.
• To carryout valuation of land or building for the purpose of finding its sale or purchase price or
taxation.
• Civil engineers have to maintain public health by providing pure water for drinking, treating waste
water before disposing into water course and to collect the solid waste of town and disposing it.
• Civil engineer has to provide basic infrastructure of the structures for projects of many other
engineering disciplines, like to design machine foundations and to provide steel frame structure and
sheds for industries for the mechanical engineering project. To construct tunnels for hydro power
station, to construction cooling tower for thermal power stations and to erect transmission towers for
electrical lines for electrical engineering.
• Measure and map the earth’s surface.
• Plan new townships and extension of existing towns.
• Build tanks and dams to exploit water resources.
• Build river navigation and flood control projects.
• Build canals and distributaries to take water to agricultural fields.
• Purify and supply water to the needy areas like houses, schools, offices etc.
• Provide and maintain communication systems like roads, railways, harbors and airports.
• Devise systems for control and efficient flow of traffic.
1.4 SCOPE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING:
The main scope of civil engineering or the task of civil engineering is planning, designing,
estimating, supervising construction, execution, and maintenance of structures like building, roads,
bridges, dams, etc.
Population demographics along with increasing urbanization have facilitated the need for
sustainable and efficient infrastructure solutions. Development in green buildings, sensor-embedded
roads and buildings, geopolymer concrete, and water management will stimulate global civil
engineering industry growth.
, VARIOUS DISCIPLINES OF CIVIL ENGINEERING:
Any discipline of engineering is a vast field with various specialisations. The major specialisations of
civil engineering are listed below:
1. Structural engineering
2. Geotechnical engineering
3. Transportation engineering
4. Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering.
5. Environmental Engineering
1.4.1 STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Structural engineering is the most important specialisation in civil engineering. The construction of a
structure needs efficient planning, design and method of construction to serve the purpose fully.
Generally, there are five major steps in any construction project.
These include the following:
1. Positioning and arranging the various parts of the structure into a definite form to achieve best
utilisation.
2. Finding out the magnitude, direction and nature of various forces acting on the structure.
3. Analysing the structure to know the behaviour of the various parts of the structure subjected to the
above forces.
4. Designing the structure such that its stability under the action of various loads is ensured.
5. Executing the work with selected construction materials and skilled workers.
1.4.2 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
For the efficient functioning of any structure built on earth, the behaviour of soil must be known.
Geotechnical engineering gives the basic idea about the soil. This branch also deals with the following
aspects:
1. The properties and behaviour of soil as a material under “soil mechanics”.
2. The various types of foundations for a structure, for a machine, etc. and their suitability.
Geotechnical engineering also deals with the analysis, design and construction of foundation.
1.4.3 TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
• The development of a nation mainly depends on the communication facilities available. A nation’s
wealth is measured in terms of the road and railway facilities available. There are three modes of
transportation viz., land, water and air. This specialisation deals with the design, construction and
execution of the communication routes.
• The different branches of transportation engineering include the following: highway engineering deals
with the planning and designing of roads, railway engineering deals with the railway tracks, harbour
engineering deals with the harbours and airport engineering deals with the airports.
Engineers have probably contributed more to the shaping of civilisation than any other professional
group. In every society, the role of engineers is to develop the technological application to meet practical
needs. For example, the application of an electrical system is to provide power to a city, a water wheel
is to run a mill, an artificial heart is to prolong life, etc. The systems that supply our food, water, fuel,
power, transportation network, communication and other conveniences are the products of engineering
skill. Despite the essential part engineers play in the above progress and in the well-being of humanity,
their exact role is imperfectly understood. Engineering is the art of converting knowledge into useful
practical applications. An engineer is a person, who plays the key role in this process of conversion.
Since engineering is the profession which serves people, their environment is an important
consideration. Often, there have been difficulties in distinguishing engineers from scientists. It is
difficult to determine where the work of the scientist ends and that of the engineer begins. The basic
distinction between the linked professions of science and engineering lies in their goals. Scientists aim
to invent while engineers strive to use the inventions effectively to cater to the needs of mankind. For
example, the German physicist Heinrich Hertz discovered radio waves while Guglielmo Marconi
developed wireless telegraphy using radio waves, a feat of engineering. And after the scientific
principles of nuclear fission were established, the hard work of creating atomic weapons and useful
power plants was accomplished by electrical, chemical and mechanical engineers.
1.2 CIVIL ENGINEERING
Civil Engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and
maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges,
canals, dams, and buildings.
1.3 ROLE OF CIVIL ENGINEER IN SOCIETY
• Main role of Civil engineers is in surveying, planning, designing, estimation and execution of
structures.
• To solve different engineering problems with the help of field experience, laboratory techniques,
numerical methods, mathematical models, using computer and information technology.
,• To implement management techniques for better management of man, material, machine and money.
• To carryout soil investigation for design of foundations of structures.
• To invite tenders and to select contractor for the work.
• To carryout surveying and levelling and fixing the alignments (center-line) of roads, railways, canals,
tunnels, pipes etc.
• To carryout planning of buildings as per its functional needs and also has role in town and regional
planning.
• To carry out the design of structures as per the principles of structural analysis and design. Civil
engineer should ensure that design is safe, durable and economic.
• To supervise the work during execution and to ensure progress of work.
• To carryout valuation of land or building for the purpose of finding its sale or purchase price or
taxation.
• Civil engineers have to maintain public health by providing pure water for drinking, treating waste
water before disposing into water course and to collect the solid waste of town and disposing it.
• Civil engineer has to provide basic infrastructure of the structures for projects of many other
engineering disciplines, like to design machine foundations and to provide steel frame structure and
sheds for industries for the mechanical engineering project. To construct tunnels for hydro power
station, to construction cooling tower for thermal power stations and to erect transmission towers for
electrical lines for electrical engineering.
• Measure and map the earth’s surface.
• Plan new townships and extension of existing towns.
• Build tanks and dams to exploit water resources.
• Build river navigation and flood control projects.
• Build canals and distributaries to take water to agricultural fields.
• Purify and supply water to the needy areas like houses, schools, offices etc.
• Provide and maintain communication systems like roads, railways, harbors and airports.
• Devise systems for control and efficient flow of traffic.
1.4 SCOPE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING:
The main scope of civil engineering or the task of civil engineering is planning, designing,
estimating, supervising construction, execution, and maintenance of structures like building, roads,
bridges, dams, etc.
Population demographics along with increasing urbanization have facilitated the need for
sustainable and efficient infrastructure solutions. Development in green buildings, sensor-embedded
roads and buildings, geopolymer concrete, and water management will stimulate global civil
engineering industry growth.
, VARIOUS DISCIPLINES OF CIVIL ENGINEERING:
Any discipline of engineering is a vast field with various specialisations. The major specialisations of
civil engineering are listed below:
1. Structural engineering
2. Geotechnical engineering
3. Transportation engineering
4. Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering.
5. Environmental Engineering
1.4.1 STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Structural engineering is the most important specialisation in civil engineering. The construction of a
structure needs efficient planning, design and method of construction to serve the purpose fully.
Generally, there are five major steps in any construction project.
These include the following:
1. Positioning and arranging the various parts of the structure into a definite form to achieve best
utilisation.
2. Finding out the magnitude, direction and nature of various forces acting on the structure.
3. Analysing the structure to know the behaviour of the various parts of the structure subjected to the
above forces.
4. Designing the structure such that its stability under the action of various loads is ensured.
5. Executing the work with selected construction materials and skilled workers.
1.4.2 GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
For the efficient functioning of any structure built on earth, the behaviour of soil must be known.
Geotechnical engineering gives the basic idea about the soil. This branch also deals with the following
aspects:
1. The properties and behaviour of soil as a material under “soil mechanics”.
2. The various types of foundations for a structure, for a machine, etc. and their suitability.
Geotechnical engineering also deals with the analysis, design and construction of foundation.
1.4.3 TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
• The development of a nation mainly depends on the communication facilities available. A nation’s
wealth is measured in terms of the road and railway facilities available. There are three modes of
transportation viz., land, water and air. This specialisation deals with the design, construction and
execution of the communication routes.
• The different branches of transportation engineering include the following: highway engineering deals
with the planning and designing of roads, railway engineering deals with the railway tracks, harbour
engineering deals with the harbours and airport engineering deals with the airports.
