What is Civil Engineering?

Civil engineering is just one of many types of engineering, which includes chemical, computer/software, mechanical, electrical, agricultural, aerospace, biomedical/bioengineering, mining, systems, engineering management, nuclear, and industrial. Unlike other forms of engineering, civil engineering deals with the practical aspects of everyday life. Because there are a range of design and technology issues within the civil field, programs of study in civil engineering tend to incorporate information from other areas to develop engineering solutions. In this sense, programs of study in civil engineering tend to be more comprehensive than those of other engineering fields. As defined by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), "Civil engineering is about community service, development, and improvement. It involves the conception, planning, design, construction, and operation of facilities essential to modern life, ranging from transit systems to offshore structures to space ...  more

Civil engineering covers a broad range of engineering disciplines, and a civil engineer may choose to work in a private practice, in a public practice, or within the academic department to conduct research in civil engineering. A civil engineer who works in a private practice is usually involved with planning, designing, and construction of physical facilities used in the public sector. Civil and construction engineering employees who work in a public practice are often involved in city or regional planning. This often includes the layout and construction of highways, pipelines, and other industrial elements within a citys plans. A civil engineer who works in academia is involved with teaching the fundamentals of civil engineering, and this may take place at the graduate or doctorate level. Research in this area is commonly used to make advances in the fields of civil and construction engineering, and helps with both city planning and regional developments.  more

U.S. Department of Labor - http://www.bls.gov Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and water supply and sewage systems. Civil engineering, considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines, encompasses many specialties. The major specialties within civil engineering are structural, water resources, environmental, construction, transportation, and geotechnical engineering. Engineers use computers to produce and analyze designs; to simulate and test how a machine, structure, or system operates; and to generate specifications for parts.  more

Civil engineers plan, design, build, and manage the facilities that are essential to our civilization - bridges, dams, highways, transit systems, airports, tunnels, irrigation systems, water distribution and wastewater treatment facilities, and industrial and commercial buildings. Civil engineers are problem solvers meeting the challenges of the deteriorating infrastructure, traffic congestion, energy needs, floods, earthquakes, urban redevelopment, sustainability, pollution control, and community planning. They manage and guide technological advances necessary for human health and well-being and the protection of earth's ecocsystems. The planning, design and construction of large, one-of-a-kind systems and structures is a hallmark of civil engineering. As a civil engineer you could be involved in planning, design, or managing of a variety of projects. Your assignments might place you at a computer work station, in front of a public hearing, or on a project work site. You will be at ...  more

U.S. Department of Labor - http://www.bls.gov Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and water supply and sewage systems. Civil engineering, considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines, encompasses many specialties. The major specialties within civil engineering are structural, water resources, environmental, construction, transportation, and geotechnical engineering. Engineers use computers to produce and analyze designs; to simulate and test how a machine, structure, or system operates; and to generate specifications for parts. New communications technologies using computers are changing the way engineers work on designs. Engineers can collaborate on designs with other engineers around the country or even abroad, using the Internet or related communications systems. Many engineers also use computers to monitor product quality and control process efficiency. They spend a great deal of time writing reports ...  more

Civil Engineering is considered to be the oldest engineering field. Civil Engineering includes the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of the infrastructure that surrounds us and is the underpinning of our society. Our infrastructure includes roads, airports, railroads, buildings, bridges, water and wastewater treatment plants, sewers, drainage, flood control, water supply, landfills, and many other facilities. Most everything civil engineers do affects our daily lives in many ways. When you get up in the morning and take a shower and brush your teeth, the water comes from a water treatment plant through a network of pipes, designed by civil engineers. The dirty water leaves your house through a sewer and ends up at a wastewater treatment plant designed by civil engineers where it is treated and released to a nearby stream or river. When you go to school or work, the roads you drive on and bridges you might cross were designed by civil engineers. The inlet ...  more

Civil engineering is arguably the oldest engineering discipline. It deals with the built environment and can be dated to the first time someone placed a roof over his or her head or laid a tree trunk across a river to make it easier to get across. The built environment encompasses much of what defines modern civilization. Buildings and bridges are often the first constructions that come to mind, as they are the most conspicuous creations of structural engineering, one of civil engineering's major sub-disciplines. Roads, railroads, subway systems, and airports are designed by transportation engineers, another category of civil engineering. And then there are the less visible creations of civil engineers. Every time you open a water faucet, you expect water to come out, without thinking that civil engineers made it possible. New York City has one of the world’s most impressive water supply systems, receiving billions of gallons of high-quality water from the Catskills over one hundred ...  more

Civil engineering is one of the oldest engineering disciplines, since civil engineers of one form or another have been around ever since humans started building major public works such as roads, bridges, tunnels, and large 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, someone must typically study engineering at a university and then participate in field work for practical training. Many nations also require that students of civil engineering pass a competency exam to ensure that they will be able to design and build safe, stable structures. There are numerous branches to civil engineering, and a wide range of specialties. Some civil engineers focus on conception and initial design of a project, analyzing the site, the needs, and the resources to come up with a workable project plan. Others specialize in contracting, physically building the ...  more

The work of civil engineers is all around us - from the roads and highways we travel daily, to the treatment plants that supply us with safe water. Our work doesn’t end there. We also create solutions for urban issues that impact the quality of life in the 21st Century. For instance, we work hard to preserve our environment by developing new and innovative methods of reducing existing and future pollution. Think of civil engineers as the primary health providers of society! The urban environment is the infrastructure that makes civilization possible, including: buildings and bridges, underground spaces, water supply and treatment systems, airports, highways, rail transportation systems, power generation (including hydro, fossil, nuclear) and alternative energy sources (such as wind, solar and tidal). Advances in biotechnology, materials, communications and information technology impact civil engineering in a big way.  more

about the study and career options available in Civil Engineering at the University of Melbourne. Video by Sam Davison www.eng.unimelb.edu.au ... Civil Engineering University ...  more