8/23/2020 Civil Engineering | WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide

Civil Engineering  
by Mark Swink, P.E., Civil Engineer
Updated: 01-26-2017

INTRODUCTION
Civil engineering is not all about fancy buildings – it is about maintaining vital infrastructure. When people think of
famous civil engineers from the past, they think of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Joseph Bazalgette, the great WITHIN THIS PAGE
engineer of the Victorian age who saved London from cholera by constructing new sewers. Introduction
Description
Today, civil engineering is often associated with the world's most jaw-dropping structures, such as Sydney Opera
Emerging Issues
House, the Shard and China's Jiaozhou Bay Bridge. But civil engineering is also about maintaining and adapting the
Relevant Codes and Standards
infrastructure that people depend on every day - roads, railways and bridges, energy (/design-
Additional Resources
objectives/sustainable/optimize-energy-use) and water (/design-objectives/sustainable/protect-conserve-water)
supply, waste networks, and ood defenses. Civil engineers have to keep this infrastructure running effectively and
adapt it to meet challenges, such as population growth, climate change, and natural disasters (/design-objectives/secure-safe/natural-hazards-mitigation).

They must also nd ways to deliver the infrastructure needed when there is little money to pay for it. Put simply, civil engineers have to come up with
solutions to complex problems and implement them; they literally shape the world people live in.

DESCRIPTION
There are two types of civil engineering roles: consultants who focus on design work and generally spend more time in
the o ce or working with clients, and contractors who are more involved with keeping an eye on the physical
construction and are usually based on-site. Both are challenging environments, and all civil engineers are required to be
innovative and logical individuals. Other essential attributes civil engineers need include: creativity, versatility, a problem-
solving mind, and the ability to understand the bigger picture and to collaborate with a number of other professionals.

Civil engineers design, build, supervise, operate, and maintain (/facilities-operations-maintenance) construction projects
and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems
for water supply and sewage treatment. Many civil engineers work in design, construction, research, and education.

The duties of a civil engineer may typically include any or all of the following:

Analyze long-range plans; survey reports, maps, and other data in order to plan projects.

Consider construction costs, government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and other factors in
planning the stages of, and risk analysis for a project.
Civil engineers shape the world
Compile and submit permit applications to local, state, and federal agencies, verifying that projects comply with
various regulations.

Test building materials, such as concrete or asphalt for use in particular projects.

Provide cost estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine a project's economic feasibility.

Use design software to plan and design transportation systems, hydraulic systems, and structures in line with industry and government standards.

Perform or oversee surveying operations in order to establish reference points, grades, and elevations to guide construction or design.

Present their ndings to the public on topics such as bid proposals, environmental impact statements, or descriptions of projects.

Manage the repair, maintenance, and replacement of public and private infrastructure.

Civil engineers inspect projects to insure regulatory compliance. In addition, they are tasked with ensuring that safe work practices are followed at
construction sites. 

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Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions ranging from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer, public works director, or
city manager. Others work in design, construction, research, and education. Civil engineers work with other professionals on projects and may be assisted
by civil engineering technicians.

Civil engineers design, build, and maintain the foundation for modern society – from roads and bridges, drinking water and energy systems, to seaports
and airports, and the infrastructure for a cleaner environment, to name just a few. Civil engineering touches people throughout their day. Think of a civil
engineer when:

Turning on the tap to take a shower or drink clean water.

Flicking on the lights and opening the refrigerator.
Driving to work on roads and bridges through synchronized tra c lights.
Taking mass transit or taking a ight for a vacation.

Entrusted by society to create a sustainable world and enhance the global quality of life, civil
engineers serve competently, collaboratively, and ethically as master planners, designers,
constructors, and operators of society's economic and social engine - the built environment. They are
stewards of the natural environment and its resources; innovators and integrators of ideas and
technology across the public, private, and academic sectors; managers of risk and uncertainty
caused by natural events, accidents, and other threats. They also serve as leaders in discussions and
decisions shaping public environmental and infrastructure policy.

Every person, family, and business needs infrastructure to thrive - from the roads travelled to work, to
the pipes that deliver clean drinking water, to the inland waterways, and rails that move goods from
Civil Engineers make mass transit feasible.
coast to coast. The American Society of Civil Engineers' 2013 Report Card for America's
Infrastructure depicts the condition and performance of the nation's infrastructure in the familiar
form of a school report card-assigning letter grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for improvement. The report card is available
for public viewing at ASCE.org (http://www.asce.org/).

EMERGING ISSUES
Sustainability is an issue that The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) de nes as a set of
economic, environmental, and social conditions in which all of society has the capacity and
opportunity to maintain and improve its quality of life inde nitely without degrading the quantity,
quality, or the availability of economic, environmental, and social resources. Sustainable development
is the application of these resources to enhance the safety, welfare, and quality of life for all of
society. Civil engineers shall be committed to the following ASCE Principles of Sustainable
Development.
ASCE Infrastructure Report Card
Principle 1- Do the Right Project. A proposed project's economic, environmental, and social
(http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/)
effects on each of the communities served and affected must be assessed and understood by
all stakeholders before there is a decision to proceed with a project. Consider non-structural as
well as structural (built) solutions to the needs being addressed: and

Principle 2 - Do the Project Right. The civil engineer shall actively engage stakeholders and secure public understanding and acceptance of a
project’s economic, environmental, and social costs and bene ts. To move toward conditions of sustainability, engineers must design and deliver
projects that address sustainability holistically (from concept to demolition or reuse) rather than adding a variety of "green" features onto a
conventional project.

ASCE supports the following steps to achieve a sustainable project:

Perform Life-Cycle Assessment (/resources/life-cycle-cost-analysis-lcca) from Planning to Reuse. Project participants should use rigorous life cycle
methodologies that quantify the economic, environmental, and social effects of the project.

Use Resources Wisely - Minimize Use of Non Renewable Resources. Sustainable development shall include progressive reductions in resource use
for a given level of service and resiliency.

The feasibility of restoration, or return of depleted resources, shall be evaluated by the civil engineer.

Plan for Resiliency (/design-objectives/secure-safe). Sustainability requires planning for the impact natural and man-made disasters and changing
conditions can have on economic, environmental, and social resources.

Validate Application of Principles. Civil engineers must guide project development and validate the application of these principles by using metrics
and rating tools such as the EnvisionTM Rating System (https://acwi.gov/acwi-
minutes/acwi2012/slide.lib/09_Bertera_Presentation_Harvard_06_2012_4D.pdf) for sustainable infrastructure. 

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ASCE recognizes the leadership role of engineers in sustainable development and their responsibility to provide effective and innovative solutions in
addressing the challenges of sustainability. The ASCE Code of Ethics (http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784412466.ap) requires civil engineers
to strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties. ASCE works on a global scale to promote
public recognition and understanding of the needs and opportunities for sustainable development.

Environmental, economic, social, and technological development must be seen as interdependent (/design-objectives/aesthetics/engage-integrated-
design-process) and complementary concepts, where economic competitiveness and ecological sustainability are complementary aspects of the common
goal of improving the quality of life. Engineers have a leading role in planning, designing, building, and ensuring a sustainable future. Engineers provide the
bridge between science and society. In this role, engineers must actively promote and participate in multidisciplinary teams with other professionals, such
as ecologists, economists, and sociologists, and work with the communities served and affected to effectively address the issues and challenges of
sustainable development.

RELEVANT CODES AND STANDARDS

American Association of State Highway and Transportation O cials (AASHTO) - A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets
(https://bookstore.transportation.org/item_details.aspx?id=1917)

Department Of Defense
Uni ed Facilities Criteria (UFC) (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc)
UFC 1-300-09N Navy and Marine Corps Design Procedures (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/fc-1-300-09n)
UFC 3-201-01 Civil Engineering (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-201-01)
UFC 3-210-10 Low Impact Development (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-210-10)
UFC 3-220-05 Dewatering and Groundwater Control (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-220-05)
UFC 3-230-01 Water Storage, Distribution, and Transmission (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-230-01)
UFC 3-230-03 Water Treatment (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-230-03)
UFC 3-240-01 Wastewater Collection (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-240-01)
UFC 3-240-02 Domestic Wastewater Treatment (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-240-02)
UFC 3-250-01 Pavement Design for Roads and Parking Areas (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-250-01)
UFC 3-250-03 Standard Practice Manual for Flexible Pavements (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-250-03)
UFC 3-250-04 Standard Practice for Concrete Pavements (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-250-04)
UFC 3-250-08FA Standard Practice for Sealing Joints and Cracks in Rigid and Flexible Pavements (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-250-
08fa)
UFC 3-250-09FA Aggregate Surfaced Roads and Air elds Areas (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-250-09fa)
UFC 3-250-11 Soil Stabilization for Pavements (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-250-11)
UFC 3-260-01 Air eld and Heliport Planning and Design (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-260-01)
UFC 3-260-02 Pavement Design for Air elds (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-260-02)
UFC 3-260-03 Air eld Pavement Evaluation (/ffc/dod/uni ed-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-3-260-03)

International Code Council

International Building Code (http://shop.iccsafe.org/codes/2015-international-codes-and-references/2015-international-building-code-and-
references.html)

Department Of Justice
2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/2010ADAStandards/2010ADAstandards.htm)

Department Of Transportation
Manual on Uniform Tra c Control Devices (MUTCD) (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
WBDG
Design Disciplines (/design-disciplines)
Federal Facility Criteria (/ffc/federal-facility-criteria)
Project Planning, Delivery, and Controls (/project-management)
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ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS
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American National Standards Institute (https://ansi.org/)
American Society for Testing and Materials (https://www.astm.org/)
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (http://www.asce.org/)
American Water Works Association (http://www.awwa.org/)
Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/)
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) (https://www.epa.gov/npdes/npdes-stormwater-program)

Great Lakes – Upper Mississippi River Board (GLUMRB) (http://10statesstandards.com/)

Recommended Standards for Water Works
Recommended Standards for Wastewater Facilities

Topics:  Civil Engineering (/wbdg-taxonomy/topics/civil-engineering)

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