CIVL 

1100
Discovering Civil and Environmental Engineering 
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
(土木及環境工程學系)
HKUST

1. Civil Engineering and Society

K.M. Lam

5
 1.  Civil Engineering and 
Society

Introduction
1.1

Civil Engineering: Importance and 
Challenges
1.2

Major Sub‐disciplines
1.3
 What is an engineer?

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Engineer (Noun)
• Someone whose job is to design or build roads, bridges, 
machines, etc.
• He trained as a civil engineer (= one who designs and builds 
roads, bridges, etc.)
• Someone whose job is to take care of the engines on a ship or aircraft, 
someone whose job is to repair electrical equipment or machines 

Engineer (Verb)
• to design and plan the building of roads, bridges, machines, 
etc.
 What is an engineer?

Engineer (Cambridge Dictionaries Online)

• Engineer (noun)
 a person whose job is to design or build machines, 
engines or electrical equipment, or things such as roads, 
railways or bridges, using scientific principles
 a person whose job is to repair or control machines, 
engines or electrical equipment

• Engineer (verb)
 to design and build something using scientific principles
What is an engineer? (cont’d)

Engineer (CambridgeDictionary Online)
• Someone whose job is to design, build, or repair machines, 
engines, roads, bridges, etc.

Engineer (Wikipedia)
• Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are 
professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test 
machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and 
materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements 
while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, 
regulation, safety and cost
• Engineers apply the scientific method and outlook to the 
analysis and solution of engineering problems
What is an engineer? (cont’d)
Engineering:
World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO)
• Engineering is the art of using science and technology, traditional 
experience and creativity, for the benefit of humanity.
• Increasingly the standards of engineering knowledge and engineering 
practice determine the long‐term welfare of people and the wealth 
generation capabilities of nations.
• In recent years it has become evident that particular engineering skills are 
required to reduce the demand on natural resources, and to restore and 
safeguard the biophysical environment in which we live.

Engineering:
Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ)
• All those who use a systematic process of analysis, design/synthesis and 
implementation, strive to operate in a responsible way, are governed by a 
code of ethics set by their peers, and engage in continuing professional 
development to maintain the currency of their competence.” 
 Challenges in real‐life

How to develop a new

city from an empty site ?
 Role of engineers
• An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with 
applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop 
solutions for technical and practical problems.

Engineers
  Types of engineering

• Engineering can broadly be classified in accordance to the nature of 
problems that encountered:

Agricultural  Civil Industrial 

Engineering Engineering Engineering
Engineering

Architectural  Chemical  Manufacturing 

Engineering Engineering Engineering

Biomedical  Computer  Mechanical 

Engineering Engineering Engineering

Ceramic  Electrical  Nuclear 

Engineering Engineering Engineering
 Introduction
1.1

Civil Engineering:
Importance and Challenges 
1.2

Major Sub‐disciplines
1.3
 Civil engineering and civil engineers
Civil engineering and civil engineers (cont’d)

What is Civil Engineering?
• Design, construction, and maintenance of the built environment
• “Civil” ‐ distinguishes non‐military from military purposes

 Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the
• planning
• design
• construction, and
• maintenance
of the physical and naturally built environment, including infrastructure 
(roads, bridges, dams, canals, etc.) and buildings.
Civil engineering and civil engineers (cont’d)

• Civil engineers are problem solvers, meeting the challenges of pollution, 
traffic congestion, drinking water and energy needs, urban redevelopment, 
and community planning, etc.

• Civil engineering is the oldest engineering discipline after military 
engineering and takes place on all levels: 
 in the public sector from municipal through to national governments,
 in the private sector from individual homeowners through to 
international companies.
Civil engineering and civil engineers (cont’d)

What is a Built Environment?
• Man‐made
• Using natural materials & resources
• Benefiting mankind
• With prudent urban planning & 
environmental protection
Examples:
 Civil engineering and civil engineers (cont’d)
A Built Environment – A City

The United States government's construction of Hoover Dam, a hydroelectric 
and reservoir project started on the Colorado River in 1931, was one of the most 
important developments in Las Vegas history, dramatically affecting its 
population to the present
http://www.onlinenevada.org/articles/hoover‐dams‐impact‐las‐vegas
 Civil engineering: importance

• Many of the important things in our lives that we 
take for granted are the products of civil engineering.

Power plants Dams

Reservoirs
Civil engineering: importance (cont’d)

Pipelines Water and sewage 
treatment systems

Transportation 
systems
Civil engineering: importance (cont’d)

Buildings and 
bridges
Civil engineering: importance (cont’d)

• All of previous examples are the fundamental components 
forming a city.
• All civil engineering works can improve the working efficiency, 
productivity and living environment of our society.

興土木 利民生 齊拓展 創明天

We Bring The Best Engineering To Life

卓越工程 建設香港
We Engineer Hong Kong’s Development
 Civil engineering: importance (cont’d)
卓越工程 建設香港
We Engineer Hong Kong’s Development

https://www.google.co
m.hk/maps/@22.3921
422,114.1955562,8189
m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=z
h‐HK
 Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)

• Civil engineers also need to concern with the non‐technical issues 
when projects commence.
• Budget available for the project
• Social, economic and political issues
• Workmanship standard
• Impacts to surrounding
• Construction management
• Life cycle performance 
• Maintenance
• Etc.
 Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)

• Good construction management, quality control and workmanship are the 

essential factors that ensure the structures can work smoothly within their 
expected structural life.

• Possible consequences of poor construction management include:

Poor quality control  High maintenance 
and workmanship cost

Structural failure Loss of lives
 Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)
South China Morning Post (16th July 2011)

• Good construction management, quantity control and
Poor quality control / workmanship workmanship 
are the essential factors that ensure the structures can work 
… bathroom drain sometimes stinks, 
smoothly within their expected structural life .
the wooden floor cracks in the dry 
winters and one window never fails 
• to let in the water on rainy days ...
Possible consequences of poor construction management include:

Poor Daily 
Structural failure
High Maintenance 
Performance Cost
… a nearly completed 13‐ storey 
apartment building in a complex of 
11 buildings known as Lotus 
Riverside, in Shanghai, toppled over 
Structural Failure Loss of Life
largely intact, killing one worker …

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina
/2009‐07/08/content_8394761.htm
Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)
South China Morning Post (16th July 2011)

• Good construction management, quantity control and
Poor performance workmanship 
are the essential factors that ensure the structures can work 
… bathroom drain sometimes stinks, 
smoothly within their expected structural life .
the wooden floor cracks in the dry 
winters and one window never fails 
• to let in the water on rainy days ...
Possible consequences of poor construction management include:
https://en.wikipedia.org/w
iki/List_of_structural_failur
Poor Daily 
Structural failure
High Maintenance 
es_and_collapses
Performance Cost
… a nearly completed 13‐ storey 
apartment building in a complex of 
11 buildings known as Lotus 
Riverside, in Shanghai, toppled over 
Structural Failure Loss of Life
largely intact, killing one worker …The engineers were 
convicted
 Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)
South China Morning Post (16th July 2011)
Even today, structure failures 
still occur
• On June 24, 2021, a 12‐story 
beachfront condominium in 
Miami suburb, Florida, USA 
(Champlain Towers South) 
partially collapsed 
• A total of 98 people are 
confirmed dead
• Culprit  long‐term degradation 
of reinforced concrete structural 
support in ground‐level parking 
garage , due to water penetration 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO9kjwo4x‐0
and corrosion of the reinforcing 
steel
Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)

• The problems had been reported in 2018, and a $15 million program of 
th
South China Morning Post (16 July 2011)

remedial works had been approved before the collapse, although no main 
structural work had been undertaken. 
• Other possible factors include land subsidence, insufficient reinforcing steel 
seen in the debris, and corruption during construction.

 On 25 August 2021, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST) named 
members of its team tasked with investigating 
the collapse
 Investigators come from the American Society 
of Civil Engineers, the American Concrete 
Institute, the Structural Engineering Institute 
and the Geode Institute

https://www.foxnews.com/us/champlain‐towers‐collapse‐
federal‐investigators
 Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)

• Civil engineers need to design and build structures with complex shapes 

Burj al Arab Hong Kong Convention and 

Exhibition Centre
CCTV

Burj
Khalifa

Water Cube Beijing National Stadium

Eiffel Tower https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Al_Arab
https://www.burjkhalifa.ae/en/
 Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)

• to design and build long‐span structures

Sutong
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
Bridge

Tsing Ma  Stonecutters 

Bridge Bridge

https://www.jb‐honshi.co.jp/bridgeworld/index.html https://www.aecom.com/projects/sutong‐bridge/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akashi_Kaiky%C5%8D_Bridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutong_Yangtze_River_Bridge
Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)

A large bridge complex ‐ the Hong Kong‐Zhuhai‐Macau bridge
 Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)

• to design and build underground structures, etc.

Lyon – Turin 
Railway Project
(2002‐2032)

Mont Cenis 
Base Tunnel
57.5 km
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201901/2
5/WS5c4a6861a3106c65c34e677c.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turin%E2%80 Access of 
%93Lyon_high‐speed_railway
the tunnel
Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)
In the era, civil engineers are faced with the challenges of :
• Megacities for rising urban population
• Food and water security
Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)
In the era, civil engineers are faced with the challenges of :
• Climate change and extreme weather

Project 
MOSE Venice
(2003‐2025) 

https://www.mosevenezia.eu/project/?lang=en
Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)
In the era, civil engineers are faced with the challenges of :
• Climate change and extreme weather

Thames barrier
(1974‐1982)

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the‐thames‐barrier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp4Y1HrRBD0
 Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)
In the era, civil engineers are faced with the challenges of :
• Climate change and extreme weather

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article‐2019236/South‐Korea‐53‐
dead‐missing‐heavy‐rain‐causes‐floods‐landslides.html
 Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)
In the era, civil engineers are faced with the challenges of :
• Climate change and extreme weather

https://www.newsweek.com/united‐kingdom‐air‐force‐halts‐
flights‐run‐1725673

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk‐england‐norfolk‐49115370
https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2022‐07‐19/why‐cant‐uk‐roads‐and‐rail‐cope‐with‐the‐heat
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/roads‐melt‐and‐rail‐tracks‐buckle‐as‐uk‐heatwave‐strikes‐27‐06‐2018/
Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)
Solutions  Smart cities?

https://gsc.ust.hk/
Civil engineering – challenges (cont’d)

• In the future, the design of buildings may become …
 Introduction
1.1

Civil Engineering: 
Importance and Challenges
1.2

Civil Engineering Sub‐disciplines 
1.3
 Sub‐disciplines of civil engineering
 Civil engineering includes seven major sub‐disciplines:

Structural

Geotechnical Hydraulics

Civil Engineering
Transportation Environmental

Construction Materials
Smart cities
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

 Structural engineering (結構工程)

• Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the planning, 
analysis and design of structures that are able to resist various types of 
loading as well as natural disasters.
 e.g.  buildings, bridges, dams, tunnels, water towers, power plants, 
storage facilities, unusual structures, etc.

 Earthquakes
 Strong winds
 Floods
 Waves
 Fires
 ….
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

 Structural engineering (結構工程)
• Structural engineers must ensure that their designs satisfy 
the design criteria, including:

Safety Serviceability

Structures must not  Deformation must 
collapse without  not disrupt the use of 
warning. structures.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3141199/c
hinese‐investigators‐announce‐cause‐mysterious‐shaking
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Structural engineering (cont’d)

• Structures can be designed and constructed using different construction 
materials, depending on the cost, project nature and materials available,
e.g. concrete, steel, wood, brick, stone, new synthetic materials, etc.
Reinforced Concrete 
Structures
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Structural engineering (cont’d)
Steel / Concrete–
steel Composite

Timber Structures
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Structural engineering (cont’d)

• Structural engineers must design and construct the structures 
based on the codes of practice (design codes, 設計規範).

• Different countries have their own standards for designing 
structures.

Hong Kong Code

Eurocode American code Australian Standard

Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

 Geotechnical engineering (岩土工程)

• Geotechnical engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the 
behaviour of soil, rock and underground water. 

• Geotechnical engineering usually deals with the design and construction 
of foundations and earthworks,
e.g. foundations, tunnels, embankments, levees, etc. 

Shallow 
foundations

Pile 
foundations
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Geotechnical engineering (cont’d)

Tunnels Embankments
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Geotechnical engineering (cont’d)

• Geotechnical engineering also needs to assess the risk from natural 
hazards at a construction site or environment,
e.g. landslides, soil liquefaction, rockfalls, sinkholes, debris flows, etc.

• Soil improvement or retaining structures will be adopted if the 
corresponding zone has potential risk to the society.

Landside

Retaining walls

Liquefaction Installing wick drains
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

 Hydraulic engineering (水利工程)

• Hydraulic engineering is an area of 
civil engineering concerned with the 
flow and conveyance of fluids,  Dams
principally water and sewage. 

• This area of civil engineering is usually 
related to the design and construction
of hydraulic structures,
e.g. dams, channels, canals, levees, 
etc.
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Hydraulic engineering (cont’d)

Levees

Canals
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Hydraulic engineering (cont’d)
• Hydraulic engineering also involves the planning, development and 
management of water resources and discharge systems,
e.g. water distribution networks, water collection networks, sewage 
collection networks, storm water management, etc.

Storm sewer systems Water distribution networks
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

 Environmental engineering (環境工程)

• Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering 
principles to improve the natural environment and to minimise the impacts 
on the environment.

EA

Air Water

Noise Waste
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Environmental engineering (cont’d)

• Air quality monitoring
Air • Air pollution control
• Ozone layer protection

Air pollution 
Air quality monitoring stations in  monitoring
Hong Kong
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Environmental engineering (cont’d)

• Solid waste management
Waste
• Methods of disposal (e.g. landfills and incineration)
• Site investigation and remediation

Landfills

Incineration
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Environmental engineering (cont’d)

• Water treatment
Water • Wastewater treatment
• Water quality monitoring
• Wastewater recycling
• Groundwater quality control

Wastewater management Sewage treatment Wastewater recycling

Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Environmental engineering (cont’d)

• Noise monitoring
Noise
• Noise mitigation measures

Traffic and 
Noise 
construction 
barriers
noise
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Environmental engineering (cont’d)
• Environmental engineers use a systemic identification and evaluation 
process to assess the potential impacts of a proposed project upon the 
physical, chemical, biological, cultural, and socioeconomic components on 
environmental conditions.
 in Hong Kong, since 1998 environmental impact assessment (EIA) has 
been regulated by the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance 
1997.

• Mitigation measures have to be developed to limit or prevent such 
impacts when impacts are expected.
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

 Transportation engineering (交通運輸工程)

• Transportation engineering is concerned with moving 
people and goods efficiently, safely, and in a 
environmentally sustainable ways.

• This involves planning, design, construction, operation 
and maintenance of the infrastructure associated with 
vehicles, driver/passengers and rights of way,
e.g. facilities support air, highway, railroad, pipeline, 
water, etc.

• The transportation engineers design systems for controlling traffic to ensure 
effective and safe use of the road systems and strive to reduce the impacts 
of roads and traffic on the environment.
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Transportation engineering (cont’d)
Highway systems Railway systems
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Transportation engineering (cont’d)
Bicycle paths
Piers

Airports
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

 Materials engineering (材料工程)

• The role of materials engineers spans 
almost all of engineering disciplines, 
because engineers have to use materials in 
their designs.

• A materials engineer's job is highly varied:  Asphalt 
pavement
• choosing suitable materials to re‐surface 
a road on one day
• designing a concrete mix for a large 
building Damaged 
• developing strengthening techniques for  column
damaged structures / structural members
• etc.
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Materials engineering (cont’d)

• Materials engineering is primarily concerned with the development of 
new or improved materials for constructing structures by changing the 
material microscopic structures.

Fly ash  Engineered cement 
concrete composite

Artificial stone
Polypropylene fiber  Cellular 
reinforced concrete concrete
Structural Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Materials Construction

Materials engineering (cont’d)

• Materials engineers are also involved in design of materials and methods 
to repair existing structures that may be damaged.

Retrofitting using 
damper

Slab retrofitting using steel 
FRP retrofit system
plate and carbon FRP
Structural Materials Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Construction

 Construction engineering (施工工程)

• Construction engineering involves planning and execution of the designs 
from the other fields of engineers, such as transportation, hydraulic, 
environmental, structural and geotechnical.
• Civil engineering projects also requires knowledge of management 
principles and business procedures, economics, and human behaviour, 
etc.
• Construction engineers have to plan, manage 
and supervise construction jobs as well as 
bring a consensus among other engineers and 
workers in the field. 
• They need to team up with engineers in 
the other civil engineering specialisations.
• Construction engineers need to have 
strong communication skill.
Structural Materials Geotechnical Hydraulic Environmental Transportation Construction

Construction engineering (cont’d)

 Construction engineers also involve in
• Drafting and reviewing contracts 
• Cost estimating and budgeting
• Planning and scheduling
• Designing temporary structures 
• Building and site layout surveying
• Evaluating logistical operations Temporary structures
• Materials procurement
• On‐site material testing
• Quality assurance and quality control
• Safety engineering
• Etc.

On‐site material tests
 Prospects of civil engineers

 What can I do with my civil engineering degree ?
A civil engineering degree prepares you for work
• in the construction industry, and
• in the broader business, management and financial sectors.

 Civil engineers are always in demand, both in the planning, design and 
construction phases of new infrastructure development, as well as in their 
monitoring and maintenance. 
Prospects of civil engineers (cont’d)

 Job option:  Jobs directly related to your degree include
• Consulting civil / structural / geotechnical engineer
• Consulting environmental engineer
• Contracting civil engineer

 Jobs where your degree would be useful include
• Building services engineer
• Engineering geologist
• Environmental consultant
• Quantity surveyor
Prospects of civil engineers (cont’d)
 Job opportunities for civil engineers in Hong Kong include:
• The Government (Civil Servants)

Buildings Department
The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

?? Department
The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Prospects of civil engineers (cont’d)
 Time for quiz:
Q:  Which HK government department is responsible for design and 
operation of landfills?

1. 6.

2. 7.

3. 8.

4. 9.

5. 10.
Prospects of civil engineers (cont’d)
 Job opportunities for civil engineers in Hong Kong include:
• The government
Housing Department
Buildings Department The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Highways Department
Civil Engineering and Development Department The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Drainage Services Department Transport Department

The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Environmental Protection Department Planning Department

The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Architectural Services Department Water Supplies Department

The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Prospects of civil engineers (cont’d)

• Engineering consulting firms

etc.
Prospects of civil engineers (cont’d)
• Contractors / Construction companies

China State Construction

etc.
1.  Civil Engineering and 
Society

THE END