CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION:

TOPIC NO. 01: UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND THE
PROFESSION
I. WHAT IS CIVIL ENGINEERING?
It is the science or profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences
gained by study and practice is applied with judgement to utilize natural and man -made resources and
forces in the planning, design, management, construction, and maintenance of buildings, structures,
facilities, and utilities in their totality, for the progressive well-being and for the benefit of mankind,
enhancing the environment, community living, industry, and transportation, taking into consideration
such aspects as functionality, efficiency, economy, safety, and environmental quality.
Source: NSCP Volume 1, 7’th Edition, 2015 Section 102
It involves the design, construction, and maintenance of works such as roads, bridges, and buildings.
It’s a science that includes a variety of disciplines including soils, structures, geology, and other fields.
Thus, the history of civil engineering is closely associated with the history of advancement in these
sciences. In ancient history, most of the construction was carried out by artisans, and technical
expertise was limited. Tasks were accomplished by the utilization of manual labor only, without the
use of sophisticated machinery, since it did not exist...

It might be appropriate to assume that the science of civil engineering truly commenced between
4000 and 2000 BC in Egypt when transportation gained such importance that it led to the development
of the wheel. According to the historians, the Pyramids were constructed in Egypt during 2800-2400
BC and may be considered as the first large structure construction ever. The Great Wall of China that
was constructed around 200 BC is considered another achievement of ancient civil engineering. The
Romans developed extensive structures in their empire, including aqueducts, bridges, and dams. A
scientific approach to the physical sciences concerning civil engineering was implemented by
Archimedes in the third century BC, by utilizing the Archimedes Principle concerning buoyancy and
the Archimedes screw for raising water.

As stated above, civil engineering is considered to be the first main discipline of engineering, and the
engineers were in fact military engineers with expertise in military and civil works. During the era of
battles or operations, the engineers were engaged to assist the soldiers fighting in the battlefield by
making catapults, towers, and other instruments used for fighting the enemy. However, during peace
time, they were concerned mainly with the civil activities such as building fortifications for defense,
making bridges, canals, etc.

2. WHEN WAS THE TERM “CIVIL ENGINEERING” FIRST USED?

In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined to incorporate all things civilian as
opposed to military engineering. The first engineering school, The National School of Bridges and
Highways, France, was opened in 1747. The first self-proclaimed civil engineer was John Smeaton
who constructed the Eddystone Lighthouse. In 1771, Smeaton and some of his colleagues formed the
Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession who met informally over
dinner. Though there wasevidence of some technical meetings, it was little more than a social society.

In 1818, world’s first engineering society, the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London,
and in 1820 the eminent engineer Thomas Telford became its first president. The institution received a
Royal Charter in 1828, formally recognizing civil engineering as a profession. Its charter defined civil
engineering as: “Civil engineering is the application of physical and scientific principles, and its history
is intricately linked to advances in understanding of physics and mathematics throughout history.
Because civil engineering is a wide-ranging profession, including several separate specialized sub-
disciplines, its history is linked to knowledge of structures, material science, geography, geology, soil,
hydrology, environment, mechanics and other fields.”
The first private college to teach Civil Engineering in the United States was Norwich University
founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge. The first degree in Civil Engineering in the United States
was awarded by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1835. The first such degree to be awarded to a
woman was granted by Cornell University to Nora Stanton Blatch in 1905.

3. CIVIL ENGINEERING IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) is the oldest engineering school
in the Philippines. It was established on May 18, 1907, as School of Civil Engineering with one
program offering leading to the degree of Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE). From
faculty records, it appears that it was only in 1912 when the earliest batch of students were conferred
their MSCE degrees. The institution was actually patterned after the University of Havana in Cuba and
was first set up at the second floor of the old UST building in Intramuros. Taking into consideration the
pioneering works of the teaching staff and students, the college got its first taste of prestige as the
government, under President Manuel L. Quezon gave her recognition on July 12, 1921.

TOPIC NO. 02: OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT SPECIALIZATIONS IN CIVIL

ENGINEERING

Civil Engineering can be mainly subdivided into six (6) branches or tracks of specialization. Namely:
1) Geotechnical Engineering
2) Structural Engineering
3) Construction And Project Management Engineering
4) Water Resources Engineering
5) Transportation Engineering
6) Environmental Engineering

1. GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING
It is the application of the principles of soil and rock mechanics in the investigation,evaluation and
design of civil works involving the use of earth materials and foundations and the inspection or testing
of the construction thereof.
The stability of the soil and rock on which a project is built as well as its chemical composition are
the main considerations of the Geotechnical Engineering specialty. Softer ground requires different
building methods than harder ground or rock, and geotechnical engineers can prevent foundations from
crumbling or damaging erosion occurring from runoff patterns on a building project’s land.

- Geotechnical Engineering 2 (Rock Mechanics)

- Foundation Engineering
- Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
- Ground Improvement

2. STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
It is a discipline of civil engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or
resist loads insuring the safety of the structures against natural forces.
Structural Engineers need to ensure that buildings or other structures can support their own weight as
well as the weight of those who will be using them. By calculating the load that a structure is likely to
encounter, structural engineers help to determine which building materials are used and how the
skeleton of the structure is assembled.
- Computer Softwares in Structural Analysis
- Earthquake Engineering
- Design of Steel Structures
- Reinforced Concrete Design
- Prestressed Concrete Design
- Structural Design of Towers and Other Vertical Structures
- Bridge Engineering
- Foundation and Retaining Wall Design

3. CONSTRUCTION AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT ENGINEERING

These civil engineers oversee a building project from start to finish, coordinating all the different
professionals involved in such a project, including architects, builders, electricians, plumbers, and
financiers. Much of construction management involves keeping risk to a minimum by focusing on
safety and compliance with local, state and federal building codes.
- Project Construction and Management
- Advanced Construction Methods and Equipment
- Construction Cost Engineering
- Database Management in Construction
- Construction Occupational Safety and Health (COSH)

4. WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING

It is a branch of civil engineering that deals with the planning, development, and management of
water resources. It involves the quantitative study of the hydrologic cycle, which is the distribution and
circulation of water on earth. It also covers the design and operations of systems and equipment that
help manage and preserve water, such as water treatment facilities, underground wells, and natural
springs.
Having safe and adequate drinking water may be taken for granted in the industrialized nations of the
world, but developing and developed nations alike need Water Resources Engineers to build the
infrastructure that provides clean water to those who depend on it for their survival.
- Flood Control and Drainage Design - Irrigation Engineering
- Water Supply Planning and Development - Coastal Engineering
- River Engineering
- Ground Water Flow Modeling

5. TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
It is a branch of civil engineering that is involved in the planning, design, operation, and maintenance
of safe and efficient transportation systems.
Transportation Engineers build systems like roadways, railways, subways, waterways, and roads &
bridges that are used by people in traveling to work, home, or on vacation, among other destinations.
Safety and capacity are major considerations of transportation engineers - it doesn’t do much good to
build transportation systems that aren’t safe or can’t meet the transportation needs of those who are
intended to use them.
- Transportation Systems Planning and Design
- Highway Engineering
- Airport Design
- Ports and Harbors
 6. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
It is a branch of civil engineering that uses scientific and engineering principles to improve the
quality of the environment and protect public health. It involves the development of processes and
infrastructures for the supply of water, the disposal of waste, and the control of pollution of all kinds. It
also aims to reduce the negative impact of industrial activities on the environment and to reverse the
current damage.
This specialty focuses specifically on creating projects that sustain or improve the environment in
which they exist. Many advances have been made in sustainability in recent years, including the use of
alternative energy sources like solar, wind or water, better insulation to reduce energy usage, and
plumbing fixtures that use less water, among other methods. Environmental Engineers may also
position buildings in more sustainable ways to take advantage of natural lighting or solar energy
collection, for example.

**Surveying or Survey Engineering has been named Geodetic Engineering and is another profession
in itself.
There are several other branches of civil engineering as well, but they can be considered under the
six mentioned previously.

Benguet State University College of Engineering is currently offering the following specializations:
1. Construction and Project Management Engineering
2. Geotechnical Engineering
3. Structural Engineering
So, when you graduate, your track of professional course including your specialization shall appear
in your Transcript of Record and Diploma. For example “Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
(Geotechnical Engineering)”.

TOPIC NO. 03:UNDERSTANDING THE CODES AND CAREERS FOR CIVIL

ENGINEERS

-June 16, 1990 earthquake that hits Baguio City

Question: With the above pictures of collapsed buildings, is the designing Civil Engineer at fault?
The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers or PICE is a professional organization for civil
engineers in the Philippines. It was formed by merging two separate organizations of civil engineers:
one group working from government sector and the second group working in the private sector. It was
established on 1937 provided Civil Engineers with values and canons to live by as professionals.
Architects and Civil Engineers have been in constant conflict as well with regards to professionalism
with one profession accusing the other of working outside their areas of competency and overstepping
boundaries of profession. Due to this the Civil Engineering Law RA 544 and architecture law RA 545
has been put to work.

PICE Fundamental Principles:

Civil engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the civil engineering
profession by:
1. Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare and the environment;
2. Being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity the public, their employers/employees and
clients;
3. Striving to increase the competence and prestige of the civil engineering profession; and
4. Supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.
 PICE Fundamental Canons:

1. Civil Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to
comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their duties.
2. Civil Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Civil Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Civil Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or
trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
5. Civil Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not
compete unfairly with others.
6. Civil Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and
dignity of the civil engineering profession.
7. Civil Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers, and shall
provide opportunities for the professional development of those civil engineers under their supervision.

RA 544 – “An Act to Regulate the Practice of Civil Engineering in the Philippines”

• The practice of civil engineering within the meaning and intent of this Act shall embrace services in
the form of consultation, design, preparation of plans, specifications, estimates, erection, installation
and supervision of the construction of streets, bridges, highways, railroads, airports and hangars, port
works, canals, river and shore improvements, lighthouses, and dry docks; buildings, fixed structures for
irrigation, flood protection, drainage, water supply and sewerage works; demolition of permanent
structures; and tunnels. The enumeration of any work in this section shall not be construed as excluding
any other work requiring civil engineering knowledge and application.
• The term “civil engineer” as used in this act shall mean a person duly registered with the Board for
Civil Engineers in the manner as hereinafter provided.

RA 545 – “An Act to Regulate the Practice of Architecture in the Philippines”

• The practice of architecture is hereby defined to be: The act of planning, architectural and structural
designing, specifying, supervising, and giving general administration and responsible direction to the
erection, enlargement or alterations of buildings and architectural design of engineering structures or
any part thereof, the scientific, aesthetic and orderly coordination of all the processes which enter into
the production of a complete building or structure performed through the medium of unbiased
preliminary studies of plans, consultations, specifications, conferences, evaluations, investigations,
contract documents and oral advice and directions regardless of whether the persons engaged in such
practice are residents of the Philippines or have their principal office or place of business in this or
another country, and regardless of whether such persons are performing one or all of these duties, or
whether such duties are performed in person or as the directing head of an office or organization
performing them.

Question: With the above pictures of collapsed buildings, is the designing Civil Engineer at fault?
• **: As professional Civil Engineers, we are not to throw dirt on other professionals without
the authority and proper investigation. Civil Engineers shall not compete unfairly with others. A
professional civil engineer should observe proper professional etiquettes.
 TOPIC NO. 04:
Introduction to Structural Engineering as Specialization in Civil Engineering
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING:
• A discipline of civil engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or
resist loads ensuring the safety of the structures against natural forces.
• They focus on the framework of structures, and on designing those structures to withstand the
stresses and pressures of their environment and remain safe, stable and secure throughout their use.

ASEP:
• Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (ASEP)
• Is the recognized organization of Structural Engineers of the Philippines affiliated with the Philippine
Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE).
• Established in September 30, 1961
• Known for its publications like the different volumes of the National Structural Code of the
Philippines (NSCP), the National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP), and the ASEP Steel
Handbook.
NSCP:
• National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP)
• This is the list of reference codes/regulations that we as Civil Engineers in the Philippines live by.
• This is basically our Bible. It contains all the information we would need in order to design
structures.
STRUCTURAL MEMBERS:
We as Civil Engineers are directly responsible for a structure’s framework. It is considered the
skeleton of a building. The skeleton itself is composed of different members each with a different
function but together serves as single functioning unit. Concrete frame structures are the most
common type of modern building. It usually consists of a frame or a skeleton of concrete. Horizontal
members are beams and vertical ones are the columns.
1. SLABS
• These are the plate element and carry the loads primarily by flexure. They usually carry vertical
loads. If used as a floor, they are used mainly to support the activities in the given floor and transfer
their loadings to the beam that support them. Under the action of horizontal loads, due to a large
moment of inertia, they can carry quite large wind and earthquake forces, and then transfer them to
the beam.
2. BEAMS
• These carry the loads from slabs and also the direct loads as masonry walls and their self-weights.
The beams may be supported on the other beams or may be supported by columns forming an
integral part of the frame. These are primarily the flexural members.
3. COLUMNS
• These are the vertical members carrying loads from the beams, slabs, and from upper columns. They
mainly experience compression loadings; thus, they are compression members. They may also
experience bending moment because of the beams they support. They transfer their loadings to the
foundation below them. The loads carried may be axial or eccentric. Columns are the most important
when compared with beams and slabs. This is because, if one beam fails, it‘ll be a local failure of one
 floor but if one column fails, it can lead to the collapse of the whole structure. That’s why in the
actual practice, we design structures with strong columns and weak beams.
4. FOUNDATION / FOOTING
• Footings are important as they are the final members to transfer the loadings to the ground. They
receive their loads from the columns and walls that they support. These are the load transmitting
members.
• According to the NSCP 2015 vol I, 414.3.2.1, Footing thickness shall be at least 200mm.
5. SHEAR WALL
These are important structural elements in high-rise buildings. Shear walls are actually very large
columns because of which they appear like walls rather than columns. These take care of the
horizontal loads like wind and earthquake loads. Shear walls also carry the vertical loads. It’s an
important point to understand that they only work for horizontal loads in one direction, which is the
axis of long dimension of wall.
6. ELEVATOR SHAFT
These are the vertical concrete boxes in which the elevators are provided to move up and down. The
elevator is actually contained in its own concrete box. These shafts act as very good structural
elements which help in resisting horizontal loads and also carry vertical loads.
7. TRUSS
A truss is an assembly of beams or other elements that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a
truss is a structure that "consists of two force members only, where the members are organized so
that the assemblage as a whole behaves as a single object". A "two-force member" is a structural
component where force is applied to only two points.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF LOADS:
Loads are forces or other actions that result from the weight of all building materials, occupants and
their possessions, environmental effects, differential movements, and restrained dimensional
changes. Permanent loads are those loads in which variations over time are rare or of small
magnitude. All other loads are variable loads.
1. DEAD LOAD
Dead Loads consist of the weight of all materials of construction incorporated into the building or
other structure, including but not limited walls, floor, roofs, ceilings, stairways, built-in partitions,
finishes, cladding and other similarly incorporated architectural and structural items, and fixed
service equipment, including the weight of cranes.
2. LIVE LOAD
Live Loads are those loads produced by the use and occupancy of the building or other structure and
do not include dead load, construction load, or environmental loads. They are either movable or
moving loads without any acceleration or impact. These loads are assumed to be produced by the
intended use or occupancy of the building including weights of movable partitions or furniture etc...
3. WIND LOAD
Wind load is primarily horizontal load caused by the movement of air relative to earth. Wind load is
required to be considered in structural design especially when the heath of the building exceeds two
times the dimensions transverse to the exposed wind surface.
4. EARTHQUAKE LOAD
Earthquake forces constitute to both vertical and horizontal forces on the building. The total vibration
caused by earthquake may be resolved into three mutually perpendicular directions, usually taken as
vertical and two horizontal directions.
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