ES111 CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION

PRELIM

LESSON 2: FUNCTIONS OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Define the basics of Civil Engineering
2. Understands the Civil Engineering in daily life

I. INTRODUCTION

ARCHITECTURE – refers to the art or science of designing and building structures, especially
habitable structures, in accordance with principles determined by aesthetic and practical or material
considerations. It gives beauty to buildings, enhance the appearance of the structure and maintain the
heritage of the building.

CIVIL ENGINEERING – 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 cross.

It is a technology that includes numerous other disciplines that produce useful facilities for
the human beings, including roads, dams, waste disposal and other facilities that are used in daily
life.

One of the primary concerns of civil engineering is public safety and health. A value is also
placed on building structures that are functional, efficient and also aesthetically pleasing. Structural
soundness, conformity with local codes and functionality are all issues which are faced in the discipline.

What is Civil Engineer?

They are problem-solvers, meeting the ever-changing challenges of culture, community, and the
environment. They work to solve problems in human needs areas for living and working.

Civil engineers have one of the worlds most impt jobs, they build our quality of llife. With creativity and
tech. skill, civil engineers plan, design, construct and operate the facilities essential to modern life,
ranging from buildings, roads, bridges, canals, dams, water supply and treatment systems
II. BRANCHES OF CIVIL ENGINEERING:

1. Structural Engineering – deals with the requirements considering design for limit states of collapse
and serviceability. It also deals with planning of positions/layout of different elements and design
(determination of size, shape and material) of components such that safety and serviceability are not
sacrificed, yet economy is considered.

2. Construction - deals with the planning, construction and maintenance of structures. Construction
engineering is the planning and execution of designs from site development, environmental, structural,
transportation and structural engineers. They must ensure that the plans that have been designed by other
engineers are implemented to their exact specifications. Construction engineers will supervise field work
during the entire project. They are in a sense a cross between an engineer and manager as they will
oversee the project from start to finish and handle any problems that come up throughout the duration of
the project

3. Geotechnical Engineering – deals on the investigation of soil and decide on the safe load (soil
bearing capacity) that can be spread on the soil. It also involves various studies required for the
design of pavements, tunnels, earthen dam, canals and earth retaining structures.

4. Urban/ town/ municipal – it involves proper town planning where structure should aesthetically
good. These engineers will work with urban or city governments on the planning and management of the
township. Most of these engineers work directly with government officials to ensure that the structures
within the municipality are properly designed and implemented.

5. Environmental Engineering – deals with the technology to save nature from human and natural
abuse and pollution. It deals with: a.) technique of water collection, purification and supply; b.) waste
water collection, treatment and disposal; c.) control of all types of pollution

6. Transportation Engineering – it involves planning, design, construction/ operation and

maintenance of transportation facility. It applies scientific approach (planning, design, operation and
management) of transportation systems such as roads, railway, sea/ river and air transports.

7. Surveying – involved in collection of topographic features of a location for future construction. Is

a technique of determining the three dimensional positions of points, including the distances and
angles between these points that are normally located on the surface of the earth, but may also be
located above or beneath the surface.

8. Hydraulics/ Water Resource and Irrigation Engineering – deals with identification and utilization
of available water resources minimizing the loss. Surface water such as rives
and lake water and ground water are usefully managed. It also deals with ground water utilization,
ground water recharge and rain water harvesting.

9. Tunnel - Civil engineers who specialize in tunnel engineering are responsible for the planning,
designing, construction, safety and maintenance of tunnels. There are specifications that must be adhered
to when working with tunnels for roadways, waterways or trains.

10. Earthquake – study on the seismic forces and earthquake resistant structures. In regions that are
known for seismic activities, engineers must design and construct structures based on how well they will
react within an earthquake situation.

11. Material – it deals with the study of material strength, properties of materials used in construction and
ceramics. These engineers will determine the best possible materials to be used for a project based on that
project’s specifications.

12. Coastal – it deals with coastal and marine structures. These structures include groynes and
embankments. These engineers not only ensure that the structures being erected correctly but they are also
concerned with not disturbing the coastal regions.

III. CIVIL ENGINEERING IN DAILY LIFE

It has significant role in the life of every human being. The function of civil engineering commences
with the start of the day when we take a shower since the water is delivered through a water supply
system including a well-designed network of pipes, water treatment plant and other numerous
associated services. The network of roads on which we drive while going to school/ work, the huge
structural bridges we come across and the tall buildings where we work, all have been designed and
constructed by civil engineers. In fact, no sphere of life may be identified that does not include the
contribution of civil engineering.

IV. CIVIL ENGINEERING FUNCTIONS

1. Performed before construction

a. Feasibility studies – extensive study of the objective and preliminary studies of possible
plans leading to a recommended scheme.
b. Site investigations – a part of the feasibility study and more extensive investigation of soil
mechanics
c. Design – require the application of design theory from many fields – hydraulics,
thermodynamics, or nuclear physics.

2. Performed during construction

a. Dealing with clients
b. Consulting engineers
 c. Consulting contractors

3. Performed after construction

a. Maintenance – extends to ancillary and temporary works where these form part of the
overall construction.
b. Research – undertaken by government agencies, industrial foundations, universities and
institutions

V. TO DO:

Assignment No. 3
Prepare in short coupon bond. Write your name, year and section (upper left part), date (upper right)
and title (ASSIGNMENT NO. 1 at middle Top)
1. Take a photo of yourself showing a background that can be associated in Civil Engineering
2. Write a short description and explain how Civil Engineering is associated to the background. (It
must be handwritten)

Assignment No. 4
Prepare in short coupon bond. Write your name, year and section (upper left part), date (upper right)
and title (ASSIGNMENT NO. 2 at middle Top)

1. Prepare a table, write the different branches of Civil Engineering and check the best that describe
your answer. It should be hand written.

2. And make a write-up about the top 3 choices you like the most. (Hand written)