Chapter 1 What is

engineering?
Presentation prepared by
Dr Simon Iveson
University of Newcastle

2009 John Wiley and Sons Australia

Learning objectives
Describe the roles of an engineer
Identify the major engineering disciplines
List the core skills and attributes of an
engineer
Identify some fundamentals of
engineering science
Explain how engineering has impacted
society
Explain the need for professionalism and
ethics in engineering
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What is engineering?
Engineering can be described in many
ways e.g.
The difference between engineering
and science is that engineering has to
work.
A scientist is like a triangle they start
with a broad base and become very
knowledgeable about a specific area.
Engineers are more like a box you
throw in elements of management,
social awareness, looking at costs
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What is the role of an engineer?

Historical perspective
Historically, engineers relied on
precedent, rules of thumb and
experimentation engineering was as
much an art as it was a science.
During the 1900s, significant discoveries
in mathematics and physics have
enabled engineering to become based on
the application of fundamental principles
engineering science.
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What is the role of an engineer?

Contemporary perspective
Modern engineers operate in a variety of
roles:
e.g. technical specialists, integrators,
change agents, project managers,
asset managers.
Engineers are found everywhere:
e.g. factory floor, laboratory, sales and
management.
Key Point: Engineers requires more than
just technical competence. They need a
wide range of skills.
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Engineer roles in the future

Engineering disciplines
There are over 100 fields of engineering
recognised by Engineers Australia, which
can be divided into 12 general areas.
Knowing what each discipline does will
help you to settle on the right
specialisation for you.
We will now briefly examine seven of the
major disciplines.
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Electrical, electronics and

telecommunications engineering
Electrical engineering covers the
creation, transmission and use of
electrical energy in homes, the
community and industry.
Electronics and telecommunications
engineers design devices that use small
amounts of electrical energy to analyse,
transmit and store information.
There are many specialisations, including
software engineering and mechatronics.
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Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineers specialise in the
design, optimisation, trial, creation and
maintenance of mechanical systems and
processes; and systems and processes
that deal with heat e.g. engines, turbines,
refrigeration, air-conditioning, robots,
manufacturing.
They understand the flow of fluids and
the forces on moving objects.
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Aerospace and aviation

engineering
Aerospace engineers design, construct
and operate aircraft, aerospace vehicles
and propulsion systems for planes, jets,
helicopters, gliders, missiles and
spacecraft.
Some become involved in safety
certification of aircraft, or investigation of
faults and failures.
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Chemical engineering
Chemical Engineers design and manage
technology and processes for large-scale
conversion of raw materials into useful
products. These include food, petrol,
plastics, paints, cosmetics,
pharmaceuticals, paper, ceramics,
minerals and more.
Some specialise in water treatment or
clean-up of contaminated sites.
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Civil engineering
Civil engineers mainly focus on the
physical structure of the urban
environment e.g. roads, bridges, dams,
playing fields, skyscrapers and sports
stadiums.
They rely heavily on statics,
geomechanics and fluid dynamics.
Many become involved in organisational
roles, including policy-making and
consultation.
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Environmental engineering
Environmental engineers are responsible
for protecting the environment by
assessing the impact a technological
project or process will have on the air,
water, soil and noise levels in the vicinity.
This requires investigation and analysis
to identify and predict what problems
may be caused by accidents, spillages,
etc.
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Mining engineering
Mining engineers work with geologists to
investigate and carry out the extraction of
ore bodies and mineral deposits.
They are responsible for planning the
safest and most cost-effective ways to
remove minerals from the ground, rivers
or sea bed, and for supervising existing
mining operations.
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Other engineering disciplines

Besides the ones we have looked at
above, some of the other major
engineering disciplines include areas
such as Biomedical, Building Services,
Management and Naval Architecture.
Many specialisations lie at the
intersection of different engineering fields
or other disciplines.
e.g. mechanical + electrical =
mechatronic.
e.g. mechanical + electrical + human
movement studies = biomechanical
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Class exercise The engineering

behind brushing your teeth
Working together with the person next
to you, identify what fields of
engineering are involved in brushing
your teeth.

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Class exercise The engineering

behind brushing your teeth

Engineering salaries
Engineering graduates can expect to earn
around
A$58,000 per annum.
Some disciplines pay better than others.
Mining engineers usually earn the most,
but they are often required to work and
live in remote areas.
Other considerations may also be
important in choosing the best discipline
for you, such as intellectual challenge
and the opportunity to make a difference
in a problem that you care about.
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Commencing salaries

Women in engineering
Currently around 16% of students and
11% of practicing engineers in Australia
are women. However, the proportion in
some fields is considerably higher.
There are certainly plenty of
opportunities for women engineers, as
employers are often looking to balance
their workforce to better reflect the
concerns of the wider community.
Several programs are in place to attract
and retain more women in engineering
degrees.
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The engineering profession

Engineers Australia (EA) and Institution of
Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) are
professional bodies that accredit
universities to teach engineering
degrees.
Holding a degree from an accredited
institution enables graduates to practice
as engineers in countries that are
signatories to the Washington Accord
without having to undertake further
training.
EA and IPENZ specify a range of technical
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Skills and attributes of an

engineer
Engineers obviously need certain
technical abilities to be able to perform
their roles.
Modern engineers also require a wide
range of additional non-technical skills
such as:
Creativity
Being able to work in teams
Ability to clearly communicate complex
ideas
Business acumen
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Engineering science
(technical skills)
There is a certain body of technical knowhow that forms an engineers foundation
for coming up with innovative solutions to
engineering problems.
Conservation of energy: energy flow
and conversion
Statics: how forces affect solid objects
Dynamics: what happens when objects
move
Fluid dynamics: the behaviour of gases
and liquids
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Example: Fluid mechanics

An understanding of fluid mechanics
enables:
aerospace engineers to predict lift and
drag on wings,
chemical engineers to optimise heating
and mixing conditions in tanks,
civil engineers to predict wind forces on
buildings,
environmental engineers to predict flow
of contaminants in ground water or the
atmosphere, and
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Engineers and society

Advances in engineering practice have
shaped the historical development of
society and have influenced the rise and
fall of many civilisations.
Roman civil engineers built roads for the
rapid movement of troops and goods,
and aqueducts to supply clean water to
major cities.
The industrial revolution, which began in
the 1700s, resulted in a major population
shift to the cities and rapid economic
growth.
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Industrial revolution and mass

production

Engineers and society

Overcrowding in cities resulted in major
public health problems. Development of
water supply/sewerage systems greatly
reduced instances of typhoid and cholera.
The first half of the 20th century saw rapid
advancement in many fields, such as
aviation, mass production, electricity,
telecommunications.
The information revolution, and advances
in genetics and material science, have all
continued to fuel rapid changes in society
in the late 20th century.
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Engineers and national identity

Major engineering feats have also helped
to shape and build a sense of national
identity and pride.
e.g. Australias Sydney Harbour Bridge
(1932) and the Snowy Mountain Hydro
Scheme.
e.g. New Zealands Roxburgh Dam and
North Island Main Trunk Railway
(1908).
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Limitations and social

responsibility
Most engineers have the best intentions,
but even well-intentioned actions can have
negative outcomes.
e.g. built-in obsolescence has lead to
huge amounts of hard-to-recycle ewaste.
e.g. coal-fired power generation has
lead to a rise in CO2 levels and global
warming.
There is now a recognition of the
importance of sustainability, and
considering the full life-cycle of products
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Professionalism, certification
and
ethical practice
Engineers are trusted by the public to do
their job safely and to high standards.
The engineering profession is allowed to
self-accredit. This is done through
professional organisations like EA or
IPENZ, which have the responsibility for
checking and ensuring the quality of
training for the next generation of
engineers.
Once they judge you to be fully qualified,
you have the legal right to practice
independently.
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Becoming a certified practicing

engineer
Two stages:
1. First stage is to successfully complete
an undergraduate degree that is
accredited by EA.
2. Second stage occurs during your first
few years of work, when you need to
collect evidence to build a portfolio
proving your competence in the criteria
specified under EAs stage 2
competency framework (see
www.engineersaustralia.org.au).
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Engineers Australias path to

registration

Summary
The role of an engineer to creatively
transform nature to serve peoples needs.
The major engineering disciplines 12
broad areas divided into over 100
specialisations.
Attributes of an engineer core technical
skills, but also a range of non-technical
skills.
How engineering changes peoples lives
and influences national character.
The role of ethics and professionalism.
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