BASIC CIVIL ENGINEERING

CVE 301
ENGR. VICTOR B. ADEBAYO Msc, Reng
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
 COURSE MODULES/SYNOPSIS
 Introduction: The meaning of Civil Engineering. Civil engineering and its various
specialties.
 Site investigation, objective of site investigation, classification of rocks and soils,
site organization, geophysical survey and techniques.
 Contractor’s plant: Management plant, concreting plant, pile driver plant, crane
and hoist, compressed air plant, bituminous mixing plant, pumps and dewatering
equipment.
 Earthworks, general considerations and planning, site consideration, ground
conditions, excavation; bulk, rock, trench and embankment. Ground water control
and methods.
 Roadwork, Bridges, Subways and Airfield construction.
 Tunneling and underpinning, piling, diaphragm and retailing wall systems, vibro-
replacement and vibro-compaction.
 Marine works; Cofferdams, Caissons, under water foundation construction, sea
walls, docks, jetties, dredging and reclamation.
 Revision and preparation for Examination.
INTRODUCTION TO CIVIL ENGINEERING
 Civil Engineering is the oldest branch of engineering
which is growing right from the stone-age civilization.
American Society of Civil Engineering defines civil
engineering as the profession in which knowledge of the
mathematical and physical sciences gained by study,
experience and practice is applied with judgment to
develop ways to utilize economically the materials and
forces of the nature for the progressive well-being of man.
CIVIL ENGINEERING INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECTS
 The world has realized that a government should
not involve itself in production and distribution but
develop infrastructure to create an atmosphere for
economic development. Civil Engineering
activities in the infrastructure development are as
under:
 1. A good planning of towns and
extension areas in the cities is required.
Each extension area should be self-
sufficient in accommodating offices,
educational institutions, markets,
hospitals, recreational facility and
residential accommodations
 2. Fast rate of urbanization and increase in the cost of land
has forced civil engineers to go for vertical growth in
cities. In metropolitan cities, 25 storey buildings have
become common.
 Even in small towns multi-storey buildings have become
necessity. These requirements have brought in new
building technologies and sophisticated analysis methods.
Civil Engineers have to solve the problems of rural areas
and poor people also. Low cost housing is the need of the
day to make poor people afford their own houses.
3. Water is an important need for all living beings. Civil engineers have to exploit
various water resources and ensure water supply to urban areas throughout the year.
Rural areas need water for agriculture also. Hence civil engineers have to build dams
and tanks and bring water to houses through pipes, and to fields through canals and
distributories.
4. Another important amenity that public require is good roads. Design of appropriate
base course thickness, finishing surfaces, cross drainage, design of horizontal and
vertical curves are the duties of civil engineers. Proper design of intersection of roads
is necessary.
Construction of culverts, bridges and tunnels became part of road works. Railway is an
important long distance facility. Construction of railway lines and railway station is an
important infrastructure activity.
Globalization has resulted in need for building airports and harbours also.
5. Other important infrastructural activities of civil engineering are controlling air
pollution, noise pollution and land pollution.
 ROLE OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
 A civil engineer has to conceive, plan, estimate, get
approval, create and maintain all civil engineering
infrastructure activities. Civil engineer has a very
important role in the development of the following
infrastructures:
 1. Measure and map the earth’s surface.
 2. Plan and develop extensions of towns and cities.
 3. Build the suitable structures for the rural and urban
areas for various utilities.
 4. Build the tanks and dams to exploit water resources.
 5. Build river navigation and flood control projects.
 ROLE OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
 6. Build canals and distributaries to take water to agricultural fields.
 7. Purify and supply water to needy areas like houses, schools,
offices etc.
 8. Provide and maintain communication systems like roads,
railways, harbours and airports.
 9. Devise systems for control and efficient flow of traffic.
 10. Provide, build and maintain drainage and waste water disposal
system.
 11. Monitor land, water and air pollution, and take measures to
control them. Fast growing industrialization has put heavy
responsibilities on civil engineers to preserve and protect
environment.
 BASIC AREAS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

 Civil engineering is a very vast field. It can be classified

into:
 Surveying
 Construction engineering
 Structural engineering
 Earthquake engineering
 Geotechnical and foundation engineering
 Quantity surveying
 Fluid mechanics
 BASIC AREAS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

 Irrigation engineering
 Transportation engineering
 Environmental engineering
 Town planning
 Infrastructural development
 Project management
 Remote sensing
IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

 Infrastructure facility includes suitable electricity supply. Internet and telephones

are also desirable features.
 Educational facility also forms part of infrastructure. The proximity of good
primary and secondary schools to residential areas is desirable. Collegiate and
professional education also form part of infrastructure of a city. Good health care
is a necessity. Good primary health centres, specialized hospitals and clinical
facilities add to the infrastructure facilities.
 If a city/town has good infrastructure, it satisfies a citizen and he contributes to
the development activity of the nation well. Many private entrepreneurs start
industries and other economical activities. Employment opportunities increase
and there is all round development.
 Hence there is need for civil engineers to interact with the following people and
plan the civil engineering infrastructure facilities.
IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY
APPROACH
 Architects and town planners.
 Electrical engineers.
 Electronic engineers.
 Mechanical and automobile engineers.
 Doctors and health care officers.
 Educationalists.
 Municipal officers.
 Thus civil engineers should understand importance
of an interdisciplinary approach in their planning
and construction activities so that there is no
complaints from any corner of the society.
 It should be noted that correcting mistakes is
always costly and time consuming. A little bit extra
care will avoid such mistakes.
 QUIZ (3MINS)
 What is Civil Engineering? Discuss various civil
engineering infrastructures required.
 Write short notes on:
 (i) Role of Civil Engineers.
 (ii) Importance of interdisciplinary approach in the
development of infrastructures.
 SURVEYING
 Surveying is the science of map making. To start any
development activity, the relative positions
 of various objects in the area with respect to horizontal
and vertical axes through a reference point
 is required. This is achieved by surveying the area. Earlier,
the conventional instruments like
 chain, tape and levelling instruments were used. In this
electronic era, modern electronic equipment
 like electronic distance meters (EDM) and total stations
are used, to get more accurate results easily.