Introduction to Civil Engineering

2. What is Engineering
The word engineer originates from the
Latin term ingenerare, meaning to
invent, to create or to regulate
It is the professional art of applying scientific principles
to every day things to help make life easier

3. Engineer vs. Scientist
 Deviations between engineers and scientists
arise through the differences in the ways both
apply their educations in mathematical and
natural sciences to their work
Scientists Engineers
Use their education to acquire
new knowledge
Use their education to develop
usable devices, structures and
processes
Seek to know Aim to do

4. What is a Civil Engineer?
 One who improves the quality of life through the
production of infrastructure
 Buildings, bridges and other structures
 Highways
 Dams and levees
 Water treatment plants, waste disposal
 This infrastructure must be safe, functional, elegant
and economically sound

5. Why We Need Civil Engineers
 Make sure our human habitat is livable
 Make sure we use resources wisely
 Sustainable development
 Help maintain our competitiveness in the global
economy
 Increase productivity

6.  Construction Engineering
 Structural Engineering
 Geotechnical Engineering
 Transportation Engineering
 Environmental Engineering
 Water Resources Engineering
Specialization in Civil Engineering

7. Structural Engineering
Design of new structures
Upgrading existing structures
Intelligent use of new technologies and
materials to control structural behavior
Structures include buildings, bridges,
offshore platforms, transmission towers, and
other specialized facilities

8. Dubai Towers
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

9. Burg al Arab
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
A self proclaimed 7-star hotel

10. Nebraska State Capital
Lincoln, Nebraska

11. Construction EngineeringConcepts and designs become reality
Management skills
project cost estimating and scheduling
financial planning, labor coordination and
supervision

12. Eiffel Tower
Paris, France

14. Dubai’s expansion from
1991 to 2005

15. Geotechnical Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering is concerned with
engineering behavior of earth materials
• Geotechnical engineers:
• Investigate existing subsurface conditions (tunnels
excavations, pipelines)
• Determine physical and chemical properties
relevant to project considered
• Assess risks posed by site conditions
• Design earthworks and structural foundations
• Monitor earthwork and foundation construction

17. The World Islands
A modern marvel of geotechnical engineering!

18. The World Islands Fun Facts
•Located 2.5 miles off the coast of
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
•The 300 islands are composed of 321 million cubic meters
of sand and 31 million tons of rock
•The land used to create the islands largely consists of
sand dredged from Dubai’s shallow coastal waters
•Overall development costs are estimated at $14 billion USD
•Cost for full ownership of one of the undeveloped islands
ranges between $10 million and $45 million USD

19. Transportation Engineering
Planning, Design, Operation and Maintenance of
safe and efficient transportation systems
Incorporating new technologies to improve system
performance
Intelligent Transportation Systems

24. Environmental Engineering
Protect & improve environmental quality
 natural systems
 engineered systems
Protect human health & well-being
 provide safe drinking water
 waste water treatment systems
 hazardous waste site clean-ups

25. Environmental engineers
turn disease into delicacy!

26. 1956
1936
2010

27. BP Oil Spill Cleanup

28. Water Resources Engineering
Physical control of water
public water supply
flood control
irrigation, navigation etc.
Computer modeling of water flow
Performance requirements for lock and dam
structures

29. Hoover Dam
Clark County Nevada
Mohave County, Arizona

30. Panama Canal
Isthmus of Panama

31.  Lesson:
 Goals the same, techniques change
One last example …

32. Pretty Amazing!
A WATER BRIDGE .. OVER A RIVER!!!

33. Activity – Penny Boats
 Construct your boat using only one piece of the
heavy duty aluminum foil provided.
 Predict how many pennies your boat will hold:
_______________
 Slowly add pennies to your boat. Once water enters
the boat, or if any part of the boat touches the
bottom of the container, your turn is over.
 The last penny added will not count
in the total amount held.

34. ANY QUESTIONS?