What is Civil Engineering?
Civil engineering is all around us, the buildings, roads, waterways, bridges, etc. In short it can be called Civilization Engineering.
Civil engineering deals with the selection of materials for use in construction, involving estimation, planning, design and execution of major construction projects. Increasingly it also deals with maintenance and repair as well.
Today’s CEs typically work for engineering consultants, contractors, and the public sector. Consultants design and plan projects and study their effect on the environment. Contractors manage construction work onsite and develop construction processes and techniques.
The public sector determines the need for projects like roads, bridges, dams, waterworks and power plants. Then they get them built and oversee their management and maintenance.
One great satisfaction of being a civil engineer is working on high-profile projects that affect and hopefully improve the environment for thousands of people.“Civil engineers work on projects for the benefit of the public,” says an eminent civil engineer. “It can be the design of a school or shopping center, a water-supply project, a highway or bridge or power station – the beneficiary is the public. And a fundamental requirement in any product coming from an engineer not only civil is safety.”
Civil engineering is a people-serving profession. Civil engineers design our roads and buildings, ensure that our water and air is clean, and plan our new towns and recreation areas. As the world's population grows and environmental concerns continue to rise, the demand for civil and environmental engineers will become greater than ever. For further information, please also see frequently asked questions on civil engineering.
Take an in-depth view of various disciplines of Civil Engineering.
