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It’s common among students of different engineering branches to fight out on which is the oldest known engineering branch or which is the most important one. Naturally, they often end up in a tie or agree (rarely) that every branch has its unique place and importance for humanity.
Well, leaving aside such discussions, let us know the age old Civil Engineering, its versatility, its utility in every day life and how it stands out in the crowd. While many engineering disciplines confine themselves to one broad subject like chemical, metallurgy, electrical etc., the Civil Engineering covers many seemingly unconnected and diverse subjects.
Every branch of engineering studies that does not fit in other branches or have some direct bearing on people and society, seemed to have been included in the Civil Engineering. Indeed, Civil Engineering is a mosaic of many disciplines. Besides, having many different subjects in its ambit, it touches many disciplines at the core many others on the periphery.
Building Construction: Most basic of the expertise of Civil Engineering; it covers myriad kinds of Building Materials, various Construction Practices, Construction Planning and Management.
Irrigation Engineering: It covers Hydrology, water requirements of crops, analysis and design of water storage structures and cross drainage works, distribution network like canal systems and other related ancillary topics. In its coverage of these topics it touches upon Meteorology / Climatology and Agriculture on the peripheries. Water Resources Engineering is a term for irrigation engineering and allied topics put together.
Transportation Engineering: It covers Highway Engineering, Railway Engineering, Tunneling, Airport Engineering and Docks and Harbor Engineering. Particularly, the Railway Engineering and Traffic Studies (Roads) are very fascinating subjects.
Engineering Mechanics: If physics is the mother of all physical sciences, Mechanics is the single most important branch of Applied Physics and Engineering Mechanics is the direct application of mechanics to engineering studies. In two distinct parts called Statics and Dynamics, it studies objects in rest and motion respectively along with the forces and their effects, motion etc.
Fluid Mechanics: It’s an application of mechanics to Fluids. Fluids, for being different from solids, have many laws of their own. When it is studied in particular reference to liquids, it is called Hydraulics. A combination of irrigation engineering and hydraulics gives rise to Water (or Hydel or Hydro) Power Engineering.
Soil Mechanics: Though, this subject uses basic principles of mechanics, it is very unique and uses its own sets of laws and theories. It forms the basis for Foundation Engineering which is necessary for simple houses and tall skyscrapers to bridges and large dams. The soil mechanics and foundation engineering together with Rock Mechanics and such allied topics comprise the Geotechnical Engineering.
Public Health Engineering: Perhaps, it is the second most visible part of civil engineering to people, as it covers the Water Supply Engineering and Sanitary Engineering. When it covers Pollution in Air, Water and Soil, their monitoring, treatment and control of Noise Pollution, it is referred to as the Environmental Engineering. In it’s coverage of water and sewage treatment and pollution control, the public health engineering dalliances with Microbiology and Environmental Sciences and Ecology.
Structural Engineering: This refers to common structures other than roads and dams and forms the basis for all Civil Structures. It deals with analysis and design of Reinforced Concrete Structures, Pre-stressed Concrete Structures and Steel Structures.
Engineering Geology: A direct application Geology to Civil Engineering gives rise to this extremely important subject. It helps understanding ground water, soil and rock structures, topographical features, landforms, earthquakes etc., which are very important for stability and serviceability of Civil Engineering structures.
Surveying: This is the mother of Civil Engineering, since it is responsible for all measurements on ground and of its features, calculation of distances, levels and bearings (angles) of control lines, property lines and border lines. From classic chain surveying and Levelling to modern Arial Photography and Remote Sensing, it uses many different methods and gadgets and forms basis for Cartography.
Apart from these, there are the regular Engineering Mathematics, Engineering Physics, Engineering Chemistry, with specific reference to Corrosion Engineering etc.
With all these diverse colorful subjects, intertwined with our lives, in one branch of study, is there any doubt that Civil Engineering is a mosaic of many disciplines?
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