Chapter 2

CIVIL ENGINEERING, SOCIETY AND OTHER

PROFESSIONS
Objectives:
To familiarize with the practices of Civil Engineers in relation to their interaction with society.
To understand the relation of civil engineering and other related fields.

11 INTRODUCTION

Civil engineering is a respected profession which is charged foremost with maintaining public safety. Like
those in the law and medical professions, civil engineers in positions of responsibility are required to be
professionally licensed.

Civil Engineering is the oldest and quintessential engineering profession. It encompasses a variety of
sub- disciplines and jobs.
Civil engineering is “the modification of nature to create and improve human habitats.” Civil engineers
work toward an ideal that is “a standard of perfection, beauty, or moral and physical excellence, especially
as an aim of attainment or realization.” Civil engineers strive to “match deep functionality with aesthetics
in every manifestation of the profession.” Engineers should be mindful that there is a “moral compact
between the engineer and world society.” - Bugliarello (1994)

Civil engineers conceive, design, build, supervise, operate, construct and maintain infrastructure projects
and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges,
and systems for water supply and sewage treatment. Many civil engineers work in planning, design,
construction, research, and education.

Civil engineers typically do the following:

Analyze long range plans, survey reports, maps, and other data to plan and design projects

Consider construction costs, government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and other factors
during the planning and risk-analysis stages of a project

Compile and submit permit applications to local, state, and federal agencies, verifying that projects
comply with various regulations
Oversee and analyze the results of soil testing to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations

Analyze the results of tests on building materials, such as concrete, wood, asphalt, or steel, for use in
particular projects
Prepare cost estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine a project's economic feasibility

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Use design software to plan and design transportation systems, hydraulic systems, and structures in line
with industry and government standards

Perform or oversee surveying operations to establish building locations, site layouts, reference points,
grades, and elevations to guide construction

Manage the repair, maintenance, and replacement of public and private infrastructure

Civil engineering is all about people.

It's the work that civil engineers do to develop and improve the services and facilities that general people
use in their everyday life.

1.2 INTERNATIONAL CIVIL ENGINEERING ASSOCIATIONS

The main objective of CIVIL Engineering associations is to safeguard the profession of translators and
interpreters; to promote among its members the principles of professional competence and decorum by
organizing interpreting market and providing information on the Civil Engineering profession.

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

American Concrete Institute (ACI)

American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)

American Welding Society (AWS)

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)

Institution of Engineers (India) [IEI]

International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE)

Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors(ICES)

1.3 LOCAL CIVIL ENGINEERING ASSOCIATIONS

Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers(PICE)

Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines(ASEP)

Philippine Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering(PSSMGE)

1.4 PROFESSIONS/ CAREERS RELATED TO CIVIL ENGINEERING

1. Architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and reviews the construction of buildings. To practice architecture
means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding
the buildings that have human occupancy or use as their principal purpose.

2. Civil Engineering Technicians

Civil engineering technicians help civil engineers to plan, design, and build highways, bridges,
utilities, and other infrastructure projects. They also help to plan, design, and build commercial, industrial,
residential, and land development projects.

3. Construction Manager

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A construction manager will supervise and manage contractors and laborers at construction sites. Often
they meet with architects, specialized trade employees, and civil engineers on projects or upcoming builds.
They must address emergencies, work delays, or other problems that affect the construction project.

4. Environmental engineers

Environmental engineers use the principles of engineering, soil science, biology, and chemistry to
develop solutions to environmental problems. They are involved in efforts to improve recycling, waste
disposal, public health, and water and air pollution control.

5. Landscape architects

Landscape architects design attractive and functional public parks, gardens, playgrounds, residential
areas, college campuses, and public spaces. They also plan the locations of buildings, roads, walkways,
flowers, shrubs, and trees within these environments. Landscape architects design these areas so that
they are not only easy to use but also harmonious with the natural environment.

6. Mechanical engineers

Mechanical engineers design power-producing machines, such as electric generators, internal combustion
engines, and steam and gas turbines, as well as power-using machines, such as refrigeration and air-
conditioning systems. Mechanical engineers design other machines inside buildings, such as elevators and
escalators.

7. Electrical engineers

An electrical engineer is someone who designs and develops new electrical systems, solves problems and
tests equipment. They study and apply the physics and mathematics of electricity, electromagnetism and
electronics to both large and small scale systems to process information and transmit energy.

8. Surveyors

Surveyors update boundary lines and prepare sites for construction so that legal disputes are prevented.
Surveyors make precise measurements to determine property boundaries. They provide data relevant to
the shape and contour of the Earth's surface for engineering, mapmaking, and construction projects.

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