Civil Engineering

• the oldest and quintessential engineering profession. It encompasses

a variety of sub-disciplines and jobs.
• It deals with the design, construction and maintenance of the
physically and naturally built buildings
Sub-disciplines in Civil Engineering

• Structural Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Coastal and Off-shore Engineering
• Construction Engineering
• Transportation Engineering
• Water Resources Engineering
• Municipal or Urban Engineering
Areas of Specialization
1. Coastal- protect coastal areas against erosion and flooding
2. Earthquake- test structures to ensure they are earthquake-resistant
3. Environmental- find new ways to protect our environment: create
wind farms, work on water purification, waste water treatment and
solid waste treatment.
4. Structural- Design and build bridges, towers, flyovers, tunnels and
off-shore structures like oil and gas field in the sea.
5. Transport- work on building and maintaining roads, canals, highways,
rail systems, airports and ports
6. Urban- primarily focus on designing, constructing, and maintaining
the roads, water supply networks, sewers, municipal solid waste
management and disposal, public parks, etc.
7. Water resources- design and construct water resources such as
pipelines, drainage facilities ( including dams, channels, culverts, storm
sewers) and canals
Environmental Engineering
• the branch of engineering that is concerned with protecting people
from the effects of adverse environmental effects, such as pollution,
as well as improving environmental quality.
• it treats chemical, biological and thermal waste; it concentrates on
e.g. water purification, waste water and solid waste treatment, air
pollution, hazardous waste management and it is also in charge of
giving information on possible environmental consequences
Geotechnical Engineering
• the branch of engineering concerned with the analysis, design and
construction of foundations, slopes, retaining structures,
embankments, tunnels, landfills and other systems that are made of
or are supported by soil or rock.
• based on the knowledge from geology, material science, mechanics
and hydraulics; it focuses on economical foundations, retaining walls
as well as similar structure designs
Structural Engineering
• Structural engineers are concerned with the conception analysis
design and construction of components or assemblies to resist loads
arising from internal and external forces.
• Analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and
structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and
comfort of users or occupants. Their work takes account mainly of
safety, technical, economic and environmental concerns, but they
may also consider aesthetic and social factors.
Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering
• Water resources engineering is the quantitative study of the
hydrologic cycle -- the distribution and circulation of water linking the
earth's atmosphere, land and oceans. Applications include the
management of the urban water supply, the design of urban storm-
sewer systems, and flood forecasting
• Hydraulic engineering consists of the application of fluid mechanics to
water flowing in an isolated environment (pipe, pump) or in an open
channel (river, lake, ocean). Civil engineers are primarily concerned
with open channel flow, which is governed by the interdependent
interaction between the water and the channel.
Transportation Engineering
• Transportation has always played an essential role in the
development of society, originally with regard to trade routes and
harbors, but more recently with regard to land- and air-based systems
as well. It is the transportation engineer's responsibility to plan,
design, build, operate and maintain these systems of transport, in
such a way as to provide for the safe, efficient and convenient
movement of people and goods.
• Employment opportunities are available both in the public sector
(e.g., federal and provincial government transportation ministries,
regional and municipal roads, traffic and transit agencies) and the
private sector (e.g., engineering consultants, trucking, railroad and
airline companies, vehicle manufacturing). The undergraduate core
and technical complementary program provide for a solid grounding
in transportation engineering sufficient for related professional
employment.