What is Civil Engineering?

Engineering involves

What’s unique to Civil Engineering?

Designing structures that help people, such as– Roads– Buildings– Bridges– Tunnels– Water Treatment Plants– Dams

Do all Civil Engineers do the same thing?

No, there are many different branches of Civil Engineering, which include:– Structural Engineering– Geotechnical Engineering– Transportation Engineering– Environmental Engineering– Water Resources Engineering

Structural Engineering

Structural Engineers Design

Bridges

Skyscrapers

Towers

Stadiums

Walls

Museums

Churches

Structural Engineers Also

Design

Libraries

Photo courtesy of EarthTech

Geotechnical Engineers

Geotechnical Engineers Design

Foundations

LandfillsPhoto courtesy of Black & Veatch

Tunnels

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch

Photo courtesy of MWRAPhoto courtesy of MWRA

Transportation Engineers

Transportation Engineers Design

Highways

Runways

Traffic Signals and Signs

Train and Subway Lines

Environmental Engineers

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch

Environmental Engineers Design

Water Treatment Plant Processes

Underground Storage Tank Excavations

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch

Environmental Engineers Also Design

Hazardous Waste Remediation

Wastewater Treatment Plant Processes

Pipelines

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch

Water Resources Engineers

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch

Water Resources Engineers Design

Reservoirs

Dams

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch

How do Civil Engineers design these structures?

First they have an idea...

Then they use computer programs to illustrate their idea...

And finally the idea turns into a reality!

A Computer Design of a Wastewater Treatment Plant

Courtesy of Black & Veatch

An Actual Wastewater Treatment Plant

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch

What kind of education do I need to become a Civil Engineer?

• Degree from a 4-year accredited university

• Typical Civil Engineering classes– Calculus– Physics– Chemistry– English/Communications– Electives (i.e. History, French, Theatre, fun classes!)

• Start taking classes in high school if possible

What kind of people can become Civil Engineers?

All kinds!

Civil Engineering is a fun and rewarding career.

You too can become a Civil Engineer!

For information online, check out the following Web sites!

Discover Engineering Online: www.discoverengineering.org

Acknowledgements

1. Thanks to Black & Veatch, Earth Tech, and the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) for their contributions to this presentation.

2. Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section/ASCE (BSCES