"Introduction to Civil Engineering" is a PowerPoint that provides an overview of civil engineering, and areas of specialization within the field, for primary and secondary students. Designed by Dr. Larry Rillet - Director of the Nebraska Transportation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln - and his educational outreach team members, the aim of this PowerPoint is to provide students with further exposure as to who civil engineers are and what they do. This lesson can be paired with a "Penny Boat" activity.
2. What is Engineering
The word engineer originates from the
Latin term ingenerare, meaning to
invent, to create or to regulate
It is the professional art of applying
scientific principles to every day things
to help make life easier
3. Engineer vs. Scientist
• Deviations between engineers and scientists
arise through the differences in the ways
both apply their educations in mathematical
and natural sciences to their work
Scientists Engineers
Use their education to acquire
new knowledge
Use their education to
develop usable
devices, structures and
processes
Seek to know Aim to do
4. What is a Civil Engineer?
• One who improves the quality of life
through the production of infrastructure
– Buildings, bridges and other structures
– Highways
– Dams and levees
– Water treatment plants, waste disposal
• This infrastructure must be safe,
functional, elegant and economically
sound
5. Why We Need Civil Engineers
• Make sure our human habitat is livable
• Make sure we use resources wisely
– Sustainable development
• Help maintain our competitiveness in
the global economy
– Increase productivity
6. Construction Engineering
Structural Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Transportation Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Water Resources Engineering
Specialization in Civil Engineering
7. Structural Engineering
Design of new structures
Upgrading existing structures
Intelligent use of new technologies and
materials to control structural behavior
Structures include buildings, bridges,
offshore platforms, transmission towers,
and other specialized facilities
11. Construction Engineering
Concepts and designs become reality
Management skills
project cost estimating and
scheduling
financial planning, labor
coordination and supervision
15. Geotechnical Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering is concerned with
engineering behavior of earth materials
• Geotechnical engineers:
• Investigate existing subsurface conditions
(tunnels excavations, pipelines)
• Determine physical and chemical properties
relevant to project considered
• Assess risks posed by site conditions
• Design earthworks and structural foundations
• Monitor earthwork and foundation
construction
18. The World Islands Fun Facts
•Located 2.5 miles off the coast of
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
•The 300 islands are composed of 321 million cubic meters
of sand and 31 million tons of rock
•The land used to create the islands largely consists of
sand dredged from Dubai’s shallow coastal waters
•Overall development costs are estimated at $14 billion USD
•Cost for full ownership of one of the undeveloped islands
ranges between $10 million and $45 million USD
19. Transportation Engineering
Planning, Design, Operation and Maintenance
of safe and efficient transportation systems
Incorporating new technologies to improve
system performance
Intelligent Transportation Systems
24. Environmental Engineering
Protect & improve environmental quality
natural systems
engineered systems
Protect human health & well-being
provide safe drinking water
waste water treatment systems
hazardous waste site clean-ups
28. Water Resources Engineering
Physical control of water
public water supply
flood control
irrigation, navigation etc.
Computer modeling of water flow
Performance requirements for lock and dam
structures
33. Activity – Penny Boats
• Construct your boat using only one piece of
the heavy duty aluminum foil provided.
• Predict how many pennies your boat will
hold: _______________
• Slowly add pennies to your boat. Once water
enters the boat, or if any part of the boat
touches the bottom of the container, your
turn is over.
• The last penny added will not count
in the total amount held.