Civil engineering is one of the oldest disciplines of
engineering. Dating back to the
construction of the Great Pyramids and the Great Wall of China, and even
earlier, man has been designing and creating magnificent structures to make
life safer and more enjoyable. The field
of civil engineering is very broad and encompasses many more specialized
disciplines such as transportation, water, geotechnical, structural, and environmental
engineering just to name a few. A great
way to think about it is that every piece of infrastructure you see around you,
a civil engineer had a large hand in designing it.
Have you ever thought of what life would be like
without running water for a shower, indoor plumbing, or roads to drive on? Many people take for granted all of the hard work
men and women put into designing and constructing the complex systems that are
responsible for these great luxuries. Clean
and renewable energy sources for instance.
The Hoover Dam is an example of a civil engineering marvel that allowed
the Southwest region of our country to be inhabited. It supplies electricity to the surrounding area
as well as supplies water for irrigation and consumption. In my local area, the Fargo landfill has been
using solid waste disposal as a means of energy. They have currently installed 62 natural gas
wells to collect the methane that the waste produces. This gas is then carried by pipelines to the
Cargill plant and use to create energy. We
have civil engineers to thank for this and many other waste to energy processes
for giving us energy and keeping our environment clean.
Ethics play a very large role in civil
engineering. When you think of the
consequences of doing a poor job on the design or inspection of a bridge, such
as the I-35W bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis, you see why civil engineers
need to hold themselves to a high standard.
Even with projects not as visible to the public such as water treatment,
cutting corners can pose serious risks.
If not always paying attention and doing the job that is required,
harmful chemicals such lead and arsenic end up in our drinking water. Health and safety are just part of the ethical
standards civil engineers. Many of the
projects in civil engineering are for public interests, and therefore funded by
taxes. It is the ethical responsibility of
these engineers to use this money properly.
They should work hard to finish the project on time and under budget if
possible. Doing a lackadaisical job with
public funds goes against the ethical responsibility engineers are entrusted
with when given control of these public works projects.
It is hard to imagine a world without civil
engineers. In fact, I do not think it
would even be possible. As long as there
has been man, he has been trying to engineer a better world. We have come a long way in the last several
hundred years, and I am excited to see what new and innovative ideas civil
engineers such as myself will bring about in the future.
I never thought of civil engineers as the individuals responsible for our transportation routes, buildings, etc. It is interesting to have a perspective from an aspiring civil engineer such as yourself, and to have great examples of how civil engineering has impacted the world around us. The world would be much different if we didn't have civil engineers in the background, making sure everything works effectively.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you talked about the ethics of civil engineering. That is something that had never occurred to me and I liked your examples. I also had only thought of roads when I thought about civil engineering. I liked your examples of other infrastructure that fall under the field.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to a discipline that we take for granted, it's civil engineering. Without the roads, bridges and water systems that we use each and every day, our life would truly be unbearable.
ReplyDeleteI thought the the way you described the field we are both in was dead on. I like that you incorporated ethics into the post becasue it is my opinion that a lot of people dont think about that aspect of the profession when it is one of the most important aspects about it.
ReplyDeleteWhen discussing the impossibility of a word without a profession, it is absolutely necessary to maintain the notion of other vital careers. I realize this posting was to promote/discuss your profession, which is civil engineering, so it wasn't exactly asking you to examine other options.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, it's apparent that civil engineers have provided an incredibly significant role in our day-to-day lives. Your post definitely promotes awareness for this fact. Hopefully more are aware of what a civil engineer accomplishes because of your post, because I certainly understand it more and, in turn, respect it more.