What is Engineering

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

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

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


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

Construction Engineering

Structural Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Transportation Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Water Resources Engineering

Specialization in Civil Engineering

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

Dubai Towers

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Burg al Arab

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
A self proclaimed 7-star hotel

Nebraska State Capital

Lincoln, Nebraska


Construction Engineering
Concepts and designs become reality

Management skills

project cost estimating and scheduling

financial planning, labor coordination and supervision

Eiffel Tower

Paris, France









Dubai’s expansion from
1991 to 2005

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

The World Islands

A modern marvel of geotechnical engineering!




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

Transportation Engineering

Planning, Design, Operation and Maintenance of safe and efficient transportation systems

Incorporating new technologies to improve system performance

Intelligent Transportation Systems

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

Environmental engineers

turn disease into delicacy!

1956

1936
2010

BP Oil Spill Cleanup

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

Hoover Dam

Clark County Nevada
Mohave County, Arizona

Panama Canal

Isthmus of Panama


Lesson:
Goals the same, techniques change
One last example …

Pretty Amazing!A WATER BRIDGE .. OVER A RIVER!!!

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.

ANY QUESTIONS?