Running head: Civil Engineering 1
Civil Engineering 2
Why Civil Engineering is the best of the Engineering disciplines
Civil Engineering
Paul Brady
Kevin Cavone
Steven Wojtuniak
Seminole State College
When you ride down the streets of your community, whatever type, big city, small town or suburb. Look around at everything the community has to offer. There were several Civil engineers on the team of professionals who engineered the plans, making the idea of this community a reality. Civil engineers are often referred to as a jack of all trades. Every team member plays their part, but the civil engineer needs to have a working knowledge of all aspects of the site. A civil engineer should always have the community’s best interest in mind when making design decisions that change the community. A greener, more earth conscious and sustainable future should always be first and foremost on the mind of any civil engineer. The only thing better than a design that helps the community today, is a design that continues to sustain the community for a long time to come. A big part of building a longer lasting community may have more to do with the materials being used than just the engineering and design. There are new and innovative materials like “titanium finding a home in civil engineering” all the time. Civil engineers have played a big part in shaping our world today, and with new innovations and techniques all the time I am eager to help them shape the future. Therefore, I believe Civil Engineering is the best of the engineering disciplines.
Surveying is one of the many sub-disciplines of civil engineering and is the first step in a development or construction project. There are many different types of surveys. Boundary or Land surveys determine property lines of real estate or construction projects. Engineering or Construction surveys determine precise locations of roadways and buildings and foundation depths. They show any changes to the property since the last survey and what sort of soil or clay or muck is on the property which can help engineers determine what can be built on it, and also municipal restrictions as to where it can be built on the property. It also involves the contour of the land and roads in and adjacent to the property. Forensic Surveyors are involved with crime or accident areas and where recent geologic activity has occurred. Geodetic surveys measure large areas, considering the curvature of the earth using aerial and satellite technology. Marine surveyors determine shorelines and the topography of what lies at the bottom of bodies of water. (Pugh) These are just to name a few, but for this lecture we will be dealing with land and construction surveying, the example being residential subdivision development.
There is a lot of history to the field of surveying. Quite a few U.S. presidents were surveyors, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. Each of th...