The Role of Civil Engineering - Research Paper Example

Finally, I will attempt to examine the future of civil engineering and connect it with some aspects of my life and the world. What Civil Engineers Do “Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of a variety of structures. They work on bridges, dams, tunnels, highways, airstrips, water supply and sewage systems and other structures” (Ferguson 128). Basically, civil engineering is the branch of engineering that is responsible for the building of structures in a given society. Civil engineering ensures that appropriate housing and infrastructure are set up to support the population of a given community.

Civil engineering involves numerous activities that are connected to the building of these structures. There are structural matters which involve the evaluation of land/environment and analysis of the most appropriate structure that could be set up in that area. This involves various forms of scientific measurements like surveying and calculations which provides an overview of what and how a given building or structure could be set up in a given place. Water resource engineering is another aspect of civil engineering.

This involves the use of science and principles of engineering to build structures that will enable the society to benefit from these water resources or reduce their disruption. The former involves the building of dams and irrigation systems to ensure that water resources are used for the optimum results of the society. The latter involves the creation of dykes and canals to ensure that human beings can be protected from the effects of waterbodies and have good and productive social and commercial lives.

Another aspect of civil engineering is construction. Construction involves the building of houses and other commercial structures that are meant to provide shelter for people. This involves the scientific use of building materials to provide the best of services. Transport infrastructure is another important aspect of civil engineering. Civil engineering leads to the creation of roads, bridges and harbors to ensure that people can move from one point to the other in the most convenient way. Also, environmental optimization is an important component of civil engineering.

Civil engineers play “. two main roles: building/managing infrastructure and sustaining environmental resources” (Grigg 2). This means that the civil engineer is trained to set up structures that are sensitive to the natural environment and the natural habitat. This means that they have a responsibility to build structures that provide the best options for humans as well as other living organisms like plants, animals and fishes. In practice, civil engineers are involved in estimating construction costs and specifying materials to be used.

They prepare surveys and apply scientific knowledge to building. Benefits of Civil Engineering to the World In each generation, civil engineers design products, processes and systems and incorporate technology (Crawley et al 7). Historically, people have always wanted to improve their lives by building settlements to create fulfilling lives. This desire led to the establishment of the first human settlements. The earliest settlements used contemporary technology to design and build structures that provided the kind of livelihood that they wanted.

Elements of civil engineering was used in each of these generations. The earliest roles of