Module 1: Understanding the History of Civil Engineering PDF

MODULE 1 Understanding the History of Civil Engineering and the Profession EXPLORE Watch the following videos: What is Civil Engineering and what civil engineers do.mp4 Evolution in Civil Engineering – The History of...

MODULE 1 Understanding the History of Civil Engineering and the Profession EXPLORE Watch the following videos: What is Civil Engineering and what civil engineers do.mp4 Evolution in Civil Engineering – The History of Civil Engineering.mp4 For more videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpfIZaHslkQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxVmcrD1lDw ENGAGE Newgrange, an ancient passage tomb located in the Boyne Valle of Ireland, is one of the world's oldest buildings ever discovered. It is estimated to be around 5,200 years old and was probably built by Stone-Age (about 8700-2000 BC) farmers. With what you currently understand about Civil Engineering, when do you think the practice of Civil Engineering started? Explain your answer. EXPLAIN Civil engineering involves the design, construction, and maintenance of works such as roads, bridges, and buildings. It’s a science that includes a variety of disciplines including soils, structures, geology, and other fields. Thus, the history of civil engineering is closely associated with the history of advancement in these sciences. In ancient history, most of the construction was carried out by artisans, and technical expertise was limited. Tasks were accomplished by the utilization of manual labor only, without the use of sophisticated machinery, since it did not exist... It might be appropriate to assume that the science of civil engineering truly commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC in Egypt when transportation gained such importance that it led to the development of the wheel. According to the historians, the Pyramids were constructed in Egypt during 2800-2400 BC and may be considered as the first large structure construction ever. The Great Wall of China that was constructed around 200 BC is considered another achievement of ancient civil engineering. The Romans developed extensive structures in their empire, including aqueducts, bridges, and dams. A scientific approach to the physical sciences concerning civil engineering was implemented by Archimedes in the third century BC, by utilizing the Archimedes Principle concerning buoyancy and the Archimedes screw for raising water. As stated above, civil engineering is considered to be the first main discipline of engineering, and the engineers were in fact military engineers with expertise in military and civil works. During the era of battles or operations, the engineers were engaged to assist the soldiers fighting in the battlefield by making catapults, towers, and other instruments used for fighting the enemy. However, during peace time, they were concerned mainly with the civil activities such as building fortifications for defense, making bridges, canals, etc. ELABORATE WHEN WAS THE FIRST USE OF THE TERM ‘CIVIL ENGINEERING’? In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined to incorporate all things civilian as opposed to military engineering. The first engineering school, The National School of Bridges and Highways, France, was opened in 1747. The first self-proclaimed civil engineer was John Smeaton who constructed the Eddystone Lighthouse. In 1771, Smeaton and some of his colleagues formed the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession who met informally over dinner. Though there was evidence of some technical meetings, it was little more than a social society. In 1818, world’s first engineering society, the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London, and in 1820 the eminent engineer Thomas Telford became its first president. The institution received a Royal Charter in 1828, formally recognizing civil engineering as a profession. Its charter defined civil engineering as: “Civil engineering is the application of physical and scientific principles, and its history is intricately linked to advances in understanding of physics and mathematics throughout history. Because civil engineering is a wide-ranging profession, including several separate specialized sub-disciplines, its history is linked to knowledge of structures, material science, geography, geology, soil, hydrology, environment, mechanics and other fields.” The first private college to teach Civil Engineering in the United States was Norwich University founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge. The first degree in Civil Engineering in the United States was awarded by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1835. The first such degree to be awarded to a woman was granted by Cornell University to Nora Stanton Blatch in 1905. CIVIL ENGINEERING IN THE PHILIPPINES The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) is the oldest engineering school in the Philippines. It was established on May 18, 1907, as School of Civil Engineering with one program offering leading to the degree of Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE). From faculty records, it appears that it was only in 1912 when the earliest batch of students were conferred their MSCE degrees. The institution was actually patterned after the University of Havana in Cuba and was first set up at the second floor of the old UST building in Intramuros. Taking into consideration the pioneering works of the teaching staff and students, the college got its first taste of prestige as the government, under President Manuel L. Quezon gave her recognition on July 12, 1921. EVALUATE With what was discussed above, make a short essay on where do you think Civil Engineering applies to in today’s world. Where can you see ‘Civil Engineering’ in today’s world?