Civil Engineering – What’s It All About? It

Civil Engineering – What’s It All About?

It is widely believed by many engineering experts that the construction of the Egyptian pyramids was one of the first ever examples of large structure construction.

‘Civil engineering services near me’ is a very popular Google search throughout the Perth area. It’s no wonder as the Western Australian economy is dominated by the resources and mining sector. We also have very healthy heavy industry and civil engineering sectors. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the history of civil engineering throughout the world.

There since the Beginning It is impossible to say when civil engineering first began. Basically, the actual story of this discipline has been with us since humanity began. You can argue that sheltering in caves and using wooden tree trunks to cross rivers was civil engineering in its infancy.

There is evidence that in Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt that when humans moved on from their nomadic lives, they, of course, needed to construct shelters.

It was also around this time period that our reliance on transportation came about.

It is widely believed by many engineering experts that the construction of the Egyptian pyramids was one of the first ever examples of large structure construction. Imhotep was the first actual documented engineer. Around 2550 BC he built a huge stepped pyramid at Saqqara using both mathematics and simple tools. This pyramid still stands to this very day. Perhaps Imhotep’s biggest contribution to the field of engineering is the fact that he discovered how to build using shaped stones. This paved the way for future engineers to develop his ideas.

Built at around 1450, Machu Picchu in Peru is a true engineering masterpiece situated in the Andes Mountains. The people of Machu Picchu created a whole city on top of a mountain. The city had drainage systems, stone structures, food production and even running water!

In terms of a scientific approach to mathematical and physical problems applicable to the civil engineering field, the 3rd century BC work of Archimedes stands out. Also, the work of the Indian mathematician, Brahmagupta back in the 7th century AD is important and was based on Hindu-Arabic numerals for excavation computations.

Modern Civil Engineering Back in the 18th century, the term ‘civil engineering’ came into use to differentiate it from military engineering. In 1747, the first ever civil engineering school, The National School of Bridges and Highways, was opened in France. John Smeaton was the first ever self-proclaimed civil engineer. Smeaton was responsible for the construction of the Eddystone Lighthouse. Along with a group of his colleagues, Smeaton created the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers. The group met for dinners and was more of a social society than anything else.

The first proper engineering society was founded in London in 1818 with Thomas Telford becoming its first president in 1820. In 1828, the institution was given a Royal Charter which means that civil engineering was then formally recognised as a profession.

Civil Engineering in Perth Civil engineering in Perth area is concerned with designing, creating and connecting the infrastructures that people rely on ensuring that they’re running effectively. The term ‘civil engineer’ covers a huge range of jobs. Civil engineers spend years learning, training and qualifying in their field. Civil engineers are responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of large projects throughout Perth.

Civil engineers use physics, maths, design, project management and so much more in their day to day work. Civil and heavy engineering in Perth involves working in a variety of conditions and locations. A great deal of the work of a civil engineer is liaising with others from varied technical disciplines. Their job is a balance of on-location and in-office work.

Civil engineering in Perth has evolved a great deal over the years. Many advances in technology and knowledge have been made in recent times and civil engineers have moved with these. Important aspects to consider are the optimal use of all energy resources, advances in using composite materials for structures, instrumentation advances, evaluation, management and design of infrastructures, mitigation of environmental pollutants and so much more.

There is so much more to Perth civil engineering than simply designing, building and maintaining the built environment. Civil engineering is an integral part of our Perth society. It’s a diverse profession that centres on improving the constantly evolving built environment.

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