What is Civil Engineering?

Civil Engineering is one of the many branches of engineering. It is also one of the most popular fields of engineering. Civil Engineering specifically pertains to the civilian aspects of engineering, mainly the design of bridges, roads, dams, structures, etc. The main sub disciplines associated with Civil Engineering are: Structural Environmental Water resources Geotechnical Construction Transportation

According to the American Society for Engineering Education, civil engineering is the second most popular field within engineering. From 2010-2011 over 12,000 Bachelors Degrees were awarded in Civil Engineering (see Figure B).

The history of Civil Engineering

While the exact timeframe of when civil engineering began is unknown its safe to say that it is in fact the oldest engineering profession. The earliest practices of civil engineering span all the way back to the Egyptian and Roman eras. Throughout the ages the common principles for engineering have remained the same while the designs have evolved drastically.

What do Civil Engineers do?

Civil engineers affect the everyday lives of people throughout the world. George Bugliarello, a renowned engineer once said: Civil engineering is the modification of nature to create and improve human habitats. Civil Engineers design the roads people drive on, the water and power systems that lead into every home and the buildings that make up cities and communities. Here are a few common tasks performed by Civil Engineers: Surveying: engineers measure the physical features of the Earth: verify and establish land boundaries and design and layout infrastructure. CAD: Civil Engineers use CAD (Computer Assisted Drafting) programs to design projects. Reporting: More than 50% of an engineers time is dedicated to writing reports for tests and data.

How does someone become a Civil Engineer?

For an individual to become a Civil Engineer they must first receive a Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university. They must also pass the FE/EIT (engineering in training) exam. Upon graduating they must also pass the PE exam which licenses engineers. Civil Engineers must also comply with all regulations pertaining to their profession. Many Civil Engineers begin their career by becoming interns for firms during college. This allows them to become familiar with day to day scenarios faced by engineers. Civil engineers are usually well versed in math and science.

Figure B

The Role of Technical Writing and Communication

Arguably the most crucial and valuable skill an engineering students can acquire early on in their career is the ability to convey technical information in a clear and concise manner. Whether written or through verbal communication they must understand how to transmit important information with proficiency. The role of this essay is to outline three key fundamentals essential for effective technical writing and communication: organization, simplicity and detail. Technical writing and communication is different from other styles of writing in that it requires large amounts of information to be condensed into small components. It requires a higher level of organization. An engineer may only have a small amount of time to present a new idea. In order to get his most important points across he must organize his thoughts in a way that he shares only vital information. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Consider yourself as an engineer. Now imagine yourself trying to explain how hydraulic systems work to a large city council. It would be rather difficult to explain it in such a way that everyone in the room would understand wouldnt it? That is the reason why effective technical communication requires preparation for such a scenario. It can be the difference between landing a large contract and not. Is it possible to provide good detail while still being concise and simple? If innovative thinking and preparation are exercised it definitely is. Time crunches and deadlines are two factors associated with any profession especially in engineering. Many of the disasters that have occurred in this profession have come because certain

The Role of Technical Writing and Communication details werent given. Regardless of the circumstance, an engineer must always be aware of the details that must be communicated. This essay has covered just three of many essential fundamentals for technical communication. One key lesson I learned while taking this technical communication course that will benefit me is to think clearly before I write or speak. Also, there are times where its necessary to say what you need to say and there are other times in which its necessary to say what you want to say. I endorse a technical communication course to anybody, regardless if theyre pursuing a career in engineering.