Major Branches of Civil Engineering

Construction Engineering was founded in 1963 at Iowa State University. At the time, the university had an architectural engineering program, which trained students in both design and engineering of structures. Bill Klinger, owner of Klinger Construction at the time, approached the university with a rough outline of a curriculum which would provide graduates with skills valuable to employers in the construction industry.

Construction engineering is a professional discipline of civil engineering that deals with the planning, construction, and management of infrastructures such as highways, bridges, airports, railroads, buildings, dams, and utilities. Construction engineering involves planning and execution of the designs from transportation, site development, hydraulic, environmental, structural and geotechnical engineers.

A construction engineer supervises field work in a major infrastructure project. Construction Engineers are unique such that they are a cross between civil engineers and construction managers. Construction engineers learn the designing aspect much like civil engineers and construction site management functions much like construction managers. Construction Engineer is responsible for directing and planning the construction project and in conducting inspections, engaging in investigation, overseeing the project, analyzing results and sees that the entire construction process takes place efficiently. Construction engineers may select the materials used in the construction process, manage construction sites and supervise the implementation of mechanisms, such as hydraulic systems. Construction engineers may alternate between an office and outdoor work environments. These professionals may work with contractors, construction workers and urban designers during a project. They may also be responsible for reviewing project finances and keeping schedules on time.

Structural Engineering:

Structural engineering is a field of civil engineering that deals with the analysis and design of structures that would safely bear or resist the loads, stresses and other forces. Structural engineers must ensure their designs satisfy given design criteria (as per the guideline or code specified), predicated on safety (e.g. structures must not collapse without due warning) or serviceability and performance (e.g. building must not sway causing discomfort to the occupants). Buildings are made to endure massive loads as well as changing climate and natural disasters.

Structural Engineers have a duty to their clients and the public to provide safe designs. Typically, the Structural Engineer is responsible for the structural design of the overall project, including specification of the design loads, issuance of design documents, and review of submittals. Structural engineers are responsible for making creative and efficient use of funds, structural elements and materials to achieve these goals.

Structural engineers are licensed or accredited by different learned societies and regulatory bodies around the world (for example, the Institution of Structural Engineers in the UK). Depending on the degree course they have studied and/or the jurisdiction they are seeking licensure in, they may be accredited (or licensed) as just structural engineers, or as civil engineers, or as both civil and structural engineers.

Geotechnical Engineering:

Geotechnical Engineering is the branch of civil engineering which deals with the study of behavior of earth materials like soil, rocks, underground water, etc. and their relation to design, construction and operation of engineering projects. Sometimes, it may also be referred as soil engineering, ground engineering or geo-technics as it is closely related to Engineering Geology. Engineering geologists (i.e. those with a first degree in geology) and geotechnical engineers (i.e. those with a first degree in civil engineering) work closely together to form a comprehensive ground engineering team for the investigation, design, and construction of major infrastructure projects.

Geotechnical engineering shares common interests with other disciplines such as structural engineering, ocean engineering, material science, or petroleum engineering as nearly all civil engineering structures are supported on or built into the ground. Geotechnical engineering is a truly multi-disciplinary field offering training and research possibilities ranging from material testing and analytical methods to nonlinear numerical modeling of multi-physics problems.

Geotechnical engineering uses principles of soil and rock mechanics to investigate subsurface conditions and materials (i.e. displacements, stresses and strains on soil); determine the relevant physical/mechanical and chemical properties of these materials; evaluate stability of natural slopes and man-made soil deposits; assess risks posed by site conditions; design earthworks and structure foundations; and monitor site conditions, earthwork and foundation construction. Geotechnical engineering is all about analysis and design of soil stabilization systems which would provide enough support to the structure laid on it and ultimately ensuring the safety of people using the structure. Geotechnical design focuses on ensuring that structure remains standing on unstable soil; establishment of safety measures to minimize the damage to the roads, buildings, etc. due to landslides or earthquake. Besides these, geotechnical engineers may work on projects which deal with under-water soil, such as those affecting marinas and offshore platforms.

Talking about the geotechnical design process, it basically starts with a subsurface investigation. In this process, geotechnical engineers first take the soil samples from the site using sampler (i.e. test pits or bores). Then geotechnical engineers analyze that soil sample to determine the stability, presence of air or rock pockets, and also evaluate the chemical makeup of soil. This investigation is useful for preparing the site for construction. If soil is not good enough it may have to be treated before construction. With the obtained data from investigation, geotechnical engineering professionals may design the stable footings and foundations. These structures (i.e. footings and foundations) are made using steel, concrete or masonry to support and distribute the weight or loading of the building. The design of such structures must be designed taking account of people that may reside in building, ground movements, impacts of weather, and other external forces if any. Typically more unstable the soil at project site, more complex will be the foundation system.

Transportation Engineering:

Transportation engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering which deals with the application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order to provide the safe, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally compatible movement of people and goods (transport).
As per American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), there are six divisions related to tranportation engineering i.e. Highway, Air Transportation, Pipeline, Waterway, Port, Aerospace, Coastal & Ocean and Urban Transportation out of 18 technical divisions within the ASCE (1987).

The planning aspects of transport engineering relate to urban planning, and involve technical forecasting decisions and political factors. Technical forecasting of passenger travel usually involves an urban transportation planning model, requiring the estimation of trip generation (how many trips for what purpose), trip distribution (destination choice, where is the traveler going), mode choice (what mode is being taken), and route assignment (which streets or routes are being used). More sophisticated forecasting can include other aspects of traveler decisions, including auto ownership, trip chaining (the decision to link individual trips together in a tour) and the choice of residential or business location (known as land use forecasting). Passenger trips are the focus of transport engineering because they often represent the peak of demand on any transportation system.

Transportation engineering, as practiced by civil engineers, primarily involves planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of transportation facilities. The facilities support air, highway, railroad, pipeline, water, and even space transportation. The design aspects of transport engg include the sizing of transportation facilities (how many lanes or how much capacity the facility has), determining the materials and thickness used in pavement designing the geometry (vertical and horizontal alignment) of the roadway (or track). Beside these operations planning, logistics, network analysis, financing, and policy analysis are also important to civil engineers, particularly to those working in highway and urban transportation. Every country has some organization providing the guildelines and specifiactions for design and operation of transport systems. In USA, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) list online the safety protocols, geometric design requirements, and signal timing.

Before making any sort of planning, the Engineer must take an account of the database of the area or if it is appropriate, the previous system in place. This inventory or database must include information on:

1. Population
2. Land use
3. Transportation facilities and services
4. Economic activity
5. Travel patterns and volumes
6. Regional financial resources
7. Community values and expectations
8. Laws and ordinances

These inventories help the engineer create system models to accurately forecast future demand or conditions.

Highway Engineering

Highway engineering is an engineering discipline which involves the design, construction and maintenance of Highway Roads & Systems, urban streets as well as parking facilities. Important aspects of highway engineering include overall planning of routes, financing, environmental impact evaluation, and value engineering to compare alternatives. Traffic engineering involves planning for the volumes of traffic to be handled, the methods to accommodate these flows, the lighting and signing of highways, and general layout.Older techniques include signs, signals, markings, and tolling. Newer technologies involve intelligent transportation systems, including advanced traveler information systems (such as variable message signs), advanced traffic control systems (such as ramp meters), and vehicle infrastructure integration. Similarly, pavement and roadway engineering involves setting of alignments, planning the cuts and fills to construct the roadway, designing the base course and pavement, and selecting the drainage system. Whereas, bridge engineering involves the design of highway bridges, retaining walls, tunnels, and other structures. Engineers in this specialization:

• Handle the planning, design, construction, and operation of highways, roads, and other vehicular facilities as well as their related pedestrian realms.
• Estimate the transportation needs of the public and then secure the funding for the project.
• Analyze locations of high traffic volumes and high collisions for safety and capacity.
• Use civil engineering principles to improve the transportation system.
• Utilizes the three design controls which are the drivers, the vehicles, and the roadways themselves.

Railway Engineering

It is a branch of civil engineering concerned with the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of railways. Railway engineering includes elements of civil, mechanical, industrial, and electrical engineering. Railway engineers handle the design, construction, and operation of railroads and mass transit systems that use a fixed guideway (such as light rail or even monorails). Typical tasks would include determining horizontal and vertical alignment design, station location and design, construction cost estimating, and establishment of signalling & controlling system. Railroad engineers can also move into the specialized field of train dispatching which focuses on train movement control.

Railway engineers also work to build a cleaner and safer transportation network by reinvesting and revitalizing the rail system to meet future demands. In the United States, railway engineers work with elected officials in Washington, D.C. on rail transportation issues to make sure that the rail system meets the country's transportation needs.

Port and Harbor Engineering

Port and harbor engineers handle the design, construction, and operation of ports, harbors, canals, and other maritime facilities. A harbor (or haven) is a place for ships to enter and find shelter from storms or other natural phenomena. The modern harbor is a place where ships are built, launched, and repaired, as well as a terminal for incoming and outgoing ships. There are four principal classes of harbors; commercial, naval, fishery, and refuge for small craft. Harbor may be natural or artificial.

A port is a harbor with the necessary terminal facilities to expedite the moving of cargo and passengers at any stage of a journey. A good harbor must have a safe anchorage and a direct channel to open water, and must be deep enough for large ships. An efficient port must have enough room for docks, warehouses, and loading and unloading machinery. Geographically, a port or harbor is usually limited to a comparatively small area of usable berthing space rather than an extended coastline. Some ports along exposed coastal areas, for example, the western coast of South America, have little harbor area.

Airport Engineering

Airport Engineering encompasses the planning, design, and construction of terminals, runways, and navigation aids to provide for passenger and freight service. Airport engineers design and construct airports. They must account for the impacts and demands of aircraft in their design of airport facilities. These engineers must use the analysis of predominant wind direction to determine runway orientation, determine the size of runway border and safety areas, different wing tip to wing tip clearances for all gates and must designate the clear zones in the entire port.

Pipeline Engineering

Pipeline engineering embraces the design and construction of pipelines, pumping stations, and storage facilities. Pipelines are used to transport liquids such as water, gas, and petroleum products over great distances. Also, products such as pulverized coal and iron ore can be transported in a water slurry.

Environmental Engineering: