Civil engineer

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings. Civil engineering is traditionally broken into a number of sub-disciplines. It is considered the second-oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it is defined to distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering.

History

Civil engineering takes place in the public sector from municipal through to national governments, and in the private sector from individual homeowners through to international companies. The earliest practice of civil engineering may have commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Iraq, and the Indus Valley Civilization when humans started to abandon a nomadic existence, creating a need for the construction of shelter.

Education and licensure

In most countries, a bachelor's degree in engineering represents the first step towards professional certification and the degree program itself is certified by a professional body. After completing a certified degree program, the engineer must satisfy a range of requirements including work experience and exam requirements before being certified. Once certified, the engineer is designated as a professional engineer (in the United States, Canada, and South Africa), a chartered engineer (in most Commonwealth countries), a chartered professional engineer (in Australia and New Zealand), or a European engineer (in most countries of the European Union).

Sub-disciplines

Civil engineering is divided into a number of sub-disciplines including structural engineering, environmental engineering, and geotechnical engineering. Each of these sub-disciplines involves the application of a combination of basic scientific and mathematical principles, empirical knowledge, and practical experience to solve real-world problems.

See also

• Architectural engineering
• Earthquake engineering
• Forensic engineering
• Geotechnical engineering
• Structural engineering
• Transportation engineering