Environmental Engineering (Part II)
Recognition at about this time that water supplies, disease, and disposal of human waste were interconnected led to the requirement that used water and excrement be discharged to sewers. In 1850, a member of the Sanitary Commission of Massachusetts, Lemuel Shattuck, reported the relationship between water supply, sewers, and health. He recommended the formation of a State Board of Health, which would include a civil engineer, a chemist or physicist, two physicians, and two others. During this time, a French chemist by the name of Louis Pasteur was initiating research that was to found the field of bacteriology and connect bacteria with disease. In addition, Pasteur was to demonstrate the benefits of utilizing bacteria in industrial processes. The use of bacteria to stabilize municipal waste was coming to the fore.
In 1887, the Massachusetts State Board of Health established an experiment station at Lawrence for investigating water treatment and water pollution control. This station was similar to others that had been established in England and Germany and was the forerunner of eight others established throughout the U.S. Topics investigated were primary wastewater treatment, secondary treatment via trickling filters, and activated sludge.
As the population of the U.S. and the world continues to grow, greater demand is being placed on our natural resources. What were once adequate treatment and disposal methods now require far greater levels of cleanup before waste is discharged to water courses, the atmosphere, or onto the land. In essence, water, air, and land are no longer free economic goods, as has been assumed for so many years. The cost of using water, air, and land resources is the cleanup cost prior to their return to the environment.
Environmental Engineering (Part I)
During the evolution of the world, the water, air, and land resources available to our forefathers were immeasurably vast. So vast, in fact, that they appeared to be of infinite proportions, and their use and consumption were taken for granted. However, as the population grew, it became clear that these resources, particularly a clean and abundant water supply, were not infinite and, in some cases, not even available. A case in point is the water supply problem that confronted New York almost from its inception. A visitor to New York in 1748 declared, “There is no good water to be met within the town itself”. In 1774, the city authorized a water system, but it was not until 1841, when the Croton Aqueduct was completed, that New Yorkers could experience cool, clean water for drinking, bath, and fire fighting. They could even dream about the luxury of indoor plumbing. Four years prior to 1841, a son was born to a humble British family in the Yorkshire town of Thorne, who was to make a major contribution regarding the handling of human waste products. The child’s name was Thomas Crapper.. Crapper was an entrepreneurial sanitary engineer and the inventor of many improvements to indoor flush toilets.
By 1840, there were only 83 public water supplies in the U.S., but the demand was growing, and by 1870, there were 243. With these burgeoning public water supplies came the need to consider the disposal of the “used” water. In Europe during the Middle Ages, people simply threw their excreta out the window. Word has it that some sport was involved in this process involving the passersby in the street below.
Basic Functions of Construction Engineering
The activities involved in the construction engineering for projects include the following basic functions:
Cost engineering
The cost estimating, cost accounting, and cost-control activities related to a project, plus the development of cost databases.
Project planning and scheduling
The development of initial project plans and schedules, project monitoring and updating, and the development of as-built project schedules.
Equipment planning and management
The selection of needed equipment for projects, productivity planning to accomplish the project with the selected equipment in the required project schedule and estimate, and the management of the equipment fleet.
Design of temporary structures
The design of temporary structures required for the construction of the project, such as concrete formwork, scaffolding, shoring, and bracing.
Contract management
The management of the activities of the project to comply with contract provisions and document contract changes and to minimize contract disputes.
Human resource management
The selection, training, and supervision of the personnel needed to complete the project work within schedule.
Project safety
The establishment of safe working practices and conditions for the project, the communication of these safety requirements to all project personnel, the maintenance of safety records, and the enforcement of these requirements.
Innovations in Construction
There are several innovative developments in technological tools that have been implemented or are being considered for implementation for construction projects. New tools such as CAD systems, expert systems, bar coding, and automated equipment offer excellent potential for improved productivity and cost effectiveness in industry. Companies who ignore these new technologies will have difficulty competing in the future.
Goals of Project Management
Regardless of the project, most construction teams have the same performance goals:
Cost
Complete the project within the cost budget, including the budgeted costs of all change orders.
Time
Complete the project by the scheduled completion date or within the allowance for work days.
Quality
Perform all work on the project, meeting or exceeding the project plans and specifications.
Safety
Complete the project with zero lost-time accidents.
Conflict
Resolve disputes at the lowest practical level and have zero disputes.
Project start up
Successfully start up the completed project (by the owner) with zero rework.
Construction Contracts
Construction projects are done under a variety of contract arrangements for each of the parties involved. They range from a single contract for a single element of the project to a single contract for the whole project, including the financing, design, construction, and operation of the facility. Typical contract types include lump sum, unit price, cost plus, and construction management.
These contract systems can be used with either the competitive bidding process or with negotiated processes. A contract system becoming more popular with owners is design-build, in which all of the responsibilities can be placed with one party for the owner to deal with. Each type of contract impacts the roles and responsibilities of each of the parties on a project. It also impacts the management functions to be carried out by the contractor on the project, especially the cost engineering function.
A major development in business relationships in the construction industry is partnering. Partnering is an approach to conducting business that confronts the economic and technological challenges in industry in the 21st century. This new approach focuses on making long-term commitments with mutual goals for all parties involved to achieve mutual success. It requires changing traditional relationships to a shared culture without regard to normal organizational boundaries. Participants seek to avoid the adversarial problems typical for many business ventures. Most of all, a relationship must be based upon trust. Although partnering in its pure form relates to a long-term business relationship for multiple projects, many single- project partnering relationships have been developed, primarily for public owner projects. Partnering is an excellent vehicle to attain improved quality on construction projects and to avoid serious conflicts. Partnering is not to be construed as a legal partnership with the associated joint liability. Great care should be taken to make this point clear to all parties involved in a partnering relationship.
Partnering is not a quick fix or panacea to be applied to all relationships. It requires total commitment, proper conditions, and the right chemistry between organizations for it to thrive and prosper. The relationship is based upon trust, dedication to common goals, and an understanding of each other’s individual expectations and values. The partnering concept is intended to accentuate the strength of each partner and will be unable to overcome fundamental company weaknesses; in fact, weaknesses may be magnified. Expected benefits include improved efficiency and cost effectiveness, increased opportunity for innovation, and the continuous improvement of quality products and services. It can be used by either large or small businesses, and it can be used for either large or small projects. Relationships can develop among all participants in construction: owner-contractor, owner-supplier, contractor-supplier, contractor-contractor. (Contractor refers to either a design firm or a construction company.)
Participants in the Construction Process
There are several participants in the construction process, all with important roles in developing a successful project. The owner, either private or public, is the party that initiates the demand for the project and ultimately pays for its completion. The owner’s role in the process varies considerably; however, the primary role of the owner is to effectively communicate the scope of work desired to the other parties. The designer is responsible for developing adequate working drawings and specifications, in accordance with current design practices and codes, to communicate the product desired by the owner upon completion of the project. The prime contractor is responsible for managing the resources needed to carry out the construction process in a manner that ensures the project will be conducted safely, within budget, and on schedule, and that it meets or exceeds the quality requirements of the plans and specifications. Subcontractors are specialty contractors who contract with the prime contractor to conduct a specific portion of the project within the overall project schedule. Suppliers are the vendors who contract to supply required materials for the project within the project specifications and schedule. The success of any project depends on the coordination of the efforts of all parties involved, hopefully to the financial advantage of all. In recent years, these relationships have become more adversarial, with much conflict and litigation, often to the detriment of the projects.
Construction and Civil Engineering (II)
Construction projects are complex and time-consuming undertakings that require the interaction and cooperation of many different persons to accomplish. All projects must be completed in accordance with specific project plans and specifications, along with other contract restrictions that may be imposed on the production operations. Essentially, all civil engineering construction projects are unique. Regardless of the similarity to other projects, there are always distinguishing elements of each project that make it unique, such as the type of soil, the exposure to weather, the human resources assigned to the project, the social and political climate, and so on. In manufacturing, raw resources are brought to a factory with a fairly controlled environment; in construction, the “factory” is set up on site, and production is accomplished in an uncertain environment.
It is this diversity among projects that makes the preparation for a civil engineering project interesting and challenging. Although it is often difficult to control the environment of the project, it is the duty of the contractor to predict the possible situations that may be encountered and to develop contingency strategies accordingly. The dilemma of this situation is that the contractor who allows for contingencies in project cost estimates will have a difficult time competing against other less competent or less cautious contractors. The failure rate in the construction industry is the highest in the U.S.; one of the leading causes for failure is the inability to manage in such a highly competitive market and to realize a fair return on investment.
Construction and Civil Engineering (I)
The construction industry is one of the largest segments of business in the United States and around the world, with the percentage of the gross national product spent in construction over the last several years averaging about 10%. For 2001, the total amount spent on new construction contracts in the U.S. is estimated at $481 billion. Of this total, about $214 billion is estimated for residential projects, $167 billion for non residential projects, and the rest for non building projects. Construction is the realization phase of the civil engineering process, following conception and design.
It is the role of the constructor to turn the ideas of the planner and the detailed plans of the designer into physical reality. The owner is the ultimate consumer of the product and is often the general public for civil engineering projects. Not only does the constructor have an obligation to the contractual owner, or client, but also an ethical obligation to the general public to perform the work so that the final product will serve its function economically and safely.
The construction industry is typically divided into specialty areas, with each area requiring different skills, resources, and knowledge to participate effectively in it. The area classifications typically used are residential (single- and multifamily housing), building (all buildings other than housing), heavy/highway (dams, bridges, ports, sewage-treatment plants, highways), utility (sanitary and storm drainage, water lines, electrical and telephone lines, pumping stations), and industrial (refineries, mills, power plants, chemical plants, heavy manufacturing facilities). Civil engineers can be heavily involved in all of these areas of construction, although fewer are involved in residential. Due to the differences in each of these market areas, most engineers specialize in only one or two of the areas during their careers.
THE CIVIL ENGINEER
Civil engineers typically possess an academic degree with a major in civil engineering. The length of study for such a degree is usually four or five years and the completed degree is usually designated as a Bachelor of Engineering, though some universities designate the degree as a Bachelor of Science. The degree generally includes units covering physics, mathematics, project management, design and specific topics in civil engineering. Initially such topics cover most, if not all, of the sub-disciplines of civil engineering. Students then choose to specialize in one or more sub-disciplines towards the end of the degree.
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 the title of Professional Engineer (in the United States, Canada and South Africa), Chartered Engineer (in most Commonwealth countries), Chartered Professional Engineer (in Australia and New Zealand), or European Engineer (in much of the European Union). There are international engineering agreements between relevant professional bodies which are designed to allow engineers to practice across international borders.
The advantages of certification vary depending upon location. For example, in the United States and Canada "only a licensed engineer may prepare, sign and seal, and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for approval, or seal engineering work for public and private clients.” This requirement is enforced by state and provincial legislation such as Quebec's Engineers Act. In other countries, no such legislation exists. In Australia, state licensing of engineers is limited to the state of Queensland. Practically all certifying bodies maintain a code of ethics that they expect all members to abide by or risk expulsion. In this way, these organizations play an important role in maintaining ethical standards for the profession. Even in jurisdictions where certification has little or no legal bearing on work, engineers are subject to contract law. In cases where an engineer's work fails he or she may be subject to the tort of negligence and, in extreme cases, the charge of criminal negligence. An engineer's work must also comply with numerous other rules and regulations such as building codes and legislation pertaining to environmental law.
HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
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, materials science, geography, geology, soils, hydrology, environment, mechanics and other fields.
Throughout ancient and medieval history most architectural design and construction was carried out by artisans, such as stone masons and carpenters, rising to the role of master builder. Knowledge was retained in guilds and seldom supplanted by advances. Structures, roads and infrastructure that existed were repetitive, and increases in scale were incremental.
One of the earliest examples of a scientific approach to physical and mathematical problems applicable to civil engineering is the work of Archimedes in the 3rd century BC, including Archimedes Principle, which underpins our understanding of buoyancy, and practical solutions such as Archimedes' screw. Brahmagupta, an Indian mathematician, used arithmetic in the 7th century AD, based on Hindu-Arabic numerals, for excavation (volume) computations
HISTORY OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSION (II)
In 1818 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 recognising civil engineering as a profession. Its charter defined civil engineering as:
"...the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man, as the means of production and of traffic in states, both for external and internal trade, as applied in the construction of roads, bridges, aqueducts, canals, river navigation and docks for internal intercourse and exchange, and in the construction of ports, harbours, moles, breakwaters and lighthouses, and in the art of navigation by artificial power for the purposes of commerce, and in the construction and application of machinery, and in the drainage of cities and towns."
The first private college in the nation 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.
HISTORY OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSION (I)
Engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginnings of human existence. Civil engineering might be considered properly commencing between 4000 and 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia when humans started to abandon a nomadic existence, thus causing a need for the construction of shelter. During this time, transportation became increasingly important leading to the development of the wheel and sailing. The construction of Pyramids in Egypt (circa 2700-2500 BC) might be considered the first instances of large structure constructions. Other ancient historic civil engineering constructions include the Parthenon by Iktinos in Ancient Greece (447-438 BC), the Appian Way by Roman engineers (c. 312 BC), and the Great Wall of China by General Meng T'ien under orders from Ch'in Emperor Shih Huang Ti (c. 220 BC). The Romans developed civil structures throughout their empire, including especially aqueducts, insulae, harbours, bridges, dams and roads.
Until modern times there was no clear distinction between civil engineering and architecture, and the term engineer and architect were mainly geographical variations referring to the same person, often used interchangeably. In the 18th century, the term civil engineering began to be used to distinguish it from military engineering.
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.
WHAT IS CIVIL ENGINEERING?
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 bridges, roads, canals, dams and buildings. Civil engineering is the oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it was defined to distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering. It is traditionally broken into several sub-disciplines including environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, municipal or urban engineering, water resources engineering, materials engineering, coastal engineering, surveying, and construction engineering. Civil engineering takes place on all levels: in the public sector from municipal through to federal levels, and in the private sector from individual homeowners through to international companies
