So Civil Engineering, what is it?
A lot people think its architecture, well kind of, but really they work together,
the architects work on the artistic and creative feel of the design
and the Civil Engineer work on bringing this to life.
So let's get into it, there are three main roles as a Civil Engineer.
The designer,
The contractor,
and the client representative.
Okay, so the designer, it’s in the name really.
With calculations, standards and design software such as AutoCAD.
Designers can visualise the end structure whilst also pushing boundaries
with new and exciting innovations.
But it’s not all about building mind blowing sky scrapers
like The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world by the way.
Sometimes designer’s work in areas you least expect them to.
How about designing a water slide in an theme park. Sounds simple doesn’t it?
Let's consider the problems that need to be resolved.
They need to ensure the waterslide can withstand
the weight of the riders, the force of the wind blowing on it and of course the rushing water,
because without no water there is no ride, and what would be the fun in that!
Next is the Contractor, they turn the plans of a designer into reality.
They are responsible for attaining materials, equipment, and labour
all required to carry of projects in accordance
with budgets, time schedules and safety regulations.
Do these names mean anything to you?
Pacific Bridge Company, Barrett & Hilp, McClintic-Marshall Corporation
These are just some of the contractors who united together to build
the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
A massive 1.7 mile long suspension bridge, that weighs over 800,000 tonnes,
whilst also being able to withstand 90mph winds and magnitude 8 earthquakes.
Last but by no means the least, the Client representative, what do they do?
Let's think of it this way, if the designers are composers who write music
and the contractors are musicians then
the client’s representatives are conductors of the orchestra.
They ensure the project does not deviate from the client’s vision by solving any issues on site,
between, the designer, the contractor and anyone else for that matter.
Modern Civil Engineering is a broad field that comprises of various types of engineers
each specializing in different types of construction
Did you know gusts of 100 miles per hour have been recorded near the top of The Shard,
the tallest building in Western Europe?
So how is the iconic tower still standing?
It’s all down to Structural engineers, these guys analyse how such structures can hold up to
environmental factors like floods, winds and earthquakes.
Here’s another problem, You’re in Tokyo Japan you need to get to Shinjuku from Shibuya
in ten minutes flat, it takes 50 minutes by foot and 14 minutes by car, what do you do?
You get on the Tokyo metro of course and get there in 7 minutes flat!
You have the transportation engineers to thank for
such a Super-fast, super-punctual, super-everything railway system!
And these engineers don’t stop there, they are also responsible for, highways, ports,
airfields in fact anything involved with getting from A to B.
Sometimes what many think is impossible is actually possible.
Imagine a dam that could hold back a 500 ft deep, 10 trillion gallon reservoir.
Well there is such a Dam, The Hoover Dam,
built in 1936 and is still here today as a source of fresh water,
electricity and not to mention a top tourist attraction
with more than a million visitors each year!
This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are thousands of projects across the globe
that civil engineers have been getting stuck into.
See with engineering, you can leave a legacy,
you never know, you could help build the next wonder of the world
or even design the next shuttle to space,
yes engineers get involved with everything!!
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