Civil Engineering

The twin towers stood standing for several
minutes after being hit by the plane. This saved
many people's lives and is due to the design and
structure developed by civil engineers.

Civil engineers touch many aspects 

of everyday life; from the water you 

use in the morning to brush your teeth 

and shower, to the roads you drive 

on and the houses and buildings you live 

and work in, and the power that 

charges your phone. Without civil 

engineers, our national parks wouldn't 

have their infrastructures, parks 

wouldn't be preserved, and wetlands would 

flood and destroy cities. Our roads, trains, 

and other forms of mass transit would 

not be as they are today. Civil engineers 

are constantly looking toward the future 

and are improving aspects of our everyday lives.

The Empire State Building, Golden Gate Bridge, and Panama Canal are just a few of the amazing accomplishments in the civil engineering field. These three accomplishments are also known as the Seven Wonders of the Modern World

In addition to the Seven Wonders, there are a variety of other amazing achievements civil engineers created. Some creations are so obvious that you probably have never thought about who worked on it or what really went into creating it. The Great Pyramid of Giza, the Great Wall of China, Panama Canal, and Golden Gate Bridge are just a few. Some other not so well known wonders that civil engineers had a hand in include: China's Bird Nest (pictured below), Millau Viaduct (video below), and the Venice Tide Barrier Project. 

Being a civil engineer is just more than sitting in an office all day drawing things on a computer or being in the field all day supervising the construction work going on. Responsibilities and duties of an engineer include a wide range of things. The first duty of a civil engineer is to inspect and analyze the construction project and location.

They do not only designing and analyzing the plan, but they inspect the plan, go to the project site to make sure that the plan fits the location, and have insight that everything is going smoothly. After analyzing, they write detailed reports stating what is working and what needs to be changed. The next step is then reviewing the plans to fit the changes needed, and again making sure everything is in order to proceed with the construction phase. Most people may think the engineer’s job ends here, but that is not true. Civil engineers are a part of the project from start to end, making changes as necessary, making sure everything is going through the appropriate procedures for permits and legalities, and checking and double checking on safety of the project and the people working on the project.

As a civil engineering student at NDSU, our lessons are based on ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) objectives. As NDSU describes it, “civil engineering includes the planning, construction, maintenance, and operation of large and permanent engineering projects [and] work [closely] with engineers and scientists from other fields.” 

NDSU Engineers Without Borders in Guatemala 

What do you think of when you hear Engineer? Most will respond with, “Math…a lot of math.” This is true, but it is not the only aspect of engineering. Civil engineers use many different equations to develop a project and make checks periodically on measurements and design. Design is also a huge part of the career. Many programs are available for civil engineers; this list includes SolidWorks, Pro-Engineer, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D.

Civil engineering is one discipline in the engineering field, and is broken into sub-divisions including environmental, geotechnical, transportation, water resources, materials, surveying, construction, bridge, hydraulic, and structural. A lot of civil engineering firms focus on surveying, construction, transportation, water resources, and structural.