1 Civil Engineering: Societal & Global Impact

1. Introduction
Engineering is the discipline, which deals with application of mathematics and scientific
principle to give solution of different problems of daily life or make easier to work or lessen
the resource used. For example- a Mechanical engineer gives machinery solution, a software
engineer give software solution, similarly a civil engineer gives structural solution.
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the planning,
design, construction, management and maintenance of the physical and naturally built
environment or structures, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams,
airports, sewerage systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings etc. Civil engineers
also help to preserve our environment by assisting in the cleaning up of existing pollution and
planning ways to reduce future pollution of our air, land and water.
1.2 Civil Engineering Structures
Civil engineering professionals mainly concerns about the planning, design, construction and
management of structures, which can be utilized for public benefits. Civil Engineering
Structures can be classified in following:
Sr. No. Type Structures
1 Transport Infrastructure Road, Railway, Airport, Port & Harbours, Bridges,
Tunnel etc.
2 Building structure High rise building, Multifunction building etc.
3 Hydraulic structure Dam, Reservoir, Canal, Aqueduct, Canal head
regulator etc.
4 Water supply & Sanitation Water inlet structure, Water Tank, Water supply
structure pipelines, Sewer system etc.
5 Industrial Structure Chimney, Ware house, complex structures etc.

1.3 Various disciplines of Civil engineering

 Structural Engineering- It is the discipline, which deals with analysis and design of
different structure from simple to complex nature like Building, trusses, bridges etc.
 Transportation Engineering- This discipline deals with geometric and structural
design of roadways, railway, airport structures, Port & Harbours etc. and study, control
and management of traffic on urban roads.
 Irrigation Engineering or Hydraulic Engineering- Such structure, which have to
bear the load of static and flowing water for storage and transportation of water for
irrigation purpose or any other reasons are hydraulic structures. The Analysis and
design of this type of structure comes under Irrigation Engineering.
 Geotechnical Engineering- Transfer of load of a heavier structure to ground is a big
issue. Load transfer is done through a better foundation design, which depends upon
anticipated loads and soil characteristic of ground. Stability of soil structure, foundation
and its design is studied under this discipline.
 Construction Planning & Management-A large project has a lots of different
activities. Economy in a project can be enhanced by reducing wastage of resources and
utilizing it in effective manner. This Discipline deals with the management procedures,
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which can help a civil engineer to complete a project in appropriate time and in better
economy.
 Geomatic Engineering- Geomatic engineering focuses on the process of large data
collection through advance techniques like Remote Sensing, GIS etc. Which is very
much helpful during planning stage of a large projects like hydraulic structure projects,
airport projects etc.
 Earthquake Engineering- This discipline deals with the study of reason of earthquake,
its propagation characteristics and its effects on structure. Through these studies an
earthquake resistance structure can be designed.
 Environmental Engineering or Public Health Engineering- Water is one of the basic
need of humans, which affects human health. This discipline deals with the study of
water collection, purification and design of water supply system as well as waste water
disposal system i.e Sewerage system. Air pollution is one of the prime concern of the
society, which is also studied under Environmental Engineering.
 Other branches like Urban Planning, Rural Management, Coastal engineering are also
some sub-branches of Civil Engineering, which includes some management skill study
also.
1.4 Important aspects for designing a structure
 Strength & Durable
 Comfort, safety & Serviceability
 Economical
1.5 History of Civil Engineering
It is difficult to determine the history of emergence and beginning of civil engineering,
however, that the history of civil engineering is a mirror of the history of human beings on this
earth. Man used the old shelter caves to protect themselves of weather and harsh environment,
and used a tree trunk to cross the river, which being the demonstration of ancient age civil
engineering.
Civil Engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginnings of human existence.
The earliest practices of Civil engineering may have commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC
in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia (Ancient Iraq) and Mohenjodaro, 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.
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. The construction of Pyramids in Egypt (2700-
2500 BC) might be considered the first instances of large structure constructions.
3 Civil Engineering: Societal & Global Impact

Fig.- the Parthenon at Athens, Greece Fig.-Stepped pyramid for King Djoser
Around 2550 BC, Imhotep, the first documented engineer, built a famous stepped
pyramid for King Djoser located at Saqqara Necropolis. With simple tools and mathematics,
he created a monument that stands to this day. His greatest contribution to engineering was his
discovery of the art of building with shaped stones. Those who followed him carried
engineering to remarkable heights using skill and imagination.

Fig. Qanat water management system in ancient Iran

Ancient historic civil engineering constructions include the Qanat water management
system (the oldest older than 3000 years and longer than 71 km), the Parthenon by Iktinos in
Ancient Greece (447-438 BC), the Appian Way by Roman engineers (c. 312 BC), the Great
Wall of China by General Meng T’ien under orders from Ch’in Emperor Shih Huang Ti (c.
220 BC) and the stupas constructed in ancient Sri Lanka like the Jetavanaramaya and the
extensive irrigation works in Anuradhapura. The Romans developed civil structures throughout
their empire, including especially aqueducts, insulate, harbours, bridges, dams and roads.

Fig.- Pont du Gard, France Fig.-Appian Way

4 Civil Engineering: Societal & Global Impact

Fig.- Machu Picchu, Peru Fig.- Great wall of China

Fig.- Jetavanaramaya, Sri Lanka Fig.- Julius Caesar's Bridge

Other remarkable historical structures are Sennacherib's Aqueduct at Jerwan built in
691 BC; Li Ping's irrigation projects in China (around 220 BC); Julius Caesar's Bridge over the
Rhine River built in 55 BC, numerous bridges built by other Romans in and around Rome(e.g.
the pons Fabricius); Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct, Nimes, France) built in 19 BC; the
extensive system of highways the Romans built to facilitate trading and (more importantly) fast
manoeuvring of legions; extensive irrigation system constructed by the Hohokam Indians, Salt
River, AZ around 600 AD; first dykes defending against high water in Friesland, The
Netherlands around 1000 AD; El Camino Real - The Royal Road, Eastern Branch, TX and
Western Branch, NM (1500s AD).
Machu Picchu, Peru, built at around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire is considered
an engineering marvel. It was built in the Andes Mountains assisted by some of history’s most
ingenious water resource engineers. The people of Machu Picchu built a mountain top city with
running water, drainage systems, food production and stone structures so advanced that they
endured for over 500years.
A treatise on Architecture, Book called Vitruvius' De Archiectura, was published at
1AD in Rome and survived to give us a look at engineering education in ancient times. It was
probably written around 15 BC by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron,
the emperor Caesar Augustus, as a guide for building projects.
Throughout ancient and medieval history most architectural design and construction
was carried out by artisans, such as stonemasons 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
5 Civil Engineering: Societal & Global Impact

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.
1.6 Educational & Institutional history of Civil Engineering
In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined to incorporate all things civilian as
opposed to military engineering. The first engineering school, The National School of Bridges
and Highways, France, was opened in 1747. 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.
In 1818, world’s first engineering society, 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 recognizing civil
engineering as a profession. Its charter defined civil engineering as: “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, material science, geography, geology, soil, hydrology,
environment, mechanics and other fields.”
The first private college 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.
INDIA Year WORLD

3500 BC Egypt Pyramid

3000 BC Mesopotamia

Mohenjodaro 2500 BC

Nalanda University 1200 BC

1000 BC Qanat Water system

750 BC Great Wall of China

GT Road 333 BC

60 Pont du Guard

125 The Pantheon

803 Leshan Giant Budhha

Chand baori 950

Konark Temple 1250

Sidi Bashir Mosque 1452

Taj Mahal 1632

Red fort 1642

6 Civil Engineering: Societal & Global Impact

COE Guindy, Chennai 1794

Hawa Mahal 1799

1824 Cement Patent

IIT Rorkee 1847

COE Pune 1854

IIEST Shibpur 1856

1869 Seuz Canal

1881 Panama Canal

1883 Brooklyn Bridge

NIT Patna 1886

1889 Effile Tower

IISC Banglore 1909

IIT BHU 1919

ISM Dhanbad 1926

1936 Hoover Dam

1937 Golden Gate Bridge

Howrah Bridge 1942

Rajendra Setu 1959

Bhakhra nangal Dam 1963

1972 Spaghetti Junction

Gandhi Setu 1982

1994 Channel Tunnel

2004 Milleu Viaduct

Tehri dam 2006

2007 Birds nest stadium

Bandra worli sea link 2009

2010 Burj khalifa

Timeline of Famous Civil engineering Projects

1.7 Growth of Civil Engineering

1.7.1 The Roles of Civil And Military Engineer in Ancient Times
As stated above, civil engineering is considered to be the first main discipline of engineering,
and the engineers were in fact military engineers with expertise in military and civil works.
During the era of battles or operations, the engineers were engaged to assist the soldiers fighting
in the battlefield by making catapults, towers, and other instruments used for fighting the
enemy. However, during peace time, they were concerned mainly with the civil activities such
as building fortifications for defence, making bridges, canals, etc.
1.7.2 Civil Engineering in the 18th – 20th Century
7 Civil Engineering: Societal & Global Impact

Until the recent era, there was no major difference between the terms civil engineering and
architecture, and they were often used interchangeably. It was in the 18th century that the term
civil engineering was firstly used independently from the term military engineering. The first
private college in the United States that included Civil Engineering as a separate discipline was
Norwich University established in the year 1819. Civil engineering societies were formed in
United States and European countries during the 19th century, and similar institutions were
established in other countries of the world during the 20th century. The American Society of
Civil Engineers is the first national engineering society in the United States. In was founded in
1852 with members related to the civil engineering profession located globally. The number of
universities in the world that include civil engineering as a discipline have increased
tremendously during the 19th and the 20th centuries, indicating the importance of this
technology.
1.7.3 Modern Concepts In Civil Engineering
Numerous technologies have assisted in the advancement of civil engineering in the modern
world, including high-tech machinery, selection of materials, test equipment, and other
sciences. However, the most prominent contributor in this field is considered to be computer-
aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacture (CAM). Civil engineers use this
technology to achieve an efficient system of construction, including manufacture, fabrication,
and erection. Three-dimensional design software is an essential tool for the civil engineer that
facilitates him in the efficient designing of bridges, tall buildings, and other huge complicated
structures.
1.8 Famous civil engineering organizations and societies
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. 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 recognizing civil engineering as a profession. 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.
For every field of engineering, there is an engineering society available for like-minded
people to get together and share information. Engineering societies, such as the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) or the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers (IEEE) have national technical meetings where people can present papers and
network with other engineers.
Many societies also have local branches who conduct meetings of interest to the local
engineers. In addition to societies for specific fields of engineering, societies also exist for
demographics within the engineering profession, such as the Society of Women Engineers
(SWE).
Following are some old and well known Civil Engineering Organizations
 Chi Epsilon – Civil Engineering honorary
 ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers)
 AGC (Association of General Contractors)
 ARTPA (American Road and Transportation Builders Association)
8 Civil Engineering: Societal & Global Impact

 ITE (Institute of Transportation Engineers)

 KSPE (Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers – section of the National Society
of Professional Engineers (NSPE))
 Earthquake Engineers Research Institute (EERI)
 United States Society of Dams (USSD)
 American Concrete Institute (ACI)
 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
 ASM International
 International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE)
1.9 Famous Civil Engineers
Without civil engineering, our buildings wouldn’t be constructed, our bridges wouldn’t be
designed, and our roads wouldn’t be functional. Nearly every piece of infrastructure in society
is the result of a civil engineering mastermind. These individuals provide practical solutions to
overwhelming problems, advance science and technology, and turn theories into principles that
improve daily life. Although the modern engineering industry owes a debt to hundreds of
innovators over time, these are some of the most influential civil engineers throughout history.
 Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 BC)- Before the term “civil engineering” even had
meaning, Archimedes of Syracuse was paving the way for generations that followed
him. He invested the compound pulley, which turned out to be one of the most
important inventions in history, and also developed engineering principles for fluid
displacement.
 John Smeaton (1724-1792)- John Smeaton is considered to be the first civil engineer
and is often referred to as the “Father of Civil Engineering.” He worked to create
windmills and waterwheels during the Industrial Revolution and published a paper
about the correlation between pressure and velocity for objects moving through the air.
Smeaton had an extensive series of commissions for the design of bridges, canals,
harbors and lighthouses.
 Benjamin Wright (1770-1842)- While Smeaton gets the title of “Father of Civil
Engineering,” Benjamin Wright has been declared the “Father of American Civil
Engineering.” He was the man in charge of constructing the Erie, Delaware, Hudson,
Chesapeake, and Ohio Canals. Five of Wright’s nine children followed in their father’s
footsteps and became civil engineers as well.
 Squire Whipple (1804-1888)- Squire Whipple designed and built a weight lock scale
that had a capacity of 300 tons, which proved especially useful to build bridges. He
used his invention to weigh canal boats and also built several short span iron bridges
for the New York and Erie Railroad. Although his designs became known around the
world, he’s perhaps best known for his work on the Erie Canal.
 Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859)- One of the most versatile civil engineers in
history is Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who became famous for designing tunnels,
railroad lines, bridges, and ships. His most well-known accomplishment was creating
the network of tunnels, viaducts, and bridges for the Great Western Railway that linked
London to Bristol.
 Henry Bessemer (1813-1898)- An Englishman, Sir Henry Bessemer, is credited for
inventing the first mass-producing steel process that led to the development of the
modern skyscraper. He patented a de-carbonization process that utilized blasts of air in
1855, and he was later knighted for his contribution to the scientific community.
9 Civil Engineering: Societal & Global Impact

 Arthur Casagrande (1902-1981)- A former Harvard professor, Arthur Casagrande

developed the design principles used in the construction of earth and rock dams
throughout the world. While working as a consultant to the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, he contributed to theoretical work in the field of soil behaviour and the
construction of many dams around the world.
1.10 Famous Indian Civil Engineers
Some of the first engineers of modern India were civil engineers. Since the times of British
Raj, there have been innumerable civil engineers who had contributed a lots in building our
Nation. Some of them are following.
 Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, needs no introduction. Most identifiable with
engineering. One of the few (or probably the only) engineers who got a Bharat Ratna,
as well as knighthood. Engineers’ day is celebrated on September 15th in his honor.
 E Sreedharan, metro-man of India. He is as identifiable at present, if not more, as the
great MV. Padma Vibhushan. Most Indians, whether engineers or non-engineers, know
these two names.
 Sir Gangaram, less known as he was an active irrigation engineer and philanthropist
in what is now Pakistan. His name might ring a bell with the people of Delhi as there is
a renowned hospital in his name there. The original is in Lahore, built by the engineer
himself as philanthropy. He was invited by the erstwhile Viceroy Curzon to supervise
the engineering aspects of the imperial Delhi durbar of 1903. He was also the subject
of a story by Saadat Hasan Manto.
 Kanwar Sen, conceptualized the Indira Gandhi canal in Rajasthan. He is one of the
greatest names associated with river projects in modern India but not many people have
heard of him (including me).
 Ali Nawaz Bahadur Jung, again an irrigation engineer who was responsible for some
of the most notable irrigation works and dams in the princely state of Hyderabad.
 Ajudhia Nath Khosla, supervised the execution of what Pandit Nehru described as the
“temple of resurgent India”- the Bhakra dam. First Indian V.C. of Thomason College,
Roorkee. He was also the first engineer to be appointed as a Governor (of Orissa). I
have heard that chief engineers of P.W.D. used to be acting Governors in the British
times but this was a full time appointment.
 Veer Bhadra Mishra, prominent “clean Ganga” activist. He was simultaneously the
head of the Civil Engineering Dept. at IIT-BHU and the mahant (head priest) at Sankat
Mochan temple of Varanasi. A TIME Magazine Hero of the Planet, he was also a
member of the National Ganga River Basin Authority.
 Chewang Norphel, the Ice Man of India, who has created 15 artificial glaciers. Yes,
you read it correctly. He harvests water to create glaciers in Ladakh. These glaciers help
rejuvenate groundwater in the arid cold desert. Padma Sri winner.
 Girish Bharadwaj A recent recipient of the country’s highest award, the Padmashri,
the 66-year-old hails from a remote village of Sullia taluk in Mengaluru. A graduate
from PES College of Engineering, Mandya, he builds these structures at one-tenth of
its conventional cost and takes about three months to wrap up the projects, as opposed
to other government projects.
 Swami Gyan Swarup Sanand, is an environmental engineer turned environmental
activist-cum-seer. He has been championing the cause of Ganga long before it became
cool.
 Rachpal Singh Gill, an able civil engineer overshadowed by his famous son, K. P. S.
Gill.
10 Civil Engineering: Societal & Global Impact

 Mahadeva Ganpati, supervised the Rourkela steel plant and Chittaranjan Loco Works
among others railway projects. Was the recipient of the first batch of Padma Bhushan
awards.
 Niranjan Gulati, instrumental in the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan.
 Mir Jaffer Ali, the chief engineer who supervised Nagarjun Sagar dam’s construction-
the world’s highest masonry dam at that time
 Peter Noronha, served in the Royal Engineer corps during World War I. Built the first
bridge in Haridwar across the Ganga at Har-ki-pauri. Knighted by the Pope!
 Tathagata Roy, an Indian Railway Engineering Services officer, head of design for
Calcutta metro. He later joined politics. He was also the Governor of Tripura.
 Gyan Krishna Bhatt, built the famous Ram Jhula suspension bridge in Rishikesh. Also
supervised the Green Park cricket stadium in Kanpur, BHEL township in Jagdishpur
and a Sukhoi-30 test lab building for HAL.
References
 https://www.brighthubengineering.com/building-construction-design/41552-history-
of-civil-engineering/
 http://www.thecivilengg.com/History.php
 https://www.viatechnik.com/influential-civil-engineers-throughout-history/