The Field

The field of civil engineering is quite broad and encompasses a variety of interrelated disciplines: structural engineering, environmental engineering, hydraulics, transportation, water resources, geotechnical engineering, construction, and surveying.  Civil engineers are responsible for the design and construction of resilient and sustainable infrastructure systems to benefit the public and society in an equitable manner.

Civil engineering originated as a field involved with civil works—the planning, design, construction, and operation of facilities that serve the general population. Today the field is still largely centered in the public arena, and is a profession dedicated to the needs and progress of humankind. Civil engineers design and construct facilities that we use every day—roadways, drinking water treatment plants, tunnels, subways, buildings, solid waste landfills, bridges, wastewater treatment plants, canals and waterways, water supply pipe networks, railroads, dams and reservoirs, and even ski lifts and amusement rides.  Civil Engineers analyze and solve problems of water, land, and air pollution and oversee the operation of water supply, pollution control, and hazardous waste control facilities.

Civil engineers participate in numerous aspects affecting the built infrastructure. They perform reliability and economic feasibility studies to ensure safe, sustainable, and economically efficient projects. They use traditional and modern technologies in support of their decision-making process such as computer models, surveying, unmanned aerial vehicles, satellite imaging, global positioning systems, laser imaging detection and ranging (LiDar).