Unit 1- History of Civil Engineering

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Understand the knowledge on the Ancient History of Civil Engineering.

• Recognize the work of Civil Engineering in modern times.
• Discuss and understand the educational and institutional history of Civil
Engineering
• Identify the development and origin of Civil Engineering and its profession
in the Philippines.

Content

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design,
construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including
public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewerage systems,
pipelines, structural components of buildings, and railways.
Civil engineering is traditionally broken into a number of sub-disciplines. It is considered
the second-oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it is defined to
distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering. Civil engineering takes
place in the public sector from municipal through to national governments, and in the
private sector from individual homeowners through to international companies.

A. ANCIENT 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 and Mesopotamia (Ancient Iraq) 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 (circa 2700-2500 BC) might be considered the first instances of large structure
constructions.
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.

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, insulae, harbours,
bridges, dams and roads.
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 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.

B. Civil Engineering in Modern Times

The beginnings of civil engineering as a separate discipline may be seen in the foundation
in France in 1716 of the Bridge and Highway Corps, out of which in 1747 grew the École
Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (“National School of Bridges and Highways”). Its
teachers wrote books that became standard works on the mechanics of materials,
machines, and hydraulics, and leading British engineers learned French to read them. As
design and calculation replaced rule of thumb and empirical formulas, and as expert
knowledge was codified and formulated, the nonmilitary engineer moved to the front of
the stage. Talented, if often self-taught, craftsmen, stonemasons, millwrights, toolmakers,
and instrument makers became civil engineers. In Britain, James Brindley began as a
millwright and became the foremost canal builder of the century; John Rennie was a
millwright’s apprentice who eventually built the new London Bridge; Thomas Telford, a
stonemason, became Britain’s leading road builder.
John Smeaton, the first man to call himself a civil engineer, began as an instrument
maker. His design of Eddystone Lighthouse (1756–59), with its interlocking masonry, was
based on a craftsman’s experience. Smeaton’s work was backed by thorough research,
and his services were much in demand. In 1771 he founded the Society of Civil Engineers
(now known as the Smeatonian Society). Its object was to bring together experienced
engineers, entrepreneurs, and lawyers to promote the building of large public works, such
as canals (and later railways), and to secure the parliamentary powers necessary to
execute their schemes. Their meetings were held during parliamentary sessions; the
society follows this custom to this day.
The École Polytechnique was founded in Paris in 1794, and the Bauakademie was started
in Berlin in 1799, but no such schools existed in Great Britain for another two decades. It
was this lack of opportunity for scientific study and for the exchange of experiences that
led a group of young men in 1818 to found the Institution of Civil Engineers. The founders
were keen to learn from one another and from their elders, and in 1820 they invited
Thomas Telford, by then the dean of British civil engineers, to be their first president.
There were similar developments elsewhere. By the mid19th century there were civil
engineering societies in many European countries and the United States, and the
following century produced similar institutions in almost every country in the world
Formal education in engineering science became widely available as other countries
followed the lead of France and Germany. In Great Britain the universities, traditionally
seats of classical learning, were reluctant to embrace the new disciplines. University
College, London, founded in 1826, provided a broad range of academic studies and
offered a course in mechanical philosophy. King’s College, London, first taught civil
engineering in 1838, and in 1840 Queen Victoria founded the first chair of civil engineering
and mechanics at the University of Glasgow, Scot. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
founded in 1824, offered the first courses in civil engineering in the United States. The
number of universities throughout the world with engineering faculties, including civil
engineering, increased rapidly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Civil engineering
today is taught in universities on every continent.

C. EDUCATIONAL AND 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.
D.THE HISTORY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ITS PROFESSION IN THE
PHILIPPINES
DURING SPANISH TIME
The history of the architecture and civil engineering profession in the Philippines were
almost synonymous to each other. In more than three-and-a-half centuries of Spanish
subjugation, there were no Filipino civil engineers. Social prejudice constrained the
repressed indio builders to content themselves to be called mere Maestro de Obras
(Master Builders) even if they could design and build any type of structure that technology
could allow at that time. Master Builders as of today were equivalent to Construction
Foreman. Civil Engineering, as practiced in the Philippines during the Spanish era, was
not by virtue of an academic title. There were no civil engineering schools in the country
at that time and the only architects/engineers with academic degrees were Spaniards.
The walled city in Intramuros was established by the Spaniards as a model community.
The Friar Architects/Engineers during that time were the ones who built the government
buildings, bridges, residential and other structures, incorporated European standards in
engineering and architectural installations. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Filipino
engineers were assigned the task of maintaining, repairing and/or remodelling
infrastructure systems in all “pueblos” or towns including churches, convents and
government buildings. Maestro de Obras were called by the Ilustrados” or the elite group
to build structures in villas and mansions.
1571
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi founded the City of Manila on June 24, 1571 The Spaniards
started building Fort Santiago (Fuerte de Santiago) after the establishment of the city of
Manila under Spanish rule on June 24, 1571.
1577
With the arrival of the Franciscan Order to Manila in 1577, they began with construction
of wood and cane churches that succumbed to natural catastrophes. In 1739 they
constructed a stone church that was financed by the public charity and became one of
richest in Intramuros.
1586
Designed and built by Jesuit priest Antonio Sedeno from 1586 to 1587, it is one of the
oldest stone fortifications in Intramuros. Began as a circular fort called Nuestra Senora
de Guia. Renovated in 1593
to join the walls of the city. Fort fell in disrepair and, in 1644, construction began for a new
baluarte which was completed between 1653 and 1663. Resembling an ace of spades, it
housed a foundry during the 18th century. The baluarte was breached by British forces
with cannon fire in 1762. Restored and strengthened after the British occupation but was
damaged during the 1863 earthquake. It was destroyed during the Battler of Manila in
1945. Restoration began in 1979 and completed in 1992.
1591 – 1631
Construction work for the Santiago castle/fortress was commenced in 1591 and was
completed in 1634. This was the work of Leonardo Iturrino, and was the second most
important fortress to be built of stone in Manila, the Nuestra Señora de Guía fortress being
the first of these.
1596 - 1602
The Santiago fortress was built between 1596 and 1602 on the land promontory between
the sea and the Pasig River, and was the most important fortification built in Manila. The
walls encircling the city started at this point.
1599
St. Augustine Church is the oldest stone church in the Philippines. It was built in 1599;
however, it was also destroyed and rebuilt many times. It is an immense structure of thick
walls of Corinthian and Ionic designs.
1621
In 1621, Don Bernardino Castillo, a generous patron and a well-known devotee of St.
Sebastian, Patron of Archers, donated his lot, which is now the present site of the San
Sebastian Church. The original church, which was made of wood, was burned in 1651
during a Chinese uprising. The succeeding structures were destroyed twice by fire and
an earthquake in 1859, 1863, and 1880 respectively. Father Esteban Martinez, the
parish priest at that time, approached the Spanish Architect Genero Palacios with a plan
to build a fire and earthquake-resistant church made entirely of steel. Ambeth Ocampo
states that the present San Sebastian church was ordered knockdown in steel parts
from the Societe Anonyme des Enterprises de Travaux Publiques in Brussels, Belgium.
Two Belgian engineers supervised the construction of the church. On June 12, 1888,
the first shipments of steel parts were brought to the Philippines. For two years, the
church was assembled with local artists and craftsmen joining the Belgian firm in
applying the final finishing touches on this new church of steel. The stained glass
windows were imported from the Henri Oidtmann Company, a German stained glass
firm. The engineering technique used in the construction of the church, including metal
fixtures and the overall structure, were from Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel
Tower. This was confirmed when Chinese-American architect, I. M. Pei, visited the
Philippines in the late 70’s. He came to confirm what he heard about Gustave Eiffel
designing a steel church in Asia
1632
Puente Grande was the first bridge to be erected across the grand Rio del Pasig. Built
in 1632, this wooden bridge connects Intramuros and Binondo together, making it easier
and relatively faster to travel from one end to the other. It underwent several
reconstructions and renovations as it was always heavily damaged by earthquakes.
After the 1863 earthquake, Puente Grande was renamed to Puente de España. The
bridge was replaced in 1875 widening its spans to masonry of six and two central
houses. It can accommodate both pedestrians and vehicles including horse or carabao
drawn carts and carriages, and tranvia. This bridge was replaced for the last time with a
neo-classical design by Juan Arellano in the 1930s, and was called the Jones Bridge.

1645
Manila was hit by an earthquake and was reconstructed.

1686
Irrigation and Water System The first artesian wells were built in Betis, Pampanga by Fr.
Manuel Camanes. The water system in Manila (now MWSS) had its beginning from the
water works constructed by Fr. Juan Peguero in 1686. The first irrigation system was
constructed in Tanay, Rizal by Fr. Jose Delgado. (17th Century) Cavite Friar Land
Irrigation System is one of the oldest irrigation systems in the Philippines. Sometimes in
the 17th century, the Spanish period encomiendas or Spanish Royal lands grants were
implemented in Cavite. The priests were granted by the Spanish King, portions of the
agricultural land in Cavite. They subdivided the lands in to four estates namely: Naic
Estate, Santa Cruz de Malabon (Tanza) Estate, San Francisco de Malabon (General
Trias) Estate and Imus Estate, all of which are now popularly called as Cavite Friar Lands.

1846
The Pasig River Light House was the first lighthouse (masonry-built) erected in the
Philippines. It was first lighted on 1846 and deactivated on 1992. It was then located on
the north jetty at the mouth of Pasig River, (San Nicolas, Manila) marking the entrance to
the river for vessels around Manila Bay, looking to dock on the ports along the banks of
the river in Manila. A light station has been established on the site since 1642. The first
lighthouse structure was erected by the ruling Spanish government and lit on September
1, 1846. From its location at the mouth of the historic river, which divides Manila into two
sections, it was a welcoming beacon for over a century to all mariners of inter-island
vessels when bringing their vessels up into the river for berthing along its busy wharves.
The lighthouse, which was known locally as Farola (Spanish for "lighthouse") was one of
the most conspicuous landmarks in the harbor of Manila in the early part of the 20th
century. The building and later expansion of the Port of Manila, south of the light station
and subsequent land reclamations, has greatly altered the location of the lighthouse
obscuring it from the wide expanse of Manila Bay. The lighthouse was demolished in
1992 and was replaced with an architecturally simpler lighthouse with the new tower built
on the foundation of the old one. The Philippine Coast Guard Station of Manila is located
adjacent to the lighthouse and the community that developed from the reclaimed lands is
now known as "Parola" (Filipino for "lighthouse"). The present tower is a white conical
concrete structure with a height of 46 feet (14.02 m) and a focal plane of 43 feet (13.11
m). The old tower was taller at 49 feet (14.94 m). Lighthouses in the Philippines are
maintained by the Philippine Coast Guard

1852
Puente Colgante (which is the term for a suspension bridge in Spanish; literally, hanging
bridge) was the first suspension bridge built in Southeast Asia when it was started in 1849
and completed in 1852. It was built and owned by Ynchausti y Compañia, the business
headed by Jose Joaquin de Ynchausti. He commissioned the design from Basque
engineer Matias Menchacatorre. The bridge was first named Puente de Claveria, likely in
honor of the Governor-General of the Philippines Narciso Clavería, who served from
1844-1849. Puente Colgante was the first suspension bridge, not only the Philippines but
in South East Asia as well, and, probably the first toll bridge of its kind in the Philippines,
a precursor of the modern Sky Way, albeit for pedestrian use only. The suspension bridge
measured 110 metres (360 ft) long and 7 metres (23 ft) wide, and had two lanes that
allowed passage of horses and carabaodrawn carriages. It was also opened for
pedestrians traveling on foot between Quiapo and Intramuros and nearby areas. In 1854
Ynchausti brought together the Ynchausti family holdings under the above name. A
Basque Spaniard born in Cadiz, de Ynchausti immigrated to the Philippines in the second
quarter of the nineteenth century and built a business empire. In 1889 Ynchausti y
Compañia was the largest company in the Philippines. The 20th-century writer Nick
Joaquin described the bridge as it was in the 1870s: “Across the city’s river now arched
… the amazing Puente Colgante, suspended in the air, like a salute to the age of science
and engineering. The Industrial Age found its expression in the Philippines in the form of
a bridge unparalleled throughout Asia.” Historians dispute local traditions that say the
bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel, who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. (This is
also asserted about the Puente de Ayala.) They note the original bridge has been
documented as designed by a Basque. (In addition, the 1930s work was performed a
decade after Eiffel died in 1923.)

1867
The project for public supply of fresh water to the city dates from the early 18th century.
Before this, the city had to be content with a fresh water supply based on cisterns. In
1867, the town council decides to take on the challenge of a project to supply fresh water
to the whole of the city. In 1882 the first public water fountain gushed forth its waters, and
shortly after this, the technology of the times was successful in providing Manila with a
fresh water supply from sources up-river.

1868
It was in 1868 when the Bureau of Public Works and Highways (Obras Publicas) and
Bureau of Communications and Transportation (Communicationes y Meteologia) were
organized under a civil engineer known as “Director General”.

1878-1918
The founding of Carriedo Waterworks Manila didn’t get running water until 1878, when
the municipal waterworks was established by Governor Domingo Moriones, with money
from a fund that by then had become legendary as the Carriedo Legacy. A “public-spirited
citizen,” Don Francisco Carriedo y Peredo was a Basque from Santander who during his
life conferred immense benefits on the Philippines, having migrated in the Philippines
early in the 18th century. One of his “obras pias” (pious works), was a legacy he left in his
will for the building of a Manila water system. Though Señor Carriedo did not live long
enough to see his legacy since he died in 1743, Manila was to be without running water
for more than a century longer. Thanks to Governor Moriones who acted on providing
Manila with running water that the Carriedo Legacy was finally fulfilled.

1875
On June 25, 1875, King ALFONSO XII of Spain promulgates the Royal Decree directing
the Office of the Inspector of Public Works of the Philippines to submit a general plan of
railroad in Luzon

1876
The General Plan for Railways was drawn up in 1876 for the island of Luzon, and included
a network totalling 1,730 kilometers. A 192 Km stretch of track was constructed between
Manila and Dagupan. This operated a regular service as from 1892. The most outstanding
works carried out on the railway system were the bridge over the great Pampanga River
and the building of Tutubán Station, in the Tondo district. The tremendous growth of the
city of Manila led the administration to contemplate, in 1878, the setting up of a public
transport network. Five tramway lines would link the city with its outskirts.

1878
The concession for constructing five tramways in Manila and its suburbs was approved.
The plan included a main station at San Gabriel and the crossing of the river via the
"Puente de España"

1880
School for Maestro de Obras called Escuela Practica y Artes Oficios de Manila was
founded. Its first Filipino graduates were Julio Hernandez (1891), Isidro Medina (1894),
Arcadio Arellano (1894) and Juan Carreon (1896) Puente de Convalecencia or better
known as the Ayala Bridge was completed in 1880. Originally it is composed of two
separate spans connected by the Isla de Convalecencia, which is home to Hospisio de
San Jose, dropping point for abandoned babies, the bridge over this island was originally
made of wooden arched trusses.

1883
On November 1, 1883, the study of the first railroad project between Manila and Dagupan
done by Antonio dela Camara was appoved

1887
On July 31, 1887, construction of the ManilaDagupan railroad was started

1892
On November 24, 1892, the entire line from Manila to Dagupan, with a total length of
195.4 kms, was completed and put into commercial operations…
Learning Activities

Activity 1. Writing Exercises

Direction: Search and write the history of Civil Engineering and its profession in
the Philippines from year 1898 to 2013.

Activity 2. Essay Writing

Direction: Write an essay.

Amongst all fields of engineering, why you chose Civil Engineering?

Assessment

Essay Writing: 25 points each.

1. What is the role of Civil Engineering in the society?

2. Why it is important to know the history of Civil Engineering?