CE 11 – CIVIL ENGINEERING

ORIENTATION

Module 1 - History of Civil

Engineering

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 1

This module has the following sections and corresponding icons:

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module.

The topics in this module are

Overview
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A brief debate on the lectures is

given in this section. It helps you
Lecture Proper
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CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 2

 Overview:

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.
It is difficult to determine the history of emergence and beginning of civil engineering,
however, 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.
In this module, you will learn about the ancient historic of civil engineering constructions
and remarkable historical structures. You will also study the educational and institutional history
of civil engineering.

Course Description:
Introduction to various tracks of specialization of civil engineering, emphasis on ethics,
responsibility and professionalism.

Course Outcomes:
After completing the module, you must be able to:
1. Explain the history and profession of Civil Engineering.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. Describe the history and profession of Civil Engineering;
2. Define Civil Engineering as a discipline; and
3. Discuss the early structural engineering developments.

Time Frame:
This module covers week 3-4 in the course syllabus.

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 3

 LESSON 1 Civil Engineering Profession

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 has evolved tremendously in aspects relating to building, designing and
maintaining the world’s built and natural environments. Historically, the term ‘civil engineering’
did not exist. It is only recently that engineers whose duties were civil and non- military were
categorized as civil engineers to differentiate them from military engineers. A military engineer
is one who makes ‘machines of war’. In ancient times the bridge, waterways, fortifications and
machines of war were all projects also projects undertaken by the military engineer. Kings,
Queens, Emperors or Pharaohs required these military building services from their engineers in
order to build massive structures that created a powerful and imposing image of themselves.
This was the ultimate form of self-promotion. The reason the ‘civil’ and ‘military’ engineers were
grouped as one, was because the techniques of designing these projects were similar and one
who worked on military construction projects also worked on civil projects. Also the structures
such as roads, dams, buildings and bridges facilitated for the military agendas of certain rulers.
Definitely, before the term civil engineer was coined, civil engineers were in existence.
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.

Civil Engineering as a discipline

Civil Engineering is the application of physical and scientific principles for solving the
problems of society, and its history is intricately linked to advances in the understanding of
physics and mathematics throughout history.
Because civil engineering is a wide-ranging profession, including several specialized sub-
disciplines, its history is linked to knowledge of the following:
 structures,
 materials science,
 geography,
 geology,
 soils,
 hydrology,
 environment,
 mechanics and other fields.
CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 4
Republic Act 544: An Act to Regulate the Practice of Civil Engineering in the Philippines

The Civil Engineering Law, Republic Act No. 544, which governs the practice of civil
engineering in the Philippines, was last amended 55 years ago. ... The civil engineer is
constantly challenged to design and build developments in a manner that is environmentally
sound, socially acceptable, and globally competitive.
Section 24. The practice of civil engineering is a professional service, admission to which
must be determined upon individual, personal qualifications.

Code of Ethics
Fundamental principles
Civil engineers uphold and advance the integrity. Honor and dignity of the civil engineering
profession by:
1. using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare and environment;
2. being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity the public, their employers/employees
and clients;
3. striving to increase the competence and prestige of the civil engineering profession; and
4. supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.

Professional Responsibility
The standard practice is for Civil engineers to be given responsibility for studying, conceiving,
designing, observing construction, and assisting in the programming for operating and
maintaining engineering works.
The health, safety, well-being and comfort of the public in using a facility, and the ultimate facility
cost.
Civil engineers shall conduct themselves in a highly Professional Manner and serve as faithful
trustees or agents of their client or employers.
Care and protection of the environment
Maintain highest standards of ethical professional practice in their dealing with client, employers,
employees, competitors and the community.

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 5

 LESSON 2 History of Civil Engineering

It is difficult to determine the history of emergence and beginning of civil engineering,

however, 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.
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
infrastructures that existed were repetitive and increases in scale were incremental.
One of the earliest examples of 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.
There are a number of sub-disciplines within the broad field of civil engineering. General
civil engineers work closely with surveyors and specialized civil engineers to design grading,
drainage, pavement, water supply, sewer service, dams, electric and communications supply.
General civil engineering is also referred to as site engineering, a branch of civil engineering that
primarily focuses on converting a tract of land from one usage to another. Site engineers spend
time visiting project sites, meeting with stakeholders, and preparing construction plans. Civil
engineers apply the principles of geotechnical engineering, structural engineering,
environmental engineering, transportation engineering and construction engineering to
residential, commercial, industrial and public works projects of all sizes and levels of
construction.

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, the Indus Valley Civilization, 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.

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 6

 Leonhard Euler developed the theory explaining the buckling of columns.

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.

Some Ancient historic civil engineering constructions includes:

 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.

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 7

The Romans developed civil structures throughout their empire, including especially aqueducts,
insulate, harbors, bridges, dams and roads.

A Roman aqueduct [built circa 19 BC], Pont du Gard, France

Chichen Itza was a large pre-Columbian city in Mexico built by the Maya people of the
Post Classic. The northeast column temple also covers a channel that funnels all the rainwater
from the complex some 40 metres (130 ft) away to a rejollada, a former cenote.
In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined to incorporate all things civilian
as opposed to military engineering. In 1747, the first institution for the teaching of civil
engineering, the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées was established in France; and more
examples followed in other European countries, like Spain.
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.

John Smeaton, the "father of civil engineering"

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. Its charter defined civil engineering
as:
the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and
convenience of man, as the means of production and of traffic in states, both for
external and internal trade, as applied in the construction of roads, bridges,
aqueducts, canals, river navigation and docks for internal intercourse and
exchange, and in the construction of ports, harbours, moles, breakwaters and
lighthouses, and in the art of navigation by artificial power for the purposes of
commerce, and in the construction and application of machinery, and in the
drainage of cities and towns.

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 8

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 maneuvering 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, in 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.

Early structural engineering developments

The ancient Romans made great bounds in structural engineering, pioneering large structures
in masonry and concrete, many of which are still standing today. They include aqueducts,
thermal, columns, lighthouses, defensive walls and harbors. Their methods are recorded by
Vitruvius in his De Architectura written in 25 BC, a manual of civil and structural engineering with
extensive sections on materials and machines used in construction. One reason for their
success is their accurate surveying techniques based on the dioptra, groma and chorobates.

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 written by the Roman architect
Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus, as a guide for building projects

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 9

 Flying buttress at Notre Dame Cathedral (1163–1345)
During the High Middle Ages (11th to 14th centuries) builders were able to balance the
side thrust of vaults with that of flying buttresses and side vaults, to build tall spacious structures,
some of which were built entirely of stone (with iron pins only securing the ends of stones) and
have lasted for centuries.
In the 15th and 16th centuries and despite lacking beam theory and calculus, Leonardo
da Vinci produced many engineering designs based on scientific observations and rigor,
including a design for a bridge to span the Golden Horn. Though dismissed at the time, the
design has since been judged to be both feasible and structurally valid.

Galileo Galilei
The foundations of modern structural engineering were laid in the 17th century by Galileo
Galilei, Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton with the publication of three great scientific works. In
1638 Galileo published Dialogues Relating to Two New Sciences,[8] outlining the sciences of
the strength of materials and the motion of objects (essentially defining gravity as a force giving
rise to a constant acceleration). It was the first establishment of a scientific approach to structural
engineering, including the first attempts to develop a theory for beams. This is also regarded as
the beginning of structural analysis, the mathematical representation and design of building
structures.
This was followed in 1676 by Robert Hooke's first statement of Hooke's Law, providing a
scientific understanding of elasticity of materials and their behaviour under load.
Eleven years later, in 1687, Sir Isaac Newton published Philosophiae Naturalis Principia
Mathematica, setting out his Laws of Motion, providing for the first time an understanding of the
fundamental laws governing structures.
Also in the 17th century, Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz both independently
developed the Fundamental theorem of calculus, providing one of the most important
mathematical tools in engineering.

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 10

Modern developments in structural engineering

Bessemer converter, Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield, England (2002)

The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig
iron before the development of the open hearth furnace.

Belper North Mill (Strutt’s North Mill in Belper); Structural system: industrialized
iron framed “fire-proof” brick

The Forth Bridge; a cantilever railway bridge in the east of Scotland

Eiffel Tower under construction in July 1888.

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 11

 The Lattice shell structure of the Shukhov Tower in Moscow.

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, materials science and structural analysis
underwent development at a tremendous pace.

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.

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 12

 Assessment

Essay Writing: Write an essay about the following.

1. In your own understanding, define the civil engineering profession.
2. How do you see yourself as a future civil engineer? In what particular field are you most
interested?
3. How do you appreciate the history of civil engineering? Make a chronological
order/summary of the history based on the above lesson.

Supplementary Knowledge

https://www.britannica.com/technology/civil-engineering
http://www.thecivilengg.com/History.php

Answer Key
Refer to rubrics for the essay.

References

1. Donaldson, K., The Engineering Student Survival Guide, McGraw-Hill

2. Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc., Manual of Professional Practice for Civil
Engineers, 3rd Edition, October 2005

CE 11- Civil Engineering Orientation Module 1-History of Civil Engineering 13