CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION

ENGR. RICHELLE C. VEDAD, MET

2ND Semester, S.Y. 2023-2024

Republic of the Philippines

CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Daet, Camarines Norte

1 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
CIVIL ENGINEERING ORIENTATION
By ENGR. RICHELLE C. VEDAD

Course Description:

Introduction to various tracks and specialization of Civil Engineering, emphasis on

ethics, responsibility and professionalism

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course, the following will be attained:

1. Understand the History of Civil Engineering and the profession.
2. Familiarize with the practices of Civil Engineers in relation to their interaction
with the society.
3. Know the trend of Civil Engineering Development
4. Understand and Familiarize with the Current Fields/Careers of Civil Engineering
5. Understand the relationship of Civil Engineering to Environmental Science

Course Content
I. History of Civil Engineering
II. Civil Engineering and Society and other profession
III. Current Fields and Careers of Civil Engineering
IV. Civil Engineering Sustainability and the Future
V. Relationship of Civil Engineering to Environmental Science

2 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
Module 1
History of Civil Engineering

Introduction

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.

Learning Outcome/Objective

At the end of this chapter, the students shall be able to:

1. Knowledge on the Ancient History of Civil Engineering

2. Recognize the work of Civil Engineering in Modern Times
3. Discuss and Understand the Educational and Institutional History of Civil
Engineering
4. Identify the Development and Origin of Civil Engineering and it Profession
in the Philippines.

Learning Content/Topic

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.

3 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 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
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, 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.

4 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 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 mid-19th 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

5 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 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 and Development 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.
The Walled City of Intramuros, Manila

During the 18th and 19th

centuries, Filipino engineers were assigned the task of maintaining, repairing
and/or remodeling infrastructure systems in all 'pueblos' or towns including
churches, convents and government buildings.

6 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 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.

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 1851 during a Chinese uprising. The succeeding structures
were destroyed twice by fire and an earthquake in 1859. 1883. 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

7 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 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 1883 earthquake. Puente Grande was
renamed to Puente de Espatia. 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 Bells, 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

8 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 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 'Parole (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 Compaiiia, the business headed by Jose Joaquin de Ynchausti. He
commissioned the design from Basque engineer Mafias Menchacatorre. The
bridge was first named Puente de Claveria, likely in honor of the Governor-General
of the Philippines Narciso Claveria, 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 modem 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 carabao-drawn
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 Compaiiia was the largest company in the Philippines.

The 20th-century writer Nick Joaquin described the bridge as it was in the
1670s: `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

9 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 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 eady 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 Sefior 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 Govemor 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 totaling 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 Tutuban 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 Espana"

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 approved

1887

10 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 On July 31. 1887. construction of the Manila-Dagupan 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.
18th and 19th CENTURY

Road work in the Philippine Islands during the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries. under the Spanish regime. consisted in the opening of routes of
communication throughout the Islands. in a very thorough manner. and leaving a
very valuable asset to the present Government in the matter of the width of right of
way. which was incorporated into the law and became a part of the public domain.
The location of these routes has been justified. inasmuch. that few changes have
been made in the general alignment. except when new sections have opened up
and a change in location justified. Grades have been improved and method of
construction changed. The right of way. as established by law. has made possible
the construction methods of to-day. The use of broken stone or gravel on road
work seems not to have been practiced by the Spaniard. as little evidence is found
to promulgate this berief.

Two types of construction under Spanish regime were practiced: First.

pavement of cut Spanish road. Cut adobe stone pavement. Stone. This was
usually of the adobe quality. probably used because it is easily quarried. cut. and
handled. the size used called "ordinario" 20 by 20 centimeters and 50 centimeters
long. This makes a very smooth and pretty pavement. but. where an ordinary
amount of traffic is encountered. wears very rapidly. Had a hard stone been used.
the result would have been of a permanent nature.
Second. Spanish road. rubble-stone pavement cobblestones. The pavement
of cobblestone consisted of boulders probably taken from riverbeds varying in size
from 10 to 30 centimeters in diameter. This type was very durable and lasting. so
long as the individual stones retained their position in a bed of earth. Owing to the
size used there was no bond. and stones were easily displaced. unless covered
with earth. sand. or gravel. This pavement was very rough and. had a second or
top course of small gravel been used and bound together with a binding material.
would have been in use to-day. Attention is often called to the good roads that
existed during the Spanish regime.
First Philippine Republic (Aguinaldo)

1898

The Organic Decree issued by Gen. Emilio Aquinaldo establishing the

Philippine Revolutionary Government created four (4) government departments
among which was the Department of War and Public Works.

In 1896. after four (4) centuries of Spanish colonization. our Filipino

forebears started the revolutionary movement and the struggle to gain freedom
began. On June 12. 1898. Gem Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippine
Independence in Kawit. Cavite. The Organic Decree of the Philippine
Revolutionary Government on June 23. 1898 issued by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
provided for the creation of four (4) Departments in the government. one of which
was the DEPARTMENT OF WAR AND PUBLIC WORKS.

Though once included in the Department of War. now Department of

National Defense. its functions as builder and maintainer of roads. bridges and
other public works structures are inherent in the present Department_ The
inclusion of public works in the War and Department can be explained by the
exigencies of the revolutionary period. The construction of fortifications and
trenches was needed in the cause for freedom which our heroes had fought for.

When Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States in 1898. the public
works and activities were placed under the U.S. Army engineers. 1899 The

11 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Malolos Constitution was ratified during a general assembly of Congress. and the
first Council of Government of the First Philippine Republic was created.

1899

The Malolos Constitution was ratified during a general assembly of

Congaree and the first Council of Government of the First Philippine Republic was
created.

From January 21. 1899 to May 7. 1899. with Apolinario Mabini as President
of the Cabinet (i.e. Prime Minister). Gracio Gonzaga served as the Secretary of
Public Welfare. which included the transportation and communications portfolio.
When Mabini was replaced by Pedro Paterno as President of the Cabinet.
among the seven departments set up was the Communicaciones y Obras Publicas
(i.e. the Communications and Public Works Department). Maximo Patemo was
appointed as Secretary of Public Works and Communications. Since then. Public
Works. Transportation. and Communications have been grouped into one
department.
During American Regime

The coming of the Americans brought about drastic changes in our

engineering culture. The new colonizers pursued -benevolent' policies that focused
on English education. public health. free enterprise. and representative
governance thus bringing with them were military engineers. Thomasite teachers.
doctors and evangelist.

Under the civil government established in July. 1901. such 'assimilation"

manifested itself physically in the form of infrastructures. Highways. bridges.
schools. hospitals. and government buildings steadily transformed the Philippine
landscape.

1899

In his letter dated January 4. 1899 to Filipinos. US Major-General Elwell S.

Otis. the Military Governor of the Philippines. announced US President William
McKinley's instructions for the islands' Benevolent Assimilation. The instructions
stated that the management of public property and revenue. and the use of all
public means of transportation. were to be conducted by the military authorities
(i.e. by the US Army) until such time that they would be transferred back to civilian
authority. Thus. the Bureau of Engineering was placed under the supervision of
American military engineers. The ports were opened to commerce for all foreign
nations.

1900

Foundation of the Liceo de Manila. a private institution offering academic

course for maestro de obras and headed by Leon Ma. Guerrero. The first private
school to offer an academic title for Maestro de Obras. (the forerunner of formal
education in architecture/engineering)

The introduction of reinforced concrete in the Philippines was in the 1900s

and its use in the construction of the Masonic Temple (Grand Lodge of the
Philippines). the first multi-structure in Escotta. Manila.
On April 20. 1900. the US military authorities returned the railroad to its
owner
Early 1900's

12 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Transportation in the Philippines was depended largely on trails. waterways.
railroad. earth roads and partially graveled roads. Highway in the Philippines at
that time is nothing more than a dream to most Filipinos. The US government
initiated the development of roadways in the Philippines connecting towns. cities
and provinces. The popular Macadam Road type was introduced. It gained
acceptance because of abundant supply of stones and gravel.

1901

By virtue of Act No. 83 passed by the Philippine Commission on February 6.

1901. public works and projects were placed under the Provincial Supervisions'.

The 1901 municipal code (February 6. 1901) provided for popularly elected
municipal board members who were responsible for collecting taxes. maintaining
municipal properties. and undertaking necessary construction projects.

1902

The first professional association of architecture and surveyors was born on

September 14. 1902 with the creation of the Academia de Arquitectura y
Agrimensura de Filipinas (AAAF).

Bureau of Engineering and Construction of Public Works and Bureau of

Architecture and Construction of Public Buildings - were created by Act Numbers
222 and 268 of the Philippine Commission and placed under The Department of
Commerce and Police

The Philippine Commission passed Act Nos. 222 and 268 creating the
Department of Commerce and Police which gave birth to the Bureau of
Engineering and Construction of public works and the Bureau of Architecture and
Construction of public buildings.
The Philippine Bill of 1902 (July 1. 1902) or the Philippine Organic Act
authorized the Government of the Philippine Islands to provide for the needs of
commerce. This includes improving harbours. constructing maintaining bonded
warehouses. wharves. piers. light-houses. signal and life-saving stations. buoys.
and like instruments of commerce. as well as to adopt and enforce regulations.
(The US Congress authorizes the Philippine Government to grant franchise and
concession for the construction of public utilities and services)

On December 8, 1902, the first Railroad Legislation Act (Philippine

Commission Act No. 554) was passed granting the Manila Railroad Company
(MRRCo) the right to construct branch lines

1903

AAFF changed the name of association to Academia de Arquitectura.

Ingeniera y Agrimensura de Filipinas (AIAAF) — including civil engineers and
surveyors

But everything was confused and disorganized under our tolerant new
masters. Even in government. it took several years before the Philippine
commission could buckle down to work and create the first Philippine assembly.

1904

The above-mentioned Academia merged with the Liceo and established the
Escuela de Ingeniera y Arquitectura, which offered a five-year course in
architecture and civil engineering.

1905

13 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 The Escuela ceased to operate after its first year of inception. The Bureau of
Public Works was created and placed under Department of Commerce and Police
on October 26, 1905

Act No. 1401 of the Philippine Commission passed on October 4, 1905,

abolished engineering districts and positions of district engineers. On October 26
of the same year. however, by virtue of a Reorganization Act. the Bureau of Public
Works was created and placed under the Department of Commerce and Police.
Along with the economic growth of the country was the need for a more extensive
road network that would penetrate the rural areas. In order to achieve that end,
provincial boards were created in 1907 with authority to collect double cedula
taxes to finance the construction of provincial roads and bridges. In addition, the
national government appropriated P1,700,000 as aid to such constructions.

1906

On July 7. 1906, Philippine Commission Act No. 1510 was enacted giving
the concession of the railway to Speyer and Co. with Mr. Horace Higgins as
General Manager

1907

The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) is the

oldest engineering school in the Philippines. It was established on May 18, 1907,
as School of Civil Engineering with one program offering leading to the degree of
Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE). From faculty records, it appeals
that it was only in 1912 when the earliest batch of students was conferred their
MSCE degrees.

Don Ramon Irureta-Goyena headed the UST-COE. During the early years of
U.S. occupation, most of the civil engineers in our country came from America.
The College was patterned after the University of Havana in Cuba and was fast set
up at the second floor of the old UST building in Intramuros.

1908

The above-named Escuela was reorganized and reopened its doors to

students but this time offered a three-year course for architecture, civil engineering
and electrical engineering.

1909

Wawa Dam (also known as Montalban Dam) is a gravity dam constructed

over the Marikina River in the municipality of Rodriguez in Rizal province.
Philippines. The slightly arched dam is situated in the 360-metre (1,180 ft) high
Montalban Gorge or Wawa Gorge, a water gap in the Sierra Madre Mountains, and
east of Manila. It was built in 1909 during the American colonial era to provide the
water needs for Metro Manila. It used to be the only source of water for Manila until
Angat Dam was built and Wawa was abandoned. Due to insufficiency of water
supply for Metro Manila, there was a strong clamor to reuse the dam.

1910
The Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines. in a resolution
passed on June 3. 1910, appointed Mr. W.J. Colbert as acting Dean of the College
of Engineering. His appointment was set to effect on June 13. 1910 thereby
creating the College of Engineering. Dean Colbert was authorized to prepare the
curriculum and select the necessary teaching personnel for the new course.
Initially, a four-year course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science with an
additional degree of Civil Engineer upon completion of an extra year of study was
approved. The first instructor to be appointed was Mr. Jose P. Katigbak of the City

14 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Engineer's Office of Manila, as instructor in graphics (drawing) on a part-time
basis.

The first appearance of motor vehicles in the Philippine highways in 1910.

Roads and bridges had to be kept in good condition at all times. Naturally. there
was a need for funds to keep the roads passable the whole year round.

1911

In 1911. the AIAAF was dissolved when the civil engineers (and other
engineering profession) withdrew to form their own professional organization (The
Philippine Society of Engineers), but not before it has struggled for the passage of
an Engineers and Architects Law.

1912

The Escuela was closed.

The Irrigation Act of 1912: Under the American regime, the government
initiated policies to stimulate national economic growth through irrigation
development. The Irrigation Division under the Bureau of Public Works (BPW) was
established in 1908 (the friar lands were sold to govt. which in turn were sold to the
tenants in 1902). The Irrigation Act was passed in 1912. This regulated the
appropriation of public waters, investigation, construction, operation and
maintenance of irrigation systems. It also regulated the appropriation of public
waters, prescribed rules on water rights and provided for the securing of payments
for irrigation services from the beneficiaries.

1913
The first NIS, the San Miguel River Irrigation System in Tarlac with a service
area of 6000 hectares was inaugurated in 1913. During World War I. all
appropriations for irrigation was withdrawn and the Irrigation Division was
downgraded to a section in the Design Division of the BPW. Through legislative
Act No. 2562, financial assistance was given to existing private irrigation systems
covering a minimum of 25 ha., through duly organized corporations or associations
of landowners.

1914

Communal irrigation systems (CIS) were simple structures. The earliest on

record is as far back as 1914, mostly located in the Ilocos area of northern
Philippines and known as the zanjera. The term zanjera is derived from the
Spanish term for turnout and used locally to refer to a co-operative irrigation
society the function of which was to secure a stable and reliable supply of water for
its members. Most zanjeras may have two or more sittios or barrios. Membership
may comprise of all land owner or tenants or a combination of both. Water from
these systems were usually obtained from river diversions by bamboo and rock
structures-the brush dam." Being temporary structures, the community was
brought together in its reconstruction on a regular basis. Different zanjeras may
share a single main or diversion dam. In this case, necessary social adaptations
were made to settle conflicts between individuals or groups. The construction,
repair and maintenance costs of the physical system were shared by all the
members through contributions in materials or labor.

1916

On February 4, 1916. By authority of Philippine Legislature Act No. 2574,

former Governor General Harrison negotiates the acquisition of the MRRCo by the
Philippine Government

15 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 The Reorganization Act 2666 as amended by Act No. 2803 dated November
18. 1916 gave birth to the Department of Commerce and Communications
(Department of Commerce and Police transformed to The Department of
Commerce and Communications), consisting of the Bureau of Commerce and
Industry. Bureau of Supply. Bureau of Public Works. Bureau of Posts. Bureau of
Labor and Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey.

To raise such needed funds, motor vehicles and drivers plying the highways
were required to register with fee in 1921. To keep pace with further development
in transportation and communications, the Department of Commerce and Police
was transformed into the Department of Commerce and Communications under
Reorganization Act No. 2666 of 1916.

18 January 1917 - 03 October 1922

When the first cabinet comprised of Filipinos was organized. Gov. Gen.
Francis. B. Harrison appointed Cebu governor Dionisio Jakosalem as Secretary of
Commerce and Communication. The construction of roads and public buildings
marked his administration as governor of Cebu. He is credited with having linked
the southern and northern parts of the province with roads.

1919 —1954

Metropolitan Water District was founded 1921

The Engineers and Architects Law (Act No. 2985) passed on February 23.
1921. The law created separate Board of Examiners for civil engineering and
architecture. They were schooled abroad as civil engineers and architects. Due to
the Engineers and Architects Law of 1921. Filipinos were allowed to practice as
Architects and Engineers because of their experience as Maestro de Obras in the
Spanish Period.

Public Act No. 2985 was enacted empowering the Secretary of Commerce
and Communication to appoint members of the boards of the architecture and
engineering professions. The Act, which contained very general provisions on the
regulation of engineering and architecture, was later amended by Acts No. 3159
and 3182.

1928

A group of civil engineers from the government sector formed the Philippine
Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE) which was the first civil engineering organization
in the Philippines with Engr. Marcia! Kasilag as its first president.

Engr. Kasilag thereupon received the honor of holding PRC Registration

Number 1 for Civil Engineers. He then occupied a high-ranking position in the
government and the early members of PSCE were government engineers. There
were relatively few civil engineers in private practice during that time as most of the
early graduates were readily engaged by the various government agencies.

1930's

Puente Colgante Bridge was replaced by a modern steel arch bridge during
early 1930's. It was renamed Quezon Bridge after Manuel L Quezon, the president
of the Philippines at that time.

1931

Department of Commerce and Communications renamed as the Department

of Public Works and Communications

16 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 More development for the Department took place in 1931 when the
Philippine Legislature passed on May 1 of that year Act No. 4007, renaming the
Department of Commerce and Communications as Department of Public Works
and Communications. This Ac, however, did not state the proper composition and
functions of the DPWC.

Commonwealth Government

1935

On August 2. 1935. Act Number 4211 was enacted — permitting under-aged

persons to take the board exam on condition that they will not practice their
profession until they attained the required age of 21.

During the inauguration of the Commonwealth Government on November

15. 1935. a reorganization of the DPWC was undertaken. Under the set up. it was
composed of the Bureau of Public Works. Ports. Aeronautics. Coast and Geodetic
Survey. Metropolitan Water District Division of Marine. Railway and Repair Shop.
National Radio Broadcasting. Irrigation Council and Board of Examiners for Civil.
Mechanical. Chemical and Mining Engineers.

1937

The Philippine Association of Civil Engineers (PACE) was formed from a

group of civil engineers in the private sector with Engr. Enrique Sto. Tomas Cortes
as its first president

The objectives of both organizations were similar with each other in which
both of them wants to: "elevate the standards of the profession, encourage
research and engineering knowledge and technology, foster fellowship among
members, and promote interrelation with other technological and scientific
societies".

The PACE being the most active than the PSCE led to the transfer of many
PSCE members to PACE.

1938

In 1938, statutes for practice of architecture from engineering separated by

law —National Assembly Bill No. 1850

On January 31. 1938, the first Bicol train was put into operation

On May 8. 1938, the unified system of railroad from San Fernando. La Union
in the North to Legazpi in the South was formally inaugurated

1940

Highway 54 was the former name of the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue
(EDSA). Stretching some 54 kilometers. Highway 54 serves as a lifeline for
hundreds of thousands of Filipinos passing or doing business in Metro Manila.

It formed a major part of the circumferential roads in Metro Manila. From the
south. it passes through five cities Pasay. Makati. Mandaluyong. Quezon City, and
Caloocan. Its southem endpoint is at the rotunda near the SM Mall of Asia in
Pasay City while its northern point is at Monumento in Caloocan City near the
Andres Bonifacio monument.

When the avenue was constructed in 1940 by engineers led by Florencio

Moreno and Osmundo L. Monsod. it was first named as North and South

17 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Circumferential Road. But at the end of World War II, the American occupiers
changed the name to Highway 54.
But in 1959, by virtue of Republic Act 2140, the highway was renamed in
honor of Epifanio de los Santos, a famous statesman of the province of Rizal.

During Japanese Occupation (World War II)

1941

The tides of war in the Pacific came in December 1941 and thereby
interrupted the normal operations of the schools and colleges. By order of the
President of the Philippines, all schools were closed. When the Japanese forces
entered Manila in January 1942, they occupied the College/School buildings.

In 1941, outbreak of World War II, the Department of Public Works and
Communications (DPWC) and other government offices were practically abolished
due to dislocation of manpower, lack of funds, materials and equipment,
installation of enemy administration and the setting up of resistance movement.

24 December 1941 to 01 August 1944

During the Japanese occupation, the exiled Commonwealth government of

President Manuel Quezon issued Executive Order 396, which reorganized and
grouped the cabinet. The Department of Public Works and Communication
became the Department of National Defense. Public Works. Communications and
Labor with Basilio Valdes as Secretary.

1942

On Philippine soil, to mitigate the sufferings of the people under the iron-clad
rule of the Japanese, the Philippine Executive Commission was established. Under
President Jose P. Laurel's administration. Quintin Paredes served as Minister of
Public Works and Communications.
Caliraya Dam is an embankment dam located in the town of Lumban
province of Laguna, in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range of the Philippines. The
reservoir created by the dam. Lake Caliraya, initially supplied one of the oldest
hydroelectric plants in the Philippines, and later became a popular recreational
area for numerous water sports and fishing. The dam construction was started in
1939 and a small hydroelectric plant was operated in 1942.

Continuation of Commonwealth Government (After the War)

After the Second World War, the new independent Philippine government
continued the rehabilitation and construction of roads, bridges, buildings and other
infrastructures, through the reparations and war damages paid by the Japanese
government. Other financial grants and aids received from the US government
were used in the construction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, buildings and
other infrastructures.

1944

President Sergio Osmena issued Executive Order 15-W on August 8. 1944

reorganizing and consolidating the Executive Departments of the Commonwealth
government with Secretary Basilio Valdes as Secretary of National Defense and
Communications.

1945

18 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 The reorganization of the government after it was re-established on
Philippine soil was undertaken with Executive Order No. 27 on February 27. The
Department of National Defense and Communications was again named
Department of Public Works and Communications.

08 March 1945-1946
Justice Sotero Cabahug replaced Secretary Valdes as Secretary of Public
Works and Communications.

Third Republic

1946

Resuming its operation in 1946, the Department of Public Works and

Communications (DPWC) started with limited human resources, funds, materials
and equipment. An office of the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads was set up to
cooperate with the Philippine Bureau of Public Works in implementing the highway
program as authorized by the Philippine Rehabilitation Act of 1946.

1946 -1948

Ricardo Nepumoceno served as Secretary of Public Works and

Communications under the administration of President Manuel Roxas, lie
continued to do so under the administration of President Elpidio Quirino.

1947

The authority of the Department of Public Works and Communications was

further expanded when, in 1947, the Motor Vehicles Office was placed under its
direct supervision.

1948

The country's premiere airport. Manila International Airport Authority was

originally a US Air Force base until 1948, when it was turned over to the Philippine
government's National Airport Corporation. The fledgling civil aviation airport's
facilities were nothing more than the current domestic runway and a small building
as its only passenger terminal.

1949 Laws separating statutes between architects and engineers passed

1950's. The momentum to rebuild from the ashes of WWII and replace destroyed
public edifices and utilities made the 1950s an eventful decade for the construction
industry.

1950 — 1956

The Ambuklao dam was the highest and biggest in the Far East. It is made
of earth and rockfull which measures 129 meters in height and 452 meters in
length. The elevation of its crest is 758 meters and the roadway that runs through
the top of the dam has an elevation of 756 meters. There are 8 Tainter radial gates
at the clam's spillway. Each spillway measures 12.5 meters by 12.5 meters and is
127 meters in length. The gross storage capacity of the dam's reservoir is
327,170,000 cubic meters and it has a usable storage capacity of 258,000,000
cubic meters. The drainage area is 686 square kilometers and is 11 km long with a
maximum width of 1 km. Construction began on July 1950 and opened on
December 23, 1956.

1950

19 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 On June 17, 1950, the Architects (Philippine Institute of Architects) prepared
and lobbied the passing of the first Architect's law (RA 545) while the Civil
Engineers (Philippine Association of Civil Engineers), the Civil Engineering law
(RA 544, through the efforts of PACE President Alberto Guevarra) was also
passed the same year. They jointly celebrated the passing of their respective laws
at the Manila Hotel Winter Garden.

1951

Department of Public Works and Communications (DPWC) was

reconstituted as The Department of Public Works, Transportation and
Communications (DPWTC)

President Elpidio Quirino under Executive Order No. 392 in 1951, the DPWC
was again reconstituted to Department of Public Works. Transportation and
Communications (DPWTC) to include the Bureaus of Public Works. Posts.
Telecommunications. Motor Vehicles Office, Irrigation Council. Flood Control
Commission. Radio Control Board, National Transportation Board and
Government Quarters Committee.

Taking cognizance of the social impact of the road network to national

growth, the Philippine Highway Act of 1953 or Republic Act No. 917 providing for
an effective highway administration modified apportionment of highway funds and
gave aid to provinces and cities for the improvement and maintenance of roads
and bridges.

In relation to road and bridge construction and maintenance, the Bureau of

Public Highways was created in 1954 by virtue of the Republic Act No. 1192 and
placed under the Department of Public Works, Transportation and
Communications. This Act provided for a more effective management of the
Philippine Highways under a Commissioner. Active plans & programs were
formulated & implemented.

With the abolition of National Airport Corporation in 1951, ownership and

management of the airport fell to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CM) under
the Department of Commerce & Industry. In 1956, the CAA was transferred to the
Department of Public Works, Transportation & Communications.

1954

Bureau of Public Highways (BPH) was created and placed under The
Department of Public Works, Transportation and Communications (DPWTC)

R.A. No. 1192, AN ACT TO CREATE THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC

HIGHWAYS, ABOLISHING THE DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS OF THE BUREAU OF
PUBLIC WORKS Approved, August 25, 1954.

R.A. No. 1080 was enacted on June 15, 1954 — making bar and board
exam (passers) are equivalent to First-Grade Civil Service eligibility.

1955

REPUBLIC ACT No. 1383 was approved on June 18. 1955 "AN ACT
CREATING A PUBLIC CORPORATION TO BE KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL
WATERWORKS AND SEWERAGE AUTHORITY'

The first road classification system in the country was established through
Republic Act No. 917, known as the Philippine Highway Act, enacted in 1953 and
Executive Order 113, series of 1955 which classified roads into national roads
(national primary and national secondary), 'national aid' roads (roads of sufficient

20 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 importance for eventual reclassification at a later stage) and
provincial/city/municipal/barangay roads.

1955 -1970

National Waterworks and Sewerage System Authority (NAWASA) was

created through RA 1383

1956

On June 16. 1956, the Civil Engineering law was further amended by
Republic Act No. 1582. On the same year, the Architecture law was further
amended by Republic Act No. 1581.

Ambuklao Dam is part of a hydroelectric facility in Brgy. Ambuklao. Bokod.

Benguet province in the Philippines. The development of the Agno River for
purposes of hydroelectric power generation, flood control, and irrigation had been
conceived as eady as the late 1940s. Preliminary investigations for development at
Ambuklao and Binga Dam sites were undertaken as early as January 1948. With
maximum water storage capacity of 327.170.000 cubic metres (265.240 acre•ft),
the facility, which is located 36 km (22 mi) from Baguio city, can produce up to 105
megawatts of electricity to Luzon grid. The main source of water comes from the
Agno River which originates from Mt. Data.

Ambuklao Dam bagan its construction on July 1950 and opened on

December 23. 1956.

1957

Agusan Dam started construction on May 1956 and it opened on December

29. 1957.

1960's

Philippines had created one of the top countries in the world that produces
architects and engineers since the 60's

Private and infrastructure developments were not in existence in the country

to make use of these new architects and engineers

Shortage of projects in the country have resulted to an influx of Filipino

architects and engineers migration to the US and Europe which started in the 60's

Inexpensive labor and be able to communicate in English of these Filipino

professionals made them attractive to be hired by these developed countries

Due to their proficiency in English (compared to other immigrants). Filipino

architects/engineers have successfully assimilated in the political and economic
structure in their host country

Many architects and engineers have established their own firms and/or had
'broken the ceiling" within their firms

Due to their numbers. Filipino architects and engineers globally have formed
their own groups and made alliances with other Filipino associations

Many Filipino architects and engineers in the Philippines have found contract
work overseas

21 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 The North Luzon Expressway (NLE or NLEx), and which is formerly called
the North Diversion Road and Manila North Expressway (MNEX), and officially
known as Radial Road 8 is a 2 to 8-lane limited-access toll expressway that
connects Metro Manila to the provinces of the Central Luzon region in the
Philippines. It is one of the two branches of the Radial Road 8 (R-8) of Metro
Manila (Quirino Highway is the other). It was built in the 1960s.

The North Luzon Expressway (NLE or NLEx), and which is formerly called
the North Diversion Road and Manila North Expressway (MNEX), and officially
known as Radial Road 8 is a 2 to 8-lane limited-access toll expressway that
connects Metro Manila to the provinces of the Central Luzon region in the
Philippines. It is one of the two branches of the Radial Road 8 (R-8) of Metro
Manila (Quirino Highway is the other). It was built in the 1960s.

The expressway begins in Quezon City at a cloverleaf interchange with

EDSA: a continuation of Andres Bonifacio Avenue. It then passes through Quezon
City. Caloocan, and Valenzuela in Metro Manila. Meycauayan. Marilao. Bocaue.
Balagtas. Guiguinto. Malolos. Plaridel, and Pulilan in Bulacan. San Simon. San
Fernando. Mexico and Angeles in Pampanga. The expressway currently ends at
Mabalacat and merges with the MacArthur Highway, which continues northward
into the rest of Central and Northern Luzon.

Presently, it was maintained by Tol!ways Management Corporation with a

total length of 84 km

1960-1980's

The automobile age. It was during the decade that road construction
becomes a matter of priority of the government under the slogan: This nation is on
Wheels."

1960

Binga Dam is a dam connected to a hydroelectric power plant situated at

Barrio Binga. Barangay Tinongdan in Itogon. Benguet. Philippines. The plant was
constructed in 1956 and was opened in 1960, three years after Ambuklao Dam
was opened. It is located 31 km southeast of Baguio City and 19 km downstream
of Ambuklao Dam. Improvement of the dam is on-going for it had received heavy
damage during the 1990 Luzon earthquake, and its installed capacity of 100 MW is
being upgraded to 120 MW.

In 1960, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures prepared a

system of units designated the 'Systeme Internationale d' Unites' with the
abbreviation SI for worldwide adoption. It has been adopted and used by most of
the over 160 countries in the world, with the exception of Borneo, the Sultanate of
Brunei, Liberia and notably the United States.

1961

The first thirteen years of the airport were marked by the building of
infrastructure dedicated to international flights. The international runway and
associated taxiway were built in 1953, and 1961 saw the completion of a control
tower and a terminal building for the exclusive use of international passengers at
the southwest intersection of the runways. This system came to be officially known
as the Manila International Airport (MIA).

The Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) was

founded.

1961-1967

22 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Angat Dam located at Norzagaray. Bulacan started its construction on
November 1961 and opened on October 16. 1967 with height of 131 meters,
length of 568 meters and base width of 550 meters. The source of darn is the
Angat River, with a capacity of 850 million cubic meters

1963

REPUBLIC ACT No. 3597 was approved on June 22. 1963 (NAWASA Act)

AN ACT AMENDING CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT

NUMBERED THIRTEEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-THREE. ENTITLED "AN ACT
CREATING A PUBLIC CORPORATION TO BE KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL
WATERWORKS AND SEWERAGE AUTHORITY'

The National Irrigation Administration is a government-owned and controlled

corporation tasked with the development and operation of Irrigation Systems all
over the country. It was created under RA 3601 which was signed on June 22.
1963 by then President Diosdado P. Macapagal.

Its forerunner was the Irrigation Division of the defunct Bureau of Public
Works. By virtue of Presidential Decree (PD) No. 1 issued by President Ferdinand
Marcos, all irrigation activities were integrated under the NIA. The Agency's power
was likewise broadened and capitalization increased from P300 M to 2 B by the
issuance of PD 552 on September 11. 1072. Capitalization was further increased
to P10 B under PD 1702 on July 17. 1980.

NIA absorbed the functions of the Irrigation Division of the Bureau of Public
Works and the Irrigation Unit of the Bureau of Lands and Friar Lands Irrigation
System. This hybrid nature of MA enabled it to use funds from the government
treasury for constructing and rehabilitating irrigation systems, the underlying
premise being that irrigation benefited not only the farmers, but the broader society
as well.

1964

On June 20. 1964. Republic Act No. 4156 is enacted. It changes the
corporate name of Manila Railroad Company (MRRCo) to Philippine National
Railways (PNR)

1965

R.A No. 4566 was enacted on June 19. 1965 — regulating constructions or
The Contractor's License Law'

1967

Angat Dam is a concrete water reservoir embankment hydroelectric dam that

supplies the Manila metropolitan area water. It was a part of the Angat-Ipo-La
Mesa water system. The reservoir supplies about 90 percent of raw water
requirements for Metro Manila through the facilities of the Metropolitan Waterworks
and Sewerage System and it irrigates about 28.000 hectares of farmland in the
provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga. Construction began on November 1961 and
it opened on October 16. 1967.

R.A. No. 5181 was enacted on September 8. 1967 — requiring residence

and reciprocity in the exercise of professions by aliens.

During Martial Law (Marcos Era)

23 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 1965-1973 President Ferdinand Marcos appointed Manuel Syquio as Acting
Secretary of Public Works and Communications.

1970's

The 70's is commonly known as the Martial Law years. Declared in 1972. the
first few years of its implementation brought about good things to our country. But
its later years proved to be the most trying times of our country. Incidentally. the
construction industry in the Middle East was at its peak and civil engineers and
architects were in demand.

In the early 1970's, there were already 591 national and municipal ports plus
200 private ports scattered all over the country necessitating the need for long-
range planning and rationalization of port development.

1971 - 1997

On 19 June 1971. Republic Act 6234 was enacted. It dissolved the National
Waterworks and Sewerage System (NAWASA) and created in its place the
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). MWSS was thus given
the mandate 'to ensure an uninterrupted and adequate supply and distribution of
potable water for domestic and other purposes at just and equitable rates? The
proper operation and maintenance of sewerage systems was likewise part of its
mandate.

1971

On August 20. 1971. Republic Act No. 6366 was passed amending the PNR
Charter

1972

PACE President Engr. Cesar A. Caliwara, exerted a serious effort in merging

the two organizations. Leaders of PACE and PSCE negotiated, and talked about
the choice of name. Some concerns were raised such as formal accounting and
turnover of assets and liabilities, accreditation of bonafide members and election
rules for the first officers which were sooner resolved.

1973

On June 1973. President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Presidential Decree

223, creating the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) regulating all
professions and accrediting only one organization to represent each profession.

On December 11, 1973, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

issued Registration Certificate No.53896 to the PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE OF CIVIL
ENGINEERS. INC. (PICE). This was the culmination and fulfilment of a vision to
merge two separate organizations of civil engineers in the country, the Philippine
Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE) and the Philippine Association of Civil Engineers
(PACE).

Presidential Decree No. 198, also known as The Provincial Water Utilities
Act of 1973.' was signed into law on May 25, 1973. That law created the Local
Water Utilities Administration or LWUA in the national level and provided for the
establishment of Water Districts in provincial cities and municipalities.

A feasibility study and airport master plan was drawn up in 1973 by Airways
Engineering Corporation. The detailed engineering design of the new MIA
Development Project (MIADP) was undertaken by Renardet-Saufiaransplan/F.F.
Cruz Consultants while the design of the International Passenger Terminal building

24 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 was prepared by Architect L.V. Locsin & Associates. A USS29.6 Million loan was
arranged with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to finance the project.

1974

On February 1974, the first election of officers of PICE was held and Engr.
Cesar Caliwara became its first president. In order to truly unite the civil engineers
of the Philippines, provincial chapters were organized.

Bureau of Public Highways (BPH) was expanded as The Department of

Public Highways (DPH)

The former Bureau of Public Highways was expanded and restructured into
the Department of Public Highways (DPH) for a more effective administration of
the country's highway system through Administrative Order No. 2, dated July 1,
1974.

1975

The first International convention was held in the Philippines on May 20 to

24. 1975 with the theme 'Civil Engineering in Disaster Prevention Control."
(Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers)

On August 13. 1975, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)

recognized the PICE as the only official organization of civil engineers in the
Philippines with Accreditation No. 007

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 693 (Construction of Magat Dam) was

enacted on May 7. 1975

PD No. 693 - Authorizing the Construction of the Magat River Multi-Purpose

Project in Isabela. Providing for the Financing Thereof, and for Other Purposes.

National Housing Authority (NHA) was created under PD 757 to oversee

housing development on a national level.

The Philippine Ports Authority was created under Presidential Decree No.
505 which was subsequently amended by P.D. No. 857 in December 1975.

In 1975. President Ferdinand Marcos, by a Presidential Decree, the System

International (SI) system of units was mandated in the Philippines

1976

With the shift in the form of government, national agencies were renamed
from Departments to Ministries. In 1976. Department of Public Works.
Transportation and Communications (DPWTC) became Ministry of Public Works.
Transportation and Communications (MPWTC) & Department of Public Highways
(DPH) as Ministry of Public Highways (MPH).

In 1976, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) was created through
the National Water Code of the Philippines Mater Code of the Philippines) to
coordinate policies concerning water resources.

1977

PD 1096, otherwise known as the National Building Code of the Philippines

(the 'NBCP") signed by then Pres. Ferdinand Marcos on 19 February 1977 and its
Implementing Rules and Regulations ('IRR'):

25 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Pantabangan Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Pampanga River
located in Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija province of the Philippines. The multi-
purpose dam provides water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation while
its reservoir. Pantabangan Lake, affords flood control. The reservoir is considered
one of the largest in Southeast Asia and also one of the cleanest in the Philippines.
Construction on the dam began in 1971 and it was completed in 1977.

In May 1969, the Congress of the Philippines authorized the development of

the Pampanga Basin with Republic Act No. 5499. In October of that year, detailed
studies of the Pantabangan site were carried out and lasted two years. By June
11. 1971. Pantabangan was an old town of around 300 years old. President
Ferdinand Marcos and many others arrived for a ground breaking ceremony in
Palayupay. Pantabangan. Nueva Ecija, to signal the beginning of the construction
of Pantabangan Dam. The dam went into operation in February 1977 and was
completed later in May. Approximately 1.300 people were relocated from the
dam's reservoir zone.

1978

Under the 1973 Constitution, a Parliamentary Form of governance was

established and departments were renamed into ministries establishing the formal
ministry system. Hence, the Department of Public Works and Communications
became the Ministry of Public Works. Transportation and Communications
(MPWTC).

The National Engineering Center (NEC) was established as per P.D. No.
1295. It is an agency supported by the National Government and by the UNDP.
The NEC will be an umbrella body under which the non-teaching activities of the
college will be administered. These units include: The National Hydraulics
Research Center (NHRC), the Training Center for Applied Geodesy and
Photogrammetry (TCAGP), the UP Industrial Research Center (UPIRC), and the
Transport Training Center (ITC), and the Building Research Services (BRS).

On June 11. 1978. Presidential Decree Number 1594 or The Prescribing

Policies. Guidelines. Rules and Regulations for Government Infrastructure
Contracts' was promulgated.

Presidential Decree No. 1350 was promulgated on April 7. 1978 — allowing

applicants for citizenship to take the board exam pending the approval of their
petition.

1978 -1982

The construction and appurtenant structures was authorized by P.D. 693

signed on May 7. 1975 by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The Magat
Dam was constructed in 1978 and inaugurated by the Late Pres. Ferdinand E.
Marcos on October 27. 1982 and started operations in 1983.

Implementation of this multipurpose project was based on the preliminary

study conducted in 1973 by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) with the
assistance of the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID).

It was a Rock-fill dam with a height of 114 meters and length of 4. 160
meters.

1979

On July 23. 1979 under Executive Order No. 546. MPWTC was again
restructured into two (2) Ministries — the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) and the
Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), integrating all bureaus

26 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 and offices concerned with public works functions and activities under the Ministry
of Public Works. The same went true with all offices involved in transportation and
communications which were placed under the supervision and administration of
the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. Minister Jose P. Dans served
as head of the MOTC.

On July 23. 1979. by Executive Order No. 546. PNR becomes one of the
attached agencies of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, now
DOTC 1980's Major highways and expressways were constructed through the
financial assistance and loans from foreign banks

1980

In 1980 President Marcos founded the Rural Waterworks Development

Corporation (RWDC), responsible for water supply in areas where neither MWSS
nor LWUA carries out the service or assists the LGUs, respectively. The RWDC
was expected to create rural water supply associations in order to construct,
operate, and maintain their own water supply systems in communities with fewer
than 20, 000 inhabitants.

On July 12, 1980, the country's president. Ferdinand E. Marcos, created the
Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) as a government agency. The Chairman was
the then First Lady and Governor of Metro Manila. Imelda Romualdez Marcos.
This LRTA confined its activities to determining policies, to the regulation and fixing
of fares, and to the planning of extensions to the system. The project was called
Metrorail and was operated by a sister company of the former tramway company
Meralco called Metro, Inc.

Initial assistance for building the LRT project came from the Belgian
government which granted a P300 million "soft" and interest-free loan with a
repayment time of 30 years. The project was expected to pay for itself within a
period of 20 years out of revenue alone. A Belgian consortium consisting of ACEC
(Ateliers de Constructions Electriques de Charleroi, BN), (Constructions
Ferroviaires, et Metalliques, fomierly Brugeoise et Nivelles). TEI (Tractionnel
Engineering International) and TC (Transurb Consult) provided an additional loan
of P700 million. The consortium provided the cars, signalling, power control,
telecommunications, training and technical assistance. The entire system was
expected to be financially "in the red- well into 1993. Against an expected gross
revenue of P365 million for the first operating year, government losses were
thought likely to reach P216 million. The system was designed as a public utility
rather than as a profit center.

Construction of the line started in October 1981, and was the responsibility of
CDCP (Construction and Development Corporation of the Philippines), with
assistance from the Swiss firm of Losinger and the American company Dravo, the
latter, through its Philippine subsidiary. The government appointed Electrowatt
Engineering Services of Zurich (Switzerland) to manage and supervise the project.
Electrowatt set up offices in Manila and became responsible for extension studies
of the system which eventually comprised 150 km of routes along all major
corridors in about 20 years' time.

Martial Law executed Letter of Instruction 1000 on March 20, 1980 — the
Malacanang edict of having just one organization for each profession to be
accredited by the Professional Regulations Commission.

1981

MPW and MPH were merged to become The Ministry of Public Works and
Highways (MPWH)

27 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Under Executive Order No. 710 dated July 27. 1981, the Ministries of Public
Works and Public Highways were merged for a more effective and sustained
implementation of infrastructure projects. Under the restructured set-up, the
agency was known as the Ministry of Public Works and Highways (MPWH) with 14
regional offices. 94 districts and 60 city engineering offices, five (5) bureaus and
six (6) service offices, in addition to corporations and councils attached to the
Ministry for administrative supervision.

In as early as 1981, the Philippine Board of Examiners for the Various

Licensure Examinations for the Practice of Engineering and Architecture began to
use the new system of units. SI.

1980's

The increase of handheld calculators revolutionized engineering, with faster

and more efficient calculations leaving the old slide rule behind.

1982

Magat Dam is a large rock-fill dam on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
The dam is located on Magat River, a major tributary of Cagayan River.
Construction of the dam started in 1975 and completed in 1982. Magat Dam is one
of the largest dams in the Philippines and has two primary purposes: as a source
of irrigation water and as a provider of hydroelectric power.

The construction and appurtenant structures was authorized by P.D. 693

signed on May 7. 1975 by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The Magat
Dam was constructed in 1978 and inaugurated by the Late Pres. Ferdinand E.
Marcos on October 27. 1982 and started operations in 1983.

Implementation of this multipurpose project was based on the preliminary

study conducted in 1973 by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) with the
assistance of the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Subsequent detailed and extensive dam site investigation and engineering

studies further confirmed the feasibility of what is now known as NIA's most daring
infrastructure project and one of Asia's biggest dams today.

It was Southeast Asia's first large multipurpose dam. The dam is pad of the
Magat River Multipurpose Project (MRMP) which was financed by the World Bank
and whose purpose is to improve on the existing Magat River Irrigation System
(MARIS) and to triple the production of rice in the Cagayan River basin. The
project was jointly financed by the Philippine Govemment and the World Bank
which extended a USS150M loan to finance the foreign exchange requirement. In
addition, a USS9M loan from Bahrain was obtained for the purchase of other
equipment for the diversion tunnels, soils laboratory and model testing. The total
project cost is USS3.4B (yr. 1975).

The Magat Dam is located on the Magat River at the boundary between the
municipalities of Alfonso Lista in the province of Ifugao and Ramon in Isabela both
on the island of Luzon, approximately 350 kilometres (220 mi) north of Metro
Manila. The Magat River is the largest tributary of the Cagayan River, the longest
river in the country.

1984

Ipo Dam is a gravity concrete water reservoir dam found in the Philippines.
The dam is located about 7.5 kilometres downstream of the Angat Dam in
Norzagaray. Bulacan province. It was a pad of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water
system. Its normal level is 110 m.

28 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 The Ipo Dam is a gravity concrete dam located about 7.5 kilometres
downstream of the Angat Dam near its confluence with the Ipo River in Bulacan. It
was completed in January 1984 with a maximum storage capacity of 7.5 million
cubic metres, an increase of about 2,500 million litres per day (MLD) from the old
Ipo Dam, which used to be located 200 metres upstream of the new dam.

The spill level of the dam is at an elevation of 101 metres and it has seven
radial floodgates. The watershed topography is characterised by mountainous
terrain similar to the Angat Reservoir Watershed with moderate forest cover. The
watershed has an area of about 70 square kilometers and receives an average
annual rainfall of 3,500 millimeters. Tributaries to the Angat River at this section
include the Ipo, Sapa Pako and Sapa Anginon Rivers. These tributaries drain into
the Angat River from the eastern section of the watershed.
Water from the dam is diverted to the Novaliches Portal and the La Mesa
Darn through three intake structures going down to three connecting tunnels into
five connecting aqueducts.

After EDSA Revolution

1987

Finally, by virtue of Executive Order No. 124, dated January 30, 1987, the
Ministry of Public Works and Highways (MPWH) is now known as the Department
of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with five (5) bureaus, six (6) services, 16
regional offices, 24 project management offices. 16 regional equipment services
and 118 district engineering offices.

As the primary engineering and construction arm of the government, the

DPWH is responsible for the planning, design, construction and maintenance of
infrastructures such as roads and bridges flood control systems, water resource
development projects and other public works in accordance with national
objectives.

On August 17, 1987. Republic Act No. 6639 was enacted and the MIA was
renamed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The MIA Authority however,
retained its corporate name since the law did not amend the original or revised
charters of the MIAA.

1989

On August 23. 1989, the Tutuban Station and part of the railroad yard was
leased out for shopping mall development. PNR Management Center transfers to
its Training Center site in Caloocan City and PNR Operations Center transfers to
its railway station in Paco, Manila.

The La Mesa Watershed and Eco-Park consists of the La Mesa Dam and an
ecological nature reserve site in Quezon City commissioned in 1929 in the
Philippines. It is part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system, which supplies most
of the water supply of Metro Manila. The La Mesa Dam is an earth dam whose
reservoir can hold up to 50.5 million cubic meters and occupying an area of 27
square kilometers. The water collected in the reservoir is treated on-site by the
Maynilad Water Services, and at the Balara Treatment Plant further south by the
Manila Water. Both water companies are private concessionaires awarded by the
Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, the government agency in
charge of water supply. It is a vital link to the water requirements of 12 million
residents of Metro Manila considering that 1.5 million liters of water pass through
this reservoir every day. It is also the last forest of its size in the metropolis.

1991

29 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 And for the first time, a "Civil Engineering Week' for the period November 3
to 9. 1991 was declared by Maiacaiiang thru Proclamation No.799 issued on
September 20. 1991 by President Corazon C. Aquino. The C.E. week was
celebrated nationwide thru coordinated activities of all PICE chapters and the PICE
National Board culminating in the most successful and well-attended '91 PICE
Annual Convention (1.400 plus registered participants).

1993

The Board of Civil Engineering (at PRC) held its first fully computerized
(board) examinations on May 29. 1993 and released the results on November 9.
1993.

1995

On February 28. 1995, the Syllabi for the Subjects in the Civil Engineering
licensure examinations were promulgated.

1997

The privatization of MWSS

In 1997, the Legislature passed into law Republic Act 8041, also known as
'The Water Crisis Act.' The Act, which paved the way for the privatization of
MWSS, had as its primary objectives the following:

Transfer financial burden to the private sector

Improve service standards

Increase operational efficiency

Minimize tariff impact

In August that year, the Philippine government entered into a 25-year

Concession Agreement with two private consortia comprised of local and
international partners. This effectively transferred the operational responsibilities of
MWSS to Manila Water Company. Inc. (for the East Zone) and Maynilad Water
Services. Inc. (for the West Zone).

2000

RA 8981 or Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) Modernization Act

of 2000 was enacted and signed into law on December 5. 2000 by President
Joseph Ejercito Estrada

2001

Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers. Inc. (PICE) has been awarded by the
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) as the Most Outstanding Accredited
Professional Organization.

2003

The San Roque Dam, operated under San Roque Multipurpose Project
(SRMP) is a 200 meters tall. 1.2 kilometer long embankment dam on the Agno
River. It spans the municipalities of San Manuel and San Nicolas. Pangasinan and
is nearly 200 km north of Metro Manila.

30 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 The dam impounds a reservoir with a surface area of about 12.8 square
kilometers extending North into the municipality of Itogon. Benguet. A gated
spillway protects the dam from overtopping. Each wet season, the run-off is stored
for later release via water turbines to generate power and irrigate crops. Agno
River is the third largest river in the Philippines with a total length of 221 kilometers
and a drainage basin at the Project site of 1.225 square kilometers. The river
originates in the Cordillera Mountains, initially flows from north to south, and
divides into several channels in the flat central plain of Luzon and meanders
westerly through the provinces of Pangasinan and Tarlac before emptying into the
Lingayen Gulf.

San Roque Power Corporation (SRPC) financed and constructed the SRMP
under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the National Power Corporation
(NPC) on a Build-Operate-Transfer (80T) basis. SRPC substantially completed the
SRMP at midnight. February 14. 2003, at which time its peaking power, irrigation,
flood control and enhanced water quality benefits became available to the
surrounding regions, which include the Northwest Luzon Economic Growth
Quadrangle. In reality, all but its power benefits have been available since mid-
2002 when the dam and spillway were completed. Ownership of the dam and
spillway was transferred to NPC upon construction completion, as it contributed
funds for the non-power components on behalf of several agencies. SRPC will own
and operate the power generating facilities for 25 years, after which their
ownership transfers to NPC.

Republic Act Number 9184 or 'AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE

MODERNIZATION. STANDARIZATION AND REGULATION OF THE
PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES' was enacted by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on January 10.
2003.

The United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and the Philippine Institute of
Civil Engineers (PICE) signed a joint resolution supporting the passage of
Architecture and Civil Engineering bills delineating their respective scope of
practice and to strengthen their collaborative efforts in common goals. The two
professional groups through their leaders stressed the need for the immediate
passage of their respective bills, which would benefit their hundreds of thousand
members nationwide.

2004

Last March 17. 2004. RA 9266 or 'The Architecture Act of 2004' was passed
into law.

Republic Act No. 9275 was approved on March 22. 2004 'AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND
FOR OTHER PURPOSES"

2005

In 2004, the Architecture Act was passed and signed into law. But in 2005, a
petition for declaratory relief filed on May 3 2005 by the PICE and Engr. Leo Cleto
Gamolo to declare null and void Sections 302.3 and 302.4 of the Revised
Implementing Rules and Regulations ('Revised IRR") of Presidential Decree No.
1096 (the 'National Building Code). The said provisions require that architectural
documents submitted in applications for building permits must be prepared, signed
and sealed by architects. PICE claim that the said sections of the Revised IRR, by
effectively prohibiting Civil Engineers from also preparing, signing and sealing
architectural documents, are contrary to the National Building Code and the
Republic Act No. 544 (the 'Civil Engineering Law'), which purportedly gave Civil
Engineers the said right.

31 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 2006

Since November 2006 CE Board Exam, the Professional Regulation

Commission releases only Top 10 Board Exam Performers and stopped releasing
the 11th to 20th places

Executive Order No. 566 issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

dated September 8. 2006 directing the Commission on Higher Education to
regulate the establishment and operation of review centers and similar entities

2007

November 2007 CE Board Exam was invalidated (retake last January 2008
for Hydraulics and Geotechnical Engineering)

Note: Results of retake exam (Hydraulics and Geotechnical Engineering)

was released last January 2008

Commission on Higher Education makes Implementing Rules and

Regulations (IRR) based on Executive Order No. 566

2008 up to present

After several court hearings at the Manila Regional Trial Court, the PICE's
motion was denied on January 29. 2008 and the RTC ruled in favor of the
architects. [National Capital Judicial Region. Regional Trial Court. Branch 22
Manila — Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers. Inc. and Leo Cleto Gamolo.
Petitioners versus The Honorable Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., in his capacity as
Secretary of Public Works and Highways as Respondent, and United Architects of
the Philippines as Intervenor-Respondent for Civil Case Number 05-112502 for:
Declaratory Relief. Injunction with prayer for Writ of Preliminary Prohibition and/or
Mandatory Injunction and Temporary Restraining Order.

Teaching and Learning Activities

In your own words, discuss the following:

1. Civil Engineering in Ancient Times

2. Civil Engineering in Modern Times
3. Civil Engineering in the Philippines
4. As a future Engineer what do you think is your Historical Contribution in the
future?

For Research:

1. Prepare a list of Civil Engineering works/structures in Earliest times and give the
story behind it.
2. Prepare a list of Civil Engineering works/structures in Modern times and give the
behind it.

Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FLTM) Adapted.

Google Classroom, Google Meet, Module

References
 https://civilshastra.com/2019/03/18/a-short-history-of-civil-engineering/
 http://www.thecivilengg.com/History.php

32 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  https://www.britannica.com/technology/civil-engineering/Construction
 http://civilengineerthoughts003.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-history-of-civil-
engineering.html#.XzTAwuhKjIV

Module 2
Civil Engineering & Society and other Profession

Introduction

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design,
construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including
works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewerage systems, pipelines and
railways.

There are two major types of engineering roles performed by civil engineers;

1) Consultant engineers who focus on design work and generally spend more
time in the office or working with clients.

2) Contractors who are more involved in keeping an eye on the physical

construction and are usually based on site.

Learning Outcome/Objective

At the end of this chapter, the students shall be able to:

1. Define Civil engineering
2. Understand the duties of a Civil Engineer
3. Recognize the different kind of profession for a Civil engineer
4. Knowledge on the Engineering Profession in the Philippines

Learning Content/Topic

A. What is an Engineer?

“Engineering is concerned with the implementation of a solution to a practical

problem. A scientist may ask "why?" and proceed to research the answer to the
question. By contrast, engineers want to know how to solve a problem and how to
implement that solution. In other words, scientists investigate phenomena,
whereas engineers create solutions to problems or improve upon existing
solutions. A scientist builds in order to learn. An engineer learns in order to build.”

“Engineering is concerned with the implementation of a solution to a practical

problem. A scientist may ask "why?" and proceed to research the answer to the
question. By contrast, engineers want to know how to solve a problem and how to
implement that solution.

In other words, scientists investigate phenomena, whereas engineers create

solutions to problems or improve upon existing solutions.

A scientist builds in order to learn. An engineer learns in order to build.”

33 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 One way to define engineering is: “how to do new things in new ways” (Win
Phillips, 1997)

Another definition is: "Engineering is the application of math and science to

create something of value from our natural resources." The difference between
science and engineering was explained well by Theodore Von Karman, an
aerospace engineer. As he stated: "Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was."

Even the etymology of the word “engineer” reveals their problem-solving

nature: “It is a myth that engineer originated to describe those who built engines. In
fact, the words engine and engineer (as well as ingenious) developed in parallel
from the Latin root ingeniosus, meaning "skilled". An engineer is thus a clever,
practical, problem solver.”

What is Civil Engineering?

Civil Engineering is the oldest and quintessential engineering profession. It

encompasses a variety of sub-disciplines and jobs. The civil engineering
curriculum at the University of Colorado (CU) and most other U.S. universities
emphasize the following major sub-disciplines:
 structural
 water resources
 geotechnical
 construction
 transportation

Architectural engineering is often a related but separate degree (such as at

CU). Surveying is a skill used by many civil engineers, but there is a separate
professional licensure for land surveyors. Urban planning is an activity that uses
skills from a variety of the civil engineering sub-disciplines.

Some interesting thoughts on civil engineering by Bugliarello (1994) include:

Civil engineering is “the modification of nature to create and improve human
habitats.”

Civil engineers work toward an ideal that is “a standard of perfection, beauty,

or moral and physical excellence, especially as an aim of attainment or
realization.” Civil engineers strive to “match deep functionality with aesthetics
in every manifestation of the profession.” Engineers should be mindful that
there is a “moral compact between the engineer and world society.”

“Professional engineers should work for the welfare of the public. They are
responsible for observing societal needs, and often have the position and
resources to improve society. As professionals, engineers are expected to set
examples in the work field and to establish themselves as assets to society.” T.D.
Oates, 1993

Duties of Civil Engineers

Civil engineers conceive, design, build, supervise, operate, construct and

maintain infrastructure projects and systems in the public and private sector,
including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water
supply and sewage treatment. Many civil engineers work in planning, design,
construction, research, and education.

Civil engineers typically do the following:

34 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  Analyze long range plans, survey reports, maps, and other data to plan
and design projects
 Consider construction costs, government regulations, potential
environmental hazards, and other factors during the planning and risk-
analysis stages of a project
 Compile and submit permit applications to local, state, and federal
agencies, verifying that projects comply with various regulations
 Oversee and analyze the results of soil testing to determine the
adequacy and strength of foundations
 Analyze the results of tests on building materials, such as concrete,
wood, asphalt, or steel, for use in particular projects
 Prepare cost estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine a
project's economic feasibility
 Use design software to plan and design transportation systems,
hydraulic systems, and structures in line with industry and government
standards
 Perform or oversee surveying operations to establish building locations,
site layouts, reference points, grades, and elevations to guide
construction
 Manage the repair, maintenance, and replacement of public and private
infrastructure

Civil engineers also must present their findings to the public on topics such
as bid proposals, environmental impact statements, or property descriptions.
Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions ranging
from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer, public works director, and
city manager. As supervisors, they are tasked with ensuring that safe work
practices are followed at construction sites.
Other civil engineers work in design, construction, research, and teaching.
Civil engineers work with others on projects and may be assisted by civil
engineering technicians.
Civil engineers prepare permit documents for work on projects in renewable
energy. They verify that the projects will comply with federal, state, and local
requirements. These engineers conduct structural analyses for large-scale
photovoltaic, or solar energy, projects. They also evaluate the ability of solar
array support structures and buildings to tolerate stresses from wind, seismic
activity, and other sources. For large-scale wind projects, civil engineers often
prepare roadbeds to handle large trucks that haul in the turbines.
Civil engineers work on complex projects, and they can achieve job
satisfaction in seeing the project reach completion. They usually specialize in one
of several areas.
Construction engineers manage construction projects, ensuring that
they are scheduled and built in accordance with plans and specifications.
These engineers typically are responsible for the design and safety of
temporary structures used during construction. They may also oversee
budgetary, time-management, and communications aspects of a project.
Geotechnical engineers work to make sure that foundations for built
objects ranging from streets and buildings to runways and dams, are
solid. They focus on how structures built by civil engineers, such as
buildings and tunnels, interact with the earth (including soil and rock). In
addition, they design and plan for slopes, retaining walls, and tunnels.
Structural engineers design and assess major projects, such as
buildings, bridges, or dams, to ensure their strength and durability.
Transportation engineers plan, design, operate, and maintain everyday
systems, such as streets and highways, but they also plan larger projects,
such as airports, ship ports, mass transit systems, and harbors.

35 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Water Resources engineers covers a broad spectrum, but is primarily
concerned with the study of selected topics in applied hydrology,
hydraulics, applied limnology, water resources systems analysis, water
resources, environmental impact assessment, hydraulic structures,
irrigation and drainage.
The work of civil engineers is closely related to the work of environmental
engineers.

Civil Engineering Functios

The functions of the civil engineer can be divided into three categories:
those performed before construction (feasibility studies, site investigations, and
design), those performed during construction (dealing with clients, consulting
engineers, and contractors), and those performed after construction
(maintenance and research).

 Feasibility studies

No major project today is started without an extensive study of the

objective and without preliminary studies of possible plans leading to a
recommended scheme, perhaps with alternatives. Feasibility studies may
cover alternative methods—e.g., bridge versus tunnel, in the case of a water
crossing—or, once the method is decided, the choice of route. Both
economic and engineering problems must be considered.

 Site Investigations

A preliminary site investigation is part of the feasibility study, but once

a plan has been adopted a more extensive investigation is
usually imperative. Money spent in a rigorous study of ground and
substructure may save large sums later in remedial works or in changes
made necessary in constructional methods.

Since the load-bearing qualities and stability of the ground are such
important factors in any large-scale construction, it is surprising that a
serious study of soil mechanics did not develop until the mid-1930s. Karl von
Terzaghi, the chief founder of the science, gives the date of its birth as 1936,
when the First International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation
Engineering was held at Harvard University and an international society was
formed. Today there are specialist societies and journals in many countries,
and most universities that have a civil engineering faculty have courses in
soil mechanics.

 Design

The design of engineering works may require the application of design

theory from many fields—e.g., hydraulics, thermodynamics, or
nuclear physics. Research in structural analysis and the technology of
materials has opened the way for more rational designs, new design
concepts, and greater economy of materials. The theory of structures and
the study of materials have advanced together as more and more refined
stress analysis of structures and systematic testing has been done. Modern
designers not only have advanced theories and readily available design
data, but structural designs can now be rigorously analyzed by computers.

 Construction

36 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 The promotion of civil engineering works may be initiated by a private
client, but most work is undertaken for large corporations, government
authorities, and public boards and authorities. Many of these have their own
engineering staffs, but for large specialized projects it is usual to employ
consulting engineers.

The consulting engineer may be required first to undertake feasibility

studies, then to recommend a scheme and quote an approximate cost. The
engineer is responsible for the design of the works, supplying specifications,
drawings, and legal documents in sufficient detail to seek competitive tender
prices. The engineer must compare quotations and recommend acceptance
of one of them. Although he is not a party to the contract, the engineer’s
duties are defined in it; the staff must supervise the construction and the
engineer must certify completion of the work. Actions must be consistent with
duty to the client; the professional organizations exercise disciplinary control
over professional conduct. The consulting engineer’s senior representative
on the site is the resident engineer.

A phenomenon of recent years has been the turnkey or package

contract, in which the contractor undertakes to finance, design, specify,
construct, and commission a project in its entirety. In this case, the
consulting engineer is engaged by the contractor rather than by the client.

The contractor is usually an incorporated company, which secures the

contract on the basis of the consulting engineer’s specification and general
drawings. The consulting engineer must agree to any variations introduced
and must approve the detailed drawings.

 Maintenance

The contractor maintains the works to the satisfaction of the consulting

engineer. Responsibility for maintenance extends to ancillary and temporary
works where these form part of the overall construction. After construction a
period of maintenance is undertaken by the contractor, and the payment of
the final installment of the contract price is held back until released by the
consulting engineer. Central and local government engineering and public
works departments are concerned primarily with maintenance, for which they
employ direct labour.

 Research

Research in the civil engineering field is undertaken by government

agencies, industrial foundations, the universities, and other institutions. Most
countries have government-controlled agencies, such as the United
States Bureau of Standards and the National Physical Laboratory of Great
Britain, involved in a broad spectrum of research, and establishments in
building research, roads and highways, hydraulic research, water pollution,
and other areas. Many are government-aided but depend partly on income
from research work promoted by industry.

How to become a Civil Engineer

Civil engineers need a bachelor's degree. They typically need a graduate
degree and a license for promotion to senior positions. Although licensure
requirements vary from state to state, civil engineers usually must be licensed if
they provide services directly to the public.
 Education for Civil Engineers
Civil engineers need a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, in
one of its specialties, or in civil engineering technology. Programs in

37 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 civil engineering and civil engineering technology include coursework
in math, statistics, engineering mechanics and systems, and fluid
dynamics, depending on the specialty. Courses include a mix of
traditional classroom learning, work in laboratories, and fieldwork.
Programs may include cooperative programs, also known as co-ops, in
which students gain work experience while pursuing a degree.
Further education after the bachelor's degree, along with the
PE license and previous experience, is helpful in getting a job as a
manager.
 Important Qualities for Civil Engineers

Licenses, Certifications and Registrations for Civil Engineers

Licensure is not required for entry-level positions as a civil engineer. A

Professional Engineering (PE) license, which allows for higher levels of
leadership and independence, can be acquired later in one's career. Licensed
engineers are called professional engineers (PEs). A PE can oversee the work of
other engineers, approve design plans, sign off on projects, and provide services
directly to the public. State licensure generally requires

 A degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program

 A passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
 Relevant work experience, typically at least 4 years working under a
licensed engineer
 A passing score on the Professional Engineering (PE) exam

The initial FE exam can be taken after earning a bachelor's degree.

Engineers who pass this exam commonly are called engineers in training (EITs)
or engineer interns (EIs). After meeting work experience requirements, EITs and
EIs can take the second exam, called the Principles and Practice of Engineering.
Each state issues its own licenses. Most states recognize licensure from
other states, as long as the licensing state's requirements meet or exceed their
own licensure requirements. Several states require continuing education for
engineers to keep their licenses.

B. What is a profession?

A PROFESSION is defined by:

1. Knowledge - requires formal education, judgment and discretion that are

not routine and cannot be mechanized; continuing education required 2;

2. Organization - sets standards for admission to profession, enforces

standards of conduct, establishes codes of ethics 3;

3. Public Good - purpose of service and preservation of public welfare.

“America’s engineers have always played a vitally important role in

developing America’s way of life and standard of living. From constructing bridges
and highways to exploring the vast earth beneath us, America’s engineers are
helping to keep America moving and safe.” George Bush, 1989

“The American engineering profession needs to reassert its leadership; to

raise its eyes and voices, roll up its sleeves, and do again for the nation what it did
a century ago: make it a winner in the world marketplace. If competing and winning
-- rather than puttering and theorizing -- become the real stuff of an engineering
career, our best men and women, our winners, will once again gravitate toward the
profession, and the impending decline of American engineering will become a

38 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 thing of the past.” John F. Welch, Jr. Competitiveness: The Real Stuff of American
Engineering. 1989.

“History provides the big picture, why large-scale projects were built and
what their benefits are to society...You can wake people up to the importance of
infrastructure, the efforts of the 2 civil engineers who have improved the quality of
life through its design and construction, why it needs to be repaired, and where tax
dollars will be going. You can use history to educate...engineers ...about where our
present problems came from.” James M. Fels, 1990; in Morley 1994.

What do engineers need to know?

Based on the 1995 Civil Engineering Education Conference of the American

Society of Civil Engineers, the following areas were identified as fundamental
elements which should be incorporated into Undergraduate engineering education
(ASCE 1995):

1. A global vision and approach to problem identification and problem

solving in areas such as infrastructure, environment, facilities, and
systems

2. A basic management knowledge base in areas such as business,

resources, personnel management, communication skills, costs and
value judgments, and time management

3. A solid foundation in personal and inter-personal attributes ethics

4. An involvement with engineering practice as the formal education

evolves

These elements were therefore chosen as emphasis areas for this course,
and should provide a foundation for you as both professional engineers and in your
future courses. What you learn here should help you identify areas where you will
need to be strong in order to succeed as an engineer, and therefore in selecting
courses which will allow you to build your skills in these areas.

Desired Attributes of an Engineering Graduate

1. Good Communication Skills

2. Higher ethical standards

3. Ability to think critically and creatively; independently and cooperatively

4. Flexibility

5. Grasp of Engineering Science fundamentals (math, statistics, physics and

life sciences, information technologies)

6. Good understanding of design and manufacturing processes

7. Basic understanding of the context in which engineering is practiced

(economics, history, environment, customer and societal needs)

8. Possess a multi-disciplinary, system perspective

Skills in order of importance (in your career):

• Writing

39 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 • Engineering

• business/financial

• personal interaction

• computer

Civil engineering is moving somewhat away from the gold-standard of

“design for function”, and expanding to embrace “design to cost and environmental
compatibility”. It is important to recognize the revolution that has occurred in
engineering since the 1960s. Computers and the web have changed many aspects
of the job. Specifically, computers have replaced many things that engineers used
to do. No longer are high-level skills with a slide rule and detailed manual
computations needed, because computers have assumed much of this burden.
This has resulted in significant time savings, freeing engineers to focus on broader
integration issues of importance.

MORE is expected of engineers than any other profession! Civil

engineers are responsible for the well-being of the entire population via water
treatment, wastewater treatment, air pollution control, road design, and design of
dams/buildings/bridges. Our work often goes unrecognized. The public tends to
take the quality of our work for granted – until something goes wrong or performs
below expectations.

Many of the US Top 7 “Critical Technologies” identified by the National

Government are related to Civil Engineering:

2. Environmental Quality

6. Materials

7. Transportation

“You must learn how to learn. This is part of your preparation for being an
engineer; our profession will require that you keep up with new developments
while you work: Life-long learning”. Dave DiLaura, “Being Smart is Not Enough.”

What kinds of jobs are there for Civil Engineers?

Civil engineers held about 232,000 jobs in 2000 (US Department of Labor;
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos030.htm). Civil engineering jobs tended to fall into a
few main sectors. These job sectors and the approximate percentage of civil
engineers employed within each are listed and described below.

 Federal Government ~10%

Transportation Bureau
Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Energy, Department of Defense, etc.....
Military - Army Corps of Engineers, Air Force Center for Environ.
Excellence

State or Local Government ~22%

State Department of Transportation
State Department of Natural Resources
County or City Engineer
Public Utilities
Water or Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sanitation Department

40 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Consulting Firms ~51%
Consulting such as CH2M Hill, MWH, Earth Tech, etc…

Construction and Manufacturing ~12%

Industry such as Exxon, Kiewit, etc...

Self Employed ~5%

Ex: usually 1-person “consulting firm” such as Laube Engineering,
Greeley CO Other

Other < 1%
Includes Peace Corps, Universities, research laboratories, etc. . .

During a career, many people change jobs and job type. For example, many
Civil Engineers start in consulting and later move into government positions.
Others move from consulting into self-employment. In almost all cases, self-
employment comes after learning on-the-job under licensed professional engineers
(PE’s), gaining your own PE, and then significant world experience.

What do Civil Engineers do?

Every job and career path is different. The information below provides some
examples and advice about a typical job path. However, every person, every
employer, each job is different and there are no specific rules. Expect the
unexpected. Variety and diversity are the key trait of civil engineering to remember.
If you don’t like one civil engineering job, don’t despair. There is a fit for your skills,
aspirations, and talents out there waiting for you.

First year engineer

Getting off to a strong start is the key to a successful career. Learn the
way things are done, and figure out what you need to do to earn credibility
and respect. Your first impression on your employers will determine the
types of job assignments they give you.

Tips:

A proper attitude is vital

Have realistic expectations and be willing to earn your place in the
organization. Expect work to be different than college Learn the “art
of being new”

Demonstrate maturity by showing you know how much you DON’T

know
Learn as much as you can about your company and the people in it
by listening. College only gives you part of what you need to be
successful. There will be on the job training, so don’t believe you
know everything when you start. Recognize what you don’t know, and
make an effort to learn it quickly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Learn the culture - each company has its own unique personality and
culture
The culture is a unique set of rules and norms, often unspoken and
informal, about how you should behave. Watch how others behave,
observe how people communicate and work together.

Be conscious of making a good impression

Everyone is trying to assess your abilities and strengths, so work
hard to build a good reputation. You want people to notice your
maturity, good judgment, and ability to fit into a team. Show that you
want to fit into the corporate culture. Make an extra effort, do
whatever is asked no matter how trivial.

41 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Learn what your boss wants and expects
Search for opportunities and projects on which you can contribute

Find a mentor to give you advice and help you adapt

A mentor can help you learn the culture, learn what your boss expects
A mentor can help you build a network of colleagues

What you might do:

 write engineering reports (>50% of time)
 call clients and vendors (~10-20%)
 perform design calculations, or calculation checks
 field work: construction oversight; inspection; surveying (~20%)
 data analysis
 special trainings

“The feeling of being part of an effective team is the best feeling in the
world. You WANT to go to work. You don’t mind staying late and working on
stuff if people have faith and trust in your abilities...”
Liz McMahon, during 2nd consulting job at V&K

“Most of my time went to data processing (inputting data into the

computer, working with spreadsheets, etc.) and field work (groundwater
sampling and well monitoring).”
Dr. Victor Magar, currently in the Environmental Restoration Dept. at Battelle

Some examples of civil engineering jobs, based on interviews with

working civil engineers and listed job posting are given below. These have
been grouped by number of years of work experience, as your activities and
expectations of employers grow and evolve as engineers gain experience.

2 - 5 yrs

Environmental Engineer II.

 Analyze and review air quality permit applications.
 Incorporate applicable state and federal regulations with review
conclusions to develop draft air quality operating permits.
 Assist in the writing and review of air quality construction permits.
Requirements:
 BS or higher degree in Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, or
Environmental Engineering from an accredited engineering
curriculum or registered as Engineer-In-Training.
 Two years environmentally related experience, including one
year of experience specifically in air quality engineering.

Excellent written and oral communication skills: State Position, Aug 24, 1997 Post Ad

~5 years as engineer

 Business development
- write proposals; talk with industry to develop a relationship meet
with clients

 Project engineer
- coordinate the activities of other junior engineers
- decide who will do what?
- delegate check their work

 training
- specialty workshops to develop new skills
- present work at technical conferences

42 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 “Project Engineer, PE with minimum 4 years experience. Must be
capable of providing coordination, scheduling, and supervision in the
technical design of residential and commercial projects. Verifiable
experience in design of utilities, grading and drainage. Ability to coordinate
with clients and review agencies.”
Aug 24, ‘97 Post Ad

Water Resources - “...successful candidate will be highly energetic,

motivated and a self-starter. We require a BSCE, PE, and 5 years WATER
RESOURCES experience. Experience should include hydrologic and
hydraulic analysis, watershed planning, and computer modelling. HEC1,
HEC RAS, EPA NET, and other model proficiencies are desirable. Masters
degree in Water Resources strongly preferred.”
Aug 24, ‘97 Post Ad

Structural engineer - “5 to 10 yrs experience in structural design of

commercial or light industrial diverse building systems. Must be able to
communicate well with other disciplines and construction personnel. PE
required.”
Aug 24, ‘97 Post Ad

>10 years as engineer

 project manager
- select a project engineer
- make sure project stays on budget and on time
- interact closely with client to ensure they get what they want

“Project Manager: Architect/Engineer with minimum 7 yrs experience to

coordinate design of major projects. Requires excellent organizational and
communication skills, management of project information, maintenance of project
schedules, budgets, and communication with internal technical, construction
personnel, and clients. Professional registration required.”
Aug 24, ‘97 Post Ad

“Project Manager. National environmental remediation firm is seeking

qualified candidates...minimum 5 yrs experience in remediation managing long-
term or multi-task projects (health and safety, quality assurance/quality control,
budget control, training and supervision, field crew management, interpreting
specs/prints, etc) required. Requirements include operation of wastewater
treatment processes, computer literacy, and willingness to be at remote sites for 6
to 8 months/yr. Current 40-hr OSHA certification desired.”
Aug 24, ‘97 Post Ad

“Project Manager, PE with 7-8 yrs experience. Must be capable of providing

coordination scheduling, and supervision in the technical design of residential,
commercial, and municipal projects. Ability to coordinate with clients, review
agencies and attend public meetings.”
Aug 24, ‘97 Post Ad

Quality

“value engineering” = “accomplishing a required function at a lower cost, without

any reduction in quality”
David Berry, Bench Mark, Burns & McDonnell, Perspectives on Quality

1. identify basic and required functions

2. identify secondary and unnecessary functions
3. Determine the cost to worth ratio for each function
4. Look for alternatives in high cost-to-worth areas

43 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Salaries

Salary numbers are somewhat hard to find and are highly variable. In
particular, getting current numbers is challenging. This is important because
salaries tend to increase over time due to inflation. Salaries vary by region
due to the local cost of living. Salaries clearly tend to increase as employees
have more years of work experience. Salaries are generally higher for
people who have earned higher degrees (BS vs. MS vs. PhD). Frequently
magazine or web-based surveys are based on people who chose to
respond, so the data are not fully inclusive.

In addition, the yearly salary number ignores bonuses. There has

recently been a trend for companies to give more bonuses, as incentives for
hard work, rather than simply set raises. In a survey, 55% of all engineers
surveyed received bonuses. So if the company does well, the engineers will
be rewarded. This tends to make up for the “dragging” state of pay raises,
which failed to keep pace with inflation in 1995.

The US department of Labor provides the following data on Civil

Engineering salaries:

“Median annual earnings of civil engineers were $60,070 in 2002. The

middle 50 percent earned between $48,360 and $74,700. The lowest 10
percent earned less than $39,960, and the highest 10 percent earned more
than $91,010. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the
largest numbers of civil engineers in 2002 were:

Federal government $67,410

Local government 62,210
Architectural, engineering, and related services 59,060
State government 58,350
Nonresidential building construction 54,190

According to a 2003 salary survey by the National Association of

Colleges and Employers, bachelor’s degree candidates in civil engineering
received starting offers averaging $41,669 a year; master’s degree
candidates received an average offer of $47,245, and Ph.D. candidates were
offered $69,079, on average, as an initial salary”
(http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos030.htm#earnings)

It’s important to realize that the average salary increases based on the
level of education you’ve received. Salaries also increase based on the
number of years you’ve worked as an engineer.

2003 web data (http://www.payscale.com/salary-survey/vid-3268/fid-6886)

shows how salaries tend to increase with more experience:

Years’ Experience Salary Range Average

<1 $35,000 - $47,500 $40,000
1-4 $39,000 - $49,000 $42,000
5-9 $48,000 - $56,000 $52,000
10 - 19 $59,000 - $82,000 $65,000
>20 $45,000 - $120,000 $70,000

Thoughts for the Future

Consider getting an advanced degree at some point in your career. The

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) now considers the Master’s degree to

44 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 be the basic preparation for professional practice. This is driven largely by the ever
expanding breadth and depth of technical knowledge that is relevant to a practicing
civil engineer.

“On October 9, 2001, the ASCE Board of Direction unanimously approved

revised Policy 465: Academic Prerequisites for Licensure and Professional
Practice. The policy states, "ASCE supports the concept of the Master's
degree or Equivalent as a prerequisite for licensure and the practice of civil
engineering at a professional level."”
(http://www.asce.org/professional/educ/report100901.cfm)

“Today, engineering is becoming increasingly specialized. Students should

plan to pursue their master’s degree, regardless of their engineering discipline.
Working between the bachelor’s and masters is encouraged, but the master’s
degree should not be neglected. With a master’s degree, engineers will be given
noticeably more responsibility, more important tasks, more technical tasks, they
will move up the corporate ladder more rapidly, and they will have greater
selfconfidence and better technical skills. ...a master’s degree will pay off with
higher salaries and more rapid advancement.” Victor S. Magar, PE, PhD, Aug. 1997

Therefore, you may want to consider the CU combined BS/MS degree. If you
want to know more, talk to your advisor.

C. Civil Engineering Profession in the Philippines

The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers

The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers or PICE is a professional

organization for civil engineers in the Philippines. It was formed by merging two
separate organizations of civil engineers: one group working from government
sector and the second group working in the private sector.

History

On December 11, 1973, the

Securities and Exchange Commission
issued Registration Certificate No
53896 to the PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE
OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, INC. (PICE).
This was the culmination and fulfilment
of a vision to merge two separate
organizations of civil engineers in the
country, the Philippine Society of Civil
Engineers (PSCE) and the Philippine
Association of Civil Engineers (PACE).
The Philippine Society of Civil
Engineers (PSCE) was formed sometime in the late twenties by a group of
civil engineers mostly from the government sector. It was the country's first
civil engineering organization with the late Engr. Marcia! Kasilag as its first
president. Engr. Kasilag holds the No 1 slot in the PRC Registry of Civil
Engineers. He then occupied a high-ranking position in the government and
the early members of PSCE were government engineers. There were
relatively few civil engineers in private practice during that time as most of
the early graduates were readily engaged by the various government
agencies

45 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 In 1937, another group of civil engineers in the private sector, led by
Enrique Sto. Tomas Cortes formed the Philippine Association of Civil
Engineers (PACE) Mr Cortes was its first president The major objectives of
both associations were similar to elevate the standards of the profession,
encourage research and engineering knowledge and technology, foster
fellowship among members, and promote interrelation with other
technological and scientific societies.

The Philippine Association Civil Engineers (PACE) proved to be the

more active between the two groups and this resulted to the transfer of many
PSCE members to PACE PACE, under the leadership of President Alberto
Guevarra, was mainly responsible for the passage of Republic Act No. 544
otherwise known as the "Civil Engineering Law" in 1950. It was a milestone
in establishing prestige and safeguarding the interest of the civil engineering
profession in the country.

It was sometime in 1972 under the administration of the late PACE

President Cesar A. Caliwara when more serious effort was exerted to merge
the two societies. Panel representatives were designated by both
organizations to convene and start a series of talk. Leading members of
PACE and PSCE, Eduardo Escobar. Pedro Afable. Angel Lazaro. Jr..
Andres Hizon. Ambrosio Flores. Tomas de Guzman. Lucas Agbayani, to
mention a few were involved in the negotiation. The choice of a new name,
formal accounting and turnover of assets and liabilities, accreditation of
bonafide members and election rules for the first officers were some of the
concerns that were sooner resolved. Finally, an election of the first officers
and directors of the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. (PICE) was
held sometime in February 1974 and Cesar A. Caliwara became the first
President. During his term, the first International convention was held in the
Philippines on May 20 to 24.1975 with the theme " Civil Engineering in
Disaster Prevention Control: Proceedings in this convention were published
into a book and sold to members and public. Also, the drive to organize
provincial chapters was intensified in order to truly unite the civil engineers of
the country. Another historical milestone was the accreditation (no. 007) of
PICE by the Professional Regulation Commission on August 13. 1975 as the
only official recognized organization of civil engineers in the Philippines.

President Mariano R. Balauag's administration which succeeded

Caliwara's was also characterized by an even vigorous campaign for
membership thru the formation of seventeen (17) Provincial Chapters within
a years time, making a total of twenty four (24) chapters, considerably
boosting the PICE membership. The publication of the "Philippine Civil
Engineer”, the official organ of the stitute was envisioned during his term.
PICE's 3rd president. Ramon G. Hechanova, highlighted his administration
by expanding further the activities of PICE, such as the Continuing Education
Program, publication of the Philippine Civil Engineer, increased the annual
membership dues, studied proposed amendments to the By-laws particularly
on the electoral voting, proposed amendments to Article 1723 of the civil
code pertinent to exploitation of civil engineers in practice, and the creation
of the "Ten Outstanding Civil Engineers" (TOCE) Awards. The establishment
of the PICE Foundation Inc. was envisioned during his terrn. A convention on
the theme 'Civil Engineering in the 80's“ and the annual election held on
November 9,1980 marked the closing of Hechanova's Administration, Jesus
S. Hipolito. a noted professor in Structural Engineering and leading
contractor became PICE's Fourth President on January 1.1981, Hipolito had

46 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 not yet finished his term in office when President Marcos named him Minister
of Public Works on November 11,1981, His incumbency then marked the
period when PICE was headed by cabinet members which is no doubt,
another feather on its cap. It was during Minister Hipolito's tenure that the
PICE foundation, Inc. was finally established for the purpose of acquiring a
permanent home for the Institute. It was also during his term that the local
engineering consultants have been given due recognition by foreign
financing institutions like the World Bank. A convention on the theme
"Upgrading Civil Engineering Professionalism and Consultancy" was held
which reflected his main obsession and direction for his entire incumbency.
Hipolito served for two years until December 1. 1982.

The fifth President of the PICE is youthful and handsome Angel L.

Lazaro III, son of Arch./Engr. Angel L. Lazaro. jr., one of the original pillars of
the Institute. "Lilo" Lazaro, as he is fondly called, has a doctorate degree in
Structural Engineering and was then the Dean of the De La Salle's College
of Engineering. He also headed a consultancy group bearing his name and
was actively involved in the government's infrastructure program. The term of
President Lazaro although for one year only (1983), is considered very
fruitful in terms of visible accomplishments. For the first time, the PICE
membership broke the 10.000 mark with 11.448 active members with the
formation of ten (10) new provincial chapters and seven (7) new student
chapters. Also for the first time, existing specialty and fraternal associations
of civil engineers such as ASEP, AGCEP, DACEL and ACE were formally
invited to join the Institute of emphasize and realize the unity of civil
engineering profession. The administration of Dr. Lazaro is also
characterized by the intense desire of PICE members to unite in protecting
the right of civil engineer particularly on the issues confronting the civil
engineering profession against the perceived machination of other technical
professions who want to amend the existing C.E. Law for their selfish
interests. Among the various programs implemented. the Continuing
Professional Education (CPE) was given emphasis thru the conduct of
several Regional Technical Conferences and Lecture Seminars in the local
chapters which directly benefited more than a thousand members.

Aber P. Canlas, then the deputy Minister of Public Work and Highways
(MPWH) became the sixth president of PICE in 1984 and kept the
presidency until the end of 1986. It was during Canlas' administration that
PICE was involved in an International activity thru the holding of the 4th
conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations or
CAFEO-4, which was hosted by the Philippine Technological Council (PTC)
on September 25-27, 1985 at the Philippine Plaza Hotel. President Canlas,
then PICE representative in the PTC, was the chairman of the federation's
Governing Body and PICE became the lead organization that successfully
managed that prestigious international affair. The seventh President of PICE
is the amiable and ever-jolly Juanito "Janet" Nery Ferrer who was elected
when he was Undersecretary of DPWH. He eventually became the full-
pledged secretary of DPWH before his second term ended in 1988 He
herefore became the second Cabinet Secretary to serve the PICE
presidency after past president Jesus Hipolito. President "Janet', as he
popularly known, is well remembered for his vision in establishing a more
solid moral foundation for the next generations of Filipino Civil Engineers. He
was very concerned about the moral re-orientation and regeneration of our
people after the 20 year plunder of the past government regime. Also, he felt
that civil engineers had to bring back the pride and dignity of the civil

47 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 engineering profession. It was during Ferrer's administration that serious
efforts were exerted to acquire a permanent headquarters for the PICE and
acquire sophisticated office and equipment such as microcomputer to better
serve the needs of the general membership. Thru very successful fund-
raising activities, the initial amount of P550, 000.00 was placed in the bank
as a trust fund under the PICE Foundation, Inc the plan then was to acquire
an office space at the Strata 200 Bldg. of the Ortigas Complex. And as part
of the decentralization program of his administration, a very successful
midyear National Convention was held in Davao City in July 1988 ably
hosted by the local PICE chapter of that beautiful and alluring southern
metropolis. The eight President of the Institute is David M Consunji, a former
Secretary of the Department of Public Works, Transportation and
Communication (DPWTC) and the president of a very prestigious
construction firm bearing his name. President Consunji served for two (2)
terms striving to maintain the momentum of the Institute's growth for the last
15 years from 1974 His first term was spent mostly in consultation with the
local chapters trying to identify the problems that beset the Institute because
he believed in the dictum that problems known are already half solved. It is
to the credit of the Consunji administration that the present successful
program on Continuing Professional Education (CPE) for civil engineers was
finally resolved and eventually adopted by the Professional Regulation
Commission (PRC) as a pre-requisite in the renewal of professional license.
The ninth President of PICE is the ever-smiling Romulo M Del Rosario,
Undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, then in-
charge of all DPWH infrastructure projects in Bicol, the Visayas and the
whole of Mindanao.

The first term of President Del Rosario was characterized by an active

campaign for membership and re-activation of the in-active local chapters
including the creation of new and viable chapters, i.e., the PICE AFP-OND
chapter with Charter No 72 and headed by no less than the Chief of the
Engineering Corps of the AFP, Brigadier General Dominador Catibog, jr., as
its charter president. Also, it was during his first term in Office that the
Continuing Professional Education (CPE) program was successfully
launched with a series of Regional Technical Consultation (RTC's) or training
seminars conducted in coordination with DPWH and hosted by local PICE
chapters in regional cities. This seminars and other trainings conducted by
the local chapters gave the membership the chance to earn CPE credits
units required by PRC in the renewal of Professional License. And for the
first time, a "Civil Engineering Week" for the period November 3 to 9, 1991
was declared by Malacariang thru Proclamation No 799 issued on
September 20,1991 by President Corazon C. Aquino. The C E week was
celebrated nationwide thru coordinated activities of all PICE chapters and the
PICE National Board culminating in the most successful and well-attended
'91 PICE Annual Convention (1,400 plus registered participants) The second
term of President Del Rosario was considered very memorable mainly
because of the induction of the Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos as PICE
Life Member holding Certificate No 239. Three new chapters were
organized, namely: Camarines Norte, Angeles City and Tawi-Tawi and given
Charter Nos 73, 74 and 75, respectively. Also life members increased
significantly by 51% from 182 in 1992 to 276 as of October 26,1992 Another
significant achievement of his administration is the conferment of the first
batch of PICE Fellows, composed mostly of PICE presidents. The 1992
National Convention surpassed the record set in 1991 which was highlighted

48 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 by the Testimonial Dinner in honor of the Philippine President Fidel V.
Ramos at the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel on November 3, 1992.

The tenth President of the Institute is the ever-humble Engr. Antonio A

Mansueto, a PICE Fellow and formerChairman of the PRC C.E. Board of
Examiners. A former City Engineer of Cebu, Engr Mansueto has long retired
from government service and headed a private consultation group. His
administration will be well remembered because of his spirited fight against
the proposed amendment to RA 544 (Civil Engineering Law) and the
National Consultancy Act of 1992 which would authorize corporate firms or
juridical persons to practice civil engineering under the guise of consultancy.
From initial indications at the time, PICE was winning this fight with the
wholehearted support of the different local chapters who sent in strong
resolutions to our legislators supporting the vehement and opposing stand of
the National Board in this regard. Mother very notable achievement of this
administration is the serious initiative to put up a PICE building of its own
with the help of all local chapters particularly the Metro Manila Chapters who
were invited to join the Building Fund Drive. It was hoped then that the PICE
Building will house the National Secretariat and the PICE Library and a
dormitory to serve transient members coming to Metro Manila. On the
General Membership growth, the administration of President Mansueto is
credited with the formation of additional five (5) chapters, namely: Tarlac,
Barran, Calbayog, !locos Sur, Catanduanes and San Carlos City, Negros
Occidental, who were given Charter Nos 76,77,78,79,80 and 81,
respectively. Also in this year, the membership finally topped the 20,000
mark with 397 life members. The 1993 National Convention held on
November 11-13, 1993 at the Philippine Plaza Hotel, broke previous records
of attendance and activities implemented. In 1994, Nelson Q Irasga was
elected as the eleventh President of PICE He was re-elected in 1995 He
caused a more intensive Continuing Professional Education (CPE) program
in the chapter level thru the creation of a Speakers' Bureau which offered
assistance in technical seminars. Regional Consultative Conferences were
likewise successfully conducted in NCR and region I to XII. An
apprenticeship program for civil engineering graduates was launched during
President basga's 1994 term. The program provided opportunities to new
Civil Engineers to have proper exposure and training in various fields of
practice for three months in selected top government and private offices.
Ground work was also laid out for the establishment of scholarship grants to
deserving CE students all over the Philippines.

During the year, the National Secretariat moved to a more convenient

and newer office at PASDA Mansions, Quezon City. It was here that modern
office equipment such as computer, a laser printer and a fax machine were
acquired by the National Board. These were significant acquisitions that
were meant to expand services to its wide membership. As part of the thrust
to get first-hand information and status of chapters. President Irasga initiated
and convened a dialogue with the chapter Presidents. The inputs were
necessary for the formulation of programs and policies which will ultimately
be beneficial to all PICE members. In this meeting, CPE and other policies
concerning the operation of the national office were clarified for smoother
implementation thereof

Publication and printing of the PICE Bulletin, a newsletter in newspaper

form was likewise started. Meantime, PICE's collection increased by 30%
compared to the previous year and were placed in trust deposits, using the

49 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 interest earnings only to cover the office rent and purchase of new
equipment.

Another significant event for PICE in 1994 was the signing of a mutual
Agreement of Cooperation with ASCE, the American Society of Civil
Engineers. The agreement provides for an exchange of technical, scientific
and professional knowledge between the two organizations. The holding of
the 20th National Convention in November 1994 proved to be another
unmatched success. Some 3,500 delegates participated in the convention
surpassing previous attendance records. Perhaps the most outstanding
achievement of the Irasga administration is the acquisition of 3 condominium
units at Cityland 10 Tower II, right in the heart of Makati City. The property
was purchased in outright cash in the amount of P 4,003,384 90 from
compounded revenues of PICE from 1992 to 1994 (the terms of PP Romulo
M. Del Rosario, Antonio A Mansueto and Nelson Q. Irasga). Four more
chapters were formed in 1995, North Metro Manila, South Metro Manila,
Osamiz City and Cabanatuan Nueva Ecija chapters. It was also in 1995 that
efforts to establish the PICE Research &. Development Foundation were
started. The general idea was to convert the existing PICE Foundation to
serve as the R&D group for civil engineering.

Then DPWH Undersecretary Vicente B. Lopez was elected PICE

President in 1996. During this year, vigorous discussion and consultation
were made by the National Board with the chapters and other affiliate,
association, attempting to come up with a more up-to-date Civil Engineering
Law. The issue of creating Specialty Boards in the Professional Regulation
Commission Board of Civil Engineering was likewise a hotly debated subject.
When all pros and cons were presented to the membership during the 1996
National Convention for resolution, the decision was to leave RA544 or the
Civil Engineering Law as is as its provision have been time-tested. During
the year, 2 regular chapters and 6 student chapters were formed. Three
issues of the Philippine Civil Engineering journal were published and
computerization of membership data was completed with the procurement of
new computers and printers. The new National Administrative Office was re-
organized with the appointment of a new National Administrative Officer, a
position vacant for some years after Melinda del Rosano's retirement. The
New National Office provided expanded services to chapters and members
and coordination was closer. Membership report and remittances of share on
dues to chapters became regular. A serious effort to implement the
members' 0-Base was started. The CPE program of PICE was established
complementary to PRC's guidelines. Various chapters were able to sponsor
their own seminars with the support of the PICE Speakers Bureau and the
National Administrative Officer. PICE entered into Agreement of Cooperation
with the Korean Society of Civil Engineers. One outstanding feat of the
Lopez Administration was the receipt of award from the American Society of
Civil Engineers for PICE to host the 1st Civil Engineering International
Conference to be held in 1998, outside the USA, besting other offers from
the other countries. The Mid-year Convention in Baguio City and likewise the
22nd National Convention were very well attended and further boosted the
financial position of PICE. One of the most distinguished contractors in the
Philippines, the unassuming and spirited Felipe F Cruz was elected
president in 1997 and re-elected 1998. He will always be remembered as the
PICE President who made PICE popular in the international civil engineering
circles, among other feats. PICE's hosting of First International Civil
Engineering Conference in the Asian Region sponsored by the American

50 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Society of Civil Engineers and the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, on the
Theme: Asian Infrastructure, Sustainable Development and Project
Management held on February 19-20, 1998 at the Manila Hotel was a
smashing success. At present, PICE has formal linkage with international
professional associations such as the ASCE - American Society of Civil
Engineers; JSCE - Japan Society of Civil Engineers; KSCE - Korean Society
of Civil Engineers and the CSCE - Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.
PICE was the proud recipient of the ASCE INTERNATIONAL HISTORIC
CIVIL ENGINEERING LANDMARK AWARD for the IFUGAO RICE
TERRACES. Dubbed as the eighth wonder of the world and built 2000 years
ago, the Ifugao Rice Terraces is the best example of a sustainable
development project that still works. A simple awarding ceremony was held
on February 17, 1998 at a view point in Banaue which is now known as the
Engineers View Point. ASCE President Luther Graef with PICE officials led
by President FF Cruz and Past President Vicente B. Lopez, unveiled the
permanent marker specially made and flown from the US and mounted on a
monument designed by Engr. Angel Lazaro Jr., depicting the Ifugao culture
and art The three societies ASCE, JSCE and PICE made a donation to the
Ifugao Terraces Commission for the upkeep and other programs for the
Ifugao Rice Terraces.

The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc celebrated its 25th

Founding Anniversary in 1998. The deep sense of unity manifested by the
then leaders of the Philippine Association of Civil Engineers (PACE) and the
Philippine Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE) was given due recognition
during the 24th National Convention citing the meaningful merger of PSCE
and PACE into the PICE and how this merger resulted to a strong single
union of civil engineers in the country that is now the PICE. During the term
of F. F Cruz PICE acquired another properly in Quezon City, to be its
National Headquarters. The Makati Cityland Condo units were later
converted into the PICE Center for Continuing Professional Education and
the Computer Training Center. The CPE Program of the PICE intensified and
almost all PICE chapters were able to develop their capability in conducting
their local seminars with speakers coming from the PICE National Speakers'
Bureau through the National CPE Committee and the National Administrative
Office. Because of the commitment of the National Board to intensify the
membership campaign in the PICE , PICE regular chapters reached 94 while
student chapters (DECS-accredited) rose to 104 at year-end. PICE has
about 43,000 regular members on record, 7,900 student members, 1,574 life
members, and 44 Fellows. The National Administrative Office continued to
accommodate the request from Engineering offices, Consultants or
Contractors to post their C E Staff requirements at the Headquarters Bulletin
Board. Members who come daily scan our Bulletin Board to check out our
Employment opportunities. PICE has also started to receive applications for
reference for apprenticeship coming from new C E Graduates or graduating
students. Dissemination of various profession or organization - related
informations to all chapters, other groups is another service that has greatly
improved since the acquisition of modern office equipment. PICE also
offered free assistance to members residing in the provinces in the renewal
of their PRC licenses, provided there is proper Chapter endorsement and
authorization.

With the changing trends in the practice of civil engineering and the
new direction that the construction industry itself is taking, 1998 PICE
President Felipe F Cruz spearheaded the transformation of the old PICE

51 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Foundation, Inc., first by expanding its objectives and setting a wider
participation of past presidents who will act as Trustees and of leading
members who will actively participate in the R & 0 work, then renaming it the
PICE Research and Development Foundation and causing the necessary
SEC registration. Attendance in the National Conventions in 1997 and 1998
increased from the previous years.

Bashir ID Rasuman, the president of PICE Cebu Chapter was elected

14th president of PICE in 1999. It was during his term that the national board
started an outreach program with the chapters by holding some of the board
meetings in the regional centers and inviting the officials of the chapters
within the said region to the meeting to achieve a closer interaction. The
Outreach program proved to be effective because the national board
members became closer to the chapters and were able to address their
concerns on a more special level especially that the PRC cancelled the
requirements for CPE units for the renewal of PRC license and the chapters
were starting to experience its repercussions. The Chapters have by this
time developed the capability to organize their own CPE program with
minimal help from the national office. The PICE Computer Center was
organized and computers and engineering softwares were acquired. The
PICE Training Center planned out some training courses on the 5 areas of
specialization. The PICE Library was revived and new books were acquired.
In 1999 the PICE National Office transferred to a new and bigger office in
Quezon City, complete with a Board room and Library. The By-Laws were
also studied and a set of amendments were presented to the Electoral
College and were ratified. One of the outstanding features of the Amended
By-Laws is the institutionalization of the the establishment of the five (5)
Specialty Divisions for Construction Management and Engineering;
Structural Engineering; Transportation Engineering; Geotechnical
Engineering and Water Engineering. Also, the College of Fellows was
constituted and Angel R Lazaro, Jr became its 1st Chancellor. PICE, upon
closer study of the situation, withdrew as an intervenor in the court case of
CECOPHIL vs. DPWH, a conflict concerning the question of allowing
corporations to practice civil engineering. PICE gave financial assistance to
deserving masteral students in the completion of their thesis, under the
auspices of the PICE Research and Development Committee. On the
international involvement of PICE, Pres. Rasuman, for PICE, signed an
Agreement of Cooperation with the Chinese Institute of Civil and Hydraulics
Engineers. Also, Pres. Rasuman and Past President F F Cruz were
attending meetings with its international counterparts from the American
Society of Civil Engineers, the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Korean
Society of Civil Engineers and the Chinese Institute of Civil and Hydraulics
Engineers for the holding of the 2nd International Civil Engineering
Conference in the Asian Region (CECAR 2) PICE also is a charter organizer
of the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council (ACECC), the body
established to oversee the preparations for the international conference
otherwise known as CECAR The 25th national Convention of PICE was held
in Cebu City after SEC clarified the provisions of the By-Laws concerning the
venue of the National Conventions. It has an unmatched attendance record
of 5,300 delegates. Efren H Sison was elected president for 2000 and 2001
His administration is anchored on the concept under the acronym USA Unity
+ Strength = Achievement. He initiated fast moving programs and continued
others designed and intended to provide and enhance the opportunities for
the professional development and personal advancement of members. This

52 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 year, the 5 specialty divisions were reconstituted and criteria and guidelines
for accreditation of specialist members were circularized to all members. The
earning of CPD units was set to be one of the requirements for a members
elevation to the status of Specialist Member.

PICE and ASEP entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the

Office of Civil Defense/National Disaster Coordinating Council under the
Dept. of National Defense for the National Emergency Response Action
Program. In this partnership PICE and ASEP were setting up a network for
the provision of technical assistance in times of earthquakes and calamities
and more importantly, for disaster preparedness. PICE was to provide the
bulk of expert technical volunteers while ASEP will provide the technical
training. The signing of the NERAP Memorandum of Agreement coincided
with the opening of CAST 2000, a specialty conference on concrete jointly
sponsored by PICE and ASEP. CAST 2000 had an impressive technical
program with about 30 never before presented technical papers. PICE
harnessed its relationship with other groups to achieve PICE's objective: the
advancement of knowledge and practice of civil engineering and entered into
a Memorandum of Agreement with the following organizations: PRC Board
of Civil Engineering, Association of Consulting Civil Engineers of the
Philippines and the Council of Engineering Consultants of the Philippines to
sponsor a seminar at least once a year about the practice of foreign civil
engineers in the Philippines as embodied in the PRC Board of Civil
Engineering Resolution 23 of 2000 (revising No 17, series of 1998) PRC
Board of Civil Engineering to cooperate with the PRC Board of Civil
Engineering in launching an awareness campaign, extend assistance,
monitor, file complaints regarding the practice of foreign civil engineers. The
Philippine Association of Building Officials formed a partnership with PICE in
the pursuance of the National Emergency Response Action Program or
NERAP. PICE will coordinate with the Building Officials in the conduct of
rapid evaluation of structures in times of earthquakes or disasters where the
NERAP teams will be required. The Publications Committee regularly printed
newsletters and a special issue of the Journal on Disaster Preparedness. In
the INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, PICE renewed its Agreements of
Cooperation with the following Societies: ASCE, JSCE and KSCE PICE also
co-founded the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council (ACECC) along
with ASCE, JSCE and KSCE. ACECC will organize the Civil Engineering
Conferences in the Asian Region, the first was held in Manila in 1998 and
the next one will be in Tokyo, Japan in 2001 It was during his term that PRC
conferred the Most Outstanding Civil Engineer Award for 2000 to past
president, Felipe F Cruz.

In the area of MEMBERS' WELFARE, the PICE actively pursued Free

regional seminars were conducted in conjunction with the Regional
Consultation Meeting of the National Board in San Fernando City, La Union
for Region I and CAR, Olongapo City for Region III and Naga City for Region
V. Insurance coverage for the PICE members was made possible with a
scheme where PICE will earn from premiums which will be used to establish
a PICE Scholarship Program under the chairmanship of IPP Bashir D
Rasuman. The reach-out program started by IPP Rasuman was continued
and offered opportunities for the chapter presidents to confer and interact
with the national board members to discuss chapter and professional issues.
In 2000, PICE was fully computerized. The PICE website, VANN [me org ph,
was launched in July 2000 and contains almost every imaginable data about
PICE, even the contents of our Library and links with international

53 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 counterpart associations. Total membership was 50,192 and Life Members
at 2,188 at year end. Eight Members have been elevated to the status of
Fellow, namely Rafael F. Erfe, Dr. Romeo A. Estariero, Capistrano
Ramientos, Jr., Bashir D. Rasuman, Hermenegildo P Manzano, Jr.,
Eustaquio T. Coronel, Jr., Emilio M Morales and Rolando G Roque In the
Student Affairs, three new student chapters were added to the 116 chapters
Perhaps the best achievement of our PICE Students in schools located in
Metro Manila was the volunteer work for the Habitat for Humanity in their
Muntinlupa project Several housed were built by the students. A combination
of hands-on learning and community work in progress. The 1st National
Student Summit was held during the National Midyear Convention in Iloilo
City at the Central Philippines University on June 28 to July 1, 2000. For the
first time, the search for the Most Outstanding Civil Engineering Student was
launched known as MOCES. PICE gave the highest commendation to Bryan
Christopher Que of De La Salle University for academic excellence and
contributions to the furtherance of the PICE student program. PICE
bestowed the CIVIL ENGINEERING LANDMARK AWARD to the Banaue
Rice Terraces as the 1st PICE Landmark Award. For the CIVIL
ENGINEERING MANUAL AND PROFESSIONAL FEE, the Board approved
the adoption of the Manual of Practice prepared by the Mis. Oriental-
Cagayan de Oro City Chapter. The year was capped with the 26th National
Convention hosted by PICE Makati Chapter held at the Manila Hotel
attended by some 1,880 delegates. On the second term of Pres. Efren H.
Sison, the year 2001 is perhaps the most momentous one for PICE so far.
This was the year that PICE won the most coveted PRC award -The Most
Outstanding Accredited Professional Organization of the Year Most of the
criteria for this award perfectly matched the program of Pres. Sison and were
the focus of his administration - Continuing Professional Development,
Community Extension Program, Members' Welfare and Student Career
Development Program and Value Formation For the Continuing Professional
Development, the accreditation of Specialist Members under the Five
Specialty Division started. Civil Engineers who have been given the
certificate of recognition by PRC automatically became a Specialist Member.
A power-packed committee headed by President Efren H Sison prepared the
Manual of Professional Practice for Civil Engineers. This book was
copyrighted and launched last October 24, 2001.

The PICE National Board started to workout MOAs with Colleges and
Universities to make this a textbook for the ethics subject in the CE course.
The Manual was prepared to guide civil engineers in the practice of their
profession. Regional conferences were conducted from July to October 2001
in Regions IV, VI, I/CAR and III. The topics selected were those that are
pertinent to the respective regions and offered opportunities for net-working
and fund-raising for the chapter. Meanwhile the Midyear National Convention
was hosted by PICE Cagayan de Oro - Misamis Oriental Chapter with
DPWH Sec. Simeon A Datumanong as the Guest Speaker Free Seminars
were conducted from January 2001, for professionals and students
conducted separately almost every weekend. The National Board sponsored
this program, with the assistance of the chapter where the seminars are
held. This program addresses two objectives - Continuing Professional
Development and Member's Welfare. Some of the main topics presented in
the free seminars were The State of Civil Engineering Profession Today,
Disaster Quick Response Action Program, and other technical topics. PICE
has concentrated on its community extension work because civil engineering

54 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 is a profession in the Service of the Society. The Disaster Quick Response
Program (DQRP) is an undertaking of the PICE and ASEP with OCC)-
NOCC-ONO for the rapid assessment of structures during calamities.
Trainings were financed by the OCD-NDCC and started in August 2001 at
Baguio City. PICE also entered to a Memorandum of Agreement with the
Philippine Building Officials (PASO) for this undertaking. This program
highlights the members' spirit of volunteerism and concern for the
community. PICE wants to involve all members who will become DORP
volunteers in the rapid inspection of affected structures during earthquakes.
PICE entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Habitat for
Humanity for the construction of houses for the marginalized families. The
student members provided the manpower in the construction of the houses
while, professional members provided the technical supervision. As part of
the Outreach program of the National Board of Oirectors,regular consultation
meetings were conducted with the officials of the chapters Batangas, !locos
Norte - Laoag, Davao, Isabela, Baguio, Bacolod, Iloilo, Naga, Pangasinan,
Angeles City, Oriental Mindoro, Pampanga, Leyte, Cabanatuan - N Ecija, La
Union. The national officers truly networked with the members and became
very familiar with the particular settings of the chapter. The computerization
program for PICE Operations was completed in 2001 PICE now has an
integrated membership data bank serving all our chapters nationwide. The
Data Bank also has other information related to the practice of the
profession. Our official websrte was launched in July2001 - and main e-mail
address picenatl@skyinet net The PICE Library has an impressive selection
of publications available to all members. The PICE Insurance Program was
also launched for the insurance coverage of members. The Student Career
Development program featured free seminars for student members to
inculcate good values and professional background training PICE will
propose to the Academic Community the possibility of prescribing the
Manual of Professional Practice for Civil Engineers as a textbook for the Civil
Engineering Course and in return, PICE will conduct seminars for students in
lieu of OJTs, The CE Education Forum - Full support was extended to the
Civil Engineering Education Congress in May 2001 The formation of the
Association of Civil Engineering Educators of the Philippines was realized in
that conference. Organizational Gains - PICE has various Standing and
Special Committees to attend to the plans and programs of PICE for the
profession and members in: Organizational Aspect, Practice of the
Profession, Community Service, International Affairs, Members, Welfare,
Civil Engineering Education, Student Activities. Landmark Award - The 1st
National Outstanding Civil Engineering Historic landmark Award went to the
IFUGAO RICE TERRACES. While, the 2nd National Outstanding Civil
Engineering Historic landmark Award went to the MT. SAMAT CROSS.
International Relationships- the cause of the success of the First
International Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region in 1998,
ASCE, PICE and JSCE initiated the formation of the ACECC - Asian Civil
Engineering Coordinating Council.

Pres. Efren H Sison and PP Bashir 0. Rasuman and Chair of

International Affairs signed an Agreement of Cooperation with the Hongkong
Institution of Engineers' (HKIE) President Dr. John W. K Luk and Secretary
and Director General Ir P K Kwok. As of Dec 31, 2001 PICE had a total of
54,509 members 52,026 regular and alternate members and 2483 life
members in 95 Chapters and over 16,000 student members in 120 student
chapters. DPWH Undersecretary, Manuel M Bonoan served his first term as

55 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 PICE National President in 2002 The PICE National Board of Directors
continued the implementation of the following plans and programs:

 Continuing Professional Development

 Members' Personal Welfare
 Community Extension Program
 Student Career Development and Value - Formation Program
 Setting of the civil engineering professional standards and ethics
 Upgrading of the civil engineering education
 International program
 Issues on Practice of the profession and legal matters

Continuing Professional Development (CPO) Program is still the main

thrust of the PICE for the advancement of the knowledge and practice of civil
engineering. Among the projects that were implemented for the CPO
Program are the conduct of a series of Regional Conferences, Free
Seminars (under the Members' Welfare Committee) and the technical tracks
during Midyear and National Convention. Regional Conferences were held in
Region IV — March 25, 2002 in Sta. Cruz, Marinduque; in Region V —
August 30-31, 2002 in, Legazpi City; in Region I/CAR (Left Side) —
September 6-7, 2003 at Pangasinan; in Region III - October 4-5, 2002 at
Olongapo City; in Region IV — October 11-12, 2002 in Batangas City. The
Free Seminars were well attended. Modules for the professional and student
levels were simultaneously held. Topics on value formation and how to
select the area of specialization were featured in the free seminars for
students. The Student members' participation in PICE events had increased
over the years. PICE took on the noble task of creating a program and
sustaining a culture of professional excellence for the young prospective
engineers. It is now one of the missions of PICE. The role of the 5 Specialty
Divisions were further strengthened in upgrading the level of practice thru
specialization and the evaluation of members to the specialist category.
From 2000, the Five (5) SPECIALTY DIVISIONS developed the criteria and
requirements to be upgraded to the PICE Specialist Member Category.

The Activities of the Specialty Divisions are:

 periodic assessment of the quality of practice

 setting of standards and practices
 preparation of CPO Program for implementation by the various
chapters
 administration of technical sessions during national conventions,
conferences and seminars
 peer recognition

The Members' Welfare Program was also strengthened, aimed at

providing opportunities and perks for personal development of members.
The PICE Library Facilities, the PICE Website are in place and an e-mail
network was started. Disaster Quick Response Program (DQRP), the PICE
program that combines the practice of profession with active community
involvement, gave focus on the concerns for safety/prevention of loss lives
and destruction of properties. With the Office of Civil Defense-National
Disaster Coordinating Council's support, The training of volunteers from our
Chapters continued. The training for Luzon chapter volunteers in Region I, II,
Ill, NCR and part of Region IV was conducted last June 14-15, 2002 at
NIAAuditorium and attended by some 200 volunteers from PICE and the
LGUs The PICE-ASEP-DORP Team in close coordination with the Office of

56 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Civil Defense-National Disaster Coordinating Council (OCO-NOCC) thru
Major General Melchor Rosales (Ret ), OCD-NDCC Administrator, was
involved in the rapid assessment of Structures after the March 6, 2002
earthquake in the areas of General Santos city, Koronadal, Sultan Kudarat
and Sarangani Provinces. Our chapters in the areas were quick to provide
information & participated in the inspection of damaged structures.

In July 2002 PICE also participated in the Mini-Sagip Internal

Assessment of Domestic Response capability of the Philippines to National
Disaster & also the Sagip 2002 Program of the OND Sagip 2002 or the 3rd
International Work Group Seminar & Exercises Multilateral Disaster
Response & Humanitarian Assistance Program.

Other Achievements:

 The use of the Manual of Practice for Civil Engineering was further
promoted to set the civil engineering professional standards and
ethics.
 Upgrading of the civil engineering education through advocacy
work; involvement in the review of the Civil Engineering
curriculum.
 PICE submitted to Professional Regulation Commission PICE's
position on the WTO-GATS issues on Cross Border Supply,
Commercial Presence, Consumption Abroad, Mobility Movement
of Natural Persons
 PICE was one of the signatories in the Code of Good Governance
for all professions which was initiated and formulated by the
Professional Regulation Commission. The purpose is to define the
ethical environment in which all Filipino professionals shall
discharge their professional duties.
 PICE's involvement in the revision of the Implementing Rules and
Regulations for the National Building Code intensified
 The preparations of a Civil Engineering Code was started during
the year.
 On the proposed amendments to the PICE By-laws, the Electoral
College approved the following amendments to the PICE by-laws
at the Bacolod Convention Plaza Hotel on June 28, 2002 during
the National Mid-Year Convention and the Referendum consisting
of the Retirement of Members; Deletion of Section 7 — Retirement
of Members and replace it with President Emeritus or Member
Emeritus and Section 13, Article II was amended that approved
the amnesty for members and Proposed Fee Increases for the
Ratification of the Electoral College.
 PBAC Representation - PICE has established partnership with
Non-Government Agencies as we participated in the various
activities of some agencies: Land Bank, Bureau of Treasury,
Bureau of Fisheries , Civil Service Commission, University of the
Philippines — Diliman, Philippine Ports Authority.
 The Awards for Most Outstanding Chapter, Chapter Special
Awards: Outstanding Community Project and Outstanding
Newsletter were given. Also the Most Outstanding Civil
Engineering Student Awards (MOCES) 2002; Best Celebrated
Civil Engineering Week for 2002 and the Mutya ng PICE 2002
Award.

57 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  PICE has yet to install the Landmark Awards for The 1st National
Outstanding Civil Engineering Historic Landmark Award the
IFUGAO RICE TERRACES and the 2nd National Outstanding Civil
Engineering Historic landmark Award the MT. SAMAT CROSS

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 the 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.

Fundamental Canons

1. Civil Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare
of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of
sustainable development in the performance of their duties
2. Civil Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their
competence
3. Civil Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective
and truthful manner.
4. Civil Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer
or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of
interest
5. Civil Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit
of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others
6. Civil Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and
enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of the civil engineering
profession.
7. Civil Engineers shall continue their professional development
throughout their careers, and shall provide opportunities for the
professional development of those civil engineers under their
supervision.

The R.A. 544, Civil Engineering Law

Republic Act No. 544

(As Amended by R.A. 1582)
An Act to Regulate the Practice of Civil Engineering in the
Philippines

Approved, June 17, 1950 (As amended by R.A. No. 1582, approved on June 16, 1956).

58 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:
Article I

TITLE OF THE ACT AND DEFINITION OF TERMS

Section 1. Title of Act.” This Act shall be known as the “Civil Engineering Law.”

Section 2. Definition of Terms.”

a) The practice of civil engineering within the meaning and intent of

this Act shall embrace services in the form of consultation, design,
preparation of plans, specifications, estimates, erection, installation
and supervision of the construction of streets, bridges, highways,
railroads, airports and hangars, port works, canals, river and shore
improvements, lighthouses, and dry docks; buildings, fixed
structures for irrigation, flood protection, drainage, water supply and
sewerage works; demolition of permanent structures; and tunnels.
The enumeration of any work in this section shall not be construed
as excluding any other work requiring civil engineering knowledge
and application.

b) The term “civil engineer” as used in this act shall mean a person
duly registered with the Board for Civil Engineers in the manner as
hereinafter provided.

Article II

BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERS

Section 3. Composition of Board.” Within thirty days after the approval of this Act
there shall be created a Board of Examiners for Civil Engineers,
hereinafter referred to as the Board, to be composed of a chairman and
two members who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines,
upon recommendation of the Commissioner of PRC. The members of the
Board shall hold office for a term of three years after appointment or until
their successors shall have been appointed and shall have qualified. The
first members of the Board appointed under this Act shall hold office for
the following terms: One member for one year; one member for two years;
and one member for three years. Each member of the Board shall qualify
by taking the proper oath of office before entering upon the performance
of his duties. Any member of the Board may be removed by the President
of the Philippines, upon recommendation by the Professional Regulation
Commission for neglect of duty, incompetency, malpractice,
unprofessional, unethical, immoral, or dishonorable conduct, after having
been given opportunity to defend himself in a proper administrative
investigation: Provided, That during the process of investigation, the
President of the Philippines, upon the recommendation of the PRC, shall
have the power to suspend such member under investigation and shall
appoint a temporary member in his place. Vacancies in the Board shall be
filled for the un-expired term only.

59 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Section 4. Powers and Duties of the Board.” The Board for Civil Engineers is vested
with authority, conformable with the provisions of this Act, to administer
oaths, issue, suspend and revoke certificates of registration for the
practice of civil engineering, issue certificates of recognition to civil
engineers already registered under this Act for advanced studies,
research, and/or highly specialized training in any branch of civil
engineering subject to the approval of the PRC, to investigate such
violations of this Act and the regulations, there under as may come to the
knowledge of the Board and, for this purpose, issue subpoena and
subpoena duces tecum to secure appearance of witnesses in connection
with the charges presented to the Board, to inspect at least once a year
educational institutions offering courses in civil engineering, civil
engineering works, projects or corporations, established in the Philippines
and, for safeguarding of life, health and property, to discharge such other
powers and duties as may affect ethical and technological standards of
the civil engineering profession in the Philippines. For the purpose of this
Act, the Director of Public Works and/or his authorized representative in
the provinces and chartered cities shall be ex-officio agents of the Board
and as such it shall be their duty to help in the enforcement of the
provisions of this Act. The Board may, with the approval of the
Professional Regulation Commission issue such rules and regulations as
may be deemed necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. The
board shall also adopt a code of ethics in the practice of civil engineering
and have an official seal to authenticate its official documents.

Section 5. Qualifications of Board Members.” Each member of the Board shall, at

the time of his appointment:

a) Be a citizen and resident of the Philippines;

b) Be at least thirty years of age and of good moral character;

c) Be a graduate of civil engineering from a recognized and legally

constituted school, institute, college or university.

d) Be a registered civil engineer duly qualified to practice civil

engineering in the Philippines;

e) Have practiced civil engineering, with a certificate as such, for a

period of not less than ten years prior to his appointment.

f) Not be a member of the faculty of any school, institute, college, or

university where civil engineering course is taught, nor have a
pecuniary interest in such institutions;

g) No former members of the faculty of any school, institute or university

where civil engineering is taught can become a member of the Board
unless he had stopped teaching for at least three consecutive years.

Section 6. Fees and Compensation of Board.” The Board for Civil Engineers shall
charge for each application for examination the sum of P100 (one
hundred) payable to the collecting and disbursing officer of the PRC upon
filing of said application, and for each certificate of registration, fifty pesos.

60 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Each member of the Board shall receive a compensation of fifteen pesos
for each applicant examined. A civil engineer in the service of the
Government of the Republic of the Philippines appointed as member of
the Board shall receive the compensation as herein provided, in addition
to his salary in the Government. All authorized expenses of the Board,
including the compensation provided for herein, shall be paid by the
collecting and disbursing officer of the PRC out of such appropriation as
may be made for the purpose. (See RA 6511 & PD 223)

Section 7. Annual Report.” The Board shall, at the end of each fiscal year, submit to
the PRC a detailed report of its activities and proceedings during the
period covered by the fiscal year ended.

Article III

EXAMINATION AND REGISTRATION

Section 8. Examination Requirement.” All applicants for registration for the practice
of civil engineering shall berequired to pass a technical examination as
hereinafter provided.

Section 9. Holding of Examination.” Examination of candidates desiring to practice

civil engineering in the Philippines shall be given in the City of Manila of
each year, provided that such days do not fall on official holidays,
otherwise the examinations shall be held on the days next following.

Section 10. Subjects of Examination.” Applicants for certificate of registration as

civil engineer shall be examined, in the discretion of the Board, on the
following subjects: mathematics, including algebra, plane and spherical
trigonometry, analytics, descriptive and solid geometry, differential and
integral calculus, and rational and applied mechanics; hydraulics;
surveying, including highway and railroad surveying; plane, topographic
and hydrographic surveying, and advance surveying; design and
construction of highways and railroads, masonry structures, wooden and
reinforced concrete buildings, bridges, towers, walls, foundations, piers,
ports, wharves, aqueducts, sanitary engineering works, water supply
systems, dikes, dams and irrigation and drainage canals.

Section 11. Executive Officer of the Board.” The Commissioner of Professional

Regulation Commission shall be the executive officer of the Board and
shall conduct the examinations given by the said Board. He shall
designate any subordinate officer of the Professional Regulation
Commission to act as the Secretary and custodian of all records
including examination papers and minutes of the deliberation of the
Board.

Section 12. Qualifications for Examination.” Any person applying for admission to
the civil engineering examination as herein provided shall, prior to the
date of the examination, establish to the satisfaction of the Board that he
has the following qualifications:

a) Be at least twenty-one years of age;

b) Be a citizen of the Philippines;

c) Be of good reputation and moral character; and

61 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 d) Be a graduate of a four-year course in civil engineering from a
school, institute, college or university recognized by the Government
or the State wherein it is established.

Section 13. Oath of Civil Engineers.” All successful candidates in the examination
shall be required to take a professional oath before the Board of Civil
Engineers or other Government Officials authorized to administer oaths,
prior to entering upon the practice of the civil engineering profession.

Section 14. Seal and Use of Seal.” All registered civil engineers shall obtain a seal
of such design as the Board shall authorize and direct: Provided,
however, that the serial number of the certificate issued by the Board
shall be included in the design of the seal. Plans and specifications
prepared by, or under the direct supervision of a registered civil engineer
shall be stamped with said seal during the life of the registrant’s
certificate, and it shall be unlawful for anyone to stamp or seal any
documents with said seal after the certificate of registrant named
thereon has expired or has been revoked, unless said certificate shall
have been renewed or re-issued.

Section 15. Exemption from Registration.”

1. Registration shall not be required of the following persons:

a) Officers or enlisted men of the United States and Philippine

Armed Forces, and civilian employees of the Government of
the United States stationed in the Philippines while rendering
civil engineering services for the United States and/or
Philippines.

b) Civil engineers or experts called in by the Philippine

Government for consultation, or specific designand
construction of fixed structures as defined under this Act,
provided that their practice shall be limited to such work.

2. Any person residing in the Philippines may make plans on

specifications for any of the following: a. Any building in chartered
cities or in towns with building ordinances, not exceeding the space
requirement specified therein, requiring the services of a civil
engineer. b. Any wooden building enlargement or alteration which is
to be used for farm purposes only and costing not more than ten
thousand pesos. c. Provided, however. That there shall be nothing in
this Act that will prevent any person from constructing his own
(wooden or light material) residential house, utilizing the services of a
person or persons required for the purpose, without the use of a civil
engineer, as long as he does not violate local ordinances of the place
where the building is to be constructed.

3. Nor shall anything in this Act prevent draftsmen, student clerk-or-

work, superintendents, and other employees of those lawfully
engaged in the practice of civil engineering under the provisions of
this Act, from acting under the instruction, control or supervision of
their employer.

62 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 4. Nor shall anything in this Act prevent any person who prior to the
approval of this Act have been lawfully engaged in the practice of
“maestro de obras” to continue as such, provided they shall not
undertake the making of plans supervision for the following classes of
work:

a) Building of concrete whether reinforced or not.

b) Building of more than two stories.
c) Building with frames of structural steel.
d) Building of structures intended for public gathering or
assemblies such as theatres, cinematographs, stadia,
churches, or structures of like nature.

5. Nor shall anything in this Act prevent professional architects and

engineers to practice their professions.

Section 16. Refusal to Issue Certificate.” The Board for Civil Engineers shall not
issue a certificate to any person convicted by a court of competent
jurisdiction of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude, or to any
person guilty of immoral or dishonorable conduct, or to any person guilty
of immoral or dishonorable conduct, or to any person of unsound mind.
In the event of a refusal to issue a certificate to any person, the Board
shall give to the applicant a written statement setting forth its reason for
such action, which statement shall be incorporated in the records of the
Board.

Section 17. Suspension and Revocation of Certificates. “ The Board shall have the
power, after due notice and hearings to suspend or revoke the certificate
of registration for any cause mentioned in the preceding section.

Section 18. Re-issue and Replacement of Certificates. “ The Board may, after the
expiration of one year from the date of certificate of registration is
revoked and for reasons it may deem sufficient, entertain an application
for a new certificate of registration from the registrant concerned. Such
application shall be accomplished in the same form prescribed for
examination, but the Board may, in its discretion, exempt the applicant
from taking the requisite examination.

Section 19. Transitory Provisions.” As soon as this Act takes effect, any person
desiring to practice the profession of civil engineering shall be required
to obtain a certificate of registration in the manner and under the
conditions hereinafter provided. All civil engineers duly licensed under
the provisions of Act Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five, as
amended, at the time this Act takes effect, shall be automatically
registered under the provisions hereof. Certificates of registration held
by such persons in good standing shall have the same force and effect
as though the same have been issued under the provisions of this Act.
All graduates in civil engineering from a school, institute, college, or
university recognized by the Government who have passed the civil
service examination for senior civil engineer and have been practicing or
employed in the Government as such during five years are exempted
from taking examination.

Article V

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

63 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Section 23. Preparation of plans and supervisions of construction by registered civil
engineer.” It shall be unlawful for any person to order or otherwise cause
the construction, reconstruction, or alteration of any building or structure
intended for public gathering or assembly such as theaters,
cinematographs, stadia, churches or structures of like nature, and any
other engineering structures mentioned in section two of this Act unless
the designs, plans, and specifications of same have been prepared
under the responsible charge of, and signed and sealed by a registered
civil engineer, and unless the construction, reconstruction and/or
alteration thereof are executed under the responsible charge and direct
supervision of a civil engineer. Plans and designs of structures must be
approved as provided by law or ordinance of a city or province or
municipality where the said structure is to be constructed.

Section 24. The practice of civil engineering is a professional service, admission to

which must be determined upon individual, personal qualifications.
Hence, no firm, partnership, corporation or association may be
registered or licensed as such for the practice of civil engineering:
Provided, however, That persons properly registered and licensed as
civil engineers may, among themselves or with a person or persons
properly registered and licensed as architects, form, and obtain
registration of, a firm, partnership or association using the term
“Engineers” or “Engineers and Architects,” but, nobody shall be a
member or partner of such firm, partnership or association unless he is
duly licensed civil engineer or architect, and the members who are civil
engineers shall only render work and services proper for a civil engineer,
as defined in this Act, and the members who are architects shall also
only render work and services proper for an architect, as defined in the
law regulating the practice of architecture; individual members of such
firms, partnership or association shall be responsible for their own
respective acts.

Section 25. Reciprocity requirements.” No person who is not a citizen of the

Philippines at the time he applies to take the examination shall be
allowed to take it unless he can prove in the manner provided by the
Rules of Court that, by specific provision of law, the country of which he
is a citizen, subject, or national either admits citizens of the Philippines
to the practice of the same profession without restriction or allows them
to practice it after an examination on terms of strict and absolute equality
with citizens, subjects, or nationals of the country concerned, including
the unconditional recognition of degrees issued by institutions of
learning duly recognized for the purpose by the Government of the
Philippines: Provided, That if he is not a citizen of the Philippines, and
was admitted to the practice of a profession in the Philippines after
December 8, 1941, his active practice in that profession, either in the
Philippines or in the state or country where he was practicing his
profession, shall not have been interrupted for a period of two years or
more prior to July 4, 1946, and that the country or state from which he
comes allows the citizens of the Philippines by specific provision of law,
to practice the same profession without restriction or on terms of strict
and absolute equality with citizens, subjects or nationals of the country
or state concerned.

Section 26. Roster of civil engineers.” A roster showing the names and places of
business of all registered civil engineers shall be prepared by the

64 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Commissioner of PRC periodically but at least once a year. Copies of
this roster shall be placed on file with the PRC and furnished to all
department heads, mayors of all chartered cities, to the Director of
Public Works, to such other Bureaus, government entities or agencies
and municipal and provincial authorities as may be deemed necessary
and to the public upon request.

Section 27. Repeal. “All laws, parts of laws, orders, ordinances, or regulations in
conflict with the provisions hereof; including parts of Act Numbered
Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five, as amended, as pertains to the
practice of civil engineering, are hereby repealed, except the provisions
of Act Numbered Thirtyone hundred and fifty nine amending Act
Numbered Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-five, pertaining to the
practice of “maestro de obras.”

Section 28. Construction of Act.” If any part or section of this Act shall be declared
unconstitutional, such declarations shall not invalidate the other
provisions hereof.

Section 29. Effectivity. “This Act shall take effect upon its approval.”

Teaching and Learning Activities

In your own words, answer and discuss the following question:

1. After 5 years in your profession, what kind of engineer are you?

2. What desired attributes of an Engineering graduate do you think you have and
why?
3. What strategies you have for you to finish Civil Engineering course?

For Research:

1. Prepare a list of Companies or Institution here in the Philippines where in you

would like to apply in the future.
Also prepare its: Vision, Mission, History and Awards or Great Contribution in the
Economy.

Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FLTM) Adapted.

Google Classroom, Google Meet, Module

References
 http://civil.colorado.edu/~silverst/cven1317/CEintro-F04.pdf
 https://iesgeneralstudies.com/ethics-in-engineering-profession/#1
 https://collegegrad.com/careers/civil-engineers
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Institute_of_Civil_Engineers#Legal_issues
 https://piceoman.weebly.com/about-pice-national.html

65 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  http://sknlazoce.blogspot.com/2019/09/70-ra-544-civil-engineering-law.html

Module 3
Current Fields and Careers of Civil Engineers

Introduction

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.

Learning Outcome/Objective

At the end of this chapter, the students shall be able to:

1. Understand and Familiarize with the Current Fields/Careers of Civil Engineering

2. Know the trend of Civil Engineering Development

Learning Content/Topic

A. Structural Engineering

66 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural
engineers are trained to design the 'bones and muscles' that create the form and shape
of man-made structures. Structural engineers need to understand and calculate the
stability, strength and rigidity of built structures for buildings and nonbuilding structures.
The structural designs are integrated with those of other designers such
as architects and building services engineer and often supervise the construction of
projects by contractors on site.[2] They can also be involved in the design of machinery,
medical equipment, and vehicles where structural integrity affects functioning and
safety. See glossary of structural engineering.
Structural engineering theory is based upon applied physical
laws and empirical knowledge of the structural performance of different materials and
geometries. Structural engineering design uses a number of relatively simple structural
concepts to build complex structural systems. Structural engineers are responsible for
making creative and efficient use of funds, structural elements and materials to achieve
these goals.

History

Structural engineering dates back to 2700 B.C.E. when the step pyramid for
Pharaoh Djoser was built by Imhotep, the first engineer in history known by name.
Pyramids were the most common major structures built by ancient civilizations
because the structural form of a pyramid is inherently stable and can be almost
infinitely scaled (as opposed to most other structural forms, which cannot be linearly
increased in size in proportion to increased loads).
The structural stability of the pyramid, whilst primarily gained from its shape,
relies also on the strength of the stone from which it is constructed, and its ability to
support the weight of the stone above it. The limestone blocks were often taken
from a quarry near the building site and have a compressive strength from 30 to 250
MPa (MPa = Pa × 106). Therefore, the structural strength of the pyramid stems from
the material properties of the stones from which it was built rather than the pyramid's
geometry.
Throughout ancient and medieval history most architectural design and
construction were carried out by artisans, such as stonemasons and carpenters,
rising to the role of master builder. No theory of structures existed, and
understanding of how structures stood up was extremely limited, and based almost
entirely on empirical evidence of 'what had worked before'. Knowledge was retained
by guilds and seldom supplanted by advances. Structures were repetitive, and
increases in scale were incremental.
No record exists of the first calculations of the strength of structural members
or the behavior of structural material, but the profession of a structural engineer only
really took shape with the Industrial Revolution and the re-invention of concrete
(see History of Concrete. The physical sciences underlying structural engineering
began to be understood in the Renaissance and have since developed into
computer-based applications pioneered in the 1970s.

Timeline

1452 - 1519 - Leonardo da Vinci made many contributions

 1638 - Galileo Galilei published the book Two New Sciences in which he
examined the failure of simple

 1660: Hooke's law by Robert Hooke

 1687: Isaac Newton published Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia

Mathematica which contains the Newton's laws of motion

 1750: Euler–Bernoulli beam equation

67 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  1700–1782: Daniel Bernoulli introduced the principle of virtual work

 1707–1783: Leonhard Euler developed the theory of buckling of columns

 1826: Claude-Louis Navier published a treatise on the elastic behaviors of

structures

 1873: Carlo Alberto Castigliano presented his dissertation "Intorno ai sistemi

elastici", which contains his theorem for computing displacement as the partial
derivative of the strain energy. This theorem includes the method of "least
work" as a special case

 1874: Otto Mohr formalized the idea of a statically indeterminate structure.

 1922: Timoshenko corrects the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation

 1936: Hardy Cross' publication of the moment distribution method, an

important innovation in the design of continuous frames.

 1941: Alexander Hrennikoff solved the discretization of plane elasticity

problems using a lattice framework

 1942: R. Courant divided a domain into finite subregions

 1956: J. Turner, R. W. Clough, H. C. Martin, and L. J. Topp's paper on the

"Stiffness and Deflection of Complex Structures" introduces the name "finite-
element method" and is widely recognized as the first comprehensive
treatment of the method as it is known today

Structure

The history of structural engineering contains many collapses and failures.

Sometimes this is due to obvious negligence, as in the case of the Pétion-Ville
school collapse, in which Rev. Fortin Augustin " constructed the building all by
himself, saying he didn't need an engineer as he had good knowledge of
construction" following a partial collapse of the three-story schoolhouse that sent
neighbours fleeing. The final collapse killed 94 people, mostly children.
In other cases structural failures require careful study, and the results of
these inquiries have resulted in improved practices and a greater understanding
of the science of structural engineering. Some such studies are the result
of forensic engineering investigations where the original engineer seems to have
done everything in accordance with the state of the profession and acceptable
practice yet a failure still eventuated. A famous case of structural knowledge and
practice being advanced in this manner can be found in a series of failures
involving box girders which collapsed in Australia during the 1970s.

Theory
Structural engineering depends upon a detailed knowledge of applied
mechanics, materials science, and applied mathematics to understand and
predict how structures support and resist self-weight and imposed loads. To
apply the knowledge successfully a structural engineer generally requires
detailed knowledge of relevant empirical and theoretical design codes, the
techniques of structural analysis, as well as some knowledge of the
[[corrosion],] resistance of the materials and structures, especially when those
structures are exposed to the external environment. Since the 1990s,
specialist software has become available to aid in the design of structures,
with the functionality to assist in the drawing, analyzing and designing of
structures with maximum precision; examples include AutoCAD,

68 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 StaadPro, ETABS, Prokon, Revit Structure, Inducta RCB, etc. Such software
may also take into consideration environmental loads, such as earthquakes
and winds.

Profession

Structural engineers are

responsible for engineering design and
structural analysis. Entry-level structural
engineers may design the individual
structural elements of a structure, such
as the beams and columns of a building.
More experienced engineers may be
responsible for the structural design and
integrity of an entire system, such as a
building.
Structural engineers often
specialize in particular types of
structures, such as buildings, bridges,
pipelines, industrial, tunnels, vehicles,
ships, aircraft, and spacecraft. Structural
engineers who specialize in buildings
often specialize in particular construction materials such as concrete, steel, wood,
masonry, alloys, and composites, and may focus on particular types of buildings
such as offices, schools, hospitals, residential, and so forth.
Structural engineering has existed since humans first started to construct
their structures. It became a more defined and formalized profession with the
emergence of architecture as a distinct profession from engineering during the
industrial revolution in the late 19th century. Until then, the architect and the
structural engineer were usually one and the same thing – the master builder.
Only with the development of specialized knowledge of structural theories that
emerged during the 19th and early 20th centuries, did the professional structural
engineers come into existence.
The role of a structural engineer today involves a significant understanding
of both static and dynamic loading and the structures that are available to resist
them. The complexity of modern structures often requires a great deal of creativity
from the engineer in order to ensure the structures support and resist the loads
they are subjected to. A structural engineer will typically have a four or five-year
undergraduate degree, followed by a minimum of three years of professional
practice before being considered fully qualified. Structural engineers are licensed
or accredited by different learned societies and regulatory bodies around the
world (for example, the Institution of Structural Engineers in the UK). Depending
on the degree course they have studied and/or the jurisdiction they are seeking
licensure in, they may be accredited (or licensed) as just structural engineers, or
as civil engineers, or as both civil and structural engineers. Another international
organisation is IABSE(International Association for Bridge and Structural
Engineering).[7] The aim of that association is to exchange knowledge and to
advance the practice of structural engineering worldwide in the service of the
profession and society.

Specializations

 Building Structures

Structural building engineering

includes all structural engineering related
to the design of buildings. It is a branch of
structural engineering closely affiliated
with architecture.

69 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Structural building engineering is primarily driven by the creative
manipulation of materials and forms and the underlying mathematical and
scientific ideas to achieve an end that fulfils its functional requirements and is
structurally safe when subjected to all the loads it could reasonably be
expected to experience. This is subtly different from architectural design,
which is driven by the creative manipulation of materials and forms, mass,
space, volume, texture, and light to achieve an end which is aesthetic,
functional, and often artistic.
The architect is usually the lead
designer on buildings, with a structural
engineer employed as a sub-consultant.
The degree to which each discipline
leads the design depends heavily on the
type of structure. Many structures are
structurally simple and led by
architecture, such as multi-story office
buildings and housing, while other
structures, such as tensile
structures, shells and grid shells are
heavily dependent on their form for their
strength, and the engineer may have a
more significant influence on the form,
and hence much of the aesthetic, than
the architect.
The structural design for a
building must ensure that the building
can stand up safely, able to function
without excessive deflections or
movements which may cause fatigue
of structural elements, cracking or
failure of fixtures, fittings or partitions,
or discomfort for occupants. It must
account for movements and forces
due to temperature, creep, cracking, and imposed loads. It must also
ensure that the design is practically buildable within acceptable
manufacturing tolerances of the materials. It must allow the architecture to
work, and the building services to fit within the building and function (air
conditioning, ventilation, smoke extract, electrics, lighting, etc.). The
structural design of a modern building can be extremely complex and
often requires a large team to complete.
Structural engineering specialties for buildings include:

 Earthquake engineering
 Façade engineering
 Fire engineering
 Roof engineering
 Tower engineering
 Wind engineering

 Earthquake Engineering Structures

Earthquake engineering structures are those engineered to

withstand earthquakes.

The main objectives of

earthquake engineering are to
understand the interaction
of structures with the shaking
ground, foresee the consequences of

70 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 possible earthquakes, and design and construct the structures
to perform during an earthquake.
Earthquake-proof structures are not necessarily extremely strong
like the El Castillo pyramid at Chichen Itza shown above.
One important tool of earthquake engineering is base isolation,
which allows the base of a structure to move freely with the ground.

 Civil Engineering Structures

Civil structural engineering includes all structural engineering related

to the built environment. It includes:

 Bridges  Railways
 Dams  Retaining structures and walls
 Earthworks  Roads
 Foundations  Tunnels
 Offshore structures  Waterways
 Pipelines  Reservoirs
 Power stations  Water and wastewater infrastructure

The structural engineer is the lead designer on these structures, and

often the sole designer. In the design of structures such as these,
structural safety is of paramount importance (in the UK, designs for dams,
nuclear power stations and bridges must be signed off by a chartered
engineer).
Civil engineering structures are often subjected to very extreme
forces, such as large variations in temperature, dynamic loads such as
waves or traffic, or high pressures from water or compressed gases. They
are also often constructed in corrosive environments, such as at sea, in
industrial facilities, or below ground.

 Mechanical Structures

The principles of structural engineering apply to a variety of

mechanical (moveable) structures. The design of static structures
assumes they always have the same geometry (in fact, so-called static
structures can move significantly, and structural engineering design must
take this into account where necessary), but the design of moveable or
moving structures must account for fatigue, variation in the method in
which load is resisted and significant deflections of structures.
The forces which parts of a machine are subjected to can vary
significantly and can do so at a great rate. The forces which a boat or
aircraft are subjected to vary enormously and will do so thousands of
times over the structure's lifetime. The structural design must ensure that
such structures can endure such loading for their entire design life without
failing.
These works can require mechanical structural engineering:

 Boilers and pressure vessels

 Coachworks and carriages
 Cranes
 Elevators
 Escalators
 Marine vessels and hulls

 Aerospace Structure

71 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Aerospace structure types include
launch vehicles, (Atlas, Delta,
Titan), missiles (ALCM,
Harpoon), Hypersonic vehicles (Space
Shuttle), military aircraft (F-16, F-18) and
commercial aircraft (Boeing 777, MD-11).
Aerospace structures typically consist of
thin plates with stiffeners for the external
surfaces, bulkheads, and frames to
support the shape and fasteners such as
welds, rivets, screws, and bolts to hold the components together.

 Nanoscale Structures

A nanostructure is an object of
intermediate size between molecular
and microscopic (micrometer-sized)
structures. In describing
nanostructures it is necessary to
differentiate between the number of
dimensions on the nanoscale.
Nanotextured surfaces have one
dimension on the nanoscale, i.e.,
only the thickness of the surface of
an object is between 0.1 and
100 nm. Nanotubes have two
dimensions on the nanoscale, i.e.,
the diameter of the tube is between
0.1 and 100 nm; its length could be
much greater. Finally,
spherical nanoparticles have three
dimensions on the nanoscale, i.e.,
the particle is between 0.1 and 100 nm in each spatial dimension. The
terms nanoparticles and ultrafine particles (UFP) often are used
synonymously although UFP can reach into the micrometer range. The
term 'nanostructure' is often used when referring to magnetic technology.

 Structural Engineering for Medical Science

Medical equipment (also

known as armamentarium) is
designed to aid in the diagnosis,
monitoring or treatment of medical
conditions. There are several basic
types: diagnostic equipment
includes medical imaging
machines, used to aid in diagnosis;
equipment includes infusion
pumps, medical lasers, and LASIK
surgical machines; medical
monitors allow medical staff to
measure a patient's medical state.
Monitors may measure patient vital signs and other parameters
including ECG, EEG, blood pressure, and dissolved gases in the blood;

72 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 diagnostic medical equipment may also be used in the home for certain
purposes, e.g. for the control of diabetes mellitus. A biomedical equipment
technician (BMET) is a vital component of the healthcare delivery system.
Employed primarily by hospitals, BMETs are the people responsible for
maintaining a facility's medical equipment.

Structural Elements

Any structure is essentially made up

of only a small number of different types of
elements:

 Columns
 Beams
 Plates
 Arches
 Shells
 Catenaries
Many of these elements can be
classified according to form (straight, plane / curve) and dimensionality (one-
dimensional / two-dimensional):

 Columns

Columns are elements that carry only axial force (compression) or both axial
force and bending (which is technically called a beam-column but practically, just
a column). The design of a column must check the axial capacity of the element
and the buckling capacity.

The buckling capacity is the capacity of the element to withstand the

propensity to buckle. Its capacity depends upon its geometry, material, and the
effective length of the column, which depends upon the restraint conditions at the
top and bottom of the column. The effective length is K∗l where l is the real
length of the column and K is the factor dependent on the restraint conditions.
The capacity of a column to carry axial load depends on the degree of
bending it is subjected to, and vice versa. This is represented on an interaction
chart and is a complex non-linear relationship.

73 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  Beams

A beam may be defined as an element in which one dimension is much

greater than the other two and the applied loads are usually normal to the main
axis of the element. Beams and columns are called line elements and are often
represented by simple lines in structural modelling.

 cantilevered (supported at one end only with a fixed connection)

 simply supported (fixed against vertical translation at each end and
horizontal translation at one end only, and able to rotate at the supports)
 fixed (supported in all directions for translation and rotation at each end)
 continuous (supported by three or more supports)
 a combination of the above (ex. supported at one end and in the middle)

Beams are elements that carry pure bending only. Bending causes one part of the
section of a beam (divided along its length) to go into compression and the other
part into tension. The compression part must be designed to resist buckling and
crushing, while the tension part must be able to adequately resist the tension.

 Trusses

A truss is a structure comprising members and connection points or nodes.

When members are connected at nodes and forces are applied at nodes
members can act in tension or compression. Members acting in compression are
referred to as compression members or struts while members acting in tension
are referred to as tension members or ties. Most trusses use gusset plates to
connect intersecting elements. Gusset plates are relatively flexible and unable to
transfer bending moments. The connection is usually arranged so that the lines of
force in the members are coincident at the joint thus allowing the truss members
to act in pure tension or compression.
Trusses are usually used in large-span structures, where it would be
uneconomical to use solid beams.

 Plates

Plates carry bending in two directions. A concrete flat slab is an example of

a plate. Plates are understood by using continuum mechanics, but due to the
complexity involved they are most often designed using a codified empirical
approach, or computer analysis.
They can also be designed with yield line
theory, where an assumed collapse mechanism
is analyzed to give an upper bound on the
collapse load. This technique is used in
practice but because the method provides an
upper-bound, i.e. an unsafe prediction of the
collapse load, for poorly conceived collapse
mechanisms great care is needed to ensure that
the assumed collapse mechanism is realistic.

74 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  Shells

Shells derive their strength from their

form and carry forces in compression in two
directions. A dome is an example of a shell.
They can be designed by making a
hanging-chain model, which will act as a
catenary in pure tension and inverting the
form to achieve pure compression.

 Arches

Arches carry forces in compression in one direction only, which is why it is

appropriate to build arches out of masonry. They are designed by ensuring

that the line of thrust of the force remains within the depth of the arch. It is
mainly used to increase the bountifulness of any structure.

Materials

Structural engineering depends on the knowledge of materials and their

properties, in order to understand how different materials support and resist
loads.
Common structural materials are:

 Iron: wrought iron, cast iron

 Concrete: reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete
 Alloy: steel, stainless steel
 Masonry
 Timber: hardwood, softwood
 Aluminium
 Composite materials: plywood

B. Construction Engineering

Construction Engineering is the management and delivery of construction

projects. Construction is considered to be any building projects used for residential,
commercial or industrial applications. Civil Engineers that are educated in the field
of construction management are classified as Construction Engineers.

They are required to plan construction activities, supervise the installation of

structural elements and inspect the building upon completion. Construction
Engineers work with architects and Engineering technicians on building design and
on-site problem solving. Construction Engineers also compile reports which detail
the cost feasibility and estimation of the project.

75 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Use of Computer Aided Design software is common, although not to the same
extent as a structural engineer. Construction Engineers combine project
management skills and mathematical knowledge. Construction Engineers may
specialise in residential housing, bridges, skyscrapers, industrial warehouses or any
other infrastructure that exists. The health of the construction industry in each
country determines the demand for Construction Engineers.

C. Management Engineering

In the past, management engineers have designed systems for control. Today
they are designing systems that support change. With this shift, there is also a switch
from a project or department focus to a systems focus that inevitably involves multiple
departments and disciplines. Management engineering utilizes industrial engineering
knowledge and skills to provide internal consulting services for all departments in an
organization in order to develop, implement, and monitor more efficient, cost-effective
business processes and strategies.

What do management engineers do?

Throughout the hospital environment, management engineers solve operational

problems and improve levels of quality, service, or productivity.ME’s work with
members of a department or service line to develop recommendations for improvement.
They focus on improving the availability and validity of information used in analysis,
decision making, and monitoring operations performance. Management engineers are
called upon to determine the most efficient and effective way to run a hospital
department.

What skills do management engineers use?

Management engineering focuses on basic industrial engineering skills.

Observation, data collection, and statistical analysis play a vital role in any project.ME’s
serve as facilitators and technical advisors for projects ranging from staffing levels to
new information system technologies combining communication skills with a strong
technical background.

What types of projects do Management Engineers work on?

Management engineering uses a very participative approach in its projects. The

ME department works on a wide variety of projects that can be classified into two major
categories: quality improvement and management support.

Quality improvement projects focus on improving processes and systems by

evaluating the current system, determining root causes of problems, and developing
recommendations for improvement.

These projects can include:

 Work flow design.

 Scheduling of staff/patients.
 Organizational structure.
 Workload management.
 Inter-departmental coordination.
 Work methods and procedures.
 Defining workplace needs and designing physical workplace layouts.

76 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Management support projects focus on improving decision making,
problem solving, or planning.

 Designing questionnaires or other data collection tools.

 Statistical, mathematical, or graphical analysis.
 Cost benefit analysis.
 Design or implementation of departmental or hospital wide information
systems.
 Developing systems to monitor the performance, costs, and effectiveness
of operations.
 Analyzing the alternative solutions using computer simulation.

D. Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical engineering, also known

as geotechnic s, is the application of scientific
methods and engineering principles to the
acquisition, interpretation, and use of knowledge
of materials of the Earth's crust and earth
materials for the solution
of engineering problems and the design of
engineering works. It is the applied science of
predicting the behavior of the Earth, its various
materials and processes towards making the
Earth more suitable for human activities and
development.
Geotechnical engineering embraces the
fields of soil mechanics and rock mechanics,
and has applications in the fields
of geology, geophysics, hydrology, and other
related sciences. Geotechnics is practiced by
both engineering geologists and geotechnical
engineers.
Examples of the application of geotechnics include: the prediction, prevention
or mitigation of damage caused by natural hazards such as avalanches, mud
flows, landslides, rockslides, sinkholes, and volcanic eruptions; the application
of soil, rock and groundwater mechanics to the design and predicted performance of
earthen structures such as dams; the design and performance prediction of the
foundations of bridges, buildings, and other man-made structures in terms of the
underlying soil and/or rock; and flood control and prediction.
Geotechnical engineering is the branch
of civil engineering concerned with the
engineering behavior of earth materials.
Geotechnical engineering is important in civil
engineering, but also has applications
in military, mining, petroleum and
other engineering disciplines that are
concerned with construction occurring on the
surface or within the ground. Geotechnical
engineering uses principles of soil
mechanics and rock mechanics to investigate
subsurface conditions and materials;
determine the relevant physical/mechanical and chemical properties of these
materials; evaluate stability of natural slopes and man-made soil deposits; assess
risks posed by site conditions; design earthworks and structure foundations; and
monitor site conditions, earthwork and foundation construction.

77 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 A typical geotechnical engineering
project begins with a review of project needs
to define the required material properties.
Then follows a site investigation of soil, rock,
fault distribution and bedrock properties on
and below an area of interest to determine
their engineering properties including how they
will interact with, on or in a
proposed construction. Site investigations are
needed to gain an understanding of the area
in or on which the engineering will take place.
Investigations can include the assessment of
the risk to humans, property and the environment from natural hazards such
as earthquakes, landslides, sinkholes, soil liquefaction, debris flows and rockfalls.
A geotechnical engineer then determines and designs the type of foundations,
earthworks, and/or pavement subgrades required for the intended man-made
structures to be built. Foundations are designed and constructed for structures of
various sizes such as high-rise buildings, bridges, medium to large commercial
buildings, and smaller structures where the soil conditions do not allow code-based
design.
Foundations built for above-ground structures include shallow and deep
foundations. Retaining structures include earth-filled dams and retaining walls.
Earthworks include embankments, tunnels, dikes and levees, channels, reservoirs,
deposition of hazardous waste and sanitary landfills. Geotechnical engineers are
extensively involved in earthen and concrete dam projects, evaluating the
subsurface conditions at the dam site and the side slopes of the reservoir, the
seepage conditions under and around the dam and the stability of the dam under a
range of normal and extreme loading conditions.
Geotechnical engineering is also related to coastal and ocean engineering.
Coastal engineering can involve the design and construction of wharves, marinas,
and jetties. Ocean engineering can involve foundation and anchor systems
for offshore structures such as oil platforms.
The fields of geotechnical engineering and engineering geology are closely
related, and have large areas of overlap. However, the field of geotechnical
engineering is a specialty of engineering, where the field of engineering geology is a
specialty of geology. Coming from the fields of engineering and science,
respectively, the two may approach the same subject, such as soil classification,
with different methods.

History

Humans have historically used soil as a material for flood control, irrigation
purposes, burial sites, building foundations, and as construction material for
buildings. First activities were linked to irrigation and flood control, as demonstrated
by traces of dykes, dams, and canals dating back to at least 2000 BCE that were
found in ancient Egypt, ancient Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent, as well as
around the early settlements of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa in the Indus valley. As
the cities expanded, structures were erected supported by formalized
foundations; Ancient Greeks notably constructed pad footings and strip-and-raft
foundations. Until the 18th century, however, no theoretical basis for soil design had
been developed and the discipline was more of an art than a science, relying on
past experience.
Several foundation-related engineering problems, such as the Leaning Tower
of Pisa, prompted scientists to begin taking a more scientific-based approach to
examining the subsurface. The earliest advances occurred in the development
of earth pressure theories for the construction of retaining walls. Henri Gautier, a
French Royal Engineer, recognized the "natural slope" of different soils in 1717, an
idea later known as the soil's angle of repose. A rudimentary soil classification

78 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 system was also developed based on a material's unit weight, which is no longer
considered a good indication of soil type.
The application of the principles of mechanics to soils was documented as
early as 1773 when Charles Coulomb (a physicist, engineer, and army Captain)
developed improved methods to determine the earth pressures against military
ramparts. Coulomb observed that, at failure, a distinct slip plane would form behind
a sliding retaining wall and he suggested that the maximum shear stress on the slip
plane, for design purposes, was the sum of the soil cohesion, c , and
friction σ tan(∅ ), where σ is the normal stress on the slip plane and ∅ is the friction
angle of the soil. By combining Coulomb's theory with Christian Otto Mohr's 2D
stress state, the theory became known as Mohr-Coulomb theory. Although it is now
recognized that precise determination of cohesion is impossible because c is not a
fundamental soil property, the Mohr-Coulomb theory is still used in practice today.
In the 19th century Henry Darcy developed what is now known as Darcy's
Law describing the flow of fluids in porous media. Joseph Boussinesq (a
mathematician and physicist) developed theories of stress distribution in elastic
solids that proved useful for estimating stresses at depth in the ground; William
Rankine, an engineer and physicist, developed an alternative to Coulomb's earth
pressure theory. Albert Atterberg developed the clay consistency indices that are
still used today for soil classification. Osborne Reynolds recognized in 1885 that
shearing causes volumetric dilation of dense and contraction of loose granular
materials.
Modern geotechnical engineering is said to have begun in 1925 with the
publication of Erdbaumechanik by Karl Terzaghi (a mechanical engineer and
geologist). Considered by many to be the father of modern soil mechanics and
geotechnical engineering, Terzaghi developed the principle of effective stress, and
demonstrated that the shear strength of soil is controlled by effective stress.
Terzaghi also developed the framework for theories of bearing capacity of
foundations, and the theory for prediction of the rate of settlement of clay layers due
to consolidation. In his 1948 book, Donald Taylor recognized that interlocking and
dilation of densely packed particles contributed to the peak strength of a soil. The
interrelationships between volume change behavior (dilation, contraction, and
consolidation) and shearing behavior were all connected via the theory
of plasticity using critical state soil mechanics by Roscoe, Schofield, and Wroth with
the publication of "On the Yielding of Soils" in 1958. Critical state soil mechanics is
the basis for many contemporary advanced constitutive models describing the
behavior of soil.
Geotechnical centrifuge modeling is a method of testing physical scale models
of geotechnical problems. The use of a centrifuge enhances the similarity of the
scale model tests involving soil because the strength and stiffness of soil is very
sensitive to the confining pressure. The centrifugal acceleration allows a researcher
to obtain large (prototype-scale) stresses in small physical models.

Practicing Engineers

Geotechnical engineers are typically graduates of a four-year civil engineering

program and some hold a masters degree. In the US, geotechnical engineers are
typically licensed and regulated as Professional Engineers (PEs) in most states;
currently only California and Oregon have licensed geotechnical engineering
specialties. The Academy of Geo-Professionals (AGP) began issuing Diplomate,
Geotechnical Engineering (D.GE) certification in 2008. State governments will
typically license engineers who have graduated from an ABET accredited school,
passed the Fundamentals of Engineering examination, completed several years of
work experience under the supervision of a licensed Professional Engineer, and
passed the Professional Engineering examination.

Soil Mechanics

79 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 In geotechnical engineering, soils are
considered a three-phase material composed of:
rock or mineral particles, water and air. The voids
of a soil, the spaces in between mineral particles,
contain the water and air.
The engineering properties of soils are
affected by four main factors: the predominant size
of the mineral particles, the type of mineral
particles, the grain size distribution, and the
relative quantities of mineral, water and air present
in the soil matrix. Fine particles (fines) are defined
as particles less than 0.075 mm in diameter.

Soil Properties

Some of the important properties of soils that are used by geotechnical

engineers to analyze site conditions and design earthworks, retaining structures,
and foundations are:
 Specific weight or Unit Weight

Cumulative weight of the solid particles, water and air of the unit
volume of soil. Note that the air phase is often assumed to be weightless.

 Porosity

Ratio of the volume of voids (containing air, water, or other fluids) in a

soil to the total volume of the soil. Porosity is mathematically related to void
ratio the

by , where e is void ratio and n is porosity.

 Void ratio

The ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of solid particles in a soil

mass. Void ratio is mathematically related to the porosity by .

 Permeability

A measure of the ability of water to flow through the soil. It is

expressed in units of darcies (d). Permeability of 1 d allows the flow of 1 cm3
per second of fluid with 1 cP (centipoise) viscosity through a cross-sectional
area of 1 cm2 when a pressure gradient of 1 atm/cm is applied.

 Compressibility

The rate of change of volume with effective stress. If the pores are
filled with water, then the water must be squeezed out of the pores to allow
volumetric compression of the soil; this process is called consolidation.

 Shear strength

80 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 The maximum shear stress that can be applied in a soil mass without
causing shear failure.

 Atterberg Limits

Liquid limit, Plastic limit, and Shrinkage limit. These indices are used
for estimation of other engineering properties and for soil classification.

Geotechnical Investigation

Geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists perform geotechnical

investigations to obtain information on the physical properties of soil and rock
underlying (and sometimes adjacent to) a site to design earthworks and foundations
for proposed structures, and for the repair of distress to earthworks and structures
caused by subsurface conditions. A geotechnical investigation will include surface
exploration and subsurface exploration of a site. Sometimes, geophysical
methods are used to obtain data about sites. Subsurface exploration usually
involves in-situ testing (two common examples of in-situ tests are the standard
penetration test and cone penetration test). In addition site investigation will often
include subsurface sampling and laboratory testing of the soil samples retrieved.
The digging of test pits and trenching (particularly for locating faults and slide
planes) may also be used to learn about soil conditions at depth. Large diameter
borings are rarely used due to safety concerns and expense but are sometimes
used to allow a geologist or engineer to be lowered into the borehole for direct visual
and manual examination of the soil and rock stratigraphy.
A variety of soil samplers exists to meet the needs of different engineering
projects. The standard penetration test (SPT), which uses a thick-walled split spoon
sampler, is the most common way to collect disturbed samples. Piston samplers,
employing a thin-walled tube, are most commonly used for the collection of less
disturbed samples. More advanced methods, such as ground freezing and the
Sherbrooke block sampler, are superior, but even more expensive.
Atterberg limits tests, water content measurements, and grain size analysis,
for example, may be performed on disturbed samples obtained from thick-
walled soil samplers. Properties such as shear strength, stiffness hydraulic
conductivity, and coefficient of consolidation may be significantly altered by sample
disturbance. To measure these properties in the laboratory, high-quality sampling is
required. Common tests to measure the strength and stiffness include the triaxial
shear and unconfined compression test.
Surface exploration can include geologic mapping, geophysical methods,
and photogrammetry; or it can be as simple as an engineer walking around to
observe the physical conditions at the site. Geologic mapping and interpretation of
geomorphology are typically completed in consultation with
a geologist or engineering geologist.
Geophysical exploration is also sometimes used. Geophysical techniques
used for subsurface exploration include measurement of seismic waves (pressure,
shear, and Rayleigh waves), surface-wave methods and/or downhole methods, and
electromagnetic surveys (magnetometer, resistivity, and ground-penetrating radar).

 Building Foundations

A building's foundation transmits loads from buildings and other structures

to the earth. Geotechnical engineers design foundations based on the load
characteristics of the structure and the properties of the soils and/or bedrock at
the site. In general, geotechnical engineers:

1. Estimate the magnitude and location of the loads to be supported.

81 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 2. Develop an investigation plan to explore the subsurface.
3. Determine necessary soil parameters through field and lab testing
(e.g., consolidation test, triaxial shear test, vane shear test, standard
penetration test).
4. Design the foundation in the safest and most economical manner.

The primary considerations for foundation support are bearing capacity,

settlement, and ground movement beneath the foundations. Bearing capacity is
the ability of the site soils to support the loads imposed by buildings or
structures. Settlement occurs under all foundations in all soil conditions, though
lightly loaded structures or rock sites may experience negligible settlements.
For heavier structures or softer sites, both overall settlement relative to unbuilt
areas or neighboring buildings, and differential settlement under a single
structure can be concerns. Of particular concern is a settlement which occurs
over time, as immediate settlement can usually be compensated for during
construction. Ground movement beneath a structure's foundations can occur
due to shrinkage or swell of expansive soils due to climatic changes, frost
expansion of soil, melting of permafrost, slope instability, or other causes. All
these factors must be considered during the design of foundations.
Many building codes specify basic foundation design parameters for
simple conditions, frequently varying by jurisdiction, but such design techniques
are normally limited to certain types of construction and certain types of sites
and are frequently very conservative.
In areas of shallow bedrock, most foundations may bear directly on
bedrock; in other areas, the soil may provide sufficient strength for the support
of structures. In areas of deeper bedrock with soft overlying soils, deep
foundations are used to support structures directly on the bedrock; in areas
where bedrock is not economically available, stiff "bearing layers" are used to
support deep foundations instead.

 Shallow Foundations

Shallow foundations are a type of foundation that transfers the building

load to the very near the surface, rather than to a subsurface layer. Shallow
foundations typically have a depth to width ratio of less than 1.

Footings

Footings (often called "spread

footings" because they spread the
load) are structural elements which
transfer structure loads to the
ground by direct areal contact.
Footings can be isolated footings for
point or column loads or strip
footings for wall or another long
(line) loads. Footings are normally
constructed from reinforced
concrete cast directly onto the soil
and are typically embedded into the
ground to penetrate through the zone of frost movement and/or to obtain
additional bearing capacity.

82 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Slab foundations
A variant on spread footings is to have the entire structure bear on a
single slab of concrete underlying the entire area of the structure. Slabs
must be thick enough to provide sufficient rigidity to spread the bearing
loads somewhat uniformly and to minimize differential settlement across
the foundation. In some cases, flexure is allowed and the building is
constructed to tolerate small movements of the foundation instead. For
small structures, like single-family houses, the slab may be less than 300
mm thick; for larger structures, the foundation slab may be several meters
thick.
Slab foundations can be either slab-on-grade foundations or
embedded foundations, typically in buildings with basements. Slab-on-
grade foundations must be designed to allow for potential ground
movement due to changing soil conditions.

 Deep Foundations

Deep foundations are used for structures or

heavy loads when shallow foundations cannot
provide adequate capacity, due to size and structural
limitations. They may also be used to transfer
building loads past weak or compressible soil layers.
While shallow foundations rely solely on the bearing
capacity of the soil beneath them, deep foundations
can rely on end bearing resistance, frictional
resistance along their length, or both in developing
the required capacity. Geotechnical engineers use
specialized tools, such as the cone penetration test,
to estimate the amount of skin and end bearing
resistance available in the subsurface.
There are many types of deep foundations
including piles, drilled shafts, caissons, piers, and
earth stabilized columns. Large buildings such as skyscrapers typically require
deep foundations. For example, the Jin Mao Tower in China uses tubular steel
piles about 1m (3.3 feet) driven to a depth of 83.5m (274 feet) to support its
weight.
In buildings that are constructed and found to undergo
settlement, underpinning piles can be used to stabilize the existing building.
There are three ways to place piles for a deep foundation. They can be
driven, drilled, or installed by the use of an auger. Driven piles are extended to
their necessary depths with the application of external energy in the same way
a nail is hammered. There are four typical hammers used to drive such piles:
drop hammers, diesel hammers, hydraulic hammers, and air hammers. Drop
hammers simply drop a heavy weight onto the pile to drive it, while diesel
hammers use a single-cylinder diesel engine to force piles through the Earth.
Similarly, hydraulic and air hammers supply energy to piles through hydraulic
and air forces. The energy imparted from a hammerhead varies with the type of
hammer chosen and can be as high as a million-foot pounds for large scale
diesel hammers, a very common hammerhead used in practice. Piles are made
of a variety of material including steel, timber, and concrete. Drilled piles are
created by first drilling a hole to the appropriate depth, and filling it with
concrete. Drilled piles can typically carry more load than driven piles, simply due
to a larger diameter pile. The auger method of pile installation is similar to
drilled pile installation, but concrete is pumped into the hole as the auger is
being removed.

Lateral Structures

83 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 A retaining wall is a structure that holds back earth. Retaining walls stabilize
soil and rock from downslope movement or erosion and provide support for vertical
or near-vertical grade changes. Cofferdams and bulkheads, structures to hold back
water, are sometimes also considered retaining walls.
The primary geotechnical concern in design and installation of retaining walls
is that the weight of the retained material is creates lateral earth pressure behind the
wall, which can cause the wall to deform or fail. The lateral earth pressure depends
on the height of the wall, the density of the soil, the strength of the soil, and the
amount of allowable movement of the wall. This pressure is smallest at the top and
increases toward the bottom in a manner similar to hydraulic pressure, and tends to
push the wall away from the backfill. Groundwater behind the wall that is not
dissipated by a drainage system causes an additional horizontal hydraulic pressure
on the wall.

 Gravity walls
Gravity walls depend on the size and weight of the wall mass to resist
pressures from behind. Gravity walls will often have a slight setback, or batter, to
improve wall stability. For short, landscaping walls, gravity walls made from dry-
stacked (mortarless) stone or segmental concrete units (masonry units) are
commonly used.
Earlier in the 20th century, taller retaining walls were often gravity walls
made from large masses of concrete or stone. Today, taller retaining walls are
increasingly built as composite gravity walls such as geosynthetic or steel-
reinforced backfill soil with precast facing; gabions (stacked steel wire baskets
filled with rocks), crib walls (cells built up log cabin style from precast concrete or
timber and filled with soil or free-draining gravel) or soil-nailed walls (soil
reinforced in place with steel and concrete rods).
For reinforced-soil gravity walls, the soil reinforcement is placed in
horizontal layers throughout the height of the wall. Commonly, the soil
reinforcement is geogrid, a high-strength polymer mesh, that provides tensile
strength to hold the soil together. The wall face is often of precast, segmental
concrete units that can tolerate some differential movement. The reinforced soil's
mass, along with the facing, becomes the gravity wall. The reinforced mass must
be built large enough to retain the pressures from the soil behind it. Gravity walls
usually must be a minimum of 30 to 40 percent as deep (thick) as the height of
the wall and may have to be larger if there is a slope or surcharge on the wall.

 Cantilever Walls
Prior to the introduction of modern reinforced-soil gravity walls, cantilevered
walls were the most common type of taller retaining wall. Cantilevered walls are
made from a relatively thin stem of steel-reinforced, cast-in-place concrete or
mortared masonry (often in the shape of an inverted T). These walls cantilever
loads (like a beam) to a large, structural footing; converting horizontal pressures
from behind the wall to vertical pressures on the ground below. Sometimes
cantilevered walls are buttressed on the front, or include a counterfort on the
back, to improve their stability against high loads. Buttresses are short wing
walls at right angles to the main trend of the wall. These walls require rigid
concrete footings below seasonal frost depth. This type of wall uses much less
material than a traditional gravity wall.
Cantilever walls resist lateral pressures by friction at the base of the wall
and/or passive earth pressure, the tendency of the soil to resist lateral
movement.
Basements are a form of cantilever walls, but the forces on the basement
walls are greater than on conventional walls because the basement wall is not
free to move.
 Excavation Shoring

84 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Shoring of temporary excavations frequently requires a wall design that
does not extend laterally beyond the wall, so shoring extends below the planned
base of the excavation. Common methods of shoring are the use of sheet
piles or soldier beams and lagging. Sheet piles are a form of driven piling using
thin interlocking sheets of steel to obtain a continuous barrier in the ground and
are driven prior to excavation. Soldier beams are constructed of wide flange steel
H sections spaced about 2–3 m apart, driven prior to excavation. As the
excavation proceeds, horizontal timber or steel sheeting (lagging) is inserted
behind the H pile flanges.
The use of underground space requires excavation, which may cause large
and dangerous displacement of soil mass around the excavation. Since the
space for slope excavation is limited in urban areas, cutting is done
vertically. Retaining walls are made to prevent unsafe soil displacements around
excavations. Diaphragm walls are a type of retaining walls that are very stiff and
generally watertight. The horizontal movements of diaphragm walls are usually
prevented by lateral supports. Diaphragm walls are expensive walls, but they
save time and space and are also safe, so are widely used in urban deep
excavations.[13]
In some cases, the lateral support which can be provided by the shoring
wall alone is insufficient to resist the planned lateral loads; in this case, additional
support is provided by walers or tie-backs. Walers are structural elements that
connect across the excavation so that the loads from the soil on either side of the
excavation are used to resist each other, or which transfer horizontal loads from
the shoring wall to the base of the excavation. Tie-backs are steel tendons drilled
into the face of the wall which extends beyond the soil which is applying pressure
to the wall, to provide additional lateral resistance to the wall.

Earthworks

 Excavation is the process of training earth according to requirement by removing

the soil from the site.
 Filling is the process of training earth
according to requirement by placing the
soil on the site.
 Compaction is the process by which the
density of soil is increased and
permeability of soil is decreased. Fill
placement work often has specifications
requiring a specific degree of
compaction, or alternatively, specific
properties of the compacted soil. In-situ
soils can be compacted by rolling,
deep dynamic compaction, vibration,
blasting, gyrating, kneading, compaction grouting etc.

E. Water Resource Engineering

Water Resource Engineers develop new equipment and systems for water
resource management facilities across the United States. The systems that Water
Resource Engineers create ensure that citizens are provided with a continuous
supply of clean, uncontaminated water for drinking, living, and recreational
purposes. Water Resource Engineers not only design these water management
systems, but often oversee the construction and maintenance of these systems as
well. An increasing population and continuous need for more water stimulates this
fast-growing industry. A Bachelor's degree and official certification are required to
pursue this career, though many Water Resource Engineers also go on to pursue
their Masters Degrees.

85 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 What does a Water Resource Engineer do?

Water Resource Engineering is a specific kind of civil engineering that

involves the design of new systems and equipment that help manage human water
resources. Some of the areas Water Resource Engineers touch on are water
treatment facilities, underground wells, and natural springs.

Water Resource Engineers must create new equipment and systems to

increase the effectiveness and efficiency of water treatment and aquatic resource
management. A typical workday involves the analysis of data from relevant areas,
then designing new or improved facilities to enhance the cleansing effects of the
water treatment system. A Water Resource Engineer must take budgetary
constraints, government regulations, and other factors into consideration when
designing these systems. A Water Resource Engineer may then oversee the
construction and implementation of these systems to ensure that they are properly
assembled. After completion, they may manage the maintenance of these systems.

What does a Water Resource Engineer Work?

Water Resource Engineers spend most of their time in an office looking

over data and designing new water resource management systems.
However, part of the work day may be spent at construction sites, allowing
the Engineer to oversee the construction of their designs. They may also find
themselves in more industrial environments when supervising maintenance
on advanced equipment. Some Water Resource Engineers choose to travel
abroad to participate in large engineering projects.

Most Water Resource Engineers work full-time, with many putting in

more than 40 hours a week. This extra time allows them to properly oversee
projects and assure that everything is running smoothly.

What is the Job Demand for Water Resource Engineers?

The number of open positions for Water Resource Engineers is projected to

grow 20% in the next 10 years, which is faster than average. Infrastructures are
constantly aging, requiring repair and rebuilding. In addition, a growing population
and continual strain placed on our water resources will demand more Water
Resource Engineers to create new and more efficient systems.

What Are the Education Requirements to Become a Water Resource

Engineer?

Water Resource Engineers are expected to obtain a Bachelor's degree at

minimum. Some states also demand that you attend an ABET-accredited program
to help with the licensure process, a requirement for all engineers.

Obtaining licensure usually involves passing the Fundamentals of Engineering

(FE) Exam, then becoming a Civil Engineering (CE) Intern or an Engineer-in-
Training (EIT) for a designated amount of time. The exact requirements for obtaining
licensure vary from state to state.

Many Water Resource Engineers go on to pursue their Masters Degrees. In

fact, one in five Civil Engineers pursue higher education. This not only increases

86 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 chance of hire, but also increases the possibility of landing a higher-paying
management position.

F. Transportation Engineering

Transportation engineering or transport engineering is the application of

technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation and
management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order to provide for the safe,
efficient, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally compatible
movement of people and goods transport.
The planning aspects of transportation engineering relate to elements of urban
planning, and involve technical forecasting decisions and political factors. Technical
forecasting of passenger travel usually involves an urban transportation planning model,
requiring the estimation of trip generation (number of purposeful trips), trip
distribution (destination choice, where the traveler is going), mode choice (mode that is
being taken), and route assignment (the streets or routes that are being used). More
sophisticated forecasting can include other aspects of traveler decisions, including auto
ownership, trip chaining (the decision to link individual trips together in a tour) and the
choice of residential or business location (known as land use forecasting). Passenger
trips are the focus of transportation engineering because they often represent the peak
of demand on any transportation system.
A review of descriptions of the scope of various committees indicates that while
facility planning and design continue to be the core of the transportation engineering
field, such areas as operations planning, logistics, network analysis, financing, and
policy analysis are also important, particularly to those working in highway and urban
transportation. The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
(NCEES) list online the safety protocols, geometric design requirements, and signal
timing.
Transportation engineering, primarily involves planning, design, construction,
maintenance, and operation of transportation facilities. The facilities support air,
highway, railroad, pipeline, water, and even space transportation. The design aspects of
transportation engineering include the sizing of transportation facilities (how many lanes
or how much capacity the facility has), determining the materials and thickness used
in pavement designing the geometry (vertical and horizontal alignment) of the roadway
(or track).
Before any planning occurs an engineer must take what is known as an inventory
of the area or, if it is appropriate, the previous system in place. This inventory or
database must include information on population, land use, economic activity,
transportation facilities and services, travel patterns and volumes, laws and ordinances,
regional financial resources, and community values and expectations. These inventories
help the engineer create business models to complete accurate forecasts of the future
conditions of the system.
Operations and management involve traffic engineering, so that vehicles move
smoothly on the road or track. Older techniques include signs, signals, markings,
and tolling. Newer technologies involve intelligent transportation systems, including
advanced traveler information systems (such as variable message signs), advanced
traffic control systems (such as ramp meters), and vehicle infrastructure
integration. Human factors are an aspect of transportation engineering, particularly
concerning driver-vehicle interface and user interface of road signs, signals, and
markings.

Highway Engineering

Engineers in this specialization:

 Handle the planning, design, construction, and operation of highways,

roads, and other vehicular facilities as well as their related bicycle and
pedestrian realms

87 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  Estimate the transportation needs of the public and then secure the funding
for projects
 Analyze locations of high traffic volumes and high collisions for safety and
capacity
 Use engineering principles to improve the transportation system
 Utilize the three design controls, which are the drivers, the vehicles, and the
roadways themselves

Railroad Engineering

Railway engineers handle the design, construction, and operation of railroads and
mass transit systems that use a fixed guideway (such as light rail or monorails). Typical
tasks include determining horizontal and vertical alignment design, station location and
design, and construction cost estimating. Railroad engineers can also move into the
specialized field of train dispatching which focuses on train movement control.
Railway engineers also work to build a cleaner and safer transportation network
by reinvesting and revitalizing the rail system to meet future demands. In the United
States, railway engineers work with elected officials in Washington, D.C. on rail
transportation issues to make sure that the rail system meets the country's
transportation needs

Port and Harbor Engineering

Port and harbour engineers handle the design, construction, and peration
ports, harbors, canals, and other maritime facilities.

Airport Engineering

Airport engineers design and construct airports. Airport engineers must account
for the impacts and demands of aircraft in their design of airport facilities. These
engineers must use the analysis of predominant wind direction to determine runway
orientation, determine the size of runway border and safety areas, different wing tip to
wing tip clearances for all gates and must designate the clear zones in the entire port.

G. Energy and Environmental Engineering

Energy and environmental engineering is a branch of energy engineering which

seeks to efficiently use energy and to maintain the environment. Energy engineers
require knowledge across many disciplines. Careers include work in the built
environment, renewable and traditional energy industries.
In this area, solar radiation is important and must be understood. Solar radiation
affects the Earth's weather and daylight available. This affects not only the Earth's
environment but also the smaller internal environments which we create.
Energy engineering requires at least an understanding
of mechanics, thermodynamics, mathematics, materials, stoichiometry, electrical
machines, manufacturing processes and energy systems.
Environmental engineering can be branched into two main areas: internal
environments and outdoor environments.
Internal environments may consist of housing or offices or other commercial
properties. In this area, the environmental engineering sometimes stands for the
designing of building services to condition the internal environment to a comfortable
state or the removal of excess pollutants such as carbon dioxide or other harmful
substances.
External environments may be water courses, air, land or seas, and may require
new strategies for harnessing energy or the creation of treatment facilities for polluting
technologies.

88 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 This broad degree area covers many areas but is mainly mechanically and
electrically biased. It seeks to explore cleaner, more efficient ways of using fossil fuels,
while investigating and developing systems using renewable and sustainable resources,
such as solar, wind and wave energy.

Teaching and Learning Activities

For Research:

1. Site a project in each field of Civil engineering Profession and Discuss their origin
and functions.
Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FLTM) Adapted.

Google Classroom, Google Meet, Module

References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structural_engineering

89 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
Module 4
Engineers and Sustainable Development

Introduction

Engineers play a crucial role in creating infrastructure in the world. Engineers are
problem solvers who apply their knowledge and experience to building projects that
meet human needs, and to cleaning up environmental problems. They work on a wide
range of issues and projects, and as a result, how engineers work can have a significant
impact on progress toward sustainable development. Engineers can contribute to
sustainable development along the entire chain of modern production and consumption,
including the following: Extracting and developing natural resources; Processing and
modifying resources; Designing and building transportation infrastructure; Meeting the
needs of consumers; Recovering and reusing resources, and; Producing and distributing
energy.

Learning Outcome/Objective

At the end of this chapter, the students shall be able to:

To describe the roles engineers play in improving human living standards and
protecting and restoring the environment.

Learning Content/Topic

A. What is Sustainable Development?

The term “sustainable development” was first proposed by the World

Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) in its 1987 report Our
Common Future (also known as the Brundtland Commission report). WCED, which
included 23 members from 22 countries, was formed by the United Nations in 1984,

90 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 and for three years studied the conflicts between growing global environmental
problems and the needs of less-developed nations.

WCED’s widely used definition of sustainable development is: “Meeting the

needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.”

Since 1987, there have been many efforts to explain and amplify what is
meant by sustainable development.

To an engineer, a sustainable system is one that is either in equilibrium, or

one that changes slowly at a tolerable rate. This concept of sustainability is best
illustrated by natural ecosystems, which consist of nearly closed loops that change
slowly. For example, in the food cycle of plants and animals, plants grow in the
presence of sunlight, moisture and nutrients and are then consumed by insects and
herbivores which, in turn, are eaten by successively larger animals. The resulting
natural waste products replenish the nutrients, which allows plants to grow and the
cycle to begin again. If humans are to achieve sustainable development, we will
have to adopt patterns that reflect these natural processes. The roles of engineers
in sustainable development can be illustrated by a closed-loop human ecosystem
that mimics natural systems. This model of a closed-loop ecosystem was first
proposed in 1990.

Engineers contribute to all the steps in this systems model:

 By developing, processing and transporting natural resources in closed-

loop systems, we can reduce waste and increase the efficient use of
resources.

 Harvesting renewable resources such as water, fish and trees within the
limits allowed by nature will ensure a continuing supply of resources for
humans and natural ecosystems. Minimizing our use of non-renewable
resources, such as petroleum and scarce minerals, and replacing them with
environmentally friendly substitutes will also help extend the supply of
natural resources.

 Processing natural resources efficiently and with little or no waste helps to

preserve the earth’s finite natural resources. We can further preserve
resources by designing products and packaging for reuse and recycling,
and we can protect resources through industrial processes and facilities
that have minimal adverse environmental impacts throughout their full life-
cycles

 Transporting goods contributes heavily to pollution; to minimize these

effects, we can transport resources and manufactured goods efficiently to
consumers by pipelines, rivers, railways, roads, ships and airplanes using
technologies that have minimal impacts on the surrounding land use and
serve the needs of consumers with little waste.

 How we develop, process and transport resources can improve living

standards in many ways. These include providing clean water, energy,
housing and commercial buildings and streets and other forms of
infrastructure; efficiently storing and distributing food; and meeting

91 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 acceptable health standards, including high-quality waste management and
treatment.

 How we develop, process and transport resources can improve living

standards in many ways. These include providing clean water, energy,
housing and commercial buildings and streets and other forms of
infrastructure; efficiently storing and distributing food; and meeting
acceptable health standards, including high-quality waste management and
treatment.

 The effects of developing energy sources on the atmosphere, earth and

water can be reduced by more efficient use of power and by production
from non-fossil sources.

 As described in other sections below, engineers fill vital roles in each phase
of this human ecosystem model.

B. Engineering for Sustainable Development

Engineers play a crucial role in creating infrastructure in the world. Engineers

are problem solvers who apply their knowledge and experience to building projects
that meet human needs, and to cleaning up environmental problems. They work on
a wide range of issues and projects, and as a result, how engineers work can have
a significant impact on progress toward sustainable development. Engineers can
contribute to sustainable development along the entire chain of modern production
and consumption, including the following:

 Extracting and developing natural resources

 Processing and modifying resources
 Designing and building transportation infrastructure
 Meeting the needs of consumers
 Recovering and reusing resources
 Producing and distributing energy

The Roles of Engineers

Approximately 15 million engineers populate the world today. As in many other

professions, there are different kinds of engineers, including civil, environmental,
mechanical, electrical, chemical, industrial, agricultural, mining, petroleum and
computer engineers.

Engineers are involved with two kinds of projects:

1. They design and build projects that meet basic human needs (potable
water, food, housing, sanitation, energy, transportation, communication,
resource development and industrial processing).
2. They solve environmental problems (create waste treatment facilities,
recycle resources, clean up and restore polluted sites and protect or restore
natural ecosystems).

Engineers are problem solvers. They use skills or information that include the
following:

 The results of scientific discoveries

 Empirical experience gained from centuries of construction
 Innovative approaches gained from recent projects

92 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  Analyses of costs versus benefits over the life of projects
 Evaluation of environmental impacts versus benefits
 Consideration of political, cultural and social environments at project
locations

Engineers are involved in many functions in their work. These include the
following:

 Baseline studies of natural and built environments

 Analyses of project alternatives
 Feasibility studies
 Environmental impact studies
 Assistance in project planning, approval and financing
 Design and development of systems, processes and products
 Design and development of construction plans
 Project management
 Construction supervision and testing
 Process design
 Start-up operations and training
 Assistance in operations
 Management consulting
 Environmental monitoring
 Decommissioning of facilities
 Restoration of sites for other uses
 Resource management
 Measuring progress for sustainable development

Sustainable Engineering

Engineers can play an important role in sustainable development by planning and

building projects that preserve natural resources, are cost-efficient and support
human and natural environments. A closed-loop human ecosystem can be used to
illustrate the many activities of engineers that support sustainable development.

Resource Development and Extraction

Engineers are involved in developing and extracting natural resources in

many different ways:

 Discovering and evaluating deposits of industrial minerals such as

sand and gravel
 Planning open-pit and underground mining operations
 Petroleum engineering and designing offshore oil platforms
 Water resource planning of all kinds including dams, irrigation
systems and wells
 Agricultural engineering in land reclamation, drainage and improved
farm operations
 Designing tree plantations and managing forests
 Designing fish farms and supporting aquaculture
 Improved land planning to protect the best farmland and natural
resources from the impact of urban sprawl

Processing and Modifying Resources

In the past, many industries generated waste products that were toxic and
not easily degraded under natural conditions. In the last 100 years, this has led

93 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 to environmental pollution and new laws and regulations to help protect the
environment. Because of improved measuring and monitoring technologies,
pollution has been identified that was previously unknown. Many industries are
now making major changes in the ways they use raw materials to produce
products—by reducing their waste to a minimum, many are finding that
improved processing leads to increased profits.

Engineers play the following roles in processing and modifying resources:

 Developing instrumentation to measure and monitor pollution

 Changing industrial processes to reduce the use of energy and other
resources and to eliminate waste wherever possible
 Considering the total input/output of operations over their complete
life-cycles
 Designing products and packaging for re-use or resource recovery
 Collaborating with other industries by creating “eco parks” or applied
industrial ecology. With this approach, several industries work
together so that each industry’s waste products can be used as the
raw materials for others. This also makes possible more efficient use
of waste heating and cooling water and using combined waste
treatment facilities.
 Restoring and modifying old industrial sites for other uses

Transportation

In the past 200 years, engineers have made continuous breakthroughs in

developing transportation systems:

 Building canals, locks and improving river navigation

 Designing and building all-weather roads and highways
 Constructing pipelines that move liquid and gas products • Designing
engines and transportation vehicles
 Building bridges and tunnels
 Constructing railroads and high-speed rail systems
 Creating ports and harbors
 Designing airplanes, airports and air traffic control systems

In the future, engineers will design these transportation systems so that

they will:

 Be more energy efficient

 Create fewer adverse environmental impacts
 Encourage sound urban and rural planning with less urban sprawl
 Create longer-life facilities that can be maintained at lower costs

Meeting Consumer Needs

By the year 2020, there may be 8 billion people in the world. Over 80
percent of this population will be in countries that we describe as “less
developed” or “developing.” About half the world’s population lives in cities
today; within 15 years, there may be more than 20 cities with populations of 10
million or more, and 500 cities will have more than a million inhabitants. In the
next 25 years most of the population is expected to live in “mega-cities” in
developing nations. The engineering profession will be under continuing
pressure to help provide the food and other resources to this growing

94 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 population, and the traditional roles of engineers will be stretched to satisfy the
future needs of mega-cities.

The roles of engineers in meeting human needs include the following:

 Creative land planning and development to minimize negative

environmental impacts
 In emerging mega-cities, helping to establish local organizations that
can provide the necessary infrastructure
 Providing treatment facilities and distribution systems for potable
water
 Designing systems to collect and store food and other supplies
 Designing housing and commercial buildings
 Developing streets, utility lines, public transportation and other
infrastructure
 Using underground space for recreation and other uses
 Providing technologies and facilities for heating and air conditioning
 Creating high-quality treatments for liquid and solid waste
 Reducing the risks of damage and loss of life from natural hazards
such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes

Resource recovery and Re-use

According to a World Resources Institute report, the USA currently

produces more than 20 billion metric tons of materials per year, about 80 tons
per person. The direct input into the built environment is over 3 billion metric
tons. A high proportion of the materials used consists of industrial minerals such
as sand, gravel and crushed stone.

In 1990 the average North American produced over 1500 pounds of

municipal solid waste, compared to about 700 pounds by the average Western
European. Eighty percent of all products in the USA are thrown away after one
use. For sustainable development to be possible, our human activities will have
to be redesigned to reuse our raw materials and consumer products many
times over. Engineers can assist in this process in several ways:

 Improving ways to recycle and reuse domestic waste

 Designing better solid waste collection and storage facilities
 Improving methods to collect and reuse construction materials such
as concrete and asphalt from roads, and ways to reuse scrap metal
and other natural and synthetic materials.
 Improving treatment facilities for urban organic waste and human
waste so that the treated fluids and solids may be used safely for
agriculture and other purposes.
 Recovering, reusing and remanufacturing by products from resource
development and industrial processing

Environmental Restoration

Some environmental pollution is inevitable in the future, resulting from

resource extraction, industrial processing and transportation, and from wastes
generated by humans wherever we live. In the future, the impacts of residual
wastes should be offset by a variety of environmental restoration projects.

Engineers can assist in restoring environments in several ways:

 Treating and restoring old industrial waste sites

95 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  Reclaiming old mine properties
 Treating polluted groundwater, lakes and streams
 Restoring the ecology of lakes and wetlands
 Renewing aging urban areas in large cities
 Reclaiming and restoring eroded or damaged farmlands

Energy Production and Use

We now use 80 times more energy than we did in 1850, with attendant
emissions of carbon, sulfur and nitrogen byproducts creating unacceptable levels
of pollution. Humans consume more fossil fuels per year than nature produces in
a million years. The long-term effects of increased energy use may produce
major changes in the earth’s climate.

The American Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has estimated that
energy use in America could be reduced by 50% without any reduction in the
country’s standard of living. One of the greatest engineering challenges for the
future will be to develop less environmentally damaging sources of energy while
simultaneously reducing total energy consumption.

In the future, the roles of engineers in energy production may include the
following:

 More efficiently extracting and processing remaining petroleum and

gas reserves
 Improving the efficiency of electric power stations and using
superconductors for power distribution
 Reconsidering the use of nuclear power, assuming that safer facilities
can be developed for generating power and handling nuclear wastes
 Expanding the use of hydroelectric, solar, geothermal, wind, and
biomass energy

Engineers can also play a role in conserving and reducing the use of
energy in the following ways:

 Designing energy-efficient buildings

 Designing industrial processes that are more energy efficient
 Using low-energy lighting systems
 Designing more efficient automobiles and public transportation
systems
 Increasing the use of underground construction

C. Engineering Progress

Soon after the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development (known as the Rio Summit), a group of engineers made a systematic
analysis of the conference’s primary action document, Agenda 21
(http://www.un.org/ esa/sustdev/agenda21text.htm). They found that of the 2500
issues in Agenda 21, 1700 seemed to have engineering or technical implications,
and at least 241 appeared to have major engineering implications. Eminent
engineers, scientists and environmental non-governmental organizations met at the
United Nations headquarters in 1993 to review these high-priority needs and to
discuss possible action programs.

96 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 In the 10 years since the Rio Summit of 1992, progress has been slow but
encouraging. The accomplishments include the following:

1. International engineering organizations formed a new entity, the World

Engineering Partnership for Sustainable Development (WEPSD).
Engineering societies also formed environmental committees at both
national and global levels to consider environmental issues.
2. Many engineering organizations developed environmental policies, codes
of ethics and sustainable development guidelines.
3. Engineering groups contributed to the creation of the Earth Charter.
4. Engineers interacted with the United Nations Commission on Sustainable
Development (UNCSD).
5. Engineers worked with scientists to make major breakthroughs in
computer technology and communication networks.
6. Educational programs were started to introduce sustainable development
concepts to engineering students and practicing engineers.
7. Industrial processes were improved to reduce the use of resources in
manufacturing and to reduce waste products.

Engineering Organizations

“Global organizations representing engineers are educating their members about

sustainable development and encouraging them to apply it in their work.”

Global engineering organizations, working independently and together,

provide information and leadership to the engineering profession. Each of these
organizations has made progress in encouraging their members to understand and
apply the principles of sustainable development.

The primary global organizations representing professional engineers are the

World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), the International Union of
Technical Associations (UATI, http://www.unesco.org/uati), the International
Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC,
http://www.fidic.com/resources/sustainability) and the International Council of
Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS,
http://www.atse.org.au/international/caets.htm). In addition, many engineers are
employed by the companies that constitute the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD, http://www.wbcsd.ch/).

In September 1991, the WFEO held a meeting of its General Assembly in

Arusha, Tanzania. At this meeting WFEO adopted the Arusha Declaration
(ArushaDeclaration.doc) on the future role of engineering, developed from a study of
Our Common Future, (the report of the World Commission on Environment and
Development) and other documents. This declaration provided helpful guidelines
that could be used by engineers in their projects.

Following this meeting, WFEO’s Environmental Committee began to review

the results of preparatory meetings for the UNCED conference scheduled for Rio de
Janeiro in 1992. In reviewing drafts of Agenda 21, it appeared to the WFEO
members that the engineering contributions to both developmental and
environmental projects were omitted and that these omissions weakened the report.

Independently, FIDIC formed an Environmental Task Committee in 1988 to

review environmental trends and to provide recommendations to FIDIC members.

97 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 They also developed guidelines, policies and training programs. FIDIC members
also became concerned by the lack of engineers in the planning of the Rio Summit.

Until 1991, WFEO and FIDIC worked independently in support of sustainable

development. However, both organizations began to realize the need for joint efforts
if the real contributions of engineers were to be recognized at the Rio Summit. This
led to the decision to form a new organization that would be a partnership of WFEO,
FIDIC and UATI. A representative group from these organizations met in New York
in 1992 during the final meetings of the UN delegation to the Rio Summit. The
engineers drafted a Vision Statement and the broad goals for a new World
Engineering Partnership for Sustainable Development (WEPSD). The results of this
engineering meeting were shared with the UN delegates at an open house at the
United Engineering Center, located near the headquarters of the United Nations.
Maurice Strong, Secretary General of the Rio Summit, assisted the engineers at this
open house, where he told the UN delegates that “the concept of sustainable
development would be impossible without the full input by engineers.”

The WEPSD organization accomplished a great deal in its five years and
successfully laid the groundwork for the many programs in support of sustainable
development that are being pursued by WFEO, FIDIC and other international
organizations through their members and committees. In addition to activities at the
international level, engineering societies in many countries have also been
extremely active in considering the implications of sustainable development in
engineering practices.

Members of WFEO and WEPSD were present at the 1992 Rio Summit, and
WFEO officers were represented at the Rio + 5 conference. In addition, WFEO and
FIDIC collaborated in developing a report for the Rio + 5 conference, The Engineer’s
Response to Sustainable Development published by WFEO in February 1997.

Since 1997, the major international engineering organizations have worked

together on several projects and are making contributions to the World Summit on
Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in South Africa in 2002. In addition, for the
first time, engineers and scientists have agreed to be represented jointly at the
WSSD. This includes the preparation of a joint paper entitled Role and Contributions
of the Scientific and Technological Community to Sustainable Development
(UNECOSOCpaper.doc).

Ethics, Policies and Sustainable Development Guidelines

Many engineering organizations have developed environmental codes of

ethics, policies and sustainable development guidelines to help guide their
members.

In the last 15 years, many of the international and national engineering

organizations have developed codes of ethics that deal with the environment and
sustainable development. Environmental policies are similar to codes of ethics but
focus on principles of professional practice.

Some of the best examples include the following:

 The WFEO Arusha Declaration on Environment and Development

(ArushaDeclaration.doc).

98 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
  The WFEO Model Code of Ethics, (WFEO Ethics.doc) adopted in
September 2001.
 FIDIC adopted a powerful set of environmental policies in 1990. These
include guidelines on the obligations of the consulting engineer with
respect to their projects and clients (http://www.fidic.com/about/statement04.asp.)
 The Melbourne Communique (MelbourneCommunique.doc) is a
statement of operating principles adopted by 20 national organizations of
Chemical Engineers.
 In 1992 the American Association of Engineering Societies adopted The
Public Policy on Sustainable Development and Action Principles
(http://www.aaes.org/content. cfm?L1=2&L2=3&OID=18). AAES also developed six
action principles (ActionPrinciples.doc) to guide engineers in applying
sustainable development.
 The Code of Ethics of the American Society of Civil Engineers was a
pioneering effort that has far reaching implications; the code is
enforceable in requiring consideration of sustainable development
principles in civil engineering projects (http://www.asce.org/
inside/codeofethics.cfm?strPrinter=1).
 In June 2002 representatives of the National Academy of Engineering in
the USA met with representatives of the major American engineering
organizations to consider how to unify the American engineers in support
of the goals of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg, South Africa and to work together after this conference.
Further meetings are planned and recently the group adopted a powerful
statement on engineers and sustainable development.

Earth Charter

Engineers contributed a technological perspective to developing the Earth

Charter.

Beginning as early as 1945, during the formation of the United Nations,

discussions began about the need for an earth ethic. In 1972, at the UN Stockholm
Conference where the current environmental declarations were initiated,
discussions continued about an earth ethic, and, in 1982, The World Charter for
Nature was adopted by the UN General Assembly. The 1987 World Commission on
Environment and Development report Our Common Future also described the need
for an Earth Charter. During the 1992 Rio Summit, the Earth Charter was to have
formed the ethical foundation upon which Agenda 21 and other Rio documents were
to have been based.

A new Earth Charter initiative was begun in 1994 by Maurice Strong,

Chairman of the Earth Council, and Mikhail Gorbachev, Chairman of Green Cross
International. An Earth Charter Commission was appointed and numerous drafts
were distributed and circulated among the nations of the world, resulting in the Earth
Charter that was officially launched on June 29, 2000 in The Hague. The Charter
will be debated, revised and presented to the UN for consideration at the 2002 UN
General Assembly. Governments will be invited to endorse the Earth Charter at the
2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The WFEO contributed to developing the Earth Charter in several ways. In

1997, a USA National Earth Charter Committee was appointed. This committee
included James Poirot who, at that time, was a vice president of WFEO and
President of the WFEO Committee on Technology (ComTech). Subsequently,
WFEO was invited to present its views at an Earth Charter Continental Conference
held in Cuiaba, Brazil in 1998, and WFEO participated in a virtual conference to

99 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 comment on a draft of the Earth Charter. Making a presentation at WFEO’s 1999
General Assembly, James Poirot described WFEO’s actions in support of the Earth
Charter.

In response to the Earth Charter challenge, the WFEO Executive Council

adopted its Earth Charter Resolution (EC00Resolution.doc) on September 20, 2000.
This action followed the WFEO General Assembly’s 1999 adoption of four
resolutions (EC99Resolutions.doc) supporting the Earth Charter.

The implications to engineers of the Earth Charter (ECPoirotIndia.doc) were

explained by WFEO Vice President Poirot at the World Congress on Sustainable
Development held in Calcutta, India on January 21, 2000. The current draft of the
Earth Charter can be found in the attached file (EarthCharter.doc). This is a
powerful document and deserves to be widely read.

Joint Programs

Several international engineering groups have partnered in sustainable

development programs with global organizations.

During the past 10 years, the engineering community has developed closer
relationships with the World Bank, the UN and other international agencies that
provide programs and funds to meet the needs of people by applying engineering
and technology.

In 1996, the World Engineering Partnership for Sustainable Development

(WEPSD, a partnership between WFEO, FIDIC and UATI) worked with the World
Bank and UNDP to evaluate the feasibility of treating urban wastes for land
application in agriculture. The program considered the problems and opportunities
of reusing municipal organic wastes and human wastes after appropriate treatment.
This joint program demonstrated that properly treated urban organic wastes could
help solve two problems: reducing the health hazards of cities, and increasing food
productivity through improved crop yields in nearby farms. The results of this
program are highlighted in this 1996 paper (WEPSDWasteConf.doc) and in the final
project report (UrbanWasteAgriculture.doc).

Protecting and developing water resources is one of the most critical problems
facing the world. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF, http://www.gefweb.org) is a
major funding agency designed to address severe environmental problems such as
the need for safe water supplies. The GEF, FIDIC and WFEO worked together to
develop the International Waters Workshop—CEO Dialogue, held on June 7-8,
2000 at the World Bank in Washington, DC, where international water experts were
invited to recommend high priority water projects. The conference outlined a long-
term program for consideration by the GEF and private investors, and
recommended that follow-up conferences be held to facilitate specific regional
projects. The results of the workshop are summarized in this file (IntlWaters.doc),
and additional information is available on WFEO ComTech’s web site (http://www.wfeo-
comtech.org/).

WFEO and FIDIC have agreed to assist the UNEP-GEF Technology Transfer
Networks (SANet) program to help disseminate information about environmentally
responsible technology. The SANet program (http://www.sustainable alternatives.net) is a
partnership of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Global
Environment Facility (GEF). SANet’s mission (TechTransPartner.doc) is to facilitate

100 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 widespread use of cleaner technology, successful case histories, expert knowledge,
planning tools and co-financing of projects.

UN Commission on Sustainable Development

Engineering organizations have helped advance sustainable development by

making presentations to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable
Development.

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)

(AboutUNCSD.doc) was established in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up
to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de
Janiero in 1992.

In June 1997, James Poirot, then President of WFEO’s ComTech, participated

in the Earth Summit + 5, Special Session of the UN General Assembly. Poirot’s
attendance at this conference led the UNCSD to involve the engineering community
in its annual meetings. Since 1998, WFEO has organized and sponsored four
panels of experts on important topics. Presentations from these panels can be found
on WFEO’s ComTech web site (http://www.wfeo-comtech.org/).

 Water Panel, April 27, 1998. Four expert panelists presented case
histories to demonstrate how privatization projects can be initiated and
structured.
 Production/Consumption Panel, April 28, 1999. Four expert panelists
presented case histories featuring cleaner production technologies.
 Panel on Sustainable Practices in Agriculture, May 1, 2000. Three expert
panelists presented case studies on natural resource management
technologies.
 Energy Panel, April 17, 2001. Three expert panelists presented case
histories about technologies that employ renewable energy sources.
 In addition, an engineering officer of WFEO was a member of and advisor
to the U.S. delegation to the 1997 UN General Assembly.

Computers and Communication

Engineers have helped develop breakthroughs in computer technology and

communication networks.

In the past 10 years, dramatic advances have been made in computers and
computer software. Computers have become exponentially more powerful, smaller
and more economical, and the Internet has made rapid communications possible
throughout many parts of the world. Computer engineers played an integral role in
this progress.

Along with rapid changes taking place with computers and communication
networking, software development has evolved to allow enormous amounts of data
to be stored, and has provided powerful technical programs of great help to scientist
and engineers. Exchanging electronic information has also allowed existing
knowledge, information and technologies to be shared to fulfill public and private
needs. Through this exchange of information the engineering profession has been
able to provide an engineering dimension to sustainability issues.

However, as technology has expanded rapidly, a gap has developed between

the countries with access to technology and those without. This condition is
commonly referred to as the “digital divide.” WFEO’s committees on Information and

101 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Communication (CIC, http://www.coi-tn.org/fmoi-cic/cic.shtml) and Technology
(ComTech) are working to develop better methods for sharing information
(DigitalDivide.doc) among practicing engineers.

In 1999, WFEO endorsed a proposal to establish a virtual engineering library

for sustainable development. Virtual engineering libraries can be accessed from the
Internet, and range from those that provide titles or abstracts only, to those that
provide access and downloads for full text papers or lecture notes. It was envisioned
that virtual engineering libraries on the Internet would be useful in supporting
engineering education in schools, technical colleges and universities. The Institution
of Engineers, Australia and the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand
agreed to lend support to the development of a prototype of such a system. It is
hoped that this prototype, named the Australasian Virtual Library (AVEL) could
become the model for a future global system, called the Virtual Environment and
Sustainable Systems Engineering Library (VESSEL). This program is described in a
paper (VesselFinal6.doc) by William J. Rourke, Special Advisor to the president of
WFEO.

The AVEL program has been incorporated into the Australian Virtual Columbo
Plan, which is being funded as part of Australia’s overseas aid program. Substantial
funds are also being provided by the World Bank. The Virtual Columbo Plan is
initially being directed towards primary and secondary school teachers and policy
makers. In coming years, material will be supplied to university lecturers, including
those giving engineering courses.

Educational Programs

Engineering groups started educational programs for engineering students

and practicing engineers on applying sustainable development concepts in their
work.

Many universities are beginning to introduce the principles of sustainable

development into their curricula. An overview of the progress from 1992 to 1997 is
contained in the report The Engineer’s Response to Sustainable Development,
(EngEducation.doc) dated February 1997, published by WFEO. In the USA many
engineering colleges have developed extensive programs with special courses on
the environment and sustainable technologies. Other institutions have integrated
these concepts in their courses.

The Georgia Institute of Technology provides an excellent example. They

have created an Institute for Sustainable Technology and Development and have
incorporated the principles of sustainable development into the university’s strategic
plan. Information about the programs at Georgia Tech may be found at http://www.istd.
gatech.edu. This web site describes the history of this effort and describes the
courses that the Institute offers. Other forward-looking university programs include
those at the University of Florida (http://www.ees.ufl.edu/), the Systems Engineering
Department of the University of Virginia (http://www.sys.virginia.edu/) and the Earth
Systems Engineering Program at the University of Colorado (http://ese.colorado.edu/).
Several programs are evolving that will provide financing for students or recent
graduates to become interns for a year with environmentally-oriented companies.
One such intern program available in Canada is the Institute for Leadership
Development, affiliated with York University (Toronto). A similar intern program has
been established in Australia as part of the Australian Ambassadors Scheme.

102 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 In 1994 an international workshop of invited educators from the Asia Pacific
region was convened in New Zealand to examine “Fundamentals of Environmental
Education in Engineering Education.” Outputs from this workshop have been widely
published, and a major follow-up conference was held in Paris, France on
September 24-26, 1997. This conference was jointly sponsored by the United
Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the World Federation of Engineering
Organisations (WFEO), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
(WBCSD) and the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC). Educators and
professional engineers from 27 countries attended the Conference. Many
recommendations came out of this conference that still warrant close examination,
published in a report entitled, Engineering Education and Training for Sustainable
Development (ParisReport.doc).

Sustainability is also finding its way into university accreditation procedures. In

the USA, for example, each engineering university must be accredited periodically.
The organization responsible for coordinating this process (ABET), in their
document Engineering Criteria 2000 (AccreditingCriteria.pdf) states that students
must be prepared for professional practice through a curriculum that includes “most
of the following considerations: economic, environmental; sustainability;
manufacturability; ethical, health and safety; social; and political.”

International engineering organizations have also contributed to sustainable

development education. FIDIC has developed training programs for their members
and for industry that provide guidance on how to inventory and analyze
environmental issues as well as setting up environmental management systems.
These programs have been developed in collaboration with UNEP and the
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and are described on the UNEP web
site (http://www.unepie.org/outreach/ business/ems.htm).

A regional program that incorporates sustainable development concepts is

described in the article Report from Africa (ReportAfrica.doc) by Rafik Meghji,
WFEO ComTech’s Regional Vice President for Africa and member of the Executive
Committee for FIDIC.

Industrial Process

Engineering has developed new approaches in industrial processes to reduce

the use of resources and eliminate waste products.

Many industrialized nations have adopted laws and regulations in the last 30
years to regulate the generation of toxic wastes. Other laws attempted to regulate
the cleanup of old waste sites. At first, industries in the USA struggled to comply
with these strict regulations. Over time, many of the leading industries began to
realize that removing waste from the process stream could result in significant
savings and increased profits.

As industries began to take the initiative in reducing waste improving

processing, a group of industry executives decided to share knowledge and
cooperate in other ways. The result was the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD, http://www.wbcsd.org/). This organization now consists of a
coalition of 160 companies united by a shared commitment to sustainable
development. These companies represent many engineering disciplines.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (http://www.iisd.org) also

advances policy recommendations, including those for industrial processes.

103 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
D. Future Goals

Engineers believe that many of the problems facing less-developed nations

can be solved by using existing knowledge, technology and experience. This,
combined with scientific discoveries that can be applied to meeting basic human
needs, could make an enormous difference in the next 20 years. The challenges
and opportunities for transferring knowledge, building capacity and influencing the
decision-making process are stressed in Chapters 31, 34 and 35 of the Rio
Summit’s Agenda 21.

In the future, engineers can be of even greater help in achieving the goals of
sustainable development if they are able to finance and execute programs such as
the following:
 Creating a comprehensive program to identify and provide the information
that engineers in developing countries need to meet energy requirements,
as well as food, health and other basic human needs.
 Expanding global educational programs on sustainable development for
students and practicing engineers.
 Encouraging more engineers to become environmental generalists.
 Becoming actively engaged in the full range of decision-making processes
in addition to performing projects.
 Improving methods for identifying and considering all of a project’s
environmental costs and impacts throughout a project’s life cycle.
 Creating programs to provide hands-on-help, share knowledge and
provide assistance on technically viable, commercially feasible and
socially sustainable projects in developing countries.
 Supporting well-crafted policies and creative applications of engineering
principles

Share Information

Sustainable development can be furthered by creating a comprehensive

program to identify and provide the information that engineers need in developing
countries to meet energy, food, health and other basic needs.

At the WFEO Annual Meeting in September 2001, retiring WFEO Vice

President James Poirot expressed his concerns about the problems of reaching
engineers in less-developed countries and being able to provide information that
would help them meet basic needs in their countries. He described the obstacles
that exist, such as different languages and lack of access to modern communication
devices, and he urged WFEO to consider ways to accelerate two-way
communications of relevant technology.

In response to this challenge, Don Roberts, the new President of ComTech

and Vice President of WFEO, drafted a comprehensive proposal
(CommProposal.doc) that addresses a wide range of problems related to technical
communications and sharing of information. This program, if authorized, would
consist of five phases and could take 10 years to accomplish. As an example,
funding the Virtual Environment and Sustainable Systems Engineering Library
program (VESSEL) would help provide Internet access to virtual libraries on
sustainable development. Full implementation of the SANet program would also be
very helpful in helping to share information.

Global Education Programs

104 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Expansion of educational programs for students and practicing engineers
would make sustainable development more understandable and easier to apply to
engineering projects.

At present, most universities seem to be developing educational programs

about sustainable development independently. These efforts and courses could be
made more efficient and thorough and could be shared widely through a global
education program using the Internet and wideband telecommunications.

Practicing engineers also need to be able to learn practical methods of using

sustainable technologies in their projects. Guidance documents, such as those
under development by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the
English Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) need to be funded and widely distributed.
These documents should include successful case histories and simple suggestions
on how engineering projects can be made more compatible with sustainable
development.

Engineering educators and practicing engineers should also assist in

developing educational materials that would introduce sustainable development
concepts to students years before they attend universities. Discover Engineering
Online (http://www.discoverengineering.org/eweek/) provides a model for how to attract
young students to engineering through student-oriented learning experiences.

Engineers as Environmental Generalists

Encouraging engineers to become environmental generalists will help

advance sustainable development by broadening perspectives in engineering.

A 1990 paper entitled Sustainable Development—A Challenge for the

Engineering Profession, (Challenge.pdf) given at the FIDIC Annual Conference in
Oslo, Norway, argued that perhaps 25% of engineers should be trained to become
superb environmental generalists. The paper suggested that these students could
be recruited early and exposed to a broad education that combines the technical
skills of engineering with a wide range of environmental disciplines. These studies
could be integrated with a background in economics, law, history and political
science, and special leadership training would be mandatory, especially in
developing communication skills. The author argued that over time this education,
combined with a variety of assignments as volunteers, would prepare many of these
“renaissance engineers” to assume leadership roles in education, industry and
government.

Engage Engineers in Decision-making

Encouraging engineers to become actively engaged in the full range of

decision-making processes, in addition to performing projects, can make projects
more efficient and effective.

Frequently, engineers will limit their activities to providing technical advice or

planning on projects. However, many vital projects face severe delays or
cancellation due to opposition from well-intentioned non-governmental organizations
or poorly informed politicians. Engineers can help direct the course of important
projects—and foster sustainable development—by involving themselves in all
stages of a project’s decision-making.

Engineers can become involved in local and regional civic activities as

volunteers where their knowledge may be vital to sound decisions. If planning
studies on projects are properly evaluated, the engineers can seek out different

105 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 stakeholders, identify their concerns, if any, and incorporate them into the project.
Open discussions with concerned stakeholders can be very helpful even before
project feasibility studies and environmental impact studies are completed.

As the project develops, the engineer should not shy away from public
hearings and should be willing to get involved in resolving controversy. Even during
construction and operations of completed projects, the engineer should be sensitive
to concerns and disputes and offer to provide object advice whenever it would be
constructive.

Environmental Impacts and Costs

The adverse environmental effects of engineering projects can be lessened by

improving methods for identifying and considering all of a project’s environmental
costs and impacts throughout its life cycle.

Many of the procedures for conducting environmental impact analyses were

developed in the USA in the 1960s. Even though the approaches to evaluating
potential environmental problems have gradually improved, environmental impact
studies can be wasteful and ineffective.

Typically, the environmental studies are performed in the following way.

Ecological and other environmental studies are often started after the project site
has been selected and feasibility studies have been started or completed. By this
time, the project may have already drawn attention from concerned citizens and
environmental non-governmental organizations. In these cases, the environmental
studies may become a battleground between those who wish the project to go
ahead and those who wish to have it stopped. Advocates and project opponents
may perform independent studies, creating wasteful investigations, significant legal
costs and confrontations that may lead to stopping the project or causing lengthy
delays.

If the project is finally approved, there may be little monitoring of construction

or the performance of the completed project. As a result, the actual impacts may
differ from those predicted in the original studies.

Better approaches to environmental studies on projects would reduce time,

money and effort in approving projects, and would decrease the negative
environmental impacts of projects. Environmental studies should start sooner and
continue longer. The potential project should be compatible with the local or national
strategic plan and should strike a good balance between serving local populations
and protecting the environment. Baseline studies of the regional environment should
be made years before projects are considered. In the planning studies,
environmental constraints, if any, can be considered more completely when all of
the project options are identified. The project cost-benefit analyses should attempt
to consider all the direct and indirect environmental costs, and should consider
cultural and sociologic issues.

If some form of economic development is needed, efforts should be made to

identify all parties who may have a legitimate reason to be concerned about the
potential projects. The planning of environmental studies should include as much
direct input as possible from all stake-holders when project options are being
considered. By listening to the concerns of everyone early in the planning process, it
may be possible to avoid wasting energy, time and money in confrontation and legal
action.

106 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET
 Environmental monitoring of the project should be continued during and after
construction, and should continue throughout the life of the project. Provisions
should be made to modify the design, if necessary, where the environmental
impacts differ from those predicted.

Different approaches for accounting for environmental costs and intangibles

have been attempted in recent years, including accounting for environmental
liabilities in the value of a nation’s gross national product. To the best of our
knowledge, practical approaches have yet to be developed that would alter
conventional accounting practices to factor in the direct and indirect environmental
costs of a facility through its life-cycle of operations.

Teaching and Learning Activities

For Research:

1. Site a publication about Civil “Engineering and Sustainable Development” and

write a Reaction Paper about it.
Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FLTM) Adapted.

Google Classroom, Google Meet, Module

References
https://www.grin.com/document/77054

107 | Civil Engineering Orientation

Engr. Richelle C. Vedad, MET