"Introduction to Civil Engineering" is a PowerPoint that provides an overview of civil engineering, and areas of specialization within the field, for primary and secondary students. Designed by Dr. Larry Rillet - Director of the Nebraska Transportation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln - and his educational outreach team members, the aim of this PowerPoint is to provide students with further exposure as to who civil engineers are and what they do. This lesson can be paired with a "Penny Boat" activity.

1. Introduction
to Civil
Engineering

2. What is Engineering
The word engineer originates from the
Latin term ingenerare, meaning to
invent, to create or to regulate
It is the professional art of applying
scientific principles to every day things
to help make life easier

3. Engineer vs. Scientist
• Deviations between engineers and scientists
arise through the differences in the ways
both apply their educations in mathematical
and natural sciences to their work
Scientists Engineers
Use their education to acquire
new knowledge
Use their education to
develop usable
devices, structures and
processes
Seek to know Aim to do

4. What is a Civil Engineer?
• One who improves the quality of life
through the production of infrastructure
– Buildings, bridges and other structures
– Highways
– Dams and levees
– Water treatment plants, waste disposal
• This infrastructure must be safe,
functional, elegant and economically
sound

5. Why We Need Civil Engineers
• Make sure our human habitat is livable
• Make sure we use resources wisely
– Sustainable development
• Help maintain our competitiveness in
the global economy
– Increase productivity

6.  Construction Engineering
 Structural Engineering
 Geotechnical Engineering
 Transportation Engineering
 Environmental Engineering
 Water Resources Engineering
Specialization in Civil Engineering

7. Structural Engineering
Design of new structures
Upgrading existing structures
Intelligent use of new technologies and
materials to control structural behavior
Structures include buildings, bridges,
offshore platforms, transmission towers,
and other specialized facilities

8. Dubai Towers
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

9. Burg al Arab
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
A self proclaimed 7-star hotel

10. Nebraska State Capital
Lincoln, Nebraska

11. Construction Engineering
Concepts and designs become reality
Management skills
project cost estimating and
scheduling
financial planning, labor
coordination and supervision

12. Eiffel Tower
Paris, France

14. Dubai’s expansion from
1991 to 2005

15. Geotechnical Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering is concerned with
engineering behavior of earth materials
• Geotechnical engineers:
• Investigate existing subsurface conditions
(tunnels excavations, pipelines)
• Determine physical and chemical properties
relevant to project considered
• Assess risks posed by site conditions
• Design earthworks and structural foundations
• Monitor earthwork and foundation
construction

17. The World Islands
A modern marvel of geotechnical engineering!

18. The World Islands Fun Facts
•Located 2.5 miles off the coast of
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
•The 300 islands are composed of 321 million cubic meters
of sand and 31 million tons of rock
•The land used to create the islands largely consists of
sand dredged from Dubai’s shallow coastal waters
•Overall development costs are estimated at $14 billion USD
•Cost for full ownership of one of the undeveloped islands
ranges between $10 million and $45 million USD

19. Transportation Engineering
Planning, Design, Operation and Maintenance
of safe and efficient transportation systems
Incorporating new technologies to improve
system performance
Intelligent Transportation Systems

24. Environmental Engineering
Protect & improve environmental quality
 natural systems
 engineered systems
Protect human health & well-being
 provide safe drinking water
 waste water treatment systems
 hazardous waste site clean-ups

25. Environmental engineers
turn disease into delicacy!

26. 1956
1936
2010

27. BP Oil Spill Cleanup

28. Water Resources Engineering
Physical control of water
public water supply
flood control
irrigation, navigation etc.
Computer modeling of water flow
Performance requirements for lock and dam
structures

29. Hoover Dam
Clark County Nevada
Mohave County, Arizona

30. Panama Canal
Isthmus of Panama

31. • Lesson:
– Goals the same, techniques change
One last example …

32. Pretty Amazing!
A WATER BRIDGE .. OVER A RIVER!!!

33. Activity – Penny Boats
• Construct your boat using only one piece of
the heavy duty aluminum foil provided.
• Predict how many pennies your boat will
hold: _______________
• Slowly add pennies to your boat. Once water
enters the boat, or if any part of the boat
touches the bottom of the container, your
turn is over.
• The last penny added will not count
in the total amount held.

34. ANY QUESTIONS?