Civil engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the design, calculation and construction of infrastructure works such as bridges, tunnels, roads, locks, dikes and sewerage systems. It covers all built structures that do not fall under building construction (houses, offices, etc.).
Sub-disciplines
Civil engineering encompasses several specialisms:
- Hydraulic engineering — dikes, dams, locks, coastal protection
- Road construction — building and maintaining roads and motorways
- Bridge engineering — design and construction of bridges and viaducts
- Geotechnical engineering — soil mechanics, pile foundations, ground improvement
- Sewerage — design of drainage systems for rain and waste water
- Tunnelling — bored tunnels, immersed tunnels, cut-and-cover
Application
Civil engineering is all around us:
- Roads and motorways — from subgrade to asphalt surface
- Bridges — from a simple footbridge to a cable-stayed bridge
- Flood defences — dikes, polders, retention basins
- Railways — track bed, level crossings, stations
- Ports — quay walls, jetties, docks
Civil engineering vs. building construction
Building construction focuses on buildings (houses, offices, schools). Civil engineering focuses on infrastructure. In practice the fields overlap, especially with foundations and structural calculations.
Related terms
- Construction
- Foundation
- Bridge
- Flood defence
- Infrastructure
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.