From the construction
of the Pyramids in Egypt to the roads and aqueducts of Rome, Civil
Engineers and Designers have been planning, modeling and supervising
the construction of large projects since the earliest days of
civilization. In the late 19th century, orthographic drawings
started to replace the more artistic representation of structures
such as field fortifications and bridges, so a crew of specialized
workers could complete a large edifice by reading top, front and
side views of hand drawn prints. By the late 20th century, the
designer can use the power of Computer Aided Design (CAD) software
to continue with the pursuit of large structures, by making 3D
models of the creation, and outputting the necessary information
for production.
Whether
a considering a building or water works project, the designer
of the task needs to place their assembly on the surface of
the Earth where nature will play havoc in the scheme. Civil
Engineers and Designers learn to research the lay of the land
by survey and place the information on drawing and maps. When
the land is studied, one cannot forget the force of water, wind
and snow that weigh heavily on the larger exterior of the edifice.
Sometimes the designer will decide to hold the weight; others
will incorporate systems to remove the load.
Now having
to hold the interior mass and resist the exterior forces, many
buildings are a collection of concrete and steel. The steel
beams holding the floor, walls and ceiling are many times pinned
or welded. Designers will need to learn the basic shapes of
steel beams and the variety of methods to connect them together.
For the different disciplines in the study of engineering, various
symbols have special meanings. Designers need to learn how to
properly display construction information on their drawings.
If the new
building holds an industrial processing plant, the study of
hydraulics and pneumatics allows the engineer to take potential
energy from a centralized location to the work throughout a
manufacturing plant using industrial piping. Environments where
electric motors or diesel engines cannot survive can have hydraulic
cylinders lifting loads weighing tons. The designer needs to
understand the workings of the components of their system comprising
of reservoirs, pumps, valves, and cylinders as well as how to
control them.
In other
areas of the building, a system of pipes brings the potable
water to rooms and other pipes remove waste. Also, having the
knowledge of Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
helps the designer to bring comfort to the individuals using
the building.
The Introduction
of Civil Design is a Computer Aided Design (CAD) textbook presents
multiple designs and drawings allowing the newly trained designer
to operate in an Engineering department.
