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Civil Engineering Profession: History of Structural Engineering

Civil engineering has existed since ancient times when humans began constructing shelters and developing transportation methods. Notable early civil engineering projects include pyramids, aqueducts, roads, and bridges built by ancient Egyptians, Romans, Chinese, and others. In the 18th century, civil engineering emerged as a distinct profession from military engineering, with the establishment of civil engineering schools and professional societies. John Smeaton is considered the first civil engineer, establishing the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers in 1771 and advancing knowledge in areas like lighthouses and infrastructure. In 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London to further develop civil engineering as a professional discipline.

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67 views2 pages

Civil Engineering Profession: History of Structural Engineering

Civil engineering has existed since ancient times when humans began constructing shelters and developing transportation methods. Notable early civil engineering projects include pyramids, aqueducts, roads, and bridges built by ancient Egyptians, Romans, Chinese, and others. In the 18th century, civil engineering emerged as a distinct profession from military engineering, with the establishment of civil engineering schools and professional societies. John Smeaton is considered the first civil engineer, establishing the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers in 1771 and advancing knowledge in areas like lighthouses and infrastructure. In 1818, the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London to further develop civil engineering as a professional discipline.

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Jasper Agbuya
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Civil engineering profession[edit]

See also: History of structural engineering


Engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginnings of human existence. The earliest
practice of civil engineering may have commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC in ancient Egypt,
the Indus Valley Civilization, and Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq) when humans started to abandon
a nomadic existence, creating a need for the construction of shelter. During this time, transportation
became increasingly important leading to the development of the wheel and sailing.

Leonhard Euler developed the theory explaining the buckling of columns.

Until modern times there was no clear distinction between civil engineering and architecture, and the
term engineer and architect were mainly geographical variations referring to the same occupation,
and often used interchangeably.[9] The construction of pyramids in Egypt (circa 2700–2500 BC) were
some of the first instances of large structure constructions. Other ancient historic civil engineering
constructions include the Qanat water management system (the oldest is older than 3000 years and
longer than 71 km,[10]) 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)[11] 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, harbors, bridges,
dams and roads.

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


Chichen Itza was a large pre-Columbian city in Mexico built by the Maya people of the Post Classic. The
northeast column temple also covers a channel that funnels all the rainwater from the complex some 40 metres
(130 ft) away to a rejollada, a former cenote.

In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined to incorporate all things civilian as
opposed to military engineering.[4] In 1747, the first institution for the teaching of civil engineering,
the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées was established in France; and more examples
followed in other European countries, like Spain.[12] The first self-proclaimed civil engineer was John
Smeaton, who constructed the Eddystone Lighthouse.[3][11] In 1771 Smeaton and some of his
colleagues formed the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession
who met informally over dinner. Though there was evidence of some technical meetings, it was little
more than a social society.

John Smeaton, the "father of civil engineering"

In 1818 the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London, [13] and in 1820 the eminent
engineer Thomas Telford became its first president. The institution received a Royal Charter in 1828,
formally recognising civil engineering as a profession. Its charter defined civil engineering as:
the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man, as the
means of production and of traffic in states, both for external and internal trade, as applied in the
construction of roads, bridges, aqueducts, canals, river navigation and docks for internal intercourse
and exchange, and in the construction of ports, harbours, moles, breakwaters and lighthouses, and
in the art of navigation by artificial power for the purposes of commerce, and in the construction and
application of machinery, and in the drainage of cities and towns. [14]

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