In this blog post, we will take a look at how deeply civil engineering is involved in our daily lives.
To find out the relationship between our lives and civil engineering, let’s take a look at Mr. A’s daily routine. Mr. A uses tap water to shower and wash his face in the morning, and uses an electric shaver. Let’s think about the fact that the supply of water and electricity comes from a multipurpose dam built by civil engineers. People build dams to harness water, a natural resource, and water is supplied to homes from the dam through water intake towers, water production facilities, and water supply pipelines. This entire process is impossible without civil engineering technology. Industrial and agricultural water is also obtained through dams. Electricity is supplied to homes by civil engineers who build hydroelectric power plants and design and build transmission towers. It is well known that electricity is also supplied by nuclear power plants in modern society, and that advanced civil engineering technology is used in the design and construction of nuclear power plants.
People use cars to get to the subway station on their way to work. The roads that these cars run on are the product of civil engineering technology, specifically road engineering. The entire process, from surveying and predicting traffic volume to planning routes and designing lanes and pavement, is included in civil engineering. Traffic signs, traffic signals, and traffic flow control installed on roads are researched, designed, and installed by traffic engineering, a branch of civil engineering.
The city’s landmarks, such as skyscrapers and stadiums, that can be seen outside the windows of passenger cars also belong to the field of civil engineering. Underpasses, overpasses, and various bridges are also the result of planning, designing, and construction by civil engineers. Mr. A will be impressed not only by the usefulness of the bridge that crosses the Han River, but also by its beauty. In particular, in the planning and design of structures such as bridges, aesthetics that harmonize with the surrounding environment are an important consideration. Therefore, civil engineers must also have an aesthetic sense that can create artistic beauty.
Mr. A parks his car in a parking lot near a subway station and takes the subway. The subway’s design and construction were also carried out by civil engineers. In this process, civil engineers in specialized fields such as soil and foundation engineering, tunnel engineering, and structural engineering are mobilized. Safety is the most important factor in the planning of public transportation such as subways. In order to provide fast and safe transportation and to promote the convenience of citizens and protect their lives, civil engineers sometimes risk their lives. The fact that trains run along the subway tracks made by civil engineers using electricity from the power plants made by civil engineers makes us realize that civil engineering is a technology for the benefit of citizens.
When the train comes out to the ground section, it passes over bridges and elevated railways just like on the road. This, too, was created by civil engineers.
When I take the subway and pass by the Hangang River Bridge, and see the citizens resting on the riverbanks that have been created on both sides of the river as it flows leisurely, I am reminded once again of the efforts of civil engineers who control the flow of the river, prevent flood damage, and use the river as a resource. This is the result of the combination of various civil engineering technologies, including water resources engineering, hydrology, and river engineering.
Mr. A goes to Busan on a business trip using the KTX. The KTX runs along the railroad tracks built by civil engineers. The railroad is the product of comprehensive civil engineering techniques, including surveying, soil engineering, tunnel engineering, and bridge engineering. Surveyors provide the basic data for route planning, which is used to reproduce the conditions on site on a drawing. Not only conventional surveying instruments such as the theodolite and transit are used, but also advanced equipment such as the electro-optical distance meter. Sometimes the latest methods such as aerial photography are also used.
The determination of railway routes also takes into account the comprehensive use of land, surrounding industries and population structures, and future development plans. When a railway has to cross a river or mountain, the construction of a railway bridge is essential. Structural engineers play a major role in this process. The ground conditions at the point where the bridge pier is installed and the water flow conditions are also important data, so the participation of geotechnical engineers and hydraulic engineers is essential. Although the bridge is an important part of the railway, the aesthetics of the bridge in harmony with the surrounding environment cannot be neglected. Beautiful bridges can be excellent tourist attractions in themselves and provide visual pleasure to citizens.
In this way, civil engineering is a field that provides facilities essential for human life, such as bridges, buildings, roads, dams, harbors, water and sewage facilities, subways, power plants, and environmental structures. In other words, the goal of civil engineering is to “improve the standard of human life.” Under the mission of expanding social overhead capital (SOC) facilities, many civil engineers are working at construction sites, design offices, research institutes, and government agencies. The subdivision of civil engineering has played an important role in building the diverse lives of humans. Civil engineering has also had a great impact on the subdivision of occupations. For this reason, civil engineering can be said to be engineering for the maintenance of human life and the convenience of citizens’ lives.
While most other engineering disciplines promote the interests of engineers by producing and commercializing products and supplying them to consumers, the products created by civil engineers, such as roads, ports, airports, railways, bridges, water and sewage systems, and dams, are not directly commercialized as they are essential for human life. Citizens can use these facilities almost free of charge. Therefore, civil engineering can be called “good engineering” that makes human life convenient, pleasant, and safe.
Just as the efforts of painters and sculptors are behind the beauty of paintings and sculptures, the sweat and efforts of civil engineers are also behind the planning, design, and construction of bridges, tunnels, and railways. Many civil engineering sites are located in remote mountainous areas, and the construction period can take anywhere from several months to several years. Because of this, construction engineers sometimes have to live away from their families for long periods of time. Just like the crew of a seagoing vessel or a deep-sea fishing boat, civil engineers who miss their families and work in uncomfortable conditions to build more convenient and comfortable living environments make our lives more convenient and comfortable.
