Learning activity 4

Evidence: My presentation outline

A. Find a topic of personal interest. Imagine you are going to present that topic
orally to your teacher and classmates at school. For this part of the evidence
you need to carry out exhaustive research in order to be able to present all the
necessary information related to your selected topic. Report the most important
aspects of your research through a brainstorm of the ideas and concepts that
you think will be relevant to the presentation.

Brainstorm

Example of topic: Aviation.

 Aviation refers to the use of commercial and non-commercial aircrafts

for transportation of people or goods.

 The A380, manufactured by the Airbus Industry, is the biggest plane

ever made.

B. Now, structure your presentation using the Signpost language learnt during this
learning activity. Present your outline through presentation cards. Use as many
cards as you need.

Remember: Each presentation card should include a

heading, a phrase at the bottom, a number and it should be
organized by numbering and bulleting.

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design,
construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment,
including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewerage
systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings, and railways.[1][2] Civil
engineering is traditionally broken into a number of sub-disciplines. It is considered
the second-oldest engineering discipline after military engineering,[3] and it is
defined to distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering.[4] Civil
engineering takes place in the public sector from municipal through to national
governments, and in the private sector from individual homeowners through to
international companies.

History

Civil engineering as a discipline

Civil engineering is the application of physical and scientific principles for solving
the problems of society, and its history is intricately linked to advances in the
understanding of physics and mathematics throughout history. Because civil
engineering is a wide-ranging profession, including several specialized sub-
disciplines, its history is linked to knowledge of structures, materials science,
geography, geology, soils, hydrology, environment, mechanics and other fields.

Throughout ancient and medieval history most architectural design and

construction was carried out by artisans, such as stonemasons and carpenters,
rising to the role of master builder. Knowledge was retained in guilds and seldom
supplanted by advances. Structures, roads, and infrastructure that existed were
repetitive, and increases in scale were incremental

One of the earliest examples of a scientific approach to physical and mathematical

problems applicable to civil engineering is the work of Archimedes in the 3rd
century BC, including Archimedes Principle, which underpins our understanding of
buoyancy, and practical solutions such as Archimedes' screw. Brahmagupta, an
Indian mathematician, used arithmetic in the 7th century AD, based on Hindu-
Arabic numerals, for excavation (volume) computations

Civil engineering profession

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.[7] 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,[8]) 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)[9] 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] near 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] The first self-proclaimed civil
engineer was John Smeaton, who constructed the Eddystone Lighthouse.[3][9] 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,[10] 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.[11]

Civil engineering education

The first private college to teach civil engineering in the United States was Norwich
University, founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge.[12] The first degree in civil
engineering in the United States was awarded by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in 1835.[13][14] The first such degree to be awarded to a woman was granted by
Cornell University to Nora Stanton Blatch in 1905.[15]

In the UK during the early 19th century, the division between civil engineering and
military engineering (served by the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich), coupled
with the demands of the Industrial Revolution, spawned new engineering education
initiatives: the Class of Civil Engineering and Mining was founded at King's College
London in 1838, mainly as a response to the growth of the railway system and the
need for more qualified engineers, the private College for Civil Engineers in Putney
was established in 1839, and the UK's first Chair of Engineering was established at
the University of Glasgow in 1840.

Education
Main article: Civil engineer
Civil engineers typically possess an academic degree in civil engineering. The
length of study is three to five years, and the completed degree is designated as a
bachelor of technology, or a bachelor of engineering. The curriculum generally
includes classes in physics, mathematics, project management, design and
specific topics in civil engineering. After taking basic courses in most sub-
disciplines of civil engineering, they move onto specialize in one or more sub-
disciplines at advanced levels. While an undergraduate degree (BEng/BSc)
normally provides successful students with industry-accredited qualification, some
academic institutions offer post-graduate degrees (MEng/MSc), which allow
students to further specialize in their particular area of interest.[16]

Surveying students with professor at the Helsinki University of Technology in the

late 19th century.
Practicing engineers
In most countries, a bachelor's degree in engineering represents the first step
towards professional certification, and a professional body certifies the degree
program. After completing a certified degree program, the engineer must satisfy a
range of requirements (including work experience and exam requirements) before
being certified. Once certified, the engineer is designated as a professional
engineer (in the United States, Canada and South Africa), a chartered engineer (in
most Commonwealth countries), a chartered professional engineer (in Australia
and New Zealand), or a European engineer (in most countries of the European
Union). There are international agreements between relevant professional bodies
to allow engineers to practice across national borders.

The benefits of certification vary depending upon location. For example, in the
United States and Canada, "only a licensed professional engineer may prepare,
sign and seal, and submit engineering plans and drawings to a public authority for
approval, or seal engineering work for public and private clients."[17] This
requirement is enforced under provincial law such as the Engineers Act in Quebec.
[18]

No such legislation has been enacted in other countries including the United
Kingdom. In Australia, state licensing of engineers is limited to the state of
Queensland. Almost all certifying bodies maintain a code of ethics which all
members must abide by.[19]

Engineers must obey contract law in their contractual relationships with other
parties. In cases where an engineer's work fails, they may be subject to the law of
tort of negligence, and in extreme cases, criminal charges.[20] An engineer's work
must also comply with numerous other rules and regulations such as building
codes and environmental law.

Sub-disciplines

The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan, currently the world's longest suspension span.
There are a number of sub-disciplines within the broad field of civil engineering.
General civil engineers work closely with surveyors and specialized civil engineers
to design grading, drainage, pavement, water supply, sewer service, dams, electric
and communications supply. General civil engineering is also referred to as site
engineering, a branch of civil engineering that primarily focuses on converting a
tract of land from one usage to another. Site engineers spend time visiting project
sites, meeting with stakeholders, and preparing construction plans. Civil engineers
apply the principles of geotechnical engineering, structural engineering,
environmental engineering, transportation engineering and construction
engineering to residential, commercial, industrial and public works projects of all
sizes and levels of construction.

Coastal engineering
Main articles: Coastal engineering and Coastal management

Oosterscheldekering, a storm surge barrier in the Netherlands.

Coastal engineering is concerned with managing coastal areas. In some
jurisdictions, the terms sea defense and coastal protection mean defense against
flooding and erosion, respectively. The term coastal defense is the more traditional
term, but coastal management has become more popular as the field has
expanded to techniques that allow erosion to claim land.

Construction engineering
Main article: Construction engineering
Construction engineering involves planning and execution, transportation of
materials, site development based on hydraulic, environmental, structural and
geotechnical engineering. As construction firms tend to have higher business risk
than other types of civil engineering firms do, construction engineers often engage
in more business-like transactions, for example, drafting and reviewing contracts,
evaluating logistical operations, and monitoring prices of supplies.

Earthquake engineering
Main article: Earthquake engineering
Earthquake engineering involves designing structures to withstand hazardous
earthquake exposures. Earthquake engineering is a sub-discipline of structural
engineering. The main objectives of earthquake engineering are[21] to understand
interaction of structures on the shaky ground; foresee the consequences of
possible earthquakes; and design, construct and maintain structures to perform at
earthquake in compliance with building codes.

Environmental engineering
Main article: Environmental engineering

Water pollution
Environmental engineering is the contemporary term for sanitary engineering,
though sanitary engineering traditionally had not included much of the hazardous
waste management and environmental remediation work covered by
environmental engineering. Public health engineering and environmental health
engineering are other terms being used.

Environmental engineering deals with treatment of chemical, biological, or thermal

wastes, purification of water and air, and remediation of contaminated sites after
waste disposal or accidental contamination. Among the topics covered by
environmental engineering are pollutant transport, water purification, waste water
treatment, air pollution, solid waste treatment, and hazardous waste management.
Environmental engineers administer pollution reduction, green engineering, and
industrial ecology. Environmental engineers also compile information on
environmental consequences of proposed actions.

Forensic engineering
Main article: Forensic engineering
Forensic engineering is the investigation of materials, products, structures or
components that fail or do not operate or function as intended, causing personal
injury or damage to property. The consequences of failure are dealt with by the law
of product liability. The field also deals with retracing processes and procedures
leading to accidents in operation of vehicles or machinery. The subject is applied
most commonly in civil law cases, although it may be of use in criminal law cases.
Generally the purpose of a Forensic engineering investigation is to locate cause or
causes of failure with a view to improve performance or life of a component, or to
assist a court in determining the facts of an accident. It can also involve
investigation of intellectual property claims, especially patents.

Geotechnical engineering
Main article: Geotechnical engineering

A phase diagram of soil indicating the weights and volumes of air, soil, water, and
voids.
Geotechnical engineering studies rock and soil supporting civil engineering
systems. Knowledge from the field of soil science, materials science, mechanics,
and hydraulics is applied to safely and economically design foundations, retaining
walls, and other structures. Environmental efforts to protect groundwater and safely
maintain landfills have spawned a new area of research called geoenvironmental
engineering.[22][23]

Identification of soil properties presents challenges to geotechnical engineers.

Boundary conditions are often well defined in other branches of civil engineering,
but unlike steel or concrete, the material properties and behavior of soil are difficult
to predict due to its variability and limitation on investigation. Furthermore, soil
exhibits nonlinear (stress-dependent) strength, stiffness, and dilatancy (volume
change associated with application of shear stress), making studying soil
mechanics all the more difficult.[22] Geotechnical engineers frequently work with
professional geologists and soil scientists.[24]

Materials science and engineering

Main article: Materials science
Materials science is closely related to civil engineering. It studies fundamental
characteristics of materials, and deals with ceramics such as concrete and mix
asphalt concrete, strong metals such as aluminum and steel, and thermosetting
polymers including polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and carbon fibers.

Materials engineering involves protection and prevention (paints and finishes).

Alloying combines two types of metals to produce another metal with desired
properties. It incorporates elements of applied physics and chemistry. With recent
media attention on nanoscience and nanotechnology, materials engineering has
been at the forefront of academic research. It is also an important part of forensic
engineering and failure analysis.

Structural engineering
Main article: Structural engineering
File:Burj Dubai Evolution.ogv
Burj Khalifa animation of construction process
File:Construcción de una cimentación por zapata aislada.ogv
Shallow foundation construction example
Structural engineering is concerned with the structural design and structural
analysis of buildings, bridges, towers, flyovers (overpasses), tunnels, off shore
structures like oil and gas fields in the sea, aerostructure and other structures. This
involves identifying the loads which act upon a structure and the forces and
stresses which arise within that structure due to those loads, and then designing
the structure to successfully support and resist those loads. The loads can be self
weight of the structures, other dead load, live loads, moving (wheel) load, wind
load, earthquake load, load from temperature change etc. The structural engineer
must design structures to be safe for their users and to successfully fulfill the
function they are designed for (to be serviceable). Due to the nature of some
loading conditions, sub-disciplines within structural engineering have emerged,
including wind engineering and earthquake engineering.[25]

Design considerations will include strength, stiffness, and stability of the structure
when subjected to loads which may be static, such as furniture or self-weight, or
dynamic, such as wind, seismic, crowd or vehicle loads, or transitory, such as
temporary construction loads or impact. Other considerations include cost,
constructability, safety, aesthetics and sustainability.

Surveying
Main articles: Surveying and Construction surveying

A student using a dumpy level

Surveying is the process by which a surveyor measures certain dimensions that
occur on or near the surface of the Earth. Surveying equipment, such as levels and
theodolites, are used for accurate measurement of angular deviation, horizontal,
vertical and slope distances. With computerisation, electronic distance
measurement (EDM), total stations, GPS surveying and laser scanning have to a
large extent supplanted traditional instruments. Data collected by survey
measurement is converted into a graphical representation of the Earth's surface in
the form of a map. This information is then used by civil engineers, contractors and
realtors to design from, build on, and trade, respectively. Elements of a structure
must be sized and positioned in relation to each other and to site boundaries and
adjacent structures. Although surveying is a distinct profession with separate
qualifications and licensing arrangements, civil engineers are trained in the basics
of surveying and mapping, as well as geographic information systems. Surveyors
also lay out the routes of railways, tramway tracks, highways, roads, pipelines and
streets as well as position other infrastructure, such as harbors, before
construction.
Land surveying
In the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and most Commonwealth
countries land surveying is considered to be a separate and distinct profession.
Land surveyors are not considered to be engineers, and have their own
professional associations and licensing requirements. The services of a licensed
land surveyor are generally required for boundary surveys (to establish the
boundaries of a parcel using its legal description) and subdivision plans (a plot or
map based on a survey of a parcel of land, with boundary lines drawn inside the
larger parcel to indicate the creation of new boundary lines and roads), both of
which are generally referred to as Cadastral surveying.

C. To complete the evidence, you must now write a complete list of references
using the guidelines given by the American Psychological Association (APA). Do
not forget to organize your references alphabetically.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_engineering

When you finish your work, send the file to your instructor through the platform as
follows:

1. Click on the title of this evidence.

2. Click on Examinar mi equipo and look for the file in your computer. Make sure
the file is attached.
3. Leave a comment for the instructor (optional).
4. Click Enviar.

Note: This evidence is an individual activity. Remember to check the learning

guide in order to know if you have done all the assigned activities, know how to
develop them and deliver them correctly.

Criterio de evaluación
Prepara presentaciones orales haciendo uso del vocabulario y las diferentes
estructuras gramaticales requeridas.