Overview
From the Chair
Mission Statement
Contact and Directions |
What is
Civil and Environmental Engineering?
Civil engineering, the oldest branch of nonmilitary
engineering, is one of the most diverse engineering
disciplines. Civil and environmental engineers are
responsible for the planning, design, construction, and
operation of the physical structures and facilities that are
essential to the environment and infrastructure of modern
society. Traditionally these structures have included
buildings, highways, water and waste treatment plants,
tunnels, airports, harbors, railroads, channels, bridges,
and dams. The present day civil and environmental engineer
is also involved in research and development in a wide
variety of physical and natural systems that contribute to
the convenience of society, protection of the environment,
and the safety and health of the public. These activities
include the development of new construction materials, the
rebuilding of the nation's infrastructure, the management of
water resource systems, and forecasting the impact of human
activity on environmental quality with the use of
mathematical models.
The practice of civil and environmental engineering is
divided into a number of functional areas. The department
offers professional degree programs with specialty options
in four of those areas: environmental engineering,
geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and water
resources engineering.
Environmental engineers strive to improve
society's well-being through the planning and design of
air and water pollution control facilities, the
treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes, and the
improvement of safety and health in the living, work,
and recreational environments.
Geotechnical engineers specialize in the study of
soil and rock mechanics and in the analysis of problems
of soil response to loads, groundwater flow, and
environmental contaminants. Geotechnical engineers
design a variety of earth structures such as dams,
embankments, landfills and containment structures for
hazardous waste sites, as well as foundations for
bridges, buildings, and offshore platforms.
Structural engineers research multidisciplinary
approaches to the planning, analysis, design,
construction, and health monitoring of buildings,
bridges, industrial facilities, and other components of
infrastructure. They also study material mechanics
through experimental characterization, constitutive
theories and numerical simulations of elastic and
inelastic material behavior.
Water resources engineers are concerned with the
design, planning, operation and management of water
resource systems. Water resource engineers are involved
in projects ranging from the design and operation of
flood control works, hydro-power stations, water supply
systems, and stormwater systems, to the management of
both the quality and quantity of natural water resources
such as rivers, lakes, and estuaries.
Degree programs with specialty options in architectural
studies and environmental health; the environmental studies
second major and; minors in architectural studies and
engineering management are also available. |
