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General Information
82.5 Civil Engineering
Civil engineers apply science in planning, designing, constructing, operating, or managing airports, buildings, bridges, harbors, highways, flood control structures, transit systems, water supply and distribution systems, waste collection and storm drainage, and other public works. Today, civil engineers are asked to meet the challenges of pollution, deteriorating urban infrastructure, traffic congestion, energy needs, urban development, and community planning.
Civil engineering offers an unlimited range of career opportunities to satisfy individual interests, aptitudes, and goals. Civil engineers can specialize in one field or a combination of many technical specialties. They can direct their efforts into planning, design, construction, research, teaching, sales, or management.
The University of Alberta curriculum provides the preparation required for a career in civil engineering. All students take a core program that provides the basis for professional practice in the Civil Engineering disciplines of construction, environmental, geotechnical, structural, surveying, transportation, and water resources. Students then select elective courses in the fourth year to permit some specialization in these disciplines.
82.5.1 Disciplines in Civil Engineering
Construction Engineering
Construction engineers combine engineering and management disciplines to plan and execute projects. They apply their knowledge of construction methods and equipment to ensure that work is completed on time, within budget, safely, and in accordance with design specifications. Construction engineers lead a team of financial planners, technicians, tradespeople, and professional engineers from other disciplines.
Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineers incorporate principles of chemistry, biology, microbiology, mathematics, chemical engineering, and civil engineering to provide technological solutions to environmental problems such as water pollution control, providing safe drinking water, disposal and recycling of solid wastes, and hazardous waste. In addition, environmental engineers are concerned about the provisions of municipal services such as sewers, water mains, and solid waste collection.
Geotechnical Engineering
Geotechnical engineers analyze, in the field and in the laboratory, the properties of soils and rock that support and affect the behavior of structures, pavement, and underground facilities. They evaluate potential settlement of buildings, stability of slopes and fills, analysis of landslides, groundwater seepage, and effects of earthquakes. Geotechnical engineers and structural engineers design the construction of dams, foundations of buildings, and tunnels.
Structural Engineering
Structural engineers plan and design various structures, including buildings, bridges, storage tanks, containment facilities, and towers. They analyze the forces that each structure must resist, select the appropriate construction materials (concrete, steel, timber, or other materials) and proportion all members and connections to produce a safe and economical structure. Structural engineers also plan and supervise the construction of these structures.
Surveying Engineering
Surveying engineers make precise measurements of the earth's surface to obtain reliable information for locating and designing engineering projects. They use data from satellites, aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, and computer-processed satellite imagery. Their maps give accurate information for building highways and dams, boring tunnels, plotting flood control and irrigation projects, and for all other areas of civil engineering.
Transportation Engineering
Transportation engineers plan and design the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. They construct and manage all types of transportation facilities.
Water Resources Engineering
Water resources engineers use their expertise in areas such as hydraulics, hydrology, fluid mechanics, coastal and river engineering, water resources management and planning, and mathematics and computer analysis to solve problems associated with the control and use of water. This includes flood control and protection, water distribution and wastewater collection systems, hydroelectric power development, road and pipeline river crossings, irrigation, drainage, coastal and bank erosion protection, and marine and river navigation facilities.
82.5.2 Environmental Engineering Option in Civil Engineering
Interest in design, construction, operation, and maintenance of developments with minimal effect on public and environmental health for all aspects of the biosphere is a major component of engineering. The ability to incorporate the principles of chemistry, biology, microbiology, mathematics, chemical engineering, and civil engineering to provide project analysis, technological solutions, risk assessment, impact minimization, and environmental management are the essentials of environmental engineering. The most common areas of interest are safe drinking water provision, water pollution control, solid and hazardous wastes disposal and recycling, and air quality control in industrial and municipal environments. Environmental engineers are also involved in providing municipal components such as water mains, sewers, storm sewers, and solid waste collection.
Enrolment is limited.
82.5.3 Biomedical Engineering Option in Civil Engineering
This option is intended to provide students with the background necessary to start their career in Civil Engineering with a good basic understanding of the Biomedical Engineering disciplines. Core courses in the Civil Engineering Program (surveying, construction engineering and management, transportation engineering and engineering law) are replaced by fundamental courses in biology and medicine. This option is intended to better prepare students for graduate studies in biomedical engineering and for employment in the health care industry, especially in the area of biomechanical engineering, bone engineering and biological processes. The curriculum has also provided necessary requirements to allow successful students to apply to the MD program.
