B. TECH IN CIVIL ENGINEERING: CONCRETING EMINENCE
“Civil Engineering is the application of mathematics and science to the design and construction of physical structures, systems, and facilities that affect the quality of life and environment.” – Anonymous
The Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies believes that the discipline of civil engineering is the oldest domain which includes designing, constructing and maintaining the infrastructure and its related components.
Considered to be the mother of the engineering domains, a graduate of B.Tech in Civil Engineering is capable of performing tasks in the different stages of projects from project planning and designing, project scheduling to project controlling; covering all domains of infrastructural projects such as residential complexes, commercial complexes, transportation systems, treatment plants and many more.
The domain of civil engineering is not limited only to one nature of work; it comprises different components and a graduate from B. E. / B. Tech under Civil Engineering can pursue M. Tech in Civil Engineering in various specializations. The increase in demand for Construction Management and Geoinformatics offers a B. Tech in Civil Engineering graduates an enormous range of opportunities in the corporate world as well as in research.
The projects undertaken by the Civil Engineers involve a great extent of complexity and thus, often require work under multi – disciplinary domains of engineering or non – engineering professionals. Two of the major domains in which the demand of civil engineers are increasing rapidly are Smart Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering.
The domain of Smart Infrastructure as a discipline of civil engineering is the application area of blending of the advanced technological reforms and implementation of digital tools for determination of solutions of complex problems of traditional infrastructural structures. In conjunction with the Smart Cities Mission, Government of India; the domain of Smart Infrastructures deals with enhancing the performance of the infrastructure without compromising the quality of life of the society. IoT enabled sensors are installed at different areas of the infrastructure including buildings and pavements for monitoring and collection of real – time information. The information collected can be employed in assessment of health of structures, patterns followed by traffic, environmental conditions, etc. The information received by these systems helps in predicting the maintenance and optimizing the performance of different components of the infrastructure. Smart infrastructure leads to smart cities; improving the quality of the urban society. With skilled civil engineers, the implementation of technological advancements in smart infrastructure consists of implementation of intelligent transportation systems, management of waste using sensor technology, installation of smart grids for energy management and other relevant innovative practices for enhancing the concept of smart – urban infrastructure. One of the important domains of smart infrastructure is BIM [Building Information Modeling].
BIM is a classical representation of the functional and physical components of the buildings or infrastructure in a digital manner. The application of BIM in the domain of civil engineering includes the designing and simulation of construction projects, with an improvising collaboration with other software tools, thereby reducing the chances of error and; optimization of the various processes involved in a construction project. Another phase of smart infrastructure is incorporation of resilient measures; giving allowance to the different systems in adaptation and recovering from any kind of disruptions including disasters or any unexpected scenarios. Structural engineers plan and implement all the phases of infrastructure with the consideration of resilient buildings for long term durability and serviceability.
The notion of sustainable development is fulfilling the desires of the present generation without negotiating the essentials of the forthcoming generation. In accordance with the initiative of the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030; the domain of civil engineering plays a crucial role in fulfilling the goals as more than 60 percent of the goals are connected, directly or indirectly, with the disciplines of civil engineering. with background of civil engineering, sustainability engineering includes the application of environmental – friendly and social – responsible initiatives in the stage of planning, designing, construction and overall maintenance of the construction projects. The civil engineers make their contribution in involving the sustainable practices while designing and construction of green buildings. The concept of green buildings consists of the application of energy – efficient construction materials, incorporation of renewable energy resources with maximum optimization of natural light and implementation of water conservation measures. In addition, civil engineers perform Life Cycle Analysis for evaluation of the impact of construction projects on the environment starting from the stage of inception to the stage of its demolition. The holistic approach of including sustainable approach in the domain of civil engineering opens an opportunity in the area of energy efficient buildings.
Keeping in pace with the emerging trends of technological advancements in the society, a civil engineer must also keep pace with the progressions in the latest technological applications in the domain of civil engineering. In consideration with the choices of specializations offered by AICTE in their AICTE Process Handbook; the Department of Civil Engineering at School of Engineering & Technology offers B. Tech in Civil Engineering with honors in two different specializations of 1. Smart Infrastructure and 2. Green Technology and Sustainability Engineering. The courses offered for completion of the honors degree in the two stated specializations are of 18 – 20 credits in addition to the normal credits required for the completion of the degree of B. Tech (Civil Engineering); with focusing on the concept of Interdisciplinary academics. With specialization of “Smart Infrastructure”; a budding civil engineer have an opportunity to pursue courses offered by the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering such as IoT enabled Smart Infrastructure, SCADA Systems, Sensor Technology and Cyber Security. The major core elective courses that provide edge to the students while undergoing the specialization of “Smart Infrastructure” includes Smart Materials, Introduction to Smart Cities, Building Information Modelling, Smart Waste Management, Disaster Risk Reduction and Repairs & Rehabilitation of Structures. Simultaneously, if a student opts for the other specialization of “Green Technology and Sustainability Engineering”, the courses that are covered in this specialization include Green Chemistry & Sustainability from the department of Applied Sciences. The major core courses offered in the domain of “Green Technology and Sustainability Engineering” consisted of Introduction to Sustainable Development, Transformation to Green Buildings, Sustainable Architecture, Engineering Materials for Sustainability, E – Waste Management, Smart Irrigation System and Water Auditing.
The blend of the emerging technologies into the different practices of civil engineering project transforms the approach of designing, construction and management of infrastructure; enhancing the safety and resilience of the infrastructure in a sustainable way.
“The fundamental goal of civil engineering is to ensure public safety, minimize environmental impact, and facilitate economic development.” – Anonymous
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Author: Mr. Yaman Hooda, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, MRIIRS.