- #1
moondawg
- 46
- 0
What is the difference between civil and environmental engineering?
That being said, environmental engineering is just one of the things you cover in a civil engineering degree(the other 4 are transportation, structures, water resources, and geotechnical engineering). Environmental engineers do things like designing land fills and other waste storage, water treatment plants, waste water treatment plants and do things with air pollution as well. Those are the big topics we hit in my Intro to Environmental Engineering class. Water resources is another discipline that also focuses on the environment. They can work to ensure valuable animal habitat is not destroyed by river modifications and many other topics. Certainly don't neglect the other 4 though. You may decide later on that one of the other disciplines is more interesting to you, and if you do decide to stick with environmental, the other knowledge you gained will be invaluable. I'm focusing on bridges which can include an awful lot of geotechnical,water resources, and environmental engineering as well as the obvious structural engineering.Civil engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the progressive well-being of humanity in creating, improving, and protecting the environment, in providing facilities for community living, industry and transportation, and in providing structures for the use of humanity.
moondawg said:What is the difference between civil and environmental engineering?
Nearly every example you gave for what an environmental engineer does requires at least one other discipline. To say all, or even most environmental engineering jobs are more sciencey is either an over statement or just plain wrong. Every environmental engineer (except my professor studying meth in our drinking water) either deals first hand with design or construction, or manages a preexisting plant.Bob Engineer said:They're really very different. I know a lot of universities clump the two departments together into one, but the disciplines are pretty distinct.
Civil engineers deal more with building things... steel, concrete, buildings, bridges, utilities, land development, construction, soil mechanics, and how to get water from one place to another. It's more physics-ish.
Environmental engineers deal more with avoiding contaminating our water/soil/air... industrial runoff, landfills, soil contaminants, smoke plumes, underground water supplies, superfund sites, and how to keep our water clean, rather than just moving it around like civs do... Erin Brockovich sorts of things. It's more chemistry-ish and biology-ish.
That's sort of the nutshell version. Wikipedia actually gives a pretty good overview of the two disciplines, if you want a not-so-nutshell version.
aibarr is offline
Civil engineering primarily deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings, and water supply systems. On the other hand, environmental engineering focuses on protecting and improving the environment through the application of scientific and engineering principles.
Some common environmental challenges faced by civil engineers include managing and reducing air and water pollution, ensuring sustainable use of natural resources, and mitigating the effects of climate change on infrastructure.
Civil and environmental engineers often work together on projects that involve both infrastructure and environmental considerations. For example, they may work together to design a bridge that minimizes its impact on a nearby river or to develop sustainable water supply systems for a community.
Civil and environmental engineers play a crucial role in promoting sustainable development by designing and constructing infrastructure that is environmentally friendly, resource-efficient, and resilient to natural disasters. They also conduct research and develop technologies to improve sustainability in both urban and rural areas.
Some current trends in civil and environmental engineering include the use of green and sustainable building materials, the implementation of smart technologies for infrastructure management, and the development of renewable energy systems. Additionally, there is a growing focus on incorporating resilience and adaptability into infrastructure design to address the impacts of climate change.