Civil Engineering is the easiest Engineering discipline?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the perception that civil engineering is the easiest engineering discipline due to its tangible outcomes, such as bridges and highways. Participants argue that while civil engineering may appear simpler because of its visible results, it involves complex principles that are not always apparent. Comparisons are made to other disciplines like electrical and chemical engineering, which are considered more challenging due to their abstract concepts and invisible processes. The conversation also touches on the respect and recognition civil engineering receives compared to other engineering fields. Ultimately, the consensus is that each engineering discipline has its unique challenges and complexities, making it difficult to label one as definitively easier than the others.
Justcard
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Civil Engineering is the easiest Engineering discipline??

I always hear people say this and i actually slightly believe on it, I think Civil Engineering is easier because everything on it can be seen physically like bridges, dams, highways, i mean compared to electricity you need a higher level of intellect to understand how electricity works... don't get me wrong I am not underestimating civil engineering dudes. :D by the way i`m taking an Electronics Engineering degree, :D
 
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Is it safe to assume difficulty is based on discipline alone? Surely some disciplines are easy for some, others for others.
 
Justcard said:
I always hear people say this and i actually slightly believe on it, I think Civil Engineering is easier because everything on it can be seen physically like bridges, dams, highways,

Hm... I don't have any problem physically seeing stuff like wires, plugs and sockets, electronic components, etc ... so what's the big deal about EE being hard? :devil:
 
AlephZero said:
Hm... I don't have any problem physically seeing stuff like wires, plugs and sockets, electronic components, etc ... so what's the big deal about EE being hard? :devil:
If you want difficulty, perhaps Chemical Engineering would be the way to go. The reactions can be complex. You can't see them, and have to test to see if they progressed as expected.
 
Being slightly more serious, you can't see most of what's going on in civil engineering either. I've never seen a stress tensor, or a modal participation factor,, or the proportion of fatigue life that has been consumed. Actually, I've never even seen a force (except when it breaks something, but that's no different from saying you can see an electric current when it blows a fuse).

Maybe the OP is confusing civil engineering with architecture. Architects are the people who DO just draw pretty looking concepts, and then leave it to civil engineers to stop them falling down!
 
Yes, I`m totally wrong every engineering discipline is unique they have their own easy and hard part. :D
 
Civil engineering just seems easier because professionals make it look easy. Anyone can make a structure that just stands there, but it takes real skill to design something to be functional, safe, cost-effective, and that will last.
 
timthereaper said:
Civil engineering just seems easier because professionals make it look easy. Anyone can make a structure that just stands there, but it takes real skill to design something to be functional, safe, cost-effective, and that will last.

I like to look at it simply like this: Anyone could build a functional timber table based on other tables they've seen before, estimating appropriate sizes based on the assumed design usage. The only way to then ensure the table is safe is to test it (maybe a table full of drunk weightlifters dancing on it?).

A good engineer could design that table efficiently and prove it works safely before even procuring any material.
 
I am a Civil Engineer with a structural background.

I don't think any engineering discipline is easy.

However (perhaps because of my years of experience in the field and lack of experience in the others), I think it is the easiest of the major engineering disciplines (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Chemical). I mean like most of the time, F_net = 0.

Average salaries reflect this.

And even this forum has sub-forums dedicated to electrical, mechanical, chemical, and nuclear engineering, but none to Civil. We just fall into the "General" category.

Sometimes we just get no respect. :frown:
 
  • #10
Isn't civil engineering dubbed as 'mother of engineering'?
 

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