What is Civil Engineering?

  

Civil Engineering is a branch of engineering that encompasses the conception, design, construction, and management of residential and commercial buildings and structures, water supply facilities, and transportation systems for goods and people, as well as control of the environment for the maintenance and improvement of the quality of life. Civil engineering includes planning and design professionals in both the public and private sectors, contractors, builders, educators, and researchers.

The civil engineer holds the safety, health, and welfare of the public paramount. Civil engineering projects and systems should conform to governmental regulations and statutes; should be built economically to function properly with a minimum of maintenance and repair while withstanding anticipated usage and weather; and should conserve energy and allow hazard-free construction while providing healthful, safe, and environmentally sound utilization by society.

Hydropower

  

Hydropower does not discharge pollutants into the environment; however, it is not free from adverse environmental effects. Considerable efforts have been made to reduce environmental problems associated with hydropower operations.

Efforts to ensure the safety of dams and the use of newly available computer technologies to optimize operations have provided additional opportunities to improve the environment. Yet, many unanswered questions remain about how best to maintain the economic viability of hydropower in the face of increased demands to protect fish and other environmental resources.

Construction Cost Estimates

 

Construction cost constitutes only a fraction, though a substantial fraction, of the total project cost. However, it is the part of the cost under the control of the construction project manager. The required levels of accuracy of construction cost estimates vary at different stages of project development, ranging from ball park figures in the early stage to fairly reliable figures for budget control prior to construction. Since design decisions made at the beginning stage of a project life cycle are more tentative than those made at a later stage, the cost estimates made at the earlier stage are expected to be less accurate. Generally, the accuracy of a cost estimate will reflect the information available at the time of estimation.

Cost Control in Construction Projects

During the execution of a project, procedures for project control and record keeping become indispensable tools to managers and other participants in the construction process. These tools serve the dual purpose of recording the financial transactions that occur as well as giving managers an indication of the progress and problems associated with a project. The problems of project control are aptly summed up in an old definition of a project as “any collection of vaguely related activities that are ninety percent complete, over budget and late.” The task of project control systems is to give a fair indication of the existence and the extent of such problems.

A Closer Look at Pile Foundations

Pile foundation is necessary when there isn’t sufficient soil bearing capacity for the structure to be able to withstand.  It is caused by the condition of the soil or operational conditions, conditions at the site, load types on the foundations or order of the bottom layers.

There are many different factors that can prevent a surface foundation being selected as a well-suited foundation, such as intensity of loads and nature of the soil.  We use piles for building in water such as dams and bridges or where soil has low bearing capacity.

There are two components that make up a pile foundation: a group of piles or single pile and the pile cap.  The load from structures are transferred by piles to the soil that has hard bearing capacity, rocks or hard strata.  They are slender and long, with a length that may exceed 15m.

Construction Insurance

 

Construction insurance is an important policy to have if you own, run or manage a construction site.

Construction insurance provides safeguards for you as an employer against your construction workers being injured on site. Construction insurance does not exempt you from maintain a safe workplace. Usually, construction insurance policies only pay out if a strict set of health and safety guidelines are followed.

Construction insurance also covers materials and machinery on the construction site in the event of an accident, fire or theft. Due to the high cost of building materials in the current economic climate, the theft of building materials is getting more commonplace and gives a good reason why you should opt for construction insurance. Many insurance companies will offer advice and insurance policies for these eventualities, not to mention it being reassuring for the client, even if they’re just wanting the spare time to deal with home loans rather than worry about the safety of the men and women involved in the construction of their home.

Why Every Project Manager Needs An Expert Network Of Suppliers

 Lots of business contacts are vital in any industry. Building a team around a network of experts is the best way to move forward. Nowhere is this more true than in the world of construction. Civil engineering projects revolve around a team of contractors, suppliers and vendors. So many aspects of a project are outsourced and, as a project manager, you’re in charge of it all. 

Every civil engineering project is a puzzle. Each part represents a different team on the job. The plumbers are one piece, the architects are another and the bricklayers another. They all come together on one large project. Another piece of the puzzle is your suppliers. Every project manager needs an expert network of suppliers to call upon. The best project managers have great relationships with their suppliers. If you don’t here’s why that relationship is essential.