Modern Civil Engineering

September 5, 2019
Quick Recap
 Prehistoric Engineering
Contributions
• Lucy – the first evidence of human evolution.

• Peking Man – first evidence to use stone tools

and fire.

• Neanderthal Man – first evidences to use

chirped or sharp stones.
 Prehistoric Engineering
Contributions
• The use of “Tools” as “Devices” to make their
life easier

• Discovery of “Fire”

• Despite being “nomads” there are already

evidences of “settlements.”
 Ancient Engineering
Contributions
• Settlements are more common in this era but
“Cities” are highlighted in this era. Since
people started to permanently settle in one
place. (usually near bodies of water)
• “Agriculture” is the most important factor in
the development of Engineering. (Building
Canals or water system and structures.)
 Ancient Engineering
Contributions
• Early invention of “Wheels” (solid wood or
rock)
• “Blacksmithing” or molding of metals such
bronze, silver, iron, etc.
• “Soil tilling” to produce wheat and crops.
• “Herding” goat’s, sheep's, cattle's and etc.
 Ancient Engineering
Contributions
• Stone tools, wooden tools combined with Metal
tools.
• Devices or tools are created either for
Agricultural, Economical, Religious, or Military
purposes.
• “Adobe Bricks” and “Mortar” are invented for
structures or buildings. (Mortar is used as Brick
bonding agent)
 Medieval Engineering
Contributions
• “Mechanical Engineering” or use of
mechanical power for design, production, and
operations of machines.
• Constructions of large structures such as
Cathedrals, Castles, Mosque, and Temples.
• Windmills and Dams are also constructed to
increase production.
 Renaissance Period
Contributions
• From small ships to “Galleons” and “Warships.”
• “Structural engineering” is develop during this
period buildings became more complex and
detailed.
• “Perspective” and “Technical drawing.”
• Advancement in all fields of Engineering,
Mathematics, Astrology, Physics, Art, Medicine and
more. (Period of Geniuses or Great Minds)
 Renaissance Period
Contributions
• From Large scale Machines to small devices or
“multicomponent system.”
• Because of these small devices, “Compass” are
made and also “Clocks.”
• The concept of how “gears” works also came from
this “multicomponent system.”
• The very first “calculator” was also invented
around 1600’s during this period.
 Industrial Revolution
Contributions
• Started in Europe between 1700’s – 1800’s
and officially called “Industrial Revolution”
during 1800’s
• It is also called the “Turning Point” from The
Old Age to the New Age.
• From “Agriculture” to “Industrial.”
 Industrial Revolution
Contributions
• From hand made to Machines
• Combined Man power and Mechanical power
but now work was purely done by Machines
or Mechanical power.
• Steam – from steam to “Locomotives,” created
“Steam engine.” It also invented
“Automobiles” during 1885/1886 by Karl Benz.
 Industrial Revolution
Contributions
• with steam power there is also “water power.”
“Electricity” was also discovered during this
period.
• Steel works, iron works, and Concrete are largely
used on this period.
• “Machines” played a heavy role in this Era where
people started to rely on Machines and
technology intensifies.
 Industrial Revolution
Contributions
• “Urbanization” is developing rapidly.
• Plot lands became “Factories” than crop lands.
• Telegraph by Thomas High and patented by
Richard Arkwright. (1837)
• Light bulb by Thomas Edison. (1879)
• Airplane by Wilbur and Orville Wright. (1903)
• Steam boats by John Fitch in Philadelphia
(1787).
 Quick Facts
“RMS Titanic” was Built 1912
During the Industrial Revolution
period or The Expansive
engineering.

The very first (French) tank

was invented 1916 during
the trench war.
When did Modern Civil
Engineering started?
Modern (Civil) Engineering
(1940 - 1990)
Started the year after World War II (1939), And
officially started 1940 – 1990
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• 1940s - Nuclear Energy
– December 1938, the discovery “nuclear physics”
made engineering manifestation that leads to a
significant global political impact.
– it also discovered that nuclear energy of Uranium-
235 is greater than “hydrocarbon-combustion.”
Since nuclear energy stores a great amount of
energy than fire.
– Hydrocarbon – fossil fuels, coal, natural gas and
petroleum.
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• 1979, “Uranium-235” was discovered by
Martin Heinrich Klaproth.
– It was believed to store huge amount of
concentrated energy which in fact true but 4 years
later, it was discovered to be “Radio active” or
harmful to humans.
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• Nuclear physics discovered 2 process.
– One is from the discovery of “self-chaining
reaction cycle.” Using the energy and explosion to
create enormous and concentrated energy.

– Thus in turn, we discovered “Molecular-Fossil Fuel

Combustion.”
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• And the second discovery of use of Nuclear
energy was used in “July 16, 1945.” New
Mexico, USA. The very “first atomic bomb.”
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• Then later followed by the bombing of
“Hiroshima” and “Nagasaki” in WWII August,
1945.
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• 1950s – Computation and Computers
– an important device that does centralized or
focused on computation and simulation support
for researches and industry.
– From the Sumerians, coded “clay tablet.” Then
Chinese “Abacus.”
Modern (Civil) Engineering
• “John Napier,” later discovered
that multiplication/division is
similar to adding and subtracting.
Making computation simpler.

• Then, “William Oughtred,”

invented the “slide rule.”
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• “Blaise Pascal” invented the very first
mechanical calculator with subtraction and
addition.
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• “John Atanasoff” later started the age of
electronic computers with the idea vacuum
tube binary electronic coding. (Binary code)
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• “Hardware”

• “Software”

• “Firmware”
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• 1960s – Outer Space
• In 1957, the first artificial satellite “Sputnik I”
was launched into space by Russia.

• Then USA, started to rush their space program

and in 1969, USA accomplished the first
human landing on the moon.
Modern (Civil) Engineering
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• 1970s and 1980s – Diversity
– Evolution in Transportation, Manufacture, and
Energy (Electricity).
– And because of this the political and economical
interest in engineering knowledge was also
evolved in terms of “infrastructure” and “strategic
development.”
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• 1970s and 1980s – Diversity
– Wind energy, Solar energy, Ocean tide/wave energy.
– (Research about) Electric cars, Automotive fuel cells,
Catalytic converters, and enhanced and efficient
devices.
– (Development) High speed trains, Manufacturing
versatility, Cellular telephone, Computers (in
business, commerce, and industry), Network security
(electrical grids, transportation, communication
channels and more.)
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• 1970s and 1980s – Diversity
– There have been changes in the curriculum in terms
of engineering, innovation and technological
advancement because of “Military-Industry alliance.”
– Construction, Structural, Geotechnical,
Transportation, Surveying, Water Resource,
Environmental, Municipal, Coastal, Tunneling,
Earthquake, Material Engineering.
– As well as specific engineering in science and
technology. (Mechanical, Computer, etc.)
 Modern (Civil) Engineering
• With the rapid development of technology. Not
everyone agrees with all this changes that is why
“Public Apprehension” is needed.
• On top of that the demand on these “devices” and as
well as plastic waste, toxins, radio-active materials,
and more harmful waste are also rapidly increasing.
• Because of this they also come up with a systematic
way how to do waste management.
And because of that “RRR” was implemented.
CIVIL ENGINEERING IN THE
PHILIPPINES
DURING SPANISH TIME
• In more than 3 ½ centuries of Spanish colonization, there
were no Filipino civil engineers. The only
engineers/architects with academic degrees are Spaniards.
• Social prejudice was pressed towards ‘indio’ builders and
they were merely called the Master Builders (Construction
foreman).
• There were no civil engineering schools
 15TH TO 19TH CENTURY (SPANISH ERA)
• Spaniards started building Fort Santiago (Fuerte de Santiago)
along with Santiago fortresses/castles after the establishment
of the City of Manila under Spanish rule.
• Puente Colgante was built (first suspension bridge)
-a suspension bridge that connected the Manila districts of
Quiapo and Ermita across the Pasig River in the Philippines.
• They began to construct of wood and cane churches.
• St. Augustine Church was build (the oldest church in the
Philippines)
• Project for public supply of fresh water to the city.
• Two types of roadwork under Spanish regime: pavement
of cut Spanish road and rubble-stone pavement.
AMERICAN COLONIZATION
• Wawa dam (Montalban dam) was built to provide water
needs for Metro Manila.
-constructed over the Marikina River in the municipality of
Rodriguez in Rizal province, Philippines.
• Foundation of the Liceo de Manila – it is the first private
school to offer a forerunner of formal education in
engineering/architecture
• Transportation depended largely on trails, waterways, railroads,
and earth roads.
• Academia de Arquitectura, Ingeniera y Agrimensura de Filipinas
– first professional association for engineers, surveyors and
architects.
• Communal Irrigation systems were built mostly this time.
• Philippine Society of Civil Engineers (PSCE) – first civil
engineering organization in the Philippines (government sector)
COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT
• Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), formerly named as
Highway 54, was constructed. It formed a major part of the
circumferential roads in Metro Manila.
• Philippine Association of Civil Engineers was formed
(private sector)
• Statutes for practice of architecture from engineering were
separated.
DURING JAPANESE OCCUPATION
(WORLD WAR II)
• Caliraya dam was constructed. It is an embankment dam
located in the town of Lumban province in Laguna, in the
Sierra Madre Mountain Range of the Philippines.
• The reservoir that created by the Caliraya dam initially
supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric plants in the
Philippines.
CONTINUATION OF COMMONWEALTH
GOVERNMENT (AFTER THE WAR)
– The new independent Philippine government continued the
rehabilitation and construction of roads, bridges, buildings and
other infrastructures through the reparations and war damages
paid by the Japanese government.
During Martial Law (Marcos Era)
(1965-1964)
• The construction industry in the Middle East was at its peak and civil engineers and
architects were in demand.
• 591 national and municipal ports plus 200 private ports scattered all over the country
• On December 11,1973, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued
Registration certificate No. 53896 to the PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING,
INC (PICE). This was the culmination and fulfillment of a vision to merge two separate
organizations of civil engineers in the country, the Philippine Society of Civil Engineers
(PSCE) and the Philippine Association of Civil Engineers (PICE)
• Engr. Cesar Calirawa became the first president of PICE
• Bureau of Public Highways (BPH) was expanded as the Department of public Highways
(DPH)
• MPW and MPH were merged to become The Ministry of public works and highways
(MPWH)
• In as early 1981, the Philippine Board Examiners for the Various Licensure
Examinations for the Practice of Engineering and Architecture began to use the new
system pf units, SI
• The increase of handheld calculators revolutionized engineering, with faster and
more efficient calculators leaving the old slide rule behind.
• Magat Dam is a large rock-fill dam located on Magat River, a major tributary of
Cagayan River
-Construction of the Magat Dam started in 1975 and completed in 1982.
- NIA’s most daring infrastructure project and one of Asia’s biggest dams today.
MAGAT DAM
• Ipo dam is a gravity concrete water reservoir located about
7.5 kilometers downstream of the Angat Dam near its
confluence with the Ipo river in Norzagaray, Bulacan
province.
- Completed in January 1984
AFTER EDSA REVOLUTION (1987-2008)
• The Ministry of Public Work and Highways (MPWH) is now known as
Department of Public Work and Highways (DPWH)
• The La Mesa Watershed and Eco-Park consists of the La Mesa Dam and an
ecological nature reserve site in Quezon City commissioned in 1929 in the
Philippines.
• A “Civil Engineering Week” for the period November 3 to 9, 1991 was declared
by Malacanang thru Proclamation No. 799 issued on September 20, 1991 by
President Corazon C. Aquino.
• The Board exam of Civil Engineering (at PRC) held its fully computerized
(board) examinations on May 29, 1993 and released the results on November
9, 1993.
• In 1997, the Legislature passed into law of Republic Act 8041, also known as
“The Water Crisis Act.”
• 2001, Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. (PICE) has been awarded by the
Professional Regulation Commision (PRC) as the Most Outstanding Accredited
Professional Organization.
• The San Roque Dam, operated under San Roque Multipurpose Project (SRMP) is
a 200 meters tall, 1.2 kilometer long embankment dam on the Agno River.
• Republic act number 9184 or “AN ACT OF PROVIDING THE MODERNIZATION,
STANDARIZATION AND REGULATION OF THE PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES OF THE
GOVERNMENT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES” was enacted by President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo on January 10, 2003
 REFERENCE:
https://civilengineerthoughts003.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-
history-of-civil-engineering.html?
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