Civil engineering software
Encyclopedia
There are a variety of software programs which are available for the different specialized disciplines of civil engineering
. Most civil engineers practice in specialized subsets of civil engineering, such as geotechnical engineering
, structural engineering
, transportation engineering, hydraulic engineering
, environmental engineering
, project and construction management and land surveying.
The trend to implement software programs into the civil engineering industry began as educational concerns for the future as civil engineering prepared to enter the twenty-first century. Today, these concerns and trends are centered around the continuing education unit
which have become required as part of maintaining the professional license. As a result of the expanding use and demand for these software programs, there was less of a necessity for occupations such as draftsman, because the engineer began to prepare and input the design parameters into the program, thus eliminating the need for manual drafting. Land surveying, a specialized subset of civil engineering, relies heavily on the computerization of the industry. University textbooks have already since begun to include software applications for students to gain experience with some kind of software interface.
Another specific subset, infrastructure design, relies heavily on estimates of load, pressure, drainage and flow. Some software houses have attempted to provide design software catering for the variety of infrastructure design fields in an integrated manner. However, more commonly used software programs such as Microsoft Excel
may be utilized in the same manner at a fraction of the cost of design software.
When planning the construction phase, various project management methods are used to estimate factors such as cost, schedule and resourcing. Different software packages rely on different formulas and theories as the basis for these calculations. Consulting engineers also take advantage of the insight software can provide as far as crossing services are concerned. A road design may have to accommodate the presence of underground pipes for example. Civil Designer
is an example of a design package which forms an integrated data gathering, drawing, surface modeling and design system for civil engineering infrastructure.
Another aspect of software programs utilized by civil engineers is not only for the use of designing site infrastructure, but also to maintain it. As recent as 2011, there are programs available which allow the engineer to monitor bridges for cracks and settlements, as well as water distribution networks for failing subsurface pipes through the use of sensors installed. This has created the ability for the engineer to eliminate some of the costs and liabilities associated with human inspectors. AutoCAD
Civil 2012 offers the ability to streamline applications as well as other Autodesk
programs, making it easier and cheaper for the engineer to work with others. As a result, these programs have become much faster than the versions released five years ago, with the ability to incorporate much more information.
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. Most civil engineers practice in specialized subsets of civil engineering, such as geotechnical engineering
Geotechnical engineering
Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. Geotechnical engineering is important in civil engineering, but is also used by military, mining, petroleum, or any other engineering concerned with construction on or in the ground...
, structural engineering
Structural engineering
Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
, transportation engineering, hydraulic engineering
Hydraulic engineering
This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
, environmental engineering
Environmental engineering
Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the natural environment , to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites...
, project and construction management and land surveying.
The trend to implement software programs into the civil engineering industry began as educational concerns for the future as civil engineering prepared to enter the twenty-first century. Today, these concerns and trends are centered around the continuing education unit
Continuing education unit
A Continuing Education Unit is a measure used in continuing education programs, particularly those required in a licensed profession in order for the professional to maintain the license. Examples of people who need CEUs include interior designers/interior architects, lighting designers,...
which have become required as part of maintaining the professional license. As a result of the expanding use and demand for these software programs, there was less of a necessity for occupations such as draftsman, because the engineer began to prepare and input the design parameters into the program, thus eliminating the need for manual drafting. Land surveying, a specialized subset of civil engineering, relies heavily on the computerization of the industry. University textbooks have already since begun to include software applications for students to gain experience with some kind of software interface.
Another specific subset, infrastructure design, relies heavily on estimates of load, pressure, drainage and flow. Some software houses have attempted to provide design software catering for the variety of infrastructure design fields in an integrated manner. However, more commonly used software programs such as Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
may be utilized in the same manner at a fraction of the cost of design software.
When planning the construction phase, various project management methods are used to estimate factors such as cost, schedule and resourcing. Different software packages rely on different formulas and theories as the basis for these calculations. Consulting engineers also take advantage of the insight software can provide as far as crossing services are concerned. A road design may have to accommodate the presence of underground pipes for example. Civil Designer
Civil Designer
Civil Designer is a suite of nine civil infrastructure design modules. It began as a simple CAD package in the early 90s and has been developed by South African software development house Knowledge Base Pty Ltd to service the design requirements of the civil engineering sector. Civil Designer...
is an example of a design package which forms an integrated data gathering, drawing, surface modeling and design system for civil engineering infrastructure.
Another aspect of software programs utilized by civil engineers is not only for the use of designing site infrastructure, but also to maintain it. As recent as 2011, there are programs available which allow the engineer to monitor bridges for cracks and settlements, as well as water distribution networks for failing subsurface pipes through the use of sensors installed. This has created the ability for the engineer to eliminate some of the costs and liabilities associated with human inspectors. AutoCAD
AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a software application for computer-aided design and drafting in both 2D and 3D. It is developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. First released in December 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on personal computers, notably the IBM PC...
Civil 2012 offers the ability to streamline applications as well as other Autodesk
Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, a coauthor of the first versions of the company's...
programs, making it easier and cheaper for the engineer to work with others. As a result, these programs have become much faster than the versions released five years ago, with the ability to incorporate much more information.
See also
- Computer-aided designComputer-aided designComputer-aided design , also known as computer-aided design and drafting , is the use of computer technology for the process of design and design-documentation. Computer Aided Drafting describes the process of drafting with a computer...
- AutoCAD Civil 3DAutoCADAutoCAD is a software application for computer-aided design and drafting in both 2D and 3D. It is developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. First released in December 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on personal computers, notably the IBM PC...
- AutodeskAutodeskAutodesk, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, a coauthor of the first versions of the company's...
- Civil DesignerCivil DesignerCivil Designer is a suite of nine civil infrastructure design modules. It began as a simple CAD package in the early 90s and has been developed by South African software development house Knowledge Base Pty Ltd to service the design requirements of the civil engineering sector. Civil Designer...
- MicroStationMicrostationMicroStation is a CAD software product for 2- and 3-dimensional design and drafting, developed and sold by Bentley Systems. The latest versions of the software are released solely for Microsoft Windows operating systems, but historically MicroStation was available for Macintosh platforms and a...
- VisioncivilVisioncivilVisionCivil is a solution of calculations and designs that helps Engineers and Land Surveyors of Canada. Programmers have developed the civil engineering software in order to facilitate terrain modeling from different angles; triangulation mode, producing profiles, sections cross plans, capping,...
- HEC-RASHEC-RASHEC-RAS is a computer program that models the hydraulics of water flow through natural rivers and other channels. The program is one-dimensional, meaning that there is no direct modeling of the hydraulic effect of cross section shape changes, bends, and other two- and three-dimensional aspects of...
- Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
- Project management softwareProject management softwareProject management software is a term covering many types of software, including estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to...
, especially Microsoft ProjectMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft Project is a project management software program, developed and sold by Microsoft, which is designed to assist a project manager in developing a plan, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing the budget, and analyzing workloads.The application creates critical path...
and Primavera are popular project management software in the construction industry. - Continuing Education UnitContinuing education unitA Continuing Education Unit is a measure used in continuing education programs, particularly those required in a licensed profession in order for the professional to maintain the license. Examples of people who need CEUs include interior designers/interior architects, lighting designers,...
- DraughtsmanDraughtsmanA draughtsman or draftsman , is a person skilled in drawing, either:*drawing for artistic purposes, or*technical drawing for practical purposes such as architecture or engineering...