Civil Engineering – The Technological Foundation of Modern Civilization

It might be argued that the Roman Empire grew from the Roman’s skills as Civil Engineers and the roads, aqueducts and buildings they built. They weren’t the first to build engineering marvels but they may have been the best at capitalizing on their skills to grow and support an empire.

Today, the branches of engineering have proliferated to support technologies we take for granted, from instant communications and computing, plastics, high speed travel, agriculture, chemistry, solar and many more. However, the foundation, the skills and products that make modern cities and commerce possible are all based on the technologies embodied by Civil Engineering.

As man moves into space to live and build, the skills of the Civil Engineer will once again be the foundation of progress, supported by all the advanced science needed to get there. In space man will need utilities, water and wastewater treatment, building materials, air purification and the supplying and storage of the essentials of life. The individual skills may be given new names but man in space will need the skills of highly trained and innovative Civil Engineers to live and prosper.