Overview of Engineering
ENGINEERS – WHO ARE THEY? WHAT DO THEY DO?
An engineer designs, builds or maintains engines, machines or public works such as bridges, roads and tunnels.
ENGINEERING
Engineering is the application of science and mathematics to solve problems. Engineers figure out how things work and find practical uses for scientific discoveries.
HISTORY OF ENGINEERING
The history of engineering is part of the history of civilization. The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the large rocks in a circle at Stonehenge in England, the columned building of The Parthenon in Greece, the Empire State Building in New York City and the Eiffel Tower in Paris are all monuments to the history of engineering. Even the Cliff Dwellings of native Americans, preserved in Mesa Verde National Park in Arizona, are marvels of early engineering and a demonstration of the high intellect of indigenous people around the world.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS TO BE AN ENGINEER
Engineers are required to have in-depth knowledge of mathematics, physics, and computer applications such as simulations and computer-aided design. Therefore most college programs include basic engineering courses in a wide range of topics before students choose to specialize in a particular area.
Because safely building and maintaining public and private structures is required for public safety, engineers involved with those types of projects are required to pass licensing exams which are only open to individuals with accredited education degrees.
WHAT DO ENGINEERS DO?
The field of engineering is divided into a large number of specialty areas:
Aerospace engineering – design, manufacturing and testing of aircraft and spacecraft as well as parts and components such as airframes, power plants, control and guidance systems and communication and navigation systems
Biomedical engineering – practice of designing systems, equipment and devices for use in the practice of medicine; involves working closely with medical practitioners, including doctors, nurses, technicians, therapists and researchers in order to determine, understand and meet their requirements for systems, equipment and devices
Chemical engineering – practice of designing equipment, systems and processes for refining raw materials and for mixing, compounding and processing chemicals to make valuable products
Civil engineering – design, construction, maintenance and inspection of large infrastructure projects such as highways, railroads, bridges, tunnels, dams and airports
Computer engineering – practice of designing computer hardware components, computer systems, networks, and computer software
Electrical engineering – design, testing, manufacturing, construction, control, monitoring and inspection of electrical and electronic devices, machinery, and systems, varying in scale from microscopic circuits to national power generation and transmission systems
Environmental engineering – practice of preventing, reducing and eliminating sources of pollution that affect air, water and land; also involves detecting and measuring pollution, cleaning up and rehabilitating polluted sites and ensuring compliance with local, state and federal regulations
Industrial engineering – practice of designing and optimizing facilities, equipment, systems and processes for manufacturing, material processing and other work environments
Mechanical engineering – design, manufacturing, inspection and maintenance of machinery, equipment and components as well as control systems and instruments for monitoring their status and performance; this includes vehicles, construction and farm machinery, industrial installations and tools and devices
Nuclear engineering -design, manufacturing, construction and operation and testing of equipment, systems and processes involving the production, control and detection of nuclear radiation; systems include nuclear reactors for electric power plants and ships, radioisotope production and research; also includes protecting humans from the potentially harmful effects of radiation
Structural engineering – design, construction and inspection of load-bearing structures such as walls, large commercial buildings, bridges and industrial infrastructure
SPECIALTIES REQUIRE BROAD ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE
There is often considerable overlap among the different specialties. For this reason, engineers need to have a general understanding of several areas of engineering besides their specialty. For example, a civil engineer needs to understand concepts of structural engineering, an aerospace engineer needs to apply principles of mechanical engineering and nuclear engineers need a working knowledge of electrical engineering.
