A Civil Engineer is a person who
practices civil engineering; the application of
planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures
while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving
existing infrastructures that have been neglected.
Originally,
a civil engineer worked on public works projects and
was contrasted with the military engineer, who
worked on armaments and defenses. Over time, various branches of engineering
have become recognized as distinct from civil engineering, including chemical
engineering,mechanical
engineering, and electrical
engineering, while much of military engineering has been absorbed by
civil engineering.
In some
places, a civil engineer may perform land surveying; in others, surveying is
limited to construction surveying, unless an additional qualification is
obtained. On some U.S. military bases, the personnel responsible for building and
grounds maintenance, such as grass mowing, are called civil engineers and are
not required to meet any minimum educational requirements.
