Civil Engineering

The civil engineering program at UW-Platteville is designed to give students a broad background in all areas of civil engineering, permitting specialization in the senior year. Practical applications are emphasized with sufficient theory so that the individual can grow with the future as new materials, methods, and designs develop.

Students must first complete basic courses in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and must learn to communicate in written, oral, and graphic forms as well as through the use of computers. Electives in the social sciences and humanities add perspective, allowing students to recognize and understand some of the non-engineering systems and forces at work in the world.

What is Civil Engineering?

The planning, designing, and construction of facilities that serve people are what civil engineering is all about. These facilities include the highways that connect our nation's cities, airports that serve our travelers, bridges that span our rivers and harbors, dams and levees that control floods and supply water for our cities, and sewage treatment plants that protect our environment. Working with architects and engineers from other disciplines, the civil engineer also participates in the design and construction of buildings.

The civil engineering process begins with the accumulation and analysis of basic data. These data may include the topography and geology for a highway route; the flood history of a river that must be bridged or dammed; general information on population growth or earthquake history; laboratory analysis of construction materials; or pollution surveys or air, land, and water. The collection and analysis of these kinds of data are absolutely essential for any type of planning, whether it is long-range (for future needs) or immediate (as required for a specific project). With these data, civil engineers can apply their knowledge of science and engineering design to meet a project's requirements, assuring its successful completion.

Civil Engineering Program Objectives

Our goal is to provide students with a professional practice-oriented educational background that will enable them to enter and succeed in their future careers. Specific objectives for attaining this goal are:

Successfully apply technical knowledge to solve engineering problems.
Effectively and accurately communicate technical information orally and in writing.
Demonstrated progress towards obtaining professional engineering licensure.

Areas of Study in Civil Engineering

Structural Engineering - This specialty, the cornerstone of civil engineering, involves both the planning and design of all types of structures, from dams to power plants, to special off-shore projects. Structural engineers generally work with a multidisciplinary team that includes architects, mechanical, and electrical engineers, and nontechnical professionals, such as bankers, lawyers, and public officials.
Transportation Engineering - Working closely with urban planners, these engineers design and maintain highways, streets, mass-transit systems, and railroads, as well as airfields, ports, and harbors. Recent developments in pipeline transportation of oil, gas, and even coal, have created a subspecialty in this area that also demands expertise in geotechnical, hydraulic, and structural engineering.
Environmental Engineering - Environmental engineers help protect the environment from the potentially deleterious effects of disposal of wastes into the air, water, or ground. They plan and design systems for pollution control which utilize the physical, chemical, and biological principles already at work in nature. They also plan and design treatment systems to provide safe drinking water.
Geotechnical Engineering - An important consideration in any engineering project is the foundation material involved. This is the concern of geotechnical engineers. Will the foundation hold the structure? Will the earthen dam hold back the water? Will the retaining wall resist the earth pressure imposed on it? Geotechnical engineers evaluate the soil or rock material to answer these questions.
Construction - A wide ranging specialization, construction engineers use both technical and management skills to plan and build public and private projects and commercial developments. They apply knowledge of construction methods and equipment along with principles of planning, organizing, financing, managing, and operating construction enterprises. They plan each job from start to finish, determining the equipment, plant, and personnel required. They also estimate costs and monitor expenditures.