civil engineeringProfession of designing and executing structural works that serve the general public, including bridges, canals, dams, harbors, lighthouses, roads, tunnels, and environmental works (e.g., water-supply systems).The modern field includes power plants, aircraft and airports, chemical-processing plants, and water-treatment facilities. Civil engineering today involves site investigations and feasibility studies, structural design and analysis, construction, and facilities maintenance. The design of engineering works requires the application of design theory from many fields (e.g., hydraulics, thermodynamics, nuclear physics). Research in structural analysis and the technology of materials such as steel and concrete has opened the way for new concepts and greater economy of materials. The engineer's analysis of a building problem determines the structural system to be used. Structural designs are rigorously analyzed by computers to determine if they will withstand loads and natural forces. 土木工程 設計和修建各種公用建筑的結(jié)構(gòu)工程設施的科學技術，這些工程包括橋梁、水壩、港口、燈塔、道路、隧道和環(huán)境工程(如供水系統(tǒng))?，F(xiàn)代這個領域還包括：發(fā)電廠、航空港、化學處理廠和污水處理設備等?，F(xiàn)在土木工程涉及的范圍還包括場地的測量和研究、結(jié)構(gòu)設計和分析、建造，以及設備的維護。工程設計的工作需要應用許多方面的設計理論(如水力學、熱力學和核物理等)。結(jié)構(gòu)分析和材料技術的研發(fā)(諸如鋼和混凝土)已開發(fā)出更新穎的觀念和更經(jīng)濟的材料。工程師在分析一種建筑問題時，就已決定該用何種結(jié)構(gòu)系統(tǒng)。計算機可精確分析結(jié)構(gòu)設計以判定結(jié)構(gòu)體是否承受得起載重量和自然力量。