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(shè)計(jì)和修建各種公用建筑的結(jié)構(gòu)工程設(shè)施的科學(xué)技術(shù)，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(gè)領(lǐng)域還包括：發(fā)電廠、航空港、化學(xué)處理廠和污水處理設(shè)備等?，F(xiàn)在土木工程涉及的范圍還包括場(chǎng)地的測(cè)量和研究、結(jié)構(gòu)設(shè)計(jì)和分析、建造，以及設(shè)備的維護(hù)。工程設(shè)計(jì)的工作需要應(yīng)用許多方面的設(shè)計(jì)理論(如水力學(xué)、熱力學(xué)和核物理等)。結(jié)構(gòu)分析和材料技術(shù)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(jì)的材料。工程師在分析一種建筑問題時(shí)，就已決定該用何種結(jié)構(gòu)系統(tǒng)。計(jì)算機(jī)可精確分析結(jié)構(gòu)設(shè)計(jì)以判定結(jié)構(gòu)體是否承受得起載重量和自然力量。