Government programs and renewed industrial activity have combined with stable enrollments to create bright job prospects for civil engineers. Areas with good opportunities include highway reconstruction and rehabilitation, water-resource management, and new factory construction. The subspecialty of structural engineering has a growing need in…

Tensile and compressive forces in planar trusses can be analyzed using either the method of sections or the method of joints. This article summarizes and extends a project accomplished by a high school student using the method of joints and graphing calculators, spreadsheets, and matrix-manipulation software. (MKR)

Geotechnics (which encompasses soil and rock mechanics, engineering geology, foundation design, and ground engineering methods) is a major component of virtually all civil engineering courses. Show how mini-projects are used to teach this subject. Format of projects, development of presentation skills, and assessment considerations are discussed.…

This publication contains statewide standards for the civil engineering program in Georgia. The standards are divided into 12 categories: foundations (philosophy, purpose, goals, program objectives, availability, evaluation); admissions (admission requirements, provisional admission requirements, recruitment, evaluation and planning); program…

Traces the development of the civil engineering code of ethics. Points out that the code does have an enforceable provision that addresses the engineer's responsibility toward the environment. Suggests revisions to the code to accommodate the environmental impacts of civil engineering. (TW)

Describes an image database system assembled using separate computer components that was developed to overcome text-only computer hardware storage and retrieval limitations for a pavement design class. (JJK)

This paper is a description of a college course in structural design, which in this case serves as the capstone of the program in Civil Engineering Technology at the College of Staten Island (New York). Fourteen weeks of class lecture topics, activities, and assignments are delineated. Coverage includes building codes, loads calculation,…

An activity of a high school drafting program using civil drafting (road construction) as part of the instructional program is described. (BP)

Discusses civil engineering employment opportunities; indicates that the field is shrinking. Presents national placement and enrollment statistics. Identifies building and construction materials, and public works as areas of current and expanding opportunities. (CW)

Develops a programed approach for developing design projects. Describes the initiation, design experiences, final report, and problems of the approach. (YP)

Summarizes the results of the 1987 National Engineering Student Employer Preference Survey and compares them with those reported by three previous biennial surveys. Lists the top 25 employer choices in electrical, mechanical, computer science, industrial, chemical, civil and astro/aeronautical engineering. (TW)

Narrates the history of engineering and engineering education in the United States during revolutionary times under these headings: before 1775; wartime needs; early concern for training; arrival of foreign volunteers; continuing education efforts; and after the war. A special section on 18th century French and English engineering is also…

An experiment in which students were required to keep journals during a civil engineering course is described. Student benefits (journals as problem-solving tools and forums for personal comments), faculty benefits (sources of background information and use as evaluation/recordkeeping tools), and five major conclusions are discussed. (JN)

Describes the historical development and programs of engineering education at the University of Rwanda in cooperation with a Belgium university. Provides lists of courses for electromechanical and civil engineering programs. (YP)

A library instruction program has been instituted in civil engineering at the Queensland University of Technology (Australia) in an effort to improve the research skills of fourth year students working on research projects. Students with extended library instruction were found to have better information-seeking behavior than others. (Author/MSE)