Civil engineering is all about creating, improving and protecting the environment in which we live. It provides the facilities for day-to-day life and for transport and industry to go about its work.
Like the Romans, Egyptians and Mayans who built great civilizations before us, our civilization relies more than ever on teams of inventive people to design, build and maintain the sophisticated environment that surrounds us.
Civil engineering was originally defined simply to distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering but it actually represents so much more. Without civil engineers we wouldn’t have a constant supply of clean water, roads or trains to get to work in the morning, or sustainable energy to help us save our planet.
The Little Book of Civilization looks at the amazing ways civil engineers overcome the challenges of creating and maintaining our infrastructure for us, and for future generations. Many of these challenges are met in a way that is sustainable, and all are met with style and innovation.