Research Article
Jan 1953
Civil Engineering through the Ages
Publication: Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers
Volume 118, Issue 2
Abstract
The history of civil engineering is best visualized by tracing the engineer himself—his works and his traditions, his influence on his environment, culminating in the mighty accomplishments of the twentieth century. Always he has sought to build, specializing in works of static form. The ancients contributed considerably—Egypt with mathematic s, Greece with philosophy and theory, and Rome with vast structures not duplicated for many centuries. In medieval times the Church contributed cathedrals. In the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, and Isaac Newton were notable forerunners of modern civil engineers. In the nineteenth century, profess ion al societies emerged in many lands and with them, technical schools. In England and the United States advances in theory and practice were achieved in all major fields, such as bridges, buildings, cities, and sanitation. This trend has continued in the present century, spurred on by the impact of the automobile and airplane. Thus the civil engineer has transformed the physical world and, with it, human history.
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© 1953 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published in print: Jan 1953
Published online: Feb 10, 2021
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Charles J. Merdinger
Commander (CEC), U. S. Navy, Public Works Officer, Adak, Alaska
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