Basics of Civil Engineering

Dr. Sathishraj Mani

Faculty of Civil Engineering
28-10-2025
NIT GOA 1
Introduction to Civil Engineering
• Deals with engineered construction of buildings, roads, bridges,
dams, tunnels, etc.
• What Civil Engineering Profession offers?
• Enjoyable spacious and comfortable living in a building or underground
enclave
• Driving from a given location to virtually any region in the continent
• Availability of plenty of Clean water for domestic use
• And many more

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Scope of Civil Engineering
• Planning
• Designing
• Estimating
• Supervising and
• Management
of different construction activities

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Disciplines of Civil Engineering
1. Building Construction
2. Advanced Building Construction
3. Building Planning and Management
4. Environmental Engineering or Water Supply and Sanitary Engineeri
ng
5. Geotechnical Engineering (Soil Mechanics)
6. Surveying and Levelling
7. Structural Engineering
8. Transportation Engineering
9. Town Planning
10. Water Resource Engineering
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 [Link] Construction
• Construction of various structures
and different types of buildings
• Construction of building compone
nts like brick work, Reinforced C
ement Concrete (RCC) works, fou
ndations, doors and windows, floor,
roof, etc.
• Study of engineering materials like
cement, steel, timber, glass, etc.

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[Link] Building Construction
• Study of construction of deep foundations
• Underwater construction
• Construction of dams, bridges, tunnels, off‐shore oil rig, etc.
• Study of equipment like power shovel, rollers, cranes etc. f
or large scale projects

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3. Building Planning and Management
• Fundamental principles of planning
• Building bye‐laws
• Planning of public, residential and industrial buildings
• Construction management of whole project
• Management of construction materials, labour and equipment

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4. Environmental Engineering
• Design, construction and maintenance of water treatment pl
ant, water distribution system and sewage system
• Waste water treatment and solid waste management
• Air, water and land pollution

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5. Geotechnical Engineering
• Soil investigation
• Design of foundations
• Measurement of soil parameters and safe bearing capacity of soil
• Study of geology

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[Link] and Levelling
• For setting out of works
• For preparing maps of land
• Measurement of levels of land and prepare contour maps
• Carried out using chains, compass, plane table, levels, the
odolites, EDM instruments, etc.

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7. Structural Engineering
• Design of RCC structures (Retaining walls, water tanks, bri
dges, residential buildings, etc.)
• Design of steel structures (railway platform, factory sheds,
steel bridges, etc.)
• Design of earth quake resistant structures
• Concrete technology

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8. Transportation Engineering
• Airport engineering
• Bridge engineering
• Harbour and Docks engineering
• Highway engineering
• Railway engineering
• Tunnel engineering
• Traffic engineering

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9. Town Planning
• Arrangement of various components of a town in such a way that
the town attains significance of a living organism
• Towns are divided into different zones like residential zone,
commercial zone, industrial zone, etc.

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10. Water Resources Engineering
• Fluid Mechanics-
deals with behaviour of all, more or less incompressible, liquids
and gases
• Hydrology –
deals with study of sources of water, measurement and study of
rainfall, flood, etc.
• Irrigation Engineering –
deals with designing of hydraulic structures like dams, can
als, etc.

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Relevance of Civil Engineering in Overall
Infrastructural Development
• Buildings are designed by civil engineers by conveying an
array of structural elements that support the architectural sp
atial distribution.
• Highway is designed by creating a plane that adequately supp
orts weight and stresses of vehicles in motion.
• The water resource system is designed by a civil engineer that a
rranges for water intake at an appropriate source, a water conv
eyance set and a water distribution network.
• The civil engineer designs waste water disposal and waste wate
r treatment plants.
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Relevance of Civil Engineering in Overall
Infrastructural Development
• Operations management for infrastructural development has thr
ee major aspects:
• i. Quality
• ii. Cost and
• iii. Time

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Relevance of Civil Engineering in Overall
Infrastructural Development
• Infrastructure Development involves fundamental structures tha
t are required for the functioning of a community & society
• This is usually referred to structures like roads, water supp
ly, sewers, electrical grids, telecommunications, renewable
energy, water sources identification & boring (wells), purific
ation systems for clean water, hazard waste management
and so on.
• Governments cannot manage to do it without skilled/trained
manpower (which includes engineers from all the departments)

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Relevance of Civil Engineering in Overall
Infrastructural Development
• Civil engineers can manage to do these projects related to
infrastructural development as the fundamental idea of less spa
ce and more efficiency is embedded in all civil engineers which
is a crucial factor in development of infrastructure.
• So civil engineers have a very crucial role to play in the
development of infrastructure

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Relevance of Civil Engineering in Overall
Infrastructural Development
The role of Civil Engineering activities in the infrastructural develo
pment can be summarised as follows:
• A proper planning of towns and extension areas in the cities.
• Fast rate of urbanisation and increase in the cost of land
has forced civil engineers to go for vertical growth in cities
• This has resulted in new building technologies and sophisti
cated analysis methods.
• Civil engineers have to solve problems of rural areas as well.

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Relevance of Civil Engineering in Overall
Infrastructural Development
The role of Civil Engineering activities in the infrastructural development
can be summarised as follows:
• Low cost housing is the need of the hour to make poor people afford
their own houses.
• Water is an important need for all living beings.
• Civil engineers have to explore into various water resources and
ensure water supply to urban areas throughout the year. Water is
required for agriculture also.
• Good roadways and transportation facilities include another important
amenity of the public which civil engineers deliver.
• Other important infrastructural activities of civil engineers are contr
olling pollution of air, water and land.

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Relevance of Civil Engineering in Overall
Infrastructural Development
The impact of infrastructural development of a country
• Provide protection from drought, famine, flood, etc.
• Improved irrigation facilities
• Better sewage system
• Improved education facilities
• Improvement in transportation and communication
• Generation of electricity from natural resources

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Types of Buildings as per National
Building Code (NBC)
 NBC is prepared to unify the building regulations throughout
the country.
 NBC is prepared by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
 First version is published in 1970.
 This is revised in 1983.
 The current edition is updated in 2016.

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Types of Buildings as per National
Building Code (NBC)
• Nine groups based on their Occupancy
• Group A ‐ Residential buildings
• Group B ‐ Educational buildings
• Group C ‐ Institutional buildings
• Group D ‐ Assembly buildings
• Group E ‐ Business buildings
• Group F ‐ Mercantile buildings
• Group G ‐ Industrial buildings
• Group H ‐ Storage buildings
• Group J ‐ Hazardous buildings

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Selection of Site for Buildings
The following general principles should be kept in mind while selecting a si
te for a building:
• The purpose of building and extend of privacy is desired
• The site should be located in fully developed or fast developing locality
• The site should be located in such a way that community services like
police and fire protection, clearing of waste and street cleaning, utility services
like water‐supply, electricity, etc., amenities like school, hospital, market,
etc. and means of transport are also available
• Before selecting a site, one should study the bye‐laws of the local authority,
which put before restrictions regarding proportions of plots to be built-up,
open spaces and margins to be left around, heights, etc.
• Area of plot should be such that the building constructed on it meets
the requirement of the owner, after following certain restrictions of local
authority
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Selection of Site for Buildings
The following general principles should be kept in mind while selecting a site for a
building:
• Shape of the plot should not be irregular, and should not be having any sharp
corners
• The site should be situated on an elevated place and also levelled with unifor
m slopes from one end to the other to provide good drainage of rain water
• The soil of the site should be good enough with high Safe Bearing Capacity
to provide economical foundations
• The site should be situated in a naturally beautiful environment which
creates healthy living and working conditions
• The site should be away from quarries, kilns, factories, industries, rivers with
heavy flood, etc., if possible
• The legal and financial aspects should also be given due consideration

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 Components of a
residential building
Major Parts of a building
• Foundation -
part of a building constructed below ground level
and which is in direct contact with sub‐strata
and transmits all the loads to the sub‐soil
• Plinth -
building above the ground level and up to the
floor level immediately above the ground
• Superstructure -
part of the building constructed above the plinth
level.

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Building Component Functions

Foundation Transmits the loads;

supports the superstructure;
provides stability;
Provides Safety against scouring

Plinth Helps in transmitting loads from superstructure to substructure;

Protects the building from moisture rainwater, dust, insects, termite, etc.

Wall Supports beam and slab;

transmits the loads.
Provides partition, privacy and safety;
Protects building against heat, cold, rain, noise, fire, etc.

Column Supports beam and slab

Transmit the loads

Floor Gives a plane and levelled surface for the occupants

Roof Covers the top of the building

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Gives protection against rain, heat, snow, sound, wind, etc 42
Building Component Functions
Door Permits entry, exit, light and ventilation to the building
Imparts safety and privacy to the building

Window Gives nice scenic view to the building

Permits light and ventilation

Step For access in building from GL to upper floors

Stair For vertical circulation among the floors in the building
Lintel, Arch Gives support to the wall above the openings in wall
Distributes load evenly

Sill Gives support to the bottom of the window openings

Beam Supports the slab
Transmits loads coming from slab to column or wall

Weather shed Protects the walls of the buildings from sun, heat and rain
(Sun shade)

Parapet Provides boundary to the terrace and encloses it

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Basic requirements of a building
• The planning and construction of a building should be aimed at fulfilling the
following requirements
1. Strength and stability
2. Dimensional stability
3. Resistance to dampness
4. Resistance to fire
5. Heat insulation
6. Sound insulation
7. Protection against termite attack
8. Durability
9. Security against burglary
10. Lighting and ventilation
11. Comforts and convenience
12. Economy
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PLANNING
• All buildings should be properly planned, keeping in view the
various requirements of a good building.
• Except strength requirement, all other requirements of a good
buildings are taken care at the stage of planning.
• Strength requirement is taken care during structural design of
building components.
• However in planning the building by-laws of the statutory
authorities should not be violated. Planning of the building is an
art combined with science.

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 PLANNING
• Principles of planning of buildings

• 1. Orientation

• 2. Energy efficiency

• 3. Utility

• 4. Other requirements of the building

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 [Link] suitable orientation
• Orientation means setting out the plan of the
building with respect to north-south and east-
west directions to provide an opportunity for
user to enjoy sun-shine and breeze when
required and to avoid the same whenever not
required.
• This is also known as planning the aspect of
a building.
• Aspect means arrangement of doors,
windows in the external wall to
make good use of nature.
• Kitchen should have eastern aspect to enjoy
morning sunshine, means, kitchen should be
located on the eastern side of the building to
make use of morning sun rays.

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[Link] suitable orientation
• The following are the required aspects for
various parts of the building in the northern
hemisphere of earth
1. Kitchen–eastern aspect.
2. Dining room–southern aspect to enjoy winter
sun.
3. Drawing and living room–southern or south-
eastern aspect to enjoy winter sun.
4. Bed rooms–western or south-western breeze
in summer.
5. Reading room, class room, stairs - northern
aspect to enjoy diffused light

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 2. Planning for energy efficiency
• A building should be planned in such a manner that it
gives maximum day lighting, ventilation and heat
insulation.
• If these requirements are fulfilled, requirement of
electric energy comes down.
Light:
Natural light provides hygenic atmosphere.
Light should not be glaring but it should be uniformly
distributed.
Providing windows and ventilators of appropriate size at
suitable positions contributes a lot for natural lighting.
For residential buildings window area to floor area should
not be less than 1/10th while for school buildings it should
not be less than 1/5th of floor area.
For factory buildings north light trusses should be
provided to get maximum diffused light.
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 2. Planning for energy efficiency
• Ventilation:
• Ventilation is the circulation of the air in the
building.
• Natural ventilation can be achieved by selecting
and positioning of doors, windows and
ventilators at suitable places.
• Always cross ventilations should be planned
suitably.
• Provision of ventilators at roof level helps in
driving out hot airs.
• In case it is not possible to achieve natural
ventilation for any part of the building provide
ordinary or exhaust fans.
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 2. Planning for energy efficiency
• Heat Insulation:
• Thicker exterior walls provide insulation against heat.
• Proper ventilation also helps in achieving heat insulation.
• Sun shades provided to doors, windows and ventilators help in
achieving heat insulation.
• In factories and assembly halls, height should be more to reduce
temperature inside the building.
• The position of furnaces in the factories should be located away from the
other parts of the factory.
• The openings should be provided at higher level in the wall to remove
hot air.
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 3. Planning for suitable utility
• Principles of planning for suitable utility are:
• 1. Roominess
• 2. Furniture Requirements
• 3. Groupings
• 4. Circulation

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 4. Planning for meeting other requirements
• Principle of planning involves planning for meeting the following requirements
also:
• 1. Sanitary convenience
• 2. Prospects
• 3. Elegance
• 4. Flexibility
• 5. Privacy
• 6. Resistance to fire
• 7. Sound insulation
• 8. Protection from termite
• 9. Security against burglary
• [Link]
• 11. Provisions
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 THANK YOU !!!

Any Queries

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