Editing Civil engineering (section)

=== Civil engineering profession ===
{{See also|History of structural engineering}}
Engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginnings of human existence. The earliest practice of civil engineering may have commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC in [[ancient Egypt]], the [[Indus Valley civilization]], and [[Mesopotamia]] (ancient Iraq) when humans started to abandon a [[nomad]]ic existence, creating a need for the construction of shelter. During this time, transportation became increasingly important leading to the development of the wheel and [[Maritime history|sailing]].[[File:Leonhard Euler 2.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Leonhard Euler]] developed the theory explaining the [[buckling]] of columns.]]

Until modern times there was no clear distinction between civil engineering and architecture, and the term engineer and architect were mainly geographical variations referring to the same occupation, and often used interchangeably.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VQYeHMGp2gwC&q=The+Architecture+of+the+Italian+Renaissance |title=The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance |first=Peter |last=Murray |date=1986 |publisher=Knopf Doubleday |isbn=0-8052-1082-2}}{{page needed|date=August 2022}}</ref> The constructions of [[Egyptian pyramids|pyramids]] in Egypt ({{circa|2700}}–2500 BC) constitute some of the first instances of large structure constructions in history. Other ancient historic civil engineering constructions include the [[Qanat]] water management system in modern-day Iran (the oldest is older than 3000 years and longer than {{convert|71|km}}<ref>{{Cite book | publisher = Springer| isbn = 978-90-481-8631-0| last = Mays| first = L.| title = Ancient Water Technologies| date =2010 |page=4}}</ref>), the [[Parthenon]] by [[Iktinos]] in [[Ancient Greece]] (447–438 BC), the [[Appian Way]] by [[Roman engineering|Roman engineers]] ({{circa|312 BC}}), the [[Great Wall of China]] by General [[Meng Tian|Meng T'ien]] under orders from Ch'in Emperor [[Qin Shi Huang|Shih Huang Ti]] ({{circa|220 BC}})<ref name="Oakes">{{Cite book | last1 = Oakes | first1 = William C. | last2 = Leone | first2 = Les L. | last3 = Gunn | first3 = Craig J. | title = Engineering Your Future | publisher = Great Lakes Press | year = 2001 | isbn = 978-1-881018-57-5 }}</ref> and the stupas constructed in ancient [[Sri Lanka]] like the [[Jetavanaramaya]] and the extensive irrigation works in [[Anuradhapura]]. The Romans developed civil structures throughout their empire, including especially [[Roman aqueduct|aqueducts]], [[insulae]], harbors, bridges, dams and roads.

[[File:Pont du Gard BLS.jpg|thumb|A Roman [[Aqueduct (bridge)|aqueduct]] [built {{Circa|19 BC}}],  [[Pont du Gard]], France]]
[[File:Chichen Itza 3.jpg|thumb|[[Chichen Itza]] was a large pre-Columbian city in Mexico built by the [[Maya people]] of the Post Classic. The northeast column temple also covers a [[Channel (geography)|channel]] that [[funnels]] all the rainwater from the complex some {{convert|40|m}} away to a rejollada, a former [[cenote]].]]

In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined to incorporate all things civilian as opposed to military engineering.<ref name="eb" /> In 1747, the first institution for the teaching of civil engineering, the [[École nationale des ponts et chaussées|École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées]], was established in France; and more examples followed in other European countries, like [[Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos|Spain]].<ref>{{Cite book|author= Dirección General de Obras Públicas Spain|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wwxQCOlssjcC&pg=PA20|title=Memoria sobre el estado de las obras públicas en España en 1856 presentada al excmo. sr. Ministro de Fomento por la Dirección General de Obras Públicas|publisher=National Press|year=1856|location=Madrid}}</ref> The first self-proclaimed civil engineer was [[John Smeaton]], who constructed the [[Eddystone Lighthouse]].<ref name="CSCE" /><ref name="Oakes" /> In 1771 Smeaton and some of his colleagues formed the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession who met informally over dinner. Though there was evidence of some technical meetings, it was little more than a social society.

[[File:John Smeaton.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|[[John Smeaton]], the "father of civil engineering"]]
In 1818 the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ice.org.uk/about-ice/our-history|title=Our history|publisher=Institution of Civil Engineers|access-date=12 April 2018|date=2015-12-02}}</ref> and in 1820 the eminent engineer [[Thomas Telford]] became its first president. The institution received a [[Royal charter]] in 1828, formally recognising civil engineering as a profession. Its charter defined civil engineering as:{{blockquote|the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man, as the means of production and of traffic in states, both for external and internal trade, as applied in the construction of roads, bridges, aqueducts, canals, river navigation and docks for internal intercourse and exchange, and in the construction of ports, harbours, moles, breakwaters and lighthouses, and in the art of navigation by artificial power for the purposes of commerce, and in the construction and application of machinery, and in the drainage of cities and towns.<ref name=ICE>{{cite web | url=http://www.ice.org.uk| title=Institution of Civil Engineers' website| access-date=26 December 2007}}</ref>}}