Civil engineering is the application
of physical and scientific principles for solving the problems of society, and
its history is intricately linked to advances in understanding of physics
and mathematics
throughout history. Because civil engineering is a wide ranging profession,
including several separate specialized sub-disciplines, its history is linked
to knowledge of structures, materials science, geography,
geology, soils,
hydrology,
environment, mechanics
and other fields.
Throughout ancient and medieval
history most architectural design and construction was carried out by artisans,
such as stonemasons
and carpenters,
rising to the role of master builder. Knowledge was retained in guilds and
seldom supplanted by advances. Structures, roads and infrastructure that
existed were repetitive, and increases in scale were incremental.
One of the earliest examples of a
scientific approach to physical and mathematical problems applicable to civil
engineering is the work of Archimedes in the 3rd century BC, including Archimedes
Principle, which underpins our understanding of buoyancy,
and practical solutions such as Archimedes' screw. Brahmagupta,
an Indian mathematician, used arithmetic in the 7th century AD, based on
Hindu-Arabic numerals, for excavation (volume) computations.
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