Overview of Engineering An engineer applies knowledge of science and math to solve problems. Engineering is a large discipline with major categories
Overview of Engineering
An engineer applies knowledge of science and math to solve problems.
Engineering is a large discipline with major categories including civil, electrical, chemical, and mechanical engineering. These can be further divided into specialized areas like biomechanical, aerospace, and computer engineering.
Prehistoric and Ancient Engineering
Prehistoric humans thought like engineers to survive hunger, climate conditions, and enemies. Simple tools such as the wedge, lever, and wheel, developed during this time, are still used in engineering today.
Mesopotamians:
The first known engineering accomplishments took place in Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, where Sumerians built canals, walls, and temples.
They are credited with inventing the wheel and the wheeled cart.
They also invented the astrolabe, an instrument used to measure the altitude of the sun or stars.
Hammurabi, a Babylonian king, created what is considered the first building code, which established building ethics and penalties for poor construction.
Assyrians completed the first public water supply around 700 B.C.E., constructing a freshwater canal system and the Jerwan aqueduct. The aqueduct's channel was lined with concrete, which is the first known use of concrete for construction.
Egyptians:
They used the Nile River to support their technological society, developing controlled irrigation systems to grow food during the dry season.
They are best known for the pyramids, with the Great Pyramid at Giza being one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only one still intact.
The king appointed a "chief of works" to advise on plans for irrigation, flood control, and surveying.
Greeks:
They became navigational leaders through their focus on harbor construction and shipbuilding.
They built the Pharos lighthouse at Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
During the rule of Pericles, they used simple machines, timber frames, and hand-powered lifts to construct structures like the Parthenon.
Romans:
Roman engineers focused on functional public works projects like bath houses, arenas, roadways, temples, and aqueducts.
They invented new construction methods and techniques, including the development of cement and machines like the treadmill hoist, pile driver, and the wooden bucket wheel.
The Middle Ages and Engineering Pioneers
The Middle Ages saw slow engineering developments but produced advances in structural design, energy-efficient machines, and power-saving devices. China contributed inventions like gunpowder, papermaking, iron casting, and textiles during this period.
Johann Gutenberg:
Invented the movable type mold during the late Middle Ages and is credited with the first printed book in A.D. 1450.
His printing press enabled the fast spread of knowledge, with books on various science and engineering topics being in print by 1500.
Leonardo da Vinci:
Used his artistic talent to observe, illustrate, and invent machines, which is what engineers do today.
His inventions included hydraulic pumps, reversible crank mechanisms, and a steam cannon.
His drawing for a 720-foot bridge in 1502 was never built because his ideas were 300 years ahead of their time, but a similar bridge was constructed in Norway in 2001.
Robert Boyle and Robert Hooke:
Their working relationship is an excellent example of how science and engineering minds work together. Boyle's law, which states that if the volume of a gas is decreased, the pressure increases proportionally, formed an important body of knowledge for pneumatic inventions. Hooke created the air pump for Boyle's experiments and invented the hygrometer, a device to measure water vapor.
Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz:
Credited with the invention of calculus, which is an indispensable tool for engineers and scientists to solve complex problems. Differential calculus can determine the slope of a curve, and integral calculus can help find the area or volume of a complex figure.
The Age of Transportation
Steam Engines:
James Watt's steam engine model led to the age of transportation.
Robert Fulton created the first commercially run steamboat in 1807.
George Stephenson's steam-powered railroad transportation system sparked the growth of railways everywhere.
Canals:
Extensive canal systems were built in England and the United States. The Panama Canal, finished in 1914, reduced the distance ships had to travel by about 5,000 miles.
Automobiles and Roads:
Henry Ford's assembly line implemented mass production of high-quality, affordable vehicles, leading to a need for better roads.
John MacAdam and Thomas Telford developed new methods for building smoother and more durable roads.
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 authorized federal funding for the interstate highway system in the United States.
Aviation:
The Wright brothers first achieved heavier-than-air flight in 1903 with a 12-second, 120-foot flight.
Charles and Gabriel Voisin started the first aircraft company in France in 1905, and Glenn Curtiss formed the first American aircraft company in 1911.
Underground Travel:
The Channel Tunnel, or "Chunnel," was first envisioned in the early 1800s and opened in 1994, with two boring machines meeting at the exact same point after tunneling from opposite ends.
The Age of Electricity
Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison:
Nikola Tesla played a major role in how we use alternating current (AC) today. He invented the AC induction motor and designed the Niagara Falls Power Station, which lit up Broadway in New York City.
Thomas Edison, with 1,093 U.S. patents, developed the incandescent light bulb, created the first industrial research laboratory, and implemented the commercial distribution of electricity to factories and homes.
Energy Efficiency:
Engineers are challenged to design new products that use less energy without sacrificing comfort or quality, as exemplified by the ENERGY STAR program.
Engineers have also improved the quality of life through systems for clean water, genetically modified crops, and better medicines and medical procedures.