Guest Lecture
on
Civil Engineering beyond concrete and steel - Engineering livelihoods and landscapes with MGNREGA
Guest Speaker : P. Santha Rao, Vigilance Officer, Office of the Commissioner, Panchayat Raj & Rural Development (PR&RD), Tadepalli, Government of Andhra Pradesh
Date and time : 26th July, 2025 (Saturday), 10:45 am - 12:45 pm
Mode & Location: Offline & U-Block, AFF-006 Room
Evolution of Engineering
The engineering practice is as ancient as civilization,
The formal profession of engineering was born in the 18th century when Civil Engineering started to focus on building things for the public—like roads and bridges, instead of only for the military.
This foundational engineering discipline soon gave rise to Mechanical Engineering, catalyzed by the Industrial Revolution's demand for new machinery and power-driven systems.
From the beginning, engineering kept growing into different branches, with each new discovery or invention creating a new type of engineering.
Civil Engineering
The Foundation of Infrastructure
When early humans began to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and started settling in one place, the need for permanent shelter became essential. This major shift happened around 10,000 years ago during the Neolithic Age, when agriculture began to replace hunting and gathering. People started to grow their own food and domesticate animals, which made it possible to live in one area for a long time.
Transportation
 During the same time, transportation became increasingly important leading to the development of the way, wheel and sailing.
Origins & Milestones
 Civil engineering traces back to ancient civilizations of Egypt, Rome, and China, making it the oldest recognized engineering discipline.
 Milestone inventions include the arch, dome, and Roman concrete - revolutionary structural elements that enabled buildings to span greater distances and bear heavier loads
The Appian Way by Roman engineers (312 BCE)
Pyramids of Egypt, 2700–2500 BCE (Designed as eternal resting places for Egyptian kings)
“John Smeaton, England, 1724 to 1792, Father of civil engineering, is the first person to call himself a “civil engineer†to distinguish his work from military engineering
He built Eddystone light house in 18th century. He used.
• Hydraulic lime (an early form of concrete that sets underwater).
• Interlocking stone blocks, which improved strength and stability.
Advancing towards infrastructure projects
These advancements on construction technology, concrete technology, design as well as material front have given way for the construction of some historical infrastructure projects like
• Bridges
• highways,
• sky scrapers,
• ports and
• airports etc
Today, civil engineering continues to transform our world through
o Design: Visualize and simulate performance before building
o Construction Monitor progress, cost, and safety using real- time data
o Operations Track structural health, energy use, and wear- and-tear
o Maintenance Predict and prevent failures using AI-based insights
Internet of things
Ground water depletion
If you plan for need and safety
You get safe roads to fulfil your needs
