The Evolution of Engineering

What is Engineering?

Engineering is about using scientific knowledge to make the most of natural resources for human needs. According to the Engineers Council for Professional Development in the U.S., engineering involves creatively applying scientific principles to design and develop structures, machines, and manufacturing processes. Engineers must understand how these designs work, predict their behavior under various conditions, and ensure they function safely and economically. In the UK, engineering is sometimes more broadly defined as the creation or assembly of engines and machine parts.

The words "engine" and "ingenious" both come from the Latin root *ingenerare*, which means "to create." Historically, the term "engine" referred to devices like catapults and assault towers used in warfare, and their creators were called "engineers." In contrast, civil engineers used their skills to design and build structures like buildings, streets, and water systems.

Engineering requires a deep understanding of specialized knowledge, and professionals undergo extensive training to apply this knowledge effectively. Engineering standards are upheld by professional societies that ensure members prioritize public safety and well-being.

While scientists seek to understand the world, engineers focus on practical application. Scientists expand our knowledge of the physical world, while engineers use that knowledge to solve real-world problems. Engineering relies on physics, chemistry, and mathematics, and their applications in materials science, mechanics, thermodynamics, and systems analysis.

Engineers don’t choose their problems; they tackle whatever challenges arise. Their solutions must balance various factors—cost, safety, performance, and more. The goal is to find the most effective solution considering all these aspects, which might mean achieving reliability within weight limits, meeting safety requirements, or optimizing cost.

Engineers use two main types of natural resources: materials and energy. Materials are valued for their specific properties, such as strength, durability, and insulating capabilities. Energy sources include fossil fuels, wind, sunlight, falling water, and nuclear power. Given that resources are limited, engineers focus on developing new resources and using existing ones efficiently.

Main Branches of Engineering

Chemical Engineering: Focuses on applying principles from physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering to develop and manage large-scale chemical processes.

Civil Engineering: Involves designing and building infrastructure like bridges, tunnels, dams, and buildings, both for public and private projects.

Electrical Engineering: Deals with designing and creating electrical and electronic systems, including circuits, generators, motors, and computer systems.

Mechanical Engineering: Centers on designing and manufacturing mechanical systems, such as engines, power systems, transportation equipment, and robotics.

There are also other specialized fields within engineering, such as bioengineering, aeronautical engineering, and software engineering, among others.

History of engineering

The first engineer we know by name and achievement is Imhotep, who built the Step Pyramid at Ṣaqqārah in Egypt around 2550 BCE. His successors, including engineers from Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome, took civil engineering to impressive levels using practical methods along with arithmetic, geometry, and some basic science. Remarkable structures like the Pharos lighthouse of Alexandria, Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, the Colosseum in Rome, and the Pont du Gard aqueduct in France showcase their skill and creativity. One notable surviving work from this period is Vitruvius’s *De Architectura*, a 10-volume book from the 1st century CE detailing building materials, construction techniques, hydraulics, measurement, and urban planning.

During the medieval period in Europe, engineers advanced construction techniques significantly. The Gothic arch and flying buttress allowed them to build structures taller and more complex than anything the Romans had achieved. The 13th-century French engineer Villard de Honnecourt’s sketchbook demonstrates his extensive knowledge of mathematics, geometry, science, and design.

In Asia, engineering also developed separately but in similar ways. Techniques in construction, hydraulics, and metallurgy evolved to support advanced civilizations, such as the Mongol empire, which impressed Marco Polo with its grand and sophisticated cities in the 13th century.

Civil engineering became recognized as a distinct field in the 18th century when the first professional societies and engineering schools were established. Throughout the 19th century, civil engineers designed and built a variety of structures, developed water supply and sanitation systems, laid out railroads and highways, and planned cities. Mechanical engineering also originated in England and Scotland, evolving from the innovations of Scottish engineer James Watt and the textile machinery of the Industrial Revolution. The growth of the British machine-tool industry greatly boosted the study of mechanical engineering both in Britain and internationally.

The understanding of electricity advanced significantly from Alessandro Volta’s invention of the electric cell in 1800. This progress continued with the experiments of Michael Faraday and others, leading to the creation of the Gramme dynamo and electric motor in 1872 by the Belgian engineer Zénobe-Théophile Gramme. The field of electrical and electronics engineering expanded with the work of scientists like James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz in the late 19th century. Major breakthroughs included the development of the vacuum tube by Lee de Forest in the early 20th century and the invention of the transistor in the mid-20th century. By the late 20th century, electrical and electronics engineers had become the largest group of engineers worldwide.

Chemical engineering emerged from the 19th-century rise in industrial processes involving chemical reactions, such as in metallurgy, food production, and textiles. By 1880, the chemical industry was focused on the mass production of chemicals, and the design and operation of these plants became a key responsibility of chemical engineers.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, environmental engineering grew to tackle issues like global warming and sustainability. This included the development and use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, the creation of new technologies for carbon capture and pollution control, and the design of green architecture and sustainable urban planning.


Reference: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wernher-von-Braun

                    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering

                    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/engineering