When our ancestors were evolving as 'the Civilisations', you can imagine the extent of the conflicts. Military Engineers would look after everything. Groups were small. Needs were common for all. All were the warriors. Wars were the inevitable events.
Then, the ideas such as Trade, Commerce, Politics, Sports, Arts and Administration enlightened them.
Some Military Engineers focused on the civilians more and more. The needs of the common citizens were different than the fighters. Eventually, a separation occurred. Military Engineers continued to build the long-lasting structures. But the public needed special infrastructure.
Maybe, the above tale is too tall. A myth perhaps?
But I liked the idea. Seeing the on-paper objects becoming a reality, is cool. Civil Structures have a long lifespan, when built right. Plus, no other field will include all the sciences, legal frameworks, public policy, economics and psychology under a single head. Civil Engineering does that in a clever way.
You can 'see' how the Geometry aids the development. Construction Industry might not score well in the Occupational Hazards and Safety competition.
Still, it is one of the biggest Employment Generating Industries.
As such, almost every aspect of a human-life depends on a good-enough infrastructure. This is not an ideal world, with infinite resources at the disposal of everyone. Yet, the Built Environment continues to evolve despite the Constraints caused by the Nature, or the Human Nature.
So, you learn about the roads, the buildings, the dams, the towers and the drinking water. How can we forget about the Pollution Control and Solid Waste Management?
The Hospitals are structures. The Factories are built by someone. Schools, Hotels, Pools, Sports Grounds, Studios and Ministries are not made of magic. Bridges, Tunnels, Earthquake Resisting Apartments, Canals, Irrigation for the Farmlands and the Railways need the structural professionals. Airports as well as the Data Centers demand some special designs.
Entire Cities are the results of Master Plan. Without the Town Planners and Surveyors, cities cannot grow or survive.
Drainage and Sewer Systems, and even the 'natural' byproducts, should be managed somehow. Soil is not the same everywhere. And the underground water tables can visit your basement, if care is not taken. Rainwater should be stored. And salt water could be re-purposed.
Also, the construction and the handover of a Civil Project, is just a point in the Project Lifecycle.
Maintenance, Servicing, Repairs, Replacement, Retrofitting, Rehabilitation and Demolition... You need a knowledgeable person for these activities. For every project, a budget estimate is important. For a good estimate, being familiar with every cost factor is crucial. Thus, a civil estimator helps the contractors, property owners and the tender-makers, arrive at a safe figure amount.
While it is true, that this type of Engineering Profession has so many laws, standards, protocols and policies to follow; given the investments made per project, such an Over-Documentation becomes unavoidable.
Simply look at the situations, such as Slum Redevelopment or demolishing the Dangerous Old Buildings. How many are the stakeholders? Who are invested in those projects? How would their lives change because of the development? What are the challenges in such initiatives?
In other words, there is no civil engineering project, which can be isolated from the general public.