There are lot of innovation happening in the field of civil engineering everyday. This website pulls out the best ones for you to learn and to get amused.
The civil engineering department of the Indian Railways was managed by the Indian Railway Service of Engineers(IRSE). These engineers are responsible for the maintenance of all the fixed assets of Indian Railways. The assets include Tracks, Railway buildings, water supply in stations, roads, etc. In addition to maintenance of the existing assets, the IRSE engineers are also responsible for the construction of new assets such as laying new lines, gauge conversion, doubling and other development works in Railways.
RECRUITMENT
The recruitment to the cadre is done through the Indian Engineering Services exam. The top position holders of civil engineering joins IRSE and is finally inducted in Railways after one and a half years of training to maintain the civil engineering assets of Indian Railways.The selection exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) of India. The UPSC is responsible for recruiting middle and top-level bureaucrats for the Government of India.
An aspirant should be a civil Engineering graduate from any recognized university of India.
After Recruitment, the probationer is given 18 months' intensive training in various Railways establishments under the guidance of Indian Railway Institute of Civil Engineers, Pune. The training includes 3 months capsule course at IIMS.
A young probationer is posted as assistant divisional engineer after 18 months of training and can rise up to Chairman Railway Board, a post equivalent to principal secretary of Govt of India. In normal course, all the IRSE officers rise up to minimum level of Additional General Manager or Principal chief engineer or Chief Administrative officer (construction) rank in railways which is in higher administrative grade.
Railway service is very demanding and it needs sincerity, dedication and hard work. Railway Engineer is on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
There are about 1500 engineers working under the IRSE.
So the request that I am putting forward now is that "Please prepare for competitive exams like GATE, IES, etc and take these exams as many a times as it is allowed because they are of great use when you go into a job."
It actually is difficult to clear these exams in the first attempt itself. But if you are strong in your basic then you can clear it in the first attempt itself.
Think of a job in Railways. Will anyone need more than that. Make a wise decision. Start your preparation now onwards.
Sorry for a long gap. Due to various works I was not able to visit my blog such a long time. And with this post, I now end the thirst for knowledge in civil engineering in you. Many might be aware of this post but for those who are unaware of it can be benefitted by this post.
The Jiazhou Bay Bridge, world's longest ever sea bridge constructed by China is our topic today. Let us see more informations about this bridge. The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge is a T-shaped bridge connecting the three important places in China, Huangdao District, the city of Qingdao and Hongdao Island. The bridge which was opened on 30th June 2011, reduces the travel distance between Qingdao and Huangdao.Here is the view of Jiaozhou Bay Bridge from top showing the connection made between the trios.
The overall length of the bridge is 42.5 kilometers. Now here is the interesting thing about the bridge. The construction was started by three groups of engineers and workers. The first group started to construct the bridge form the Huangdao district, another group commenced their work from the Hongdao island and the third group's starting point was the Quigdao city. Now if there was any error in the construction of any one of these groups then there are chances of this like distortion.
The mistake that has not been commited during the construction of this bridge in China, was commited in Brazil during the construction of a sea bridge. This shows how much the engineers are careless. It has resulted in the wastage of large amount of money.
How hilarious this bridge looks? Its quite surprising to see these and we really wonder how the engineers and architects who were part of these constructions must have reacted seeing them.
However this mistake was not commited during the construction of the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in China. Some of the other facts are below.
It used 450,000 tons of steel and 2.3 million cubic metres of concrete to take its shape. The human force involved the construction was 10,000. The bridge is designed to withstand a severe earthquake, typhoon and even collision of ships. The bridge has six lanes and two shoulders.
Hi all, Myself N.Chidambaram,this blog's owner, is glad to announce you about the sustainability program to be conducted by WIPRO. It is actually impossible to discuss the whole concept of the program here. But I will be able to give you some gist of it and you can refer to website, that will be mentioned later, to know more information about it. First we have to know about WIPRO. It is one of the major IT companies in INDIA that has come a long way. It has now introduced to us the program on sustainability named as EARTHIAN. It invites application from schools and colleges from all over in INDIA to take part in this sustainability program.The concept is based on nine topics that are mentioned below 1.CLIMATE CHANGE 2.CITIES AND COMMUNITIES 3.OUR HOMES 4.WATER 5.PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION 6.BIODIVERSITY 7.AGRICULTURE 8.ROLE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES 9.ROLE OF POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
To know more information about this program, please log on to the website mentioned below http://www.wipro.org/earthian/Default.aspx
This is the monument that, among the others of the "Piazza dei Miracoli", stirs the imagination of everybody, from the old to the young. Firstly we like to give you some information and events regarding its long history.
The construction of this imposing mass was started in the year 1174 by Bonanno Pisano. When the tower had reached its third storey the works ceased because it had started sinking into the ground. The tower remained thus for 90 years. It was completed by Giovanni di Simone, Tommano Simone (son of Andreo Pisano), crowned the tower with the belfry at half of 14th century.
The top of the Leaning Tower can be reached by mounting the 294 steps which rise in the form of a spiral on the inner side of the tower walls.
This very famous work is of Romanesque style, and as already stated dates back to the year 1174. Cylindrical in shape it is supplied whit six open galleries. A cornice separates these galleries one from the other and each presents a series of small arches fitted on the capitals of the slender columns. In the base there is a series of big blind arcades with geometrical decorations. In the belfry there is the same design of arcades as that of the base, with the difference that here, there are, apart from the reduced proportions, the housings of the bells.
Although stately, this monument is not lacking in elegance and lightness due to the arcades and open galleries between one storey and another. Although it can be considered a real masterpiece of architecture, this monument is mostly famous for its strong inclination. Regarding this inclination it can be safely stated that it is undoubtedly due to a sinking of the ground right from the time of its construction. Therefore, the assumption of those who desire to imagine that great tower was built inclined is entirely without foundation.
Unfortunately, even today the great mass continues to sink very slowly. It is a question of about 1 mm. every year. Since nobody can state with mathematical security that this sinking will continue in the future at the present yearly rate, without its ceasing, remedies by means of adequate measures, based on scientific studies and projects, are under consideration. In the meantime supervision with instruments of very high precision is continuously being carried out.
Yes its true!!!!Be it civil engineering or any other branch of science, stepping away from comfort zone is a very essential and crucial part since it can take you to victory very soon.Now here is an article which says about it......It was published in the famous news daily "THE HINDU" dt 5-3-08 Human beings have an extraordinary ability to adapt. Every change in our surroundings and our environment is a cue that sets our adaptive mechanism in motion and permits us to cope with new and changing circumstances.
But despite being extremely adaptive, we are always hoping for the stability of the status quo in our daily lives. We like the regularity of routine and the inevitability of monotony.
We feel vindicated when we can make dependable predictions and dictate rules regarding acceptable behavior.
Our comfort zone provides us with a degree of security and we are happy to let it at that.
However, extraordinary results are not obtained by staying within your comfort zone.
When you are happy with the status quo, you are not changing with the external changes that are taking place.You are not making progress; you may have momentum, but you are not moving forward.
Your comfort zone can trap you in a prison of sorts, keeping you away from fresh challenges, experiences, and people.
If you really want to get out of your comfort trap, and on to the vanguard of change, it is time to start pushing your boundaries and breaking the rules.
Examine consequences
Staying in your comfort zone can have both good and bad associations. For example, your comfort zone can be a great antidote for stress and burnout.
If you have been driving yourself hard for a long time, stepping back into your comfort zone can offer a temporary respite and help you refuel for your next run.
If you have already achieved your life’s dreams, stepping into your comfort zone is a great way to bask in the glory of your past achievements.
But if you still have your whole life and its aspirations ahead of you, your comfort zone can trap you in a mirage of satisfaction.
Need to get out
It can be difficult to let go of that warm, satisfied feeling that being in your comfort zone can give you.
It is like coaxing a child to leave behind his favorite teddy when he goes to school. But it is necessary for the child to abandon his old comfort zones in quest of newer milestones.
Recognise how being in your comfort zone is stopping you from growing and moving forward.
The recognition that your comfort zone is limiting you is the first big step towards breaking out of it.
Set new goals
What are your goals, and how is being in your comfort zone stopping you from achieving those goals?
Goals typically need to challenge you, draw out your best and bring you out of your comfort zone. If they can be achieved easily, you need to scale them up and raise the bar higher, so that you can test the upper limits of your potential.
Get your cheese
Believe it or not, successful people are more prone to failures than those who are less successful.
This is because they take more risks, try new things and never give up till they get what they strive for.
In his book ‘Who moved my cheese?’ Dr. Spencer Johnson tells a wonderful story around two little people named ‘Hem’ and ‘Haw’ who have lost their precious hoard of cheese and are stuck in a maze with no food and no prospects.
To find new cheese, they have to venture out and explore new uncharted paths in the maze. The fear of the unknown prevents Hem from leaving the comfort of the old cheese station even if he is starving, while Haw lets go of his fear and succeeds in finding new cheese and a whole lot of confidence after a few failed attempts.
Dump the fears, prejudices and old habits that keep you stuck to your comfort zone.Be more open to change. Remember that almost all positive changes happen beyond the familiarity of the comfort zone.
Pain of change
The moment people start experiencing the anxiety, the discomfort and the awkwardness of letting go, they pull back into the comfort zone.
If you want to improve your life or change it for the better, you must steel yourself to put up with the pain of change.
People who get out of their comfort zones derive greater success and satisfaction from life. They may not get immediate results, but they force themselves to go beyond the point of no return.
And when that happens, they realise that there is a new horizon beyond and greater challenges and experiences ahead.
Yes there are a huge opportunity in Civil Engineering recently in NHAI and PWD there are 70,000 Vacancies are short
As the country builds or upgrades over 68,000 km of national highways, more than 35 airports, two dozen of the biggest railway stations, countrywide freight corridors, a whole new hospitality and housing industry, it’s faced with a critical roadblock: an alarming dearth of civil engineers, the skilled professionals who are needed to put each building block in its precise place.
Industry experts estimate that India faces a shortage of over 70,000 civil engineers each year. Not surprising, when you have just one in ten IIT students opting for the civil engineering discipline and only 200 of the 1700 engineering colleges approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) offer the course.
All IITs taken together graduate barely 500-600 civil engineering students and estimates are that not more than a total of 10,000 civil engineers are created in India per year. In fact, between a third and a half of all civil engineering undergraduates either drop off that stream soon after college and take up the more lucrative IT sector. That explains why private engineering colleges have either been reducing civil engineering seats or just shutting down this department over the last few years.
How civil engineering lost the battle over the last two decades is a story of how bricks and mortar lost their glamour to clicks — the IT boom, fuelled by a growing army of footsoldiers in computer science and electronics reduced civil engineering to an “old economy” discipline.
With heftier pay packets and global opportunities offered by the IT industry, an entire generation of engineering students/aspirants switched over from traditional engineering disciplines to the newer ones. In this churning, civil engineering finally ended at the bottom of the student’s wishlist while computer science, biotechnology and electronics engineering raced up. Even those who would get civil engineering in an IIT, for example — based on their rank in the joint entrance examination — were dropping out if they got computers at a lesser-reputed college.
“So the demand steadily dropped and colleges started to shut down the civil engineering departments. Most of them replaced it with IT/electronics or communication courses that offer higher salaries. Of the total 1700 engineering colleges, just some 200 would probably be offering civil engineering as a discipline,” says Prof Harish C Rai , Advisor, Engineering & Technology Bureau, AICTE.
I think all of you are aware of 'what is sustainability?'. Well, if you're not, let me give a small introduction about it.
“Sustainability” is one of the world’s most talked about but least understood words. Its meaning is often clouded by differing interpretations and by a tendency for the subject to be treated superficially. For most companies, countries and individuals who do take the subject seriously the concept of sustainability embraces the preservation of the environment as well as critical development-related issues such as the efficient use of resources, continual social progress, stable economic growth, and the eradication of poverty.
In short, sustainability is nothing but, meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation.Now let us come to the concept of sustainable construction,which is something concerned with our department(civil).
Sustainable construction aims to meet present day needs for housing, working environments and infrastructure without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs in times to come. It incorporates elements of economic efficiency, environmental performance and social responsibility – and contributes to the greatest extent when architectural quality, technical innovation and transferability are included.
Sustainable construction involves issues such as the design and management of buildings; materials performance; construction technology and processes; energy and resource efficiency in building, operation and maintenance; robust products and technologies; long-term monitoring; adherence to ethical standards; socially-viable environments; stakeholder participation; occupational health and safety and working conditions; innovative financing models; improvement to existing contextual conditions; interdependencies of landscape, infrastructure, urban fabric and architecture; flexibility in building use, function and change; and the dissemination of knowledge in related academic, technical and social contexts.
Based on this concept and to make sustainable construction easier to understand, evaluate and apply, the Holcim Foundation and its partner universities have identified a set of five “target issues” for sustainable construction, which serve as the basis for the adjudication process of the Holcim Awards and as a framework for other activities of the Holcim Foundation.
Well, most of us may not be aware of Holcim, it is one of the leading cement manufacturing companies in the world. Now it has added India to its territory by acquiring the leading cement manufacturers in India, namely ACC and GUJARAT AMBUJA CEMENT.
Holcim Awards is one of the milestone of the Holcilm Foundations. The main aim of the Holcim awards is to promote the sustainability concept throughout the world. Since Holcim has landed in India, this competition is open to Indians too.Inorder to encourage participation in the Holcim Awards, several sustainable construction around the world which has been selected for the Holcim Awards are described here. Some have won the award previously.
Autonomous alpine shelter, Monte Rosa hut, Zermatt, Switzerland
Mountain climbing has arrived in the 21st century. The building of the new Monte Rosa hut has been finalized at 2883 m (9460 ft.) altitude. If you’re expecting a romantic alpine chalet, look again. This building is a state of the art computerized building built on the principles of sustainable energy.
The Swiss Alpine Club, one of the largest sporting organisations of Switzerland, and the technical University of Zurich ETH had launched the project in 2003. The Monte Rosa hut is the most important staying point for climbers going to the Monte Rosa area with the Monte Rosa himself as the highest mountain in Switzerland at 4635 m (15208 ft.). The Rosa part does not mean any rose or pink colour, but derives from the Provencal language and means glacier. The mountain is known in Switzerland as Peak Dufour, too, in honour of the co-founder of the Red Cross. The first hut on the trail to Monte Rosa was opened in 1894 and rebuilt in 1940. The materials for both those buildings were brought to the building site by mule, but because of the shortage of mules these days, this very green aspect could not be considered in the newest rebuild. The estimates for the transport of the building materials to be brought up by mules would have taken several years. The materials were instead prefabricated and transported by train to the foot of the mountain; helicopters airlifted them only the last lap.
The area in which the hut was built is a nature preservation area, which means that the old hut will not only have to be torn down, but the materials must be transported back to the valley. The planners of the new hut therefore included the tearing down of the new hut and the recycling properties of the materials used into the planning of the building.
The main goal of the building is its energy autarchy, the current set up guaranteeing a 90 percent self sufficiency for all energy used in the hut. This grade of autarchy is attained through solar panels covering the entire south facade of the building covering 85 square meters linked to on site electric generators. Surplus energy is stored in accumulator batteries
to be used during peak hours. An emergency energy unit using rapeseed oil was installed as well.
The heating is based on a thermal system using a heat reclamation process from waste air. To supply heat during cold periods and when few people are staying there, an additional 35 square meters of thermal solar panels have been installed. Water is collected during the snow melting season for use in the building, and used water is recycled, cleaned in a bacterial filtering system and then reused in a secondary water circuit for flushing toilets and cleaning purposes.
To make this all work together the building has been completely digitalized and is run effectively from a computer centre located in the University of Zurich. All information relevant to the running of the hut are transmitted to Zurich, starting with the weather figures from the weather station
built into the hut, through reservation orders, and feedback on energy used and efficiency levels of the individual units are constantly monitored by specialists. They will be using the gained data from this relatively closed system to further improve on the current design.
The hut has already been nicknamed ‘Bergkristall’ (Mountain Crystal) by the public. The hut will take up its operation in spring 2010. Monte Rosa Hut offers sleeping space for 120 climbers and proffers a communal eating area subdivided into smaller eating units. The spectacular views from the eating area’s windows is complemented by a panoramic stairway leading from the ground floor to the sleeping floors on the first and second storeys of the hut.
