Civil engineering has been transforming the world for a long time. According to Aggeliki (2011), civil engineering arose between 4000 and 2000 BC in Egypt. In these years, nomadic people changed their lifestyle and started to live in some places of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Because of this, in these places arose some shelters and the development of transportation until the invention of wheel and sailing (Wikipedia, 2014). At this time, there were no other engineering fields in the world such as mechanical or electrical engineering. Some people say that other areas of engineering come from civil engineering because it study a little bit of all engineering fields such as mechanical, electrical, environmental, etc. However, while other engineering fields have been innovating, civil engineering keeps using some techniques and concepts from centuries ago. For example, the techniques to build a brick and mortar wall today is the same from fifty years ago. These old techniques and concepts can be viewed in any fields of construction and some classes in universities. The modern world always requires more advances, more studies, and changes, but unfortunately civil engineering has not been innovating. These changes do not happen due to the old minds of professionals in this field. Although these olden professionals usually do not like changes, changing in a few important ways can improve productivity in field constructions.
The first change would be that we need more research. These researches will focus on a kind of problem to try to solve it in a way more efficient. This could improve productivity in constructions fields. These researchers could happen in universities because this is the best place to develop ideas and learning of students. In universities, students and professors would research in specific fields in civil engineering such as foundations of buildings, building materials or even steel structure. Universities and some companies would give support for these researches and it will result in good consequences for productivity in construction fields. It will improve because new building materials and constructions techniques will be discovered. Zheng, Shih, Lozano, & Mo (2011), note, citing Larsen-Basse & Chong (2006), that these new constructions techniques could use nanotechnology to discover a new kind of reinforced concrete to make stronger structures, a polymer to replace another material, new kind of coating material, etc. In addition, some constructions companies that are supporting these researches, in the future, can use these new building materials and construction techniques in their own construction fields.
Change is a good way to improve anything. Including productivity in construction fields. The process of building anything involves studying the soil, painting the walls, etc., and in most of fields of construction, these steps are the same. Improving part of the process of building is one of the best ways to achieve great productivity. When civil engineers try to analyze different structural, electrical, or hydraulic projects, they try to compile all information to understand what is the best form to build. Thus, they are optimizing the building. When Engineers make this optimization of projects, they try to avoid mistakes making a kind of building that everything has a correct and own combination, like the famous toy Lego. This optimization of projects is a good step of construction to having superior quality, and increasing durability. Also, these new improvements in construction fields can be made faster than in the past. This happens because optimization makes information about all processes of construction easier for workers understand and start the job quickly.
The third significant change is use of robotics and automation processes in construction fields to improve efficiency. This change should happen initially in universities. The reason of this is because civil engineers do not have access to information in their graduate about these technologies. Thus, some changes in civil engineering curses is necessary. Boles & Wang (1996), note, citing Corrigan & Skibniewski (1991), that it is important to start introducing classes or courses about robots, technology and automation processes in civil engineering undergraduates. The purpose of this is to give the basic knowledge for civil engineering students about these kinds of helpful technology. When these students graduate, they will probably start to use these technological tools in their construction fields.
Robotics and automation processes have been making the world better and faster. Buildings will be done easier and faster than in the past if civil engineers start using these technologies in construction fields. For example, there are some robots that can build a sidewalk in a few hours or even automation process that can mix up without any human calculus sand, cement, water and gravel to do concrete. According to Boles & Wang (1996), using these new technologies in construction fields, the result will be great productivity, better work conditions, and more security for workers.
The last change is that civil engineers have to start to think as innovators. Nowadays, knowledge about how manage a company is very important for everyone who wants to be successful. Capitalism has changed the world for a long time. Because of this, the mind of civil engineers who want to be successful professionals will probably change too. For example, some years ago subjects about entrepreneurship were studied just in specific fields such as economy, business etc. However, today other fields like engineering are studying basic concepts of these subjects in undergraduates. For example, there are some specific majors in Brazilian universities that study how to use concepts of entrepreneurship in their original fields. An example of these majors is mechanical engineering production. This field teaches about mechanical engineering and how to manage an industry.
The change in the minds of civil engineers is very important to improve efficiency in construction. According to Russell (2013), for the civil engineer of tomorrow, this professional should have creativity, business and management fundamentals, leadership ability, etc. Today, civil engineers have to think about their actions as a manager to try increase the power of their construction companies. They should analyze the marketplace before start a new construction. For example, old civil engineers just thought about foundation, concrete, steel, timber, etc. when they built. Today, this professional have to think about how to compete against other companies, possible costs and profits, real situation of the economy, how conduct his employees to work well, etc. If these subjects are analyzed before, it will define how the building must be done or what kind of construction is the best. All this information about the construction will result in better efficiency in fields of construction because civil engineer was able to analyze all projects and economic situation, and work together others staff.
Sometimes change is hard to do, but it is necessary, especially for civil engineering. It needs to do these changes to achieve better productivity in construction fields. The ways to do this can start in universities. For example, changing some classes or courses in universities. After that, more professionals probably would graduate with new minds. A lot of things have been changing in the world since ancient times, and civil engineering could follow this natural tendency. Thus, civil engineering would become better. If these changes occur, good consequence will happen for everybody. For example, construction companies will probably increase their profits, governments could decrease their costs with reforms and infrastructure, and people will live in better and more safe buildings.
If civil engineers improve productivity and efficiency in construction fields, their construction companies will be more successful. This would happen because better productivity result in more profits. Every company need to have great profits to achieve its goals to be successful. Also, construction companies will be recognized for their good job if they build more efficient in constructions fields. These companies will become more powerful than their competitors. Therefore, if every construction company looks for its productivity in construction fields as something very important for its alive future, it will become a successful and respected construction company.
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