The Department of Construction and Environmental Engineering focuses on building the infrastructure of modern society based on traditional technologies, and in doing so, conducts various research and activities to pursue sustainable development and prepare for the future.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “all roads lead to Rome” at least once. Most people who hear this phrase think of Rome’s golden age, called the Pax Romana, and assume that the Roman Empire was the center of the Western world at the time. But let’s expand on this idea a bit. One of the reasons Rome was able to rise to power during its Golden Age was because of its paved roads. Most of the roads of the time were dirt roads, not paved like we have today, so not only were they uneven, but when it rained, the roads would turn into a muddy mess and not function properly. The Romans, on the other hand, built their roads with an even layer of well-polished stone, so that they could function in all conditions.
These roads gave the Roman army the weapon of mobility, which allowed Rome to effectively govern its colonies. In addition, these roads were used by the Roman army in wartime but also by merchants and travelers in peacetime, facilitating the interconnection of cities. The Roman roads served as the nation’s logistical thoroughfares and were the foundation of Rome’s economic development. As such, Rome is a representative country that realized the importance of road infrastructure early on and made good use of it. This is probably where the phrase “all roads lead to Rome” comes from.
But the importance of infrastructure is not limited to Rome. In fact, infrastructure has played a key role in every civilization and society. For example, the Great Wall of China was more than just a defensive barrier. It served not only military purposes, but also as a vital piece of infrastructure that facilitated movement and exchange between neighboring regions, unifying the Chinese empire and driving economic prosperity. Similarly, waterworks, such as the Nile River Canal in ancient Egypt, helped maximize agricultural production and boost local economies.
Infrastructure refers to the basic facilities that form the foundation of economic activity, and it typically refers to social capital that is closely related to economic activity, such as roads, rivers, ports, and airports. It is also a broader term that includes social welfare and living environment facilities such as schools, hospitals, and parks. As we saw in the example of Rome, infrastructure is an important factor that can determine the development of a country. That’s why the construction of these infrastructures has been a national project and considered important in the past. The Department of Construction and Environmental Engineering is a department that studies and researches the planning and construction of such infrastructure. Think of it as a department similar to civil engineering.
To be more specific, there are seven main areas of study at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Geospatial information engineering, transportation engineering, structural engineering, urban design and planning, hydraulic engineering, geotechnical engineering, and environmental engineering. Geospatial information engineering is a field that manages and interprets spatial information, and in recent years, it has become important to collect, process, and analyze more accurate three-dimensional spatial information due to the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS), which uses satellites to determine location. Transportation engineering and planning is the study of efficient transportation systems that encompass land, sea, and air traffic. Effective transportation systems are becoming increasingly important as transportation is an important factor in national development. Structural engineering is the study of structural design and structural analysis of social infrastructure, such as bridges, dams, and power plants, so that structures can be built reliably and economically. Urban design and planning seeks to make more efficient use of land space and studies how to solve local problems. The field of hydrological engineering works to solve various water resource problems, observing and predicting the behavior of fluids and water. Geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering studies the analysis and design of geotechnical structures, the foundation of all structures, and the contamination of the ground environment. Environmental engineering is based on a new awareness of the environment, which has been neglected as humanity has developed. Environmental engineering is a field of study that focuses on preventing environmental pollution and cleaning up the environment for a more comfortable living environment and future generations. Although the Department of Construction and Environmental Engineering is one faculty, it is subdivided into such diverse fields of study. This diversity is an advantage because it gives students a wide range of career paths.
In recent years, the world has been experiencing rapid urbanization and population growth, which has increased the need for infrastructure. This is especially true in developing countries, which are actively building new roads, bridges, airports, railroads, and more. The Department of Construction and Environmental Engineering is contributing to building sustainable infrastructure through research and development of new technologies in line with this global trend. This is not just about economic growth, but also about environmental protection and resource conservation.
The Department of Construction and Environmental Engineering is certainly different from the current trends of IT, BT, and NT. And although some cutting-edge technologies are used, the Department of Construction and Environmental Engineering mostly uses theories and knowledge established in the past. In some ways, you might think it’s old and archaic, but that’s part of its charm. Even in the modern world with all of its cutting-edge technology, it’s like a craftsman who uses the oldest and most reliable tools to do his job. While it may seem that the discipline is lagging behind the times, it is actually preparing for the future more steadily and carefully than anyone else.
