Computer Programming in the Civil Engineering Curriculum

Abstract

The rapid advances occurring in computer science have provided the engineer with a powerful means of processing, storing, retrieving, and displaying data thereby increasing the role of computer science in nearly every engineering discipline. One of the dilemmas in engineering education today is how future engineers can best assimilate the advanced, yet fundamental, knowledge in computer methods and technology appropriate for their specific engineering discipline. This paper suggests that the effective use of such technology in engineering processes and applications is the key to increased individual, company, and national productivity. In the future, an integrated combination of computer‐aided analysis and design techniques will need to be developed for all types of engineering design problems. The implications of this development for the academic community are clear: Students must be prepared to use computer methods and applications as a pan of their fundamental education. It is the responsibility of colleges and universities to incorporate contemporary computing fundamentals into their academic curriculum to improve the professional qualifications of their engineering graduates. These graduates will in turn be able to provide their increasingly important expertise to both the engineering profession and the academic community.