CIVIL BITS and BYTES

CONSTRUCTION MARVELS OF INDIA When we think about engineering marvels, we mostly focus on the appearance of the structures and often don’t consider the sheer constructional mastery of them. India is not only rich in scenic delights; it has some of the most spectacular structures in the world that are examples of immense advancements in the field of civil engineering. These constructional marvels are testimony to that. 1. Pamban Bridge, Tamil Nadu India’s first cantilever bridge connecting the town of Mandapam in the mainland with Pamban Island and the island of Rameswaram, Pamban Bridge is our country’s first sea bridge and the second-longest of its kind. Opened in February 1914, this conventional bridge rests on concrete piers and also has a double-leaf bascule section with a Scherzer rolling type lift span midway. The bridge consists of 143 piers and the two leaves, each weighing 415 tons can be raised manually with the help of levers for the passage of ships and barge

HISTORY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Civil engineering at its roots in the application of physical and scientific principles for solving the problems of society, and its history is intricately linked to not only the advances in the understanding of physics and mathematics throughout history, but also the knowledge of structures, materials science, geography, geology, soils, hydrology, environment, mechanics, etc. Thus, it could be inferred that civil engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginnings. The civilizations of Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, and ancient Egypt showed the earliest practice of civil engineering between 4000 and 2000 BC. This was mainly due to the fact that the people stopped their nomadic way of life and needed shelters. Also, the wheel was invented as a need for transportation arose. Later this led to the construction of roads. The Romans developed civil structures throughout their empire, including especially aqueducts, insulae, harbors, bridg

CONSTRUCTION AMIDST A PANDEMIC We are currently living in one of the worst pandemics in history; and amid such panic, the doctors and medical staff are at the frontlines, battling the deadly COVID-19 virus. Another set of heroes that worked in the backdrop and provided the doctors with an extensive medical facility in the shortest possible time are the engineers behind the building of the two mobile hospitals in China. In the wake of the coronavirus spreading like wildfire in China, the government decided to built a mobile hospital with 1000 beds and all critical care facilities to battle the SARS virus. The Huoshenshan Hospital was built from 23 January 2020 to 2 February 2020 in the Wuhan district. Later, another facility, the Leishenshan Hospital was built 40 km away. Both of these were placed such that they were close to Wuhan, which was the epicentre of the pandemic, as well as major cities like Beijing. The hospital was built faster since a type-design was used from