Software Application in Civil Engineering

ANURAG VERMA
2019011042
CIVIL ENGINEERING section ‘A’

SEMINAR (BCE 30)

TOPIC: Software Application in Civil

Engineering

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 Software Application in Civil Engineering

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to place on record my deep sense of gratitude to Prof.
Shri Ram Chaurasia, HOD, Department of Civil Engineering,
Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur
for his generous guidance, help and useful suggestions. I express
my sincere gratitude to Mr. Madan Chandra Maurya, Asst. Prof,
Dept. of Civil Engineering, for his stimulating guidance,
continuous encouragement and supervision throughout the course
of present work. I also wish to extend my thanks to faculty
members and other colleagues for attending my seminars and for
their insightful comments and constructive suggestions to improve
the quality of this seminar. I am extremely thankful Prof. J P
Pandey, Vice Chancellor,for providing me infrastructural
facilities to work in, without which this work would not have been
possible.

Anurag Verma
Civil Engineering (Third year)
2019011042
Email: 2019011042@mmmut.ac.in

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 Software Application in Civil Engineering

CONTENTS
1. Abstract

2. Introduction

3. Needs of Software

4. Current Situation and Civil Engineering

5. Software’s related to Civil Engineering

6. Conclusion

7. References

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 Software Application in Civil Engineering

ABSTRACT
The use of software for easier, effective and economical work is
essential now days. It is used in every field of construction under
civil engineering. Surveying is an important part of construction.
For surveying we are using some softwares like CG-SURVEY for
AutoCAD, AutoDesk Field, Survey Geocomp, Systems Foresight,
which survey the field. After surveying has been done the major
part of construction is estimating the total work. For estimating the
constructional work, we have Expert Estimation software.
Construction is the basic work of any building. Software makes
this problem very easy. Some software are RISABase,
RISAFlooring, RISAMassonary. Final touch to make the building
attractive is the interior designing. It create attractive look and
make high impression of the building. Some interior designing
softwares are AutoCAD, 3D Studiomax, coral draw. By using this
software we can make our construction more accurate, within
sufficient time and effective.

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 Software Application in Civil Engineering

INTRODUCTION
Civil Engineering Software is becoming an essential part of
every project work. As infrastructure development is
playing a very important role in the growth of any country,
the amount of software serving Civil
Engineering and design needs is increasing tremendously.

Civil Software has the major function to reduce man

work, increase speed and reduce human error
with authentic information on board. There is
various software for civil engineering developed
for different work. Today’s software can store data, analyze
data and guide engineers for future project work.

High–rise buildings with no height limits

are constructed with the use of civil engineering
software. Take the example of the world’s tallest
building Burj Khalifa having 828 m in height and 160
stories. With the help of software, we can create 2D and 3D
models of buildings before construction and analysis
their strength, behaviour, and safety.

In today’s world of competition we must have one step ahead of

world. According to requirement of time we have to adopt new
technique & instrument. But in today’s customer wants fast and
superior work without thinking of cost. This type of superior work
can be achieved by using software’s of construction. Due to use of

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software’s speed of work and accuracy increases. We have to just

feed information in it and we get results in few minutes.
As civil engineer in today’s world of software, we must have
knowledge of software related to construction. There are large
numbers of softwares used now a day. By using this software we
can construct the planning of any type of building by sitting in one
cabin of office. There is no need to go into the field, if we get
information about our construction that how to create it.

In ancient times, ancient Chinese lived in caves. People at that time

understood the concept of nest. Later, five, people left the cave.
They learn to use tools to build their own houses. In the Qin
Dynasty, the ancient people had learned to use art to design houses.
In the Qin Dynasty, the level of artistic design of houses was
relatively high. Today, the design of our houses is ever-changing.
This phenomenon shows that the development of civil engineering
in China has a long history. With the progress of society and the
development of the times, gradually found the traditional civil
engineering construction problems. Now, we can finally use
computer software to help complete the construction of civil
engineering process.

Nowadays, the definition of civil engineering is very broad.

Compared with ancient times, the construction steps of our
engineering facilities are very simple. Moreover, our project
quality is very good. However, the emergence of bean curd residue
engineering leads many people to question the quality of traditional
civil engineering design (see Fig 1). Experts put forward that the
traditional construction standard of civil engineering has great
limitations. Using the software development technology of
computer, we can improve the quality standard of civil engineering

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construction process. This paper mainly analyzes four kinds of

computer software for civil engineering design.

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NEEDS OF SOFTWARE
Time is an important factor in the word. Previously, there is
also lots of construction work done by the skilled engineers.
But the major factor is time and accuracy. Today, the lose of
time and less accuracy in constructional work is over come
by the use of softwares. There are large numbers of software
in the world in application of building construction. by the
used of software we can make our work more accurate,
attractive and within a sufficient time. In earlier decades, the
time required for construction of one big building is about
10 to 15 years, but now days the required time for the same
work is just about 10 to 15 months. This is possible only by
the use of various softwares available in the world of
building construction. For construct any design we have to
go step by step. These steps are:
 Survey of site & preparation of plan
 Designing of structure
 Structural analysis
 Construction

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Current situation and Civil

Engineering
World history of Civil Engineering
In the mid-19th century, concrete and steel had appeared in the
world. People began to use concrete to build houses. With the rapid
development of engineering technology, people began to build
large-span buildings. Nowadays, many large-span buildings can be
seen everywhere. At the beginning of the 20th century, people had
the consciousness of building highway engineering. Until now, the
United States has become the longest highway journey country in
the world.
General classification of Civil Engineering
In China, civil engineering is mainly divided into structural
engineering, bridge engineering, road engineering and water
conservancy engineering. Structural engineering refers to housing
construction and building construction. Bridge engineering has
developed from suspension bridge to cross sea bridge. There is no
doubt that China's bridge engineering is world-famous. Road
engineering mainly includes Railway Engineering and highway
engineering. Water conservancy projects mainly include the
construction of dams and hydropower stations.
The civil engineering will extend vertically
The land resources on earth are limited. The sudden increase of
population leads to the reduction of land occupation per capita.
Moreover, the cost of land use in some high-grade cities is very
expensive. Many rural residents want to make a living in the city.
This form has caused a lot of land use costs, and the rising trend is

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faster and faster. Therefore, many cities have high-rise buildings.

Civil engineering extends vertically.
Civil engineering will extend to the ocean
In order to reduce the impact of noise on residents, some foreign
scholars suggest that the airport should be built next to the ocean.
Some scholars have even developed marine aircraft. The
construction process of civil engineering on the sea is very
difficult. Scholars all over the world are thinking of various ways
to build some engineering facilities around the ocean. Nowadays,
the emergence of China's Cross Sea Bridge and undersea tunnel
has shocked the world.

Civil engineering drawing based on CAD software

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Software’s related to Civil Engineering

AutoCAD
The Full form of CAD is a computer-aided software drafting
program. AutoCAD is used for various applications like creating
blueprints for buildings, bridges, and computer chips to name a
few.
AutoCAD is mainly used for 2D and 3D computer-aided
drafting software applications. It is one of the best civil
engineering software. Since 1982 it was a desktop application and
commercial software. Since 2010, it is available on mobile
platforms, web, and cloud–based apps and is known as AutoCAD
360.
AutoCAD has features to create a 2D drawing and 3D model or
construction that can be drawn by hand. The software has
an option to group or layer objects, keeps objects in a database for
future use, and manipulates properties of objects, such as size,
shape, and location.
AutoCAD has different applications in a wide range of fields.
The software can be used for simple projects, such as graphs
or presentations, or complex designs, like drawing up
the architecture of a building. Some other practical
applications may include:
 Interior designs
 Aeronautical designs
 Logos
 Fine art

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 Maps
 Greeting cards
 Engineering designs
 Architectural designs

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Revit
Revit is software for an architectural design and documentation
software program. It is made for architects and engineers for
managing building design and detailing the model.
Revit is an Autodesk Building Information Modeling ( BIM )
software for structural engineers and Companies that provides a
rich toolset feature for helping a design process and when you are
working with the other construction application using Autodesk
CAD, Software like an Auto desk Revit MEP and Revit
Architecture.
BIM Services is one type of process and not an application beneath
the umbrella is Revit software. BIM helps in making models which
are used for planning, design, construction, and management of
building a design to make the construction projects faster, and
economical causing less harm to the environment.
BIM Model can make interior and exterior models which can be
changed and stay updated while any third–party personnel can
work in it.
Revit creates elements of design that architects and designers can
view in different views such as 2D drawings, 3D models, and
schedules. It has also a special feature that if the data changes in
one set of elements, it gets updated in all the other elements set
views automatically by Revit.

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Civil 3D
Civil 3D software is a strong, well-established civil engineering
tool that may help you boost productivity, save time, and cut
expenses. It employs a dynamic engineering approach that has
been proved in the industry to maintain intelligent object
interactions. A change made in one place changes your entire
project in real time, allowing you to accomplish transportation,
site, sewer, storm drain, and subdivision projects more quickly and
precisely. All members of the team use the same consistent, up-to-
date model, ensuring that they are in sync across all project phases,
including survey, design, drafting, reporting, analysis, and
visualization.
Company can use one powerful solution for all of its civil
engineering design, drawing, and GIS needs with the benefits of
Civil 3D software. With one powerful solution, you can cut
training and support expenses, streamline licensing and
subscription renewals, reduce data translation requirements, and
significantly increase the quality of your deliverables.
Benefits of Civil 3D
1. Save on time and money with reduced rework
AutoCAD Civil 3D projects use a dynamic engineering model that
connects design and production drawing. As a result, a change to
one section of the design affects the entire project, decreasing
drafting errors and the time it takes to apply design modifications
and examine many what-if situations. The software, for example,
automatically updates the road model, redisplays proposed
contours, recalculates volumes, updates profile labels, and corrects
section plots for the road when you change the vertical design
alignment.

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The profile, corridor model, and plotted cross sections all update
quickly as you modify the curve length on your alignment. When
you lower a building pad, you can get updated volumes and see the
new construction limitations right away. Autodesk Civil 3D
efficiently maps the civil engineer’s work process into a user-
friendly and powerful software environment, saving time and
money while decreasing errors.
2. One complete solution to reduce purchase, deployment and
operation cost
Site development, subdivision design, road rehabilitation, highway
and rail design, environmental, and many other surveying and
engineering project types are all addressed by AutoCAD Civil 3D
2008. Professionals in civil engineering, surveying, engineering
technology, and drafting can now work on any project at any time
without having to become experts in several specialty goods.
Additionally, by implementing a single solution, a business can
save money on training and support, streamline license and
subscription renewals, and reduce data translation requirements.
3. More design alternatives
You may explore conceptual suggestions and finalize final designs
considerably faster with the Autodesk Civil 3D dynamic
engineering model. For instance, you could start by rapidly
sketching out numerous alignment options for a planned road.
Then you may start fine-tuning the alignments, profiles, and make-
up of the corridor assemblies until you have the best design
concept. All linked items and drawings are automatically updated
when you make a modification. Finally, this allows you to analyze
more design options in less time, giving a higher level of service to

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your consumers and separating your organization from the

competitors.
4. Easy integration with AutoCAD
Take advantage of the existing software because AutoCAD Civil
3D is based on the AutoCAD software, experienced AutoCAD
users may work in a familiar environment with tools and processes
they’re already familiar with while also taking advantage of the
Civil 3D’s native engineering, surveying, and industry-specific
drafting tools.
You can dramatically boost your civil engineering design and
drawing productivity without a considerable learning investment
by utilizing existing AutoCAD-based production drafting
techniques such as CAD standards, sheet set management, plotting,
and so on.
Without putting forth a lot of effort, you can greatly increase your
drafting productivity.
5. Ramp up production
AutoCAD Civil 3D offers a drafting environment that is derived
directly from the model. Without needing the user to be a CAD
expert, the style-based environment helps to ensure that objects and
annotations in the design correspond to production requirements.
Civil 3D also includes civil/survey-specific drafting tools as well
as advanced drafting features like the new Highway Sheet
Generation Tool. These kinds of tools automate what would
otherwise be a number of phases, resulting in a major increase in
the efficiency of production drafting.

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6. Sync your design & drafting

AutoCAD Civil 3D dynamically integrates drafting elements with
the engineering model, such as alignment, parcel labels, and tables,
so that any modification to the model automatically updates the
annotation. The drawing scale and view orientation are also kept
track of by these clever labels and tables.
When you alter the plan’s scale from 1:50 to 1:100, the annotation
automatically resizes to keep the plotted size the same. When you
rotate the plan’s view orientation, the annotation of the objects
moves with it to keep the plan readable.
Automatic updating helps assure the accuracy of your final
construction documents by reducing time-consuming and costly
human editing of drafting items. In other words, when design
modifications occur, AutoCAD Civil 3D efficiently removes the
need to redraft. The model and Civil 3D annotation remain in sync
once your drafting is completed.
7. Enhanced Collaboration
Small and large project teams can leverage AutoCAD Civil 3D’s
scalable multiuser capabilities, which includes the usage of
AutoCAD xrefs, data shortcuts, and Autodesk® Vault-based
project assistance, to finish projects more rapidly and with fewer
errors.
Survey observations, points, surfaces, alignments, profiles, corridor
models, and pipe networks can all be accessed by several members
of a design team at the same time, allowing more people to be
involved in the surveying, design, and plan production process.

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Share an alignment over several drawings, each with its own

annotations and item look. If the master alignment changes, the
secondary drawings’ alignment will also change. There’s no need
to redo any drafting. Both the plan and the profile are in sync.
Using the most up-to-date project data, everyone can operate as a
single, well-integrated team.
8. Data Compatibility
AutoCAD Civil 3D allows to work with any DWG drawing file,
read and write MicroStation DGN drawing files, and import and
export AutoCAD Land Desktop project data with AutoCAD Civil
3D 2008. AutoCAD Civil 3D also supports LandXML data and
GIS data formats, such as vARC/INFO® coverages and Export
(E00), ArcView® Shape, and others.
AutoCAD Civil 3D also allows you to export model visuals and
metadata for usage outside of the software. A published DWF file,
for example, includes all model data, such as pipe size and
material, so that someone examining the design in Autodesk
Design Review has all they need to validate the proposal.
AutoCAD Civil 3D also allows you to export model features like
parcels, pipes, and alignments to SDF format for use in GIS tools
like AutoCAD Map 3D or Autodesk Topobase. Finally, Civil 3D
can connect to industry-leading data collectors from firms like
Leica, Trimble, and Carlson. The data interoperability of
AutoCAD Civil 3D allows for a more integrated CAD and GIS
solution, making it easier to collaborate with internal and external
engineering and GIS departments or consultants.
9. Customized solutions
AutoCAD Civil 3D is an excellent tool for creating unique civil
engineering applications. Civil 3D may be customized to meet your

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demands thanks to its comprehensive API (application

programming interface) and a multitude of third-party applications.
10. Complete final proposals with realistic 3D rendering
AutoCAD Civil 3D inherits all of AutoCAD software’s 3D
rendering capabilities, allowing you to efficiently explain your
design idea. Corridor elements, for example, can be pre coded with
appropriate materials so that they render correctly automatically.
Surface models can simply be divided into subareas that display as
various materials.

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3D-S Max
It is basically a computer graphics program for creating 3D
models, animations, and digital images. It’s one popular software
in the computer graphics industry and is well known for having a
robust toolset for 3D artists.
It is mostly used by in-game developers, TV commercial studios,
and architects, 3ds Max is owned by Autodesk, the same company
responsible for programs like Maya and AutoCAD.
This software is also used for character modeling and animation as
well as for rendering photorealistic images of buildings and other
objects.
Who Uses The Software?
3ds Max really caters to architectural designers and game asset
artists the most. As for rigging and animation, 3ds Max has
everything necessary for professional work. So it is often used by
professional animators working on big–budget films, indie films,
or even smaller commercial spots that need some 3D motion.
Using skeletons, bone constraints, and kinematics, artists can
animate characters using a really simple process that almost
anyone could pick up with practice.
Animation in 3ds Max revolves around keyframing bone
properties, making it easy to create complex and organic motion.

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Mat-Lab
MATLAB is a high-performance language for technical
computing. It integrates computation, visualization, and
programming in an easy-to-use environment where problems and
solutions are expressed in familiar mathematical notation. Typical
uses include:
• Math and computation
• Algorithm development
• Modeling, simulation, and prototyping
• Data analysis, exploration, and visualization
• Scientific and engineering graphics
• Application development, including Graphical User Interface
building
MATLAB is an interactive system whose basic data element is an
array that does not require dimensioning. This allows you to solve
many technical computing problems, especially those with matrix
and vector formulations, in a fraction of the time it would take to
write a program in a scalar noninteractive language such as C or
Fortran. The name MATLAB stands for matrix laboratory.
MATLAB was originally written to provide easy access to matrix
software developed by the LINPACK and EISPACK projects,
which together represent the state-of-the-art in software for matrix
computation. MATLAB has evolved over a period of years with
input from many users. In university environments, it is the
standard instructional tool for introductory and advanced courses in
mathematics, engineering, and science. In industry, MATLAB is
the tool of choice for high-productivity research, development, and
analysis.

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MATLAB features a family of application-specific solutions called

toolboxes. Very important to most users of MATLAB, toolboxes
allow you to learn and apply specialized technology. Toolboxes are
comprehensive collections of MATLAB functions (M-files) that
extend the MATLAB environment to solve particular classes of
problems. Areas in which toolboxes are available include signal
processing, control systems, neural networks, fuzzy logic,
wavelets, simulation, and many others.
The MATLAB system consists of five main parts:
The MATLAB language.
This is a high-level matrix/array language with control flow
statements, functions, data structures, input/output, and object-
oriented programming features. It allows both "programming in the
small" to rapidly create quick and dirty throw-away programs, and
"programming in the large" to create complete large and complex
application programs.
The MATLAB working environment.
This is the set of tools and facilities that you work with as the
MATLAB user or programmer. It includes facilities for managing
the variables in your workspace and importing and exporting data.
It also includes tools for developing, managing, debugging, and
profiling M-files, MATLAB's applications.
Handle Graphics.
This is the MATLAB graphics system. It includes high-level
commands for two-dimensional and three-dimensional data
visualization, image processing, animation, and presentation
graphics. It also includes low-level commands that allow you to
fully customize the appearance of graphics as well as to build

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complete Graphical User Interfaces on your MATLAB

applications.
The MATLAB mathematical function library.
This is a vast collection of computational algorithms ranging from
elementary functions like sum, sine, cosine, and complex
arithmetic, to more sophisticated functions like matrix inverse,
matrix eigenvalues, Bessel functions, and fast Fourier transforms.
The MATLAB Application Program Interface (API).
This is a library that allows you to write C and Fortran programs
that interact with MATLAB. It include facilities for calling
routines from MATLAB (dynamic linking), calling MATLAB as a
computational engine, and for reading and writing MAT-files.

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Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project is a software developed and sold by Microsoft
that offers project management tools to manage projects. The
software has a different version which has many different versions,
allowing users to:
• Understand and control project schedules and finances.
• Communicate and present project information.
• Organize work and people to make sure that projects are
completed on schedule
Microsoft Project is very important civil engineering software and
is extensively used for planning activities, setting baselines, CPM
building, resource leveling, monitoring, and assigning costs to
various activities, In short, it can be used from starting of the
project to the completion of the project.
The Microsoft project’s only limitation is that it does not allow to
add information about the company, its employees, functions
assigned to them, etc.

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Primavera
Primavera is a company founded in 1983 as Primavera Systems
Inc., which was later taken rights by Oracle Corporation in 2008. It
is mostly utilized by project management professionals and also
can be linked with ERP systems.
This software is able to handle multiple projects with a storage
capacity of more than 100,000 activities with unlimited resources
and an unlimited number of target plans. It’s basically MS Project
on steroids.

Uses
It has many functions like Planning, Monitoring, Controlling, and
Reporting a project. It is extensively used by Planning engineers in
the Construction field.
1. Planning
It helps in formulating a project baseline program (set by the
planning manager with the help of the site planning engineer). It is
also known as the Clause 14 program. It is the first step in project
planning and software used to find the actual sequence of activities
to be followed for execution on the site.
The software offers a feature that resources can be loaded to
activities. It offers easily understandable pictures regarding the
yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily programs.
In big megastructure projects this software stores the sequence of
activities to prevent any delay in the project.
2. Monitoring (done by site planning engineer)

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Once in software initial baseline is set, then it is easy to monitor

the project.
According to planning as the baseline program is set in software
then it gives an actual site progress status.
This is function is very easy in primavera rather than in any other
software.
3. Controlling
In this software total Float, the free float can be easily calculated at
the click of a button. Hence it becomes too easy for engineers to
identify the critical and subcritical activities and prevent them from
the delay.
4. Reporting
Reporting is too easy in this software because of its numerous in-
built layouts and formats which are customizable.
Used especially by
• Planning Engineers
• Planning Managers
• Project Managers

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CONCLUSION
• The software has shown their use in the field of building
construction and planning
• By using this software we can create and analyze one
structure by various types and method
• We can predict the cost of our structure early at the starting of
constructional work so as to have a proper idea about the cost
of planning
• We can get grater accuracy.

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REFERENCE
• https://www.academia.edu/
• http://www.scribd.com/doc/
• http://nbmcw.com/
• https://civiconcepts.com/blog/civil-engineering-software
• Langlendorff G . Cooperative Efforts in the Exchange and
Use of Civil Engineering Software (West Germany)[C]//
Computing in Civil Engineering. ASCE, 2010.
• Schelling D . The National Civil Engineering Software Center
(NICE) Revisited[C]// Research Transformed Into Practice.
ASCE, 2010.
• www.engineering-software.com

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