Five software programs to know in Civil Engineering
If you are interested in joining the field of Civil Engineering, you should be familiar with the following programs. In particular, these programs help civil engineers in their daily duties. Whether it is modelling pipe networks or detention/water quality ponds, or making sure they are staying on schedule, these five programs are fundamental to the job!
AutoCad Civil 3D
Easily the most used program in the industry, Civil 3D is a civil engineering drafting software with a multitude of design, analysis and simulation tools for civil engineering design. If we are talking high level, we use CAD to create sets of plans known as construction documentation. From polylines to feature lines, pipe networks to profiles, Civil 3D’s range of tools will allow you to create innovative and detailed designs.
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HEC-HMS
Considered a standard for hydrologic simulation, The Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) is designed to simulate the hydrologic process of watershed systems and provides you with nearly all the drainage values you could need. In the program, you describe the physical properties of a watershed and the meteorology that act on the watershed during a defined time span of simulation. Additionally, the simulation results are easy to understand. Furthermore, summary tables for each element include peak flow, total volume, depth and storage values in reservoirs and ponds, and more.
Developed at the Hydrologic Engineering Center of the US Army Corps of Engineers, HEC-HMS is available to the public.
HEC-RAS
In addition to HEC-HMS, the Hydrologic Engineering Center of the US Army Corps of Engineers has also created the River Analysis System (HEC-RAS). This program models the hydraulics of water flow through rivers and channels of many cross-sections. This program will help you determine if water can travel through specific structures (channel, stream, bridge, culvert, etc…) safely without causing adverse flooding in the area. The system is able to analyze both steady and unsteady flow, sediment transport computations and water quality components. Additionally, it is used for floodplain management with the help of its mapping tools.
This program is also available to the public.
Microsoft Project
Project is Microsoft’s project management tool. It is similar to Microsoft Office, specifically Excel, with its user interface, making navigating the program easy. Scheduling is very important when it comes to managing engineering projects. With the knowledge of basic scheduling concepts such as activity relationships, critical paths, Gantt Charts, and more, Microsoft Project will enable you to create detailed schedules to manage your different projects.
Try Microsoft Project with a free trial.
StormCAD
StormCAD is a modelling and analysis program for drainage system, stormwater and sanitary sewer design. Civil engineers use it daily to size pipes and structures for a variety of development projects. StormCAD can provide calculations for drainage area runoff, inlet capacity, gutters and pipe network flow and more. The outputs and custom report generator are helpful in providing necessary information to ensure your system is engineered correctly. With GIS and AutoCAD support, importing and exporting between programs makes doing the job that much easier!
Want to know more about StormCAD? Check out their overview video!
Thanks for taking the time to read our blog post about programs in civil engineering. Do you want to study abroad in Spain? Take a look at our Civil engineering study programme and feel free to talk to our counsellor for more information.
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