Introduction to Design for Civil Engineers

Our aim in writing this book is to bring out the broad issues affecting all design.
We have not attempted to provide prescriptions, formulae or recipes to solve
particular problems. These can all be found in codes, manuals and other books.
We have instead concentrated on the factors affecting design and the process
undertaken. Engineering education tends to be a compartmentalised learning of
different techniques. The main missing link is the appreciation of the purpose
behind these techniques, and the context of their application. We have tried to
illustrate the all-pervasive nature of design.
The book is particularly aimed at young engineers and undergraduates. We
hope that we have kindled their curiosity, so that students feel that their studies
are purposeful. We believe that this in turn will allow the students to derive more
from their curriculum. It is hoped that the book will enable them to appreciate the
bigger picture, and how many of the skills they had acquired in a disparate fashion
can be brought to play in a constructive manner.
The book has been a pleasure to write, and our hope is that it contributes to the
understanding of the creative activity that is design.
© 2001

这是一本向土木工程师介绍工程设计理念的书。这不是一本工具书。