Engineering A Better South Carolina
South Carolina's engineers are trained and charged with the task translating the visions and designs of city planners, architects and industrial concepts into practical and safe working reality. it's easy for a city road commission to decide to put a new highway from one small South Carolina town to another. It's the engineers, though, who devise the means to get the road across swamps, rivers, mountains and endless stretches of wooded obstacles. The engineer is also responsible for making a building coming off an architects drafting board able to stand the rigors of constant weathering, abuse and stresses. When a designer decides a vacuum cleaner or a new car coming out of BMW's Greer, South Carolina plant needs to go faster and drive easier, the engineer translates the concept into a road-going vehicle. Although "engineer" is also synonymous with a locomotive train driver, South Carolina engineers have little in common with their railroad friends. Originally, an "engine" was any sort of mechanical device. Whether it was a water wheel, a medieval catapult or steam powered trains, these were all termed "engines." With the spread of the Industrial Revolution, however, an engine became something used mainly for power. Steam engines and internal combustion engines were the norm for powering industry and commerce. As a train operator controlled the steam locomotive's engineer, he was an engineer. Later, mechanics and designers began improving these early machines and they also were termed engineers as they made the mechanical systems function. Soon, anyone who studied the physical properties of motion, thermodynamics, stress, lift, load, velocity, torque combined with mathematical interpretations were called engineers. A science and an art was born. There many types of licensed practicing engineers (P.E) in South Carolina. A contractor will call upon a structural engineer to determine how much load the roof trusses can bear. A South Carolina builder will also need the services of a civil engineer to test the soil and see if will support the foundation. A mechanical engineer will work to develop the elevators, escalators, heating and air conditioner installations. An electrical engineer will assure the builder and the owner the wiring and lighting designs are adequate and the building's power sources can handled the voltage without fail. Also, South Carolina leads the nation in the nuclear power industry. Nuclear engineers are trained to understand the peculiar and demanding stresses and tolerance to control the atom. Manufacturers such as BMW, Nucor Steel at Huger, South Carolina and Tamper in West Columbia, South Carolina have engineering staffs to design new systems both for their products and their manufacturing facilities. Although engineering in South Carolina is a prominent and demanded profession, rarely will an individual call directly upon an engineer for a particular service or product. One exception would be the civil engineer working as a surveyor or land assessor. South Carolina and owners often need to find the precise boundaries of their plots for many reasons. Whether there is a dispute with a neighbor over a property line, wanting to install fencing or wanting to add an addition to an existing structure, accurate surveys are mandatory. In many South Carolina towns and counties, zoning restrictions prevent structures from being a certain distance from the property line. Building a new garage or family room addition on the house and then learning the house is now one foot too close to the neighbor's property can be a very expensive mistake. Civil engineers are trained to examine land maps in county offices, measure accurately to within a millimeter of tolerance and stake out accurate locations for needed references. Additionally, the civil engineer works to ensure foundation supports and road grades are within required specifications. The civil engineer takes the road plans and turns them into graded curves and level roadbeds for smooth traveling.Engineers Do Not Drive Trains
Practicing Engineer
Civil Engineering In South Carolina
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