Civil Engineering

Department of Civil Engineering

The level of infrastructure developments are indicators of improved livelihood, investment attractions and tourism, the contribution of civil engineering in this regard is decisive. Access to drinking water and shelter, roads and harbors, railways and airports, hospitals, sports stadiums and schools etc. are the backbones of our daily life. Infrastructure adds quality to our life, and because it works, we take it for granted, only when part of it fail, or are taken away, do we realize its value. Civil Engineers worldwide endeavor to overcome the challenges of creating and maintaining infrastructure for today, and for future.

Civil Engineering is primarily designed to train viable, job-oriented, and marketable students. It is known that civil engineers build the world’s infrastructure with the help of structural engineering, construction technology, road & transport engineering & Geotechnical engineering. Problem solving professionals in the planning, design, construction & operation of all infrastructures (civil works) of our country have to be produced. The graduates have to be involved in road construction, structural system, supervision in construction sites & others.

The department offers programs leading to B.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering in the regular and continuing education programs with duration of 5 years. It is currently running with a total of 300 students in a regular and continuing education programs.

Mission of the Civil Engineering Department

The mission of the Civil Engineering Department is to provide high quality civil engineering education and training, to undertake basic and applied research focusing on local problems while maintaining international standards, and to render professional services for national development.

The Department trains civil engineers who are capable of planning infrastructure development and handling the design and construction of a wide range of civil engineering projects, such as buildings, bridges, roads, dams, water treatment plants, water supply systems, irrigation schemes etc. The training produces competent graduates with good problem-solving and research skills currently at B.Sc. level. The graduates contribute to the economic development of the country and upgrade the engineering sector in Ethiopia.

Making the department of Civil Engineering and a model one in the country, which according to the department, would be achieved by creating strong scientific relations: exchanging technologies, ideas and research outputs with similar universities in the country, world, and strengthening bonds with industries at home and abroad.

Educational Objective

The Department of Civil Engineering at Dilla University is dedicated to providing the highest quality broad-based technical, scientific, and liberal education. The department maintains and creates an outstanding educational programme in a climate that fosters diverse skills designed for professional success.

The objectives of the department are to prepare students for:

• Excellence in engineering decision-making and design,
• Leadership careers in engineering practice,
• Graduate professional engineering education,
• Advanced study and research in engineering, and
• Diverse and alternative career choices.

Streams

In general, undergraduate study in Civil Engineering includes six specialty areas:

Construction Engineering Specialty

• manage construction of engineered projects (dams, bridges, building, etc)
• advise owners and designers on construction alternatives during project design

Environmental Engineering Specialty

• invent new technologies to minimize pollution to air, land and water courses
• develop an understanding of processes affecting global climate, oil spills, acid rain

Geotechnical Engineering Specialty

• design flexible pavements , foundations, rock tunnels, earthen embankments, landfill liners
• Specify migration cutoff systems to collect leachate from hazardous waste sites.

Structural Engineering Specialty

• Plan and design complex structural systems using traditional and new synthetic materials.
• Create bridges, towers, coliseums, skyscrapers, and space stations.

Transportation Engineering Specialty

• build, operate, restore and maintain highways and roads
• apply advanced technologies to make highways safer and more efficient

Water Resources Engineering Specialty

• optimize the design and operation of dams for water supply, flood control, and hydropower
• Model fate of pollutants transported in ground water aquifers and water distribution systems.

Goals

The goal of the department is producing outstanding civil engineering graduates prepared to become technological, managerial and public service leaders with keen sense of ethical and social responsibility, and grounded in a holistic appreciation of technology and environmental safety issues.

Staff Profile and Population

The department of Civil Engineering is comparatively one of the most populated in the university. The department currently has two Lecturers, two assistant lecturers, four Graduate assistants and two technical assistants.