O IMPORTANTE PAPEL DA FORMAÇÃO AMBIENTAL NO ENSINO DA ENGENHARIA CIVIL: ESTUDO DE CASO SOBRE INCIDENTE COM PONTE FERROVIÁRIA NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO

Abstract

Throughout History, Civil Engineering has represented the non-military application of science, art and technology to build facilities to provide humans improving quality of living. It differs from other categories of Engineering, such as Mechanical, Chemical or Electrical, in that its ‘industrial floor’ is the earth ground, or the river or sea bottom – rather than a factory floor – and the open atmosphere commonly stands for its ‘industrial roof’ – instead of a man-built ceiling. Thus, industrial processes in Civil Engineering must face the random, environmental changes of Meteorology, Hydrology or Oceanography. The paper emphasises the role of a comprehensive formation of civil engineers such as to qualify them to perform environmental studies preliminarily to planning or designing Engineering works. This analysis of a bridge, built on the São Paulo State, Southwest Region sandstone soil, which faced the risk of collapse during the first considerable flood endured after inauguration, demonstrates this statement. Index Terms - Civil Engineering, integrated action, comprehensive professional education, bridge flood safety.