Chapter - 1

Built Environment, Elements of Built Environment

er
Contents :

m
Aj
 Built Environment :
Definition, need and purpose
ge
le
 Elements of Built Environment :
ol

a) Homes, Offices and Commercial Buildings, Parks and Recreation Centers

C

(Civil Engineering is the basis for developing the built-environment)

g

b) Transportation systems consisting of roads, railways tracks, culverts, and

in

Airport runways
er

c) Water resources and water systems

ne

d) Infrastructure mainly consisting of buildings, bridges, tunnels, dams, canals,

sewer systems
gi

e) Ground support systems

En

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 1

Definition
In urban planning, architecture and civil engineering, the term built environment, or built world,
refers to the human-made environment that provides the setting for human activity, including homes,
buildings, zoning, streets, sidewalks, open spaces, transportation options, and more. It is defined as
"the human-made space in which people live, work and recreate on a day-to-day basis."

Modern built environment

Currently, built environments are typically used to describe the interdisciplinary field that addresses

er
the design, construction, management, and use of these man-made surroundings as an interrelated
whole as well as their relationship to human activities over time. Within the field of public health,

m
built environments are referred to as building or renovating areas in an effort to improve the

Aj
community's well-being through construction of “aesthetically, health improved, and environmentally
improved landscapes and living structures”. Intelligent Transportation System are recent
implementation of technology in modern built environment.
ge
le
Need of Built Environment
ol

The built environment is traditionally defined as what we, people, have constructed to live, work,
C

move around and get access to a broad range of services we need: from water, electricity, and,
increasingly, means of communication and connectivity, to entertainment, relaxation, and care.
g
in

The built environment is important because it touches all aspects of our lives, encompassing the
buildings we live in, the distribution systems that provide us with water and electricity, and the roads,
er

bridges, and transportation systems we use to get from place to place.

ne

Purpose of Built Environment

gi

A built environment is developed in order to satisfy residents' requirements. Human needs can be
En

physiological or social and are related to security, respect, and self-expression. People want their built
environment to be aesthetically attractive and to be in an accessible place with a well-developed
infrastructure, convenient communication access, and good roads, and the dwelling should also be
comparatively cheap, comfortable, with low maintenance costs, and have sound and thermal
insulation of walls. People are also interested in ecologically clean and almost noiseless
environments, with sufficient options for relaxation, shopping, fast access to work or other
destinations, and good relationships with neighbours.

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 2

Prominent features of the built environment :
Transportation options
Transportation options within a community play a large role in communities, both socially and
physically. These options can include roads, sidewalks, public transportation infrastructure.

Roads and highways

Roads & highways are primarily intended to promote transit, of people from one place to another. It
plays an important role in traffic movement.

er
Sidewalks

m
Sidewalks are an important feature of the built environment that enable pedestrian mobility and

Aj
increase walk-ability.

Public transport
ge
le
Public transport raises property values by improving access to surrounding resources, lowers the cost
of living by reducing the need for a car, and improves an area's environmental footprint by reducing
ol

greenhouse gas emissions.

C
g

Buildings
in

The location, design, and layout of buildings all have an impact on the function and effectiveness of a
er

building's service. A building's location can influence how a building will be used, and how
frequently. Additionally, the design of indoor space, as determined by architects and designers, has a
ne

great impact on how the space functions and the behaviour it promotes.
gi

Parks and green space

En

Parks provide a number of neighbourhood benefits including promotion of physical activity and
environmental wellbeing. The location and accessibility of parks also has a great influence on the
surrounding communities, even impacting environmental factors like temperature.

Elements of Built Environment :

It includes not only buildings, but the human-made spaces between buildings, such as parks, and the
infrastructure that supports human activity such as transportation networks, utilities networks, flood defences,
telecommunications and so on. The sum of the seven components or elements are define the scope of

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 3

the total built environment such as - products, interiors, structures, landscapes, cities, regions, and
Earth.

1. Products –
Products include materials and commodities generally created to extend the human capacity to
perform specific tasks : materials (bricks and mortar, wood, concrete and steel, polymers and
plastics); tools (pen and pencil, hammer and saw, peace pipe or weapon); machines (radios and
stereos, televisions and telecommunication systems, calculators and computers, roller skates and

er
automobiles, aircraft and spaceships).

m
2. Interiors –

Aj
Interior spaces are defined by an arranged grouping of products and generally enclosed within a
structure. They are generally created to enhance activities and mediate

ge
external factors (living room, workrooms, private rooms, public assembly halls, stadiums, etc.).
le
3. Structures –
ol

Structures are planned groupings of spaces defined by and constructed of products; generally,
C

related activities are combined into composite structures (housing,

schools, office buildings, churches, factories, highways, tunnels, bridges, dams, etc.). Generally,
g
in

structures have both an internal space and an external form.

er

4. Landscapes –
ne

Landscapes are exterior areas and/or settings for planned groupings of spaces and structures
(courtyards, malls, parks; gardens, sites for homes or other structures; farms,
gi

countryside, national forests and parks). Landscapes generally combine both natural and built
En

environments.

5. Cities –
Cities are groupings of structures and landscapes of varying sizes and complexities, generally
clustered together to define a community for economic, social, cultural, and/or environmental
reasons (subdivisions, neighbourhoods, districts, villages, towns, and cities of varying sizes).

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 4

6. Regions –
Regions are groupings of cities and landscapes of various sizes and complexities; they are
generally defined by common political, social, economic, and/or environmental characteristics (the
surrounding region of cities, counties, or multicounty areas, a state or multistate regions, countries,
continents).

7. Earth –
The Earth includes all of the above, the groupings of regions consisting of cities and landscapes —

er
the entire planet, the spectacular, complex, beautiful, still mysterious Earth, which, as human
power expands, may be considered the ultimate artifact.

m
Aj
ge
Building System : le
Homes –
ol

A home is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for an individual, group or

C

family. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it.
Homes provide sheltered spaces for instance rooms, where domestic activity can be performed such
g

as sleeping, preparing food, eating and hygiene as well as providing spaces for work and leisure such
in

as remote working, studying and playing. Physical forms of homes can be static such as a house or an
er

apartment.
ne

Offices –
gi

Office is the place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed. An office is a right
En

to exercise a public function or employment and to take the fees and emoluments belonging to it.
Offices may be classed into civil and military. An office is a space where
an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects
and goals of the organization.

Commercial Buildings -
Commercial buildings are buildings where commercial activities take place. Commercial buildings include
office buildings, retail space, warehouses and more. This differs somewhat from commercial property, which
also includes multi-family buildings like apartment buildings. The reason for this is that commercial buildings
Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 5
are where commerce happens, while commercial property earns money for its owners but doesn't have to
have commerce happening in it. Multi-use buildings that have a mix of spaces, such as a retail area and
apartments, can still be considered commercial in certain circumstances.

Parks and recreation centres -

The term park means a piece of open land for recreational use in an urban area or it is a large area of
land preserved in its natural state as public property; then there are laws that protect the wildlife in
this park. The term recreation means activities which are relaxing to humans or provide diversions

er
from their normal routine. In town planning provision of parks and recreational facilities is a part of

m
an overall urban planning scheme whether a new city is made or improved an existing one. Park and
recreation means a program or programs carried out or promoted by a public agency for public

Aj
purposes which involves directly or indirectly the acquisition, development, improvement,

ge
maintenance and

protection of park and recreational facilities for the residents of a given political area. Parks and
le
recreation are resources and services provided for the purposes of leisure, entertainment, and
ol

recreational pursuits. Public and private areas that are predictably used for fishing, bird watching,
C

bike riding, hiking, or camping or other recreational use also would be considered recreational areas.
g

Recreation Centre is a building that is open to the public where meetings are held, sports are played,
in

and there are activities available for young and old people.
er
ne

Transportation System :
gi
En

The different modes of transport are air, water, and land transport, which includes Rails or railways,
road and off-road transport. Other modes also exist, including pipelines, cable transport, and space
transport.
In general, transportation is used for moving of people, animals, and other goods from one place to
another. Means of transport refers to the transport facilities used to carry people or cargo according to
the chosen mode (animal, vehicle, car, airplane, ship, truck, train and so on and so forth). Each mode
of transport has a fundamentally different technological solution, and some require a separate
environment. Each mode has its own infrastructure, vehicles, transport operators and operations.

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 6

There are 4 major modes of travelling :

• Roadways - This transport system exists in all parts of the world. Different types of
vehicles are used in this transport system. Buses, taxis, cars, trucks, trailers are the primary
vehicles which move on the roads. Pedestrians are the major users of roadways.

• Railways - Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of

wheeled vehicles i.e. trains running on rail track, known as a railway or railroad. Railway
transport has become extremely popular in countries where vast numbers of people need to

er
make daily to and fro within cities or even beyond that for their professional needs.

m
• Waterways - Water transport is the process of transport that a watercraft, such as a boat,

Aj
ship or steamer, makes over a body of water, such as a sea, ocean, lake, canal or river.

ge
Mainly two types of water transport systems are there one is inland water transport and
another is ocean water transport.
le
ol
• Airways - This transport system is the most advanced and latest one in the transport
C

industry. Using airlines facilities people can reach their destination in a short period.
Passengers can take domestic flights to enter any city within a country and can even afford
g

international flights to reach abroad destinations.

in
er

Transportation systems consisting of roads, railway tracks, culverts and airport runways -
ne
gi

Roads :
En

A road is an identifiable route of travel, usually surfaced with gravel, asphalt/bitumen or concrete,
and supporting land passage by foot or by a number of vehicles.

Roads consist of one or two roadways (carriageways), each with one or more lanes and any
associated sidewalks (pavement) and road verges. Other names for a road include: parkway;
motorway or expressway; highway, etc. Roads which are made of soil surface only are called kachcha
road, and made with bituminous surface are called flexible roads, and made with concrete surface are
called rigid roads.

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 7

 er
m
Aj
ge
Types of road/carriageway
le
ol
C

Railway Tracks :
g
in

A railway track or railway line is a set of two parallel rows of long pieces of steel called rails. They
are used by trains to transport people and things from one place to another.
er
ne

The rails are supported by cross pieces set at regular intervals (called sleepers or ties), which spread
the high pressure load imposed by the train wheels into the ground. They also maintain the rails at a
gi

fixed distance apart (called the gauge). Ties are usually made from either wood or concrete. These
En

often rest on stone ballast, which is a name for very small pieces of broken up rock that are packed
together and keep the railway tracks in place.

The railway tracks are classified as mainly four types of railway gauge used in India, which are :
Broad gauge, Narrow gauge, Standard gauge (for Metro-rails), and Meter Gauge.

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 8

 er
m
Aj
ge
le
ol
C

Components of a Railway Track

g
in

Culverts :
er

A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to channel a subterranean waterway.
ne

Culverts are commonly used both as cross-drains to relieve drainage of ditches at the roadside, and to
pass water under a road at natural drainage and stream crossings.
gi
En

A culvert is a structure that typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, it may be made from
a pipe, reinforced concrete or other material. A culvert is a small bridge-like structure having span
less than 6 m, designed to allow vehicle or pedestrian traffic to cross over the waterway while
allowing adequate passage for the water.

Culverts can be made using any of following material, by which it can identify -

 Corrugated Steel Pipe (CSP)

 Structural Plate CSP.
 Open bottom CSP.

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 9

  Concrete Pipe.
 Concrete Boxes – Precast.
 Concrete Boxes – Cast in Place.
 Polymer (plastic) Pipe

er
m
Aj
ge
le
ol
C
g

Airport runways:
in

An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports
er

often have facilities to park and maintain aircraft, and a control tower. An airport consists of a landing
ne

area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active
surface such as a runway for a plane to take off and to land or a helipad, and often includes adjacent
gi

utility buildings such as control towers, hangars and terminals. Larger airports may have airport
En

aprons, taxiway bridges, air traffic control centres, passenger facilities such as restaurants
and lounges, and emergency services.

A runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for

the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concrete, or
a mixture of both). Runways, as well as taxiways and ramps, are sometimes referred to as "tarmac",
though very few runways are built using tarmac. Runway lengths are now commonly given in meters
worldwide, except in North America where feet are commonly used.

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 10

Water resources and water systems :

Water resources -

Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to humans. It is important
because it is needed for life to exist. Many uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household,
recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water. Water
resources come in many forms, but the three main categories are saltwater, groundwater and surface
water. Natural sources of fresh water include surface water, under river flow, groundwater and frozen

er
water. Artificial sources of fresh water can include treated wastewater (reclaimed water) and
desalinated seawater which can use for agriculture purpose. Water that are useful, or potentially

m
useful, to society; for instance for agricultural, industrial or recreational use.

Aj
Water systems –

ge
A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic
le
components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following :
ol

1. A drainage basin (water purification – sources of drinking water)

C

2. A raw water collection point (above or below ground) where the water accumulates, such as a
g

lake, a river, or groundwater from an underground aquifer. Raw water may be transferred
in

using uncovered ground-level aqueducts, covered tunnels, or underground water pipes to

er

water purification facilities.

3. Water purification facilities. Treated water is transferred using water pipes (usually
ne

underground).
gi

4. Water storage facilities such as reservoirs, water tanks, or water towers. Smaller water
systems may store the water in cisterns or pressure vessels. Tall buildings may also need to
En

store water locally in pressure vessels in order for the water to reach the upper floors.
5. Additional water pressurizing components such as pumping stations may need to be situated
at the outlet of underground or aboveground reservoirs or cisterns (if gravity flow is
impractical).
6. A pipe network for distribution of water to consumers (which may be private houses or
industrial, commercial, or institution establishments) and other usage points (such as fire
hydrants)

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 11

 7. Connections to the sewers (underground pipes, or aboveground ditches in some developing
countries) are generally found downstream of the water consumers, but the sewer system is
considered to be a separate system, rather than part of the water supply system.

er
m
Aj
ge
le
ol
C
g
in
er
ne

Water Resources and Water System

gi
En

Infrastructure mainly consisting of buildings, bridges, tunnels, dams, canals,

sewer systems :

Buildings -

Infrastructure is often seen as a prerequisite to economic development and is even defined as the
“basic physical and organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies)
needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.” In other words, without infrastructure, the
operation of a society. Buildings are central to the nation's infrastructure and should be included in
Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 12
any package approved by governments. Building construction is usually further divided into
residential and non-residential. Infrastructure, also called heavy civil or heavy engineering, includes
large public works, dams, bridges, highways, railways, water or wastewater and utility distribution.

Bridges -

Mechanized bridge construction is based on the use of specialized erection equipment. Beam
launchers are used to erect precast beams. Self-launching gantries and lifting frames are used to erect
precast segmental bridges. Forming carriages are used for segmental casting of the concrete slab of

er
composite bridges. The purpose of a bridge is to allow people or cargo easy passage over an obstacle
by providing a route that would otherwise be uneven or impossible. Some of the main materials found

m
on a bridge are steel, concrete, stone and asphalt. Other materials include iron, timber, aluminum,

Aj
rubber and other joint materials. A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a
body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the

ge
purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually something that is otherwise difficult
or impossible to cross.
le
ol
C
g
in
er
ne
gi
En

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 13

Tunnels -

The tunnels are defined as the underground passages that are used for the transportation purposes.
These permit the transmission of passengers and freights, or it may be for the transportation of
utilities like water, sewage or gas etc. Tunnels are civil engineering structures that create an
underground passage that may pass through a hill, under buildings or roads, under water or even
under entire cities. Tunnels avoid disturbing or interfering with surface life and traffic during
construction. Tunnels prove to be cheaper than bridges or open cuts to carry public utility services
like water, sewer and gas.

er
Dams -

m
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs

Aj
created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation,
human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability. Hydropower is often used in

ge
conjunction with dams to generate electricity. A dam can also be used to collect or store water which
can be evenly distributed between locations. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of storage and
le
safe retention of water in large quantity which is subsequently released to achieve various purposes
ol

such as irrigation, hydropower, recreation, water supply, flood prevention etc.

C
g
in
er
ne
gi
En

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 14

Canals -

Canals or Channels (artificial waterways) are man-made waterways or engineered channels built
for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyance of water
transport vehicles. They carry free, calm surface flow under atmospheric pressure, and can be thought
of as artificial rivers. A canal can be called a navigation canal when it parallels a natural river and
shares part of the latter's discharges and drainage basin, and leverages its resources by building dams
and locks to increase and lengthen its stretches of slack water levels while staying in its valley. There
are two types of canals : waterways and aqueducts.

er
Sewer Systems -

m
A sewerage system, or wastewater collection system, is a network of pipes, pumping stations, and

Aj
appurtenances that convey sewage from its points of origin to a point of treatment and disposal.
Sewage is pumped from buildings and homes through pipes that transfer the waste to filters that

ge
separate large objects from the sewage water. Large items can include plastic, logs, and other
materials. Sewage then flows into tanks where solids in the wastewater will separate into sludge and
le
water.
ol

Municipal wastewater refers to used water from homes, businesses, industries and institutions that
C

drain into sewers. It contains sanitary sewage and is sometimes combined with storm-water from rain
g

or melting snow draining off rooftops, lawns, parking lots and roads. Sewers collect municipal
in

wastewater from homes, businesses, and industries and deliver it to a treatment plant for processing.
er

After wastewater is treated, it is reused or discharged to surface water or ground water.

ne

Modern sewerage systems fall under two categories : domestic and industrial sewers and storm
sewers. Sometimes a combined system provides only one network of pipes, mains, and outfall sewers
gi

for all types of sewage and runoff. Centralized systems are public sewer systems. They treat
En

wastewater in a single, centralized location.

Ground Support Systems :

Ground support system includes the practical approach of ground control and management during the
construction stage is determination of standard procedures for geotechnical activities, provision of
required equipment with competent personnel, quality control of materials, identification of
geotechnical hazards, safety analysis before ground failure occurs, and inspection/monitoring of

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 15

ground support performance. The appropriate approach for the projects during serviceability is
conducted by maintenance and rehabilitation of ground support failure, load deformation
measurements and preparation of a contingency plan.

A ground management strategy in deep underground mining projects is that the ground supports
provide a strong zone in unstable rocks and reduce a certain amount of rock deformation to avoid
immature failure. Stabilisation of the ground in underground works can be accomplished by natural or
artificial ground support methods.

er
Natural ground support approaches like room-and-pillar methods are useful in medium-hard rock
conditions, low-medium stress levels and short-medium term life in excavations.

m
Artificial ground support devices are mainly divided into surface rock support and rock reinforcement

Aj
elements.

ge
Surface support tools are applied on the surface and external parts of rock mass structures.
le
Rock reinforcements are installed in the internal part of rock masses. The usual surface and
ol
reinforcement devices used in underground mining projects are rock bolts, cable bolts, shotcrete,
concrete lining, strapping, mesh, timber sets, steel sets, hydraulic props, yielding sets and mesh.
C
g
in
er
ne
gi
En

Department of Engineering (I-Sem. all branches) Page 16