本书由编者多年收集的资料整理而成，正是以培养学生的学习兴趣为主导思想，既注重知识结构的完整性，又突出所选材料的趣味性。全书课文以土木工程为主线，系统地介绍土木工程及其所包括的有关分支学科的基本内容和历史概况，如建筑、桥梁、道路、交通、水坝，岩土、材料、经济与管理以及计算机的应用等。阅读材料以介绍世界土木工程界名人、趣事、重大工程为主，进一步拓展学生的视野，增强本书的可读性。该书可供各大专院校作为教材使用，也可供从事相关工作的人员作为参考用书使用。

本书是为高等院校土木工程专业类学生选编的专业英语教材。

全书以土木工程为主线，系统地介绍了土木工程及其所包括的有关分支学科的基本内容和历史概况，如建筑、桥梁、道路、交通、水坝、岩土、材料、经济与管理以及计算机的应用等。共编排二十二篇课文作为课堂教学用。

每篇课文后附两篇内容紧密相关的阅读材料，注重介绍世界土木工程界的名人、趣事、重大工程，供教师指导学生阅读，或者根据实际教学学时选作机动教材。

本书也可作为从事土木工程的专业人员了解专业知识、提高英语水平的辅助阅读材料。

Lesson 1

 Text:Civil Engineering

 Reading Material (1):On Being Your Own Engineer

 Reading Material (2):Peck, Ralph Brazelton

Lesson 2

 Text:Building and Architecture

 Reading Material (1):Architecture of China

 Reading Material (2):Pei Ieoh Ming

Lesson 3

 Text:Components of A Building

 Reading Materiel (1):Structural Forms

 Reading Material (2):Popov, Egor Paul

Lesson 4

Text- Tall Buildings

 Reading Material (1):Steel Construction

 Reading Material (2):Khan, Fazlur Rahman

Lesson 5

 Text:Environmental Engineering

 Reading Material (1):Plumbing

 Reading Material (2):A Typical City Sewer System:Washington D. C.

Lesson 6

 Text:Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning

 Reading Material (1):Man and His Environment

 Reading Material (2):Architectural Acoustics

Lesson 7

 Text:Bridge

 Reading Material (1):Modern Bridges

 Reading Material (2):Roebling, John Augustus and Washington Augustus

Lesson 8

 Text:Bridge Design and Construction

 Reading Material (1):Accidents on Bridges

 Reading Material (2):Ammann, Othmar Hermann. Steinman, David Barnard

Lesson 9

 Text:Harbours and Sea Works

 Reading Material (1):Breakwaters

 Reading Material (2):Canal

Lesson 10

 Text:Dam

 Reading Material (1):The Modern Concrete Dam

 Reading Material (2):The Three Gorges Project

Lesson 11

 Text:Highway Engineering

 Reading Material (1):System Planning of National Expressways

 Reading Material (2):The Road of China

Lesson 12

 Text:Traffic Control

 Reading Material (1):Urban Transit Systems:Examination of Options

 Reading Material (2):Urban Transit Systems of Five Cities in the World

Lesson 13

 Text:Underground Space Utilization

 Reading Material (1)1 Subway Engineering

 Reading Material (2):Future Trends in Underground Construction

Lesson 14

 Text:How Tunnels Are Built

 Reading Material (1):Shields

 Reading Material (2)1 The Channel Tunnel:The Dream Becomes Reality

Lesson 15

Text. Soil Mechanics

 Reading Material (1):Geologic Origins of Soils

 Reading Material (2):Karl Terzaghi

Lesson 16

 Text:Foundations

 Reading Material (1):Five Lessons from Five Jobs

 Reading Material (2):The Weaknesses of Mother Earth

Lesson 17

 Text:Construction Engineering

 Reading Material (1)1 Construction Equipment

 Reading Material (2):Prefabrication and Shop Fabrication

Lesson 18

 Text:Building Materials

 Reading Material (1):Concrete

 Reading Material (2):Prestressed Concrete Pioneer T. Y. Lin named Cal's Alumnus of Year

Lesson 19

 Text:Structural Analysis

 Reading Material (1):The Building of a Theory

 Reading Material (2):Newmark, Nathan Mortimore

Lesson 20

 Text:Structural Design

 Reading Material (1):Tall Order in Hong Kong

 Reading Material (2):Severud, Fred. N.

Lesson 21

 Text:Computer--Aided Drafting and Design

 Reading Material (1):Where the Interstate Meets the Information Highway

 Reading Material (2):Argyris, John H.

Lesson 22

 Text:Emerging Role of Management in Civil Engineering

 Reading Material (1):Project Management:One Step Beyond

 Reading Material (2):The Contract Procedure

Appendix of Reading Materials

References