From land to sea: Coppe introduces Civil Engineering to high school students

On Wednesday, August 19, Coppe/UFRJ welcomed students from Faetec and Colégio Pedro II for the fifth edition of the outreach event “Por que Engenharia?” (Why Engineering?). In this edition, professors Márcio Almeida and Alessandra Freitas, along with the team from the Multi-User Laboratory for Centrifugal Modeling (LM²C), showed the students how knowledge of soils is essential to ensuring the safety, stability, and performance of onshore and offshore construction projects.

During the presentation in the Coppe auditorium, the students were able to learn about the scope of engineering and, more specifically, civil engineering. Using examples of projects in Brazil and around the world, Professor Márcio Almeida presented different fields of practice, such as structures, transportation, water resources, geotechnical engineering, and civil construction. 

Major projects, major challenges

By highlighting civil engineering as the field responsible for designing, building, and maintaining part of the infrastructure that supports society, Márcio Almeida introduced students to the challenges involved in major construction projects, such as the Sapopemba (SP) monorail, the Arco Metropolitano in Rio de Janeiro, the Itaipu Dam in Foz do Iguaçu, and the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Geotechnical engineering was also brought closer to the student’s daily lives through examples from the city of Rio de Janeiro itself. One such example was the formation of Fundão Island. “An even more iconic landfill is the one we’re standing on right now. What is now Ilha do Fundão used to be a group of eight islands–Baiacu, Bom Jesus, Cabras, Catalão, Fundão, Pindaí do Ferreira, Pindaí do França, and Sapucaia–which have undergone a earth filling process between 1949 and 1952 to create the University City we know today”, explained the LM²C coordinator.

Another example presented was the Rio-Niterói Bridge, which underwent a stabilization project led by Professor Ronaldo Batista of the Civil Engineering Program, using synchronized dynamic dampers.

The professor also told the students how Cidade do Rock was built on an area of approximately 30,000 m² on soft soil. To improve the ground conditions, material from the dredging of Jacarepaguá Lagoon was used, making the area firmer and more suitable for supporting the event’s structures.

Professor Alessandra Freitas broadened the discussion by showing that the role of civil engineering extends beyond the construction of large-scale projects. Geotechnical engineering, she explained, is also essential for risk and disaster management and mitigation, as it takes into account the characteristics of different types of soil and rock and their interaction with extreme events, such as heavy rainfall.

The presentation also featured testimonials from undergraduate research students Vinícius Chirigati, Beatriz Gonçalves, and Alexandre Carvalho, members of LM²C. They spoke about their decision to pursue engineering and shared their experiences with high school students. Questions from the audience revealed the students’ interest in topics such as the job market, employability, income, and career prospects for civil engineers.

From theory to practice 

After learning about the various career paths in civil engineering, the students were invited to put some of the concepts presented during the lecture into practice.

At Grêmio da Coppe, the LM²C team organized a full-fledged science fair, featuring four stations for experiments and demonstrations. The activities combined theory and practice and demonstrated, in an interactive way, how civil engineering tackles challenges related to the construction and stability of large-scale projects.

Throughout the event, students from both schools also participated in four rounds of an interactive quiz. The winners received prizes, and other participants were given giveaways.

The experience gave students a closer look at engineering and showed how knowledge that often seems far removed from reality is present in everyday projects and situations—from the formation of Fundão Island to the stability of a bridge, to the preparation of sites for major events.

Por que Engenharia? is a Coppe outreach event that invites high school students and anyone interested in science, technology, and innovation to get a firsthand look at the impact of engineering on society.

Watch the full event on Coppe’s YouTube channel.

Check out the highlights on Coppe’s Instagram page.