The Civil Engineering department has become a leader in Brazil in both training and research. It has a strong interaction with partners beyond that academic environment, like industries, companies, and the government.

The program has a prominent role since its establishment in 1968 in producing skilled professionals in Brazil. It has also contributed to the development of national technology employed in the design of structures used for the oil & gas exploration, as well as to the fields of geotechnics and water resources, for instance, in the study of mass movements, slope stability, and flood control.

The department’s research lines concentrate in the following areas: Oil & gas; water resources; Structural engineering; Computational systems; Geotechnics and Computational mechanics.

The main objective of the Civil Engineering Program (PEC) is to develop high level research, graduating masters and doctors in strategic areas for national scientific and technological development. PEC has had an important role since its creation, 45 years ago in the development of new programs and graduation centers, besides the qualification of university professors throughout the country. PEC is well inserted in the international academic world, as shown through numerous cooperation agreements with several universities abroad encouraging student participation on sandwich doctoral degrees and joint research projects. Though academically devoted, PEC keeps strong links with outside partners from industry, government departments and public administration through participation in different R&D projects. This participation is accomplished through counsel projects and technical services always fulfilled based on the COPPE- COPPETEC Foundation model. These activities fit an institutional model of cooperation between the university and external partners that represent PEC almost 45 years of experience developing activities of research and professional qualification.

Source: Civil Engineering Program and COPPE/UFRJ