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A civil engineer designs and oversees big construction projects such as buildings, roads, tunnels, airports, bridges, dams, as well as sewage treatment and water supply systems. They work together with others on construction projects, and are many times assisted by civil engineering technologists and technicians.
Civil engineers employed by the government carry out the same work as those in the private industry, but also do inspections of projects to see that they comply with regulations.
What are the responsibilities of a civil engineer?
Civil engineers are usually responsible for the following:
• The analysing of maps, survey reports, and any other data involved with a project
• The costs, possible environmental hazards, government regulations, and other aspects in the planning stages
• Testing of soils to establish the capability and strength of any foundations
• Testing of building materials like asphalt, concrete, or steel to be used in particular projects
• Do costing estimates for equipment, materials and labor to determine the feasibility of a project
• By using design software, design and plan transportation systems, hydraulic systems, and structures that comply with government and industry standards
• Oversee, and/or participate in surveying, in order to determine grades, reference points, and elevations as a guide for the construction project
• Provide their findings to the public on topics like bid proposals, property descriptions, or environmental impact statements
Civil engineers sometimes specialize in one of a few areas, because of the complexity of the projects they work on, including:
Geotechnical engineering -- ensuring that the foundations of a project are solid, and focus on how structures like tunnels and buildings, built by civil engineers interact with the soil and rock in the area. In addition to this, they also design and plan for retaining walls, tunnels, and slopes.
Transportation engineering -- the design and planning of everyday systems like highways and roads, as well as the planning of larger projects, like ports, harbors, and airports.
Structural engineering -- the design and evaluation of major projects like dams or bridges, to make sure of their strength and stability.
What civil engineering is like as a career
Civil engineers usually work in an office, but at times, also spend time on construction sites in order to oversee operations and solve problems if necessary. There are times too, where they travel to other countries to carry out work on big engineering projects. For more info, check this website.
It is an extremely demanding career that requires the civil engineer to work on projects from start to finish. Their duties are many, and include interacting with everyone concerned with the project, such as clients, inspectors, vendors, suppliers, design teams and architects. They have to submit and revise drawings a number of times before they are finally approved by local authorities.
Much of their time is taken up with tendering, evaluating reports, writing up cost estimates, testing, assessing designs and infrastructures, and commissioning. They have to be on site many times, in all kinds of weather, to monitor the progress of projects, resolve disputes, and see that things are running smoothly and according to deadline.
Civil engineers very often work with architects, since there are times when their work overlaps. The likelihood of a construction project being effective and successful is almost guaranteed, if there is a good relationship between the two professions.