Thinking Of Becoming A Civil Engineer? Read This!
There are many different industries to start a rewarding and fulfilling career in. One of the most attractive options for those starting or moving careers in engineering. In particular, civil engineering.
Are you the kind of person that hates the idea of working behind a computer screen all day? If so, becoming a civil engineer might just be the ideal choice for you! The work’s varied, and no two days are ever the same. Sound good so far? Keep reading to find out more about this fascinating career choice!
caguard / Flickr
Different disciplines
Civil engineering encompasses a broad range of subjects. The following list shows some of the most popular ones that most people follow:
- Maritime engineering. Associated with building seaports, defences and harbours;
- Structural engineering. Associated with construction projects such as buildings, dams and oil rigs;
- Environmental engineering. Civil engineers work on projects related to water
- Geotechnical engineering. Includes mining and earthworks;
- infrastructures and things like flood defences; and
- Transport engineering. The building of transit systems like railways and airports.
What does a civil engineer do?
The work that you would do is pretty varied. Most of your work involves planning construction projects. That means working with builders, clients and government officials. A large proportion of your work will involve using CAD (Computer Aided Design) software on a computer.
As a civil engineer, you are also responsible for checking the details of each project. The things you would check include construction dates and times and their associated costs. It’s your job to determine how viable each phase of a project is. Sometimes you may be asked to determine if a project is even worth the expense.
Other tasks include ensuring health and safety laws on construction sites are met. You are also responsible for monitoring the progress of each project you work on, and dealing with any issues as they arise.
Health and Safety
Because you will spend a considerable amount of time on construction sites, following local health and safety laws is a must.
Most construction sites will require you to wear a hard hat and a high visibility jacket. That way, you will always be seen by other site operatives. And your head will get protection against any objects falling from above you.
Appropriate footwear is also important. For instance, UK military boots created by LOWA will not wear as fast as ordinary boots. That’s because they are designed for walking on rough terrain, and they are waterproof. After all; the last thing you want to do is buy a pair of boots every month!
Construction site security staff will also ask you to sign in and out. That way, if there is a need to evacuate the site, they can quickly find out if anyone is missing.
What’s next?
If you’re still reading, it means you’re interested in the work. And that you aren’t afraid of the likely risks and hazards associated with working in construction sites!
To start a career in civil engineering, you will need to go on a Bachelor of Engineering degree course at university. After getting your degree, you can then go on to become a chartered civil engineer.
