Civil engineering

Description

The engineering discipline that studies the design, construction and maintenance of naturally built works such as roads, buildings, and canals.

Alternative labels

civil engineering applications
civil engineering studies
civil engineering fieldwork
civil engineering analyses
civil engineering work
city planning
civil engineering analysis
urban planning
civil engineering research

Skill type

knowledge

Skill reusability level

cross-sector

Relationships with occupations

Essential knowledge

Civil engineering is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

Renewable energy engineer: Renewable energy engineers research alternative sources of energy in order to design systems for renewable energy production. They strive to optimise energy production from renewable sources, and reduce production expenses and environmental strain. They design systems which focus on energy sustainability and efficiency.
Civil engineering technician: Civil engineering technicians help design and execute construction plans and take on organisational tasks, for example in the planning and monitoring, and in bidding and invoicing of construction work. They also calculate material requirements, and help with the purchasing and organising, and ensure the quality of the construction materials. Civil engineering technicians may perform technical tasks in civil engineering and develop and advise on policy implementing strategies for road works, traffic lights, sewerage and water management systems.
Wind energy engineer: Wind energy engineers design and install wind energy farms and equipment. They research and test locations to find the most productive location, test equipment such as wind-turbine blades, and develop strategies for more efficient energy production, and environmental sustainability.
Geological engineer: Geological engineers apply geological knowledge for the assessment of sites, soils, slope stability, sediments and other observable characteristics in the Earth. They integrate this information in the planning and development of projects in those places. They assess and answer questions concerning the geological characteristics of soils by performing research and experiments of the sites aimed to be intervened.
Civil drafter: Civil drafters draw and prepare sketches for civil engineers and architects of architectonic projects of different kinds, topographical maps, or for the reconstruction of existing structures. They lay down in the sketches all the specifications and requirements such as mathematical, aesthetic, engineering, and technical.
Environmental mining engineer: Environmental mining engineers oversee the environmental performance of mining operations. They develop and implement environmental systems and strategies to minimise environmental impacts.
Wood technology engineer: Wood technology engineers develop materials and components made of wood, construct production facilities and control and monitor the production. They also examine products and materials and advise customers.
Land planner: Land planners visit sites in order to create projects and plans for land usage and development. They collect and analyse data about the land. Land planners provide advice on the efficiency and safety of development plans.
Synthetic materials engineer: Synthetic materials engineers develop new synthetic materials processes or improve existing ones. They design and construct installations and machines for the production of synthetic materials and examine samples of raw materials in order to ensure quality.
Transport engineer: Transport engineers design and set the engineering specifications for the construction and development of roadways and transport infrastructure. They apply engineering concepts and knowledge for developing sustainable and efficient modes of transportation ranging from roads to canals, railways, and airports.
Environmental engineer: Environmental engineers integrate environmental and sustainable measures in the development of projects of various natures. They seek to preserve natural resources and natural sites. They work together with engineers from other fields to envision all the implications that projects might have in order to design ways to conserve natural reserves, prevent pollution, and deploy sanitary measures.
Road maintenance technician: Road maintenance technicians inspect and manage roads in enclosed areas for maintenance and repair. They help to relieve traffic safely and smoothly, and check if traffic signs, roads and pavements are in good condition.
Civil engineer: Civil engineers design, plan, and develop technical and engineering specifications for infrastructure and construction projects. They apply engineering knowledge in a vast array of projects, from the construction of infrastructure for transportation, housing projects, and luxury buildings, to the construction of natural sites. They design plans that seek to optimise materials and integrate specifications and resource allocation within the time constraints.
Land surveyor: Land surveyors determine, by means of specialised equipment, the distances and positions of points at the surface of sites for construction purposes. They use measurements of the specific aspects of construction sites, such as electricity, distance measurements, and metal structure volumes to create architectural drawings and develop construction projects.
Engineering lecturer: Engineering lecturers are subject professors, teachers, or lecturers who instruct students who have obtained an upper secondary education diploma in their own specialised field of study, engineering, which is predominantly academic in nature. They work with their university research assistants and university teaching assistants for the preparation of lectures and of exams, for leading laboratory practices, grading papers and exams and for leading review and feedback sessions for the students. They also conduct academic research in their field of engineering, publish their findings and liaise with other university colleagues.
Building inspector: Building inspectors perform inspections of buildings to determine compliance with specifications for various focuses of assessment. They observe and determine the suitability of construction, quality and resistance, and general compliance with regulations.
Nuclear engineer: Nuclear engineers plan and design engineering equipment and processes in nuclear plants and sites. They engage in engineering activities pertaining to nuclear power plants, and develop risk solutions.
Construction manager: Construction managers are responsible for the planning and coordination of the construction projects. They provide expertise in the design phase of construction projects by facilitating a better estimate of the costs and the functional implications. They participate on bid processes for construction projects and handle subcontractors to deliver the different stages of the construction process from beginning to completion. They strive to enhance the value of the projects both improving efficiency and creating value for customers.

Optional knowledge

Civil engineering is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this knowledge may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Asphalt laboratory technician: Asphalt laboratory technicians perform asphalt and related raw materials inspections and laboratory testing, ensuring a high quality of the products. They also participate in coming up with resolutions to technical issues on construction sites.
Quantity surveyor: Quantity surveyors have under their helm complete management of the cost involved in building and construction projects from the inception of the project until the delivery. They strive for an efficient use of the resources whilst keeping an eye on quality, quality standards, and client’s requirements.
Environmental scientist: Environmental scientists identify problems and find solutions in order to minimize environmental hazards by performing analysis on samples such as air, water or soil. They advise on or develop environmental policies and aim to improve water supplies preservation and manage waste disposal sites. Environmental scientists perform environmental risk assessments and analyse the environmental impact of new solutions, construction sites or environmental changes ensuring the environmental regulations are followed.
Construction engineer: Construction engineers interpret building designs and add technical specifications to construction projects. They integrate engineering principles into the designs to ensure that structures are safe and resistant. They work together with architects and engineers to transform design ideas into executable plans.
Architectural drafter: Architectural drafters make drawings of the specifications and ideas provided by architects. They draw architectural drawings using computer-aided equipment and software, or using conventional methods like paper and pen.
Civil engineering worker: Civil engineering workers perform tasks concerning the cleaning and preparation of construction sites for civil engineering projects. This includes the work on building and maintenance of roads, railways and dams.
Fire prevention and protection engineer: Fire prevention and protection engineers study, design, and developed innovative solutions aimed to the prevention of fire and the protection of people, natural sites, and urban areas. They propose suitable materials for construction, clothing, or other applications and they design detection systems aiming to prevent fire or the propagation of it.

Agricultural engineer: Agricultural engineers intervene in a variety of matters within the agriculture field in combination with engineering concepts. They design and develop machinery and equipment for an efficient and sustainable exploitation of the land. They advise on the use of resources in agricultural sites comprising the usage of water and soil, harvesting methods, and waste management.
Landscape architect: Landscape architects plan and design the construction of gardens and natural spaces. They determine the specifications and distribution of the space. They combine an understanding of the natural space with a sense of aesthetics in order to create a harmonious space.
Mechanical engineer: Mechanical engineers research, plan and design mechanical products and systems and supervise the fabrication, operation, application, installation and repair of systems and products. They research and analyse data.
Surveying technician: Surveying technicians carry out technical surveying tasks. They assist surveyors, architects or engineers in surveying related technical tasks such as mapping land, creating construction drawings and operating precise measuring equipment
Soil surveying technician: Soil surveying technicians analyse soil by carrying out technical surveying tasks, using soil surveying techniques. They focus on the process of classifying soil types and other soil properties. Soil surveying technicians operate surveying equipment and utilise programs to retrieve and interpret relevant data, and perform computations as required.
Transport planner: Traffic planners develop and implement policies in order to improve transport systems, taking into account the social, environmental and economic factors. They collect and analyse traffic data using statistical modelling tools.
Health and safety engineer: Health and safety engineers design objects and programs by combining engineering principles and health and safety requirements. They envision the protection and well-being of the people using designed objects or performing work under designed health and safety programs. They assess facilities and the risks that they might pose (e.g. contaminant materials, ergonomics, handling of dangerous substances, etc.) in order to design and improve health and safety measures.
Drafter: Drafters prepare and create technical drawings using a special software or manual techniques, to show how something is built or works.
Remote sensing technician: Remote sensing technicians collect airborne data. They utilise equipment aimed for the collection of data and determination of geographical points in order to help in a variety of operations such as land conservation, urban planning, and military operations.
Patent engineer: Patent engineers advise companies on different aspects of intellectual property law. They analyse inventions, and research their economic potential. They check if  patent rights have already been given out for an invention and ensure that these rights have not been affected or violated.

 


 

References

  1. Civil engineering – ESCO

 

Last updated on September 20, 2022