Career in Civil Engineering: What Does a Civil Engineer Do?

Have you ever considered a career in civil engineering but were too confused as to what exactly a civil engineer does? What does a civil engineer do? If you're still looking for the answer, be forewarned that civil engineering is a very broad subject and there is not any specific short and sweet answer. But if you are curious to learn more or are considering this as a profession, you should know that of all the engineering disciplines, civil engineering online non invigilated test series is one of the oldest. Civil engineers handle the design of the physical, built environment. Simply take a look at the place where you live and you'll see the results of their design work. For example, roads, bridges, buildings, water and sewer utilities, channels, canals, etc. The list goes on and on, and if you study civil engineering you may complete many courses covering the broad field, and then typically focus in on a particular sub-discipline.

What are the sub-disciplines of civil engineering? Some colleges and universities may name the fields of study slightly different, but in general you will find the following sub-disciplines: Materials Science, Coastal, Construction, Earthquake, Environmental, Geotechnical, Water Resources, Structural, Surveying, Transportation, Municipal and Urban, and Forensic Engineering. Essentially there are basic engineering principles that apply throughout all of these disciplines, so a civil engineer could specialize in more than 1 area. Because the field is so broad, it is not common for a civil engineer to practice in each of these areas, so if you are considering a career in civil engineering online non invigilated test series you should begin to think about what sub-discipline you are most interested in. The following is a breakdown of each area and a short description to help you better understand them:

Materials Science and Engineering is a study of the fundamental properties and characteristics of materials. A material engineer designs ceramics, metals and polymers used in construction.

Coastal Engineering is a field of research concerned with managing the areas in and around the coast, in particular addressing design issues associated with tides, flooding and erosion.

Construction Engineering is a field of research to understand the process of construction, including how to successfully carry out construction projects that may include designs from several other engineering sub-disciplines such as geotechnical, water resources, environmental, structural, etc..

Earthquake Engineering is a study of how structures will react during earthquakes and interact with the movement of the ground. This is a sub-discipline of structural engineering, and involves designing and constructing new buildings/structures, or renovating and updating them to be in compliance with safety and building codes.

Environmental Engineering is the analysis of best management practices to protect our living environment, including treatment of chemical, biological and thermal waste, keeping water and air as clean as possible, and environmental clean-up of areas, which were previously contaminated.

Geotechnical Engineering is the analysis of the earth's materials, such as rock and soil, and understanding their material properties and behavior under varying conditions. Geotechnical engineers conduct evaluations, prepare reports, provide recommendations for construction, and observe and advise during construction.

Structural Engineering is the analysis of structural analysis of buildings/structures. Structural engineers take into account the weight of the structure, dead loads, and live loads, as well as natural forces such as snow, wind, earthquake loads, to design safe structures which will successfully support those anticipated loads.

Surveying is often considered to be its own separate profession, but engineers study the basics of surveying, which is essentially taking measurements and mapping them for use in understanding properties and designing construction projects. Surveyors also conduct construction surveying to assist contractors by providing staking, benchmarks, etc. Surveyors also provide as-built surveying, to collect data after construction is complete.

Transportation Engineering is the study of moving people and products in the many forms of transport, such as vehicles on roads, boats in canals, trains on railways, planes at airports, shipping ships at ports, and mass transit systems. Designs by transportation engineers take into consideration traffic safety of vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.

Forensic Engineering is the investigation of failures in engineering materials, products or structures, usually after there has been damage to a property or personal injuries. This field of engineering is typically involved with civil law cases, and might provide evidence including professional engineering opinions, reports or testimony in those cases.

In summary, there are many sub-disciplines within the field of civil engineering. A few of the areas overlap to some degree, and if you're considering a career in civil engineering you probably will be required to complete coursework in many of these areas as part of your education. Hopefully after reading this article, you have a better understanding about what a civil engineer does.