What is a Civil Engineer?

Civil engineers plan and design a wide variety of structures. These include buildings, bridges, subways, tunnels, highways, airports, water treatment centers and many others. Safety of these projects is of the utmost concern to civil engineers, and they do extensive analysis on environmental factors and determine the best materials and methods for construction.

Identification

Civil engineers work with architects on design, then coordinate and supervise construction, working with other engineers and contractors. They make decisions on the best materials and methods, review and approve project drawings, manage budgets, schedule equipment and materials purchases and delivery, and make necessary changes when the situation warrants or when clients change their minds about something.

Function

Specialization is typical, in areas such as construction, environmental, structural and others. Hydraulics civil engineers, for instance, design canals, dams, flood-control systems, harbors, irrigation methods and reservoirs. They research water sources and work to develop these sources in ways that benefit a community. Transportation civil engineers supervise inspections of highways, bridges, and tunnels, and design safer and longer-lasting structures. Sanitary civil engineers design water treatment and purification plants, and storm sewer systems. Environmental civil engineers work to prevent soil and water contamination, and to develop alternative energy systems.

Features

Most work for engineering and architectural services, with the next largest employer being the government, including the military. The United States Army Corps of Engineers, for example, has been hard at work in Louisiana ever since hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, designing flood protection systems and transportation infrastructure, and removing tons of debris in a safe manner. Civil engineers also work for utility companies, designing storage and distribution systems, such as pipelines for oil, gas and water.

Considerations

Civil engineers must complete a bachelor's degree, usually taking four or five years. Coursework includes math, physics, computer science, fluid and soil mechanics, project management, structural design, thermodynamics and transportation planning. They learn many computer software packages to design projects and calculate complex mathematical problems. Civil engineers must be logical and creative, with an unyielding emphasis on accuracy. They must have excellent verbal and written communication skills. Civil engineers work both indoors and outdoors and in all sorts of weather conditions. Some positions involve travel and being away from home for extended periods of time.

Benefits

The average salary for civil engineers in 2008 was $78,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Although, typically it takes at least 10 years experience to reach that level. Median starting salaries are around $48,000. In general, the larger the company, the higher the salary. Advancement opportunities include project manager with an average salary of $85,000, and supervisory positions from $93,000 to $96,000 on average.