Around 25,000 openings are projected for civil engineers each year, on average, for the decade. A growing population will likely mean that new water systems will be needed, while, at the same time, existing water systems must be maintained to reduce or eliminate leaks. In addition, more waste treatment plants will be needed to help clean up the country's waterways. Civil engineers will continue to play a key role in all of this work.
Civil Engineers' Work Will Be Necessary for Renewable Energy Projects. Therefore, as these new projects gain approval, civil engineers will be more involved in overseeing the construction of structures such as wind farms and solar panels. While state and local governments continue to face financial challenges and may struggle to finance all projects, some delayed projects will need to be completed to build and maintain critical infrastructure, as well as to protect the public and the environment. Applicants who gain experience participating in a cooperative program while in college will have the best opportunities.
In addition, the new standards known collectively as the Body of Knowledge are growing in importance within civil engineering, and this development is likely to result in a greater need for postgraduate education. Therefore, those who enter the occupation with a graduate degree are likely to have better prospects. Civil engineers conceive, design, build, supervise, operate, build and maintain infrastructure projects and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and wastewater treatment. Many civil engineers work in planning, design, construction, research and education.
Civil engineers should also present their findings to the public on topics such as bid proposals, environmental impact statements, or property descriptions. Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions ranging from construction site supervisors to municipal engineers, public works managers, and city managers. As supervisors, they are tasked with ensuring that safe work practices are followed on construction sites. Other civil engineers work in design, construction, research and teaching.
Civil engineers work with others on projects and can be assisted by civil engineering technicians. Civil Engineers Prepare Permit Documents to Work on Renewable Energy Projects. Verify that projects meet federal, state and local requirements. These engineers perform structural analysis for large-scale photovoltaic or solar energy projects.
They also assess the ability of structures and buildings supporting solar panels to tolerate stresses from wind, seismic activity and other sources. For large-scale wind projects, civil engineers often prepare roadbeds to handle large trucks carrying turbines. Civil engineers work on complex projects and can achieve job satisfaction by seeing the project complete. They typically specialize in one of several areas.
Construction engineers manage construction projects, ensuring that they are scheduled and built according to plans and specifications. These engineers are often responsible for the design and safety of temporary structures used during construction. They can also oversee the budgetary, time management and communication aspects of a project. Geotechnical engineers work to ensure that the foundations of constructed objects, ranging from streets and buildings to runways and dams, are solid.
They focus on how structures built by civil engineers, such as buildings and tunnels, interact with the earth (including soil and rock). In addition, they design and plan slopes, retaining walls and tunnels. Structural engineers design and evaluate important projects, such as buildings, bridges or dams, to ensure their strength and durability. Transportation engineers plan, design, operate and maintain everyday systems, such as streets and highways, but they also plan larger projects, such as airports, ship ports, public transportation systems, and ports.
The work of civil engineers is closely related to the work of environmental engineers. Civil engineers work in a variety of locations and conditions. When working on designs, civil engineers can spend most of their time indoors, in offices. However, construction engineers can spend much of their time outdoors, on construction sites, monitoring operations, or.
Some jobs may require frequent relocation to different areas and offices on trailers in the workplace. Civil engineers acting as project managers can work from cars or trucks as they move from one site to another. Many civil engineers work for government agencies in government office buildings or facilities. Occasionally, civil engineers travel abroad to work on large engineering projects in other countries.
Civil Engineers Need a Bachelor's Degree. They usually need a graduate degree and a license to move up to positions of responsibility. While licensing requirements vary from state to state, civil engineers generally must be licensed if they provide services directly to the public. Civil engineers need a degree in civil engineering, in one of their specialties, or in civil engineering technology.
Civil engineering and civil engineering technology programs include courses in mathematics, statistics, mechanics, and systems engineering and fluid dynamics, depending on specialty. Courses include a combination of traditional classroom learning, laboratory work, and fieldwork. Programs may include cooperative programs, also known as cooperatives, in which students gain work experience while pursuing a degree. A degree from an ABET accredited program is required to obtain the Professional Engineer (PE) license.
In many states, a bachelor's degree in civil engineering technology also meets the academic requirements for obtaining a license. Higher education after the undergraduate degree, along with the physical education license and previous experience, is useful for getting a job as a manager. For more information on engineering managers, see the profile of architecture and engineering managers. Civil engineers often balance multiple and often conflicting objectives, such as determining the viability of plans with respect to financial costs and safety concerns.
Urban and regional planners often turn to civil engineers for advice on these issues. Civil engineers must be able to make good decisions based on best practices, their own technical knowledge and their own experience. Civil engineers take ultimate responsibility for the projects they manage or the research they carry out. Therefore, they must be able to lead planners, surveyors, construction managers, civil engineering technicians, civil engineering technologists and others in implementing their project plan.
Civil engineers use the principles of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced subjects of mathematics for analysis, design, and problem solving in their work. Only licensed civil engineers can sign design documents for infrastructure projects. This requirement makes it imperative that civil engineers be able to monitor and evaluate work on the job site as the project progresses. That way, they can ensure compliance with design documents.
Civil engineers also often manage several projects at the same time and, therefore, must be able to balance time needs and allocate resources effectively. Civil engineers work at the highest level of planning, designing, building and operating multifaceted projects or research. The many variables involved require that you have the ability to identify and evaluate complex problems. Then, they should be able to use their skills and training to develop cost-effective, safe and efficient solutions.
Civil engineers must submit reports and plans to audiences of individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and technical knowledge. This requires the ability to speak clearly and converse with people in a variety of environments, and to translate scientific and engineering information into easy-to-understand concepts. Civil engineers must be able to communicate with others, such as architects, landscape architects, urban and regional planners. They should also be able to explain projects to elected officials and citizens.
Civil engineers must be able to write reports that are clear, concise and understandable to those with little or no technical or scientific background. No license required for entry-level positions as a civil engineer. A professional engineering (PE) license, which allows for higher levels of leadership and independence, can be purchased later in the career. Licensed engineers are called professional engineers (PE).
A PE can supervise the work of other engineers, approve design plans, approve projects, and provide services directly to the public. State license generally requires: The initial FE exam can be taken after obtaining a bachelor's degree. Engineers who pass this exam are typically referred to as Engineers in Training (EIT) or Engineering Interns (EI). After meeting work experience requirements, EITs and IEs can take the second exam, called Engineering Principles and Practice.
Each state issues its own licenses. Most states recognize licenses from other states, as long as the requirements of the licensing state meet or exceed its own licensing requirements. Several states require continuing education for engineers to retain their licenses. The American Society of Civil Engineers offers certifications in coastal engineering, geotechnical engineering, port engineering, water resources engineering and other fields.
In addition, civil engineers can obtain certification in building safety and sustainability. During high school, students can attend summer engineering camps to see what these and other engineers do. Attending these camps can help students plan their courses for the rest of their time in high school. Civil engineers with extensive experience can move to positions of responsibility, such as project managers or functional managers of design, construction, operation or maintenance.
However, they would first need to obtain the Professional Engineering (PE) license, because only licensed engineers can take responsibility for public projects. After obtaining the license, a professional engineer can apply for accreditation demonstrating experience in a civil engineering specialty. This credential can be useful for promotion to senior technical or even managerial positions. As populations continue to grow, so will our infrastructure needs.
Critical areas in this sector will include maintenance and construction of new roads, water supply management, waste filtration and residential real estate development in urban spaces. One of the main benefits of civil engineering is that it is “recession-proof”. In a healthy economy, civil engineers build new infrastructure; in a reduced economy, civil engineers repair existing ones. To meet the needs of aging populations around the world and drive rapid innovations in medical technologies, including 3D printing and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), there will be an increase in demand for biomedical engineers to enter the workforce and advance the field of medicine.
This includes 46,000 civil engineers who will fill positions that retirees have vacated in the same period. By comparison, the number of mechanical and industrial engineering jobs currently stands at 264,000 and 229,000, respectively. In addition, the number of available jobs is likely to increase, as the civil engineering sector is expected to experience healthy growth in the future. With a high average salary, the potential for growth and the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology to implement critical changes, environmental engineering has a promising future.
The number of civil engineers working for local governments is 28,130, representing 0.53% of total industry employment. The software industry is a rapidly evolving space, likely to generate exciting career opportunities and high salaries for engineering graduates with mobile experience and cybersecurity skills. With 274,000 jobs available in the civil engineering niche, civil engineers are currently the most sought after professionals in any field of engineering. .
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