About Civil Engineering

What Is Civil Engineering?

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment. Civil engineering is the oldest engineering discipline after military engineering and it was defined to distinguish it from military engineering.

You can choose to be a consulting engineer, working mainly on design, or a contracting engineer, overseeing construction of the plans. In some companies a single team of engineers and other construction professionals works on the entire process. Becoming a civil or structural engineer is your chance to build something that leaves a mark on the world – whether it’s a landmark or an improvement to daily life.

What are the main areas of work?

Some of the main areas in which Civil Engineers work can be seen below. Some engineering companies work in all these areas and some smaller specialist companies may just focus on one:

• Airports: providing airport facilities such as terminal buildings and runways.
• Bridges: crossing water, road or rail with anything from a small footbridge to a long-span suspension bridge.
• Buildings: constructing buildings of all shapes and sizes for commercial, educational, industrial and residential use.
• Coastal and marine: protecting and developing the coastline.
• Environmental: minimising the impact of engineering projects on the environment.
• Geotechnical: engineering carried out in the ground, such as tunnels, offshore platforms and building foundations.
• Highways: constructing and maintaining roads and their infrastructure.
• Power: meeting energy demands and investigating new sources of power.
• Project management: overseeing a construction project, often from design to completion.
• Rail: maintaining and developing the rail system.
• Transport planning: strategic planning for transport systems.
• Tunnelling: creating underground space for roads, railways, buildings and pipes.
• Water and public health: providing clean drinking water and treating waste water.

Who does it suit, what do I need to get a career in Civil Engineering?

Many jobs in Civil Engineering come about following a student participating in a summer placement and continuing a relationship with a company throughout there time at University. Engineering requires skills that can only be learned on the job, so work experience is really useful. You’ll gain great experience and it’s a great chance to start networking with professionals in your field.

Civil and structural engineering is very technical, so you’ll obviously need technical skills. These will vary according to your chosen area of work, but you should have developed many of the necessary skills during your university course. Technical ability is not enough on its own, so you will also require soft skills. One of the most important skills is that of management, as you will be tendering and running projects from design to construction. Communication skills are essential both for a successful team approach and so that you can sell ideas to clients and explain projects to the public.

In order to get a career in Civil Engineering you will need either a BEng or MEng degree in civil engineering that is accredited by the ICE or IStructE which will enable you to later become a chartered engineer. Becoming chartered will involve you demonstrating to examiners that you are a competent engineer and worthy of a very respected CEng status. For more information visit the ICE website. It is however possible to enter Civil Engineering through others disciplines such as Geography although your career progression may be limited.

Civil Engineering also offers great opportunities to travel especially if you work for a multinational company. You may get the chance to spend a few months in different offices around the world or if your really keen you may get a full time position in an overseas location.

What would I do as a Civil Engineer?

It is very hard to give a typical working day as a Civil Engineer as the variety of work is huge and no one project is ever the same and each has its own character and interesting problems to solve. Depending on whether you choose consulting or contracting will have a big impact on the sort of work you do.

As a consulting engineer you will be required to carry out calculations and design of new projects to ensure their safety and reliability. You may also get involved in computer modelling, testing samples, drawing plans and writing reports. You’ll be mainly office based as a consulting engineer; however there are still opportunities to work on site.

As a contracting engineer most of your time will be spent outdoors on a construction site monitoring the construction of the project. You will have to use your expertise to ensure the construction is being carried out in the most economical and safe way possible and that it is being built to the correct standards. You may also have to solve problems quickly and on the spot.

What can I expect to Earn?

As a work experience student you can expect to earn around £8 an hour although this can increase if you work on site and you may even get the use of a company car and travel expenses. When you become a graduate engineer the average starting salary is around £23,000 and this increases as you climb up the career ladder. When you gain professional qualification you can earn £60,000 or more. Salary packages may include extra benefits such as a pension scheme, life insurance and health insurance or bonuses, a company car and overtime pay.

What is the Work/Life Balance Like?

Civil Engineering is a great profession for a good work/life balance and if you speak to most civil engineers they will all say that they are happy and enjoy many activities outside of work. The hours can vary depending on your discipline, for example rail engineers may have to work when the railway is closed at night. Generally consulting engineers work a 9 to 5 although flexi time is offered by some companies. As a contracting engineer the hours can be longer and generally start at 7.30am and may involve weekends too especially as the deadline looms.

The social side of civil engineering is also a big attraction with most companies having sport teams and and regular team building drinks. You may also get the benefits of being wined and dined by clients and attending regular networking/institutional events.