The Business of Civil Engineering

As individuals, we’re all capable of contributing to the greater good of our fellow men. As a community, we have the necessary skill sets to build nations and sustain our everyday living. People can be leaders, educators, doctors, lawyers, or even civil engineers.

Civil engineering dates back to the time of the early humans, who constructed the very homes they lived in from the ground up. Since then, it has aided humanity in its quest for modernization. And to this day, it has continued to strive for the growth of our environment and take purposeful living and lifestyle to a different level. It has led to the continued progression of communities into nations.

The Role of Civil Engineering

It cannot be emphasized enough that civil engineers are not carpenters. Their occupation entails a lot more than just working with tools. They study the location and its surrounding area, doing so in order to calculate the potential cost of a project while taking into account factors that could affect the sustainability of the construction.

It’s through this form of engineering work that makes society as we know it possible. Without civil engineering, there would be no roads to walk on, no highways to drive on, and no bridges to connect us. There would be no subway systems or airports to facilitate our travel. There would be no buildings for us to dwell in, where we often find shelter from the harsh environment. There would be no water supply systems that can provide us with clean and potable drinking water.

However, civil engineering is not just limited to roads, buildings, and pavement. It also have a hand in aircraft design for the aerospace industry. Although this profession is quite limited in comparison to the job of an aerospace engineer, some skills are transferrable, especially if the work deals with structure and hydraulics.

In the automotive industry, civil engineers are responsible for the construction of roads, car factories, and pavement design. It also deals with the design of cars, the steering mechanism, and electrical connections to car sites.

Civil engineering can also be applied in naval architecture and marine engineering. There is a great need for building naval vessels at shipyards, and maintaining ships that are qualified to be taken out on the open sea.

Civil engineers are also sought after by the power industry. Their skills are essential for building nuclear power stations. They can also help with the development of alternative energy for safe consumption, and isolation or containment of nuclear waste for the protection of the environment.

Public health is another field that civil engineering has an influence on. Mortality and morbidity due to certain infectious and/or water-borne diseases have been markedly reduced in part due to the efforts of civil engineers and their efforts for quality and proper sanitation.

How to be a Civil Engineer?

The road to becoming a civil engineer requires a lot of training. First, civil engineers must study for at least 4 years to acquire a degree in civil engineering, or a specialty in civil engineering. But before obtaining a license, they must work an additional four years for practical experience.

They must also have a good grasp of mathematics, physics, fluid dynamics, statistics, and mechanics as their foundation of knowledge. Because a license is essential to provide services, they must also be accredited by the proper authority. A valuable understanding of construction materials, tools, methods, and processes in construction and manufacture is also needed.

Rewards of the Job of Civil Engineering

Being an average line of work, civil engineers are among the top 10% of engineers who earn a median annual salary of $66,183.00 as of November, 2017. It’s through this profession that creativity can be honed by combining design and aesthetic appeal with technical competence. While civil engineers do spend some time in the office planning and attending meetings, civil engineers can also step out into the field to have a hands-on experience as they monitor the work and iron out any project issues.