Bachelor of Civil Engineering

Civil Engineering

What is Civil Engineering?

Civil Engineering (CE) is a discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment.

Course Overview

Civil engineers design, construct, supervise, operate and maintain society's essential infrastructure, from bridges, roads, subway systems, airports, canals, hydroelectric dams, tunnels, railways, dams, ports and buildings to water systems and power plants. Civil engineers take on the challenges many of us face every day, such as pollution, traffic in our cities as well as urban development to cater to our growing populations.

Some of the amazing & inspiring structures civil engineers things have built around the world include: the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the  “Spaghetti Junction” in Birmingham, the great wall of China, the Delta Works Sea Defences in Netherlands , pyramids of Giza, Golden gate bridge etc.

Civil engineers need in-depth understanding of physics, mathematics, geology and hydrology. They must also know the properties of a wide range of construction materials, such as concrete and structural steel, and the types and capabilities of construction machinery. With this knowledge, engineers can design structures that meet requirements for cost, safety, reliability, durability and energy efficiency.

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Responsibilities Of a Civil Engineer

 Job responsibilities of a Civil engineer include analysis of survey reports and maps, breaking down construction costs, considering government regulations and potential environmental hazards, performing experiments such as testing soils to determine the strength of a project’s foundation or assessing building materials to determine whether, for instance, concrete or asphalt would work best for a certain project. They also provide cost estimates for equipment and labor.

Areas Of Study

Civil engineering is a broad field. Specialties include architectural, environmental, structural, transportation, traffic, water resources and geo-technical engineering.

Career Opportunities

Civil engineers can be involved in nearly every stage of a major construction project. That can include site selection, writing specifications for processes and materials, reviewing bids from subcontractors, ensuring compliance with building codes, and supervising all phases of construction from grading and earth moving to painting and finishing.

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Civil engineers can be employed by a wide range of contractors and consultancies and also work in-house for a variety of national and multinational organisations. There are many opportunities in the public sector, with local authorities, government departments and environmental organisations, where civil engineers are often involved. Government institutions that employ civil engineers include state transportation departments and the military.

Career Options

A civil engineering degree prepares students for work in the construction industry as well as in the broader business, management and financial sectors. Jobs directly related to CE  include:

• Building control or quantity surveyor
• Consulting civil engineer
• Site engineer
• Structural Engineer
• Water Engineer
• Environmental consultant
  
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Are you a potential Civil Engineer?

Evaluate your potential future as a civil engineering major by asking yourself these questions:

• How are your grades in math and science? If you struggle, choose another specialty. If you do well and ask for more, civil engineering might be the right choice.
•  Do you have a curiosity about how things work? This is a natural attribute of a civil engineer.
•   If you live to discover new or better ways to do things, you are definitely on the right track.

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