What is Civil Engineering

Every career requires some or the other kind of expertise and knowledge. There are few careers which require a person to have a wide expertise, logical thinking, and creativity in work. Out of the many technically demanding and challenging career opportunities in the industry, a job in civil engineering is an important one.

Civil engineering is a field which is the most respected form of engineering, and is believed to be one of the oldest. It relates to the construction of physical structures such as bridges, building, canals, highways, dams, and other huge developmental projects. This field mostly makes its presence felt in governmental and sometimes at private levels. Professionals working in this sector are referred to as civil engineers. Since it is considered as a broad field; there are sub-disciplines such as construction engineering, environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, materials engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, just to name a few.

Different Fields in Civil Engineering

The main field is construction engineering, which is associated to planning and execution of construction in fixed structures such as dams, reservoirs, and skyscrapers. As the name suggests, environmental engineering deals with solving problems that affect the environment. This field includes treating biological, chemical, and thermal waste; water and air refinement; and preparing contaminated areas for further use. This engineering area demands working with natural as well as constructional aspects.

Another very crucial form is geotechnical engineering. This pertains to studying and working on rock and soil matters for construction to be built upon. Geotechnical engineers study the soil, material science, and hydraulic concepts, in order to build strong foundations and walls of structures. Material engineering is also a type of civil engineering which includes dealing with metals, fibers, steel, cement and other materials to be used for construction.

Structural engineering includes work associated to the actual structural design, analysis, and pattern of structures to be built. This particularly focuses on studying and analyzing the aspects of structures such as load and pressure on the foundation, ideas for handling and bearing pressure, height and weight of the structure, appropriateness of structures, and similar other matters. The work in transportation engineering is apparent in roads, bridges, airports, railway lines, and other mass transit infrastructure. The civil engineer job description in this field mainly centers on the transportation of people and goods conveniently using infrastructure.

Civil Engineering Careers

A career as a civil engineer is one of the highest paid jobs in the market. If you are thinking of entering this creative and responsible field, you mandatorily need to possess certain qualities, apart from those obtained by relevant professional education. Requirements include technical knowledge, mathematical and scientific analysis, and management abilities. In order to become a civil engineer, you need to at least possess a bachelor's degree, after which you can even move on to master's and doctoral degrees. For the licensure, completion of a degree from a college or university recognized by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is required. Clearing the 'Fundamentals of Engineering' exam, showing certain years of experience, and passing the 'Principles and Practice of Engineering' exam is also necessary.

Note that the salary is reported to be around $75,000 per annum. Every state demands a civil engineer to obtain licensure if he is providing services to the public.