Civil Engineers
When you look at photos online of ancient historical landmarks from around the world, which ones impress you the most and make you wish you could visit them someday? Is it the Egyptian pyramids? The Great Wall of China? Petra in Jordan? The Eiffel Tower in France? Historical landmarks around the world are wonderfully varied - there are beautifully designed cities, elegant buildings, mosques, churches, temples, and other structures thousands of years old that show us just how creative their builders were. Have you ever wondered who was responsible for designing and constructing buildings and structures, both in ancient times and today? Of course, it's engineers - civil engineers specifically. In fact, civil engineering is one of the oldest professions in the world. In our time, civil engineers are responsible for designing buildings and overseeing their construction and planning. Their work includes residential and commercial towers, bridges, train stations, dams, airports, tunnels, and every other kind of structure.
Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa
What You'll Actually Do
The core tasks and responsibilities that fill a typical day.
- Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
- Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction.
- Estimate quantities and cost of materials, equipment, or labor to determine project feasibility.
- Prepare or present public reports on topics such as bid proposals, deeds, environmental impact statements, or property and right-of-way descriptions.
- Design energy-efficient or environmentally sound civil structures.
- Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
- Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.
- Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
- Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
- Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.