Job Descriptions - Definitions - Career Fields: Civil Engineer

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Civil Engineer

What is Civil Engineering?
Civil Engineering is the planning, design, construction and maintenance of the infrastructure framework that a modern civilized society needs in order to function properly. To do this Civil Engineering harnesses and works with the forces of nature to shape and create our modern environment with products including roads, buildings, factories, dams and water supplies, in fact most of the built environment both visible and hidden. Take away Civil Engineering and we return to travelling by foot, living in caves and fetching water from the rivers.

The role of the Civil Engineering Professional is to ensure a cost - effective project, to ensure sustainable development, to always consider and anticipate the needs of the community and to provide for those needs.

** Am I Suitable? YES! If I am

- a pioneer

- mathematical

- environmentally conscious

- systematic

- an independent decision maker

- able to communicate

- confident

- adventurous

- interested in improving our quality of life

- able to think logically

- interested in people

- a person for challenges

THE BRANCHES OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

** WATER


- dams
- pipelines
- purification works
- reservoirs
- sewage purification
- stormwater management

** INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
- capture
- transmission & storage of data
- computers in civil engineering design
- communication & reports

** GEOTECHNICAL
- foundations
- excavations & fills
- rock anchors & piling
- tunnels

** TRANSPORTATION
- roads
- traffic control
- public transport
- airports

** URBAN & RURAL DEVELOPMENT
- municipal services & facilities
- development & maintenance of towns
- recreational facilities

** ENVIRONMENTAL
- impact studies
- social & natural environments
- harmonising affected
- elements & resources

** RAILWAY & HARBOUR
- railway networks
- facilities in harbours
- coastal structures

** STRUCTURAL
- bridges
- buildings
- towers
- power pylons

** CONSTRUCTION
- encompasses all branches of civil engineering

** Where will it take me?
- work in the public sector: municipalities & Government departments
- work in the private sector: consulting or contracting
- work indoors / outdoors
- work almost anywhere in the country & abroad
- become a specialist or remain a generalist

** How do I get there?
* Secondary Education: You need a good matriculation with Mathematics, Science and your first language on higher grade. Recommended subjects are: English, Computer Science and Geography

* Professional Engineer:
(innovative, holistic approach, leader, conceptual thinker)
Tertiary Education
- 4 yrs BSc Eng (Civil Engineering) at a University &
- 3 yrs practical training period

* Professional Technologist:
(applied technology, transferring ideas into practise)
Tertiary Education
- 3 yrs National Diploma at a Technikon & in addition 1yr of study to obtain a
BTech degree
- 3 yrs practical training period

* Registered Technician:
(practical, hands - on, technical)
Tertiary Education
- 3 yrs National Diploma at a Technikon
- 2 yrs practical training period

** What will I do?
The Civil Engineer will:
* plan, design and build the required facility
* examine the site and likely impact on the environment
* carry out necessary technical analysis and design
* communicate with the client, the community and other interested parties to ensure that needs, expectations and concerns are addressed adequately
* supervise the preparation of plans and details
* evaluate all the financial requirements
* plan and execute the construction
* ensure that the required standards of quality are met
* monitor performance and maintenance

The Technologist will:
* undertake work where engineering principles are applied in a well recognized or standard manner
* do many of the tasks performed by professional engineers but in one or more specialist fields

The Technician will:
* make the practical contribution to the civil engineering team
* be responsible for translating the ideas and calculations of the professional engineer to workable schemes in design
* understand and apply standard engineering techniques
* assumes a management role over artisans on construction
* may be concerned with laboratory control


 
 

Courtesy: CareerExpo

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