Have you ever wondered what it takes to build seemingly endless highways, or huge bridges? How do we engineer massive dams, and tunnels deep underground?

The Job of a Civil Engineer

Civil engineers design major transportation projects. To put it simply, they plan and construct anything from sewage systems to airports.

But they can’t just start construction; they have to consider costs, especially if they have a budget; they have to consider government regulations (laws); they have to consider potential environmental hazards; and many other things. It is a lot of planning and risk-analysis.

Along with construction, civil engineers must further maintain buildings, repairing them when needed.

In all, it is a very long and tedious process.

Types of Civil Engineers

Construction Engineers - manage construction projects and usually oversee the budget, time management, and communications, as well as being responsible for temporary structures used during construction (e.g, scaffolding)

Geotechnical Engineers - focus on how structures built by civil engineers interact with the earth (rock, soil, etc.)

Structural Engineers - design and assess major projects, such as bridges, based on their strength and durability

Transportation Engineers - plan, design, and maintain everyday systems, such as streets and highways, as well as larger projects like mass transit systems and airports

The Great Accomplishments of Civil Engineers

Have you ever heard of Gustave Eiffel? You’ve probably heard of the Eiffel Tower - made the connection yet? Gustave Eiffel came up with the idea and plans for the Eiffel Tower, hence the name.

Joseph Strauss, an American structural engineer, was the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most famous landmarks in the United States of America. He also revolutionized bascule bridges, which are movable bridges (such as drawbridges) that can be single-leafed or double-leafed.

These are just a couple of the enormous accomplishments of civil engineers.

Sources: Civil Engineers : Occupational Outlook Handbook