Civil Engineer Career Pathway

Civil engineering is the cornerstone of our built environment, with civil engineers at the helm. Civil engineers plan, design, construct and maintain critical civil engineering infrastructures such as buildings, roads, bridges, dams, pipelines, transport systems, and water supply and wastewater treatment facilities. 

From the upgrading of Melbourne's train systems from steam to Brisbane's new airport runway, lauded as Australia's most significant aviation construction project, civil engineering has been at the cornerstone of this. Civil engineers also play a crucial role in creating a more sustainable future for Australia. In 2019 at the World Engineers Convention, there was a signing of the declaration to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The skills of engineers are crucial to living more sustainably; for example, the clean sanitation of water for communities is a remit within civil engineering. 

What does a Civil Engineer do?

Civil engineers work in public and private sectors, on projects such as airports, dams, water irrigation systems, sewage treatment facilities, airports and highways, to name a few. They check sites for the feasibility of construction projects and work incredibly closely with stakeholders to ensure the project is completed to spec. They provide the project complies with local, state and national legislation or requirements. They manage staff, as well as liaise with key stakeholders and other professionals, such as the builders or architects of projects. They also develop plans with software and solve problems that arise. Some common tasks include: 

• Determining construction methods, materials and quality standards, drafting specs, drawings, plans, construction methods and procedures and organising and directing site labour.
• They are often in charge of the delivery of construction materials, plant and equipment, as well as the establishment of detailed programs to ensure the organisation of on-site activity.
• They study architectural, and engineering drawings, and specs to estimate everything from total costs of a project, as well as inform them to prepare cost plans (in-detail) as well as create accurate budgets.

As well as the above, civil engineers will design, assess, measure, value and negotiate design variations and analyse structural systems for static and dynamic loads. They design to ensure structures do not collapse, bend, or twist (in ways they aren't supposed to). It takes into account societies needs when planning, looking at present and future travel plans as well as being responsible for the design of the physical aspects of transport systems, including terminals, logistic supply systems, railroads, urban transit, and highways.