Anthony Fasano, P.E.

There are so many students who don’t always know what civil engineering discipline to choose when applying for college, and then, when it comes time to take their FE Exams, they battle even more as they might have chosen a discipline that does not fit their interests or personality. Therefore, we thought it would be helpful to start a series on each of these 5 civil engineering disciplines to give you a better idea what to expect both in your studies, and FE exams. 

In the previous article we discussed the Geotechnical Engineering Discipline, which you can find on our playlist called Civil Engineering Disciplines, and in this article, we discuss the roles, responsibilities, and credentials needed to become a civil construction engineer, which might also be referred to as a construction engineer.

For those of you who already took their FE exams, or are getting close to taking the exam, and are thinking of taking the Civil PE Exam next, we did a complete series on our Pass the PE Exam YouTube about each of the 5 different PE Civil depth exams in detail, explaining the topics covered on each of the exams and what the pass rates are for each topic. You can check them out on our Pass the PE exam YouTube Playlist called Civil Engineering Disciplines – How They Show Up in the PE Exams.

What is Civil Construction?

• Civil construction is the creation of infrastructure involving anything to do with water, earth, or transport. It is a branch of Civil Engineering involved with the maintenance, design, and construction of environments such as roads, railways, buildings, water reservoirs, subdivisions, airports, bridges, sewer systems, tunnels, and dams.
• The civil construction industry consists of the individuals and companies involved in the planning, creation, and designing of our infrastructure. Civil construction truly shapes the world around us, and with the new technology that is increasing productivity, civil construction projects can now be done with a quicker schedule. 
• Everything from massive bridges for transportation to walkway construction and wastewater treatment centers to dams, the civil field encompasses some of the most essential building projects that are completed in our world each year.  The sector truly helps humans get where they want to be in addition to what they need.
• Civil projects are usually classified under the umbrella of civil engineering instead of being considered a branch of construction. This is because of the need for extensive planning and coordination between a variety of engineers and design specialists before any construction can begin. Civil construction companies do more than build structures. They also manage natural and existing environments like water reservoirs, hillsides, and mountain ridges, in addition to other areas that interface with human-made infrastructure. 
• Contractors bidding on civil projects need to know about grading, erosion control, access rights, public impact, legal regulations, and much more so they can understand what’s involved in any given request. If a civil construction company can’t handle every step themselves, they have to be able to subcontract the additional steps properly.

There are many tasks performed in the industry including the planning, creation, and maintenance of public infrastructure. Anything that will make the lives of people easier. 

Common Work Includes:

• Adhering to the guidelines created by the government, local bodies and clients when planning, creating and maintaining infrastructure,
• Tendering the contracts and hiring contractors,
• Creating cost estimates and budgets,
• Creating infrastructure design plans and having these approved by governing bodies and local authorities,
• Studying, evaluating and investigating the land and building sites suitable for the possible creation of infrastructure
• Liaising with governments, clients and other professionals
• Supervising and monitoring the construction of the infrastructure to ensure it matches the plan

The Type of Projects You Might Work On

Civil construction often involves structures like city halls or public libraries, but can also take design and construction to another level. 

Some of the larger projects handled by the civil sector include:

• Earthwork projects like capping landfills, reshaping flood-prone areas and building new levees,
• Bridges, from basic roadway crossings to massive bridges,
• Canals and river stabilization or widening projects, for both shipping and recreational goals,
• Wastewater treatment plants, holding tanks, settlement ponds, and other essential processing structures,
• Railroads, including tracks for light rail, high speed, and streetcar systems growing in popularity,
• Airports, ports, and other major transportation hubs,
• Dams and corresponding reservoir tanks or lakes, including systems designed for power generation,
• Roadways, ranging from simple-level residential streets to complex overpasses and tunnels,

Credentials That Can Assist You in Becoming a Construction Engineer

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, civil engineering technology, or similar.
• State-approved license.
• At least 2 years experience as a construction engineer in the relevant field of specialization.
• Advanced proficiency in construction management software, such as BuildSmart and Smartsheet.
• In-depth knowledge of construction industry regulations.
• Exceptional leadership, project management, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Great mathematical, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders.
• Availability to visit the construction site outside of business hours, when relevant.

There you have it, if you like what you heard here, and can see yourself working in this specific field, then this discipline might be the right one for you.

This Episode Is Brought to You by PPI

PPI has helped engineers achieve their licensing goals since 1975. Passing the FE and PE exams can open doors to career advancement and new opportunities. Check out PPI’s wide range of prep options, including Live Online courses, OnDemand courses, and digital study tools to help prepare you to pass your licensing exam here.

In upcoming articles, I will answer more FE Exam questions and run through more practice problems. We publish videos bi-weekly on our Pass the FE Exam YouTube Channel.  Be sure to visit our page here and click the subscribe button as you’ll get expert tips and tricks – to ensure your best success – that you can’t get anywhere else. Believe me, you won’t want to miss a single video.

Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions in the comments of the videos or here on this page and I’ll read and respond to them in future videos. So, if there’s a specific topic you want me to cover or answer, we have you covered.

I’ll see you next week.

Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success