CHARGING OF CIVIL

ENGINEERING SERVICES
SERVICES AS EMPLOYEES
 DEFINITION AND NATURE OF WORK

• Civil engineers plan and design bridges and tunnels, as well as highways, airfields, harbors, water and sewage systems, and
buildings. They also supervise the construction of such projects to ensure that they are built according to carefully drafted
plans. Civil engineers are employed by all levels of government, by construction companies, and by engineering and
architectural firms. Some civil engineers do independent consulting work. Others work for public utility companies or in
the iron and steel industry. Still other civil engineers teach at colleges and universities.
• Civil engineering is such a broad and varied field that most engineers specialize in one area. Some of the main
specializations include structural, construction, hydraulics, sanitary, environmental, transportation, and soil mechanics
engineering.
• Civil engineers work with architects, other engineers, and construction personnel. These professionals often bring their
specialized talents together to work on urban planning projects. Civil engineers must be accurate and consider the safety of
the thousands of people who will use the structures they design and build.
 EDUCATION AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

• Civil engineers work in an intellectually demanding field that requires a strong aptitude for mathematics and
the physical sciences. They need the ability to think logically and creatively to be successful. They must be able
to communicate well, both verbally and in writing.
• A bachelor's degree in civil engineering from an accredited school is essential to enter the field. Many colleges
offer four- or five-year engineering programs that include courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics,
circuitry, stress analysis, and structural design.
• After getting a degree, graduates must get field training. A state license is also needed before they can be
professional engineers in private practice. Most states require about four years of work experience before
engineers can take the licensing examination. After licensing, civil engineers must continue their educations to
keep up with advances in the field.
 GETTING THE JOB

• Many civil engineers work for the government on the state, federal, or municipal level. A good way to start
looking for a job is to take the civil service examination, which is required for government work, and then
check the specific openings listed at state employment offices.
• Some engineers work for consulting architectural and engineering firms and in the major manufacturing
industries. College placement services may know of job openings. Construction and engineering companies
can be contacted directly. Professional journals, newspapers classified ads, and job banks on the Internet may
also provide leads.
 ADVANCEMENT POSSIBILITIES AND
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

• There are many opportunities for advancement. Civil engineers who work in civil service can advance from junior
engineer to assistant engineer to associate engineer, and then become the head of a department.
• Promotion of this type also occurs in large firms. Engineers can advance from project management to an
administrative position as a consulting engineer, department head, or chief engineer of a large construction firm. In
smaller companies advancement takes the form of specialization. Self-employment or partnership in a company is
possible for those with exceptional ability and capital.
• Employment for engineers will grow about as fast as the average for all jobs through 2014. Approximately 237,000
civil engineers are employed in the United States. Urban renewal, growth in rapid transit and industry, and
regulations to control air and water pollution will create an increasing demand for civil engineers. Geographic
location and the overall health of the economy will also be factors in employment.
 WORKING CONDITIONS

• Civil engineers work in many different places, depending on their specialization and their employers. They can
work in offices as well as at construction sites. Civil engineers doing research may work in laboratories.
• Most engineers are steadily employed, but engineers working in construction may experience periodic layoffs.
Those who work for government agencies enjoy job security not found in other types of engineering.
Regardless of where they work, civil engineers must face the strain of deadlines and tight schedules. Their
work is exacting. They must be very accurate because their work involves costly projects. They must be able
to work as part of a team and communicate their ideas to the other specialists on the project. Problem
solving requires innovation and the ability to make decisions. Civil engineers report that the personal
satisfaction of this work usually outweighs the pressures.
 WHAT DOES A CIVIL ENGINEERING
ACTUALLY DO?
A civil engineering company can specialize in one kind of engineering or offer several different aspects of various
engineering fields, usually ones that tie up with each other in some way or other.
So if you are looking at a career as a civil engineer, what sort of engineering work/projects could you possibly be
involved with if you work for a typical company?
1) Commercial
This includes buildings:
• Banks
• Office buildings and blocks of office buildings
• Parking lots and garages
• Restaurants and cafes
• Shopping centres, both the closed and open air structures
2) Institutes
You could be involved in building the following institutes:
• Schools and universities
• Corporate buildings and big business buildings
• Clinics and hospitals, private or government run
• Retirement villages and old age homes, whether subsidized or not
3) Industry
Civil engineers have a say in the design and building of the following industrial buildings:
• Manufacturing facilities and factories
• Utilities
• Industrial parks and business parks
• Warehouses and factory storage areas
• Communication towers
4) Residential
No matter how small or large a house/apartment block you build, a civil engineer has to ensure that the
• Individual homes on small or large acres of land.
• High rise apartment blocks
• Housing estates, whether funded through big corporations, or not.
5) Water management
A civil engineering company is involved in the design and development of the following water management works:
• Drinking water supply, storage and distribution
• Storm water and watershed management
• Wastewater treatment and collection
6) Environmental and Geotechnical Services
There is a lot to a modern civil company and many extra services are provided, some of which are:
• Subsurface exploration reporting
• Geology and Hydrogeology
• Soil treatment and recommendations
• Foundation recommendations
• Site evaluation and feasibility studies
• Retaining wall design and recommendations
• Slope stability analysis
• Excavation recommendations
• Pavement recommendations (flexible or rigid)
• Settling analysis and monitoring
• Seismic response and documentation
7) Environmental Services
In our environmentally conscious society, a civil engineering company that does not take heed of environmental
issues is in for a rough ride; however, most companies take cognizance of the need to ensure that the projects
they are involved in are environmentally friendly. Some of the services that the civil engineering company
provides are:
• Phase I and II environmental assessments
• Excavation supervision and contaminated soil removal
• Monitoring the installation of wells and the maintenance thereof
• Environmental sampling and testing
• Environmental consulting and compliance
• Wetland determination and confirmation
• Jurisdictional stream evaluation
• Permits and mitigation
• Lead and Asbestos identification and safe removal
• Corp of engineers and EPA permitting
• Evaluate sites based on the new Risk Based Corrective Action Evaluation Requirements
• Sampling and oversight for UST closures
Elements of a civil engineering project
There are many components to civil engineering projects that a civil engineer might be involved in.
Some of these elements are:
• Land surveying
• Development plans
• Utilities evaluation and design
• Site selection and planning
• Property and right of way acquisitions
• Construction layout and staking
• Drainage and grading
• Storm water management
• Parking lot design
• Pavement management
• Signage
• Shopping centre site engineering
Final Words
A civil engineers job is quite a lot more involved than one would initially imagine.The good news is that civil engineers are
highly trained and experienced professionals and technicians who are able to deliver an important and exacting service to a
wide and diverse client base.Thus a civil engineering company is involved in every aspect of a construction project, right down
to the last drop of cement.
Salary/Compensation

• Locally, a Civil Engineer receives a monthly salary ranging from P17,000-P25,000 depending on the type of
employer. In the U.S., a Civil Engineer receives a monthly salary of $4,300 to $6,400, again depending on the type
of employer. In other foreign countries, pay and benefits are definitely higher than local rates.