Civil Engineering Technology

What Do Civil Engineering Technology Graduates Do? Are you passionate about making a serious contribution to the public by coming up with innovative structural designs and managing large-scale construction projects?
Do you have an interest in working on renewable-energy projects, such as implementing solar arrays to help combat greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuel?
Are you looking for a satisfying career where you can help repair and enhance the infrastructure of cities?
Civil Engineering Technology Graduates
- Help civil engineers plan and build highways, buildings, bridges, dams, wastewater treatment systems, and other public structures.
- Design commercial, industrial, residential, and land development projects.
- Estimate construction costs and specify materials to be used (some may even prepare drawings or perform land-surveying duties).
- Set up and monitor instruments used to study traffic conditions.
- Assist in overseeing or monitoring construction, evaluating materials quality, reviewing surveying or mapping, and handling cost estimates and budgets.
- Use computer programs to collect and analyze data, prepare technical reports, and manage file systems.
Famous Civil Engineers
- Elsie Eaves – first female member of the American Society of Civil Engineers
- Olive Dennis – changed the nature of railway travel; worked for the B & O Railroad
- Emily Warren Roebling – Chief Engineer of building the Brooklyn Bridge
- John Smeaton – contributed to the Industrial Revolution with his work on windmills and waterwheels
- Benjamin Wright – Chief Engineer during the construction of the Erie Canal, the Chesapeake, and the Ohio Canal
- Dr. John Job Crew Bradfield – designed and oversaw the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
- Squire Whipple – built seven short span iron bridges for the New York and Erie Railroad
- Isambard Kingdom Brunel – designed a network of tunnels, bridges, and viaducts for the Great Western Railway
Areas of Employment
- Offices
- Construction sites
- Private consulting firms
- Laboratories
- Government agencies
- Bridge and highway design
- Pollution control
- Project manager
- Estimator
- Drafter
- Land surveyor
- Structural engineer
- Construction inspector
Career Guidance Suggestions for Pre-University Students
Coursework to Consider:
- Pre-algebra
- Geometry
- Advanced algebra
- Engineering fundamentals
- Computer applications
- Statistics
- Macroeconomics
- Structural analysis
- Fluid mechanics
- Chemistry
- Calculus
- Trigonometry
- Physics
- Robotics
- Programming
Suggested Extracurricular Activities:
- Competitions
- Summer programs
- Afterschool programs
- Clubs
- Internships
- Online puzzles and games
- Online courses
- Maker faires
- Design projects
Local Programs Offered by:
- Science centers and museums
- Professional societies like IEEE
- Universities
Important Skills:
- Critical thinking skills: help engineers identify and solve complex technical problems to develop infrastructure plans.
- Decision-making skills: be able to quickly discern which types of information are most important for the work at hand, and which plan of action will help keep the project on schedule.
- Math skills: use math for project analysis, design, and troubleshooting.
- Analytical skills: develop plans and estimate costs for constructing systems and operating facilities.
- Research skills: collect data and prepare analyses for various project activities.
- Observational skills: know what to look for and how best to report back to the engineer overseeing a design project.
- Problem-solving skills: work with all related systems involved in building a project and evaluate contractors’ work to detect problems with a design.
- Comprehension skills: understand all documents describing the plans and designs for projects that must be carried out.
- Writing skills: prepare detailed reports that are well organized and clearly written in order to relay findings to others.
Links and Resources
- American Society of Civil Engineers: America’s oldest national engineering society representing more than 147,000 members of the civil engineering profession worldwide.
- Chi Epsilon: the National Civil Engineering Honor Society recognizing students who have exemplified the principles of “Scholarship, Character, Practicality, and Sociability” in the civil engineering profession.
- The Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering: a professional association with over 1,000 innovative members who share technology, management, and applied engineering ideas, research, and applications that positively impact the future.
- American Society of Certified Engineering Technicians: the only national, professional society created especially for, and administered by, engineering technicians and technologists in all engineering disciplines.
- American Society for Engineering Education: a nonprofit organization of individuals and institutions committed to furthering education in engineering and engineering technology.