Some desirable skills of civil engineers

Desirable skills for civil engineers

 

Civil Engineering is the oldest branch of engineering. Civil engineers are those who develop and maintain infrastructure like roads, building bridges etc. Due to the huge demand for infrastructure  in virtually every sector especially the ‘’heavy’’ sector like mining, steel and iron, construction etc, civil engineers have perpetual demand both in the public as well as the private sector .

 

However  just like any other engineer, a civil engineer is also expected to be competent and have a good grasp over the basics of his discipline. In this essay we will share the basic skills and core knowledge which civil engineer graduates  should ideally possess :

 

Knowledge of Building Materials : Having a solid foundation of different types of building materials is a must for civil engineers , especially those who are aiming to work as construction manager/superviser.  For example if you are working with fresh concrete, you should know how to conduct a concrete slump test. ( A test that determines the workability of concrete), soil test like compaction test, core cutter test etc. The core cutter test is a test which is conducted to determine the in situ dry density of the soil.

 

Know How To Analyze Surveying Instruments : Civil Engineers should be familiar with the usage of surveying, marking and measuring tools like total station, theodolite etc.

 

Is Familiar with the Standard Codes of Construction ; A good civil engineer should be aware of the safety standards every country has regarding construction regarded works.  If the standard codes are not followed then the infrastructure would not be safe and sustainable.

 

Know How To Draw & Design : Civil Engineers like architects have to have a good grasp over the fundamentals of drawing and designing. As a civil engineer is supposed to be comfortable with design software such as AutoCad.

 

Know the Basics of  Steel Construction : This should be necessary especially if you are into Quantity Survey. You should know how to calculate steel quantities in various structural numbers.

 

Know the Fundamentals of Quality Control :  In any project, quality control is extremely important. Without quality control skills, a project can become unprofitable as it would incur unnecessary costs and wastes of resources and manpower.

 

Labour Management : Every civil manager must learn how to deal tactfully with on site labourers. Here is where the need for soft skills come in.

 

Budgeting : This is one of the areas which engineers often ignore . They become over occupied with technical nitty gritties and ignore budgeting. Civil engineers thus should estimate overhead costs of every project and maintain a tight budget.