What is Civil Engineering?

The presence of civil engineering can be traced back to ancient civilisations thousands of years ago, making it the oldest branch of engineering in the world. Civil engineering can be seen when communities decided to build shelter, modes of transportation and sewage systems.  

Today, we can thank civil engineers for the buildings and structures in our daily lives such as the office we work in, the roads we drive on and power transmission lines that transmit electricity.

What Do Civil Engineers Do?

Civil engineers are responsible for designing, constructing, supervising, operating and maintaining large construction projects and systems. These include roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment. They may also be involved in preparing construction sites such as excavation and earth-moving. 

In addition, civil engineers have to write specifications for the testing of materials and structures in terms of performance, reliability and long-term durability. Similar to engineers in other branches, civil engineers are in charge of designing structures that are safe, reliable, durable, energy-efficient and within budget. Other tasks in civil engineering include reviewing bids from subcontractors, ensuring compliance with building codes, and supervising all phases of construction from grading to finishing. Besides that, civil engineers are involved in rebuilding bridges, repairing roads and upgrading dams. 

Subjects in a Civil Engineering Course

Generally, a degree in civil engineering takes three to four years to complete. The first two semesters of a civil engineering programme introduces advanced foundation subjects such as Computing for Engineers, Mathematics for Engineering and Structural Analysis. The next two years will introduce more specific civil engineering subjects such as Structural Concrete Design, Traffic Engineering and Applied Construction. There are also undergraduate programmes in civil engineering that give an option to individuals to gain a Master’s qualification with an addition of another year of study.  

To become a professional engineer, individuals need to be registered as a Graduate Engineer with the Board of Engineers, obtain the necessary work experience, professional training, and pass the Professional Assessment Examination conducted by the Board. For information on how to become a professional engineer in Malaysia, visit their website at www.bem.org.my.

The Skills You Need

A strong foundation in physics, mathematics, geology and hydrology is important when it comes to civil engineering. Furthermore, civil engineers need to be familiar with the properties of a wide range of construction materials and construction machinery. Civil engineers also need to be creative, patient, determined, and unfazed by failure. Other useful skills include excellent control of analytical tools, strong IT skills, being able to work in a team, and being able to think quickly and practically.  

Job Opportunities 

Civil engineers have a variety of industries to work in depending on their strengths and interests. These industries include structural design, construction, water resources, transportation and urban planning. In addition, they can choose to specialise in a particular structure such as buildings, coastal and marine, highways and transportation, rail and waste management. Other job roles in civil engineering are building control surveyor, consulting civil engineer, contracting civil engineer, design engineer, structural engineer and water engineer. 

Civil engineers play a huge part in our lives and the places we live in. The demand for civil engineers is constant and will continue to grow as long as there are structures and facilities that need to be built.