A Career in Civil Engineering
Presented By:
Georgia Section of
American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE)
Imagine…
…climbing the
towers of a
suspension
bridge to
perform an
inspection.
Imagine…
…providing
clean drinking
water to all 8
million of
residents of
New York
City.
Imagine…
…getting people
home from
work quicker
by improving
public
transportation
or building
roads.
Imagine…
…building a
better world.
Imagine…
…becoming a civil
engineer.
Think Civilization
No Civil Engineers…no civilization
Great Civil Engineering Achievements
The Pyramids of Egypt
Photo from http://touregypt.net/
Great Civil Engineering Achievements
The Roman Coliseum
Photos from http://www.acns.fsu.edu/~jbraswel/
http://www.wcslc.edu/history/the_roman_coliseum.html
Great Civil Engineering Achievements
The Tower Bridge
Photo from http://www.hunterpix.com/
Great Civil Engineering Achievements
The Eiffel Tower
Photos from http://www.greatbuildings.com/
Great Civil Engineering Achievements
The Panama Canal
Photos from http://www.pananet.com/pancanal/pcc.htm
Great Civil Engineering Achievements
Hoover Dam
Photo from http://www.hooverdam.usbr.gov
Great Civil Engineering Achievements
The Golden Gate Bridge
Photos from http://www.greatbuildings.com/
Specialty Areas
• Structural
Engineering
• Transportation
Engineering
• Environmental
Engineering
• Water Resources
• Construction
Engineering
• Geotechnical
Engineering
• Urban Planning
Structural Engineering
• Analyzing and
designing structures
that are safe
• Structures must be
able to:
– Support loads
– Withstand hurricanes,
earthquakes, blizzards,
and floods
Structural Engineering
• Examples:
– Stadiums and arenas
– Skyscrapers
– Offshore oil structures
– Space platforms
– Amusement park rides
– Bridges
– Office buildings
Photos from http://www.pbs.org/
Structural Engineering
• Materials: steel, concrete, aluminum,
timber, plastic and exotic materials
Examples in Structural Engineering
(Where are these places?)
Transportation Engineering
• Move people, goods,
and materials safely
and efficiently
• Find ways to meet
the increasing travel
needs on land, air
and sea
Transportation Engineering
• You will design, construct,
and maintain:
–
–
–
–
Highways
Railroads
Airfields
Ports
• Improve traffic control and
mass transit systems
• Introduce other new
transportation methods
Examples in Transportation Engineering
Environmental Engineering
• Design systems to:
– Destroy toxic substances
– Remove pollutants from water
– Reduce non-hazardous solid
waste volumes
– Eliminate contaminants from
the air
– Develop groundwater supplies
Environmental Engineering
• Resolve problems of:
– Providing safe drinking
water
– Cleaning up sites
contaminated with
hazardous materials
– Cleaning up and
preventing air pollution
– Treating wastewater
– Managing solid wastes
Examples in Environmental Engineering
Construction Engineering
• Builder of our future
• Turn designs into
reality -- on time and
within budget
• Knowledge of:
– Construction methods
and equipment
– Principles of financing,
planning, and
managing
Examples in Construction Engineering
Examples in Construction Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
• Almost every project is
in, on, or made with
earth materials
• In the earth:
– Tunnels
– Deep foundations
– Pipelines
• On the earth:
– Highway pavements
– Buildings
Geotechnical Engineering
• Made of earth:
– Earth dams
– Levees
– Embankments
– Slopes
• Analyses based on
mechanics and
mathematics
• Understanding
earthquakes
Examples in Geotechnical Engineering
Water Resources
• Issues concerning the
quality and quantity of
water
• You might work to
– Prevent floods
– Supply water for cities,
industry and irrigation
– Treat wastewater
– Protect beaches
– Manage and redirect rivers
Water Resources
• Design, construction,
or maintenance of:
– Hydroelectric power
facilities
– Canals
– Dams
– Pipelines
– Pumping stations
– Locks
– Seaport facilities
Examples in Water Resources
Urban Planning
• Full development of a
community
• Projects may include:
– Projecting street patterns
– Identifying park and
recreation areas
– Determining areas for
industrial and residential
growth
Urban Planning
• Integrate freeways,
airports, and other
related facilities
• People-oriented and
technically
knowledgeable
How Many Types of Engineering Work Can
You Identify in this Picture?
Where Do We Work?
• Government
– Federal, state, county, city organizations
• Consulting
– Firms of all sizes (you can even start your own)
• Research
– Universities and other private corporations
What You Need
• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering
– More than 200 accredited university programs
• Join an ASCE student chapter
Working as a Civil Engineer
• Obtain a professional engineer’s (P.E.) license
– Typically requires 4 years of experience and passing an
examination
• Pay Scale?
– Starting salaries for civil engineers
out of school is $45,000 (2008).
– Average annual wages for civil engineers
with a P.E. license was $77,600 (2010).
– Salaries for civil engineers with 20 years experience
and a P.E. license averaged $99,000 (2008).
For More Information
• Check out the ASCE web sites…
www.asce.org
www.ascega.org
Thank You for Your Time!
• Keith Cole, P.E. (environmental);
• Katherine Gurd, P.E. (water resources);
• Richard Morales, P.E. (structural); and
• Melissa Wheeler, P.E. (construction).
Questions???