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SAICE General Career Guidance

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CIVIL ENGINEERING

Civil engineering involves constant recreation, improvement and conservation of the environment, as well as the establishment of facilities such as buildings, roads, bridges, airports and dams that are required for the effective functioning of a community. Civil engineers, technologists and technicians aim to harness the forces of nature and the quality of materials to provide physical facilities for society.

What am I going to do in this occupation?

Civil engineers, technologists and technicians are involved in the provision of a physical facility from the initial study to determine whether it is needed and worthwhile through conceptual planning and detail design, through the supervision of and actual construction, and then ensuring that it is operated correctly and maintained properly.

After initial training at either university or technikon, persons in civil engineering tend to specialise in one of the following :

• Geotechnical engineers design and construct foundations for structures and buildings, earth embankments, tunnels and earth dams.
• Transportation engineers plan, design and construct airports, railway lines and roads.
• Construction engineers plan, control and execute construction projects. They are specialists in construction, the use of machinery, materials and human resources.
• Structural engineers design and construct structures such as bridges, towers, frames or skeletons of skyscrapers, factories and power plant buildings. These engineers use concrete, steel and other building materials to construct stable, safe structures and buildings.
• Information technologists promote the science and art of the use of electronic computers in the field of civil engineering by the dissemination of information relating to electronic computational procedures.
• Hydraulic (water) engineers deal with flowing water, its storage, control and distribution. They are responsible for the planning, design and construction of dams, water supply systems and the sizing of bridge openings, drainage canals and flood control structures. The design and construction of harbours, deep-sea platforms, quays, jetties and dry docks are also the responsibility of the hydraulic engineer.
• Municipal engineers provide a forum for discussion of technical and related matters of common interest to civil engineers engaged upon urban and rural. work. They are responsible for the development and maintenance of towns, municipal services and recreational facilities.
• Environmental engineering is about the impact studies of the social and natural environment. They focus on the impact of civil engineering on the environment and create an effective balance between the two.
• Railway and harbour engineers provide and maintain facilities for transport by railways, road and motor services, harbours, airways, and pipelines.
• Technologists will undertake work where engineering principles are applied in a well-recognized or standard manner. They do many of the tasks performed by professional engineers but in one or more specialist fields.
• Technicians make the practical contribution on the civil engineering team and are responsible for translating the ideas and calculations of the professional engineer to workable schemes in design.

The civil engineer will visit and / or supervise the construction site depending on his / her field of specialisation.

Requirements

What kind of personality do I need?

You should be proficient in Mathematics and Physical Science. You should be able to work well with other people and to communicate clearly. The ability to speak more than one language is an advantage. There is room in civil engineering for many types of people: the scientific-minded designer and researcher; the public-minded planner of services, who will affect the quality of life of entire communities; the outgoing leader of construction teams, and the creator of complex organisations and systems.

What kind of school training do I need?

A senior certificate with matric exemption is required for the university course while the technician course does not require matric exemption, but a senior certificate.

Compulsory school subjects:
Mathematics and Physical Science (on Higher Grade)Recommended subjects:
English, Computer Science and Geography

What further training do I need?

University
The Universities of Natal, Durban-Westville, Cape Town, Pretoria, RAU, Stellenbosch and Witwatersrand offer civil engineering courses. Qualified civil engineers with appropriate post-graduate experience can register as Professional Engineers.

Technikon
The N.Dip Civil Engineering is offered at all the technikons. This diploma leads to the B. Tech. Degree in civil engineering. Qualified civil engineering technologists with appropriate post-technikon experience can register as Professional Technologists.

Where can I work?

• National, provincial and local government bodies. Here the emphasis is on the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of engineering facilities.
  
• Para-statal organisations such as Transnet, SABS, Sasol and Eskom. The activities are similar to those in government departments.
  
• Consultancies, where the emphasis is on planning, design and supervision of construction. A recent trend is to design and supervise the implementation of maintenance strategies.
  
• Construction companies, where the emphasis is the management of people and material resources to implement projects according to the design, specifications and contract conditions, agreed to with the client.
  
• Non-civil engineering companies employ professionals to ensure that the company is appropriately served in respect of their civil engineering needs.
  
• Some are employed as lecturers at universities, technikons and at research institutions such as the CSIR.
  

Can I work for myself in this occupation?

Where can I get further information?

• The universities and technikons mentioned above
  
• The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), The Registrar, PO Box 691, Bruma, 2026, Email: [email protected]
  
• The SA Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), The Executive Director, Postnet Suite 81, Private Bag X65, Halfway House, 1685, Email: [email protected]
  
• The South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (SAFCEC), The Registrar, PO Box 644, Bedfordview, 2008, Email: [email protected]

Information concerning technical workers and technologists, can be obtained from:

• Training Council for the Civil Engineering Trade, Private Bag X1, Gardenview, 2047
  
• Training Board for the Building Industry, PO Box 2908, Halfway House, 1675.

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