Perhaps you are considering a career in civil engineering but you find yourself wondering…”What is a civil engineer?” Even today, after years of experience as a civil engineer, I don’t have a simple, canned response to this question. If I am short on time, I am sometimes afraid to be asked this question just because […]

Forensic Engineering is the investigation of failures in engineering materials, products or structures, usually after there has been damage to a property or personal injuries. This field of engineering is typically involved with civil law cases, and may provide evidence including professional engineering opinions, reports or testimony in those cases.

Municipal or Urban Engineering is the study of the design of municipal infrastructure, such as streets, sidewalks, parking lots, water supplies, sewer systems, utilities, lighting, etc. Municipal and urban engineers may work directly for public agencies or be outside consultants hired by those public agencies. Additionally, jurisdictions in some cases will provide civil engineering review […]

Transportation Engineering is the study of moving people and products in the many forms of transportation, such as vehicles on streets, boats in canals, trains on railways, planes at airports, shipping boats at ports, and mass transit systems. Designs by transportation engineers take into consideration traffic safety of vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.

Surveying is often considered to be its own separate profession, but engineers study the basics of surveying, which is essentially taking measurements and mapping them for use in understanding properties and designing construction projects. Surveyors also conduct construction surveying to assist contractors by providing staking, benchmarks, etc. Surveyors also provide as-built surveying, to collect data […]

Structural Engineering is the study of structural analysis of buildings/structures. Structural engineers take into account the weight of the structure, dead loads, and live loads, as well as natural forces such as snow, wind, earthquake loads, to design safe structures that will successfully support those anticipated loads.

Water Resources Engineering deals with understanding, analyzing and modeling water. For example, a water resources engineer has an understanding of water quality and quantity, aquifers, lakes, rivers, streams, and stormwater. Water resources engineers can design conveyance systems, such as pipes, water supplies, drainage facilities, dams, channels, culverts, levees and storm sewers, canals, etc.

Geotechnical Engineering is the study of the earth’s materials, such as rock and soil, and understanding their material properties and behavior under varying conditions (such as seasonal changes, temperature changes, shrink, swell). Geotechnical engineers conduct tests, prepare reports, provide recommendations for construction, and observe and advise during construction.

Environmental Engineering is the study of best management practices to protect our living environment, including treatment of chemical, biological and thermal waste, keeping water and air as clean as possible, and environmental clean-up of areas that were previously contaminated.

Earthquake Engineering is a study of how structures will react during earthquakes and interact with the movement of the ground. This is a sub-discipline of structural engineering, and involves designing and constructing new buildings/structures, or renovating and updating them to be in compliance with safety and building codes.