| Civil Engineer |
The Golden Gate Bridge is not only iconic of San Francisco, but of the entire United States. It is the second longest
suspension bridge in the world and is regarded by many, including Frommer's Travel Guides, as "possibly the most
beautiful . . . bridge in the world."
The bridge took four years and 40 million dollars to build. It was inaugurated on May 28, 1937 by Franklin D.
Roosevelt and opened to the public on December 25, 1937. Here are a few statistics about this most impressive
bridge:
The length of the main span portion (distance between towers): 4,200 ft = 0.795 miles
Total length: 8,981 feet = 1.7 miles
Clearance above water: 220 ft
Height of towers above water: 746 ft
Total length of galvanized steel wires used in both main cables: 80,000 mi
How did this awesome bridge come about? Civil engineering!
Nature of the work
Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and
water supply and sewage systems. In doing so, they must consider factors such as construction costs, government
regulations, and environmental hazards like earthquakes and hurricanes.
So what exactly do they do? Before anyone ever steps onto a construction site, civil engineers must:
discuss project details with builders, city officials, and engineering teams
determine what forces will affect the structure (e.g. wind, earthquakes, etc.)
analyze soil, ground surveys, and other geological data
compute load requirements, water flow rates, and stress factors
determine the most suitable building material
estimate the total cost of the project (materials and labor)
design the actual structures
Then, during construction, civil engineers:
visit construction sites to monitor progress
manage construction workers
give advice concerning repairs/modifications
ensure that design modifications are met
Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions (e.g. construction supervisors, city engineers).
Others may work in design, construction, research, and teaching. Either way, most usually specialize in a given
discipline like construction, transportation, water resources, or structural engineering.
Also, engineers must be able to understand and use tools such as compasses, electronic distance meters, and
drafting scales in addition to being experts of computer-aided design, map, and project management software.
Education
As you would expect, bachelor-level engineering programs focus heavily of math and science courses. This is the
curriculum from U.C. Berkeley, the #1 ranked civil engineering school in the United States according to U.S. News &
World Report, 2011.
Licensure/Certification
State licensure is required for engineers who offer their services to the public. However, unlike health professions,
full licensure is not offered upon completion of a bachelor’s degree, four years of work experience is required. But,
graduates can complete the first half of the licensing process by passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam.
Principles and Practice of Engineering, the second, half can be taken after the requisite work experience has been
obtained. Those who pass the license exam are called professional engineers, or PEs. Continuing education
courses are required for continued licensure.
Professional certification is offered by numerous professional organizations, including the American Society of Civil
Engineers. While not necessary, a certificate indicates expertise in a particular area of civil engineering, and can
help advance one to managerial and senior technical positions.
Job Prospects
An expanding population and aging infrastructure point to the continued growth of this career. In fact, the US
Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates employment to grow by 24% from 2008 to 2018, which is much faster than the
national average.
Employment and Earnings
In May 2009, there were 259,320 people employed as civil engineers. The tables below show the earnings and
employment statistics as compiled by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:
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