Profession civil engineering technician

Civil engineering technicians design, and oversee construction and maintenance of structures and facilities (e.g. water supply systems, road and highway systems, buildings).

Would you like to know what kind of career and professions suit you best? Take our free Holland code career test and find out.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Tasks civil engineering technician

• Perform calculations (e.g. dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, material quantities) using calculator or computer.
• Plan and conduct field surveys, inspections or technical investigations (e.g. of topography, soils, drainage and water supply systems, road and highway systems, buildings and structures).
• Analyze details of project sites and illustrate findings (e.g. by designing maps, graphs, tracings and diagrams).
• Prepare reports and document project activities and data.
• Develop drawings and design layouts for projects.
• Develop plans and estimate costs for installation of systems, utilization of facilities or construction of structures.
• Read and review project blueprints and structural specifications, e.g. to determine dimensions of structure or system and material requirements.
• Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing and evaluation of field conditions.
• Inspect project site and evaluate contractor work to detect design faults and ensure conformity to specifications and codes.
• Report maintenance problems occurring at project site and negotiate changes to resolve system conflicts.

Related professions engineering technician

• Avionic communication systems technician
• Chemical engineering technician
• Electrical engineering technician
• Electronics engineering technician
• Environmental protection advisor
• Geological or mineral technician
• Geological sample test technician
• Mechanical engineering technician
• Metallurgy technician
• Meteorology or oceanography technician
• Nuclear monitoring technician
• Ship engineering technician

Knowledge

• Civil engineering

  The engineering discipline that studies the design, construction and maintenance of naturally built works such as roads, buildings, and canals.

• Construction methods

  The various techniques and methods for erecting buildings and other constructions.

• Building codes

  The set of guidelines that determine the minimum standards for buildings and other constructions in order to protect public health and safety.

• Technical drawings

  Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.

• Engineering principles

  The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.

• Construction industry

  The products, brands and suppliers active in the construction field.

• Engineering processes

  The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.

Skills

• Prevent damage to utility infrastructure

  Consult utility companies or plans on the location of any utility infrastructure that may interfere with a project or be damaged by it. Take the necessary steps to avoid damage.

• Use technical drawing software

  Create technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.

• Prioritise tasks

  Organise tasks according to their priority.

• Keep records of work progress

  Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.

• Use safety equipment in construction

  Use elements of protective clothing such as steel-tipped shoes, and gear such as protective goggles, in order to minimise risk of accidents in construction and to mitigate any injury if an accident does occur.

• Inspect construction supplies

  Check construction supplies for damage, moisture, loss or other problems before using the material.

• Perform field research

  Participate in field research and evaluation of state and private lands and waters.

• Use measurement instruments

  Use different measurement instruments depending on the property to be measured. Utilise various instruments to measure length, area, volume, speed, energy, force, and others.

• Follow health and safety procedures in construction

  Apply the relevant health and safety procedures in construction in order to prevent accidents, pollution and other risks.

• Estimate duration of work

  Produce accurate calculations on time necessary to fulfil future technical tasks based on past and present information and observations or plan the estimated duration of individual tasks in a given project.

• Ensure compliance with safety legislation

  Implement safety programmes to comply with national laws and legislation. Ensure that equipment and processes are compliant with safety regulations.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB