Civil engineering in the digital age

At a recent webinar, when I was asked if civil engineering careers were losing shine, I was not surprised. Admittedly, the flood of IT jobs driven by global demand has made engineering disciplines like mechanical and civil appear less glamorous.

Civil engineering was among the first two branches of engineering to be formally created and has played a foundational role in developing the country’s basic infrastructure: the vast road, rail and water transport network, as well as bridges, dams and townships.

Those in the profession will continue to play a fundamental role in driving our economy, because any project — residential, industrial, commercial, or infrastructure — cannot be completed without the expertise of a civil engineer.

Even before a project kicks off, civil engineers are needed to determine existing site conditions, landscape and utilities. The bigger the project, the bigger the requirement for civil engineers.

Like any other discipline, as you progress in your job as a civil engineer, you need to pick up project management skills to complete projects as per schedule. In the modern age, there are also a few other skills the profession calls for.

Software skills needed

It is a myth that civil engineers at construction sites deal with concrete and steel alone.

Well-honed people skills are essential to deal with suppliers, contractors, and the labour force. The better you get at these, the brighter the chances of rising to project manager level and beyond, with salaries comparable to IT jobs.

For most civil engineering projects, you will also need to be abreast of the changes in environmental laws, regulations, technical standards.

Above all, an ability to continuously sharpen skills in cutting-edge software tools will be well-rewarded. These softwares include AutoCAD Civil 3D and technologies like Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and drones. These skills are becoming increasingly essential for those seeking careers in engineering design firms or even Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) companies.

Software and technology are getting embedded deeply even in civil engineering — from planning, design and consultancy services, to actual construction, maintenance and upkeep. If a 3-dimensional drawing is present, AR and VR technologies are the future.

The key difference, when it comes to civil engineering is, it offers more opportunities to be creative and overcome challenges when compared to a coding job, which can get rather monotonous.

With the growing focus on green buildings and sustainability, civil engineers also need to plan for energy efficiency, indoor air quality, solar power, solid-waste management, waste treatment and rainwater harvesting.

The complexity of designing green buildings calls for civil engineers who are well-versed with cutting-edge software. Those with knowledge of Revit, Primavera, Python programming, Drone survey and are equipped to work in areas involving energy analysis, life-cycle assessment, prefabricated structures, solid waste management and environment impact will have a rewarding career.

Learn through internships

Many engineering colleges have embedded software and technologies, listed above, in their core curriculum to equip students to be future-ready and undertake jobs at domestic as well as international engineering design and consulting companies.

As you shortlist colleges, look for those
with focus on R & D and strong industry
linkages. A good college should help you get a rigorous internship and placement options and should invite guest speakers from industry.

If you are a young civil engineering graduate, you could cultivate valuable analytical and design skills through intensive internships and gain valuable experience while working in R & D labs and live projects. There are colleges that place huge emphasis on internships and companies that use internships as a preferred way to shortlist candidates for final placement.

(The writer is principal at a college of
technology in Salem)