Civil Engineering Fields

[Dark Knight]

Hello there,

No, I am not crazy :blink: and started studying Civil Engineering, my friends. One PE test to pass was enough, well, more than enough for my lifetime.

My wife's nephew just started college and he wants to become a Civil Engineer. He asked Ol' Uncle Luis for advice about it and I told him I would look for some info and get back to him.

So now I am here asking all of you Civil P.E.s and soon to be Civil P.E.s for a description of the many different fields Civil Eng. has. I have heard about Transportation, Water Resources, and Structural but don't know the specifics and cannot remember if there are more.

Please, Rleon,P.E., Dr. Franz,P.E., Civileng,P.E., EDinNO,P.E.(you are the ones that come to my memory right now) and all others who want to help a future Civil P.E. : USA : give here a description of each field or any other I am missing.

I will appreciate it so.....

;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns;

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

Don't forget sanitary. It's kinda that gray area between civil and envl.

There's also site engineering/land development, which is a lot of what we're doing at this point. Building footprint goes here, now lay out parking, drainage, landscaping, etc. around it.

Public works is it's own field of civil in my opinion too.

 

[DrFranz]

well, I would definitelly add geotech there, what do we do... play w/ dirt, it's necessary in every single project, because, unless you are building something that will permanently float on air, whatever you build will be sitting on ground. It can be broken down in some major subfields, within soil mechanics and rock mechanics, which are foundation engineering, dam engineering, tunnel engineering and land development.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I think a great name for a soils engineering firm would be "Dirtpimps, Inc."

 

[petergibbons]

I think a great name for a soils engineering firm would be "Dirtpimps, Inc."

:lmao:

 

[NSEARCH]

The five main disciplines would be:

Structural

Transportation

Environmental

Geotechnical

Water Resources

Another big discipline people are getting into is coastal engineering....this would include design work that would involve major ports and harbors, sediment transport (beach renourishment projects), wave height analyses, flood mapping. This area requires graduate studies though.

Among those there are several sub-disciplines, like bridge design, major road/highway alignment/design, wetland flagging, wastewater/potable water treatment systems, foundation or retaining wall design, soil testing (permeability testing), drainage design, flood mapping, hydraulic/hydrologic modeling, commercial/residential design, construction management. Just a few off the top of my head.......there are MANY others of what I would call a sub-discipline.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

wetland flagging, wastewater/potable water treatment systems

Funny you should mention those two right in a row. Those are the latest areas my boss wants me to develop in.

In Vermont, wastewater/potable are handled in something of a unique way. They have two classes of "site technician" designer licenses that allow you to design water and wastewater systems to a certain extent without a PE license provided you take certain classes and pass an exam.

Even as a PE, you need to take a state approved soils ID class and successfully complete it, then apply to the state to have a wastewater/potable designer endorsement on your license. The soils class is a one day lecture followed by a field exam of 3 test pits.

As for wetlands delineation, Vermont doesn't have a certification program, but New Hampshire does. So the next time they offer one of those ACOE delineation classes in this neck of the woods, I plan to take it. They have ones around Boston or Albany from time to time.

Then again, New Hampshire ranks a little higher in my list of PE friendly states at this point, as they licensed me to practice Envl AND Civil. Obviously, I'd never touch a bridge plan or transporation study, but it's nice to know I can sign off on a sidewalk if push comes to shove.

As opposed to Vermont which is a more rigidly discipline specific state, that prints your discipline on your stamp.

 

[Dark Knight]

Hello there,

Just to thank you all for the replies. I hope the kid finds some help on them.

To the future PEs preparing for October believe in you and be confident that you will pass. Do not go to the test thinking that you will fail . Trust yourself. YOU WILL PASS :bow:

;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns; ;guns;