Five civil engineering specializations

Five civil engineering specializations you may not be aware of

Civil engineering is one of the most interesting fields of study to pursue, just with the diversity of specializations that can lead to a successful career path. Reddy Kancharla, a civil engineer himself, shares a number of these in this article.

1. Construction Management

A manager heads any project in any industry. In civil engineering, this is no different, except that in Construction Management, you will be needing one who has the technical expertise and the gift of handling other individuals of varying skill sets. Construction Management is focused on keeping risk to a minimum by applying best practices in the industry and complying with local, state, and federal building codes.

2. Environmental Engineering

With so much interest in environmentalism in the past two decades, the civil engineering industry has certainly carved out a niche, aptly named Environmental Engineering. Reddy Kancharla shares that this specialization has given birth to methods in alternative energy, namely, solar, wind, and water. This has also brought forth better insulation to reduce energy usage and plumbing fixtures that use less water.

3. Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering is interested in the stability of the soil and rock upon which a project is built. Before a structure is put in place, the actual site must be tested for essential characteristics that would allow it to support a structural load. This has to undergo sampling and testing to check for the spot’s chemical composition by the assigned geotechnical engineer, says Reddy Kancharla. The geotechnical engineer then gives his recommendations to the team.

4. Structural Engineering

Any civil work has to get ample support from the ground it is being built on. It also needs to be able to support its own weight and the load that it is expected to carry later on, like people and equipment. This is the responsibility of the Structural Engineer. Essentially, these engineers are the ones who determine the kinds of materials needed, as well as the structure’s own skeletal design.

5. Transportation Engineering

Civil works come in various forms, emphasizes Reddy Kancharla. There is a concentration in this field that is dedicated solely to the transportation sector. Roads, bridges, seaports, railways, subways, and airports fall under this category, where the specialization in Transportation Engineering comes in. For engineers in this field, safety and capacity are of prime importance because their structures are intended to be used for the local economy.