The broad world of engineering contains many different disciplines, including civil engineering. Even within the practice of civil engineering, there are a host of specializations that might be worth focusing on in your career. They run the gamut from roadway design to water supply management to construction engineering.

The one thing that ties these subcategories together is “civil” — the products of this engineering work are usually for the common good of all. Having said that, which of these civil engineering subsets is right for your career? Let’s take a look at a few to see if any provide inspiration.

Highway Engineering puts you On the Road Again

If you love the open road, consider specializing in road and highway engineering. Performing site surveys gives you a chance to get out of the office and travel to different locations. You would be able to leverage your knowledge in mathematics and physics to ensure a superior road design especially in geographically challenging locales.

Overseeing road construction allows you to display management capabilities which remain relevant for any engineering discipline. There is also a lot of variety in road engineering, especially considering the bridges, road cuts, and other infrastructure improvements that are part of highway construction.

Supplying Water an Important Aspect of Civil Engineering

Getting water from its sources to where it is needed is another important subset of civil engineering. The design and building of dams, reservoirs, aqueducts, and more are the typical deliverables from these kinds of civil engineers.

Construction Engineering involves more than just Buildings

Considering the infrastructure crisis in this country, the need for construction engineers continues to grow. Everything from buildings to the bridges needed by highway engineers is on their docket. The maintenance of current structures is also a vital part of this engineering discipline.

Civil engineers are an important part of society with a wide range of disciplines under its banner. If you are interested in entering this needed profession, talk to The Talley Group. As one of the top engineering staffing companies in Washington State, they are also a great source of Seattle civil engineering jobs. Make it a point to talk with them today!

You may hear the word “infrastructure” from time to time when hearing news about your town or government. But what is it? And what makes it so important? How can we sustain the infrastructure of our cities to create less problems in the future?

Urban infrastructure is the system of fundamental, internal operations and functions that operate a city. They can include everything from water lines and sewer systems, to power grids, roads and bridges. Nowadays, many cities are looking at wireless connections, telecommunications and Internet as part of their overall infrastructure.

In 2005 the American Society of Civil Engineers gave an average grade of “D” for most American urban infrastructures. Our current infrastructures are aging and failing, and are in need of an upgrade in many areas. Engineers are at the forefront of modernizing these fundamental structures, finding challenges when funding is an issue.

Urban infrastructures need repair most, because of the added stress higher populations bring in using vital entities. Natural disasters and security issues also continuously threaten our safety, particularly in these urban areas which hold large numbers of people.

The challenge continues as many of these structures must be designed for sustainability. Cities use the most energy and produce the most waste, without a lot of land encompassing. Energy and environmental concerns are at the top of many civil engineers’ lists when recreating urban infrastructure.

How Can We Change Infrastructure?
With many of our lines and pipes buried beneath the surface, creating change takes discipline and creative thought, as well as patience.  One of the first goals for engineers is to map and label buried infrastructure, which will allow for projects to be updated regularly.

Another goal is to diversify urban infrastructure. There is a growing elderly population, as well as a population that doesn’t necessarily depend on cars. An integrated focus will be best, taking all methods into consideration, and making room for all, as things like roadways and sidewalks continue to improve.

In addition, we must look at new inventions, tools and methods for construction. The same old methods from 40 or 50 years ago will not work in today’s society. Advances in computer science and robotics can aid design, construction and implementation.

And also at the heart of any urban infrastructure plan, is aesthetics. In years past, engineers and designers would create infrastructure that was functional, but not necessarily pleasing to the eye or cognizant of the surrounding architecture. Today, careful urban planning allows for bridges and buildings, roads, parks and windmills to all follow an aesthetic plan, pleasing for the city dweller.

The Talley Group, one of the top civil engineer staffing agencies in the country, hires  innovative civil engineers, looking to put cities on the map. If you know some one looking for a rewarding civil engineering career, refer an engineer today!