Civil Engineers

Civil engineering companies design, plan and oversee the construction and maintenance of buildings and infrastructure. Consultant civil engineers will oversee the design of projects and are mainly office-based. Contracting civil engineers will take designs and ensure they are applied during construction. They will primarily work on-site to oversee the construction and ensure the project finishes on time and budget. The work of a civil engineer includes railways, roads, harbours, irrigation systems, dams, water and sewerage systems and power plants. Civil engineering companies oversee town centre developments, new road constructions, installing groundworks for new supermarkets and various other urban planning projects.

The cost of hiring a civil engineer can range from £779 a week in the North West of England to £955 in the East of England. How much you can expect to pay a civil engineer will vary greatly depending on where you are in the UK, the size of the civil engineering firm, the experience of the civil engineer and the work required. As with hiring any specialist, it is recommended that you get three quotes before work begins. Also look at reviews from past customers to see if have been happy with the work provided.

No, unless they have received specific training, civil engineers do not do architecture. However, civil engineers develop specific architectural design techniques and work with maps, blueprints, models, and drawings. An architect focuses on designing and constructing the space and ambience of a building and other associated physical environments. Civil engineers ensure a design works in practice by applying various scientific principles.

Civil engineers do not build houses themselves. Civil engineers are not involved in the hands-on construction of houses such as physically digging the foundations or laying the bricks. However, they are involved in planning and designing structures and overseeing construction and maintenance, including buildings. They will often be on-site to oversee construction and solve any problems that arise.

A civil engineer does not generally do structural engineering unless they have had specific training in structural engineering. Structural engineering is considered a specialist area of civil engineering. Both types of engineering focus on ensuring construction projects are safe and cost-effective. However, civil engineering is concerned with design elements. In contrast, structural engineering is concerned with checking the materials used for the construction and ensuring the materials can support a structure’s design.

The best place to find a civil engineer for your project is on Yell.com, where you will find an extensive directory of civil engineers across the country. You can also look at ratings for individual companies and find out more about the services they offer before contacting them. Civil engineering covers a vast number of areas within engineering. While all civil engineers spend years training, you need to ensure that the civil engineer you choose has the relevant skills and experience for your project.