Buildings

Working as a civil or structral engineer on buildings is a popular career option for civils graduates. It can encompass the design, construction and renovation of every type of building from schools and hospitals to commercial premises and manufacturing facilities. Civil and structural engineers work with other professionals from client, contractor and consultant organisations to create these buildings. The relationships between these types of firm have blurred in recent times: it’s not unusual for a contractor to be the client or for a supplier to carry out a significant amount of design.

Traditionally, civil and structural engineers at contractors go down one of two routes: the technical route working on site or the design management route. Civil and structural engineers at consultants typically work on the initial designs and liaise with their counterparts at contractor organisations when site work starts. Alongside traditional civil and structural engineering responsibilities, engineers could specialise in ecology, landscaping, acoustic engineering or fire engineering.

On the job as a graduate civil or structural engineer

Working for a contractor

Those graduates who go down the technical route will usually start out as a graduate engineer on site and be responsible for setting out work for subcontractors and managing their progress. Graduates then typically proceed to section engineer, and then to site manager and project manager.

Those who choose the design management route tend to start out as a document controller, where they will be responsible for handling the information flow, before moving into design coordination, and then into design management. Design managers can come from a range of backgrounds, including architecture and site management, and the role means working with a wide range of consultants as well as with clients and users on design. Engineers used to choose either the technical or the design route and stick to it, but it is now much easier to cross over.

Being an engineer on a building means you can really make a difference to people's lives. My most memorable projects was building a linear accelerator to treat cancer patients.

Working for a consultancy

Many consultancies rotate new graduates around different sections to gain further experience. Typical tasks when starting out will include making design calculations to current standards and regulations, carrying out surveys, and report writing, before climbing the organisation’s hierarchy.

Environmental concerns transforming the modern building

Since the building regulations of 2002, proactively meeting sustainability requirements has become a top priority. Regulations are constantly being updated and so professionals have to be prepared to adapt quickly. Techniques such as incorporating solar water heating on roofs and using the thermal mass of a building to control temperature are increasingly common.

Over the next couple of years, designing for climate change and the effects of hotter summers will increase. This will entail controlling and minimising the amount of heat in buildings. While this will involve electrical, mechanical and building services engineers, civil and structural engineers will have a lot of say too. The choice between a concrete or steel frame, for example, has a big effect on the overall sustainability rating.

The other main priority at the moment is health and safety, both on site and for the eventual users. This is incorporated in designing the building and in ensuring good practice on site.

Essentials for a graduate job

Buildings require a variety of different engineers, so graduates from civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and environmental disciplines – to name but a few – will be very welcome. As ecology, thermal modelling and acoustics are becoming increasingly important to the sector, any modules you’ve done in these areas are likely to be advantageous.

Designing for climate change and the effects of hotter summers will increase. Civil and structural engineers have a big part to play.

You have to enjoy working with a variety of different people, and you have to be able to take the initiative and adapt to changes and problems quickly. It’s important to have passion for your projects and an understanding of the end users’ needs.

Highs and lows

There’s a lot of job satisfaction from working on buildings and seeing people using them – one of my most rewarding projects was building a linear accelerator to treat cancer patients. Although you might find a long commute quite wearing after a while, you do have the opportunity to travel nationally and internationally in this sector.

Reuben Shaw, CEng,MICE, is a design manager and project coordinator for Balfour Beatty Construction. He has an MEng in civil engineering from Southampton University and has been working in civil engineering for 11 years, seven in the building sector.