Job description Structural Engineer in the Lower Mainland–Southwest Region
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Find out what work is like for a structural engineer in Canada. This work description is applicable to all Civil engineers (NOC 21300).

Civil engineers

Description

Civil engineers plan, design, develop and manage projects for the construction or repair of buildings, earth structures, powerhouses, roads, airports, railways, rapid transit facilities, bridges, tunnels, canals, dams, ports and coastal installations and systems related to highway and transportation services, water distribution and sanitation. They may also specialize in foundation analysis, building and structural inspection, surveying, geomatics and municipal planning. They are employed by engineering consulting companies, in all levels of government, by construction firms and in many other industries, or they may be self-employed.

Work week duration

Civil engineers usually work between 35 to 40 hours per week.
Between 35 to 40 hours

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that Civil engineers have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

  • Confer with clients and other members of the engineering team and conduct research to determine project requirements
  • Plan and design major civil projects such as buildings, roads, bridges, dams, water and waste management systems and structural steel fabrications
  • Develop construction specifications and procedures
  • Evaluate and recommend appropriate building and construction materials
  • Interpret, review and approve survey and civil design work
  • Conduct field services for civil works
  • Ensure construction plans meet guidelines and specifications of building codes and other regulations
  • Establish and monitor construction work schedules
  • Conduct feasibility studies, economic analyses, municipal and regional traffic studies, environmental impact studies or other investigations
  • Monitor air, water and soil quality and develop procedures to clean up contaminated sites
  • Conduct technical analyses of survey and field data for development of topographic, soil, hydrological or other information and prepare reports
  • Act as project or site supervisor for land survey or construction work
  • Prepare contract documents and review and evaluate tenders for construction projects
  • Supervise technicians, technologists and other engineers and review and approve designs, calculations and cost estimates.

Physical demands Help - Physical Demands

  • Sitting

Workplaces and employers

Here are the typical workplaces where Civil engineers are employed and some of their main characteristics:

  • Self-employed
  • All levels of government
  • Construction firms
  • Industries
  • Consulting engineering firms

Work environment Help - Physical Work Environment

  • Indoors, environmentally controlled

Physical proximity from others Help - Physical proximity from others

  • Somewhat close (e.g. share office)

Related job titles

Here are some other related job titles that are found in the same occupational category (NOC 21300), and a list of similar occupations:

  • bridge engineer
  • civil engineer
  • construction engineer
  • construction project engineer
  • environmental engineer
  • geodetic engineer
  • geomatics engineer
  • highway engineer
  • hydraulics engineer
  • municipal engineer
  • public works engineer
  • sanitation engineer
  • structural engineer
  • surveying engineer
  • traffic engineer
  • transportation engineer
  • water management engineer

Similar occupations Help - Similar occupations

Sources Occupational and Skills Information System & National Occupational Classification

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