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Civil Engineering - a Hell of a Job |
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July 8, 2005
By Mary Hobson
First Stop Online Degree Columnist
Engineering always seems like a middle of the road, fairly routine kind of profession, and civil engineering is seen as right in the middle of this category. But some civil engineering jobs can be really dangerous, and none more than those concerned with the local infrastructure in places like Florida in 2004.
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Year of the Hurricane
2004 was known as the "Year of the Hurricanes" in Florida; there were four major, class two or above storms during a six week period causing untold harm, and enormous damage to the public infrastructure and the buildings on the peninsula.
One major headache for civil engineers is the sewage and drainage system. Not only does the system have to deal with massive amounts of flood water, it also inevitably shuts down thanks to the lack of power to run the electrical pumps that maintain flow throughout the system. These two issues mean that sewage can back up into homes and other buildings, and floodwater overwhelms the processing plants, causing raw sewage to run into lakes, rivers and the sea. During these storms, public department civil engineers have to make sure that portable generators keep key pumping stations going, and reduce backup.
Of course, civil engineers have been working on new systems to try to reduce the impact of major storms on the sewage system; new pumping stations situated above the 100 year flood levels have reduced the need for action during the storm, and vacuum pumps are replacing gravity feed systems over a period of time - a system that can be maintained with much less intervention during a storm.
Development is a Major Element of Civil Engineering Jobs
Civil engineers spend time developing these new systems as they examine the effects that climate change has on the civil infrastructure that they are responsible for. Civil engineering jobs are changing, needing much more knowledge of the environment, and a thorough understanding of how it will effect the buildings and systems the engineer is responsible for. Many civil engineers maintain a program of continuing education in areas related to their civil engineering jobs.
This change is also reflected in the modern civil engineering degree syllabus. There is now far more emphasis on climate and environmental issues and the use of sustainable resources and engineering for extreme conditions. Many engineers take a graduate civil engineering degree online, giving them the chance to strengthen their resume as well as their knowledge of new thinking in these areas, and allowing them to study and work at the same time.
Study a Civil Engineer Degree Online to Understand the Environment
Education is the key to changing conditions in civil engineering jobs, and civil engineering degrees online can help to make sure that not only does the civil engineer improve their professional status, but the community is kept safer, and more able to deal with unusual events.
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About the Author
Mary Hobson is a consultant for technology start-ups in Russia. She has also worked as an executive officer in a defense facility and as a university lecturer in computer science and management information. Mary earned her first degree in textile marketing and subsequently studied education and computer science at a Master's degree level. |
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