Civil Engineer

Alternate Titles

Geotechnical engineer, geophysical engineer, structural engineer, and environmental engineer

Brief Job Description

Civil engineers in the marine energy industry analyze, plan, design, test, and oversee construction projects to ensure facilities are built with structural integrity.

Education and Training Level Description

Civil engineers must have a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Employers also value experience, so internships or cooperative-education engineering programs while at universities are a plus. To be hired into formal engineering roles, civil engineers generally need to acquire a Fundamentals of Engineering license by passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. 

With a Fundamentals of Engineering license and 4 or more years of work experience, civil engineers can take a test to acquire a professional engineer license. Civil engineers with a professional engineer license can be a technical specialist within the civil engineering discipline, oversee other engineers, develop designs and specifications, and oversee construction activities. An advanced degree, additional work experience, and a professional engineer license can lead to career advancement as well as job opportunities in the research and development sector, training and education field, and management field.

Job Profile

Civil engineers in the marine energy industry analyze, plan, design, test, and oversee construction projects to ensure facilities are built with structural integrity. They perform detailed calculations and develop technical drawings and specifications to ensure structures comply with relevant codes and standards. 

Most civil engineers in the marine energy industry will work in an office, laboratory, or marine construction site environment. Civil engineers perform off-site work on computers and in engineering labs to analyze topographic and geologic data, design construction plans, and write specifications. They often work with others involved in the component manufacturing, project development, and building and construction of marine energy sectors. Civil engineering technicians may assist them. Civil engineers in the industry are often required to travel to marine energy sites to perform field assessments for planned facilities and/or guide construction for structural or geotechnical safety inspections of operational facilities.  

Civil engineers typically:

• Analyze long range plans, survey reports, sea floor maps, and other data to plan and design projects
• Assess government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and other factors to inform planning, design development, and risk-analysis stages of a project
• Oversee and analyze the results of soil, sea floor testing, and building materials (e.g., steel, concrete, composite materials) to determine the design requirements for marine energy infrastructure 
• Prepare cost estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine a project’s economic feasibility
• Use design software and perform calculations to plan and design site installation, hydraulics, and structures in line with industry and government standards and codes
• Perform or oversee surveying operations to establish marine energy locations, site layouts, reference points, grades, and elevations to guide construction
• Perform analysis and design to determine repair, maintenance, and replacement needs for marine energy infrastructure.

There are a variety of different disciplines within civil engineering, including geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and environmental engineering. Geotechnical engineers ensure that the natural foundations (rock and soil) for marine energy facilities can safely support the planned infrastructure and operations. Structural engineers ensure that the planned infrastructure is safe and durable enough to withstand physical loads. Environmental engineers may work on a range of environmental activities associated with marine energy, including the planning and design of aquatic habitats. See the Environmental Engineering job description for more details.

Job Skills

Civil engineers typically need:

• Complex-problem-solving skills. Civil engineers work at the highest level of design and plan large infrastructure projects, such as marine energy foundations, onshore substations, and grid-interconnection infrastructure, which requires solving complex problems that have the potential to impact not only project cost but also the community and environment.
• Decision-making skills. Civil engineers must determine the feasibility of plans, especially regarding financial costs and safety concerns.
• Communication skills. Civil engineers work closely with other engineers and technicians. They must be able to clearly explain their designs and specifications, and work effectively with other disciplines, such as surveyors, construction managers, and technicians. They may also need to explain complex issues to people who have little or no technical expertise.
• Math skills. Civil engineers use the principles of calculus, trigonometry, hydraulics, hydrology, water-quality analysis, chemistry, structural mechanics, materials, soil mechanics, seismology, and other advanced topics in mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.
• Project management skills. Only professionally licensed civil engineers can sign and stamp the plans for infrastructure projects. Civil engineers are also responsible for overseeing construction to ensure the project is built as specified within a defined budget and schedule.
• Writing skills. Civil engineers must be able to communicate with other professionals involved in hydropower project development, operations, and regulation. This means that civil engineers must be able to write clear reports that people without an engineering background can follow.

More Information, Job Opportunities, etc.

For more information on civil engineering jobs, see: 

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Civil Engineers

Resources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Civil Engineers