engineering responsibility.docx

7/28/2019 Engineering responsibility.docx

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Good Morning everyoneLet me start my piece with an anecdote..

Winners versus Losers

The Winner is always a part of the answer;

The Loser is always a part of the problem.

The Winner always has a program;The Loser always has an excuse.

The Winner says, "Let me do it for you;"The Loser says, "That's not my job."

The Winner sees an answer for every problem;The Loser sees a problem in every answer.

The Winner says, "It may be difficult but it's possible;"The Loser says, "It may be possible but it's too difficult."

Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow colleagues and for the future engineerswhat lies

ahead either will make you or break you depending on what role you are in..the

winner or the loser

Today I will speak on the roles of the civil engineers in upholding the civil engineering

profession

What Is a Civil Engineer?

It is important to first provide a formal definition highlighting the role of a civil engineer. A

civil engineer is responsible for using their civil engineering background to plan and

oversee various construction efforts in many different areas of this field. They will apply

civil engineering principles to ensure that structures are constructed in the safest,

sturdiest manner.

So What Are The General Responsibilities of a Civil Engineer?

A civil engineer engages in many general responsibilities on a daily basis. These

responsibilities are a crucial part of their job and enable the civil engineer to engage in

their profession to the best of their ability. One general responsibility of the civil engineer

is to analyze various factors concerning a construction job. The civil engineer will


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analyze the proposed site location as well as the entire construction job which is to be

completed at such a site. They will analyze the process for completing the construction

job every step of the way.

The civil engineer must also plan the construction project that will be taking place in

conjunction with the results they found due to their analysis of the proposed project.

During the process and at the end, the civil engineer must inspect the product to ensure

that all rules, regulations and guidelines have been explicitly followed.

In SMI Mining where I am a consultant on infrastructure programwe are now

developing the SMI Community Infrastructure Support Program Guidelines.

The purpose of these GUIDELINES is to provide a viable reference for

successful infrastructure project management. It lays down the specific rules and

practices in implementing the SMI community infrastructure support program and its

component projects.

We see to it that infrastructure projects follow not only the national standards but

as well as the international building code and other standards relating to infrastructures.

What are then the Specific Duties of a Civil Engineer?

Within the general responsibilities of a civil engineer are specific duties that must be

carried out on a frequent basis, often times daily.

1. The first duty of a civil engineer is to inspect and analyze the proposed

construction project. They will not only inspect the plan itself but will go to the site

location many times to ensure that the plan fits the location and vice versa.

2. When they have adequately analyzed the situation, they will write detailed

reports stating what is acceptable and what needs to be changed prior to

beginning the project. Once these proposed changes have been made, the civil

engineer will review the plans and project site once again to ensure that all

changes have been made as required.

3. The job of a civil engineer does not end at this point. The civil engineer will follow

the project from start to finish and make any necessary changes along the way.


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They will ensure that procedure is being followed and check on safety features of

the project during the time it is being completed.

4. A civil engineer must use many different equations, applications and figures toensure the proper procedure application. Items that civil engineers must take part

in and use include chemical testing applications, drafting and design software,

electrical test devices and equipment, land surveying techniques and the metric

system, to name just a few pertinent items.

5. The civil engineer must also be certain to follow land use laws and regulations

every step of the way. This is extremely important as one who does not abide by

such rules and regulations may find that the project is stalled, either temporarily

or permanently. Therefore, a specific duty of a civil engineer is to know the

pertinent land use laws and regulations and to follow them consistently.

6. One who is a civil engineer is also the key contact person regarding the

construction project in many cases. They will answer questions directed towards

them by individuals involved with the construction project and the general public

as well. While answering questions, they will also be responsible for backing up

their statements with reports, graphs, charts and surveys.

What Positive Traits Should a Civil Engineer to Possess?

There are some definitive positive traits which civil engineers should possess. By

having these traits, one who is a civil engineer can excel in their job profession.

Although having all of these traits is not a prequisite to doing a good job as a civil

engineer, one who does have such traits will find that their job may go much

more smoothly than if these positive attributes were lacking.

1. Good analytical skills are a must for any civil engineer. Civil engineers have to

read and interpret many complex charts, diagrams, maps and reports. By

having superior analytical skills, one who fills this job role will find that they

can complete their daily job duties in an effective and efficient manner. One

who does not have good analytical skills may have a hard time in the role of a

civil engineer.


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2. Above average communication skills are also a good thing for civil engineers

to possess. Civil engineers need to correspond with a wide array of

individuals throughout their profession. They will have to deal with everyone

from construction workers to CEOs of large corporations. Therefore, it isimperative that a civil engineer possesses above average communication

skills as this will allow them to communicate effectively with individuals

involved in the job.

3. One who is a civil engineer should also possess excellent problem solving

capabilities. The role of a civil engineer is not an easy one. There will be

problems that arise from time to time which the civil engineer will be

responsible for fixing. With that said, one who works as a civil engineershould have impeccable problem solving skills. They need to be able to

survey potential or full-blown problems and come up with a solution for such

problems as quickly as possible. Since most construction jobs are on a

stringent time schedule, it is important to not only be able to solve the

problems that arise but to do so in a quick and speedy fashion.

Challenges We are facing

In a January 2011 article in CE News titled Change is Good, John P. Bachner, CEO ofBachner Communications, Inc and Executive Vice President of ASFE/TheGeoprofessional Business Association stated that civil engineers right out of the gatehave three strikes against them:

Strike One Civil engineers are taught to be civil engineering professionals, not civilengineering businesspeople. The result: They know a lot about civil engineering and alltoo little about business in general and the professional service business in particular.

Strike Two Many civil engineers are ineffective communicators. Some, it seems,sense these deficits at an early age and find comfort in math and science, where a lack

of expository skills doesnt matter all that much; numbers do the talking.

Strike Three Many civil engineers have weak interpersonal skills, except when itcomes to other civil engineers who want to talk about civil engineering. Regrettably, inthe civil engineering business, most of the folks civil engineers deal with arebusinesspeople, administrators, finance guys, contractors (who may be graduate civilengineers but now live in a far different world), government officials, and so on. Thosecivil engineers who do not fit the stereotype the gregarious extroverts have a huge
http://www.cenews.com/magazine-article-cenews.com-1-2011-change_is_good_-8164.htmlhttp://www.cenews.com/magazine-article-cenews.com-1-2011-change_is_good_-8164.htmlhttp://www.cenews.com/magazine-article-cenews.com-1-2011-change_is_good_-8164.htmlhttp://www.asfe.org/http://www.asfe.org/http://www.asfe.org/http://www.asfe.org/http://www.cenews.com/magazine-article-cenews.com-1-2011-change_is_good_-8164.html


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advantage over their less-outgoing brethren because the service business in generaland the professional service business in particular are all about people

So, what is the best way for a civil engineer to develop their communication skillswhen dealing with the public?

By the trial-by-fire method where they are just sent to public meetings andexpected to learn through immersion.

Tag along with project managers and company principals and learn by exampleand mentorship.

Joining seminars on this very topic will make a difference. One should join Toastmasters, organization that operates for the purpose of

helping members improve their communication,public speaking and leadershipskills. I offers a program of communication and leadership projects designed tohelp men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking.

This ability just come along with maturity in the profession
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_speakinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadershiphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadershiphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_speakinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication

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