If you haven't had the chance to read our book or are unsure about what a civil engineer does, make sure to visit this link. However, by now, we are familiar with the role of civil engineers. Let's delve into some of the tasks these STEM professionals tackle daily and what's involved in a project, which we'll explore in this post. Civil engineers handle a variety of tasks within a project, but here are the three main ones that cover the essential aspects:
1. Studies: For the success of a design project, it's vital to comprehend the environment being designed. For example, creating a one-way street at a bustling intersection without a stop sign might not be the best approach. Therefore, conducting traffic studies becomes crucial to collecting data about the area. Civil engineers consider elements like vehicle traffic, public transportation, pedestrian flow, and significant structures in the vicinity (such as hospitals and schools).
2. Design: After conducting thorough traffic studies, engineers use their findings to initiate the design process for the new area layout. They perform calculations to anticipate the area's activity level and decide on elements like bike lanes, road width adjustments, sidewalk sizes, signage, traffic speed limits, and bus-only lanes.
Once the design is finalized, the exciting phase of implementing and constructing the design begins. Before the construction company can start work, a traffic control plan, known as Maintenance of Traffic (MOT), must be in place to ensure safe and smooth traffic flow during construction. Even though construction may cause delays, the resulting infrastructure can significantly improve traffic flow and enhance safety in the area.
3. Construction: Once the design is finalized, the construction phase begins. Construction companies will commence building according to the design specifications. Inspectors and engineers will oversee the progress to ensure that all work, whether related to roadways, utilities, or buildings, is carried out as planned.
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