The broad purpose of the occupation is to support the planning, design, building, management, maintenance or dismantling of the built environment (such as buildings, structures, parks and public spaces, schools, offices, museums, hospitals) and infrastructure, such as transportation (road, rail, bridges, tunnels, ports and airports), water and waste management, marine and coastal engineering (irrigation systems, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), flood, river and coastal defences), water and power supplies (utilities, hydropower, power stations, nuclear plants, on and offshore wind farms).
Civil engineering technicians assist in the preparation and production of plans, designs and documentation to relevant codes of practice and industry standards, such as Construction Design and Management (CDM) or the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), to statutory and regulatory requirements, and in compliance with health, safety and wellbeing requirements.
They will use and apply engineering principles and techniques, carry out calculations and data analysis, prepare and produce sketches, diagrams, and models, to support technical problem solving and in the delivery of civil engineering designs and technical solutions. They use a range of tools and techniques, including digital techniques (such as CAD or BIM) to aid the visualisation, communication, measurement and assessment of civil engineering projects.
Civil engineering technicians will also be challenged to consider how they will support improvements to, or mitigate the effects of their work, on the environment, with civil engineering projects having to respond to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, climate change acts, and environmental policies and legislation, including net-zero emissions, and an increasing drive for sustainability.
Civil engineering technicians will contribute to the planning, design, programming, and delivery of engineering activities to agreed timescales and budgets, using quality systems and risk assessment procedures to monitor and manage projects and their risks. Technicians may also assist in site inspections or surveys, report progress against project plans, or check specified technical aspects of site activities.