Academic literature on the topic 'Civil engineers Civil engineers. Engineering'

The general problem is that while technical engineering firms today require entry-level, full-time engineers to possess leadership skills, companies have failed to indicate which leadership competencies are most important in their recruitment and hiring process. This study's contributions could have implications for the long-term career prospects of engineers as well as the future outlook and sustainability of engineering companies. The specific problem is that various disciplines in the engineering profession, such as the construction sector, have yet to clearly define which leadership competencies are most important for the job market in their specific areas. Advancements in this regard are important for both entry-level engineers and engineering companies given the strong competition in local and international markets. The purpose of this qualitative study using a multiple case study design was to explore the views of managers in the construction industry on leadership competencies most needed in the job market for entry-level civil engineers. The study was framed by three concepts of engineering leadership. The research question was: How do the perceptions of managers in the construction industry establish a basis of leadership competencies most needed in the job market for entry-level civil engineers? Applying the knowledge gained from this inquiry has the potential for positive social impact by driving reforms in educational curricula and professional settings and with industry leaders to further the personal development of early-stage civil engineers, supporting their career success and the success of their companies.

An appropriate civil infrastructure is vital to the wealth and wellbeing of cultures. Appropriateness is increasingly defined in terms of sustainability, aesthetics, innovation and cultural suitability. These expectations pose challenges for engineers to use their creativity, aesthetic appreciation, knowledge and character to predict and respond creatively with their designs. However, a treadmill of cost innovation in construction projects makes improved design challenging. This tends to reinforce the misconception that engineers are dull and uncreative, even though historically they have displayed considerable imagination and ingenuity. This thesis is based on an in-depth study conducted at the Brisbane office of Kellogg Brown & Root P/L (a large consulting engineering firm). A contemporary qualitative approach is used to explore how creativity is manifested in an engineering design context, and how it relates to phenomena such as knowledge, innovation, project culture and organizational environment. In-depth interviews reveal the authentic meaning of design and creativity for engineers and other company staff. The study highlights an important distinction between design-based and cost-driven innovation and unveils multiple influences that can stifle or nurture personal and group creativity.

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2013.<br>This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.<br>Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis. Page 137 blank.<br>Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-136).<br>Both architects and engineers encounter significant barriers and hurdles that compartmentalize both fields and increase the complexity of collaborative design. In addition to little interaction between both fields, software programs are limited in many aspects. That is why the current industry's organization and tools confront engineers and architects with significant challenges. If improvements are made, they would reduce designers' effort and the time spent to overcome these challenges, and would positively impact the quality of their work. Thus, it is necessary to identify problems in current tools and to study the design process to find areas for improvement in design software programs. This paper presents a discussion on the limitations of structural design software and a study on the differences between architects and engineers during the design process through the analysis of the use of a newly developed framework: StructureFIT. This tool was recently developed at MIT and aims to create an interface between both disciplines. In this thesis, a usability study and a questionnaire were specifically designed to gather data from 38 graduate students of architecture and engineering. This material aims to assess users' level of satisfaction with current tools, identify the areas to be improved in current software programs, quantify the differences in designers' practices, and assess StructureFIT. The analysis of findings suggests that users are not fully satisfied with current tools. The reason is that most design tools do not easily foster the exploration of structural alternatives due to lack of user-friendliness, compared to StructureFIT that did meet the users' demands. This work also provides a better understanding of engineers' and architects' respective design approaches as discussed through the analysis of the usability study results. Lastly, StructureFIT does provide a positive design exploration for designers, since the tool enabled users to dramatically improve structural performance while providing a wide diversity of solutions. The richness of generated efficient design solutions is what makes StructureFIT an innovative and promising approach.<br>by Virginie B. Arnaud.<br>M.Eng.

Thesis (MTech (Post School Education))--Peninsula Technikon, Cape Town,1999<br>The education and training of civil engineering technicians is an integrated and dynamic process. The success of any service delivery process will be dependent on the meaningful interaction of all role players, given their understanding and commitment to desirable educational ideals and endeavours. With the rapid changes in technology and the arrival of democracy in South Africa, an ideal opportunity existed to review current practices and operational procedures, with a view to making some input toward restructuring. A review of service delivery strategies could make a positive contribution to improving the education and training of civil engineering technicians as well as improving the ideals of co-operative education. The purpose of the study was to analyse the service delivery strategies within the National Diploma in Civil Engineering course by examining the relationship between the views and expectations of students, academic staff and industry towards desirable leaming outcomes, against the current status of service delivery strategies. The study then explored success factors that could enhance the development of civil engineering technicians in training, within the co-operative education relationship. The literature study concentrated on the nature and value of co-operative education. It also highlighted the contributions of the respective role players in educational strategies and their added value to the education of technicians in training. An important distinction was established between training and learning where training, as a content-driven concept has been redefined to learning, which implies a more student-centred approach in the search for knowledge and the demonstration of skills. Questionnaires were compiled which attempted to measure views and perceptions on desirable outcomes in relation to current practices prevailing in service delivery strategies by technikons and industry. The survey was completed by a total of 268 respondents consisting of 178 students, 40 academic staff from nine technikons and 50 companies from industry in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu Natal and Gauteng. A statistical analysis and observations revealed reasonable consistency in the desirable outcomes of student learning and achievement. The survey also revealed that there were significant differences between the three samples when it came to measuring the contributions and involvement of the three parties in service delivery implementation. The conclusions flowing from the literature study and the empirical investigation revealed that the gap between the current status and desirable learning outcomes are being prejudiced by the inefficient application and utilisation of available and resources.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1992.<br>Includes bibliographical references (v. 2, leaves 378-415).<br>by Gregg F. Martin.<br>Ph.D.