What Is the Difference Between a Structural Engineer and A Civil Engineer? (Infographic)

Intimidating – it’s one of the words that many people use to describe the engineering field. It’s understandable since engineering involves a lot of critical reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

What’s more nerve-wracking is that there are many disciplines within engineering – all with different concentrations. On top of the list are the structural engineering and civil engineering disciplines that mainly deal with the evaluation, construction, and preservation of built structures.

Civil engineers and structural engineers often work together to build safe and efficient infrastructures. There are differences, however, on how they obtain their knowledge and skills, and how they utilize those on the construction projects they manage.

Below are the top similarities and differences between structural engineers and civil engineers.

 

History

The history of civil engineering dates back between 4000 and 2000 BC in the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. It is said that the birth of civil engineering started when humans abandoned the nomadic lifestyle and realized the need for a permanent shelter. Centuries have passed, and civil engineering evolved into a more diverse field that included the study of infrastructures critical to society, such as irrigation systems, bridges, dams, and roads.

In 1818, the world’s first engineering society, the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London. Its charter defined civil engineering as follows: “Civil engineering is the application of physical and scientific principles, and its history is intricately linked to advances in the understanding of physics and mathematics throughout history. Because civil engineering is a wide-ranging profession, including several separate specialized sub-disciplines, its history is linked to knowledge of structures, material science, geography, geology, soil, hydrology, environment, mechanics and other fields.”

Likewise, the history of structural engineering is deep, but it used to be just an area of specialization within civil engineering.

From the Step Pyramid by Imhotep in 2700 BC and the development of Euler-Bernoulli Beam Equation in 1750 to the rise of skyscrapers in the 1800s and advances in finite analysis software in the 21^st century – the field of structural engineering has become more defined and specialized throughout the ages which has then made it into a separate discipline from civil engineering.

Education

One of the stark differences between civil engineering and structural engineering is how expertise in each discipline can be attained through education.

Civil engineering is a four-year bachelor’s degree course offered in many colleges and universities, while structural engineering is subject under most civil engineering curricula and is taught to students taking up the course. However, it is also an advanced specialization that can be obtained after one becomes a civil engineer.

Licensing and Professional Certifications

Every state in the U.S. requires professional engineers who work for the general public to hold a license which certifies that they have the skills and knowledge needed to design, construct, and maintain infrastructures. This means that there exist some overlaps between the licensing requirements for civil engineers and structural engineers.

First is that both are required to earn sufficient field training before they become licensed professionals. Under the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), civil engineers are required to complete hours of field experience; the specific amount varies per state.

In New Jersey, aspiring licensed civil engineers must have at least four years of acceptable work experience before they can apply for a license. Not all states, however, offer structural engineer licensing, as does New Jersey; though some states do. For instance, in Texas, aspiring licensed structural engineers must be engaged in the active practice of engineering for at least four years if they graduated with satisfactory standing from an engineering curriculum approved the state licensing board.

In terms of professional certifications, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) offers certifications for licensed civil engineers that have eight years of post-licensure experience and hold a Master’s degree.

The Structural Engineering Certification Board (SECB) in partnership with ASCE, on the other hand, certifies those that have additional education, experience, and skills that are particular to the practice of structural engineering.

Nature and Scope of Work

Often, a civil engineer and structural engineer have to come with a cohesive plan that will ensure the design efficiency and safety of the structure. The civil engineer focuses on the design elements of the structure and the structural engineer reviews it and ensures that the proposed materials can support the design of the structure.

Civil engineers and structural engineers are also required to communicate closely with contractors, clients, and staff to ensure that everyone understands the engineering side of the project.

From roads and bridges to water systems, buildings, and other civil structures, civil engineers do the job of planning, designing, and maintaining various civilian infrastructures. While structural engineers also do these jobs, they mainly focus on the structural elements such as column, beams, girders, beam-column connection, shear wall, truss, rafter or support systems and check if these are strong enough and reliable enough for the structure’s intended function.

Functions

Both civil engineers and structural engineers can be found collaborating on construction projects. However, they complete different tasks to produce a structurally stable and efficiently designed infrastructure.

The civil engineer’s functions mainly include:

• Technical and feasibility study
• Site investigations and analysis
• Design layout and materials proposal
• Construction site management (workforce, material, equipment)
• Preparation of construction cost estimates
• Regulatory compliance management
• Risk management

The tasks that a structural engineer would typically deliver in a project can include:

• Construction materials evaluation
• Area inspection and site appraisal
• Building code implementation
• Building inspection
• Damage assessment
• Demolition management

In conclusion, it can be said that structural engineers are civil engineers, but not all civil engineers are structural engineers. It is because of these differences that property owners in the Garden State should check that the NJ structural engineer they hire has the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to ensure that they have all the expert help they need to build and maintain a safe and efficient building.

For more information about our New Jersey structural engineers and the services we offer, visit our website today at www.lockatong.com