Civil Engineering University of Pretoria

Overview

Civil engineers design, build and maintain constructions such as tower blocks and skyscrapers, dams, canals and pipelines, roads, bridges, tunnels, railway lines, airports, power stations, towers, waterworks and outfall installations. 

Since these facilities have a long lifespan and a direct impact on the community and environment, civil engineers are trained to deal not only with the analytical aspects of design, but also to liaise and consult directly with communities and individuals in order to design, build and maintain such facilities cost-effectively and to the benefit of humankind. Facilities designed by civil engineers form the infrastructure for wealth and job creation, for instance, in the manufacturing and housing industries.

The development of information technology and computer software that make mathematical modelling and designs more effective has drastically changed the nature of civil engineering in that it enables civil engineers to concentrate on the more fundamental aspects of developmental work and design. The worldwide trend towards environmental awareness increasingly impacts on the civil engineer’s working methods. Information technology, and environmental engineering and management, increasingly form a greater part of the training, so that a civil engineer can still be provided with a broad-based qualification that offers challenging, fulfilling and highly adjustable career opportunities throughout a career lifespan of from 40 to 50 years.

In 2020, the Civil Engineering programme from University of Pretoria inaugurated its new Engineering 4.0 facility, which includes state-of-the-art laboratories and training facilities to support the training and education of the engineers of the future.

Career Opportunities

Civil engineers design, build and maintain constructions such as tower blocks and skyscrapers, dams, canals and pipelines, roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, airports, power stations, towers, waterworks and outfall installations. They are involved in financial modelling, feasibility studies and the management and rehabilitation of large asset portfolios.