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Civil Engineers: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.

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Read the task inventory

This source lists 16 tasks, including 11 marked Core and 5 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 08/2021.

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16 tasks shown

Core · Task 19610 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.

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Core · Task 20490 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.

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Core · Task 148 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.

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Core · Task 147 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.

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Core · Task 20491 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.

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Core · Task 20489 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.

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Core · Task 20492 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.

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Core · Task 150 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction.

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Core · Task 151 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Estimate quantities and cost of materials, equipment, or labor to determine project feasibility.

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Core · Task 152 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Prepare or present public reports on topics such as bid proposals, deeds, environmental impact statements, or property and right-of-way descriptions.

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Core · Task 19607 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Design energy-efficient or environmentally sound civil structures.

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Supplemental · Task 153 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.

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Supplemental · Task 19611 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Identify environmental risks and develop risk management strategies for civil engineering projects.

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Supplemental · Task 155 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Conduct studies of traffic patterns or environmental conditions to identify engineering problems and assess potential project impact.

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Supplemental · Task 19609 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Develop or implement engineering solutions to clean up industrial accidents or other contaminated sites.

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Supplemental · Task 19608 · 08/2021 · Occupational Expert

Design or engineer systems to efficiently dispose of chemical, biological, or other toxic wastes.

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Make the shortlist useful

Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.

The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.

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Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.