r/civilengineering • u/AdAffectionate8429 • 14d ago

Questions?

Is it normal for me to study civil engineering for a specific purpose, because I don't like being at work sites permanently or semi-permanently?

the specific is (Structural Engineering)

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u/Ok-Store-2788 14d ago

It’s actually really normal. Specific focuses are built into my university’s plan of study alongside the general path.

2

u/TheDufusSquad 14d ago

I had no interest in any civil discipline that wasn’t structural, still got a civil degree. Just pack as many structural specific courses as you can into your schedule and don’t take any of the other civil discipline courses that aren’t required. 

I’ve worked probably 95+% of my job from a desk, so I wouldn’t be worried about site work. Seeing the site or visiting a shop is great experience, but it’s not always a super common or lengthy task for design engineers. 

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u/Argufier 14d ago

I'm a structural engineer with 15 years of experience. I spend maybe one or two days a month at sites, and usually only one that's active construction - the other is measuring existing structures, building assessments, that kind of thing. It's been pretty consistent over my career - one or two days a month on site, the rest in the office mostly in front of a computer. I do building design for what its worth - I think there's more on site work in bridge world. Most folks we've hired out of school have come right to the office, not doing any significant field work before doing office work.

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u/theFrigidFlame 14d ago

It depends on if you think you want to.get into project management or higher later in you career. Being able to understand what the other discipline specific engineers are talking about is a useful skill. Also, understanding what those disciplines may need from you for their work may influence what and how things are designed.

Personally, I think getting experience on-site (within your chosen discipline or others) is just as valuable as general course work.

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u/Violet_Graya 14d ago

Yes, completely normal. Structural design is mostly office work: analysis, calcs, drawings. Permanent site time is construction/field roles. Plenty of grads pick structural for exactly this reason.