Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 9312
Civil engineering worker
Civil engineering workers perform tasks concerning the cleaning and preparation of construction sites for civil engineering projects. This includes the work on building and maintenance of roads, railways and dams.
Check yourself in a minute: civil engineering worker
Rate 5 of the 28 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
remove road surface
lay base courses
operate drones in civil engineering
provide pipe bedding
dig soil mechanically
About civil engineering worker
As a civil engineering worker, you will play a crucial role in preparing and maintaining infrastructure projects that serve entire communities. Your day-to-day work involves site preparation, operating heavy machinery, laying foundations, managing materials, and conducting inspections to ensure safety and quality standards. You'll work on diverse projects such as road construction, railway maintenance, dam building, and drainage system installation. Your work requires physical stamina, precision, and strict adherence to health and safety protocols. This occupation offers stable employment with opportunities for skill development and advancement into supervisory or specialized technical roles as you gain experience.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a civil engineering worker.
1
Site Preparation and Earthwork
- Excavate and prepare construction sites using mechanical tools and equipment
- Perform dredging and soil movement operations
- Inspect construction sites for hazards and suitability
2
Road and Surface Work
- Remove existing road surfaces and prepare base courses
- Apply compaction techniques to ensure proper foundation stability
- Install and maintain road infrastructure components
3
Rail and Drainage Infrastructure
- Perform rail infrastructure work including maintenance and installation
- Install pipe systems and provide proper pipe bedding
- Inspect and maintain drainage channels and systems
4
Equipment Operation and Materials Management
- Operate heavy machinery including trains and dredging equipment
- Transport and organize construction supplies efficiently
- Operate drones for site surveying and monitoring
5
Health, Safety and Quality Assurance
- Follow and enforce health and safety procedures on construction sites
- Inspect construction supplies and materials for quality and defects
- Work collaboratively in construction teams to maintain safety standards
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (28)
compaction techniquescompaction techniquesThe field of information which consists of a variety of techniques to spread asphalt over roads. Each technique is determined by the concept of the asphalt mix and the used paving technique. This is d...work trainswork trainsThe composition and functions of a work train, a train composed of automatic machines that remove, inspect, adjust and lay railway ballast, sleepers and rails.mechanical toolsmechanical toolsVarious type of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.road traffic lawsroad traffic lawsThe rule governing the circulation of vehicles, such as national traffic codes and the rules of the road.dredging consolesdredging consolesThe configuration of different types of dredging consoles. How the functions of the dredge are mapped to the console.rail infrastructurerail infrastructureThoroughly understand the characteristics of railway infrastructure: rail technologies, track gauges, rail signalling, rail junctions, etc.excavation techniquesexcavation techniquesThe methods to remove rock and soil, used in an excavation site and the associated risks.remove road surfaceremove road surfaceRemove an existing road surface. Use the appropriate machinery or coordinate with machine operators to assist in the excavation of asphalt or concrete road coverings.lay base courseslay base coursesLay the stabilising courses that support a road. Lay the road base, which enhances the drainage properties of the road, and a sub-base if called for. Use the correct material for this, usually a mix o...operate drones in civil engineeringoperate drones in civil engineeringOperate drone technologies in the area of civil engineering in a number of different uses, such as topographic terrain mapping, building and land surveys, site inspections, remote monitoring, and ther...provide pipe beddingprovide pipe beddingLay bedding in a trench to stabilise a pipe if called for. Lay bedding beneath the pipe and around it to protect from environmental influences.dig soil mechanicallydig soil mechanicallyUse mechanical equipment to dig up and move soil. Form pits according to excavation plans.transport construction suppliestransport construction suppliesBring construction materials, tools and equipment to the construction site and store them properly taking various aspects into account such as the workers' safety and protection from deterioration.inspect construction sitesinspect construction sitesEnsure health and safety during the construction project by inspecting the construction site regularly. Identify risks of putting people in danger or of damaging construction equipment.work in a construction teamwork in a construction teamWork as part of a team in a construction project. Communicate efficiently, sharing information with team members and reporting to supervisors. Follow instructions and adapt to changes in a flexible ma...inspect construction suppliesinspect construction suppliesCheck construction supplies for damage, moisture, loss or other problems before using the material.inspect drainage channelsinspect drainage channelsMaintain and clear gutters, sewer systems, and other water carrying facilities to ensure proper drainage and prevent damage to infrastructure such as roads and railways.perform drainage workperform drainage workDig draining ditches and lay the pipe or gutter installation to allow evacuation of surplus liquid and avoid subsidence or other damage.lay pipe installationlay pipe installationInstall the system of pipes used to transport a fluid, be it a liquid or a gas, from one point to another and connect it to the fuel and water supply lines, air ducts, and other components.follow health and safety procedures in constructionfollow health and safety procedures in constructionApply the relevant health and safety procedures in construction in order to prevent accidents, pollution and other risks.inspect asphaltinspect asphaltInspect the placement of asphalt concrete ensuring that the specifications are met and no flows are present.prepare subgrade for road pavementprepare subgrade for road pavementMake sure the surface underneath the road is ready to be paved. Ensure that it is flat, stable and able to resist the mechanical stresses of road traffic.use safety equipment in constructionuse safety equipment in constructionUse elements of protective clothing such as steel-tipped shoes, and gear such as protective goggles, in order to minimise risk of accidents in construction and to mitigate any injury if an accident do...inspect railways visuallyinspect railways visuallyVisually check the integrity of train tracks, sleepers, and ballast. This is usually done in reaction to reports from workers or detections by sensors.guide operation of heavy construction equipmentguide operation of heavy construction equipmentGuide a colleague in operating a piece of heavy construction equipment. Follow the operation closely and understand when feedback is called for. Use communication techniques like voice, two-way radio,...pave asphalt layerspave asphalt layersUse different grades of asphalt to lay the asphalt layers of a road. Lay an asphalt base layer with low bitumen content to provide a stable surface, a binder layer with intermediate bitumen content, a...inspect road signsinspect road signsInspect road signs for signs of corrosion, outdated information, nicks and dents, legilibility and reflectance. Decide on the course of action when problems are found.position guardrails and toeboardsposition guardrails and toeboardsAttach guardrails and toeboards to the scaffolding standards at set heights and intervals to ensure the safety of the workers and prevent objects from falling. Secure the guardrails using couplers or ...
Optional (28) — show
road signage standardsroad signage standardsNational and European regulations on the placement and properties of road signage, including size, height, reflectance and other important characteristics.types of asphalt coveringstypes of asphalt coveringsDifferent types of asphalt covering, based on their bitumen content and composition. The strengths, weaknesses, and price points of each type. Special properties such as porosity, resistance to skiddi...civil engineeringcivil engineeringThe engineering discipline that studies the design, construction and maintenance of naturally built works such as roads, buildings, and canals.construction methodsconstruction methodsThe various techniques and methods for erecting buildings and other constructions.asphalt mixesasphalt mixesThe properties, advantages and disadvantages of asphalt mixes such as Marshall and Superpave mixes and the way they are best applied.keep heavy construction equipment in good conditionkeep heavy construction equipment in good conditionInspect heavy equipment for construction projects before each use. Maintain the machine in good working order, taking care of small repairs and alerting the responsible person in case of serious defec...operate sleeper clipping unitoperate sleeper clipping unitOperate a machine that installs metal fastening clips onto railway sleepers. Attach the rails to the sleepers securely by using manual equipment.operate rail grinderoperate rail grinderUse a rail grinder to remove any imperfection or accretions from rails. Operate a handheld grinder or monitor the workings of a work train.operate grappleroperate grapplerOperate a hydraulic grappler, an attachment to heavy machinery used to grab and manipulate cylindrical objects such as trees or pipes. Lift up the object, safely manoeuvre it, and set it down in the d...pour concretepour concretePour concrete into a form from a mixer truck chute, hopper or hose. Pour the correct amount to balance efficiency with the risk of the concrete not setting completely.operate pavement surface friction measuring devicesoperate pavement surface friction measuring devicesOperate pavement surface friction measuring devices in order to prevent build up of rubber in the tarmac and maintain skid-resistance properties.operate road rolleroperate road rollerOperate various types of mechanic and manual road rollers, pieces of equipment used to compact surfaces.maintain rail infrastructuremaintain rail infrastructureInspect rails for cracks and damage, replace worn rails, tighten up loose screws, perform welding work if necessary. Maintain railway embankment, side walkways and drainage installations.mix concretemix concreteUse compact concrete mixers or various ad-hoc containers such as wheelbarrows to mix concrete. Prepare the correct quantities of cement, water, aggregate and optional added ingredients, and mix the in...place temporary road signageplace temporary road signagePlace temporary traffic signs, lights and barriers to alert road users of activities on the road.monitor ballast regulatormonitor ballast regulatorMonitor a ballast regulator, the work train component that arranges railway ballast for optimal stability. Report any problems or take the appropriate action.operate road marking machineoperate road marking machineOperate the machine used to renew or make new markings on roads and parking lots to ensure traffic order.monitor rail laying machinemonitor rail laying machineMonitor the machine that presses down rails onto the sleeper. Report or take the appropriate action in case of any problem.operate mobile craneoperate mobile craneOperate a mobile crane safely. Take into account the condition of the terrain, weather conditions, load mass, and expected manoeuvres.drive mobile heavy construction equipmentdrive mobile heavy construction equipmentDrive movable heavy equipment used in construction. Load the equipment onto low loaders, or unload it. Judiciously drive equipment on public roads when required.use measurement instrumentsuse measurement instrumentsUse different measurement instruments depending on the property to be measured. Utilise various instruments to measure length, area, volume, speed, energy, force, and others.lay concrete slabslay concrete slabsLay concrete slabs, used as road covering, on a prepared surface. Guide a crane operator to position the slab in the right place and manually set it correctly, often using tongue and groove joints.screed concretescreed concreteSmooth the surface of freshly poured concrete using a screed.monitor tamping carmonitor tamping carMonitor the work train car that tamps railway ballast to ensure stability. Report or take action if any problem occurs.secure heavy construction equipmentsecure heavy construction equipmentSecure heavy equipment such as tower cranes or concrete pumps before, during, and after use to prevent damage to the machines, workforce or construction site. Take precautionary steps such as retracti...set up temporary construction site infrastructureset up temporary construction site infrastructureSet up a variety of temporary infrastructure used on building sites. Put up fences and signs. Set up any construction trailers and make sure that these are connected to electricity lines and water sup...coordinate construction activitiescoordinate construction activitiesCoordinate the activities of several construction workers or crews to make sure they do not interfere with each other and to ensure that the works are done in a timely manner. Keep up to date on the p...secure working areasecure working areaSecure the operation site fixing boundaries, restricting access, placing signs and taking other measures in order to guarantee public and staff safety.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a civil engineering worker do?
Civil engineering workers perform tasks concerning the cleaning and preparation of construction sites for civil engineering projects. This includes the work on building and maintenance of roads, railways and dams.
What skills does a civil engineering worker need?
A civil engineering worker needs 28 essential skills, including compaction techniques, work trains, mechanical tools, road traffic laws, dredging consoles.
Will AI replace civil engineering worker jobs?
The AI disruption score for civil engineering worker is 23/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: road traffic laws, inspect road signs, inspect railways visually. Most resilient: use safety equipment in construction, perform drainage work, pave asphalt layers.
AI Replacement Risk
23/ 100
Low Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Quick Facts
ISCO GroupLabourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport
Essential Skills28
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