Construction Engineering?

Question

What is the difference between Construction Engineering, Con. Engr. & Management, and Con. Engr. Technology? All the programs that I have looked at seem pretty similar, but some are acreditted differently than others. Also, why the Management or Technology? Do those make the programs different from just a straight Con. Engr program? Thanks in advance for any info.

Answer 1

Construction engineering:-
concerns the planning and management of the construction of structures such as highways, bridges, airports, railroads, buildings, dams, and reservoirs. Construction of such projects requires knowledge of engineering and management principles and business procedures, economics, and human behavior. Construction engineers engage in the design of structures temporary, cost estimating, planning and scheduling, materials procurement, selection of equipment, and cost control.

Construction Engineering is differentiated from Construction Management from the standpoint of the use of mathematics, science and engineering to analyze problems and design a construction process. Construction engineers build many of the things that people use every day. Construction engineering involves many aspects of construction including: commercial, residential, bridges, airports, tunnels, and dams. It is an extremely large industry that provides employment and business opportunity to many and continues to grow. Currently there are nearly 6 million people working on construction in the United States. Construction engineers are in high demand.

Career
Construction can be the largest industry in the United States. It provides jobs to millions ranging in all types of education. Construction makes 14% of the US Gross National Product. Construction engineering is important to the construction industry because it provides much of the design aspect from the office to the field. Construction engineers follow the plans of architects and sometimes design actual structures. After the structure has been designed the engineers make sure it has been built correctly by testing and overseeing the construction.

Tasks - Construction engineers have a lot of responsibilities in their job. Certain tasks have to be completed everyday in order to get the job done correctly. Analyzing reports is a main part of their job description. They must analyze maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography and other topographical information. Construction engineers also have to use computer software to design hydraulic systems and structures while following construction codes. They have to calculate load and grade requirements, liquid flow rates and material stress points to ensure that the structure can withstand stress. Keeping a safe workplace is key to having a successful construction company. It is the construction engineer's job to make sure that everything is conducted correctly. In addition to safety, the construction engineer has to make sure that the site stays clean and sanitary . Surveying the land before construction begins is also a job of the construction engineer. They have to make sure that there are no impediments in the way of where the structure will be built and if there are any they must move them. They also must estimate costs and keep the project under budget. Construction engineers have to test the soils and materials used for adequate strength. Finally, construction engineers have to provide construction information, including repairs and cost changes, to the managers.

Knowledge - Construction engineers build structures that are used by people everyday so they have to be safe and be able to withstand the elements. To complete the job properly construction engineers have to have the knowledge of many different aspects. Those aspects include engineering, technology, design, math, construction, customer service, management, transportation, public safety, and computers. They use the engineering, technology, and math aspects to make sure they build the structure to the set standards. They use customer service and management knowledge to deal with the people that could possibly buy the structure. They also use this knowledge to inform the management on how the project is coming along and if any changes are needed.

Skills - Most construction engineers have a love for math and science. In addition to these abilities there are many other skills needed to be a construction engineer. Critical thinking, listening, learning, problem solving, monitoring, and decision making are all very important in construction engineering. Construction engineers have to be able to think about all aspects of a problem and listen to other’s ideas so that they can learn everything about a project before it begins. After they have begun a project they must solve the problems that they encounter using math and science. They also have to monitor the workers on the job site for safety and to make sure that the project is on time and done correctly. Whenever a problem occurs it is up to the construction engineer to make the decision on how to fix it.

Abilities - Construction engineers have many different kinds of abilities they use to do their job. They have the abilities to reason, express themselves orally, sense a problem, comprehend (oral and written), order information, speak clearly, and visualize. Construction engineers use these abilities to communicate with other workers and to solve problems. They also have to use there abilities to know what kinds of materials to order and how to get those materials while staying under the budget.

Work Activities - Construction engineers have many activities that they have to do everyday. Those activities include drafting, decision making, computer interaction, communication, documenting, creative thinking, organizing, information collecting, estimating, and analyzing. Construction engineers use drafting to design structures and to show others how to build them. They have to analyze information and make the best decision and solve problems. Computers are an important tool used by construction engineers. They use them to write programs and solve equations. Communication is used everyday to interact with coworkers and supervisors. They have to communicate in person, by telephone, and through e-mail. Documentation is used to record important information that needs to be passed on to management. Most documenting is done in electronic form. Creative thinking is used to come up with new ideas and solve problems. Construction engineers have to be organized to accomplish goals and prioritize jobs. They have to gather information on the task at hand before they can start a project. This will help ensure that the job is completed correctly. In order to keep a project under budget, construction engineers have to estimate costs of materials and workers. Finally, they have to analyze data to find answers to problems they are having on the job site.

Educational Requirements - Construction Engineers are educated to design and build structures that are necessary for everyday life. There are only a handful of schools that offer a major in Construction engineering. Some of the more popular colleges are Purdue University, Iowa State University, Bradley University, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, National University and the University of Southern California. Bradley University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction while Cal Poly Pomona and National University offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering Technology. Cal Poly Pomona, Bradley University and National University are not accredited by ABET to offer degrees in Construction Engineering. However, Cal Poly Pomona is accredited by the Technology Accreditation Committee (T.A.C.) of ABET and their graduates are eligible to sit for the California Fundamentals of Engineering exam. The University of Southern California offers a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with an option in Construction Engineering. The list of accredited ABET programs in Construction Engineering can be found here (http://www.abet.org/schoolareaeac.asp ). For most Construction engineering jobs a Bachelor of Science is required and some construction experience. In order to work on projects that will be used by the public a construction engineer has to get a professional engineers license. The Fundamentals of Engineering and Principles and Practice exams must be passed, and other requirements met, for a construction engineer to receive a Professional Engineers license.

Con. Engr. & Management:-
Technological and managerial evolution of the construction industry during the last two decades demands a new generation of construction professionals. To compete successfully in national and international arenas, during all phases of a project, construction organizations need managers with strong leadership and interpersonal skills that supplement solid technical and management competence. These professionals manage projects through vision, strategic planning, and communication. They also work within integrated project teams and are committed to total quality. They blend technical and management skills, understand the financial, legal and technological issues involved in a project, and are sensitive to environmental concerns.

The discipline of Construction Engineering and Management (CEM) is structured to develop this type of professional. The academic program includes a set of construction technical core courses, supplemented by electives that can be used to customize a plan of study that adapts to a student's specific career interests. Students are encouraged to take courses from other areas of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and from various other academic units at Georgia Tech.

The program emphasizes managing the close relationship among activities throughout the life-cycle of a project, from initial planning to ultimate disposal, decommissioning and/or rehabilitation. A unique aspect of the CEM program is its close collaboration with the various academic programs of the College of Architecture, including the building construction, architecture, and city planning programs. Students benefit from access to courses in these disciplines. Georgia Tech's strong university and industry interface enables the CEM program to call upon major local, national, and international design and construction firms as sources of data and a "living laboratory" of construction activities. They provide guest speakers for seminars, special classroom activities, data for team projects, assignments, classroom examples, and opportunities for site visits and field trips.

A strong and active research program in construction engineering and management with projects funded, among others, by the National Science Foundation, the Construction Industry Institute, private foundations, industry, and other sources, provides an excellent complement to the educational component of the program.

Con. Engr. Technology:-
Introduction
Construction engineering technology programs prepare people to help engineers who construct buildings and other structures. Students learn to inspect and manage construction sites. They learn about materials and construction methods. They also learn to read and interpret building plans.

Overview
Are you one of those people who likes to watch construction sites? Maybe you enjoy watching the heavy equipment pushing soil into position, or the welders shooting off sparks as they join steel beams, or the concrete being poured into forms to make beams.

What you don't see is all the engineering and planning that people did before the construction began. And it's easy to overlook the workers who are running tests and measurements to confirm that everything is going according to plan. You may also not notice the supervisors who use this information and make decisions about the work being done. But these are all crucial roles in the project - and construction engineering technologists and technicians often fill these roles.

You can work as a technician after completing two years of full-time study beyond high school. That's what it takes to earn an associate degree in construction engineering technology. Many colleges offer this program. Of these, only about 10 are approved by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). But at the technician level this label may not be very important. You may work testing construction materials. You may assist surveyors on the building site. If you're good at computers, you may use computer-aided drafting (CAD) to prepare blueprints and plans. If the business end interests you, you may compute estimates. Or you may work as a sales representative for a contractor.

You need four years of study to become an engineering technologist. This earns you a bachelor's degree. About 60 colleges offer this degree. Of these, about one-third are accredited by ABET. This credential can be valuable if you want to work closely with engineers. (In some states, you can become an engineer.) Your role is to turn the engineer's design into an actual structure. You compute the loads borne by structural parts and by the soil and suggest materials and construction methods to make the design succeed. With the help of computer software, you turn the design into detailed engineering drawings. You suggest plumbing, ventilation, and electrical components. You develop the specifications, so that the contractor can order supplies. You create timetables.

The two-year program focuses on technology, starting with physics and math. This helps you understand the forces that keep a structure standing. You also study the specific skills you will need to create engineering graphics and work with surveyors. You learn how to translate the details of a design into specifications and estimates.

In the four-year program, you learn more advanced math and science. You also study more of the business concerns. For example, you learn about laws that apply to construction and how accountants keep track of income and expenses. You study how engineering design is influenced by the properties of steel and concrete. Often you finish the program by working on an actual construction project as part of an engineering team.

Answer 2

It's a little hard to be specific without knowing the details of the course descriptions you are looking at but, basically, the distinction between "management" and "engineering/technology" is that the latter deals primarily with the actual design and specifications of the physical systems of a project, in other words, the plan of "what" will be constructed and "where" it will be located.

Construction Management (CM), on the other hand, is more concerned with the "when" and the "how" of the project being built once it is designed by the Construction Engineer. Besides dealing with blueprints and design, the Construction Manager has to deal with administrative paperwork, scheduling, cost reports and overseeing the contractors working on the site throughout the project so there is a lot more business management involved. Naturally there is some overlap and sharing of responsibilities. A true Engineer will require a four-year college degree and a state-sponsored professional licensing exam eventually. You don't need a professional license to be a CM (though it is a definite advantage if you do) or CET (Technologist) which is usually a two-year degree.

A good analogy is music: the Construction Engineer is like the composer of a symphony and the Construction Manager is the conductor who directs the orchestra to perform it.

At least in the markets I've worked in, Construction Engineering Technologists (CET) are sort of junior assistants to licensed Engineers, doing such things as CADD, routine paperwork and product searches. They are sort of equivalent to Paralegals who help lawyers.

Your job opportunities would be highest paid with Construction Engineering AND Management (provided you have a professional license), followed by Engineering only, then Construction Manager WITHOUT the license and then Technology coming in last. However, all are in heavy demand worldwide right now and are likely to continue to be in the future. You could start with Tehnologist and then work towards the others.

Answer 3

I would get the engineering degree (if it is a true engineering degree) and sit for the EIT. Then you could then get your PE.

Answer 4

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