The job of a civil engineer covers a broad range of matters, mainly dealing with constructing, designing and maintaining of man-made and natural environments. This can range from bridges, canals, roads, dams and public buildings. One must realise that engineering is a staple in the development of humanity; without advancement in engineering and construction the human race would not be able to prosper at the rate we do.

More often than not; the natural way of things can be a huge challenge for man to overcome; like terrain, weather and water. This is where the vital role of geotechnical engineers and foundation engineering is heavily relied upon.

Geotechnical Engineers and Foundation Engineering

The job of geotechnical engineers is based on engineering aspects that study and adapt constructions suited to the behaviour of earth materials. The expertise involves identifying the best plans of laying foundations for a building or structure; taking into account the elements included in natural terrain and the load of the structure; such as brick/mortar placed on soil or bedrock. This is known as foundation engineering.

Engineering companies work on a plethora of civil design projects concerning low rise buildings, deep lay foundations, piling, shoring and landfill sites! Of course, geotechnical engineers who work in foundation engineering have enormous pressure and responsibility to get each job done correctly and safely.

Geotechnical and foundation engineering must solidly focus on the responsibility of cost management, constructability, aesthetics, practicality, safety of structure and much more.

Moving Forward With Geotechnical Engineers

Just take a moment and think about where we would be without roads, shipping harbours, airports, rail lines, shopping centres and schools. Society is based on man-made structures; sheltered housing with sewerage systems and running tap water- all of these things require geotechnical and foundation engineering!

Jobs like these happen on a grand scale and require a huge number of skilled people; they cannot just build a structure and hope for the best. Some projects can take geotechnical engineers months and years to complete; every day they must draft, use computer technology, communicate, specify, document, create concepts, organise and collect data for estimations and analysing. Before acting on any plans, they must make clear blueprints as a guide on how to build them.

Any governing agency, environmental health act, public sector or property developer all need geotechnical engineers who are experienced and established as well-known contractors. Different jurisdictions and areas will have different specifications of safety standards, it is vital to hire a foundation engineering team who can do this.