Civil Engineering vs. Geotechnical Engineering: Soil and Structures

Civil engineering is concerned with planning, designing, and supervising the construction and maintenance of building and infrastructure projects. Civil engineers are responsible for every man-made infrastructure development, including roads, dams, bridges, buildings, airports and seaports. Geotechnical engineering is a branch of civil engineering that studies the properties of soil and rock to recommend foundation design. This article will look into the various courses and opportunities in the two fields.

Courses and eligibility: Civil Engineering

The various courses available in Civil Engineering are -

Courses and eligibility: Geotechnical Engineering

Since it is a branch of civil engineering, Geotechnical engineering is offered as a specialisation in M. Tech. Learners can study it further as a super-specialisation by pursuing a Ph.D. To qualify for the M. Tech programme, a candidate must complete B. Tech/ B.E. from a recognised institute in any relevant field with a 50% aggregate score. They have to take an entrance exam.

Syllabus and curriculum: Civil Engineering

The syllabus for Civil Engineering will cover subjects such as -

The Civil Engineering course has classroom lectures, laboratory experiments, field visits, and workshop time. Learners have to take written exams, viva voce, and do projects, and internships in the programme.

Syllabus and curriculum: Geotechnical Engineering

The syllabus for the Geotechnical Engineering programme includes topics such as -

The course will involve classroom lectures, laboratory work, and fieldwork. Students will take semester exams and submit projects and one internship for the duration of the course. They also have to write a mandatory dissertation.

Career Scope: Civil Engineering

Depending on the specialisation they choose, on course completion a civil engineer will work on real estate development projects, and large construction companies for roads, bridges, dams, or tunnels. They can find roles with the public works department or with the sanitation department in government or non-government organisations. Civil engineers also collaborate with architecture and interior design firms, waste management businesses, designing transportation systems, irrigation methods, and space research and exploration projects. They will be hired in roles such as -

• Civil engineer - design and oversee construction projects.
• Structural engineer - designs large-scale structures such as buildings, bridges, dams, etc. that will withstand natural disasters and fulfil their functions.
• Construction engineer - oversees and manages construction projects such as residential or commercial buildings, hospitals, roads, or water treatment plants.
• Environmental engineers - they work towards reducing the overall impact of artificial systems on the natural ecosystem through solid waste management, drainage systems, recycling systems, and facility investigation.
• Transportation engineers - they design and implement construction work of transportation systems such as roads, airports, railway stations, pedestrian footpaths, or bicycle lanes.

Career Scope: Geotechnical Engineering

Geotechnical engineers study geology, geomechanics (rock mechanics and soil mechanics), the design of foundations, the stabilisation of slopes, the improvement of ground conditions, the excavation of tunnels and underground openings, the analysis of ground behaviour, and the assessment of ground movements. The roles they generally work in are -

• Geotechnical engineer - investigates the soil and land conditions to support construction and to minimise risks arising from natural hazards.
• Site civil engineer - supervising different aspects of the construction project on-site such as managing the crew, quality assurance, and ensuring health and safety standards are followed.
• Design engineer - design models and specific instructions using design software
• Technical officer - works with teams and organisations to guide technical aspects of soil, land, and the impact of geological conditions on the construction project.

There are ample opportunities for Civil and Geotechnical engineering graduates to work with top organisations in the public and private sectors which will involve exciting fieldwork, research, and application of their learning in infrastructure projects. Civil engineers can build a super-specialist role with their Geotechnical engineering Master’s to become expert consultants and work across industries on various projects.