Civil Engineering

[Hush]

Hi peeps! I am currently doing civil engineering in NUS. I just completed my first year. Going on second-year when uni reopens in August.

To all the civil engineering students out there, please feel free to share your experience as a CE student wherever you are, especially those who are studying in UK. I am interested to go for exchange in UK, but I do not even have the faintest idea of how civil engineering course in UK is.

Another issue that we can discuss here is how the public perceives civil engineers. We are always thought to be those who will only work with soil under the sun. Wherever I go, people think civil engineering is the lowest form among all the available engineering courses. This is very saddening.

[arebird]

HUSH quote "Wherever I go, people think civil engineering is the lowest form among all the available engineering courses. This is very saddening."

hey bro, there is no reason for u to feel down or embaress about civil engineering profession. people might think that civil engineering is the lowest rank among other engineering course but for me they are wrong. they don't even know the hidden potential of this profession. civil engineers have a huge scope of works. the true c.e r not those who working under the sun at the construction site but those who r working with the design and coordinate the site work & administration work.

actually i'm a civil engineer by profession. graduated from local uni past couple years. working as civil engineer teach me how to relate our common sense with the technical stuff in ez word it teach me how to use my common sense into my work n my life to which is make all my business ez and make sense.

from my experience, a lot of civil engineering who already master in this common sense stuff become a somebody in the corparate world compared to other engineering profession. so, you still got a lot of thing to learn if u want to be the true c.e.

[arebird]

the public perceives of the civil engineers. We are always thought to be those who will only work with soil under the sun. Wherever I go, people think civil engineering is the lowest form among all the available engineering courses. This is very saddening.

hey bro, there is no reason for u to feel down or embaress about civil engineering profession. people might think that civil engineering is the lowest rank among other engineering courses but for me they are wrong. they don't even know the hidden potential of this profession. civil engineers have a huge scope of works. the true c.e r not those who working under the sun at the construction site but those who r working with the design and coordinate the site work & administration work. we r not dealing with the design n construction stuff only, but we r also required to deal with human (clients, authorities/goverment, subordinates, supliers, etc)

actually i'm a civil engineer by profession. graduated from local uni past couple years n rite now i am doing my master degree in economics (part time post grad study). working as civil engineer teach me how to relate our common sense with the technical stuff in ez word it teach me how to use my common sense into my work n my life to which is make all my business ez and make sense.

from my experience, a lot of civil engineering who already master in this common sense stuff become a somebody in the corparate world compared to other engineering profession.

our profession also teach us how to plan, how to predict, how to estimate n a lot more valuable things. so, you still got a lot of thing to learn if u want to be the true c.e. good luck.

[Hush]

Hey arebird

Thanks for your post. (By the way, i am a she...hehe..it's ok...no prob)

Yah.. I have to face constant discrimination in this society although I have yet to even graduate from NUS. But, I won't give up. Your post has somewhat boosted my confidence.

[Duke88]

a)Is civil eng. still have a bright future in our country?
How do u think? :?: :?: :?:

b)is UTM is the best local uni to study eng. course?

[leemaohua]

Civil Engineering is the study of building construction.
I guess Malaysia is not yet fully urbanised, many Civil Engineers would still be required to do these urbanization works. According to the new trend, many Universities have include Environmental modules to Civil Engineering Studies. And this brings Civil engineers into a new reign of work.

Do not study a course for the sake of bright future. Study because of your passion.

[leemaohua]

Yeah i also agree to what arebird said. Many people despise the work of Civil Engineers but they do not know the hidden potential. We have got a wide scope to do. Working under the sun is just part of our job, but looking at the completion of our work make us satisfying just like how we solve a Math Problem.

Hush, i guess you've graduated already le ba ?

Whereas i am just starting nia.

[vseehua]

Another issue that we can discuss here is how the public perceives civil engineers. We are always thought to be those who will only work with soil under the sun. Wherever I go, people think civil engineering is the lowest form among all the available engineering courses. This is very saddening.

I am pretty sure they won't say anything more if you guys can start a picket and stop doing you jobs altogether. Then they will appreciate the fact that every engineer have their role to play and stop the ranking...

[kelvinlym]

Whoever thinks that civil engineers are at the bottom rung of the engineering world are very ignorant.

I highly regard Civil Engs as their job involves infrastructure that we use every day and changes lives. Also the responsibility that comes with the job as human lives are at stake!

How could that compare to e.g. me who is only designing mobile phones? Has a mobile phone killed someone before? (notwithstanding exploding batteries but that's not a mech. eng's job)

[Caprio]

By the way, I always think that the job prospects for a civil engineeri is very narrow, specific compare to other field of engineering like mechanical, chemical, electrical and so on. And again, the job prospects for CE is also very cyclical and much depends on the economy, especially the real estate market. For the sifus here, can enlighten me a bit or not? Actually why you guys mean here about the hidden potential of civil engineer?

Actually I have done a lot of research online regarding the field of civil engineering, and that is the conclusion I get. Sorry if I have left out any important facts about CE. Hope you guys will share here.:P

[cloudie89]

Hey arebird

Thanks for your post. (By the way, i am a she...hehe..it's ok...no prob)

Yah.. I have to face constant discrimination in this society although I have yet to even graduate from NUS. But, I won't give up. Your post has somewhat boosted my confidence.

hi hush,
i'm also a she..hmm intended to take up civil engineering since long ago ,still doin a'level now ,got long way to go before i step into this field,being constantly discouraged by ppl around me for havin such desire of becomin a CE,,.i need your guidance n advice pls tell me more about girls in this field..can we really survive?do we really slave n work in the sun with the soil?should i change before it's too late?

[Caprio]

"She" is dominating the engineering field nowadays!!!

[tomatoinc]

hush probably graduated already..the thread strated in 2005!

btw, caprio...you re correct about the cyclic effect, only to a certain extent. it only applies to the "general" population of civil engineers, and doesn't apply to competent, specialized, differentiated civil engineer. :)

[tomatoinc]

leemaohua, your definition of civil engineering is certainly very narrow. maybe try the following:

ABC’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is dedicated to balancing the built environment with the natural world. In our research we seek to understand natural systems, to foster the intelligent use of resources, and to design sustainable infrastructure systems.

XYZ's :
Engineering for the everyday needs of society including:

* the supply of clean drinking water
* treating household and industrial wastes
* providing facilities for safe transportation by road, air and rail,
* constructing bridges and buildings which are safe against earthquake, fire, wind, snow and landslides
* design and construction of dams, canals and transmission towers for electrical power
* protecting against flooding by design and construction

Civil engineers have responsibility to manage people, equipment, resources, time and money. They plan, design or manage roads, buildings, airports, ports and harbours, recycling and disposal of wastes and protection of waterways.

[youngyew]

Merged two redundant "Civil Engineering" threads.

[law_yew_wooi]

is it easy to find high pay civil engineering job here in malaysia?...

[henry_yew]

Well, you'll need to define "high pay" because different companies pay their engineers differently.

Generally, if you are a civil engineer, it still depends on which discipline you are talking about in civil engineering - environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, urban engineering, building & construction technology, transportation engineering, offshore structures & oceanography, etc. etc.

[law_yew_wooi]

high pay as in over ten thousand?? hahahaha.. hmm.. which field in civil engineering is brighter?

[henry_yew]

high pay as in over ten thousand?? hahahaha.. hmm.. which field in civil engineering is brighter?

Well, you are indeed aiming high for the pay, huh? Well, as a fresh graduate from university it's unlikely that your pay will reach a five-digit figure, unless perhaps you are posted to other countries to work. Even for PETRONAS, the salary margin for a fresh graduate is around RM3500 per month. And even if you are a Masters holder, apparently your pay will only be increased by that few hundred ringgit. This, of course, is not inclusive of the other allowances and benefits.

However, as you progress in your career, it is not impossible that your figure will reach five digits. Perhaps as a consultant you will be able to earn even more.

Generally, if you want a five-figure pay, get posted to Dubai and the like.

For now, structural engineering is still the more sought-after discipline of civil engineering; that does not mean that they are brighter than the other disciplines. Because there are structural engineers, there must also be geotechnical engineers. However, geotechnical engineering is not very much common even in Malaysia. Environmental engineering, which is even less common, is now getting more and more emphasis especially in other countries where the people put environmental protection above maximising profits.

Offshore structures and oceanography is a very much sought-after civil engineering discipline by oil and gas companies such as PETRONAS, Shell, Schlumberger, etc.

Structural engineering may be very much in demand, but competition today is stiff because generally every civil engineering student ends up becoming a structural engineer, or at least an engineer in the construction and construction technology lines. Getting a job as a structural engineer is difficult (especially during this economic downturn) due to such stiff rivalry. Most companies demand at least five years of working experience.

Environmental engineering, though less common, requires more and more people to further their research. More and more companies, such as Ranhill, CH2M, DHI, Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill, etc. would generally be happy to have environmental engineers in their folds because they need such people to come up with solutions on how to increase Exploration And Production (E&P) for oil and gas related companies in a more environmental-friendly manner, and also to come with the know-how on how to treat water and wastewater, how to manage municipal solid wastes, etc. Today, a great environmental hazard is leachate which is found mostly at landfills. It is extremely toxic, and treating leachate is costly, which is why so much research is being done to come up with better and cheaper methods to treat leachate. Basically, the things that we take for granted in order to maintain sanitation and hygiene of the human race need a lot of expertise to handle, and with more industries coming up and discharging various kinds of chemicals into the water, more and more research must be done to treat the problems at the source.

[law_yew_wooi]

Wow, very informative indeed. Haha, thanks!!! At first, I am also thinking of pursuing either structural or environmental. Hmm, it's undeniable that the competition for structural is stiff because of the downturn. However, the downturn won't last as in 10 years, will it? Is it wise to do both structural and environmental? Or just focus on one? If do both, do you know how long it will take?

[the last dusun]

hello everyone....
im an ex-matriculation student....just finished my sains hayat....do u think i am able to take engineering course later in Uni?....if, yes, does it mean that i must retake for physics?....

[henry_yew]

Wow, very informative indeed. Haha, thanks!!! At first, I am also thinking of pursuing either structural or environmental. Hmm, it's undeniable that the competition for structural is stiff because of the downturn. However, the downturn won't last as in 10 years, will it? Is it wise to do both structural and environmental? Or just focus on one? If do both, do you know how long it will take?

Well, as far as I am concerned, there is nothing wrong to do both structural and environmental. While it is true that the economic downturn will not last for ten years, nevertheless the competition remains just as stiff for the field of structural engineering. However, this should not be the reason to put you off from pursuing structural engineering.

Unlike structural engineering, environmental engineering is still in its infancy stage although it has a history of more than thirty years. Research is still going on but there is currently insufficient manpower in this field. If you look into some of the foreign scholarship providers, they are looking for more people interested in environmental engineering rather than structural engineering. This goes on to say that environmental engineers are getting more and more in demand.

Whether or not it is wise to do both structural and environmental is very much up to you, although many professionals would discourage that due to costs. Besides, it's quite likely that when you specialise in environmental engineering you won't be concentrating much on structural engineering, and vice versa, thus eventually nullifying the need to do both.

hello everyone....
im an ex-matriculation student....just finished my sains hayat....do u think i am able to take engineering course later in Uni?....if, yes, does it mean that i must retake for physics?....

As far as I am concerned, if you plan to do civil engineering, you must have Physics as a pre-requisite, in addition to Chemistry and Mathematics.

These subjects will form the basis of all engineering fundamentals that you will learn in your undergraduate years. There is definitely no escape from Physics.

[law_yew_wooi]

Thanks henry. I should take your advice into consideration. Haha. Do you mind telling me the prospect of doing environmental engineering in Malaysia? From what I see, enviornmental engineering is not highly in demand in Malaysia, isn't it? It's really nerve wrecking when coming to choose in between this two, although there is still years for me to decide.

[henry_yew]

Thanks henry. I should take your advice into consideration. Haha. Do you mind telling me the prospect of doing environmental engineering in Malaysia? From what I see, enviornmental engineering is not highly in demand in Malaysia, isn't it? It's really nerve wrecking when coming to choose in between this two, although there is still years for me to decide.

It is true that in Malaysia, the prospect of an environmental engineer is not as bright as that of a structural engineer. However, my environmental engineering professor would always encourage his students to go into that field, because right now safe drinking water is a big issue, as well as management and treatment of wastewater. Basically, an environmental engineer does not necessarily deal on ways to save the environment, but also to come up with issues on how to treat wastewater and to have engineering solutions on how to conduct a project without bringing too much negative impact to the environment.

I would not say that the prospect of an environmental engineer is not bright, because companies like Ranhill, CH2M, DHI, KBU-Berjaya Group (they manage the Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill), etc. would only be happy to have environmental engineers in their folds. Of course, being an environmental engineer does not mean that you no longer know the other aspects of civil engineering (unless your course is specially tailored for environmental engineering only).

A lot of things in environmental engineering still require people to continue researching. Some examples are like leachate treatment, whereby the current system is quite costly (by using Sequence Batch Reactors, certain plants, etc.). In UTP itself, there are postgraduate students who are researching on how to treat leachate more efficiently at lower costs. Then there is also an issue of chlorination being used as the method of disinfection in water treatment plants. The problem with using chlorine as the disinfectant is that not only is it highly toxic if it leaks, but the chlorine in water can react with organics that are not entirely filtered or settled out to form tri-halomethanes (THMs), which are carcinogenic. Research is needed to come up with a solution where the disinfectant used does not potentially harm the human body, does not react with other materials to form carcinogens or mutagens, and will have some residual disinfectant left to continue killing any pathogenic microorganisms that may be present especially in the distribution system.

Environmental engineers play an important role to make sure that the well-being of the people is safeguarded. Has it ever occurred to you that if something goes wrong with the water distribution (say ammonia has seeped into the distribution system) and the disinfectant does not have anymore of its residual left, this could potentially lead to thousands of casualties?

If anybody has any intent of doing harm to the whole country and to cause manslaughter, the easiest way is to just dose the water distribution system with even low doses of cyanide. That is why in many countries, water distribution systems are even guarded by the military.

[law_yew_wooi]

Thanks again, henry for your explanation. It is really beneficial to me as in to decide which specialisation that i am going to pursue in the future. Thanks anyway. So, are you currently doing environmental engineering?

[henry_yew]

Not yet. I'm still in my third year of studies. I shall be doing my internship with PETRONAS Carigali Sdn. Bhd. in June this year till January next year. In my university I could choose to specialise in the following:

1. Building Construction Technology
2. Urban Engineering
3. Offshore Structures & Oceanography
4. Environmental Engineering
5. Petroleum Engineering

I do intend to specialise in Environmental Engineering now. When I first came into UTP, I had an idea to do Building Construction Technology or Offshore Structures & Oceanography. Then, after doing some courses in Environmental Engineering, I found it to be more interesting for me.

Note that Environmental Engineering has much to do with Biology and Chemistry, so don't be surprised that you need to recall a few things about Biology (Microbiology to be exact).

[chicaichachica]

Hi peeps! I am currently doing civil engineering in NUS. I just completed my first year. Going on second-year when uni reopens in August.

To all the civil engineering students out there, please feel free to share your experience as a CE student wherever you are, especially those who are studying in UK. I am interested to go for exchange in UK, but I do not even have the faintest idea of how civil engineering course in UK is.

Another issue that we can discuss here is how the public perceives civil engineers. We are always thought to be those who will only work with soil under the sun. Wherever I go, people think civil engineering is the lowest form among all the available engineering courses. This is very saddening.


In my opinion as an ex-student of CE, i feel that CE is not a very bad or lowest form among all the available engineering courses. May be for some people they think that CE is a very hard courses to be studying in, but for me if you have interest on CE, it will be more easier for you. Anyway, if you know what CE is really is, you'll be enjoyed to study in it. Don't bother what people think that CE is the lowest form among all the available engineering courses. If CE is not one of the engineering courses that has been offered, then how come we can built the higher bilding in the world isn't? :confetti Good luck!!!

[henry_yew]

Since I am now in PETRONAS Carigali doing my industrial internship training, perhaps this is something that prospective civil engineering students may want to know.

Civil engineering is not about construction, highway and environmental engineering, as stated earlier. One thing that not many universities that offer civil engineering course would tell their students is about the Oil and Gas industry.

After all, many would think, what has a civil engineer got to do with petroleum and natural gas?

And if you think that constructing (or the term is "fabricating") offshore platforms are similar to that of constructing land structures, you are incorrect.

Personally, I believe that universities that offer civil engineering should have a course which explains to the students on the oil and gas industry and how offshore structures are fabricated and installed at the fields.

In the oil and gas industry, civil engineers are needed to design the offshore structures such as the topsides (or the superstructures), the jackets (or the substructures) and so on. Ranhill Worley and RNZ Integrated are among the consulting companies which help clients such as PETRONAS and Shell to design the structures according to the parameters set by the clients. They must also follow the standards set by the American Petroleum Institute (instead of British Standards), the International Standards (ISO), or others (such as the PETRONAS Technical Specifications).

In PETRONAS, civil engineers are also needed to check on the designs submitted by consultants like Ranhill Worley and RNZ Integrated. They do simulation also using software like SACS (pronounced "sex", I kid you not) specially made for designing of offshore structures. From the simulation, they can double check whether the designs submitted by the consultants are flawed or otherwise.

While knowledge on the design of steel structures and soil mechanics may help significantly in offshore structures, what you learn in university may just be the fundamentals. For civil engineers, you should also know about welding (because it is an important criterion which determines the strength of the lifting attachments, which are vital to help lift the topsides into place to install them on the jackets; poor design of the lifts can result to the failure of the lifting system, ending up with the topside falling into the sea and incurring millions of dollars worth of damage).

In the oil and gas industry, there is not so much emphasis paid on the design of reinforced concrete structures, because most of the offshore platforms are made of steel; unless you speak of gravity base structures, where concrete will be heavily used and the structure is very big.

The common misconception is that if you become an offshore structure engineer then you will be constantly offshore. This is not true because a lot of the engineers in PETRONAS are seen frequently in the office. They only go offshore for a week or so, and then return to the office after their work is done. Sometimes, they go away for a day or two to the fabrication yard to oversee how the fabrication job is progressing.

Of course, civil engineers today can also opt to become drilling engineers which are lacking in the oil and gas industry today. This goes on to say that as civil engineers, you have a lot of fields that you can specialise in, and it is always wise to look out for any opportunities that may come your way.

I would encourage that future civil engineers register as members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) UK, and the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) to gain some insights on the engineering society and demand for specific types of engineers around Malaysia, the USA, the UK and even the whole world.

[tomatoinc]

Hi. My answers might be a little late:

a) Civil Engineers are always going to be required in a developing country like Malaysia. Nevertheless, it is cyclic (based on economy and government), and there are simply too many low-quality civil engineers out there in the market. The key is to differentiate yourself.

b) UTM is good. USM and UM are quite good too. Others, not too sure. Private uni wise - UTP/Uniten are probably the better ones.

a)Is civil eng. still have a bright future in our country?
How do u think? :?: :?: :?:

b)is UTM is the best local uni to study eng. course?

Civil engineers are definitely more affected by the overall economy conditions that most other branches. This is because Construction, infrastructure, buildings involved large investments and most of these investments are public-sector driven. Hence you can understand the sort of politics involved in this area. Plus, property market is often leading economics indicator - that is - people stop making investment/purchases into this area as soon as the recession seems possible.

Hidden potentials of civil engineers are unlimited. By far, Civil engineering is the broader and more versatile engineering branch of studies. In addition to the basic common sense and real engineering aptitude, civil engineers often deal more with people, politics, legislation and sort forth. Therefore, C.Engs are always easier to switch into different areas as they are more prepared. Depending on the scenario, i would dare to say, civil engineers are the best in all economics condition.

By the way, I always think that the job prospects for a civil engineeri is very narrow, specific compare to other field of engineering like mechanical, chemical, electrical and so on. And again, the job prospects for CE is also very cyclical and much depends on the economy, especially the real estate market. For the sifus here, can enlighten me a bit or not? Actually why you guys mean here about the hidden potential of civil engineer?

Actually I have done a lot of research online regarding the field of civil engineering, and that is the conclusion I get. Sorry if I have left out any important facts about CE. Hope you guys will share here.:P

Hi Henry,

First off, congratulation on being on Petronas scholarship. :) it's certainly a great honor, particularly for a Chinese like yourself. Are you studying anywhere oversea/ or UTP? It's great to see some proper indepth response in the area of Civil Engineering too. You are certainly spot-on on the description and observation of the relevance of Civil Engineers to an oil-and-gas companies Like petronas. Not surprisingly, since 2004, Petronas has stopped sponsoring oversea Civil engineering degrees. Wonder how you get yours. I would dare to add that Civil Engineers in a client-based company such as Petronas, are really bored as their work scope is not really challenging. Most of the jobs are sub-contracted out to consultants who think they are better than you. Moreso, you are not allowed to challenge their analysis too much.

Since I am now in PETRONAS Carigali doing my industrial internship training, perhaps this is something that prospective civil engineering students may want to know.

Civil engineering is not about construction, highway and environmental engineering, as stated earlier. One thing that not many universities that offer civil engineering course would tell their students is about the Oil and Gas industry.

After all, many would think, what has a civil engineer got to do with petroleum and natural gas?

And if you think that constructing (or the term is "fabricating") offshore platforms are similar to that of constructing land structures, you are incorrect.

Personally, I believe that universities that offer civil engineering should have a course which explains to the students on the oil and gas industry and how offshore structures are fabricated and installed at the fields.

In the oil and gas industry, civil engineers are needed to design the offshore structures such as the topsides (or the superstructures), the jackets (or the substructures) and so on. Ranhill Worley and RNZ Integrated are among the consulting companies which help clients such as PETRONAS and Shell to design the structures according to the parameters set by the clients. They must also follow the standards set by the American Petroleum Institute (instead of British Standards), the International Standards (ISO), or others (such as the PETRONAS Technical Specifications).

In PETRONAS, civil engineers are also needed to check on the designs submitted by consultants like Ranhill Worley and RNZ Integrated. They do simulation also using software like SACS (pronounced "sex", I kid you not) specially made for designing of offshore structures. From the simulation, they can double check whether the designs submitted by the consultants are flawed or otherwise.

While knowledge on the design of steel structures and soil mechanics may help significantly in offshore structures, what you learn in university may just be the fundamentals. For civil engineers, you should also know about welding (because it is an important criterion which determines the strength of the lifting attachments, which are vital to help lift the topsides into place to install them on the jackets; poor design of the lifts can result to the failure of the lifting system, ending up with the topside falling into the sea and incurring millions of dollars worth of damage).

In the oil and gas industry, there is not so much emphasis paid on the design of reinforced concrete structures, because most of the offshore platforms are made of steel; unless you speak of gravity base structures, where concrete will be heavily used and the structure is very big.

The common misconception is that if you become an offshore structure engineer then you will be constantly offshore. This is not true because a lot of the engineers in PETRONAS are seen frequently in the office. They only go offshore for a week or so, and then return to the office after their work is done. Sometimes, they go away for a day or two to the fabrication yard to oversee how the fabrication job is progressing.

Of course, civil engineers today can also opt to become drilling engineers which are lacking in the oil and gas industry today. This goes on to say that as civil engineers, you have a lot of fields that you can specialise in, and it is always wise to look out for any opportunities that may come your way.

I would encourage that future civil engineers register as members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) UK, and the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) to gain some insights on the engineering society and demand for specific types of engineers around Malaysia, the USA, the UK and even the whole world.

It is interesting that one of the opinions in this thread is that Civil Engineers are the lowest 'form' of engineering. Perhaps so. At least that's the perception. Our industry (Construction/Civil Engineering in general) is probably the least technical of the lot and much of the industry prefers rule-of-the-thumb and traditional approach (that is proven to work). In my opinion however, the crux of the problem lies in the fact that Civil engineering has been around for the longest and there are more civil engineers than any other engineering branch. Thus, Civil Eng. also has the most low quality graduates working in the industry that spoils the reputation of the industry. Nevertheless, this is unique only to developing countries. In other countries, Civil Engineers have a slightly better social standing. Hahaha

[henry_yew]

Hi Henry,

First off, congratulation on being on Petronas scholarship. :) it's certainly a great honor, particularly for a Chinese like yourself. Are you studying anywhere oversea/ or UTP? It's great to see some proper indepth response in the area of Civil Engineering too. You are certainly spot-on on the description and observation of the relevance of Civil Engineers to an oil-and-gas companies Like petronas. Not surprisingly, since 2004, Petronas has stopped sponsoring oversea Civil engineering degrees. Wonder how you get yours. I would dare to add that Civil Engineers in a client-based company such as Petronas, are really bored as their work scope is not really challenging. Most of the jobs are sub-contracted out to consultants who think they are better than you. Moreso, you are not allowed to challenge their analysis too much.


Bumping this thread after so long! Sorry tomatoinc that I did not reply you.

Yes, I'm studying in UTP and I'm currently undergoing my industrial training in PETRONAS Carigali.

I agree with you that Civil Engineers in a client-based company such as PETRONAS will not face much challenges as much of the design work are sub-contracted to consultants like Ranhill Worley and RnZ Integrated; fabrication work is done by Oilfab Sdn. Bhd., Sime Darby, MMHE, etc.

And it is true that consultants often think that they are better than the engineers in client-based companies. Well, most of them would have the "Ir." prefix and particularly experienced in design, thus they should know more than us. But we still need to go through the simulations and designs, because we'll never know when these consultants might go beyond what the specifications state, e.g. some consultants might actually prescribe welding on splice (or known as weld-on-weld) which is allowed by the American Petroleum Institute WITH CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ALLOWANCE, but is best avoided. Unfortunately there isn't much research for the weld-on-weld, but common sense would tell us that we would want to avoid such situations if possible.

However, sometimes due to the nature of fabrication and the nature of the supply of steel that comes in, the welding on splices is unavoidable. At this moment, it's not the consultants that will do the final judgement, nor will the fabricator. The final judgement comes from the client structural engineer.

There comes a time when the client structural engineer has no choice but to approve the drawings with welding on splices indicated in them.