Insights The top civil engineering trends to watch in 2023

With ambitious targets and bigger challenges than ever before, civil engineering jobs and the construction industry are both exciting and fast-paced. In fact, strategies for overcoming many of the biggest global challenges including climate change and population growth are closely linked to the future of construction

Civil engineers will play no small part in helping hit these ambitious, but necessary targets. This is just part of the reason why, in the USA alone, it’s predicted that over 24,000 new civil engineering jobs will be created every year for the next ten years.

Whether you’re amongst those professionals looking to take on one of those newly created roles or if you’re well-established in your current role, here are the top civil engineering trends that you need to watch in 2023.

Augmented and virtual reality for civil engineers

Augmented and virtual reality are best known for gaming. Yet these advanced technologies have many further-reaching applications than their use in games.

Real-time collaboration software for civil engineering use

Civil engineering is one of many industries that are benefiting from the increasing popularity of cloud computing. By centralising all tools and data in one location, civil engineers are able to seamlessly work on projects together and streamline workflows from anywhere with an internet connection.

This approach to collaboration drastically speeds up projects. It also improves the quality of data and information. For example, with real-time collaboration software, any civil engineers working on-site always have the most up-to-date versions of plans available, helping mitigate risks and lower the chances of costly mistakes.

Innovative materials used in civil engineering jobs

Material specification is an essential part of civil engineering jobs. Some of the most exciting uses of emerging construction materials include the use of bamboo to replace steel in reinforced concrete, concrete that encourages the growth of moss as part of its structure and kinetic paving which converts walking energy into usable energy.

How intelligent urbanisation is used in civil engineering jobs

It is estimated that 83% of the U.S. population is focused within an urban location. This number is set to grow to 89% by 2050, a trend that is also being seen across the globe. This growth in concentrated populations, along with innovations in everything from transportation to energy production, produces new strains on urban infrastructure and exciting challenges for those eager to launch their civil engineering career.

Finding intelligent solutions to increasing urbanisation will continue to be an area of focus for civil engineering jobs. Both to help maintain and improve urban quality of life.

Civil engineering can improve sustainability

With significant media coverage and widespread concern, it is no surprise that sustainability is a trend that we will continue to see in civil engineering in the future. Sustainability in civil engineering jobs can cover anything from finding smart ways to reduce the use of environmentally harmful building materials to finding ways to increase the energy efficiency of buildings.