Occupations in Civil

SITE HAND

Site Hand is the core of the team and a great place to start your career in civil. They do all the many and varied jobs on a civil construction site that do not require specialists.

DRAINER

Working to plans, drainers lay and repair sewage and storm water drains, and install and repair wastewater treatment systems.

CONCRETER

Concreters pour, spread, compact, finish and cure concrete for roads, tunnels, bridges, jetties and other civil structures. There is a growing industry in pre-cast concrete where concrete elements are cast and cured in factories and then transported to the site for erection.

FORMWORKER

Formwork is the temporary structure of boards or metal that makes up a frame into which wet concrete is poured. When the concrete has hardened, the structures are removed, leaving behind concrete perfectly shaped for purpose.

UTILITIES WORKER

Utilities is the term used to describe vital services including water, power, gas, and telecommunications. Utilities workers install new services and relocate existing services. On urban infrastructure projects, existing services are often required to be relocated carefully and with minimal disruption.

ROAD CONSTRUCTOR

From preparing the foundations, laying the base, to topping with concrete or asphalt, a Road Constructor builds the streets and freeways we all drive on.

TRAFFIC CONTROLLER

A Traffic Controller controls traffic and pedestrians on roads and footpaths while civil construction and maintenance work happens nearby.

SITE SUPERVISOR

These key people ensure that safety, efficiency and logistics of a particular worksite. They ensure what happens on site is planned, and that everyone who needs to know things does. Leading Hands report to them. 

SAFETY ADVISOR

Safety in the civil construction industry is critical and is managed by qualified advisors and managers. Workplace hazards are identified, risk is assessed and policies, procedures, controls and behaviours are implemented and enforced by to maximise safety and health outcomes within the working environment.

ESTIMATOR

Estimators help prepare tender documentation by interpreting project plans to calculate the equipment, manpower and materials required to complete a project. They also manage and monitor budgets for existing projects; produce labour and material schedules for ordering; and ensure job specifications and standards are met.

ENGINEER

Civil engineers plan, design, construct, operate and maintain roads, bridges, dams, water supply schemes, sewerage systems, transportation, harbours, dockyard facilities, airports, railways, factories and large buildings. They may specialise as: structural engineers; materials and testing engineers; highways engineers; airport engineers; geotechnical/soil engineers or harbour engineers.

SURVEYOR

Surveying and land surveying are the measurement and mapping of the surrounding environment using mathematics and specialised equipment and technology. Surveyors perform a critical role ensuring projects are built to specification and every element is exactly where it should be. A Surveyor is the only person who is legally authorised to perform land or cadastral surveying and sign off on projects.

Videos courtesy of Construction Training Fund and Georgiou Group.

PLANT OPERATOR

Plant operators operate heavy machinery (known in the industry as ‘plant’) including excavators, dozers, rollers, dump trucks, water trucks and loaders. In addition to driving and operating plant, operators change buckets and other attachments, maintain equipment and carry out daily safety checks. A plant operator is often assisted by a site hand acting as a ‘spotter’.

PIPE LAYER

A Pipe Layer excavates and places all different types of pipes in the ground using a variety of hand tools, trenching machines, and earthmoving plant.

CIVIL STONEMASON

Civil Stonemasons specialise in building retaining walls, noise walls, and stone pitching.

TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGIST

Trenchless technologies include horizontal directional drilling and microtunnelling. These technologies involve the use of specialised equipment to install or repair underground pipes and cables.

PLANT MECHANIC

A Plant Mechanic maintains and fixes mobile and fixed machinery and equipment. Keeping all those big and small pieces of plant working on construction sites is a busy job.

STEEL FIXER

Off-site, steel fixers cut and bend the steel bars and stirrups required in the preparation of the steel mesh used for reinforced concrete. On-site, steel fixers follow plans showing the location, number and size of the reinforcing bars, and assemble, position and secure the steel bars or mesh for reinforced concrete structures.

LEADING HAND

The first step in managing people, a Leading Hand will look after a small civil works team.

PROJECT MANAGER

Project managers take overall responsibility for the planning, management, co-ordination and financial control of civil construction projects. They manage the overall time, cost and quality of the project, provide technical support to office staff, supervisors and suppliers, and ensure client requirements are met in accordance with contract documentation.

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISOR

Environmental advisors ensure an organisation is complying with environmental regulations, provide expert advice and assessments to manage or eliminate any damaging effects caused by their operations.

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR

Contract Administrators organise keep track of and review all documentation and ensure all parties (client, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers) adhere to the agreed requirements in the contract and report on progress. Contract Administrators may also manage any conflicts regarding the contract.

ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Administration Managers support the operations of an organisation by supervising administration tasks and staff. They plan, organise and implement administrative systems and procedures that ensure there is an effective flow of information within an organisation or department.

Videos courtesy of Construction Training Fund.

Constructing essential infrastructure for our future

Working in the civil construction industry, you’ll be part of an industry building transformational infrastructure that improves our quality of life. Below are just a few of those great infrastructure projects that you could be part of. The projects in the videos below were the finalists in the 2024 CCF WA Earth Awards, our industry’s annual celebration of excellence in infrastructure project delivery.