Civil Engineering in Europe
September 20, 2015 11:34 AM Subscribe
Me: 1 year of experience as a civil engineer in the US.
You: have some familiarity with the civil engineering industry in western Europe.
Tell me everything you know!
I'm a junior civil engineer focused on hydraulics/water resources, currently working for a large US engineering firm. I dream of living in Europe (preferably Germany, but that's not a deal-breaker), and have recently been exploring the possibility of seeking work there in about 3 years' time. What I want to know is:
What's the civil engineering industry like in western Europe? How does it differ from the industry in the US? I'm currently assigned working on a large design/build highway project, and so far the design/build process has been stressful, disorganized, cut-throat, and this project will probably end years behind schedule with a pile of lawsuits. All sources indicate that design/build is the direction the US industry is moving in the future. Is design/build catching on in Europe as well? What are the most common contract/project-delivery methods?
The New Yorker ran a recent article titled: "The Trouble With Megaprojects". It really nails a lot of problems that exist in the US regarding civil infrastructure. I see major construction projects in Europe coming in on-time/on-schedule and think, 'how is that possible??' Even with all the complexities involved with construction interfacing with centuries-old structures, and frequent interruptions to digs by archaeological finds, somehow western Europe's infrastructure seems high quality, well maintained, and modern (the train systems, even the small local ones, make me want to cry). Am I simply 'seeing what I want to see' or is there really a difference here?
I've managed to google a couple European engineering societies, but haven't been able to find the sort of information that I'm looking for. Any personal knowledge, or pointers to relevant blogs, websites, etc would be greatly appreciated!
I'm a junior civil engineer focused on hydraulics/water resources, currently working for a large US engineering firm. I dream of living in Europe (preferably Germany, but that's not a deal-breaker), and have recently been exploring the possibility of seeking work there in about 3 years' time. What I want to know is:
What's the civil engineering industry like in western Europe? How does it differ from the industry in the US? I'm currently assigned working on a large design/build highway project, and so far the design/build process has been stressful, disorganized, cut-throat, and this project will probably end years behind schedule with a pile of lawsuits. All sources indicate that design/build is the direction the US industry is moving in the future. Is design/build catching on in Europe as well? What are the most common contract/project-delivery methods?
The New Yorker ran a recent article titled: "The Trouble With Megaprojects". It really nails a lot of problems that exist in the US regarding civil infrastructure. I see major construction projects in Europe coming in on-time/on-schedule and think, 'how is that possible??' Even with all the complexities involved with construction interfacing with centuries-old structures, and frequent interruptions to digs by archaeological finds, somehow western Europe's infrastructure seems high quality, well maintained, and modern (the train systems, even the small local ones, make me want to cry). Am I simply 'seeing what I want to see' or is there really a difference here?
I've managed to google a couple European engineering societies, but haven't been able to find the sort of information that I'm looking for. Any personal knowledge, or pointers to relevant blogs, websites, etc would be greatly appreciated!
Response by poster: my wife speaks German pretty well, I just started German classes. hoping to take the BULATS in about 3 yrs or so when we'd looking to move. only English other than that.
posted by moss free at 1:12 PM on September 20, 2015
posted by moss free at 1:12 PM on September 20, 2015
Best answer: I am not an engineer, but my brother in law is, in a major company. As far as I can hear from his anecdote, English is the company language.
Some countries are not as internationally minded, and Germany, France, Italy and Spain are surprisingly not-English-speaking. Many Europeans speak more than one language, so it is only an issue for companies who work beyond Europe's borders.
So the best entry-points might be London, Rotterdam, Stockholm or Copenhagen. Countries unmentioned here or above rarely seem to have transnational companies, which is what you need if you want to work on infrastructure. However, the great engineering companies have offices everywhere, so you might for instance look at Buro Happold in Munich or Arup in Berlin. Within your speciality, there might be other interesting companies, my BiL does big infrastructure like bridges and energy.
You might also find Switzerland interesting, if you can get a job there. No job, no entry beyond tourist visa.
And yes, European infrastructure is somewhat better managed than US-infrastructure, on a statistical level, but there are plenty "bridges to nowhere", immense Mafia-driven corruption, and underfunded projects that end in a jungle of lawsuits.
Design/build is very frequent, but also contested, and it depends on a number of factors which form of tender is used. The best companies can afford to say no to bad conditions, and are thus less frequently involved in bad cases. I hear very, very different versions of how this plays off, and a lot of the responsibility here lies on the client-side. Many big companies have huge consultancy departments, for better project management on the client side, and sometimes, that does lead to a better result.
posted by mumimor at 1:31 PM on September 20, 2015
Some countries are not as internationally minded, and Germany, France, Italy and Spain are surprisingly not-English-speaking. Many Europeans speak more than one language, so it is only an issue for companies who work beyond Europe's borders.
So the best entry-points might be London, Rotterdam, Stockholm or Copenhagen. Countries unmentioned here or above rarely seem to have transnational companies, which is what you need if you want to work on infrastructure. However, the great engineering companies have offices everywhere, so you might for instance look at Buro Happold in Munich or Arup in Berlin. Within your speciality, there might be other interesting companies, my BiL does big infrastructure like bridges and energy.
You might also find Switzerland interesting, if you can get a job there. No job, no entry beyond tourist visa.
And yes, European infrastructure is somewhat better managed than US-infrastructure, on a statistical level, but there are plenty "bridges to nowhere", immense Mafia-driven corruption, and underfunded projects that end in a jungle of lawsuits.
Design/build is very frequent, but also contested, and it depends on a number of factors which form of tender is used. The best companies can afford to say no to bad conditions, and are thus less frequently involved in bad cases. I hear very, very different versions of how this plays off, and a lot of the responsibility here lies on the client-side. Many big companies have huge consultancy departments, for better project management on the client side, and sometimes, that does lead to a better result.
posted by mumimor at 1:31 PM on September 20, 2015
Response by poster: thanks! lots of good info there.
posted by moss free at 2:04 PM on September 20, 2015
posted by moss free at 2:04 PM on September 20, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by parmanparman at 12:20 PM on September 20, 2015 [1 favorite]