ABSTRACT
Civil engineering projects can be separated into two stages, pre-contract and post-contract activities. Civil engineers work in the four main areas of contracting, consultancy, government and nationalised and denationalised industries. In some circumstances the employer may decide to go straight to the contractor for a design and construct service, or to a firm who can offer an ‘off-peg’ project that may meet the requirements identified. The majority of the construction work in the United Kingdom is undertaken by a general contractor. There is a wide range of different types of engineers employed both within and outside the construction industry. The duty of the engineer’s representative is to watch and supervise the construction up to the completion of the works. The function of the quantity surveyor has developed from that of a measurer to one of a construction cost adviser. Construction materials delivered to a site can be described under several different headings, such as materials, components and goods.
