It’s important that everyone do their part during disaster recovery. For civil engineers, that can mean taking part in emergency response efforts, assessing damages and much more. There’s also plenty that civil engineers can do to help prevent major damages before a natural disaster ever occurs.
In disaster mitigation, civil engineering professionals play a number of vital roles. Here’s a closer look at some of their responsibilities:
- Assessing building damage: After a natural disaster occurs, it’s the job of civil engineers to determine if a structure is safe to reenter. This is done to help emergency response units figure out the best way to reach anyone stuck inside. Civil engineers classify buildings based on the risks they present both to surrounding structures as well as to anyone inside. This is an often dangerous job that should only be performed by professionals.
- Developing better solutions: One of the most important jobs of a civil engineer following a natural disaster is determining better solutions for the future. The civil engineer will use information gathered from damaged structures to figure out how to make stronger buildings. This is done in an effort to prevent future collapses.
- Building new shelters: During a natural disaster, many people may find themselves left without anywhere to go. It’s important for these people to have a safe place to stay. Civil engineers can help design and erect shelters for displaced people. They can also help rebuild shelters that were damaged due to a natural disaster.
- Ensuring sanitation systems: Sanitation systems can easily get damaged during a natural disaster, thus promoting the spread of infectious diseases. Civil engineers use their expertise to keep all sewage and water plants running efficiently during natural disasters.
- Preventing toxic waste disasters: It’s the job of environmental civil engineers to lessen the severity of toxic waste disasters, which can include water supply contamination. When it comes to preventing toxic waste disasters, some civil engineers can also use their expertise in air pollution alleviation, drainage augmentation and more. They can even help protect those working in areas where radiation is present.
- Restoring flood-control dams: A failing dam could cause major damage to local commercial buildings and homes. It’s the job of a hydraulic civil engineer to determine what caused the dam to fail. Civil engineers also try and figure out methods of building a stronger dam.
- Planning evacuation routes: It’s important that people have a way to escape during a natural disaster. Civil engineers can help facilitate good evacuation routes to bring citizens away from a disaster area.
Natural disasters can happen anywhere in the world. When they occur, it’s important that everyone work together to stay safe and protect those in need. Civil engineers do their part by surveying structures, building shelters and working on other vital projects. One of the most important jobs of a civil engineer is to develop better solutions that will prevent future building collapses and other damages. If you’d like more information on disaster mitigation and civil engineering, contact the experts at Mason & Associates today.