A Complete Guide to Civil Construction (2022 Edition)

Ever wondered what people do in civil construction? Maybe you want to know what these terms mean and how they are different to building construction, or you just want a good overview of the industry.

If you’re looking for a complete guide to civil construction in Australia in 2022, then you’ve come to the right place.

In this blog, we’ll cover topics like:

• What does civil construction mean?
• What is civil construction work?
• What is civil works in construction?
• What is a civil construction labourer?
• How to get work in civil construction

Read on to learn all there is to know about civil construction.

What does civil construction mean?

Civil construction is a type of construction that involves infrastructure such as roads, bridges, tunnels and the utilities that make our society function. Civil construction also involves creating water reservoirs, railways, airports, sewerage systems and dams.

“Civil construction” is different to “building construction”. Building construction involves the construction of buildings such as homes, apartments, shopping centres and so on.

As a rule of thumb, you can think of civil construction as the construction of public infrastructure involving water, earth or transport.

What is civil construction work?

Civil construction work is one of the most important types of work that keep our society going.

Civil construction is a broad term that refers to any of the jobs that are done to construct civil infrastructure such as roads, new towns and cities, and utility services.

Therefore there is a huge range of work available in civil construction. Workers include top-level civil engineers with multiple university degrees, tradies with vocational certificates and diplomas, and general labourers who do unskilled work that doesn’t require a qualification.

Because most infrastructure is public, civil construction work often involves collaboration between building companies and government agencies.

What is civil works in construction?

Civil works can refer to civil work done in the civil construction industry or the building construction industry.

It covers the same roles as are done in civil construction such as excavating, earthmoving, preparing sites for building and so on.

Why work in civil construction?

Civil construction work is essential to society. Towns and cities will always need things like roads and utilities built or repaired.

Many people are drawn to careers and civil construction because they offer a sense of job security because there will always be jobs in this industry.

What jobs are available in civil construction?

Since civil construction work is a broad term covering so many different roles in a huge industry, there are plenty of different jobs available in civil construction.

Civil construction jobs and roles include:

• Carpenters
• Concreters
• Welders
• Plumbers
• Plant Operators
• Electricians
• Labourers
• Supervisors
• Site managers
• Engineers

As you can see, there are a huge variety of roles to consider in civil construction.

This exciting industry offers plenty of paths to take throughout your career as you develop your skills and grow your experience.

What is a civil construction labourer?

A civil construction labourer is an unskilled entry-level worker in civil construction.

Even though it doesn’t pay as well as trades work, it’s a good way to get a foot in the door and see if you like the industry.

When you work as a civil construction labourer, you do physical duties like preparing the site for construction and transporting materials from one part of the site to the other.

You could also operate tools, plants or machinery, but often this type of work requires you to have a Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations (RII30820).

How to become a civil construction worker

One of the best ways to get a foot in the door in the civil construction industry is by doing a Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations (RII30820).

This course develops your general skills and knowledge of the civil construction industry while qualifying you to work with a range of plants, tools and heavy machinery such as excavators and bulldozers.

You’ll build skills in working with hand and power tools, conducting basic levelling and performing excavation works safely.

Who to study with for civil construction?

As one of Australia’s leading trades schools, we at Builders Academy Australia have a great reputation across the construction industry.

Study with us and you will learn from expert civil construction workers who have many years of hands-on experience under their belts.

Your qualifications will be recognised by employers across Melbourne, Victoria and even across the country and overseas.

For a top-notch civil construction trades school, look no further than Builders Academy Australia.

Thinking about doing a Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations (RII30820)? Give us a call on 1300 LEGEND to speak to a course advisor, or send us a message and we’ll get back to you soon.