Structural steel workers have been in various jobs in civil engineering. They are also called, iron workers as they erect, assemble, or install fabricated structural metal products in the construction of industrial, commercial, and large residential buildings. This is actually a skilled trade, like building a bridge. It can be remembered that the first iron bridge was built in England in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Improvements in the smelting process of iron ore and discovery of a method to roll steel led to the increased use of iron and steel products.
The development of the i-beam and plates made it possible for the first all-steel bridge to be built over the Missouri River in 1878. Another invention, seemingly unrelated, proved to be an extremely important factor in the use of steel as a building material. Prior to the invention of the elevator in 1859, a building’s height had been limited by the number of stairs that the average person would climb. The removal of this factor by the invention of the elevator, along with the fact that weight-bearing walls constructed of stone were sometimes five feet thick, led to the ready acceptance of steel construction when it was introduced. In 1883, framing was used in building a ten story building in Chicago. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1885 from steel girders. The world’s first steel-domed building was built in 1894. The Empire State Building, for twenty-three years, the tallest skyscraper in the world, was dedicated in 1931. The use of welding and high-tensile bolts represents some of the newer developments in steel construction.
Generally, a building is constructed of different combinations and forms of walls, beams, frames, columns, arches, trusses, and ties. It is the task of the structural-steel workers or iron workers to install, assemble, or erect structural metal elements. These building-trade workers are proficient in many phases of structural work similar to civil engineer jobs. The structural-wheel workers join the steel elements by riveting, bolting, or welding. They work on such diverse construction projects such as buildings, metal building assemblers, bridges, as reinforcing-metal workers; metal storage tanks, as tank setters; and overhead crane runways. Because of the weight of the steel girders, columns, and beams, they work as a team in raising, positioning, and joining these prefabricated pieces into a skeleton.
There are four steps in the process of erecting the framing which involves a complex engineering job: lay-outing, rigging, temporary bolting, and permanent fastening. Using blueprints, sketches, or work orders, the structural iron worker lays out the work. Truck cranes, crawler cranes, or guy derricks are used to hoist the various structural elements into position. Drift pins and temporary unfinished bolts are used to hold the steel elements in position. Vertical and horizontal alignment of the steel pieces is then checked with plumb bob and level and the necessary corrections are made. The final fastening is made by means of bolt tightening by torque wrenches, welding, or riveting. The latter process is generally being replaced by the other two methods of joining the structural elements. Riggers and machine movers are in charge of setting up and rigging hoisting equipment, as well as erecting and dismantling the structure steel frames and for moving weighty construction machines as well as equipment. They study the object to be moved and select the best method of moving it.
The ornamental iron workers’ jobs in civil engineering usually do not build the steel skeleton, but they do assemble or install a variety of metal products needed in the construction of a building. Some of the pre-fabricated products they work with are metal stairways, ladders, catwalks, metal window sash and doors, metal cabinets, and steel elements used by banks or other businesses to safeguard money and merchandise. Reinforcing metal workers set steel mesh or rods into forms before the concrete is poured. Steel rods or mesh are required to reinforce the concrete because it is weak in tensile strength.
Steel Worker Requirements
Part of the jobs related to civil engineering careers, the structural-steel workers must be able to work with others in the construction of various buildings, bridges, piers, and the like. These construction workers must work cooperatively in the erection of structural elements. These elements must be precisely aligned and meet rigid building code specifications. Some of the personal qualities required are the ability to use one’s hands easily and skillfully. Moreover, the work requires these workers to have physical stamina, for it involves constant activity. Although heavy materials are moved with the aid of hoists and cranes, lifting, pushing, and shoving of parts is required at times. The work does call for the ability to climb, reach, stoop, kneel, and crouch. Beside, normal vision is needed to use the various devices for checking the civil engineering technician jobs.
To find hundreds of listings in civil engineering jobs, visit CivilEngineeringCrossing.com. You can sign up there for free where you can choose your future choice of career.
