The Best Civil Engineering software for Professionals

    Hi there, Welcome to the Civil Engineer, in this article we are going to share with you as the title says the software that as a Civil engineer helps you boost your career. We picked this software based on various parameters that the industry wants from a professional. There are numerous software's out there for various purposes. So we segregated based on their purpose as follows.

1. Drawing/ Drafting software
2. Planning and Management Software
3. 3D Modelling Software
4. Software for Geo-Technical Work
   
5. Road Design and Analysis Software
6. Structural Analysis and Design Software
7. Estimation & Costing Software
8. Project Control Software's
   
9. Project Accounting Software's
10. BIM Software's

Drawing/Drafting software

    Drafting is one of the key important parts of the process of planning. Everything that we do in the project is based on the Drawings that are drafted. So there are some well-versed and versatile software out there in the market like

1. Auto Cad - Most used Drafting Software and market Leader till today.
   
2. Sketch up - 3D models can be easily created from plans drawn from it or can be imported from CAD.
3. PTC Cero - Very Useful for Parametric Modelling
4.  Bentley Micro Station - Created by Bentley software just like Auto-Desk which created AutoCAD.

Planning and Management Software

    Planning is very important in the management of a project. Whether it is a project or in life Planning is very important. "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail". Planning involves scheduling works within a specified period so the project can be completed within the desired period. The top planning and management software that were available in the market were

1. MS Excel - One of the most important and versatile software for planning and Quantity surveying, you can do almost 90% of what other specialized/Sophisticated software can do. Excel is the base for all those specialized software.
2. PrimaveraP6 -Very Helpful for planning and scheduling work one advantage of P6 is that the schedules can easily be integrated with ERP Software like SAP or ORACLE.
3. MS Projects - Developed by Microsoft for Project Planning, Task Management, and Analysis.

3D Modelling Software

    3D Modelling can be helpful in better understanding how the building /structure will be at the end, it can be used for both the engineers' as well as it can be used for doubt clarification for the Client to show them how their building will be after they are finished. Some of the market-leading software with the best usability is as follows

1. Autodesk 3ds Max- This Software is also developed by Auto Desk for the preparation of 3D Graphics models for animation, which are extensively used for 3d models of buildings/structures. 
2. Maya -  This is also a 3D modeling software that was created by Alias System Corp but is now currently owned and developed by Auto Desk.
3. AutoCAD Civil 3D - If you are going to use BIM shortly you must know about Civil 3D. Because the file that is created in the Civil 3D will be imported to the BIM and executed.

    In Simple terms, if your usage is only restricted to show models as images for rendering go for the first two. but you are going to use the 3d models in the workflow of a project then use Auto Cad Civil 3D for better convenience.

 

Software for Geo-Technical Work

 

    Geo-tech is one of the booming sectors right now because of the construction of structures in very challenging terrains like UAE, Dubai, and very hilly mountains. The geology of the structure where the foundation of the structure stands is very important and the foundation needs to be made in such a way as the geography demands. let's take the example of UAE where the total land is sandy in nature, so pile foundations are the best to suit that kind of situation. So the pile foundation needs to be designed along with the ground stability, heat, and mass transfer in soil and rocks. The below-mentioned software was the notable once

1. GeoStudio R2 - Modelling Slope Stability, ground deformation, Heat, and Mass transfer in soil and rocks
   
2. Geo5 - Excavation design, shallow and deep foundation design, stability analysis & settlement analysis
   
3. FLAC3D - Advance Geo Technical analysis in 3D
   
4. Q GIS - Free & open source data for viewing and editing Geo-Spatial Data
   
5. ArcGIS - Used for working with maps
6. EDUSHAKE - Specialized in Earthquake and geotechnical analysis
   
7. PLAXIS - Specialized software for analysis of deformation, Stability, and flow in geotechnical engineering.
   

 Road Design and Analysis software

 

     Transportation is very essential for an economy, the cheapest means of transport for shorter distances is roadways. These roads were designed and analyzed efficiently with the help of the software below,

1. MX Road - Excellent String-Based modeling tool for rapid and accurate design of all types of roads.
2. Bently Road Network - For more than 3 decades Bently producing software of this kind.

Structural Analysis and Design Software

    Structural analysis helps us to build structures that are future-ready if there is an unexpected heavy load impact on the structure. So, we can have a safer and better structure or building. The Following were the widely and extensively used software for structural analysis

1. STAAD Pro - Structural analysis and design software developed by Research Engineer's International later bought by Bentley System. This software is widely used software in Middle-income countries and startups.
2. SAP 2000 - Very user and beginner-friendly software for designing.
3. ETABS - Mainly used for multi-story Building analysis.
4. Revit Structures - Structural analysis software from Auto Desk. Most of the MNCs use this software for house analysis of structure because of the convenience of using the produced analysis model with AutoCAD, BIM, etc.,
5. Other Noteworthy mentions - Midas Gen, SAFE, Abaqus, etc

Estimation and Costing Software

 

    Estimation is essential when it comes to construction, especially execution. The budget of the project is derived from the estimation and the estimation needs to be taken precisely. The software below helps to achieve the precision of engineers.

1. Estimator 2.0 - Both residential and commercial Buildings can be estimated along with rate analysis with the help of this software. Along with this we can able to do Detailed Estimate, Abstract Estimate, Tenders, Measurement Book, Cost Abstract, Labour and contractor's bills, Purchase orders etc.,

 Project Control Software

    Project Control is the subset of Project management in which the project's cost and schedule will be the main focus. Some of the Software that provides these facilities are

1. Candy Software - Project Control software that is specifically designed for the project control of the construction industry
2. Microsoft Project  - Industry standard software, very popular and very user-friendly
3. Primavera P6 - Used by very large organizations and it's a bit complex to use but you can control up to 1 lakh work in a schedule.
4. Task Juggler - Free and open source. It's simple and easy to use but comes with fewer features.
5. Gantt Project - Open Source and free to use, with fewer features.

Project Accounting Software 

    Accounting is also important in personal and professional life for the track of where our money flows and goes. That is inevitable in the construction industry which involves numerous amounts of value from Penny to huge pile sum of money. Everything needs to be accounted for to have better financial management. The following software will help you do it.

1. Tally 
2. SAP ERP Core Finance
3. NetSuite 

 BIM Software's

 

    The BIM Software are very recent and trending due to its unmatched usability and accuracy by providing real time guidance to Worker thus helping in faster doubt clarification's error reduction.

1. Auto Desk Revit 
2. Navisworks
3. Auto Desk BIM 360
4. Tekla BIMsight

     These are the Software that was used extensively across the construction industry for better workflow and management. Select the department that you are in or you wish to join the courses, courses will give you the basics, that will help you to enter into the Industry but there are lot more to learn after you enter. Learning is an ever-ending process. If you want to learn more stay tuned with us. We will try our best to provide you the valuable information in the Civil Engineering, Construction, and real Estate Industry.