Infrastructure

Overview

What is infrastructure surveying?

Infrastructure surveyors can work in a wide range of sub-sectors. The specialism combines project management with cost management to meet the needs of global requirements of infrastructure projects.

Infrastructure surveyors can work in transport, energy, petrochemicals, oil and gas, mining and water industries.

Skills

What’s required for the role?

Leadership skills
Communication and client skills
Planning and organisation
Ability to understand and manage complex projects
Excellent maths and IT skills
Technical/engineering skills

The details

Learn more about the role

What's the role like in practice?

Infrastructure surveyors can become specialists in a particular industry or develop specialisms in a particular geographical area. Work is often centred around delivering global projects and employers include private practice, developers, utility companies, international construction companies, regeneration projects and government organisations.

Specialisms include:

Materials science
Cost planning
Cost analysis
Procurement
Tendering
Cost control
Procurement
Time control

What's the work environment like?

Your time will be split between working on site and working from an office, which may be in temporary premises on the site or may be a client’s office.

What qualifications are required?

Many employers will look for a RICS accredited degree, although engineering subjects are also sought after.

Many surveyors work towards chartered status with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor (MRICS) and or chartered membership of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

Is it for you?

Other useful skills to have:

Using different types of data including verbal, numerical and perceptual skills to interpret maps, charts and diagrams
Analysing and identifying patterns in data
Researching and explaining data
Doing deals and making transactions
Creativity and problem solving
People management and leadership

Sustainability

How are agents responding to the need for sustainability?

Infrastructure specialists will work to balance economic, environmental and social objectives at global, national and local levels. They may carry out a range of specialist, sustainability appraisals and assessments such as BREEAM and the RICS SKA (an environmental assessments method for non-domestic fit outs) in their specialist subsector, providing expert advice to clients.

There is emphasis on low and zero carbon technologies, and infrastructure surveyors will model Energy Management Performance metrics, carbon usage and carry out Zero Carbon reviews as well as provide expert advice on the wider issues of sustainability, such as the effects of climate change on pre and post construction technologies, processes and cost.

Employment opportunities

Where will it take you?

There are some graduate opportunities in this area and potential backgrounds include science technology, maths and engineering degree subjects, as well as quantity surveying and construction routes.

There are also degree apprenticeships in various surveying options which may be relevant.