What It Takes to Succeed as a Project Engineer in the Asphalt Industry

This overview of key responsibilities and skills for aspiring project engineers in the asphalt industry draws from the experience of Emily Talbert of Reeves Construction Company, as featured in Sandy Lender’s article “Reeves Construction’s Emily Talbert Shares Her Women of Asphalt Trajectory.” Through her varied roles in the industry, Talbert has gained firsthand insight into the demands and opportunities of engineering careers in asphalt—insight that offers valuable guidance for those looking to follow a similar path.

If you’re interested in a career as a project engineer in the asphalt industry, here are some of the responsibilities/skills you may hone for success:

1. Communicate with superintendents and foremen regularly to ensure internal project teams are on schedule with projects

2. Work on site with crews to help with projects

3. Submit all samples, cores, materials to agencies/labs as required

4. Track all quantities of pay items and validate them with inspectors; generate billing quantities as specified by project contracts

5. Track project plans and change orders

6. Analyze plans, specs, etc. to prepare construction budgets/project costs for each phase of project completion

7. Use market research analyses by reviewing historical bid data, production rates, unit costs, previously measured margins, and actual construction performance as compared to bid

8. Maintain business relationships with vendors and subcontractors

9. Use bidding/management tools such as HCSS, Bluebeam, Agtek

The role of a project engineer in the asphalt industry is both technical and collaborative, demanding a balance of fieldwork, communication, and data analysis. Emily Talbert’s experience illustrates how these responsibilities come together in real-world settings, offering a roadmap for those entering the profession.

With the right mix of technical proficiency, organizational skills, and relationship-building, project engineers have the opportunity to shape successful projects—and lasting careers—within this essential industry.