12 Civil Engineering Projects for High School Students
Civil engineering plays a direct role in how communities function—from the safety of bridges and buildings to how water systems and roads are designed. If you’re a high school student interested in infrastructure, urban planning, or environmental systems, working on civil engineering projects can help you understand how these systems are developed and maintained.
These projects offer practical experience with real-world challenges. You’ll start thinking like an engineer: solving problems, analyzing data, and designing solutions that improve how people live and move through their environments. Whether you're exploring potential careers or building a portfolio for college, here are 12 civil engineering project ideas that reflect the kinds of work engineers do in the field today.
1. Earthquake-Resistant Building Model
This beginner-friendly project involves building a small-scale structure designed to withstand simulated earthquakes. Using simple materials like spaghetti, marshmallows, or popsicle sticks, you’ll test your structure's resilience on a shake table, which can be built at home using household supplies. This hands-on activity introduces seismic forces, damping systems, and the importance of structural design in earthquake-prone areas. You'll explore concepts such as load distribution, center of gravity, and resonance. By engaging in this project, you'll gain practical experience with structural analysis and design.
Skill Level: Beginner.
Prior Knowledge Required: Basic understanding of forces and building materials.
Limitations: Simulations are limited and may not accurately reflect real earthquake intensities or structural failures.
Resources: ASCE Build an Earthquake-Resistant Structure.
2. Build a Truss Bridge with Popsicle Sticks
This classic civil engineering project teaches structural fundamentals through hands-on experimentation. You’ll construct a truss bridge using only popsicle sticks and glue, then test its load-bearing capacity. The goal is to find the most efficient truss design—like Pratt or Warren—that balances weight and strength. This project introduces you to tension and compression forces, material efficiency, and the role of symmetry in design. As you test and refine your bridge, you’ll deepen your understanding of how civil engineers design safe and reliable infrastructure. It's also a great way to sharpen critical thinking and experimentation skills.
Skill Level: Beginner.
Prior Knowledge Required: None, though basic geometry helps.
Limitations: Limited real-world application; doesn’t account for dynamic loads.
3. Water Filtration System Using Natural Materials
This environmental engineering project involves building a DIY water filter using gravel, sand, charcoal, and plastic bottles. You'll simulate how civil engineers purify drinking water by testing water clarity and pH before and after filtration. This hands-on experiment builds appreciation for sustainable water treatment and introduces you to sedimentation, filtration, and contaminant removal. It also strengthens experimentation and analytical skills.
Skill Level: Beginner.
Prior Knowledge Required: None.
Limitations: Won’t remove all pathogens or heavy metals; meant for illustration, not actual use.
Resources: TeachEngineering - Water Filtration Activity Guide
4. Urban Traffic Flow Simulation Using Free Software
For students intrigued by smart cities and transportation, simulate traffic flow using open-source software like SUMO (Simulation of Urban MObility). You can model an intersection or highway network, analyze congestion patterns, and propose improvements like signal timing or roundabouts. This project gives insight into transportation systems, modeling tools, and urban planning. Incorporating real traffic data from OpenStreetMap can add complexity and realism. You’ll gain insights into transportation engineering, modeling tools, and urban planning.
Skill Level: Intermediate.
Prior Knowledge Required: Basic programming and an interest in transportation planning.
Limitations: Steep learning curve; simplified models may not fully reflect real-world behavior.
5. DIY Rain Garden for Stormwater Management
This environmental engineering project involves designing a rain garden to manage runoff and reduce urban flooding. You’ll learn about hydrology, soil composition, and sustainable landscaping. Choose a site, lay out the design, and select native plants that absorb and filter water. Document water pooling before and after installation for added scientific rigor. This project introduces sustainable design and teaches hydrology, soil science, and landscape planning—all valuable for future engineers concerned with green infrastructure.
Skill Level: Beginner.
Prior Knowledge Required: Basic understanding of soil, plants, and stormwater runoff.
Limitations: Requires outdoor space and ongoing maintenance.
Resources: Rain Gardens.
6. Design and Build a Cantilever Beam Model
Explore structural engineering and physics by designing and constructing cantilever beam models using simple materials like wooden rulers, clamps, and weights. You’ll experiment with different beam lengths, materials, and cross-sections to see how they resist bending under load. You can compare your experimental results with theoretical values, deepening your understanding of deflection and stress distribution. You’ll develop key skills like performance prediction, data analysis, and comparing theoretical models with hands-on results.
Skill Level: Beginner.
Prior Knowledge Required: Basic knowledge of force, moments, and deflection
Limitations: Limited to small loads due to model scale.
Resources: SkyCiv’s Cantilever Beam Tool.
7. Soil Erosion Control Model
This geotechnical project involves creating a landscape tray with different slopes, soil types, and vegetation. Use trays, soil, plant cuttings or grass, and water (perhaps a spray bottle) to test how factors like ground cover and barriers (e.g., straw bales, gravel strips) affect runoff and soil loss. You can measure sediment in the runoff water using simple turbidity or drying methods. You’ll learn about erosion, runoff control, and sustainable land-use design—important topics in environmental and geotechnical engineering.
Skill Level: Beginner.
Prior Knowledge Required: None.
Limitations: Small scale may not capture real-world environmental variables like wind or larger hydrology.
8. Highway Noise Barrier Design Simulation
Civil engineers mitigate traffic noise to protect communities. In this project, you’ll prototype noise barriers using cardboard, foam, or balsa wood, then measure sound reduction with a smartphone decibel-meter app. You can try acoustic simulations online to predict performance and refine your design based on material, height, and thickness. This project emphasizes simulation, measurement, and practical design—essential for tackling real-world infrastructure issues.
Skill Level: Intermediate.
Prior Knowledge Required: Basic understanding of sound and wave behavior.
Limitations: Difficult to simulate factors like wind and surface texture.
9. Mini Wind Turbine for Clean Energy
In this project, you will dive into renewable energy by building a tabletop wind turbine using recycled materials and a small DC motor. You’ll experiment with blade shapes and rotor size to optimize voltage output and use a multimeter to measure results and adjust accordingly. This project introduces renewable energy systems, aerodynamics, and mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion. You’ll also practice hands-on prototyping and data analysis, skills highly sought after in both engineering and environmental science fields.
Skill Level: Intermediate.
Prior Knowledge Required: Basic knowledge of circuits and tool use.
Limitations: Dependent on wind availability; very low power output.
10. 3D City Planning with Tinkercad or SketchUp
You will use free 3D modeling tools (Tinkercad or SketchUp) to design a virtual city block or neighborhood. You’ll add roads, utilities, green spaces, and zoning elements, then evaluate your layout for walkability, traffic flow, and sustainability. You can also try incorporating features like rain gardens or bike lanes. This project offers an introduction to urban design and planning, while building fluency with digital modeling software used in engineering and architecture.
Skill Level: Beginner.
Prior Knowledge Required: Basic familiarity with 3D modeling.
Limitations: Lacks realism in land use constraints and political factors.
11. Build a Working Drawbridge Model
This project blends mechanical and civil engineering, wherein you will design and build a miniature drawbridge using cardboard, pulleys, string, and a motor or hand crank. You’ll experiment with pivot points, counterweights, and lifting mechanisms, and test load capacity. You’ll also explore mechanical advantage, load distribution, and the interplay between civil and mechanical systems—key in many modern infrastructure designs.
Skill Level: Intermediate.
Prior Knowledge Required: Understanding of levers, pulleys, and basic circuits.
Limitations: Small scale limits complexity and real-world application.
12. Green Roof Model for Urban Sustainability
In this environmental and construction engineering project, you’ll build a green roof prototype on a cardboard model of a building. By layering a waterproof membrane, soil, and small plants (such as succulents), you'll investigate how green roofs help insulate buildings, reduce stormwater runoff, and mitigate urban heat island effects. Use an infrared thermometer to monitor surface temperature and measure runoff volume during simulated rain events. By quantifying temperature differences and water retention, you’ll gain insights into how sustainable design strategies can enhance urban resilience. This project helps you build skills in environmental analysis, physical modeling, and eco-friendly design—valuable in fields like green infrastructure, civil engineering, and urban planning.
Skill Level: Intermediate.
Prior Knowledge Required: Basic understanding of plant systems, insulation, and hydrology.
Limitations: Requires regular maintenance and adequate space; small scale may limit measurable outcomes.
Resources: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
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