One of the largest industries in the United States is construction. In construction projects, a variety of people working several different jobs come together to build and assemble infrastructures. The tasks in construction range from designing and building to governing and maintaining the scope of the project while the building or other infrastructure is being assembled.
With up to hundreds of workers working simultaneously to complete a building, construction projects are no small undertaking. And there are three basic types of building projects that the construction industry: building construction, heavy or civil construction, and industrial construction. The following paragraphs describe these types of building projects, explaining the what they are and giving common examples.
Building Construction
Building construction is one of the most popular types of construction projects and the one that most people are familiar with one. These projects are usually smaller than other types of building projects, and popular definition of building construction is the process of adding structure to real property. For instance, building a house on a piece of land already owned by the person who will own the house is an example of a building construction project.
But building construction can include other projects than just constructing entire buildings. In fact, most building construction projects are small renovations. Renovating and updating bathrooms are common renovations, as are room additions. Other small building construction projects include updating a room or an entire house to be safer, more energy efficient, or more high-tech.
Because building construction projects are usually smaller in scope, property owners frequently do not hire a contractor. Instead, the owner of the property organizes the hiring and payment of a construction company or crew. However, without a contractor, the owner of the property is also responsible for handling any legal or financial problems that may occur if he or she is unsatisfied with the end result or if the cost overruns the original budget and scope of the project.
The owner must also be responsible for carefully overseeing the development of the project in order to ensure that it is carried out correctly and that the end result is what he or she wanted. Because of all of these responsibilities, many property owners prefer to hire a contractor to oversee the building construction projects, even if they are small.
Heavy/Civil Construction
Heavy or civil construction projects are another type of construction that, essentially, is the adding of infrastructure to an already built environment. Instead of privately owned properties, these types of construction projects usually deal with public properties. The owners of these projects are usually local or national government agencies and are usually done to benefit the public. The most common type of heavy construction is highway and road construction. This can include building entirely new roads, expanding existing highways, or repairing road surfaces.
Heavy and civil construction projects are much larger in scope than building construction projects, and therefore, it often takes longer to prepare for them. For instance, owners and construction managers are usually required to notify utility companies in the area before beginning construction, and they have to be careful to take all government restrictions, mandates, and health and safety regulations into consideration when planning heavy construction projects.
Although most heavy and civil construction is paid for by government agencies, they can also be governed by private corporations. While government-owned construction projects are usually not-for profit, heavy construction projects owned by private corporations are usually done so that the corporation can make money and not to serve the general public. Examples of this type of heavy and civil construction include the building of resorts, golf courses, power companies, dams, railroads, mines, and other earthwork projects.
Industrial Construction
The smallest sector of the construction industry and what people are usually most unfamiliar with is industrial construction. Industrial construction projects include for-profit projects that are owned by very large corporations. These projects are some of the largest in scope and include such industries as medicine, petroleum, chemical, manufacturing, power generation, and so on. Industrial construction projects also have to adhere very closely to government laws and regulations and have to undergo an extensive inspection process, which means a great deal goes into the planning and preparation stages of these projects.
Of course, this is only a brief overview of the different types of construction projects. The construction industry is large, and it’s easy to see why. The three main types of construction–building, heavy and civil, and industrial–account for almost every structure that we see and use today. In fact, the construction industry employs millions of people.
And because construction is one of the largest industries, it is becoming easier and easier to find quality construction companies across the country. So whether you’re looking for Los Altos construction, Los Gatos construction, or construction in other parts of the state, finding a good construction company to help make your building dreams a reality shouldn’t be too difficult.
Construction is a unique industry that sometimes incorporates hundreds or thousands of workers in one project. Many construction projects incorporate several different teams of specialists and tasks, and all these people come together to build infrastructures that range from small renovations to highways and factories.