Construction industry sectors

Construction Definition

Construction comes from the word 'construct,' which means 'to build.' Building a sand castle, a fort out of pillows, or a house of cards are all examples of constructing something. In engineering terms, construction is usually related with large structures like houses, railways, and power plants.

In terms of engineering, construction is the activity of putting together various elements, using a detailed design and plan, to create a structure for a specific location. When you construct large structures, you need to have a clear plan of how you are going to do that. You also need to know the fixed location. Architects and engineers design and build the structure with that location in mind.

Construction Work

work carried out at a construction site in erecting buildings and structures. Construction work may be general or specialized. General construction work is classified according to the materials being used or processed or according to the structures being built as reinforcement placement, concreting, earthwork, masonry, roofing, finishing, carpentry, piling work, erection and installation, and other types. Specialized work includes waterproofing, heat insulating, sanitary-engineering work, and electrical installation work. Some construction work is designated according to the parts or components of the buildings and structures being erected, for example, cribbing, furnace work, and flooring, or according to environmental characteristics, for example, winter work, underground work, and underwater work. Depending on the work sequence, construction work is divided into two groups: preparatory and principal work (the latter includes all general construction work). Ancillary work, for example, the shoring of trenches, installing of scaffolding, lowering of the level of ground water, and compacting of soil, and concealed work together constitute a separate category.

Types of construction

In fact, determining the project type is a substantial matter that is faced everyone who enters a new project. This is an important matter for a full set of construction payment-related issues. The construction industry can be broken down into two very broad categories:

•        General building construction and
•        Engineered construction.

Most construction contractors focus on one of these categories, or even on a specialty within one of them. The specialty trade contractor is the third category of contractor, who usually works as a subcontractor for a main or prime contractor responsible for the construction of the entire project. 

General building construction

For many associated with the construction industry, the "type" of a construction project refers to the actual facility under construction. Their different construction types include:

Residential construction

produces buildings for human habitation, including single-family dwellings, condominiums, multifamily townhouses, flats and apartments and high-rise apartment buildings. The designs are usually made by architects and construction executed by builders.

Commercial construction

includes retail and wholesale stores, markets and shops, shopping centers, office buildings, warehouses and small manufacturing facilities. There are very few competitors in this market segment since it costs a lot of money and requires greater sophistication in terms of commercial buildings when compared with residential projects.

Institutional construction

includes medical clinics and hospitals, schools and universities, recreational centers and athletic stadiums, governmental buildings and houses of worship and other religious buildings.

Industrial construction

is a special part of the industry that develops large-scale projects with a high technical complexity. It is just a small part of the construction industry but is a very important part nonetheless.  Examples include steel mills, electric power-generating plants, petroleum refineries, petrochemical processing plants, ore-handling installations and heavy manufacturing factories that produce such products as vehicles, rolling equipment and various kinds of large machinery.

Engineered construction

Characterized by designs prepared by engineers rather than architects,a high degree of mechanization and the use of much heavy equipment and plant in the construction process, and  the provision of facilities usually related to the public infrastructure and thus owned by public-sector entities and funded through bonds, rates or taxes.
Highway construction and heavy construction are the two common subcategories of engineered construction are.

Highway construction

is generally preceded by detailed surveys and sub grade preparation. The methods and technology for constructing highways has improved over time and become increasingly sophisticated. This progress in technology has raised the level of skill sets required to manage highway construction projects. This skill varies from project to project, depending on factors such as the project's complexity and nature, the contrasts between new construction and reconstruction, and differences between urban region and rural region projects. Typically requires excavation, embankment construction, paving, installation of bridges and drainage structures and associated lighting and signage.

Heavy construction

projects include dams, tunnels, pipelines, marine structures, water and sewage treatment plans, railroads, rapid transit systems, airports and utility work such as electrical transmission and distribution systems, water lines, sanitary and storm drains, pumping stations and street paving. Utilities, upon completion, are often owned and operated by semi public entities such as electric associations or water authorities.