Barbara J. Jackson - Construction Management JumpStart

Unlike the residential sector, commercial buildings are typically funded by corporations, agencies, or the government. Personal dollars are not involved, and the owners are typically not as concerned with the day-to-day operations of construction. However, they are concerned with meeting the schedule and getting their operations up and running as quickly as possible. This need for speed to market has prompted many changes in project delivery that will be discussed later in this book.

A comprehensive process by which a building, facility, or structure is designed and constructed.

The primary focus in commercial building is actually the construction itself. If you are fascinated with tall buildings, towering cranes, and complex construction details, then commercial construction may be your niche. Depending on the size of the company, opportunities exist at the local, regional, national, or international levels.

Whereas residential construction requires an across-the-board understanding of the home building business, commercial construction requires a deep understanding of construction processes and techniques. Commercial contractors are rarely involved in the sales or marketing or land acquisition components of the project.

This sector of the industry impacts all of society in a very big way. Often referred to as horizontal construction , the heavy civil sector includes roadways, bridges, tunnels, dams, airports, and railways. Basically, any work that is associated with infrastructure, transportation, and how we move about involves the heavy civil construction market. Similar to the industrial sector, heavy civil projects are complex, usually high-dollar endeavors that take special engineering know-how. This market is huge and growing larger every day. The need for building and rebuilding of our nation's roadways, airports, sewage plants, and bridges is great.

These projects are typically designed by civil engineers, and often the construction management team has a strong background in civil engineering as well. Heavy civil construction firms are generally very large operations that can offer opportunities nationally and internationally. However, the heavy civil sector of the industry is difficult to enter because of the huge capital outlay required for entry, not to mention the specialized knowledge required to be successful.

Only a few trades are engaged in heavy civil construction compared to the other three sectors. There is no need for carpet layers or drywall finishers in this sector of the market. On the other hand, equipment and equipment operators play a huge role in the work of a heavy civil project. Heavy civil contractors make huge investments in equipment. Keeping the earth movers, excavators, scrappers, and trucks rolling is the name of the game for this sector of the industry.

Asphalt, gravel, concrete, steel, and dirt make up the primary materials used in heavy civil construction. Most of us have witnessed highway road crews as they lay down new asphalt on our highways and streets. We watch as they bring in loads of gravel and rock dust before they place the hot asphalt and roll out the roadway.

Other heavy civil projects such as bridges and dams make use of large amounts of concrete and steel. For example, a dam project may require that a concrete-batching plant be constructed right on the building site in order to accommodate the quantities of concrete needed.

These projects are usually publicly funded and tend to last for a long time. Building miles of roads can take many years. It is not unusual for individuals involved in this sector of the market to move temporarily to where the project is located. There are also occasions when your work might require that you be located in isolated areas for long stretches of time. However, anyone intrigued by big machines, tractors, and excavators will be attracted to this sector. This sector of the market is the least affected by economic fluctuations and, therefore, can offer a reasonable measure of job stability.

This sector of the industry is highly specialized and requires firms with vast resources and significant construction and engineering expertise. The number of contractors qualified to work within the industrial sector is limited. The project types included in this category are defined primarily by the production activities that occur within the facility. Manufacturing plants, electrical generating facilities, oil refineries, pipelines, steel mills, and chemical processing plants are all examples of industrial construction projects.

Industrial buildings are often very basic in their exterior design. The building shell does not need to be very fancy for its intended purpose. The success of an industrial project is usually determined by how well the facility is able to perform relative to its production goals. In industrial construction, the processes that go on inside the shell constitute the real construction challenge. Unlike residential or commercial construction, the installation of equipment makes up a big piece of the industrial construction process. Massive boilers, reactors, and processors that need to be installed under strict quality standards and regulatory guidelines are what really count here.

Because of the complex process considerations, engineers are typically the lead designers on these types of projects. The means and methods associated with the construction of the building shell are quite simplistic; however, the installation of the equipment and process systems require technological savvy, sophisticated knowledge, and great attention to detail.

The building materials utilized in industrial construction are very similar to those used in commercial construction. Steel, concrete, and reinforced concrete masonry make up the primary components. These buildings often house specialized equipment, machinery, or process piping, and the interior finishes are usually quite stark for ease of maintenance. Often the concrete or block walls are simply painted, concrete floors are left unfinished, and no ceiling finish is applied, thus leaving exposed piping and ductwork in full view. In some cases, special materials, such as glass piping or heat-sensitive tiles, may be utilized in the construction of industrial buildings.

This sector of the industry deals with building huge facilities that take many years to complete. In some cases, a project may be under construction for as long as 5 to 10 years, and the possibility of the construction management team having to relocate is quite high. The funding for these projects is usually provided by private sources, and the contract amounts are generally large. There are many international opportunities in industrial construction, and anyone seeking a chance to travel abroad will most likely find it within this sector. Having an interest in international business, international law, or even world politics could be an asset for anyone considering this sector. And, of course, fluency in a foreign language is always a plus.

Sometimes industrial projects are located in remote areas, even to the point where modern conveniences are in short supply. Depending on the facility type, there may be requirements for high security clearance and government oversight. It is very important that the engineers and construction managers on these projects work closely together because the consequences of poor communication can be serious.