Building Environment - Essay Example

Rachna Jalan Academia-Research English 2 January 2008 Building Environment Key professions in the construction industry The job of construction encompasses a wide range of diverse activities in respect of the size and types of projects which are undertaken and the professional and trade skills that are required. In the present scenario, a ‘robust’ pool of labor is demanded by the complex construction and building services sector (Morton, 2002). Houses, apartments, factories, offices, schools, roads and bridges are only a few of the diverse creations of the construction industry (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). The building and construction sector undertakes both the jobs of erecting new structures along with making additions, alterations and repairs to existing ones (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). Construction projects may be offered by archaeological departments, public works, ministries, department of railways, post and telegraph, town and country planning and in public sector undertakings (“Employment Opportunities in Construction”). Private sector and local bodies also demand constructional activities (“Employment Opportunities in Construction”). Professional construction managers are looked for by big construction houses, multinationals, builders and promoter firms, real estate developers, and construction consultancy firms (“Employment Opportunities in Construction”). The banking and housing finance sector recruit qualified construction managers for dealing with construction finance and project appraisal activities (“Employment Opportunities in Construction”). The construction industry has been primarily divided into the following three important groups: (“Nature of the Construction Industry”) Building contractors or general contractors are responsible for erecting residential, industrial, commercial and other buildings. Heavy and civil engineering construction contractors handle the task of creating sewers, roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, and other assignments. Specialty trade contractors are expected to show their expertise in skills such as carpentry, painting, plumbing and electrical work. The general contractors handling construction works chiefly specialize in one type of construction such as residential or commercial building (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). These contractors shoulder the complete responsibility of the entire work other than specified sections of the task that may be omitted from the general contract (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). The general contractors take up a part of the work with their own crews (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). However, most of the times, they subcontract majority of their job to heavy construction or specialty trade contractors (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). Specialty trade contractors often take up the job of one single trade, for instance painting, carpentry, or electrical work, or of two or more closely related trades for example plumbing and heating (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). Their jobs are restricted to fitting their work to that of the other trades (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). The specialty trade contractors never take up the complete responsibility for the structure as a whole (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). They usually receive orders from general contractors, architects or property owners (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). Orders for repairs are generally provided directly from the owners, occupants, architects or rental agents (“Nature of the Construction Industry”). Disaggregated Manpower Following the 2003 Standard Industry Classification (SIC) the aggregated manpower was disaggregated into 22 different construction skills (traditional and non-traditional trades) which can be discussed as: (Ejohwomu, 2007) General Builders (GB) – As per UK’s standard industry classification, general builders are engaged in the construction, improvement and repair of both residential and non-residential buildings. Their expertise are utilized in sections of repair work such as bricklaying, building maintenance and restoration, carpentry, roofing, scaffolding and erection of steel and concrete structures for buildings. Building and Civil Engineering Contractor (BCEC) – The Building and Civil Engineering Contractors are responsible for building roads, car parks, railways, airport runways, bridges, buildings and tunnels. Their jobs also encompass hydraulic engineering such as dams, harbors and canals, irrigation and land drainage systems, laying of pipelines, sewers, gas and water mains and construction work at oil refineries, gas installations and other large sites. Civil Engineering (CE) – Civil engineers are experts in construction and building services and activities encompassing construction of roads, car parks, railways, airport runways, bridges, buildings and tunnels. Demolition Contractors (D) – The jobs of a demolition contractor belong to establishments involved in building and civil engineering works. Reinforced Concrete Specialist Contractors (RCS) – These contractors are expected to shoulder responsibilities in the construction, improvement and repairs of both residential and non-residential buildings, particularly specialist reinforced concrete works. Roofers (R) – The activities of these construction employees mainly fall under construction, improvement and repair of both residential and non-residential buildings. Asphalt and Tar Sprayers (ATS) – These workers come under road construction activities which is a subset of the civil engineering classification works. Scaffolding Specialist (SS) – The scaffolding specialist employees are involved in the construction, improvement and repair of both residential and non-residential buildings. They chiefly specialize in bricklaying, building maintenance restoration, carpentry, roofing, scaffolding and construction of steel and concrete structures for buildings. Insulating Specialist (IS) – The insulating specialists are responsible for the installation of fixtures and fittings. They are involved in activities such as gas fitting, plumbing, heating and ventilation plant, sound and heat insulating, and electrical fixtures and fittings. Plumbing (P) – Building projects require plumbers who specialize in the tasks of fixtures and fittings. Heating and Ventilation Engineer (HVE) – According to the 2003 edition of SIC, the heating and ventilation engineers come under installation of fixtures and fittings. It also includes groups involved in gas fittings and plumbing activities. Plastering (PL) – Plastering (as a construction and building services trade) is involved in building completion works, such as painting and decorating, glazing, tiling, on-site joinery and carpentry, flooring, and installation of fire places. Joiners and Carpenters (JC) – These professionals specialize in activities associated with woodwork which include roofing, ceiling, doors and cabinet fittings and furniture making. Flooring Contractors (FC) – The jobs of the flooring contractors can be classed under building completion works. Floor and Wall Tiling Specialist (FWTS) – This special task is handled by professionals who specialize in this field. Majority of the listed buildings need specialist floor and wall tiling tradesmen for any of their floors and wall tiling maintenance work. Suspended Ceiling Specialist (SCS) – A suspended ceiling specialist is engaged in performing specialist activities involving ceiling design and repairs. One can say that all repair and maintenance works on listed building needs the services of a specialist. Painting (PA) – Painters are specialists in adding color to structures in buildings mainly walls. Their activities are counted in the building completion works. Glaziers (G) – Both glaziers and painters are subsets of building completion works and even their behavioral trends exhibit similar characteristics. Plant Hirers (PH) – A plant hirer activity can be traced during construction and demolition works, construction and repairs of buildings, civil engineering, and installation and building completion works. Electrical Constructors (EC) – The electrical contractors come under the class installation fixtures and fittings. The activities of these craftsmen revolve in the installation of fixtures and fittings, plumbing, heating and ventilation plant, sound and heat installation, electrical fixtures and fittings. Construction Engineers (CEng) – Construction engineers are involved in activities pertaining to building of roads, car parks, railways, airport runways, bridges and tunnels, hydraulic engineering, harbors and dams, irrigation and land drainage systems along with building overhead lines, line support and area towers. The activities of these engineers even encompass construction work at oil refineries, steel works, electricity and gas installations, shaft drilling, mine sinking, and manufacture of construction steelwork. Some of the key professionals working within the construction and building industry may be: (“Professionals”) Acoustic Engineers – These are consultants who are responsible for handling everything involving acoustics, including technical and practical advice on issues such as noise control and vibration. Architects – These are professionals expected to design for both commercial and domestic works. Civil Engineers – Their primary work area encompass road works, bridges and general infrastructure design and implementation. Electrical Engineers – These engineers handle electrical design and electrical installation jobs. Loss Adjusters – They are independent professionals looking after claims. The Loss Adjusters inspect, discuss and agree the conclusion of insurance and other claims for both the insurers and policyholders. Mechanical Engineers – Mechanical engineers are involved in installing in mechanical works in the commercial field, for instance heating installations, ventilation installations and air conditioning. Quantity Surveyors – Quantity surveyors are professionals responsible for the measurement and costing of construction projects. Preparing cost plans, budget estimates and bills of quantities are their principle jobs. Tender documents are prepared from these stages and on site project management is embarked on. Structural Engineers – Being aware of the structural stability of buildings, structural engineers are expected to carry out calculations pertaining to ground and foundation strengths, beam loading, and wind and snow loadings. The architect’s task is not just restricted to designing of the product. Apart from preparing the construction documents, he is also expected to provide construction administration services which encompass assistance in hiring the contractor, making site visits, reviewing and approving the contractor’s applications for payment, and updating the clients about the project’s progress (“Six Steps Toward Building Your Dream”). While the job of the architecture is to look after construction, the contractor is expected to completely handle the construction methods, techniques, schedules, and procedures (“Six Steps Toward Building Your Dream”). It is the contractor’s duty to supervise and direct the construction work on the project (“Six Steps Toward Building Your Dream”). Examples of the Size & Scope of Building Projects Following are some of the examples of the sizes and scopes of building projects: Benson Hotel – The project involved complete restoration and renovation of a historic landmark, Benson Hotel located in Portland in Oregon (“Market Segments: Hotels & Resorts”). 321 existing guest rooms of the hotel were transformed into 290 luxury suites, all public area were renovated (“Market Segments: Hotels & Resorts”). Construction services were offered at the same time for three on-site restaurant facilities (“Market Segments: Hotels & Resorts”). David Douglas Intermediate School – The size of the project is 97,000 square feet located in Portland, Oregon (“Market Segments: K-12 Schools”). The two-storied, structural steel framed building comprises of 34 classrooms for grades six, seven and eight (“Market Segments: K-12 Schools”). The gymnasium comprises of structural CMU with clear span metal joists and encompasses a chief lower gym and a second story gym (“Market Segments: K-12 Schools”). A commons area stretches for around 7,000 square foot covering a full service kitchen and a stage (“Market Segments: K-12 Schools”). There exist two classroom wings expected to have near self-contained compartments for each grade (“Market Segments: K-12 Schools”). A completely programmed media center exists on the second level of the school (“Market Segments: K-12 Schools”). Two computer labs are open students of all grades (“Market Segments: K-12 Schools”). The student body size has been anticipated to be 800 with the capacity to take up 900 if needed (“Market Segments: K-12 Schools”). Emanual Hospital – This 491,000 square feet project is a newly constructed building (“Market Segments: Healthcare”). The five-story medical office building presently assembles the expert skills of around 100 physicians (“Market Segments: Healthcare”). The special attribute of the building is a five-story atrium along with four skybridges, all linking the new structure to an adjacent hospital facility (“Market Segments: Healthcare”). General Motors Call Center – The project involves construction services for General Motor’s new call center covering an area of 100,000 square foot (“Market Segments: Commercial & Commercial Offices”). The task was to completely convert a single-story, concrete tilt-up building into a high-tech call center (“Market Segments: Commercial & Commercial Offices”). Scheduling and coordination was a challenging job as the demand involved 50 percent of the tenant improvement package to be completed within ten weeks (“Market Segments: Commercial & Commercial Offices”). The fact that the entire data center began operating within five months of the start of construction clearly signifies the promptness with which the construction activities were carried out without compromising quality (“Market Segments: Commercial & Commercial Offices”). Portland International Airport – The project involves construction of 420,000 square foot area pertaining to expansion and renovation (“Market Segments: Aviation”). Chief target was the improvement of both the main terminal building and two concourses (“Market Segments: Aviation”). The entire job was completed within 18 months resulting in a completely operational airport environment along with the relocation of underground utilities (“Market Segments: Aviation”). Multnomah Athletic Club – This project required construction services for the addition of 65,000 square feet of area to an existing athletic facility (“Market Segments: Cultural, Museums, Arts & Religious”). It is a five-story structure which comprises a 25 meter pool whose floor depth can be adjusted, roof top tennis courts, offices, full-size basketball court with bleachers, four racquetball courts, three squash courts and a 20,000 square foot gymnasium (“Market Segments: Cultural, Museums, Arts & Religious”). For a project of a typical three-bedroom home the steps which are generally followed are grading and site preparation, foundation construction, framing, installation of windows and doors, roofing, siding, rough electrical, rough plumbing, rough HVAC, insulation, drywall, underlayment, trim, painting, finish electrical, bathroom and kitchen counters and cabinets, finish plumbing, carpet and flooring, finish HVAC, hookup to water main, or well drilling, hookup to sewer or installation of a septic system, punch list (Brain). Majority of the steps are handled by independent crews known as subcontractors (Brain). For instance, the framing is only done by the subcontractor who specializes in framing while the roofing is only done by the one who is expert in roofing (Brain). Hence, each subcontractor is an independent business and they are collectively coordinated by a contractor who supervises the work and is responsible for completing the house on time along with on budget (Brain). Conclusion From the above discussion one can clearly understand the sophisticated variety of tasks to be covered in any construction project. All the professionals involved in an assignment shoulder enormous responsibility in their own special fields irrespective of the size and type of the project. Hence, it has been rightly said, “The path to a completed building project is paved with lots of challenges and uncertainty. There are literally hundreds of decisions to be made, decisions which have a strong impact on how the project looks and functions over time” (“Six Steps Toward Building Your Dream”). Works Cited Brain, Marshall. “How House Construction Works: Steps to Building a House”. coolhouseplans.com. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://www.coolhouseplans.com/steps.html>. Ejohwomu, Obuks. “Modelling the Supply and Demand for Construction and Building Services Skills in the Black Country.” 158-87. Nov. 2007. 4 Jan. 2008. . “Employment Opportunities in Construction”. Indianetzone Construction. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://construction.indianetzone.com/1/employment_opportunities.htm>. “Market Segments: Aviation: Portland International Airport.” skanskausa.com. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://www.skanskausa.com/templates/Page.asp?id=3437>. “Market Segments: Commercial & Corporate Offices: General Motors – Call Center.” skanskausa.com. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://www.skanskausa.com/templates/Page.asp?id=3549>. “Market Segments: Cultural, Museums, Arts & Religious: Multnomah Athletic Club.” skanskausa.com. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://www.skanskausa.com/templates/Page.asp?id=3559>. “Market Segments: Healthcare: Emanuel Hospital.” skanskausa.com. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://www.skanskausa.com/templates/Page.asp?id=3575>. “Market Segments: Hotels & Resorts: Benson Hotel.” skanskausa.com. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://www.skanskausa.com/templates/Page.asp?id=3487>. “Market Segments: K-12 Schools: David Douglas Intermediate School.” skanskausa.com. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://www.skanskausa.com/templates/Page.asp?id=3872>. Morton, R. Construction UK – Introduction to the Industry. Blackwell Science, Oxford, 2002. “Nature of the Construction Industry”. Indianetzone Construction. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://construction.indianetzone.com/1/nature_construction.htm>. “Professionals.” The Construction Centre. 4 Jan. 2008. < http://www.theconstructioncentre.co.uk/professionals/>. “Six Steps Toward Building Your Dream”. Bobvila.com. 4 Jan. 2008. . Read More