Types of Construction

Some of the earliest forms of construction include simple dwellings such as grass huts and tee pees, made with objects gathered from surrounding areas to simply keep out the weather and protect the inhabitants. Nowadays, buildings are constructed of sophisticated materials with concern for environmental factors and safety. These buildings soar into the air with their amazing height and some are even made to withstand the onslaught of hurricane force winds and other dangerous situations. Construction includes not just the building of houses, but also streets and highways as well as walls and other heavy objects, and often involves many people to get a job done. Workers may include laborers, carpenters, operating engineers, plumbers and pipe fitters, supervisors and managers and office clerks.Here we will look at the different types of construction. Essentially, there are three branches of construction: building, industrial and civil engineering.

Buildings

This type of construction is the addition of a building to a piece or section of land or property. Building construction not only refers to the creation of a new building, but can also mean the addition of a portion of a building to a house that already exists. The majority of building construction projects are additions to an already existing building. This may include a small room addition or the entire renovation of a house, for example.

Building construction may refer to either residential or nonresidential buildings. A residential building is a place that will be occupied by tenants such as an apartment building, or will be owned such as a house. A nonresidential building is one that may be owned by a company, such as an office building, wherein people work rather than live.

Industrial Construction

The next type of construction is industrial. Although industrial construction is only a small portion of the whole of the construction industry, industrial construction is important, as these types of buildings are used in the production of important materials, goods and services. This type of building can be found to house companies that are involved in manufacturing, processing plants, power generation and medical industries.

Highway and Civil Engineering

You might not think of highways as a form of construction, but they are and they too are an important area of construction, as they help people travel. Without this type of construction, it would be very difficult, or even impossible to get from work to school and home. Civil engineering and highway construction may include the development of a subdivision, highway, street or a bridge. It can also include runways, alleys, paths and parking areas.

Heavy Construction

Another type of construction is heavy construction, which is the name for projects that do not fit into the categories of building or highway. This type of construction includes sewer line projects, damns, dredging, water treatment plants and flood control projects.

Construction and Material Types

Buildings can be made of all types of materials. The variety of choices is vast. Below are some of the wide variety of approaches and/or materials that are used in the different types of construction:

remodeling--Remodeling is the process of changing or improving a structure that already exists.

timber construction--This is the use of wood or timber to create a dwelling. The benefits include energy efficiency and a low impact on tbe environment, as well as its natural aesthetic appeal.

steel construction--This type of construction, developed in the 19th century, uses steel, which is strong and provides wind resistance.

brick--Brick uses blocks made from mud, shale, clay or even concrete, and are set in some kind of paste or mortar, which eventually hardens. Having been used for thousands of years, brick construction is beneficial in absorbing the sun's rays, and releasing heat during the evening.

cut stone--This kinds of constructruction uses piled stones that have been chiseled or hewn into a specific shape by hand or machine. The stone can be sandstone or limestone, but is preferably strong and ages well over time. The benefits of cut stone is its durability, ability to control temperature and its beauty.

glass--In some cases, glass has replaced other materials in construction, as it allows for heat retention, is waterproof and conserves energy. Another benefit to glass is the fact that it's more lightweight than other materials and allows for more open space and is appreciated for its visually open, aesthetic appeal.

fabric and tensile--This type of construction is appreciated for is transparency and beauty. It features a fabric stretched from one boundary to another, supported by a membrane, steelwork and cables. The benfit of this type of construction is that it's lightweight, relatively inexpensive to craete, requires no sealing and is less time-consuming to cosntruct.The downside of this type of cosntruction is that it does not have the endurance, permanence and strneght of other building types.

geodesic-A geodesic structure is a partial sphere or dome-shaped building made up of triangles or hexagons and is appreciated for its uniqueness. It is also aerodynamic, which means that it can hold up to high winds and is also very strong. The downside to this type of cosntruction is in creating a building is its potential for leaking and making it distribute moisture evenly.

curtain wall construction--This type of construction refers to a thin, non-bearing wall, typically of aluminum frame, attached to a building's exterior. Its purpose is to resist air and wind, and transfer loads to the mian structure of hte building. This type of construction dates from the 1930's and was developed after WWII

concrete--concrete is appreicated for its durability, the fatc that it does not use trees and requires little upkeep. Another benefit of concrete construction is that it can be soundproof and is more fire-resistant than other building types. The downside of concrete is that it does not offer the natural beauty or color of other materials.

wood frame--Wood framing is a popular choice for construction, particularly dwellings as it is a cheap and easy to find material, it's strong and is flexible. Tis type of construction is appreciated for its naturl beauty and the fact that it can be used in modern or older-style designs. the downside of using this type of material is its high burn rate and that it may be affected by insects and animals as well as affected by weather inthe form of rot or fungus.