The first huts and shelters were constructed by hand or with simple tools.
As
cities grew during the Bronze Age, a class of professional craftsmen, like
bricklayers and carpenters, appeared. Occasionally, slaves were used for
construction work. In the Middle Ages, the artisan craftsmen were organized into
guilds. In the 19th century, steam-powered machinery appeared, and later, diesel-
and electric-powered vehicles such as cranes, excavators and bulldozers.
Fast-track construction has been increasingly popular in the 21st century. Some
estimates suggest that 40% of construction projects are now fast-track
construction.[5]
Construction industry sectors
Industrial assemblage of a thermal oxidizer in the United States
Broadly, there are three sectors of construction: buildings, infrastructure and
industrial:[6]
Building construction is usually further divided into residential and non-
residential.
Infrastructure, also called 'heavy civil' or 'heavy engineering', includes large
public works, dams, bridges, highways, railways, water or wastewater and utility
distribution.
Industrial construction includes offshore construction (mainly of energy
installations), mining and quarrying, refineries, chemical processing, mills and
manufacturing plants.
The industry can also be classified into sectors or markets.[7] For example,
Engineering News-Record (ENR), a US-based construction trade magazine, has compiled
and reported data about the size of design and construction contractors. In 2014,
it split the data into nine market segments: transportation, petroleum, buildings,
power, industrial, water, manufacturing, sewage/waste, telecom, hazardous waste,
and a tenth category for other projects.[8] ENR used data on transportation,
sewage, hazardous waste and water to rank firms as heavy contractors.[9]
The Standard Industrial Classification and the newer North American Industry
Classification System classify companies that perform or engage in construction
into three subsectors: building construction, heavy and civil engineering
construction, and specialty trade contractors. There are also categories for
professional services firms (e.g., engineering, architecture, surveying, project
management).[10][11]
Building construction
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this
article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material
may be challenged and removed. (August 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this
message)
Military residential unit construction by U.S. Navy personnel in Afghanistan
Building construction is the process of adding structures to areas of land, also
known as real property sites. Typically, a project is instigated by or with the
owner of the property (who may be an individual or an organisation); occasionally,
land may be compulsorily purchased from the owner for public use.[12]
Residential construction
Units under construction in Brighton, Victoria, Australia
Main article: Home construction
Residential construction may be undertaken by individual land-owners (self-built),
by specialist housebuilders, by property developers, by general contractors, or by
providers of public or social housing (e.g.: local authorities, housing
associations). Where local zoning or planning policies allow, mixed-use
developments may comprise both residential and non-residential construction (e.g.:
retail, leisure, offices, public buildings, etc.).
Residential construction practices, technologies, and resources must conform to
local building authority's regulations and codes of practice. Materials readily
available in the area generally dictate the construction materials used (e.g.:
brick versus stone versus timber). Costs of construction on a per square meter (or
per square foot) basis for houses can vary dramatically based on site conditions,
access routes, local regulations, economies of scale (custom-designed homes are
often more expensive to build) and the availability of skilled tradespeople.[13]
Non-residential construction
Construction of the Federal Reserve building in Kansas City, Missouri
Depending upon the type of building, non-residential building construction can be
procured by a wide range of private and public organisations, including local
authorities, educational and religious bodies, transport undertakings, retailers,
hoteliers, property developers, financial institutions and other private companies.
Most construction in these sectors is undertaken by general contractors.
Infrastructure construction
Main article: Civil engineering
Shasta Dam under construction in June 1942
Civil engineering covers the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical
and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges,
canals, dams, tunnels, airports, water and sewerage systems, pipelines, and
railways.[14][15] Some general contractors have expertise in civil engineering;
civil engineering contractors are firms dedicated to work in this sector, and may
specialise in particular types of infrastructure.
Industrial construction
The National Cement Share Company of Ethiopia's new plant in Dire Dawa
Industrial construction includes offshore construction (mainly of energy
installations: oil and gas platforms, wind power), mining and quarrying,
refineries, breweries, distilleries and other processing plants, power stations,
steel mills, warehouses and factories.
