(Newswire.net — May 15, 2019) — There are various types of construction projects, each with their own characteristics. The wide array of constructed facilities can be classified into several categories. Here are four major types of construction.
Major Types of Construction
The major types of construction include residential housing construction, institutional and commercial building and more.
Residential Housing Construction
These types of construction include single-family homes, high-rise apartments, and multi-family houses. During the development and construction of such projects, local builders who are well adept with the construction industry take charge and serve as surrogate owners, making necessary contractual agreements for design and construction, and arranging for the financing and sale once the structures are complete.
Residential houses are usually designed by engineers and architects, and construction executed by subcontractors who are hired by builders for the mechanical, electrical, structural and other specialty work throughout the different phases of construction. Because of the relative ease of entry, many builders are attracted to this type of construction. The market is also highly competitive.
Institutional and Commercial Building
These types of construction typically include a broad array of project types and sizes such as universities and schools, sports stadiums, recreational facilities, medical clinics and hospitals, retail chain stores, hotels and offices, light manufacturing plants and large shopping centers. Owners of commercial and institutional buildings may not be familiar with construction industry practices but will usually select competent professionals such as a construction surveyor and arrange as well as finance the construction themselves. Specialty engineers and architects are often engaged for designing a specific type of building, while the general contractors or builders undertaking such projects may also be specialists in that type of building.
This market segment is shared by fewer competitors, especially due to the greater sophistication and higher costs of commercial and institutional buildings in comparison with residential houses.
Specialized Industrial Construction
This type of construction usually involves large scale projects with high levels of technological complexity such as chemical processing plants, steel mills, oil refineries and nuclear or coal power plants. Owners are usually deeply involved in the construction project. They’ll also typically work with a team of builders and designers with whom the owner has developed good working relationships over the years.
Such projects are capital intensive and require a considerable amount of planning and time for construction. Government regulations and rulings can also have a significant impact on these types of projects.
Infrastructure and Heavy Construction
Infrastructure and heavy construction include projects such as bridges, highways, pipelines, tunnels, mass transit systems, sewage treatment plants and drainage systems. Most of these projects are owned by the public and therefore financed either through taxes or bonds. This type of construction is characterized by a high degree of mechanization.
Since each market segment requires different types of skills, the builders and engineers in infrastructure and heavy construction are usually highly specialized.
Bottom Line
Construction is a big industry and these major types of construction can be further divided into smaller segments. Thanks to the internet and ease of access to information, consumers are better placed to make decisions on how to proceed with their projects. Construction projects are a major undertaking and you need to make the right choices when embarking on such projects.