Construction – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Building construction is the process of preparing for and forming buildings[1] and building systems.[2] Construction starts with planning, design, and financing and continues until the structure is ready for occupancy.

Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking. Normally, the job is managed by a project manager, and supervised by a construction manager, design engineer, construction engineer or project architect. For the successful execution of a project, effective planning is essential. Those involved with the design and execution of the infrastructure in question must consider the zoning requirements, the environmental impact of the job, the successful scheduling, budgeting, construction site safety, availability and transportation of building materials, logistics, inconvenience to the public caused by construction delays and bidding, etc.

Building in this article is used as a noun as "...that which is built; a structure, edifice...".[3] The distinction between a building and a non-building structure is not always clear but is sometimes determined if the structure has walls or by its size or use. The Oxford English Dictionary includes that structure may be used for a large or imposing building.

Construction is a very general term meaning the art and science to form material or immaterial objects, systems or organizations,[3] and comes from Latin constructionem (from com- "together" and struere "to pile up") and Old French construction.[4] Construction is used as a verb: the act of building, and a noun: how a building was built, the nature of its structure.

Construction is often used as a synonym with building in its verb tense. As a noun, Russell Sturgis distinguished between architecture as being artistic structure, where a building is unadorned and can be "...poor...commonplace, ugly, insufficient, or otherwise of small importance; "[1] and the use of the word construction as meaning built using scientific principles in a highly skillful way.

This article is about building construction. Other construction topics are covered in many other articles.

In general, there are nine types of construction:[citation needed]

Each type of construction project requires a unique team to plan, design, construct and maintain the project.

Building construction is the process of adding structure to real property or construction of buildings. The vast majority of building construction jobs are small renovations, such as addition of a room, or renovation of a bathroom. Often, the owner of the property acts as laborer, paymaster, and design team for the entire project. However, all building construction projects include some elements in common design, financial, estimating and legal considerations. Many projects of varying sizes reach undesirable end results, such as structural collapse, cost overruns, and/or litigation. For this reason, those with experience in the field make detailed plans and maintain careful oversight during the project to ensure a positive outcome.

Commercial building construction is procured privately or publicly utilizing various delivery methodologies, including cost estimating, hard bid, negotiated price, traditional, management contracting, construction management-at-risk, design & build and design-build bridging.

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Construction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia