Construction

Importance of construction companies

Construction blogger

Today we are living in the modern era. This is the era of advancement in every field that includes industrialization, urbanization etc. Also in this modern world everyone wants to make more and more money. People are migrating towards big cities in search of good jobs and higher education. And therefore population is increasing day by day in big cities and to adjust these people in these cities more and more buildings are being constructed. And for that more and more urbanization is taking place. Even small cities are being developed and a lot of construction work is also done there. So we can see that now a day there is huge demand of construction engineers. In past building making was not a big deal. Even persons without proper qualifications use to make building. But now a day the entire scene has changed. Today for this purpose one has to be properly qualified. Building buildings without proper qualification is an offence and is punishable. Also it is very risky. Now a day there is a complete procedure of building buildings. First of all owner of the building has to pass the map of the building he want to build. Then the contract of the building is given to a contractor and then he supervises the work of that building. For all this stuff there are a lot of universities which provide these type of courses like owner builder courses, professional building courses etc. This is a new field with a lot of scope. Now a day many youngsters are going towards this direction because they know it is an evergreen field because new buildings cause urbanization is not going to stop, new buildings will be made and there will be a constant demand of these youngsters. In many countries there are some extra rules one has to follow to construct a building. For example in some countries there is rule that to construct a building exceeding a certain amount one has to take permission. This is called construction induction. In this process one has to make a card to make the building which is exceeding a certain amount. There is also a rule in some countries that to make a building exceeding a certain number of floors one has to take permission. It is because at certain places making big buildings is not safe. So we can see that this is a rising field with a lot of scope and this is the reason why more and more youngsters are choosing this field.

For more information please visit owner builder courses >

Proper Stockpile Management In Construction Works

Construction blogger

A typical component of waste management is the storing or stockpiling of waste materials for recycling or reuse. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) requires that this action is carried out in the correct manner to ensure the probability of damage to human health and the environment is eliminated or reduced. Storage or stockpiling will have to be taken on exclusively in appropriate circumstances for genuine and favorable purposes.

Stockpile sites are used to enable the short term storage of material or tools for construction or maintenance projects. The kinds of components which may be put away are:

Select substance and fill – like sand and rock
Topsoil, wood chips, mulch and waste vegetation
Virgin Excavated Natural Material (VENM) and spoil
Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) – rotomilled material
Concrete or asphalt block material taken from pavements
Aggregate and Pre-coated aggregate
Cold mix asphalt
Road base
Parked machinery and vehicles
Construction materials such as Jersey Kerb and traffic signs
General materials such as timber, steel etc.

Stockpile sites are generally not to be used for the storing of any waste which contains coal tar or any sort of waste which is classified as unhealthy, restricted solid, special or liquid waste as classified in the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997

Stockpile sound management routines

Just before decision is taken to start a impermanent stockpile on site a risk assessment must be undertaken with the goal of protecting against or reducing the chance of destructive blows on human health and/or the environment. In every case, the site and substance specific conditions must be thought about when deciding on the actual demands pertaining to bunding, on-site structure and community assessment.

With regards to the locality, probable off-site challenges and amount of community interest associated with an action, the proper measure of community consulting may need to be set up both at the preparing and operational periods of stockpiling activities. In such cases, stakeholders including adjacent neighborhoods and nearby citizens ought to be notified on factors including duration, possible threats and impacts and the associated minimization measures. Suitable contact info of business or project managers should also be provided to the community for open correspondence to enable inquiries or complaints to be attended to.

On-site risks would be determined by factors including the:

waste type and chemical and physical qualities of the materials being stockpiled
locale and climate of the site
hydrological and hydrogeological conditions which include closeness to surface and ground waters, water quality and secure environmental values
stretch of time materials are going to be stored
projected management method of the stockpiled materials

Further off-site risks have to be taken into account and rely on factors like:

closeness to and sensitivity of the enveloping atmosphere (including unpleasant effects to water, human health and amenity)
exposure due to height in metres AHD of the working floor level which the stockpile is situated upon and in accordance with the encompassing environment
enactment of proper pollution control standards
supervision of traffic within the site

The following environmental protection actions should be used to ascertain and maintain stockpiles on construction sites:

The border of the stockpile need to be delineated with a bund (made out of earth/RAP etc) or other type of fencing or barrier.
Materials must be stockpiled at the least 5 metres away from foliage or native vegetation, without having it pressed up around the foundation of trees.
Stockpiled materials should not be in excess of 2m tall and should have a maximum 2:1 slope.
Erosion and sedimentation regulators needs to be constructed in between the site and any drainage lines or down-slope areas.
A diversion bund need to be placed on the uphill section of the site to redirect water round the site.
Cover stockpiles with plastic or store them damped down if airborne debris may be a problem.
Stockpiles sites have to be just right to hold all needed components without burying protective precautions just like silt fences. If you have excessive material you may need to widen your site protection actions.
Stockpile sites have to be examined repeatedly to make sure that the site sign (which plainly labels and locates the site), border bunding, sedimentation and erosion controls and boundary delineation are all in order.

At the end of the construction project all non permanent stockpile sites ought to be removed from site and the site restored as essential for contract specs.

Prefabrication And Modularity In Bim Construction

Construction blogger

As Building Information Modeling continues its march through the AEC industry, its effects and advantages for construction management are coming more into the spotlight. BIM construction is a fundamentally different animal than past practices. In terms of the relationship between the owner, designer and builder, in how construction is actually accomplished, and in terms of the bottom-line, BIM construction is changing in subtle and radical ways how a project is executed. Construction managers are now included in the design process, prefabrication is increasingly used and build times, change orders and site logistics are all positively affected by BIM construction.

The construction industry has lagged far behind most other industries in leveraging modern technology for productivity gains.One of the most glaring facts about the construction industry as a whole is encapsulated by the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Labor Statistics finding that the construction industry has had continual losses in productivity since 1964, in stark contrast to all other non-farm labor, which has almost doubled productivity in the same 40 years.

One of the prime reasons for declining labor productivity in the construction industry has to do with the traditional process by which a project is conceived and delivered. The design-bid-build paradigm is a fragmented process, where the owner contracts with separate professionals for the design and construction of the project, and each phase follows the previous one. Any collaborative involvement between the design professionals and the construction professionals is highly limited, leading to change orders, errors and other issues when the best-made plans are confronted with construction site reality.

BIM construction provides the necessary platform and processes for reversing this trend. The National Research Council of the National Academies identified BIM construction enabled prefabrication and modularity as important components to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the US construction industry in a 2009 report. As 3D modeling and parametric design make constructability part and parcel of the design process, construction managers are increasingly brought in early in the projects design phase, to evaluate the practicality of a design. This involvement has driven what some call the oldest new idea in construction. Prefabrication, and modularity, bring to bear in the construction industry practices that Henry Ford discovered well over a hundred years ago. Fundamental to this is the decoupling of manufacture from assembly. Instead of costly, time-consuming onsite fabrication and fitting of parts, prefabrication in a controlled environment allows for a reduction in labor, faster completion times, less waste and change orders. This is particularly true in the finish and detail portions of a building, as well as the skin and faade systems.Modular components are then brought to the site for efficient assembly. This is neither new nor particularly foreign to the construction industry.

One of the earliest examples of modern prefabricated construction was the magnificent Crystal Palace in London, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Made of cast-iron and glass, the Palace was longer than Versailles and higher than Westminster Abbey. The building was completed in less than 200 days, from conception to occupation. 3300 iron columns, 2150 iron girders, 250 miles of sash bar, 293,635 panes of glass. The crucial detail is that these all conform to a basic 24 foot module, allowing the manufacture to be contracted to several foundries and glass factories. The entire structure was dismantled in 1852 and moved to another site, reassembled and stood until fire destroyed it in 1936.
The Hilton Palacio del Rio in San Antonio was designed, built and occupied for the Texas World Expo in 202 working days! A 500 room deluxe hotel, still in use today, had each room factory built and placed by crane in 46 days.

Most recently, in Lin Gang Industrial Zone in Xiangyin County, a 17,000 square meter hotel known as T30 was completed in an astonishing 15 days! Over 350 rooms with restaurant, gym, swimming pool and underground parking, 93% of the building was pieced together onsite with premade assemblies. Earthquake resistant up to magnitude 9, the building boasts quadruple-paned windows, external solar shading, LED lighting and an innovative air filtration system.
One of the main challenges in prefabrication in BIM construction is the necessity for working with tight tolerances from the start of the design process. This is aided by 3D modeling, as BIM construction brings the trades in early in process, driving a new design philosophy. Instead of onsite builders building to the design, designers now design to the module specifications, achieving substantial savings and compressing construction schedules.

Another stumbling block is what is known as multitrade prefabrication. Common in Europe, but almost unknown in the US, this involves the creation of modular units with duct work, gas mains, hot water supply, electrical conduits and communication pathways built-in. Independent prefab firms in Europe have developed BIM construction software for these horizontal systems that convert the model into a bill of materials on a module by module basis. The need for multi-trade coordination in the design of these modules is obviously necessary.

Another challenge is the task of lifting and manipulating these large modular units on the work site. With stick-built construction, only raw materials are handled by individuals or well-developed machinery systems. New systems and logistics will now need to be devised to transport, store and place the multi-ton, large-dimension assemblies that are a result of BIM construction prefabrication.
On the flip side, the advantages of modern prefabrication and modularization in BIM construction are overwhelming. So much so that the McGraw-Hill SmartMarket Report: Prefabrication and Modularization: Increasing Productivity in the Construction Industry reports that their survey shows that 98% of all architects, engineers and contractors expect to be using prefabrication and modularization to some extent in the projects. Healthcare facilities (49%), hotels and motels (11%), commercial warehouses (11%) lead the way in using BIM construction driven prefabrication. The building elements most conducive to prefabrication and modularization are building superstructure (27%), MEP systems (21%) and exterior walls (20%).

The reasons listed in this report for using prefab and modular systems include: improved project schedules, reduced costs and budgets, site safety improvements and green building/waste reduction.
The ability of modern prefabrication to provide a spectrum of customization possibilities is an important part of the new surge in acceptance of BIM construction modularization. The maturation of the manufacturing industry now provides sophisticated understanding and processes of the customization spectrum which can translate to the burgeoning sector of BIM construction prefabrication.

The terms made to stock (MTS), assembled to stock (ATS), made to order (MTO), and engineered to order (ETO) are used in manufacturing to define the extent to which a product is customized. This is generally considered proportional to the cost and lead time necessary for production.
This allows owners to achieve both a uniquity of design along with the savings of prefabrication. No longer does modular and prefab mean drab and boring. In the modern era one no longer needs to sacrifice aesthetics for the efficiencies of factory production.
BIM construction, in and of itself provides many benefits to the AEC industry. But its ability to lay the groundwork, along with IPD and new contractual landscapes, for modern prefabrication and modularization, heralds an almost revolutionary change in commercial building.

For more information about BIM construction visit ODonnell & Naccarato BIM:
Dennis Mordan ([emailprotected])
Jon Brazier ([emailprotected])
877-854-9783
www.o-n.com

Environmental Management Systems For The Construction Industry

Construction blogger

Currently harmonized Environmental Management Systems (EMS) is generally taken in the business scene. As we know, environmental management systems first established in Japan (in the electronic industry) in the 1980s and later spread out to USA and Europe. In latter places, EMS was used primarily by great harming establishments including chemical and power. Later on it was steadily brought in to other fields which had fewer environmental shocks.

A great number of construction businesses all around the world are experiencing a great number of environmental setbacks. Such as, strict and complex environmental laws and regulations, bringing up compliance costs and hefty penalties for violation could affect every construction companys success regarding profitability and development. Apart from these rising situations, increasing public interest on environmental concerns has catalysed the construction enterprises to think in another way or look for state of the art techniques to strengthen or sustain their solvency.

In the same way, a great number of construction firms (either small or large) have demonstrated that a sensible EMS is not simply beneficial in many different ways but in addition a innovative tactic to remain competitive in a tremendously erratic sector.

Toward ecologically sustainable enhancement

The construction market creates streets, railways, schools, hospitals, local community and recreational functions and various installations that shape our built environment and contour our landscape. Up until recently, economic advancement, social regimens and environment protection came about mostly in seclusion from one another. These days, however, there is a rising understanding that these arrangements are interconnected and that social, economic and ecological targets are interdependent. Ecologically Sustainable Development has actually been described as: using, conserving and enhancing the communitys resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased.

It is a well-known reality that countless number of construction corporations internationally have exceptionally benefited through implementation of EMS. To illustrate, the benefits are many:
Cutting down expenses due to judicious utilization of resources and waste minimization
Ability to comply with rigorous environmental laws and regulations. Thus, reducing consequences, delays and refrain from fees and penalties.
Ability to observe or observe environmental concerns concerning many phases of construction projects
Increased competitiveness and discover market options simply by environmentally friendly construction programs available to environmentally sensitive patrons
Facilitate highly effective correspondence and dialogue involving all stakeholders involved internally as well as externally. In other words, fostering better relationships with regulators or law enforcement agencies including the communities.
Greater business image as a socially and ecologically accountable construction firm,
Producing a highly involved (or encouraged) and responsible team or a open environmental crew inside of the group

A highly effective EMS signifies not merely always keeping the exterior working environment healthy but additionally maintaining a safe and healthy working situation through Occupational and Healthy (OH&S) procedures. Fundamentally, the previous will incorporate implementation of ISO14001 and the second incorporate occupational health and safety steps specified in OHSAS18002:2008. This demonstrates EMS and OH&S precautions should combine together for effective implementation of an EMS in a construction firm.

The ISO14001 international standards stipulates the precise prerequisites for an EMS. It basically applies to environmental issues which the construction firm has the control over and at the same time many of these issues can have an impact on its efficiency.

In simple terms, ISO14001 is a voluntary standard that may be used by any construction company. It mostly supports the business to carefully deal with construction actions that have a negative influence on the environment. Particularly, it consists of 17 elements or attributes grouped into five essential areas:
Environmental Policy
Planning
Implementation and operation
Checking and corrective action
Management Review

Mainly, ISO14001 can help any kind of construction organization to abide by relevant environmental law regulations whilst boosting the environmentally connected tasks on a repeated basis.

Actually, any Environmental Management System (EMS) is a special management process which goes after Plan-Do-Check-Act model or method. It presents a strategy to ascertain all environmental aspects related to operations of a construction business. Also, it will help the entity in question not just to build up, implement, keep tabs on, review, and modify action plans and methods on frequent basis but moreover boost the construction companys all round operations that have a direct effect on the environment.

A sound environmental procedure in construction ventures means:

Conducting for all projects a Comprehensive environmental impact analysis, encompassing all stages straight from inception right through to operation and, finally, decommissioning or demolition. All of the detected impacts must be removed (where possible) or mitigated through the lifecycle of the project.

Integrating during the entire project lifecycle the Environmental management principles and systems.

Applying Environmental consciousness strategies to make certain contractors can potentially complete their environmental management assignments and duties.

Resource preservation and management needs to be an important consideration at every stage from project inception right through to operations and, eventually, decommissioning or demolition.

The crucial need for effective environmental management is that environmental situations should be found, examined and maintained throughout every stage of a projects life: from start off through design, building and operation to eventual demolition/disposal.

In summing up, EMS is mainly a management tool for modern construction company. With rapidly raising environmentally involved client base, any construction company must adjust a very good EMS in order to boost its market share or maintain its business. It will obviously gather well known gains such as:
Improved environmental regulatory compliance requirements
Minimise risks and liabilities
Appreciably reduce or minimize waste and pollution
Substantial cost savings through increased performance and motivated staff
Establishes procedures or system for continual improvement
Enhance corporate image among all stakeholders such as investors, potential customers, community groups and regulatory authorities.

Tips to Get the Best Office Construction Services at the Most Reasonable Cost

Construction blogger

Developing the business operation house is one of the prime objectives of every business owner. In recent times, when most of the owners of different business agencies desire to set up their commercial units in the prime places in a city or town, they aspire to develop the houses in the most lucrative ways, so that they can get a house of modern design and with all the facilities, available in the modern houses. Not only getting the best environment to operate the agency becomes possible by getting a well developed commercial complex for a business agency, but getting the maximum production also becomes possible in this way. Therefore, obtaining the best designed commercial house is one of the important objectives of all the business houses. Though, some of the business units operate their business through rented rooms; still, it’s not the suitable alternative to operate a business through own business house. As the number of commercial units is increasing day after day and most of the owners of the newly developed agencies desire to set up their commercial unit in the prime location of a city, therefore, finding out the suitable space in the city, which is ready to develop becomes a tough job for them.

In addition, developing a building either for residential or commercial purpose is a time taking job. As most of the families as well as the commercial houses desire to save their valuable time by saving the time, required to develop a building for their use, therefore, they desire to get the readymade houses. In recent times, those who dream to get a readymade house for them, desire to find the best house that develop houses to sell to their targeted clients. Therefore, when you will also be in need to buy a real estate property, you will be desirous to search out the most reliable agency that offer quality Office construction services at the most reasonable costs. You either may own a land or may not to develop your commercial unit.

No matter, whether you have a ready plot to develop a house or not; by contacting these agencies you will be able to find your desired house at the most prime locations in your city, which will suit the best to operate your commercial unit. This is the reason; the very first thing that you will have to do to find out your most suitable house in your desired location in your city is to search online to search out the most reliable agencies. By finding many of the professional agencies online that develop commercial complexes, you may fall in dilemma in choosing the best one. At this juncture, taking decision is though tough; still, not unattainable, as not all the agencies have similar experience. You may find many agencies that offer expertise Office fit out services as well with the building developing services. Therefore, if you intend to find out the best source that will fulfill your dream in the best way by offering you your dream plot or well developed building to run your commercial unit, then following these guidelines will be profitable for you greatly.