Public buildings, such as corporate headquarters, office buildings, shopping malls, and more are the result of many different professionals and industries collaborating on a large-scale project. Construction crews, the contractors, architects, and suppliers all combine their efforts to make such buildings possible, and that means that airtight management is a must. The construction industry is strong today, but any construction project still needs expert leadership and vision to become reality.
Construction Today
The mid to late 2010s saw great growth for this business, and construction project management can take heart in that. 155,000 new construction industry jobs were created in 2016, and even more were created in 2017: 210,000, with 30,000 of those new jobs appearing in December all by itself. By November 2017, spending on construction reached an all-time high, at $1.2 trillion. And in 2016 alone, $74.24 billion of commercial buildings were built in the United States. These buildings do not have to be massive, either; about 72% of them are at 10,000 square feet in size or lower. Where can a construction project management crew decide to build all this? Reno is one option, where construction companies in Nevada are available with the state’s ample open space. Other areas near Nevada, or anywhere else in the Southwest, from Arizona to California on the West Coast, may have a lot of open space as well.
To begin, a construction project management team will choose a site for the building, often somewhere with suitable features like compact soil, no significant slope, and existing infrastructure such as roads, data cables, and sewage and electricity, according to CBF. Reno construction, for example, may have to keep water usage in mind, as well as other city ordinance and regulations. Then the contractor and architect are brought on board as soon as possible, and schematics are worked out, factoring in materials, size, color, and a timeline and costs per phase of construction.
The project’s owner then allows the contractor to send requests for materials, as well as quotes to any and all subcontractors, and in addition, an on-site inspection is carried out to check for hazards or other unexpected developments. Once a construction company is brought on board and construction is underway, and once completed, the architect issues a certificate that clears the project’s owner carries out one last inspection for any damage or hazards. Construction project management will involve keeping on top of these different phases and coordinating with all the experts and crews to make sure the project comes together.
Today’s construction can also join the “going green” trend. According to Buildsoft, waste materials from older, demolished projects can be diverted to new projects, reducing the amount that ends up in landfills, and this can cut down costs, as well. Installing energy-efficient lighting or solar panels can also cut back on the electric bill, and some buildings can be designed to get cooled or heated by the sun and wind, reducing the need for HVAC systems. All of this can also save on costs in the long run after a construction project is completed.
