Types of Construction Projects | Construction Materials & Management - Civil Engineering (CE) PDF Download

Introduction

The civil Engineer Project manager or construction manager has to interact with various specializations depending upon the type of the project. A project manager involved in the construction of a hospital has to interact with a medical professional. Similarly, the construction of a petroleum refinery involves complex interaction with the chemical engineer, mechanical engineer, electrical engineers.
Based on the intersection of knowledge and interaction with other disciplines, civil engineering projects can be grouped as follows:

• Building Projects
• Heavy engineering Project
• Industrial Projects

Building construction projects can be further divided into Residential Buildings and commercial buildings.

1. Building Construction Projects
   During the design phase, building design is coordinated by an architect who works with other engineering disciplines such as structure engineer, electrical engineer, whereas civil engineers coordinate the construction phase. But group leader in the building projects is generally architect. A building project can further be classified into:
   (i) Residential Building
   (ii) Commercial and other buildings.
   Residential buildings in India are primarily single or double-storey building. Multi-storied residential buildings are also getting constructed. Another building project produces various buildings ranging from hospital, temples, and small stores to commercial office towers, theatres and cinema halls, government buildings, recreational facilities, and small schools.
   Economically building project accounts for around 60 to 70 per cent of the construction project in a country. But most of the constructions are carried out in an unorganized way. In India, building construction projects are very fragmented, and the majority of construction in the rural and semi-urban area is carried out in non-engineering ways. Building construction in India is highly labour–intensive. Most of the labourers employed for building projects are semi-skilled and untrained. Uses of heavy equipment are very rare. Building projects are governed by many local and general laws, such as municipal laws, building laws etc.
2. Heavy Engineering Construction
   Heavy engineering construction includes primary infrastructural facilities such as transportation system railways, road, bridges, mass transit system, hydraulic structure (dam, barrage, flood control system, hydroelectric power, irrigation system), water treatment and water supply system, wastewater treatment and its disposal, power line transmission.
   Heavy engineering construction accounts for around 25-30 per cent of total construction.
   The reputed big company carries out construction.
   The government mostly finances heavy engineering projects. These are primarily infrastructure projects.
   Design and construction in these projects are the primary jobs of civil engineers, although inputs from other departments play an important role.
   Heavy engineering project is highly equipment intensive, and large quantities of materials are used.
3. Industrial Project
   Industrial Projects are highly specialized projects, and large construction firms dominate them.
   These projects include power plants(fossil fuel, nuclear power), petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants, fertilizer plants, large steel plants, heavy manufacturing plants, aircraft industry.
   Industrial projects account for only 10 per cent of the total construction projects, but it requires the highest level of engineering expertise from various engineering disciplines, such as chemical, mechanical, electrical engineering.
   Industrial constructions are a very specialized job and consist of large complex mechanical, electrical, instrumentation work.
   Construction is dominated by skilled labour and quite labour-intensive compared to heavy engineering, but large equipment is also used.