Construction Industry Form 3 PDF

# Working together The design and building teams are involved in a construction project on and off the building site. Their work is to: - complete details on drawings - make changes on site when required - price the changes - inspect the building work - complete paperwork - organise the right numbe...

# Working together The design and building teams are involved in a construction project on and off the building site. Their work is to: - complete details on drawings - make changes on site when required - price the changes - inspect the building work - complete paperwork - organise the right number and type of building workers - order equipment - order the building materials ## The technicians Technicians work for design or building teams. Depending on their experience and knowledge, they should be able to: - help to prepare working drawings - interpret the drawings prepared by architects and engineers - understand building construction techniques - work on site efficiently - understand building regulations - apply health and safety rules to their work - know how to operate equipment safely - organise other building workers - carry out work to a high standard You can train to be a technician by: - attending a technical school or college to learn about building technology, construction methods and drawing - working on building sites to see how to carry out building methods - learning practical skills such as bricklaying, plumbing and carpentry in workshops A good technician will also be aware of local climatic conditions and appropriate materials. This information promotes the comfort and health of the people who will occupy the building when it is finished. ## The building material suppliers Constructing a building takes people, materials and equipment. The building materials supply industry consists of the manufacturers and the builders’ merchants. The manufacturers make all the materials needed to construct the building. The builders’ merchants buy the materials such as paint, cement, sanitary fittings and ironmongery from the manufacturers and sell them to the building contractors. Contractors usually buy timber from merchants who specialise in different types and sizes of timber. They buy sand and aggregates from quarries. Bricks and blocks are usually made locally at brickworks or block manufacturers. They may also be made on site by a contractor. ## The building industry regulators The regulators of the building industry protect the public and the building workers from dangerous and poor quality construction methods. The methods used to control building projects are a combination of inspections, legal requirements, good practice guidelines and the applications of research. Many countries have: - building regulations - building codes of practice - research organisations who promote improved building methods and materials. In other parts of this book, we will refer to the building inspector. The building inspector plays an important role in the control of building projects. Normally, the building inspector, who works for a local authority, approves the working drawings for a proposed building. When the drawings are approved, the inspector issues a permit to build, which confirms that the design, layout and construction methods are acceptable. ## The planners The planners also control building projects because they approve the overall design and position of a building. They are not usually concerned with the detail of a building design, but they want to make sure that the building will fit into the area. This means that the planners consider: - the type of proposed building - access to the building - the height of the building - the materials that will be used to construct the building Buildings are permanent features of the landscape in all countries. The planners want to control the way an area develops to make sure that it does not result in a confused mix of uses. The engineer calculates the eight of the construction materials, the eight ol' the people and equipnunt who will occupy the building and the ma.\'itnutli pressute on the building. "l'hese calculations enable the engineer to design: - foundations: colutnns and beanus, roof trusses; suspended floors; - other structural elernents of the building. When the structural drawings and calculations are produced. they are approved by the building inspector and used by the contractor on site. ## The quantity surveyor The quantity surveyor prepares a bill of quantities for building projects so that contractors can accurately price the work. The quantity surveyor works out the size of the areas and the volume of required materials from the design team’s drawings and specifications. ## The clerk of works The clerk of works, who is usually employed by the client, is an expert in how buildings should be constructed. The clerk of works uses this knowledge to make sure that the contractor builds the building correctly and safely. ## The construction team The construction team is the term we use to describe the builders who put up the building. This team consists of these people: - main contractor - subcontractors - estimator - surveyor - contract supervisor - site agent - general foreman - trades foremen - tradespeople - apprentices - labourers The main contractor enters into a contract with the client to build the building according to the design team’s drawings, specifications and bill of quantities. The estimator works out the cost of constructing the proposed building shown on the drawing and specification. If there is a bill of quantities, the estimator the fills in the rates and produces the tender the document total which is offered to the client. The surveyor lays out the shape of the building on the ground before construction start the surveyor also checks the ground levels. The contract supervisor deals with the paperwork that may be required for large building projects. The site agent is the contractor’s representative on site for large contracts. The site agent’s job is to manage the site on a day-to-day’ basis. A general foreman is always employed on small contracts. The foreman should have extensive knowledge of all aspects of building construction. This includes knowing how to organize the workers, materials and schedules. Trades foremen are experienced at specific trades such as brickwork, carpentry or plumbing. They organize and control the workers in their own trade. The trades foremen report to the general foreman. Tradespeople form the bulk of the construction team. They have spent years learning a trade, probably beginning as an apprentice to a skilled person, and obtaining the necessary qualifications to become recognized as an expert in their particular skill, e.g, bricklaying, carpentry, electrical work, plastering, plumbing. Apprentices are building workers who are learning the basic skills of a trade. Normally apprentices work with experienced people until they are capable of working alone. An apprentice may attend classes and work for a certificate while training for a specific trade. Labourers carry out the jobs on a building site that do not need special skills. These are usually physical tasks such as digging trenches and general carrying of materials around the site. Some trades also require labourers. Bricklayers use labourers to mix and carry mortar and to bring bricks and blocks to the place where they are working. ## The subcontractors Subcontractors, who are employed by’ the main contractor, do specific parts of the building project. They provide additional skills for the main contractor, who may not have a workforce that is competent in all the building trades. Subcontractors run their own businesses and have the same responsibilities for the standard of work and safety issues as the main contractor.