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The Details behind the Construction Industry



Construction is a trillion dollar industry that has been vital to the expansion of civilization over the course of history; starting with the ancient Egyptian’s great pyramids made of limestone, up unto the modern day mammoth skyscrapers around the world today; Most of these innovations incorporate three elements: Lumber, metalwork, and cement; Knowing how to work and maneuver these elements into a construction venture, in a safe and resourceful way, is a monetarily beneficial asset.

For over 5 thousand years mankind has been constructing and designing buildings. From the earliest recorded structures the Egyptian pyramids are a great marvel, not only for their massive size but also for their attention to preciseness, every piece of limestone had to be individually cut, carried to the site then lifted and placed into the correct position. The next important time in history is the Greece and Roman period, which was when the Romans invented the arch. This building element is still used today for the amazing pressure it can withstand. The Romans also incorporated bricks being used instead of stone, as well as dome roofs. The modern style of building that is seen today was introduced in 1972. It incorporated historic and familiar elements from the previous architectural periods of history.

For every construction project there are strict guidelines that have to be followed in order for the structure to be legal. These guidelines are put forth by the organization titled the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA. OSHA has colors to coordinate where things go and how tools and materials are going to be used for specific applications. For instance, for every piece of equipment that is related to fire protection it must be the color red, for easy visibility. This color also indicates containers of flammable liquids, stop bars and switches on machinery, fire exits and barricade lights. Yellow is another key color for awareness on the job site; it is used to indicate that there should be caution in the area, or a physical hazard is apparent. Yellow also refers to the color of most of the construction equipment. Handrails, guardrails, piping systems containing dangerous materials, waste containers and unguarded edges are also painted yellow to encourage extra care and caution while in the area.

There are other key colors that show people where things are and what to be cautious of on the job site. Orange is used for dangerous parts of machinery, starting buttons on machinery, and exposed parts; Blue is for the equipment under repair and the warning labels near the power source of machinery; Green is used for safety equipment such as first aid kits, gas masks, stretchers, and if there is a presence of toxic waste safety deluge showers.

For any construction project, big or small, there are tools that are necessary. Some of these tools are tools that do not require an external power supply, other tools need a supply of power to be used, and some are just strictly meant for measurement. The tools that do not require external power are called hand tools. These tools come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some basic examples of these tools are: Nail hammers, these are the common hammers that can drive nails into wood and pull them out, had saws are used, but they have lost their attention because of the new chainsaws, and circular saws; Wrenches are used to tighten bolts into place and nuts are used to secure the bolt.

Tools that used to measure are crucial because in the construction industry it is best to measure twice and cut once to not waste materials. Some measuring tools include but are not limited to: measuring tape, to measure length and widths of things, speed square to check a perfect ninety degree angle, and a leveler, which checks how level a flat surface is. These tools are necessary to construction because they make sure everything is exact, and precise so that no materials are wasted.

These tools require a proper understanding of how to use and apply these tools to their proper application. For using hand tools that have a blade, knife, or other sharp edges, should always be directed away from aisle ways and other employees for safety from cuts and scrapes. Also the edges of a knife or other cutting tool should be sharp, a dull tool is much more hazardous than a sharp tool. While using any type of tools the worker should always wear safety gear, such as: safety goggles to protect eyes, and gloves to protect their hands.

The second type of tools are power tools, they are more effective on the job site compared to hand tools solely on the fact that they are more time-efficient and more powerful than ordinary hand tools. Power tools are divided into two different subgroups; Portable and stationary, meaning portable power tools can be easily carried, while stationary power tools remain in the same spot. Common potable power tools are: Hand drill, which drives screws, and bolts into materials to fasten them together; nail guns also fasten together materials, but it only drives a nail into the board. Stationary power tools include: Drill press, which drives a hole into materials, band saws, which use a belt that has saw teeth on it to cut slowly into metal or rapidly into wood, and a table saw, it is used by pushing the wood into the vertical blade for a straight cut.

These tools also have a set of safety guidelines to follow for the proper way to use them. The most obvious rule to follow would be to never carry a tool by the power cord or, for pneumatic tools that use air pressure, by the hose that provides the pressure for the tool, simply because this could damage the tool. If a power tool is plugged into a receptacle, it would be dangerous to pull it out by using the cord. Also cords and hoses should be kept away from heat, oil, and sharp edges to prevent from damage. A power tool that is not in use, being serviced, and when changing accessories, such as a drill bit, should not be plugged to a receptacle due to the possibility of the tool being turned on and injuring someone.

Tool safety is as important to the person observing the application of the tool as it is using the tool. To be safe, people observing the application should be a safe distance away and wearing protective items ("Hand and Power Tools"). When cutting something, or drilling something the worker shouldn’t be wearing any loose clothing, ties, or jewelry because it could be caught in the machine; also the material he or she is cutting or drilling should be clamped to a stable and secure surface to avoid any complication and injury. Another very important hazard to avoid would be for a worker to avoid holding their finger on the on switch button while carrying a plugged-in tool.

On the job site some materials cannot be carried by the average person, that is when a vehicle is needed. For digging holes people originally had to use shovels and man men to dig a ditch, now backhoe loaders are used in place of the many men. Backhoe loaders have a huge shovel type apparatus to scoop-up soil and other materials. For transporting materials on the job site a forklift is the vehicle to use. Its two prongs go under the material or palate of materials to carry it. To move earth or soil a bulldozer is used; it has a big scooper to scoop tons at a time. Also concrete mixing trucks mix the concrete on the job site.

The three main types of materials most commonly found on a job site are: Types of lumber, different metals, and concrete. The first, lumber, comes from trees, it is the cheapest of the three. There are many different types of lumber used for different types of building. The most common type of lumber for construction is standard lumber, it is strong, rough to the touch, wood. This type of wood is good for supporting structures and for the average storage building. Other types of lumber include: Number 2 common lumber is used for shelving for it’s smooth surface, furring is used to trim drywall and paneling, finished lumber is good for decking, and furniture, and also glue laminated wood such as plywood, and PCB board, these are pieces of wood or layers of wood that are glued together to form a single piece of wood, plywood is widely used from flooring to speaker boxes.

Right next to lumber, metal is also a very prominent material in construction. Different types of metals are used for different applications. Copper is used for wiring and piping in houses. Aluminum is used for roofing and has a long lifespan. The most prominent metal used in construction is steel. Steel is malleable, and ductile, meaning it can be pressed into sheets and can be elongated. Due to the special aspects of steel, it can be formed into long beams that can hold tons of weight. Steel is also the most cost-efficient material.

Concrete is a strong and durable material that is ideal for roads, and bridges. There are different ways to mix concrete such as: pre-flat panel systems, which are floor and wall units that are constructed off site, which makes sure that the concrete quality is factory quality and it can be installed with speed; flat slabs are formed by pouring concrete into forms that offers rapid overall construction because it simplifies the installation process.

The Construction Industry is a competitive industry, but also a very wealthy industry to be a part of. The Construction Industry, in 2012, raised a revenue of $1.731 trillion dollars. There are 729,345 different construction companies in the US alone. Which employ 7,316,240 employees, who earn an average of $45,000 salary. There are different types of construction companies that specialize in different types of buildings. For ordinary housing construction there are 211,956 different companies; who bring in $748 billion in annual business. Heavy and civil engineering companies are used for highways and dams, and also alterations, or maintenance of buildings. There are 39,439 companies that specialize in this type of construction, who bring in $260 billion business annually. Specialty trade contractors are greater in number of companies than both of the others with 477,950 different companies; although they bring in less than the companies that construct average buildings, with only $722 billion.

This industry is nothing without the well-educated and trained personnel. There are three basic categories of workers are; welders, that bond metals together, brick masons, who mix and pour concrete into forms for use, and carpenters, who cut and shape wood for building. These careers require education, training, and skill. For the career of welding the education required is a high school diploma or an equivalent; along with either technical school or on the job training or both. Welders make $36,300 annually, at an hourly rate of $17.45, which is much better than the minimum wage. To do this job one must know how to weld or join metal parts to one another for a strong bond to avoid any breaking. It is a physically demanding job, requiring one to work outdoors, in inclement weather, or inside in tight areas, and occasionally having to lift heavy objects and work in awkward positions.

Another important career, and probably the most common, is carpentry. A career as a carpenter is more rewarding than a welder; one would earn $39,940 per year, while earning $19.20 an hour. Carpenters work either outside or inside, they are very widely used on most of any job site, thus they have a higher percentage of illnesses and injuries than the national average. To become a carpenter one would usually apprentice other carpenter’s of a company to learn how to do things.

Both carpenters and welders are important and great careers but the career which earns more than both carpenters and welders; brick-masons make $44,950 annually, with a hourly rate of $21.61 a hour, almost three times that of the minimum wage. Masons work full time, outside, standing, kneeling, and bending while lifting heavy materials, which is very physically demanding. To learn this unique and rewarding skill one usually learns by apprenticeship or 1 to 2 year mason programs in mason programs at technical schools.

This enormous industry is important economically, as well as important for expanding one’s knowledge and applying what has been used by historic civilizations to todays new and ever growing infrastructure. By using these simple techniques, one can combine these together to form a great structure that can withstand the toll of time.

 


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