As the global economy continues on in its upward trend, many of the major players in the construction industry continue to come up with new ideas and new methods and processes of construction as well. Now is as good a time as any to have a building project started, and any new construction project stands to take full advantage of the many developments that have come down the line in the construction industry over the past few years. Here are some of the most significant developments in the construction and building industry at present.
The single-design model
Traditionally, construction projects were undertaken in two distinct stages by two separate entities. The design is first undertaken by an architect, and the plans are presented to contactors for bidding. The contractor that makes the winning bid is then awarded the contract, and construction can begin. Nowadays however, the entire project is likely to be assigned to a single entity. This method of construction–called design build construction–can reduce the costs and shorten the time period considerably.
Prefabrication
There is also a perceptible shift toward the prefabrication of the key components of a building in a facility as opposed to producing them onsite. This is particularly apparent in steel building design and construction, in which the parts of the building are manufactured in a factory and then transported to the build site where they are assembled into the final structure.
Green construction
The global shift toward everything green is ongoing and the construction industry hasn’t been spared. More and more build owners are looking into ways to make their construction projects and the buildings themselves more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. These green build design methods not only reduce the carbon footprint of a building, but reduce the costs of construction and maintenance as well.