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what do construction specialists do? First we must ask who are the typical members of such a team?
1. Architect
2. Civil engineer /structural engineer
3. Quantity surveyor
4. Electrical engineer
5. Mechanical/ services engineer
6. Project manager
7. Contractor
1. Architect
2. Civil engineer /structural engineer
3. Quantity surveyor
4. Electrical engineer
5. Mechanical/ services engineer
6. Project manager
7. Contractor
1. Architect-charged with the buildings’* form factor , aesthetics , functionality and ergonomics. They have understanding of various bye laws governing construction services and help in selecting functional and pleasing materials and schemes. Interior designers also fall here.
2a . Civil engineer is a broad term governing various specialists such as Water,road and structural engineers . These have further specialization such as irrigation, dam , bridge engineering etc.
2b. A civil /structural engineer is tasked with the buildings strength by analyzing various loads on a structure such as wind , imposed(humans etc), dead(self weight ) , earthquake , hydrostatic etc. These are then used to design the intended strength of the structure.
3. Quantity surveyor- uses various tools to put together the cost of the building. This is sometimes greatly under appreciated because they can determine the project’s viability.
4/5. Whilst referred to as electromechanical engineers , nothing points further from the truth. These are distinct professions with very different but intertwining outcomes. Electric engineers are charged* to ensure that building receive and utilize power most efficiently.
4/5. Electrical engineering is also a wider field encompassing heavy and light power, telecommunications and computer engineering all of which are required to some degree in some buildings than others.
4/5 mechanical engineers from a building perspective design plumbing air extraction, refrigeration and fire fighting systems. These can become increasingly elaborate in nature depending on the building size.
6. Project manager - an individual whose main concern is the project schedule and contract administration( though qs have been known to do the second part). Some pms are even paid bonuses if a job is completed before the allotted time.
7. The contractor- puts it all together sometimes called Fundi or foreman depending on who you talk to. Their work is to consume all the building plans and turn them into a structure. There are specialist contractors such are roofing , tiling , woodwork , electrical
7b . Plumbing etc but also general contractors that can do all the above and more.
Obviously these are broad strokes and further elaborations can be made. Simply put , taking the analogy of the human body the architect is Picasso , the structural engineer the bone sculpture , electrical engineer the nerve specialist mechanical engineers the vein , blood,
Digestion etc , the qs will probably tell you how much all of these cost and project manager give you a schedule of construction etc. feel free to ask.
