The United States construction industry is considered to be one of the largest markets within the world. Currently, this industry’s annual revenue is $1.731 trillion with expenditures that exceed $1,162 billion. In 2016 alone, for example, the value of non-residential local and state government construction was $257.6 billion. ConstructConnect’s forecast indicates that there will be an increase of 7.4% in residential construction spending during 2017, and non-residential spending is expected to increase by 5.5%.
Given the number of construction jobs underway, it’s not surprising there there are 7.8 million production workers within this industry. In order to construct a non-residential or residential structure, there are a number of steps that need to be completed before the project can even be started. This is where the existing site design and the proposed site design both come into play.
When existing structures need to be demolished prior to constructing a new building, commercial demolition will usually cost less than two percent of the building’s replacement cost. Due to these high costs, demolition professionals will usually recycle over 90% of a building’s materials. In addition to recouping some of the costs, this practice is also environmentally-friendly, which is an added benefit.
While some areas of the country may experience this more than others, erosion control has become a significant issue within the construction industry over the past few years. Due to this situation, local and state governments now have erosion-control statutes. While erosion can create a variety of problems, there are three primary types of damage:
- Stream channel damage
- Water damage
- Property damage
When addressing the damage caused by erosion, some existing sites can be renovated while others may need to be totally demolished and rebuilt. However, if the erosion is severe, this may not be feasible as it can pose safety hazards as well. This is usually the case when the surrounding land isn’t stable or it is located close to a severely eroded area.
Even when a project runs smoothly, there are a variety of issues that can surface. As a result, site design within the construction industry can be a complicated, multi-layered process. An integral part of this, of course, is having accurate surveying, 3D modeling, and effective communication throughout the life of the project. Civil engineers, commercial construction companies, and other relevant personnel work together in order to see a project through to completion.