Category: Construction

In cities all over the world, busy men and women look after places where people live, work, and play. Their work takes them to agricultural land and urban centers; subdivisions and playgrounds. They look after a city’s water, lighting, pathways, and its image overall.

Civil Construction Products for Professionals

Companies selling products to municipal agencies do not work with the public. Their stock is specifically gauged to meet the requirements of a department which might need to handle regular flooding, vandalism, or the safety of children. Projects undertaken by civil engineers serve residential communities, places facing a lot of theft and mischief, corporate areas, and regions popular with older people. The needs of various cities are diverse.

Besides the exciting variety in client orders and requests, there is also growing pressure to stock environmentally responsible products. Companies can be thankful, then, that there are so many new and exciting options they can offer their clients.

Environmentally Friendly Civil Construction Products

LED lighting costs more than old-style bulbs, but the technology is becoming cheaper and energy requirements are much lower. LED lights are also safer since they do not overheat and tend to glow on for years. When engineers plan civil projects such as ensuring safety near docks and train stations, adding street lighting, or building a sports complex, they often incorporate these lights.

The addition of solar panels where sun exposure is good enough to make them efficient has become trendy. Residents can expect to see more of these popping up to create electricity or heat water in city buildings.

A new material known as FRP has been adopted to fashion drainage grates for construction projects. Made from non-metallic fiber, this is a strong, non-corrosive product that is popular wherever chemicals are used regularly.

Moving Machines

Some civil construction products are small such as grates and lights. Others are huge like industrial machines. Construction workers are often hired for civil projects but in certain areas (like government docks) it makes sense to own the tools. Street cleaning and sewage machines are also huge purchases. Employees use big machines for ongoing environmental projects, during emergencies, and they come in handy at landfill sites.

Software and Handheld Equipment

Civil engineers also put computers and satellites to good use during the planning of maintenance, repairs, and new building. Handheld positioning systems are some of the more high-tech civil construction products carried by specialist providers. Special monitors in sewage and drainage systems alert city workers to leaks and backflow problems.

Drains and Sewers

Looking after the water works of a city is a constant concern. Often the simple needs are most pressing here: pipes, connectors, valves, and so on. With many miles of plumbing to check and fix, there is always the possibility that some section needs replacing or a leak will spring, and once workers get through the entire system they start all over again. The municipal maintenance team responsible for sewage and drinking water always has a store of basic parts on hand but also knows where to find replacements in a hurry.

Above ground people see the evidence of their attention to detail in the form of channels and drains for rainwater, melting snow, and high water close to rivers or coastal areas. These are carefully selected to handle the volume of water a city can expect to endure during spring and are kept clean, once again with the help of special street sweeping and washing machines as well as pumps to clear out blockages from leaves and vandalism.

Post-frame construction is a fabricated wood-frame building system. Typically, post frame buildings have huge, laminated columns or solid sawn posts as opposed to steel framing, wood studs and concrete masonry. This means that the load is transferred to the ground, surface-mounted onto a masonry foundation or a concrete pier. Plastic barrier systems may be used to enhance protection of concrete and wood posts and piers.

Post frame structures can be erected faster than most conventional building types. Due to the interlocking frame capable of handling greater loads and large posts, only a few structural components are required. This helps save on resources. Due to the larger spacing between posts when compared to studs, the buildings have a larger wall cavity which provides more room for insulation. This lowers the cost of heating and cooling the building throughout its useful life.

Most types of exterior facades can be installed on these buildings. These can be designed to enhance quality and aesthetic appeal. Post-frame construction is efficient yet economical option for low-rise applications. It has in fact risen to be the preferred construction method for a number of industrial, commercial, residential, municipal, religious and agricultural projects. These structures are ideal for people seeking efficient, flexible and durable structures. One can choose between building from scratch and purchasing a pre-engineered structure.

Cost

Because of the efficiency and speed of construction, the cost of labor is usually low when compared to other types of structures. In most cases, continuous cement floors aren’t necessary and if needed, they can be installed later. Wood is also cheaper than other construction materials such as bricks, steel and concrete blocks. One can choose whether to have a steel siding or roofing, which can be installed easily at any moment.

Flexibility

The structures are also renowned for their flexibility, which enhances their cost effectiveness. This especially applies when adding supplementary features such as overhangs, porches and steeper roof pitches. Due to the lack of interior supporting walls, the structure is wide open on the interior. This allows rooms to be organized as one prefers. Windows and doors can also be added easily, since the space between columns is about eight inches.

Strength

Most people don’t believe that post frame structures can be stronger than other types of buildings. However, this can be proven, since the grounded columns enhance a structure’s ability to resist wind. The posts are horizontally linked, which makes strong boxes that effectively enhance seismic movement and wind resistance. The roof cannot detach easily because the trusses are directly connected. The structures also have a diaphragm effect, which implies that they’re flexible when subjected to stress and won’t collapse, crumble or crack like conventional buildings.

Environmental Benefits

The structures are also considered to be very friendly to the environment. When such a building reaches the end of its useful life, it can be recycled because it’s basically made from wood. This prevents deforestation and the need for more building materials, labor and fuel. The steel siding and roofing are also made from recycled materials.

Energy Efficiency

Post frame buildings score highly in energy efficiency for a number of reasons. The large wall cavities and manner in which the wooding frame members are constructed help enhance the effects of any installed insulation. Wood also offers better insulation compared to concrete blocks and steel frame.

When purchasing post frame buildings, one should keep a few things in mind. The choice of structure will definitely carry a long term effect. One needs to research the various options using sites which offer the choice of designing a complete structure over the web.