工程管理专业英语THECONSTRUCTIONINDUSTRY及翻译Word文档下载推荐.docx

1、 INDUSTRY SECTORS Residential Sector Commercial Building Sector Infrastructure and Heavy Highway Sector Industrial Sector RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY Construction Ethics Demographics Opportunities CONCLUSIONSTUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVESIn this chapter you will learn the following:

2、1. The principle characteristics that define the construction industry 2. The four major sectors of construction projects 3. The nature of research and development within the construction industry 4. Current trends within the construction industryINTRODUCTIONTo form by assembling parts is the dictio

3、nary definition for con.struct, but the phrase also is a metaphor for the construction process itself. Just as divergent materials come together to form a structure, so. too. does a diverse group of people come together to make the project possible. To bring together numerous independent businesses

4、and corporate personalities into one goal oriented process is the peculiar challenge of the construction industry. The organizationaJ cultures of architects, engineers, owners. builders. manufacturers. and suppliers may seem to work against the real need to forge a partnership that will ensure the s

5、uccess of a project. Yet, despite these very real chaIJenges in the industry, construction projects do get completed. In fact. it is difficult to think of an industry that is more basic to our economy and to our daily lives. The highways we drive on. the bridges we cross. the water we drink, the fue

6、l we burn: all are made possible by the activities of the construction industry. Likewise. where we shop, where we work. where we worship and learn. and where we live all exist because of the industry. Designers have visions; but until the contractor builds. those visions are just dreams on a sheet

7、of paper. Construction is also very interwined with other aspects of our lives. It affects and is affected by developments in technology, computers, government policies, labor relations. and economic and political practices. Take. for instance, the technological leap of the skyscraper. Until the lat

8、e 1800s. most buildings were four or five stories high. Masonry supported the structure from the ground. As the height of the building increased. the massing at the ground level also increased to support the additional Ioad. Thus, if the building were built too high, the mass at the bottom would be

9、too thick. Another limitation to height was that people could only practicably climb four or five stories. Because floors on the upper levels were difficult to rent. Owners had no economic incentive to build any higher. But with the development of cheap methods of producing iron and steel and the in

10、vention of the elevator. architects began designing higher buildings. This spurred construction activity: landowners were motivated to develop these new buildings because the return on their investment was higher. Over time. as technological advances have allowed. the skyscraper has gotten taller. I

11、nnovations in robotics and computer modeling have also affected the construction industry. By using computers for modeling structures and imitating wind and seismic loads. architects and engineers can better anticipate natures constraints and create better designs to counteract them. With robots dir

12、ecting equipment during construction. contractors can gain more control over processes that require precision for success. such as the construction of the underwater tunnel between France and England. The desire for such projects leads to the development of technologies to make them possible, which

13、in turn encourages similar projects to go forward.TYPES OF INDUSTRYConstruction is big business in the United States. According to the Bureau of Laborn Statistics. the industry employs nearly 6 million people and represents 5 percent of the work force, making it the nations largest single employer.

14、The total value of construction in 2000 was $815 billion. which represents 8.1 percent of the gross domestic product （GDP）. Opportunities in construction have increased significantly in the last ten years. Construction employment in 2000 has risen by 49 percent since 1990. This is in contrast to emp

15、loyment as a whole. which has increased 21 percent. Although construction-related jobs are some of the best-paying in the country, they are often not a persons first career choice. Look at any construction company, and you will find people from a varietV of backgrounds who. through experience and co

16、ntinuing cducation, have been promoted through the ranks. This profile is starting to change, however. with the profcssionalization of the field and the introduction of undergraduate and graduate construction managemcnt programs at colleges and universities. Both the American Institute of Constructo

17、rs （AIC） and the Construction Management AssociaOon of America （CMAA） have initiated professional certification programs.Construction projects can be awe-inspiring in their breadth and complexity-from the Egyptian pyramids and Gothic cathedrals to soaring skyscrapers and enormous bridges. Yet the in

18、dustry itself does not own thcse products, nor does it control their supply and demand. In fact. construction has relatively few assets compared with those of other industries. Its success or failure depends on the qualities of its people rather than on its technology or product. In this way, it is

19、very much a service industry-one composed of many small businesses, especially in the residential and commercial building sectors. Construction does not require a patent or a large capitalinvestment; anyone with motivation.technical skills. and a sufficient cash flow can start a business and be succ

20、essful. However, because of the industry s cyclical nature. it inevitably has slow periods. Without capital to get them through these slow times. these small moru and pop businesses are at risk. and many are forced out of the market.The risk factor is much higher in construction than it is in other

21、industries because outside factors such as government funding, demographics, and market trends largely determine demand.Another reason for this high risk lies in the unpredictable nature of the work itself. Since construction takes place outside, it depends on weather conditions. Any extremes can af

22、fect productivity level. damage materials and work in place, create unsafe conditions. and even shut down the site entirely. Moreover. the industry is custom-oriented. meaning that it is difficult to use mass-production techniques in either materials or methods. Each project has its own learning cur

23、ve for both management and labor. Because all these factors make it difficult to accurately predict how much money will be necessary to complete the project, the industry has a higher risk of losing money than do industries that rely on more predictable factors.Financial institutions, medical servic

24、es. accounting firms, and real estate companies have all been involved in recent mergers, consolidations, and conglomerations. Construction, however, is a study of contrasts. At one time, general contractors constructed almost the entire project with their own work crews. But as buildings become mor

25、e technically complex and the business of building them more sophisticated, the industry has turned increasingly to specialty trades. Thus, the contractors role has evolved from boss to manager. However. in other aspects of the industry, the reverse is happening. While the technical complexities of

26、projects have strongly influenced the trend toward subcontractor specialization. these same complexities are merging owners. contractors, and designers into more collaborative units. In a very real way, this trend is leading constructors back to their roots-as the master builders. INDUSTRY SECTORSMo

27、st designers and builders concentrate their business and build expertise in a specific sector of the construction industry, each of which is supported by separate material and equipment suppliers, manufacturers. and subcontractors. These distinct types have evolved because major differences exist in

28、 how projects within each sector are funded: in the building methods involved: and in the manner in vrhich designers, builders. and owners interact. These sectors are usually separated into the following four categories:1. Residential 2. Commericalbuilding 3. Infrastructure and heavy highway 4. Indu

29、strialResidential SectorThe residential construction sector is comprised of individual homes. small condominiums, and apartment complexes. What all these building types have in common （apart from the fact that they house people） are the conditions under which they are constructed. Such projects tend

30、 to be privately funded by individual owners for their own use or for speculation. They are typically designed by architects. although the plan may come from a mass-produced catalog. In some instances. the homeowners or the builder may design the structure. Within this sector. there has been some mo

31、vement toward pre-manufactured homes and products. But despite the tremendous potential in developing pre-manufactured components for the residential market. the tendency is still to build most components on site. As a site-built product. residential construction uses fairly low technology. Not surp

32、risingly, most of the mom and pop operations are found in this sector. Because the technology needed to build residential buildings is readily available, the capital required to step into the business is fairly small: a pickup truck, some basic tools. and an understanding of construction. Supporting these operations are many other small businesses-lumberyards, tool and equipment rentals, specialty suppliers, and hardware stores. When the economy is strong, these small businesses do well