Civil Construction and Commercial Construction: What Sets Them Apart?
The construction industry has two major parts: civil and commercial. Want to learn more? Keep reading to learn about the two and what sets them apart!
30/05/2024
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The global construction industry has a significant impact on the way the environment and its infrastructure develop around us. Unless you are involved with the industry, there’s a high chance you probably don’t know much about these two parts of the industry: commercial and civil.
These two sectors do have their similarities, but there are distinct aspects to each of them that make it necessary to look at them separately. Want to dive deeper and learn about civil and commercial construction? This article will break it all down for you and show you just how different, while equally important, these two parts of the construction industry really are.
Civil Construction: What is it Exactly?
Let’s start by explaining what commercial construction and civil construction / heavy civil construction are before we go deeper into the rabbit hole!
Civil construction/ heavy civil construction is a sector of the construction industry that is involved with the construction of complex projects that shape the environment around us.
For example, tunnels, highways, rail lines, airports, and even utilities such as telecommunication and waste management. This sector also undertakes the mass segment of government projects or widescale city projects.
Civil construction, also known as infrastructure construction or civil engineering, is among the first engineering practices that involve erecting and maintaining a naturally developed environment.
Their responsibility extends to major structures that aren’t owned by private owners. From walkways to wastewater treatments, the civil construction sector is diverse and a fundamental part of society today.
As the name suggests, civil construction focuses on the general public and community. It reduces inconveniences for civilians going about their daily lives.
As a result, workers work with expedited schedules to meet critical goals. That being said, the quality of work is still expected to be impeccable and long-lasting.
Commercial Construction: What is it Exactly?
Now, it’s time to brief you on the other construction sector mentioned in this article, the commercial construction sector. This part of the construction industry consists of building projects for business structures.
For example, warehouses, retail centers, offices, manufacturing centers, etc. It also includes rebranding or updating the visual design of buildings on a small scale.
The medium scale projects in this sector usually involve remodeling, expanding and restructuring business structures with the intent of keeping them as good as new! Medium-scale projects undoubtedly take more time than smaller ones. That being said, the commercial construction sector also has large-scale projects that are extensive and complex from start to finish. This includes highrise business buildings, factories, malls, etc.
While communication is present in all forms of construction, commercial construction is especially reliant on communication, as firms need to fulfill clients' desires and essentially bring their dreams to reality!
The contractors need to talk to their clients and understand their vision before planning the resources and delivering the final product. If a client is unsatisfied, this could lead to significant issues for the commercial construction firm.
What Sets Them Apart?
Now that we’ve briefed you on these two types of construction let’s get to talking about what sets them apart. The two have very different objectives.
One is for governments and all civilians, while the other is more focused on fulfilling the requests of private clients.
Although all forms of construction have similarities, it’s extremely important to classify them as separate sectors due to how diverse the projects become. Below, you’ll find all the key areas of construction in which these two sectors show their differences.
1. Differences in Design Focus
The concepts of design in construction are constantly evolving, and newer aesthetics and construction methods have allowed creativity to flourish!
As mentioned earlier, customer satisfaction is the top priority in commercial construction, and therefore, it must ensure that it attracts traffic with an attractive exterior and an eye-catching interior design.
On the contrary, civil construction projects focus on minimizing the time and cost of the projects, as they are usually massive in size, with government funds. That, however, does not mean that they cut corners in terms of quality since the purpose of most of these projects is usually for civil service.
2. Their Use
The use of bother civil and commercial construction is clearly outlines in their definitions. One prioritizes the construction of buildings for business purposes, while the other focuses on government and community based projects.
While commercial projects usually focus on ensuring that all businesses are satisfied with their structure, civil contractors put effort into delivering a structure that is environmentally friendly and economical while serving the general public for decades to come!
3. The Supporting Infrastructure Needed
Another distinct aspect of these two construction types is the supporting infrastructure they require for a successful project. They prioritize ensuring that all tenants are satisfied with commercial projects, so they require infrastructure such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.
On the other hand, civil construction is geared towards using heavy equipment to create the best possible projects. The heavy equipment helps them manage all the complexities of the project while causing minimal disruptions or negative externalities in the community.
Conclusion
All aspects of construction are equally vital for today’s world. Even if they have different motives and construction methods, they are ultimately still part of the same industry, and one cannot flourish without the other.
They also have different timeframes and motives, but all must follow key safety standards and handicap accessibility systems in place.
We hope this helped you understand the differences between civil and commercial construction. Good luck in your future endeavors!