Construction and maintenance: Acquaintance with the terms

Construction is the process of making or constructing a building or any kind of infrastructure. Its generic definition pertains particularly to infrastructure and building-making. Construction is a booming industry in the developed and the developing countries, comprising almost 9% of the GDP. It is usually a three-step procedure: Planning, Designing, and Financing.

Maintenance is the process or procedure necessary to ensure that the constructed buildings or other infrastructure strike out as appealing and work optimally and at full efficiency (technically). It not only includes looking after infrastructure to prevent it from decay and vandalism, but also ensures performance levels and sanitary factors aren’t overlooked.

Maintenance Diversity as an industry
Maintenance has two main classifications. They are:
Preventive maintenance Also known as scheduled maintenance, this division of maintenance is associated with inspection, maintenance and protection of equipment and facilities or infrastructure, before problems start to occur.
Corrective maintenance This division of maintenance is associated with the repairing or replacement of equipment or infrastructure after it has been subjected to wear and tear or has malfunctioned.

In the world of engineering, real estate, telecommunications and other sectors, the term maintenance’ has a diverse and branched form of meaning.
Activity Any action taken to restore or replace a particular unit or units, so that it can function as efficiently as it is supposed to be called an activity. This may include but is not limited to, measurement, adjustments, repairs, replacements, etc.
Restoring material Maintenance refers to all the actions carried out to ensure material is in near-perfect condition. It may include, testing, servicing, inspections, etc.
Optimal functioning The activities needed to ensure every material or functioning unit is in the perfect condition so that the output is not affected also fall under maintenance.
Equal efficiency Maintenance includes the steps taken to ensure that the regular grinding of equipment and machinery, does not, in any way, reduce or curb the efficiency of the machinery.

Construction A booming industry
Construction is an ever-growing industry that is responsible for a major growth in GDP of developing countries. It is one such industry, whose need seems never-ending. The wide category of construction is divided into three major parts.
Building construction This is further divided into residential buildings and non-residential buildings.
Infrastructure construction Also known as heavy engineering or heavy civil, it deals with the construction of railways, highways, dams, bridges, etc.
Industrial Construction This sector deals with the construction of waste refineries, mills, manufacturing plants, etc.

The construction industry is a major career choice today. The various divisions are:
Unskilled and semi-skilled laborers It involves general construction site work that requires little or no qualification or studying.
Skilled laborers Tradesmen, apprentices and on-site construction managers who have sufficient knowledge and experience in the profession form part of this group.
Technical and management sector This group includes graduates and personnel with qualification and degrees. They design the plan and train and manage the personnel. The technical and specialized management has various sub-sections such as civil engineering, architecture, project management, structural engineering, etc.