Construction facts for kids

Construction is the process of erection or assembly of any building or infrastructure on a site. In general, there are three types of construction:

Construction of a pre-fabricated house.

1. Building construction
2. Heavy/civil construction
3. Industrial construction

Building construction is the process of adding structure to real property. Industrial construction, though a relatively small part of the entire construction industry, is a very important component.

History

The first buildings were huts and shelters, constructed by hand or with simple tools. As cities grew during the Bronze Age, a class of professional craftsmen appeared. Occasionally, slaves were used for construction work. In the Middle Ages, these were organized into guilds. In the 19th century, steam-powered machinery appeared, and later diesel- and electric powered vehicles such as cranes, excavators and bulldozers.

A house of this style

Modern construction is consistently made of materials such as glass, steel, concrete and bricks. So it is easy to build simple forms like simple cubic forms. The new style of architecture is based on the economic basic principle:

• Social economics: The need to build houses results in having too many houses to build and to create fewer special houses. Decorations and ornaments were not important.
• Constructive economics: The reduction of needing points and areas allows new possibilities. That results in more free forms with the same work.
• Stylistic economics: The houses represent universality and objectivity and they are a product of art.

Related pages

• Architecture
• Building code
• Project management
• Civil Engineering

Images for kids

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  In large construction projects, such as this skyscraper in Melbourne, Australia, cranes are essential.

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  Construction site and equipment prepared for start of work in Cologne, Germany (2017)

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  A large construction site of the Kalasatama area in Helsinki, Finland (2021)

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  Industrial assemblage of a thermal oxidizer in the United States of America

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  Military residential unit construction by U.S. Navy personnel in Afghanistan

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  Construction of the Federal Reserve building in Kansas City, Missouri

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  Shasta Dam under construction in June 1942

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  The National Cement Share Company of Ethiopia's new plant in Dire Dawa

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  Digging the foundation for a building construction in Jakarta, Indonesia

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  Construction along Ontario Highway 401, widening the road from six to twelve travel lanes

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  Apartment complex under construction in Daegu, South Korea

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  On-site foundation construction.

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  Helicopter view of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Operations Support Facility (OSF) construction site

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  Ironworkers erecting the steel frame of a new building at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston

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  A truck operator at Al Gamil, the largest construction company in Djibouti

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  At-risk workers without appropriate safety equipment

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  Roofing requires appropriate personal protective equipment.

See also

In Spanish: Construcción para niños