Five Reasons Setting Commercial and Industrial Construction Apart
Commercial and industrial construction are very different beasts, and it’s essential to understand the critical distinctions between them before starting any project. It’s even more important to understand the essential differences when choosing the right contractor who can bring your project to successful completion.
Five Reasons Setting Commercial and Industrial Construction Apart
1. The Design
Commercial and industrial construction differs from the beginning of the building design phase. Commercial buildings are typically geared towards service-oriented businesses, with floor plans that promote foot traffic and tenant satisfaction. In contrast, industrial construction centers around efficient production and industry safety standards, emphasizing functionality such as in a distribution or manufacturing facility. Because of this, logistics are more important than aesthetics in industrial design.
2. The Site Planning
All construction projects, commercial and industrial, require a detailed analysis of the physical environment of the project. This includes picking the location of the building, the size of the site, lot boundaries, and traffic patterns. Commercial construction site planning typically focuses on ease of accessibility. For example, attractive areas may be located within a busy downtown or shopping center, while an industrial site must focus on more practical considerations like proximity to major transportation routes.
3. The Project Management
In a commercial project, a general contractor working on a commercial project makes sure the subcontractor’s suppliers meet established goals when you’re building shopping malls, supermarkets, or business parks. Commercial and industrial construction differ in a few key ways. With commercial construction, the focus is usually on meeting building codes and regulations while staying within budget. Industrial construction often necessitates working with heavy machinery and equipment and installing customized or larger-than-usual fixtures.
4. Leed Certification
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the world’s most widely used green building rating system that can be obtained for commercial and industrial buildings, but the requirements differ. When constructing a commercial building, it’s essential to be mindful of how you can improve energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, and more. To earn LEED certification, you’ll need to provide evidence that your building was designed and built using strategies that will make it more environmentally friendly. For industrial buildings, the LEED requirements focus on process and operational improvements that increase energy efficiency, decrease water use, and improve indoor environmental quality.
5. Project Completion
Finishing up your project is also very different regarding commercial and industrial construction. Before a commercial building owner can open their doors when construction is done, they must finalize permitting and occupancy requirements that meet their local guidelines. Commercial construction is much simpler and easier to complete than industrial construction. With no need for agency approvals, local planning and zoning boards are the only authority you’ll need to satisfy. However, industrial design requires approval from your local boards and compliance with various permitting requirements from state and federal agencies. This can often make the process more complicated and time-consuming.
Contact Us Today!
The construction industry is constantly evolving, and there are always new trends and technologies to keep up with. When you are ready to begin new construction, be it commercial or industrial, contact D.R. Poulin. We have over six decades of experience in commercial and industrial construction, and we’re here to help you with your next project. Contact us today to get started.
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