Have you ever wanted to build your own castle? Well, while that might not be achievable with a DIY approach, constructing a building of your very own is certainly within reach. In this blog, we’ll explore the basics of building construction and show you how easy it can be – so grab your gear, and let’s get started! If you wish to engage in construction, there are a few things to know before you even start. From crane hire Melbourne contractors can count on, to permits required, there are many facets to constructing a building.
Get Your Permits
You’ll require a number of permits, depending on the city. Permits can take a long time to obtain—even years. Apply early and check on progress often.
Obtain Your Tools
Tools are many and varied, and we’ll list a few here:
- Bump cutter or screed: used to level concrete floors or foundations
- Concrete mixer: used to mix concrete powder and water together to form concrete
- Crow bar: used for digging the ground and removing roots of trees, for instance.
- End frames: used to level the brickwork so always make sure it’s aligned
- Float: made of a flat piece of wood with a handle, it smooths concrete
Get the Right Equipment
You must either hire or buy some pieces of machinery in order to get started.
Diggers
You are going to have to excavate the surface before beginning construction. Buildings require firm foundations in order to withstand winds, floods and other natural disasters. What’s more, basements are often used for parking lots. This means that diggers will be used to dig up the sand and rocks of the property.
You may use blasting material to blast through rock, but you’ll still require excavation machinery to move it all afterward. Bulldozers, loaders, wheel tractor scrapers and JCBs are popular machines in this niche.
If you want to dig underwater, you will have to use a dragline excavator, especially if it’s for deeper excavations.
Loaders
Loaders are used to load material onto dumpers and trucks. It can be excavated soil, raw materials, or demolition waste. A loader has a short moving arm with a bucket on the end, and may either have tracks or wheels.
Cranes
You have two types of crane to pick from: fixed cranes and movable cranes.
Fixed Cranes
There are a number of fixed cranes. For instance, tower Cranes are cranes which are fixed. They hoist heavy materials when constructing tall buildings. So, you can lift pre-stressed concrete blocks, frames and trusses with this. It has a supporting mast, a jib (which is the arm of the crane), and a counter job which carries a counterweight on the rear.
Then there are bridge, gantry, jib, bulk-handling and stacker cranes. They are all useful in different ways, so it’s best to first determine what exactly you want done.
Movable Cranes
Movable cranes are generally cranes that can move around on wheels or tracks. If you’re considering crane truck hire Melbourne builders to rely on, before you confirm, do ensure whether you need one that can move on public roads, or just on site.
Or, you could use a rough terrain, floating, carry deck or crawler crane. Again, each has their own function, so make sure which one you want to hire for your particular project. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.
Dump Trucks
These vehicles will transport waste away from the site, or bring materials to the building site. They offload by lifting up at the front and allowing the goods to fall out of the back.
Rollers or Compactors
Compactors or rollers are machines that compact the earth or material. There are various types:
- Smooth wheel, which compact shallow patches of soil or tar
- Sheep foot rollers which compact deep areas of soil
- Pneumatic tyred rollers, which compact fine-grained soil or tar
Pile Boring Equipment
Pile-boring equipment is used to bore into the ground in preparation for piles, which are made of wood, concrete or steel. They are deep foundations, or poles, that run into the ground.
Pile Driving Equipment
Pile driving equipment is used to drive the piles into the ground. It lifts the pile, holds it in place, and pounds it into the ground, to the correct depth.
You can get piling rigs, piling hammer, and hammer guides.
Feller Bunchers
Feller Bunchers are heavy machinery used to cut trees in the areas where you would like to build. Bunchers cut the tree and grab it. They gather a number of trees together and relocate them in one area to make the work and accessibility easier for the loaders and dump trucks.
Gather Staff
You will need a wide variety of staff to construct a building. To name a few:
- Architects
- Building specialists
- Designers
- Engineers
- Plumbers
- Bricklayers
- Painters
Don’t forget quantity surveyors, who give you an idea of cost and which building materials to use.
Furthermore, you’ll need an interior designer, who will find and place furniture, fixtures, fittings, lighting and colour. They work with architects and engineers to create the interior look that will sell the property or help make a space functional and beautiful.
Conclusion
This list is just a start to get you on the right track. There are many things to be done, but with the right knowledge and training, you can be part of the respected industry that creates city skylines.
