In-House Skilled Trades
What is
Civil Construction?
There are three broad types of Construction: Building, Civil, and Industrial.
In this context, Civil Construction refers to large-scale infrastructure projects, such as highways, railways, airports, and sewage systems. This category is sometimes referred to as “Heavy Construction.”
However, the term appears again within the “Industrial” category.
Civil Construction in the Industrial Sector refers to the earth and water issues related to the proper functioning of specialized facilities, such as power plants, breweries, factories, and warehouses.
In this context, civil construction is the foundational layer of properly functioning machinery and the structure itself. For example, footings for large equipment, padding for tall overhead structures, and grading for drainage.
Civil Engineers design and plan the civil aspects of a construction project.
Concrete Construction
…and Beyond
Civil Construction Services at SilMan Industries
The Civil Team is an intricate part of the Trades ecosystem at SilMan Industries.
Unsurprisingly, our in-house Civil Contracting group sets the foundation for general construction projects, and can be deployed as a standalone unit within large scale projects or facility, and for other general contractors.
However, this high-performing team also brings unique value to SilMan and our clients by expanding the capabilities of our Site Services Division.
SilMan Site Services provides highly-skilled trade professionals that service the entire life-cycle of facilities and equipment.
While there are many industrial “Mechanical Electrical” groups in the marketplace, very few – or none – are able to deploy a civil team to an industrial project with a touch of a button.
- Full portfolio of skilled trades from a single resource
- No additional 3rd Party subcontractors
- No bottlenecks between trades.
- Cost savings, efficiency, quality, and real-time coordination
Thanks to this seamless approach, SilMan has encultured a long list of industrial clients that engage our Site Services team on a nearly continuous basis.
Industrial Civil Construction Projects
Two of the project featured below exemplify how our entire Trades Team collaborates on a single project. The city signage project is an example of our Civil team exhibiting their masonry and electrical skills, in addition to their below-ground work.
See below to learn more about Civil Construction at SilMan Industries.
Civil Contractors
Industrial Civil Contractors are engaged to perform the work prescribed by a set of drawings, working closely with the Civil and Structural Engineers, and the General Contractor. Civil contractors may perform as a standalone independent company or part of a larger general construction company.
Civil Construction teams perform a variety of specialized skills, including excavation, grading, trenching, concrete installation, and masonry.
As an example of the scope of work for Civil field teams, here is a list of actions provided by a civil contractor for a typical concrete job at an industrial complex:
- Project management
- Field mobilization
- Below-ground scan for utilities
- Test for soil type and contamination
- Layout(s) for excavation and pours
- Excavation and Backfill
- Rough grading
- Fine grading
- Soil and materials haul-off
- Concrete placement and finishing
- Cleanup and demobilization
Equipment Used in Civil Construction
Civil Contractor field teams utilize some of the most iconic equipment in the Construction sector:
Excavator, Backhoe, Trencher, Loader, Dump Truck
Lesser known, but widely employed tools of the trade include: screed, wheelbarrow, portable mixer, groove cutter, concrete saw, reciprocating saw, compactor, vibrator, and hammer drill.
Civil Construction and Safety
The Civil Contractor will also create and execute safety protocols for each job. This plan is articulated in a document known as Job Hazard Analysis or “JHA.” The company is also likely to be a part of one or more associations that underscores its commitment to risk abatement.
The safety plan also includes procedures for detecting, identifying, and managing hazardous waste and contaminated soils.
The path to a successful career in the civil trade begins with appropriate schooling, certification, and work experience through a trade union.
Professional Civil tradespersons are often multi-skilled. In turn, their Union representation is also diverse. The typical organizations associated with the civil trade include the Laborers Union, Masons, and Carpenters.
This diversity reflects the multiple skills deployed during a civil project, such as installing pipe or conduit, or the construction of below-ground bracing.
However, some concrete and stone workers are specialized, such as, Bricklayers, Cinderblock Installers, and Pavers.
As with all trades, experience in the field, working with veteran project managers are always the best way to develop skills and expand career opportunities.
