This
is a massive sector embracing civil and structural engineering,
building services, surveying and architecture, and blurring
into engineering construction, where scientific, mechanical
engineering and construction disciplines, all meet. It incorporates
everything from house building, hotels, dams, bridges, road
and air transport infrastructures to industrial plants.
The largest spenders on construction projects are government
departments, such as the Department of Health, of Transport,
of Education, etc. Over the recent years, Mauritius has experienced
a remarkable growth in the construction of beach resorts and
luxury villas by international hotel groups and private property
developers. Most of the workers employed in this sector
come from large firms (i.e. firms with 10 or more employees),
while the rest are either employed in small construction firms
or are self-employed.
The
sector being so diverse, it offers many opportunities in specialist
fields, and not just the better-known areas. The following
provide some idea of the scope of, and specialist fields within,
the construction industry:
Civil
and structural engineering: coastal and marine; environmental;
geotechnical; structural; highways; bridges; water and public
health.
Construction and building services: construction management;
design and build; facilities management; and maintenance management.
Surveying
- building surveying; land surveying; quantity surveying;
rural practice; urban general practice.
Architecture
- new builds; regeneration; conservation; commercial; and
redevelopment.
Engineering
construction: air; power; water; oil and gas facilities;
chemical process plants; and infrastructure.
Construction
projects are becoming increasingly complex and there is a
growing trend towards multidisciplinary working and the need
for transferable skills, such as team working and communication.
Here are some examples of how these trends are impacting on
different areas of the industry:
Construction management
Partnering between contractors and consultants, and public-private
partnership (PPP) initiatives have revolutionised this area
of work.
Building services engineering
Systems design and regulation are becoming increasingly complex
and integrated with architectural design.
Design and build
There is a growing trend towards the main contractor offering
the client an integrated service: from design, right through
the construction process, to completed project.
Facilities management
This is another integrated, multidisciplinary field, responsible
for developing an organisation’s overall property strategy
or the strategy for a single property, e.g. a leisure or retail
complex.
Civil engineering
Sustainability is a key concern in any project: minimising
the environmental impact and using natural or renewable energies
and materials.
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