What Is A Construction Tech? Everything You Need To Know
A century ago, making a cabin out of logs was enough construction technology. If anyone were asked construction tech definition in those days, their definition would be in line with the structures that existed. All around the world, different communities had their way of creating structures. The Egyptians had pyramids, and the Chinese have had pagodas for a very long time. Today, construction technology has improved a great deal. There are more complex building designs and many sophisticated ways to raise these buildings. So, what is construction tech? Read on to learn more, including construction technology careers and construction tech salary.
What Is A Construction Tech?
Construction Tech Definition
Construction tech refers to creating, designing, and erecting structures and components within a structure. It is the art of building simple structures at home, skyscrapers like the Burj Khalifa, hospitals, malls, and bridges. Due to modern innovation, construction tech definition does not change, but the field keeps changing – new materials, new designs, and new tools make the field to keep changing.
Construction Technology Careers: What Path To Take
Are you interested in a career in building technology? Construction technology careers are all careers that fall under building. These include those who plan, design, and do the actual construction. The carpenter making the roof is in construction technology as the civil engineer in charge of the designs. Architects and designers and all the personnel in charge of administrative tasks are also in construction tech.
Some of the tasks professionals in construction tech carry out include:
- Inspection
- Estimation of costs and materials
- Project management
- Maintaining the safety of a project
- Supervising the site
Due to the varied roles that construction techs play, the construction tech salary differs from one professional to the other. In every division of construction technology, specific skills are needed. However, every professional must learn to work to meet deadlines ad to handle people, including clients, coworkers, and inspectors. Technicians also need to learn how to read blueprints, follow instructions, and enhance building safety.
Educational Requirements
You can join the construction technology industry with a certificate in plumbing or any other construction work, an associate degree or even a bachelor’s degree. Seeing that the field is so wide with so many career paths, you can study at any level and still land a job.
Many schools around the country and the world offer degrees in construction technology – you can join two-year associate degrees, bachelor’s degree programs, or graduate programs. If you need enough education for entry-level work, you can join associate degree programs. Four-year bachelor’s degree programs are likely to place you in managerial positions.
When looking for a school, ensure you get one that can train you in the latest technology.
Experience Requirements
Entry-level work will propel you to the next level in your career. You do not need any experience as an entry-level worker, but you sure need to know how to read blueprints, follow instructions, and understand building standards and regulations in your area. Most important, entry-level workers need to know how to listen and follow instructions to learn more.
With years of experience, one can join management positions to handle more intricate details. Different construction technology careers require different experiences, but there is an entry-level for all careers. Look at construction tech trends on Procore Technologies.
Day-To-Day Tasks
Inspecting
As a building inspector, you are tasked with ensuring that a building project meets all state or federal building safety codes. You will oversee every aspect of the building to ensure that no code is violated. During an inspection, a construction inspector might work alone or as a team of inspectors. Their work starts even before construction begins and stops at closeout. To be a good inspector, you need extensive knowledge of building codes and safety regulations.
Estimation
You can estimate costs and materials as a construction tech. Here, a construction tech collects and analyzes data to create price estimations. With the data collected and analyzed, you will come up with a projected cost of running a project from the ground all the way up. Instead of calculating costs for a whole project, most estimators specialize in a specific area, say plumbing. They can sit down in an office and just work out the costs, but they sometimes visit building sites to get a feel of the work that needs to be done.
Site Supervision
A site supervisor or a site manager is involved with the day-to-day running of a construction site. This is the person who needs to know what is construction tech? They will supervise every aspect of a building from plumbing, electrical work, roofing, flooring, fixtures, and every other aspect of a building. During supervision, you will coordinate with every other professional involved in the project, including engineers, architects, and entry-level workers. Rising to this position needs many years of experience.
Construction Tech Salary
Once you understand what is construction tech, you will know the field you might want to join. With so many construction technology careers, the salaries of technicians vary significantly.
Construction managers earned median pay of $93,370 in 2018
Cost estimators earned about $64,340 in 2018
Other professionals such as construction workers average $40k, architects averaged $89k, and civil engineers averaged $94k according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2018 report. Career projection for all positions in construction technology looks bright. In the next five years, more technicians will be needed, and the salary will only continue to grow up. Job opportunities will grow by up to 13 percent in the next few years for some of the niches discussed above.
Conclusion
Are you still wondering what is construction tech? It is the art of building. Today, building has been made easier, and although machines have taken up most of the work that some professionals would do, advancements in technology have demanded more skilled labor. If you choose a career in construction technology, you need to hone your skills to meet the set construction standards in your state or country. Again, competition for these careers is tough, and you have to stand out and win high positions.
