Since childhood, you learn the art of building things, from legos to the clay houses. It is a basic human need to keep creating something new every day. It can be anything from building a career to developing huge buildings.
By nature, humans are never satisfied with things staying the same around them, and they want to change.With the process of creating something new, no means of change is possible.
You look around the city, and you will find hundreds of such feats by able people who made all those tall buildings, bridges, and monuments.
Many people work to achieve such greatness from a laborer, engineer to the top manager who makes everything possible.
Though laborers might not need much training, engineers and managers studied many years of their lives to be able to do what they do.
Power is one of the essential requirements of our lives, and without it, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish even the menial tasks.
The construction industry is no different, and they also need power for achieving multiple objectives while creating those majestic structures.
Equipment such as electric heaters, power tools, ventilation, lights, and other construction machinery need power. You can plug in anywhere in a socket to get power supply at home, but how would construction workers get power if there is no infrastructure?
That is a very pertinent question, and we will try answering it by giving you multiple examples.
POWER GRID
Your first choice at a construction site would be to look for any present power infrastructure. Usually, at locations within a city, this is very much possible, and construction companies prefer to leverage them.
However, one of the necessary conditions for such a power setup is that it should not move, as in the case of bridges and roads. To make use of the power grid, the construction company contacts the power company, since they cannot use it without permission.
The power company sends a technical team to set up a temporary connection while also installing electric meters to measure the usage for billing purposes.
Unfortunately, having a power grid is not always possible due to the full range of construction possibilities. Sometimes, they happen in the middle of nowhere, where there is no existing infrastructure.
It is also possible that the construction happens in extreme weather conditions, where making a temporary connection might not be feasible.
Hence the construction companies then find alternatives into the alternative power infrastructure. For more options of power supply, see more.
SOLAR PANELS
If the grid is not available, installing temporary solar panels might be the most climate-friendly option. We are facing the worst consequences of climate change, and natural clean energy supply is appreciated.
Solar energy reduces the carbon emission and is a very environmentally friendly alternative to any other power generation unit that works on hydrocarbons.
Most of the large or small machinery can operate from the solar panel provided energy. Apart from many advantages, the solar panel still has issues working in a project that also works at night.
Without the presence of the sun, the work might not continue due to no backup power option.
GENERATORS
Generators are the power generation machine that burns fossil fuels to produce electricity. It is essentially a requirement at all construction sites, even those with the power grid and solar panels.
The construction companies usually do not want to take any risk, so they always keep generators as a backup. The primary source to run a generator is diesel oil.
There are several types of generators, depending upon the requirements. High-powered generators ensure that the heavy equipment that needs a considerable amount of power can work, and such generators get used in big projects.
On the other hand, medium powered generators can get used in projects such as making homes and single roads.
Construction companies also have the option to use portable generators for projects that require constant mobility and have small spaces to move equipment, such as multi-story buildings.
Generators are also perfect for remote areas where there is no power infrastructure available and can also stand extreme weather conditions.
However, researchers have shown concerns that the noise produced by these generators is beyond the permissible limits and can have adverse effects on workers.
BATTERIES
Many construction equipments runs on batteries, such as drills and vertical lifts. Construction companies could get them charged from any of the existing sources of power.
However, many times they provide already charged equipment they bring with themselves from the company site. Construction companies also have backup batteries if any of the power generator equipment develops a fault, so the work never stops.
Construction work has predetermined timelines, so they always ensure the availability of multiple sources of power to ensure uninterrupted work.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Power is one of the most significant necessities of our lives, and nothing would be possible without its provision. The same applies to the construction industry in which they need power for running different construction equipment.
Since they are the ones usually making infrastructure, they need temporary arrangements to fulfill their requirements. In cities where the power grid is available, they install temporary lines and meters with the help of the power company.
In other areas, they use solar panels, while one of the most prevalent power solutions is the use of generators.
Whatever power generation method they use, they always try to have multiple alternatives to avoid work obstruction in case of a failure.
