What are the building trades?

In the building industry, there are many different professions working on construction or renovation sites. Site manager, site foreman, machine operator, bricklayer, carpenter, electrician or plumber: here's an overview of the different professions in the building and civil engineering sector.

In the building and civil engineering sector, the site supervisor a central role. He is responsible for control the progress of the site and quality of the work until completion. He works in close collaboration with the site supervisor, who provides him with instructions, plans and sketches for the site.

The site foreman's tasks are many and varied:

• organization of the human and material resources required for the work ;
• organization of the various interventions ;
• schedule management ;
• distribution of tasks among teams and trades ;
• compliance with safety standards and workers' working conditions: refectories, toilets, changing rooms, etc. ;
• reporting to line management on site events.

Site supervisors also play a key role in the construction industry. Hierarchically superior to the site foremen, this building professional is responsible for manage one or more construction sites, depending on their size.

He is responsible for the smooth running of the siteHe is also responsible for the quality of the work carried out and for financial management. In particular, he recruits the necessary manpower, contacts subcontractors and selects materials, based on the architect's plans and the design office's working drawings.

The site supervisor works in constant contact with the customer, the architect, suppliers, the accounting department and the site foreman, to whom he delegates tasks.

To support him on a day-to-day basis, the site supervisor can also use site management software such as Techtime. Thanks to a web application or a mobile applicationto simplify job management.

Site machine operators also play a vital role in the construction industry. They are responsible for driving and maneuvering various wheeled or tracked machines, including :

• excavators or mechanical shovels ;
• loaders ;
• bulldozers or dozers ;
• graders ;
• scrapers ;
• compactors, etc.

The site machine operator is responsible for site preparation through various tasks such as levelling, earthmoving and clearing earth and rubble.

But the job doesn't stop at maneuvering: the machine operator is also responsible for machine maintenance and upkeep.

Another demanding profession in the construction industry is that of carpenter. This professional is involved in several stages of the construction process. He designs the outline - a full-scale technical drawing - from the architect's plans, or from 2D or 3D plans produced by himself. He can then cut the various pieces of work required.

Carpenters know the different properties of the woods they may be called upon to work with. This professional and his team are responsible for lifting and assembling carpentry parts. They work on different types of structures:

• roof ;
• building framework ;
• cladding ;
• formwork ;
• stairs ;
• parquet flooring ;
• maintenance and renovation of old carpentry, etc.

The mason's trade is obviously central to the construction industry. Working as part of a team, bricklayers are responsible for :

• foundation construction ;
• assembly of walls and partitions;
• slab laying.

Bricklayers have to work with stone, brick and reinforced concrete. Today, far from the old vision of the trade, this profession requires mastery of mechanical tools concrete mixers, electric and pneumatic vibrators, etc.

The mason's job requires a great deal of teamwork, often physical work in the open air, and frequent travel to construction sites that are sometimes far from the company.

On a construction site, the roofer generally follows on from the carpentry work. Although he is mainly responsible for roofing, he may also be called upon to work on facades.

The roofer's main tasks include :

• Preparing roof insulation.
• Installation of a wooden structure to support the roof.
• Careful installation of the roof covering using different materials: tiles, slate, aluminum. This is an essential step, as it ensures that the roof is watertight.
• The creation of spaces required for the incorporation of an element on the roof, such as a window.
• Finishing touches such as guttering.
• Repairing damaged roofs.

Among the various trades in the building and civil engineering sector is that ofelectrician. On construction or renovation sites, this professional is responsible for installation and connection :

• lines ;
• cable networks ;
• circuit breakers, switchboards or cabinets ;
• of different elements such as sockets or switches.

If required by the site, he can also take care of the installation:

• computer or telephone wiring ;
• boiler or air conditioning ;
• safety systems.

The electrician must be fully conversant with current standards and safety rules. He also carries out a series of tests to electrical installations. Finally, he or she is responsible for commissioning the various items of equipment, in the presence of the site manager and the customer.

On a construction site, the house painter is one of the last people to intervene. They can work on both construction and renovation sites, outdoors and indoors.

A house painter's tasks are many and are not limited to simply applying paint:

• Preparing walls and ceilings or floors Surface preparation: the painter sands and coats the surfaces to make them perfectly smooth. He must also wash them and check that they are waterproof.
• Manual or mechanical painting of walls and ceilings, in line with customer expectations.
• Laying floor coverings wallpaper, wall-to-wall carpeting, etc.

The profession of house painter requires a certain adaptability and versatility because the nature of jobsites changes regularly. This implies good interpersonal skillsparticularly with customers. This profession also requires technique and a great sense of aesthetics.

On a construction or renovation site, the plumber must, among other things ensure optimal installation of the entire piping network. They install, maintain and repair water, gas and oil pipes.

The plumbing trade is often is often combined with heating and heating installation.. It is therefore not uncommon for plumbers to install and maintain boilers, water heaters and, increasingly, solar panels.

Plumbers are also multi-skilled craftsmen with skills in masonry and even masonry and even electrical skills. In some companies, you may be required to wear two hats: plumber/heating engineer, roofer or zinc worker.