Residential vs. Commercial Excavation
If you are searching for the difference between residential vs. commercial excavation is you may stumble across the simple expression of “the same, but different.” While this is basically true, residential excavators and commercial ones are essentially built to complete the same task, one is just a lot smaller than the other, there are some differences that become important when you are looking to practically implement the pieces of machinery.
Comparing Excavation Sites: Residential Versus Commercial
As you may be able to assume, residential jobs will have a lot smaller of a floor plan to work with than commercial tasks. Roughly, a residential job will be situated on a lot that is appropriately sized. One of the first tasks that an excavator goes to work on with a residential project is the clearing process. This is because a lot of builders will require the job site to be flat. So, excavators will get to work clearing debris such as trees, rocks, and even some types of topsoil from the job site. This is where a lot of drainage issues will also first be assessed and can sometimes start to be resolved.
After the job site is cleared, the ground that is going to be built on needs to be prepared to handle the pressures of the job. This may mean compacting it, moving some earth to make room for a foundation, or digging down if it will be a below-ground structure.
These same steps are done in commercial jobs, however, the property that you are working within these instances can be massive. So, yes, the diggers being used in both jobs are similar, but the major difference when it comes to them is scale. Commercial excavators are much bigger because the tasks they are being utilized in are much bigger than those in residential projects.
A good way to think about the difference in scale is this comparison: A residential digger will be required to scoop out enough soil to make room for the basement of a home, while a commercial digger needs to be able to move enough earth to build a complete underground parking lot.
Project Weight Considerations And Excavations
The average 2,200 square-foot, two-story home comes in weighing about 605,000 pounds. A lot of these residential projects are using timber as the main element of their framing. Now, compare that to the much more complex beasts that are commercial construction jobs. These are not only much, much larger, but are usually using steel for the framing, and because of this – as well as a lot of the other material differences – adds up to the commercial projects weighing a heck of a lot more than any residential job (even if they were to somehow have the same relative property size.) The scope of the weight of the building being built means the bigger of an excavation job it is to prepare the soil.
Different Rules and Regulations
It may not come as too much of a surprise, but commercial and residential buildings are governed by many different rules and regulations. This is also true when it comes to the construction of these properties. The rules for building commercial buildings extend into the materials used, techniques, plumbing, electrical, and even the equipment that is used throughout the process. This means that commercial excavators are required to match the standards set by the federal and local governments. While there are also rules and regulations governing the construction of residential structures, those surrounding commercial construction can be a lot more strict. If you are in need of any more information on residential vs. commercial excavation exvacation jobs then contact us today!