An analysis of the development of the construction industry since the 18th century

The work described in this thesis is an analysis of the factors which have affected the development of the construction industry since 1700. The analysis has involved a major broad historical review in which both the development of the construction industry and the developments in society as a whole have been analysed and classified. The objectives of the work have addressed three main areas of study. Firstly thehistorical analysis has been directed to ascertaining the effects of social, political, economic and technological change upon the construction industry and vice versa. Secondly the work has reviewed the changes in the construction industry over time with the objective of making judgements about likely future changes. Thirdly the thesis reviewed those trade skills that have been essential to the construction industry since 1700 and considered the training requirements used to meet those needs with the aim of also judging likely future needs in training.The historical data were classified and charted under six significant headings in order to analyse the inter-relationships between the construction industry and other changes in society over the period of study. A survey was undertaken to determine trends in employment and training of skilled operatives today to relate this to the history of training.The historical review of this thesis shows that the major determinant of construction activity is the strength of and growth in the national economy and that economic strength is also dependant on a strong construction industry. Whilst there have been attempts to promote industrialised building these have only proved successful in certain special applications. The great mass of our building work in housing, commercial buildings and public building tends still to use traditional trade skills, whilst the trend is clearly towards more elaborate buildings and the renovation of existing ones, requiring a considerable trade input. Significant changes which have taken place tend to be in materials and component production and in materials-handling and earth- moving rather than in the construction process.Future trends are likely to be governed by requirements resulting from social change - just as advances in medicine resulted in the changes to housing and industry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Future requirements are likely to be associated with improved standards of thermal insulation, energy conservation and in addressing the problem of the vast stock of housing built over sixty years ago. Historical evidence suggests that relatively conventional and traditional building forms will have to be used to successfully renovate these dwellings or for redevelopment to take place.