obra civil vs edificación

10:51 Jul 11, 2011 

The word civil is not related to the public as per the definition given by Wiley dictionary but has its origin in the contrast with military engineering. The civil engineering is thus the engineering of all kind of constructions for civil purposes (roads, bridges, etc.). Hence civil ENGINEERING works differs from public works which might or might not contain civil engineering activity. One should not use the word civil without engineering as it is a composed adjective: civil engineering school, CE works, CE projects, ….

17:24 Feb 28, 2007 

I found this definition for "civil works" - "all aspects of ground works,cable laying duct laying,tarmac,concrete,paving" though it was quite a dodgy website!
For "public works" I found "Public works is a slightly broader term, it can include such things as: mines, schools, hospitals, water purification and sewage treatment centers. It is often used interchangeably with municipal infrastructure, e.g. urban infrastructure which is often, in big-city contexts, just called infrastructure."

This makes me veer toward "civil works" but the question is: would civil works be right for a private housing development?? I guess so!

17:18 Feb 28, 2007 

You all seem to be saying the same thing, basically, which is encouraging! The distinction you make does make sense - thank you!