Shell and Core Construction

Shell (or core) construction is another commercial construction process that Chandlee Construction Company offers. This type of commercial project, also called base construction, is most often performed for a property developer or the building owner. A permit for core construction typically includes only the most basic structure the code will allow.

This type of construction is a long-lead item, meaning it takes to most time to build. A developer can get ahead by building the shell of a building while marketing for tenants.

The word ‘shell’ is exactly as it sounds, a hard or protective covering. In construction this is the supportive exterior of a building’s structure. The predetermined shape and size of the building is constructed using wood, engineered wood or structural steel erected vertically on a defined base plant. Doors and windows are inserted according to the specific design, along with egress or exit lighting, and sometimes a minimum number of restrooms are also added. Once this stage is completed it is enclosed with a chosen siding such as wood, aluminum, brick, stucco, etc. Note: This is not mass wall construction where horizontal layers are stacked one on the other using logs, masonry, rammed earth, adobe or other natural materials.