CONSTRUCTION
TECHNOLOGY I
WEEK 2 | SEMESTER 1/20192020 | VOLUME 2.1
SITE INVESTIGATION
When selecting a building site,
several consideration factors
include the amount of sun
received on the various elevations
of the building, pleasant views &
the adjoining land uses should be
compatible, ready access to
schools & shops, and public
transport services, adequate &
accessible water mains, electricity
cables and sewer, subsoils,
sontamination due to former
industrial sites, and water table.
*
TOPIC 01
Read desk study
sources (page 99 of
339 BRE book)
TOPIC 02
Discuss trial pits and
boreholes methods.
Page 106/339
Site investigations are required to
determine building sites suitability for
TOPIC 03
building and the nature & etent of
Procedures to
the preliminary work that will be
construct building lines
needed.
BRE has published the following
Digests on Site investigation for low-
rise building: 318 Desk studies, 348 The
walk-over survey, 381 Trial pits, 383
Soil description, 411 Direct
investigations, and 472 Optimising
ground investigation.
WEEK 2 | SEMESTER 1/20192020 | VOLUME 2.1

Bre Digest 318 advocates the
implementation of Desk Studies to
collect as much material as possible
about the site. Sources of information
include geological maps, ordnance
survey maps, air photographs, and
reports of previous site investigations.
Following a desk study, the walk-over
survey (site reconnaissance or site
inspection) provides valuable
information as the whole site should be
covered carefully on foot, making full
use of information obtained during the
desk study.
Simple tools required are 30m tape to measure the position of features
of interest; compass to orientate the site map; pocket penetrometer
or hand vane to assess the strength of clay soil; abney level or
clinometer to measure the ground slope angle in the area; auger,
spade and polyethylene bags for taking soil samples; and camera for
visual records.
Then direct investigations involving trial pits and boreholes are done to
assess the engineering and chemical properties of the ground. It
provides values that define the characteristics of the soil for safe and
economical foundations to be designed. The type of foundations to
be used will depend on the ground conditions, the magnitude of the
proposed structural loading, and the sensitivity of the structure to
settlement. The exploratory holes (trial pits and boreholes) are
depending on the locations of buildings, strata outcrops & spring lines.

Soil samples are described as disturbed or A trial pit allows small-scale

undisturbed sample. Disturbed samples are in-situ tests to be carried out
obtained from the boring spoil and put into in the sides and base of the
pit. The tests include vane
plastic bags/containers fully labelled with site, shear, dynamic probing,
borehole no & depth. Undisturbed samples standard penetration, and
require the use of sampling tubes, eg. open- cone penetration tests.

tube, open drive, piston, & window sampler.

The top of the bucket is connected to a rod which

BOREHOLES transmits the torque and downward pressure from the rig
at ground level to the base of the hole: this rod is termed
A large number of methods are available for a ‘Kelly’.
advancing boreholes to obtain samples or details
of soil strata. The principal methods used worldwide Flight augers (1) short-flight augers consist of only a few
are auger boring, wash boring, percussion drilling, turns of flight above cutting teeth or a hardened steel
and rotary drilling. edge, or (2) continuous- or conveyor-flight augers may
contain three or four turns of flight. The hole is made by
Augers may be classified as either bucket augers forcing the auger downwards at the bottom of the hole,
or flight augers. Bucket augers consist of an while rotating it. The cutting teeth break up the soil or
opentopped cylinder which has a base plate with rock, which is then transferred up the auger flights. When
one or two slots reinforced with cutting teeth, the flights become full, or achieved the height of the
which break up the soil and allow it to enter the flights, the auger is raised to the top of the hole and the
bucket as it is rotated. soil flung clear by rapidly rotating it.
WEEK 2 | SEMESTER 1/20192020 | VOLUME 2.1

The percussion drilling rig consists of: (1) a collapsible ‘A’ frame,
with a pulley at its top; (2) a diesel engine; connected via a hand-
operated friction clutch (based on a brake drum system) to (3) a
winch drum which provides pulling power to the rig rope and can
be held still with a friction brake which is foot-operated. (See
Figure 2.1).

The rope from the winch drum passes over the pulley at the top of
the ‘A’ frame and is used to raise and lower a series of weighted
tools on to the soil being drilled. The rig is very light, and can be
readily towed with a four-wheel drive vehicle. It is also very easy to
erect, and on a level site can be ready to drill in about 15mm.

Hand augers are used by one

“Iwan or posthole auger is normally used at or two men, who press down on
the cross-bar as they rotate it
diameters of between 100 and 200 mm. Small thus advancing the hole. Once
helical augers are quite effective in stiff clays, the auger is full, or has
collected sufficient material, it is
but become difficult to use once the water brought back to the surface
table is reached.” and the soil removed.

Washboring is a boring small-diameter exploratory
holes in fine-grained cohesive and non-cohesive
soils. A very light tripod is erected, and a sheave is
hung from it. The drilling water is pumped either by
hand, or by a small petrol-driven water pump.
Hollow drilling rods are connected to the pump via
a flexible hose, and the drilling crew lift the string of
rods by hand, or using a ‘cathead’ (a continuously
rotating steel drum, around which a manilla rope is
wound).
Progress is made by jetting water out of a bit at the
base of the rods. Cuttings of soil are carried up the
hole by the drilling water (the ‘flush’) and emerge
from a casing T-piece, being deposited in a
sump. Routine identification of the ground
conditions at the base of the hole is carried out by
placing sampling spoon.
Rotary methods may be applied to soil or rock (eg. to
produce a hole in rock, or they may be used to obtain
samples of the rock). The formation of a hole in the subsoil
without taking intact samples is known as ‘open-holing’
using roller core bit.
To obtain intact samples of the rock being drilled, a
corebarrel, fitted with a ‘corebit’ at its lower end, is
rotated and grinds away an annulus of rock. The stick of
rock, the ‘core’, in the centre of the annulus passes up into
the corebarrel, and is subsequently removed from the
borehole when the corebarrel is full. The corebarrel
consists of a single tube with an abrasive lower edge
which is loaded and rotated while a flush fluid is passed
around the bit under pressure. The cutting material may
be tungsten, diamond impregnate, or hand-set diamonds.
The flush fluid are water-based (e.g water, drilling mud);
oil-based; air (or mist); and stable foam.
WEEK 2 | SEMESTER 1/20192020 | VOLUME 2.1

DATA GENERATED BY A CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS

SITE INVES. Soils can be classified under five main headings:

Information provided by a site
investigation includes :
1. The nature of the soil;
2. The thickness of the layers of
different types of soil at the test
location;
3. The strength of the soil;
4. The existence of contaminants in
the soil;
5. The degree of moisture present;
6. The existence of a water table;
7. The location of existing services.
1. Rocks, which include igneous rocks, limestones and
sandstones;
2. Cohesive soils, such as clays where constituent fine-grained
particles are closely integrated and stick together;
3. Non-cohesive soils, such as gravels and sands, whose strength
is largely dependent on the grading & closeness of the coarse-
grained particles;
4. Peat, which is decayed vegetable matter of low strength with
a high moisture and acidic content;
5. Made ground, which may contain waste of one kind or
another and can cause settlement problems.
Soils are defined in BS1377.

Other tests for designing high-

“Laboratory tests are carried out to characterise rise foundations are strength
and establish the variability of the ground, and to tests, compaction and
consolidation tests, seepage,
obtain design parameters. The tests include particle
and permeability tests (C4).
size distribution, Atterberg limits, organic content,
water content, and particle density (C3).” https://youtu.be/FW6zwozGU
ys

5. Details of the field exploration—that is, number of

SUBSOIL EXPLORATION
REPORT
1. A description of the scope of the investigation
2. A description of the proposed structure for
which the subsoil exploration has been
conducted
3. A description of the location of the site,
including any structures nearby, drainage
conditions, the nature of vegetation on the site
and surrounding it, and any other features
unique to the site
4. A description of the geological setting of the site 9. Conclusions and limitations of the investigations
borings, depths of borings, types of borings involved,
and so on
6. A general description of the subsoil conditions, as
determined from soil specimens and from related
laboratory tests, standard penetration resistance and
cone penetration resistance, and soon
7. A description of the water-table conditions
8. Re commendations regarding the foundation,
including the type of foundation recommended, the
allowable hearing pressure, and any special
construction procedure that may he needed;
alternative foundation design procedures should also
be discussed in this portion of the report
WEEK 2 | SEMESTER 1/20192020 | VOLUME 2.1

SETTING UP THE SITE SETTING OUT

The contractor then moves into the site
upon award of a contract. Site layout
planning is crucial as the positioning of
certain elements such as
accommodation & storage facilities
within the site boundaries allow the
building work to commence. Site layout
planning on open ground posses less
problems compared to restricted sites
(eg. in city center).
It is necessary to set out the building(s) and to establish a point of
known level on the site which can be used to determine floor and
drain invert levels. The basis for the levelling operations will be the
nearest ordinance bench mark. Levels are transferred from the
ordinance bench mark (OBM) to the building site using a dumpy,
tilting or automatic level, and levelling staff.
A temporary bench mark is established at each change of instrument
on a permanent fied point such as a road kerb or top of a boundary
wall, and marked with a marker and detailed in the level book. Flying
levels are then taken back to OBM to check the accuracy of the
levelling operation. Approaches to temporary bench mark on the site
are sight rails & boning rods, and straight edge & spirit level.

https://youtu.be/GrKgSRtSDPs
“Watch the video links provided and create
The building line which
the procedure for setting out the site. Some demarctes the outer face of
information: board 2500x150x25mm, peg 50x the front wall of the building is
50mm, plumbs, spirit level, measuring tape.” established.
https://youtu.be/kgOEeSBiefU
https://youtu.be/7dN3Iku0Bns

https://youtu.be/7H6lGwdTK6
U

Issues related to site layout planning are access,

storage, accomodation, temporary services,
protection of the boundary of the site health &
safety, and storage. A proposed six-storey steel
frame building includes one main core that will be
the position of the new staircases and lift shafts. List
the items required for site setting up, and draw the
site layout.
WEEK 2 | SEMESTER 1/20192020 | VOLUME 2.1
Reasons that may be considered:
o The temporary access is required
because the smaller road is not
suitable for larger lorries.
o The proposed car park is being used
for all facilities & storage, and this
can simply be finished on
completion of works.
o Site management accommodation
is near to the site entrance so that
the site management can clearly
see all the deliveries & visitors to the
site.
“With reference to SMM, list the preliminaries
work for a new project”
o The secure storage is kept as close to the management offices as
possible.
o The area near the site entrance is kept as clear as possible to allow
lorries to turn.
o The concrete pump is positioned within the building site in central
location to ensure maximum speed delivery to all parts of the
building with the minimum number of pump extensions.
o The heavy materials are stored under the turning circle of the
crane to prevent double handling of materials that are hard to
move.
o All accommodation is kept away from the turning radius of crane
to avoid accidents that can be caused from materials falling off
the crane.
o The operative accommodation can be located outside the site
boundary, however should be within reach to the area of work.
https://youtu.be/GrKgSRtSDPs
The building line which
demarctes the outer face of
the front wall of the building is
established.
https://youtu.be/kgOEeSBiefU
https://youtu.be/7dN3Iku0Bns
https://youtu.be/7H6lGwdTK6
U
References:
1. Seeley, I.H. (1995). Building Technology 5th Edition.
Palgrave Macmillan: England.
2. Charles, J.A. (2005). Geotechnics for Building
Professional. BRE Bookshop: England.
3. Osbourn, D. and Greeno, R.(2007). Mitchell’s
Introduction to Building. Pearson Education Ltd:
England.
4. Riley, M. and Cotgrave, A. (2008). Construction
Technology I: House Construction 2nd Edition.
Palgrave Macmillan: England.
5. https://www.rsa-geotechnics.co.uk/site-
investigation/
6. https://slideplayer.com/slide/1443432/
7. Fleming, E. (2007). Construction Technology: An
Illustrated Introduction. Blackwell Publishing:
England.