Civil Engineering Is Discipline In Science

Construction Management 1
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Name of student
Institution
Date
Location

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Introduction
By definition, civil engineering is a discipline in science based on the design and
maintenance of the environment through structures (Allen and Iano, 2019). It is based on the
various activities which aim to achieve the construction of the structures. In this technical report,
the intention is to look at a case study of a construction project scenario and provide a succinct
analysis of the various activities which are undertaken for the given project. Basically, the areas
which are covered include methods and techniques applied for the substructures and earthworks
as well as a safety plan risk assessment.
Project brief
You have been appointed to prepare an initial conceptual design and implementation
report on an Industrial complex (1km by 1km) near a couple of near-parallel expressway
highways 12km apart that both link the megacity of London to an international airport in the
outskirts of London, Heathrow to be specific. The site of this complex is separated from one of
the express highways by a large fast-flowing River that flows parallel to these highways and
finally finds its way into the River Thames.This River which is about 20m wide lies in the middle
(that is midway) of the 4-kilometer land space between the chosen Industrial complex site and
one of the two expressways.
Earthworks, equipment’s and techniques
There are various activities that are conducted during the construction of civil works. One
of those activities is known as earthworks activities. From various literature, the earthwork
activities are based on the processing of the surface of the earth by the utilization of vast amounts
of rock or soil. It begins by a consideration into a suitable land to evacuate the appropriate land,
through guidance of the system based application (Amini et al., 2012). The excavation process is

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related to systematic planning which creates a suitable investigation structure based on the
suitable work formation structure with detailed procedures. The idea behind the earthwork
activities is to make the land into a preferred condition for the construction of buildings and
industrial centers near an express highway (Bahr, 2018).
Excavation and earth moving equipment
To begin the construction process, it is essential to conduct an excavation of the land to
make it suitable or the construction process. The process of excavation, as well as earthmoving,
depends on the various types of equipment that are utilized for the process. Excavation helps in
developing a solid foundation for the construction of the industrial facilities
Below are some of the suitable tools and equipment’s for the execution of the task
 Bulldozer- a bulldozer helps in the fragmentation of the soil into desirable particles as
well as maintenance of a successful tracking. The bulldozer is attached to hydraulic
equipment to help in the process of the breakdown (Code, 2018).
 Dragline- this equipment’s is essential in achieving a bulk excavation process as it have
great control over the process
 Dump truck- the truck is significant in the transfer of materials from different spots while
undertaking the exaction process.
Techniques for the creation of complex foundations, pilling drainage works
The various methods for the creation of foundations, pilling and drainage works are based
on the various construction foundations which are designed. The various procedures undertaken
to achieve the above activities include;
An investigation of the soil under which the construction is to take place
 Location of the various foundation corners (Cooke and Williams, 2013)

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 Installation of footing
 Sealing of the footing to eradicate moisture
 Poring of concrete mixture
 Sealing to help in the treatment of the foundation
Shallow foundations
These are foundations that do not go deep into the soil. They are available on the first
strata hard soil. They are of different types namely; grillage foundations, steeped foundations,
spread footing foundations, raft foundations, and inverted arch foundations. Since the foundation
of the industrial facilities is to be mostly made of steel and RCC, the most suitable foundation is
the steel grillage foundation (Couldry and Hepp, 2018).
Method
I. Excavation of trench 1.50 m deep, after which ramming and leveling done
II. This is followed by a cement concrete being laid about 30 cm thick and then compacted
III. The layers of steel are then laid with beams designed at distances apart.
IV. Another concrete layer is added and then finally the entire region is covered with
concrete.
Techniques for culvert, underpass construction and provision of utilities
There are a number of techniques for achieving the construction of underpass and culvert
as well as the provision of facilities. These methods vary according to the tools and equipment
which are applied in the construction. For the construction of culvert; a half culvert will first be
construction which begins y the process of excavation (Darus, 2014). Based on the original
drawing by the engineer, the bed of the culvert shall be prepared at various levels. This will be

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followed by the placement of a screed concrete along the wall as well as conducting the finishing
works and finally, a diversion of the traffic is made (Fouladgar et al., 2012).
In the case of underpass construction; the three primary techniques include; in situ
concrete- these are concrete which are prepared on-site, Precast concrete units- these are forms
of concrete which are prepared, cast and then cored offsite by the help of a controlled factory
environment. Thrust-bored units- which utilizes lubrication such as bentonite suspension.
In the case of utility provision; it is on the basis of the various services rendered to the
consumers. For instance, the supply utilities which are offered as developers and home builders
(Fulk and Connie, 2017).
Methods for complex earthmoving
There are a number of techniques that are applied for the complex earth moving. These
methods include:
 Loading; this process is meant to transport the pile of earth materials that have been piled.
The various equipment which helps in achieving this include excavator, backhoe loaders,
skid steer loaders, bulldozers, trenches, and wheel loaders.
 Hauling; this refers to the movement of heavy loads as well as fleet from one station to
the other. Some equipment which aids in this are cranes, bulldozers, dump trucks and
forklifts (Halpin and Lucko, 2017).
 Utilization of the deep excavation methods, which also assists in achieving the desired
quality. For instance; full open-cut method, bracing excavation method, as well as
anchored excavation method.
Techniques to deal with ground and slope stability

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One of the most important things to ensure while undertaking any construction process is
to maintain the ground and slope stability. The various methods available for ensuring that the
ground stability is intact include; effective control and maintenance of the seepage forces,
reduction of the various driving forces which are likely to weaken the soil ( for instance through
the installation of anchors, use of electroosmosis, thermal treatment, chemical treatment,
installation of piles, as well as the use of buttress) and creating an imbalance of the ground
surface, there is also conducting drainage which are based on the construction of vertical drains,
deep wells, drainage galleries, sub horizontal drains, relief trenches, and inceptor trench drains.
Some of the steps to be undertaken to achieve this is mentioned below (Jaccard and Jacoby,
2019).
 Variation of the slope geometry
 Control and regulation of the surface water
 Regulation of the internal seepage
 Provision of water retention in order to enhance the resisting forces (Kelly et al., 2014).
Further, it is thus essential to determine the safety factor before undertaking the
construction. The safety factor is defined as the ratio of the resisting moments to the driving
moments about a particular point. For instance; Cullman method, which is a technique for the
determination of the slope stability with regards to the assumption of plane surface failure.

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Lo2: Manage a project within agreed timescales and specification,
documenting the process throughout
It has been established that there are various risks and hazards which are associated with
the construction of various facilities. For the construction of this industrial part, a number of
activities will be involved, and it's the particular activities which promote the hazards and risk.
Some of the available risks and hazards include; falls from working height, breakdown of weak
surfaces, falling objects from, accidents from moving objects such as cranes and bulldozers
(Keshavarz et al., 2015).
Hazards and risks
Risk hazard Safety arrangement
Working at
heights
The grounds might be slippery hence
resulting in falls. Also, misuse of
equipment or human error can result
in falls
Implementing safety procedures, use
of the appropriate PPE, installation of
guard rails as well as the use of the
correct equipment.
Collapse Collapse occurs at any stage, more so
during excavation as well as
uncovered surfaces which might lead
to grave injuries or death
Implementation of protective systems
such as guard rails, as well as use of
appropriate PPE (Kibert, 2016).
Moving
vehicles and
objects
These are likely to results in accidents
and nocks from the moving objects
that are likely to lead to death or
injuries
Barricading some of the delicate
zones, as well as incorporation of
various safety plant features
Electricity Open wires are likely to cause
electrocution when exposed carelessly
Handling of electrical activities by
qualified technicians, use of electrical

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or handle by unqualified staff. safety signs, also ensuring that the
electrical connections are done
appropriately and any open-wire be
covered (Levin, 2016).
Manual
handling
Most of the activities involve the
handling of a system by manual
hands, which are likely to cause injury
when not properly handled (Li et al.,
2014).
To eliminate such risks it is required to
undertake a risk assessment as well as
the introduction of various required
protocols to be adhered to while
handling the equipment’s manually
Also, correct use of PPE should be
encouraged.
Harmful
materials
Harmful materials such as paints,
asbestos, as well as other solvents
pose great respiratory problems to the
users
Use of the correct PPE while handling
such materials helps in reducing their
level of harm, as well as strict
adherence to the established protocols
while handling the materials (McLeod
and Chaffee, 2017).
Noise There is a lot of noise that emanates
from the excavation process as well as
other activities within the industrial
park construction facility which
potentially can result in hearing
impairment (Monahan and Powell,
Use of the correct PPE while handling
such materials helps in reducing their
level of harm, as well as strict
adherence to the established protocols
while handling the materials.

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2011).

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Safety plan, risk assessments, and method statements
Safety plan
A safety plan details the various procedures, rules, and regulations which are put into
place in order to offer protection to the workers while going about the various construction
activities. Majorly, the various response plans for various safety incidents are outlined as well as
the emergency operations. Taking an instance of the activity of electrical installation, some of the
minimums for the safety plan includes (Perlman et al., 2014).
 Responsibilities and chain of command- the main person responsible for the electrical
installation is the technician. In case the technician is not around, an assistant technician
can take up the responsibility. First aid services should be available on the site to help
those who might have been electrocuted.
 Medical response- various medical services and first aid services shall be available to
help an injured person (Phares et al., 2012)
 Inspections- there shall be frequent maintenance of the main consumer unit to ensure that
there is no misconnection
 Communication- inspection shall be through the chief technician, to the site engineer and
then to the chief engineer
 Safety gear- safety boots, safety clothing’s as well as hand gloves shall be provided
(Rausand, 2013).
Risk assessment
Risk assessment is the process of identifying the various risk and hazards and then
quantifying them based on the level of risk. For instance, considering the various risk available
in the construction of the industrial park, the table below illustrates the assessment

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Risk hazard Safety arrangement Risk
rating
Working at
heights
The grounds might be slippery
hence resulting in falls. Also,
misuse of equipment or human
error can result in falls
Implementing safety procedures,
use of the appropriate PPE,
installation of guard rails as well as
use of the correct equipment
(Seidman et al., 2016).
H
Collapse Collapse occurs at any stage,
more so during excavation as
well as uncovered surfaces
which might lead to grave
injuries or death
Implementation of protective
systems such as guard rails, as well
as use of appropriate PPE.
M
Moving
vehicles
and objects
These are likely to result in
accidents and nocks from the
moving objects that are likely
to lead to death or injuries
Barricading some of the delicate
zones, as well as incorporation of
various safety plant features
H
Electricity Open wires are likely to cause
electrocution when exposed
carelessly or handle by
unqualified staff.
Handling of electrical activities by
qualified technicians, use of
electrical safety signs, also ensuring
that the electrical connections are
done appropriately and any open-
wire be covered (Smith et al., 2014).
M
Manual
handling
Most of the activities involve
the handling of system by
To eliminate such risks it is required
to undertake a risk assessment as
H

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manual hands, which are likely
to cause injury when not
properly handled (Tulenheimo,
2015).
well as the introduction of various
required protocols to be adhered to
while handling the equipment’s
manually
Also, correct use of PPE should be
encouraged.
Harmful
materials
Harmful materials such as
paints, asbestos, as well as
other solvents pose great
respiratory problems to the
users
Use of the correct PPE while
handling such materials helps in
reducing their level of harm, as well
as strict adherence to the established
protocols while handling the
materials (Valdes-Vasquez and
Klotz, 2013).
L
Noise There is a lot of noise that
emanates from the excavation
process as well as other
activities within the industrial
park construction facility which
potentially can result in hearing
impairment.
Use of the correct PPE while
handling such materials helps in
reducing their level of harm, as well
as strict adherence to the established
protocols while handling the
materials (Vorster and Gräbe,
2013).
H

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Method statement
The assessment of multiple risks helps in the mitigation of most of the possible
occurrences which might have occurred. It not only mitigates the risk but helps in the long term
management of the project. The project management team needs to assess the project plan to also
help in proper project team building (Yücenur and Demirel, 2012).
Health & Safety legislation and codes of practice related to civil engineering sites
Civil engineering sites is associate with a number of activities, and essentially, various
codes of practice help to bring in some form of order in the implementation of the various tasks.
Additionally, occupational health and safety programs significantly incorporate a number of
provision ranging from noise, electrical machinery, equipment, explosives as well as material
handling. The major topics under which the various codes revolve include; workplaces and
equipment, lifting appliances, construction equipment, electricity, concrete work, blasting,
excavations, work clothes, underground construction, hygiene and welfare, personal protective
equipment as well as medical supervision.
The approved legislation and codes of practice apply to every person in the construction
field, including the contractors, sub-contractors, supervisors, technicians, managers among other
persons within the construction facility.
Justification of site safety plan, risk assessments, and method statements
Construction site involves a number of activities ranging from the site assessment to the
final construction and inspection stage. These activities majorly involve the movement of objects
as well as persons every now, for instance; transportation of the piles, excavations works,
digging of trenches, placing of concrete among others. These tasks present a possibility of injury

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or rather risks to the workers, and thus, a plan, as well as a risk assessment, will help in
mitigating the issues and ensuring that the planned objective is met.
L3: Evaluate potential Project Management Solutions
Civil engineering primarily applies soil and rock mechanics. This insinuates that the
earth’s surface needs to be determined before any prior to any construction work. Nonetheless, a
number of issues are experienced, bringing the factor of environment, quality, economy, and
geology. Thus, strict monitoring if the place needs to be undertaken and with the advancement in
nanotechnology, various solutions have been proposed (Yücenur and Demirel, 2012). One major
challenge that still stands is the issue of climate change which is created by the utilization of
various conventional energy sources. In relation, the source to these issues include; wastes,
cement concentration, as well as lack of systematic planning of project and management of toxic
materials. Thus, to provide a detailed analysis of the four contests, we will look into them on
separate grounds
Environmental contest
Since the adoption of industrial revolution, one challenge, which has affected the world, is the
amount of pollution that is emitted into the atmosphere. Pollution of the environment is related to
the emission of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which ends up depleting the
ozone layer. In the civil engineering sector, it becomes one major challenge, as most of the
equipment, which are utilized have to be run other mechanically or electromechanically. This
means in most instances they have to utilize fuel, which ends up causing environmental
pollution. However, to address this challenge, there is a need to develop alternative
methodologies of energy, and thus the emission of harmful gases shall be solved. One prefect

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way is to adopt the sustainable sources of energy such as solar, nuclear and wind energy, which
does not pollute the atmosphere.
Solution

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To address the challenge, one effective way is to turn to the renewable sources of energy. For
instance solar energy, wind energy and nuclear energy. These sources of energy does not emit
effluent gases into the atmosphere and thence they are best to address the issue.
Quality contest
One major challenge facing the civil engineering industry is the adoption of technology.
Numerous literature suggest that most business owners does not integrate the concept of
technology into construction, in spite of the knowledge of the various befits related to the
incorporation of technology into construction. With poor management techniques, the outcome
or rather the quality of the outcome is always affected. Hence the need to address the quality
aspect Yücenur and Demirel, 2012).
Proposal
There are number of applications, which can be of significance towards appropriate management
systems within the civil engineering field. An instance is the telematics, BIM, as well as other

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software applications has been applied in the past. There are emerging technologies such as
robots, 3d printing, AR, VR, the internet of things, as well as autonomous vehicles which can
greatly enhance the sector. The adoption of these not only improves the safety, but also ensures
that quality outcome is attained Yücenur and Demirel, 2012).
Geotechnical contest
When it comes to the geotechnical aspects, one greatest issue, which rings into the mind, is the
slopes, landslides and stabilization works. Most of the works in construction field are associated
to the digging of the earth in order to get the material for construction or at times to lay some
foundation for the construction works. The task requires through analysis of the geology of the
site, as in the past, instances have risen whereby generic slope failures are experienced resulting
from poor calculations. The aftermath is loss of lives as well as other detrimental fatalities. Some
instance is include; Hong Kong landslides, Scottish debris flows, among others. In other
instances, digging of the earth to acquire some materials necessitates for filling if proper
materials is not used to carry out the filling, it can become detrimental, hence a need to address
the geotechnical aspect (Yücenur and Demirel, 2012).
Proposal
Addressing the challenge of geotechnical contest requires thorough analysis of the geological
parameters of the site to some up with the appropriate methods of handling the site. There are a
number of tools, which are utilized to conduct the analysis, for instance SciPy, NumPy and
Matplotib. When these tools are effectively utilized, the challenges such as landslides are
addressed.
Economic contest

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A major challenge that affects the civil engineering sector is the stagnant productivity l levels.
Unlike other industries, the civil engineering sector has not registered significant improvement
over the last decades. While there are great miles conquered by other sectors such as
manufacturing and agriculture, the civil industry has been experiencing a stagnant response. This
is because of the measures, which are put into place, which does not factor the productive
aspects. The findings are disturbing, since a lot more complexity is brought into the construction
field. Some of the factors that have contributed to this include; lack of proper communication
between stakeholders, inadequate planning and scheduling, and lack of property time
management. The proposal below if adopted will likely results into an overturn of the current
situation.
Proposal
To address the issue of productivity, there are practices such lean construction practices and
design build methods, which incorporates a high level of collaboration and cooperation among
the key players. Additionally, there are techniques such as project management software and
building information modelling which when applied helps to appraise the economic aspects
(Yücenur and Demirel, 2012).
LO4 Produce a project report and deliver a presentation
of the final project outcome
Methods and the techniques used in highway design
Highway Construction Foundations
Highways are utilized on the daily basis. To construct the highways, there are
fundamental factors, which are involved including the manner in which it is to be designed, the
materials to be used, the time span for the construction phase as well as how long the road will

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be servicing its purpose. In consideration to these, there are five common methods of highway
design including;(Tulenheimo, 2015).
 Earth road method- this technique majorly is applied for the rural and semi-rural areas,
and the raw materials utilized for the construction is earth. Much skill is not required,
with the major equipment is utilized being rollers, and excavators. One major challenge is
that it cannot hold heavy traffic and it is prone to heavy weather conditions. The
equipment mostly applied are rollers and excavators, and strict soil stabilization needs to
be considered. To design an earth road, the first action is to clear the site, excavate and
then shape the subgrade (Tulenheimo, 2015).
 Gravel method- this is an advancement of the earth road and common in rural and semi-
rural a areas. The greatest advantage to this technique is that it does not get slippery when
it rains and as well not associated with dust. It is also associated with low maintenance
and construction costs.
 Bituminous road- in this road construction, the common material used for the road
construction is bitumen and it is the most preferred method because of great flexibility.
Its bottom is made thickest, with other top layers thinning. The greatest advantage of this
technique is that it acquires the shape of the load hence ability to hold heavy traffic
(Tulenheimo, 2015).
 Concrete road- in this technique, a mixture of asphalt and Portland cement is used for the
construction of the road and it is mostly found in the urban areas. These roads have the
ability to handle heavy traffic flow and are all weather roads. They have a life span of
over ten years with low maintenance costs.
Proposal Highway construction

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For the construction of the infrastructure access, the most suitable means is the utilization of the
concrete road. To construct a highway, one first needs to conduct a survey while putting into
consideration the available drainage facilities. A determination of the expected traffic, and then a
coating of the road with a mixture of asphalt and concrete will follow this. This will be followed
by paving using cement concrete and finally, pouring tar and macadam chip.
Analyze the methods and techniques used to create bridge foundations and flexible
Bridge construction techniques
 Cast-in-situ method- this method is used for the construction of unusual geometrical
shapes of dams as well as instances where the transportation of pre-fabricated elements is
not possible.
 Balanced Cantilever Method- this is utilized for bridge construction of a span of 50 to
250 meters, which is either precast or cast in place. It is the most suitable for the
construction of irregular lengths, long span length and cable-stayed bridges (Tulenheimo,
2015).
 Arch Method- it’s one of the most economical methods for the construction of bridges in
areas that are not easily accessible. It is among the modern methods and can be
constructed using pre-cast or concrete.
 Cable-Stayed Method- in this method, the bridge deck is lifted using cables from both
sides of the supporting tower and mostly used for bridges with a span of more than 300
meters (Tulenheimo, 2015).
Conclusion
Civil engineering revolves around a number of activities. A case study for the construction of an
industrial park has been provided an analysis done through the lenses of various activities

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undertaken in a construction project. From the findings, it is essential to take appropriate
measures in a construction site so as to avoid any injury or harm as there are multiple risks and
hazards associated with the field.

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