Methods and Techniques Used in Civil Engineering Activities

This article discusses the methods and techniques used in civil engineering activities such as constructing complex foundations, drainage works, culverts, and utilities. It also covers the hazards associated with civil engineering activities, the role of the planning supervisor, solutions to civil engineering problems, and safety plans for problems arising from civil engineering activities.

HNCB 033 CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
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LO2. Understand the methods and techniques used to create substructures
2.2 Describe methods of constructing complex foundations
Complex Foundation system
Grillage Foundation
Grillage foundation refers to that kind of the foundation which consists of one or two tiers made
from the rolled steel or the wooden section space that is filled with the concrete. The key aim of
this kind of the foundation is to ensure that the load is spread over the horizontal area that is
large at the base location of the structure. The grillage foundation can either be made from the
timber or be made from the steel(Aminbakhsh, Gunduz and Sonmez 2013).
Methods of construction of the steel grillage foundation
In the process of the construction of the steel grillage foundation, a trench is excavated as per the
calculations of the width which is approximately 0.90m to about 1.50m deep. The trench bottom
is then rammed and trenched. A layer of the cement concrete that is considered lean of the
properties 1:8:16 and of about 30cm thickness is laid and then made compact(Węgrzyński and
Sulik 2016).
After this particular process is completed, a layer of the rich cement concrete of the properties of
1:2:4 and of the thickness 15cm thick is spread uniformly and then made compact so as to help in
the formation of the concrete bed. After the concrete bed has been properly laid, the bottom tier
which is made up of the number of the steel I-beam of the dimensions that are designed are put at
the known distances apart with the help of the space bar. The existing spaces between and also
around the beam of the steel is then filled with concrete of the cement.

On the second tier, should there be a need, a second layer of the steel I- beams are placed. The
whole place is filled with the cement concrete 1:2:4.
2.3 Illustrate construction methods used in drainage works, culverts and utilities
The materials that are needed for the construction of the culverts and the drainage include the
following;
 The small tools
 Concrete
 The rubble of 6" X 9"
Also, the main equipment that is utilized for the cases of the construction are :
 The vibrating rammers
 Instruments for the leveling
 Concrete vibrator among others
Procedure and the methods
The excavation for the construction of the halve culvert will be done through the arrangement of
the signboards in accordance with the road construction manual for the traffic control. The
qualified engineer is normally expected to perform the exercise of the inspection and approval.
She/he may recommend the soft ground treatment after considering its necessity.
There will be the preparation of the bed while maintaining the level that is required as per the
drawing of the original plan that had been approved by the engineer. The engineer will then be
expected to inspect and approve the location.

After the bed has been approved, the screed concrete will then be put followed by abutments
commonly called 6" x 9" rubble wall, parapet wall, deck concrete and finally the finishing work
will be carried out effectively(Lindeburg 2015).
The traffic will be diverted to the finished semi- part of the culvert and after all the traffic boards
have been arranged and other relevant arrangements, the other section of the construction will be
started and worked on as had been prescribed before.
LO3. Understand the methods and techniques used to create superstructures
3.1 Discuss appropriate construction methods
Steel Framing
The use of steel for the construction can be traced back to the 19 century. It is commonly used
for commercial structures. There are basically two types of steel that are known so far. These are
cold-formed and Hot-rolled. The production of the hot-rolled steel is guided by strong heat
within the industries. The columns and the beams that are produced are actually very strong and
also thick. This steel type is the one that is commonly used in the construction of the commercial
building. They are sparingly used in the high-end residential projects that possess very large
spans that need additional strength of the I- beams(Awad, Aravinthan, Zhuge and Gonzalez
2012).
The cold-formed steel which is commonly referred to as the light gauge steel is very strong. It
has the advantage of being able to be formed into much thinner pieces. It is possible to fold the
cold-formed steel. The building of the steel-framed homes includes the individual steel beam
being assembled on the site one by one so as to form the skeleton of the structure. There is

greater flexibility in the process of the design process as compared to the platform frames. The
use of the steel allows for the larger spacing between the larger open spans and the vertical studs
Figure 1: Steel framing(Feng et al 2012)
Concrete
The application of the concrete is in the commercial building and the projects of the civil
engineering. It is, however, less commonly used in the projects of civil engineering. The nature
of the strength of the concrete implies that it can effectively support great deals of the weight in
the cases where it is reinforced with the steel bars.
Engineering Wood Products
The engineered wood products refer to those materials that are manufactured through the process
of binding the fibers, veneer, and particles of wood together. The binding process is achieved by
the use of the adhesives before they are used in the framed home construction. The commonly
used and applied include the plywood as well as the OSB the EWPs are normally utilized in the

form of the engineering posts and also beams. Some of these beams are stronger than the beams
cut from the timber. The other commonly known form of the EWPs is called the structural
insulated panels. These are used to cover the inner homes framing. Their size and the strength
can possibly provide benefits over the other available materials.
Stick framing using wood
It is also known as the platform framing. It employs the use of the individual pieces of the
dimensional lumber. In this particular building method, the first component to be considered is
called foundation. This is then followed by the walls of the first level of the structure to be
created then an additional platform for the second story floor. The walls of the second floor
generate their support from the second platform. The framing of the platform requires studs of
2x4s that are supposed to be placed every 12, 16 or 24 inches in the process of making up the
wall.
3.2 Explain the use of falsework and formwork in reinforced concrete structures
The building of the concrete structures requires that formwork is used to support the slabs. This
is in the case of the horizontal formwork. The same principle is equally applied in the cases of
the columns and the walls(vertical formwork). The formwork refers to the contact surface and
the backing of the structure that is needed to hold the fresh concrete up to the time it can
effectively support itself. In the cases where the component is not removed after the construction,
it will be referred to as the permanent formwork. In the event that it needs extra support from the
falsework. The formwork serves to mold the concrete to the shape that is desired and assists in
the control of the alignment and the alignment(Berke, Bentur and Diamond 2014).
LO4. Understand the hazards associated with civil engineering activities

4.1 Assess hazards from civil engineering activities
The commonly known risks and the hazards in the construction include the following
Electricity-It is normally considered very harmful to be exposed to the live parts of the electrical
components. Harm can possibly occur by touching of the live wire.
Figure 2: Electric circuit
The electric shocks normally cause the ladders to fall.
Asbestos-Asbestos basically refers to the set of the fibrous minerals that exist naturally. The
damage to the materials containing asbestos releases these fibers to the air. Inhaling them causes
serious illness like lung cancer. The presence of the asbestos material should be communicated
to the workers and be trained on how to handle it.

Trenches that are collapsing-This is a common occurrence where the trenches collapse with the
workers inside. The precaution for the collapse should be considered before any task begins on
the site. The trenches should be properly secured.
Manual handling of the materials-Manual handling of the material has some degree of risk and
workers should be trained on the manual material handling.
Figure 3: Handling of material manually
Noise-The construction sites are generally noisy and the workers should be provided with the
PPEs

Figure 4: Use of the PPEs(Feng et al 2012).
Hand-arm vibration syndrome
Moving objects-Moving and also falling objects like the building blocks can potentially cause
damages and deaths. Use of PPEs and extra training is very important as well.
Falls, trips, and slips-This also result in serious injuries and also deaths. Proper footwear should
be encouraged to control these effects.
Airborne materials and fibres-There is the production of a lot of dust in the construction site.
The dust may be a mixture of other toxic particles that are hazardous that can possibly damage
the lungs. The protective equipment should be used.
Working height-Most of the deaths on the construction sites results from the falling of
individuals from the construction sites. This should be properly supervised and also be avoided
as much as possible.
4.2 Explain the legal framework of health, safety and welfare and the requirements of the
CDM Regulations

Health and Safety at work –Act 1974
The act generally highlights the requirements for the health and also the safety of all those who
are involved in the work (Qi 2012). This includes the employees, employers and also the self-
employed and finally the suppliers. The act enforces the CDM regulations that require all the
employers to;
 Perform an exercise of the risk assessment to the safety and the risk of their employees
 Make an arrangement that are considered appropriate for the implementation of any
protective and also preventive measures that have been identified in the assessment of the
risks.
 Conduction of the appropriate surveillance as appropriate in regard to the employees’
health and also safety
 Appointment of one or more person considered competent in assisting the undertaking
measures
 Provision of the information that is considered relevant to the employees.
 The employees are as well task with the responsibilities like compulsory use of the PPEs.
4.3 Evaluate the role of the planning supervisor in civil engineering activities
The planning supervisor has the primary role of ensuring that safety and health aspect is properly
coordinated in the initial stages to ensure that:
 The designers have strictly followed their recommended duties which are basically risk
avoidance and reduction
 There is proper coordination between the workers especially the designers for the purpose
of the safety and health

 Health and safety plan is put in place prior to the arrangement for the appointment of the
contractor.
 The project is properly notified to the executives of the safety and health
 Proper preparation of the safety and health file and subsequent delivery to the client at the
end of the construction project.
.
LO5. Be able to solve problems associated with civil engineering activities
The appropriate solution to civil engineering problems.
The design of the solution of the civil engineering problem has the following steps.
5.1 Design appropriate solutions to civil engineering problems
In this particular stage, the developers of the infrastructure just need to properly identify the
concerned stakeholders. This is because the solutions must be confined within the community
involved(Phoon 2014).
Definition of the problems that are faced by the stakeholders
This basically involves divergent thinking to assist in the generation of the list of the problem
that is encountered by the stakeholders(Waltham 2014)
Gathering of the relevant information to the problem that is pressing
This is the fact-finding mission. As a result, new ideas are generated(Zhang, Teizer, Lee,
Eastman and Venugopal 2013).

Acceptance of the preferred solution and implementation
After consideration of all the viable solution by the stakeholders and the developers, the
preferred solution is chosen and implemented to effectively solve the problem.
5.2 Produce safety plans for problems arising from civil engineering activities
 The site that is not properly planned and also untidy normally causes accidents. This
normally results in the collision of the workers and falling of the materials. The proper
management of the site of the construction is thus considered key to safety.
 Use of the Personal Protective Equipment
 The use of the PPEs including the gloves and the gumboots helps to prevent injuries and
damages. Use of the caps helps to protect the head. Nose masks prevent the inhaling of
the dust particles.
 Availability of the First Aid kits and reporting of the accidents
 The construction sites must be provided with the first aid kits
 Provision of health and warning signs. This may involve the use of the illuminated signs,
spoken communication and marking of the pipework containing hot liquids(Möller and
Beer 2013).

REFERENCES
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