Civil Engineering Technology: Earthworks, Substructures, and Safety

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UNIT 18: Civil Engineering Technology

Table of Contents
Introduction.......................................................................................................................4
LO1 Explain the methods and techniques used in civil engineering for earthworks and
substructures.....................................................................................................................5
P1 Discuss earthworks activities, equipment, and techniques.....................................................5
P2 Describe methods and techniques used to create complex foundations, piling works and
drainage works..........................................................................................................................8
P3 Describe methods and techniques used in culvert construction, underpass construction and
provision for utilities................................................................................................................10
M1 Analyse methods and techniques used in large complex earthmoving operations and deep
excavations..............................................................................................................................13
LO2 Present a safety plan risk assessment and method statement for a given civil
engineering activity.........................................................................................................15
P4 Identify the hazards, risks and safety arrangements for excavations, working in confined
spaces, working on structures and for working within temporary works on highways..............15
P5 Develop and present a site safety plan, risk assessments and method statements for a given
civil engineering activity...........................................................................................................16
M2 Discuss health and safety legislation and codes of practice related to civil engineering sites.
................................................................................................................................................16
LO3 Evaluate a given civil engineering problem and propose a solution...........................18
P6 Evaluate the environmental, quality, geotechnical and economic contexts of given civil
engineering problems...............................................................................................................18
P7 Propose a solution to given civil engineering problems........................................................18
M3 Illustrate how the environmental, geotechnical, quality and economic contexts of a problem
are addressed through a proposal............................................................................................18
LO4 Prepare a design proposal for a new infrastructure project.......................................19
P8 Describe the methods and techniques used in highway design............................................19
P9 Develop a civil engineering design proposal for a new infrastructure project.......................20

M4 Analyse methods and techniques used to create bridge foundations, flexible highway
construction foundation criteria and related geotechnical parameters.....................................20
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................22
Reference List..................................................................................................................23
Table of Figures
Figure 1 – Backhoe loader.........................................................................................................6
Figure 2 – Motor Grader............................................................................................................6
Figure 3 – Crawler Loaders.......................................................................................................7
Figure 4 – Dump Trucks............................................................................................................7
Figure 5 – Open trench foundation............................................................................................8
Figure 6 – Raft foundation.........................................................................................................9
Figure 7 – Inverted arch foundation...........................................................................................9
Figure 8 – Pile Foundation.......................................................................................................10
Figure 9 – Pipe arch culvert.....................................................................................................11
Figure 10 – Bridge Culvert......................................................................................................11
Figure 11 – Arch culvert..........................................................................................................11
Figure 12 – Pipe culvert...........................................................................................................12
Figure 13 – Precast concrete units...........................................................................................12

Introduction
Civil engineering is the filed which dealt with the building and construction of infrastructure
and its study. Civil engineering covers all the aspect and laws of building and construction.
Here analyzing materials required for construction, tools for road building and even the laws
and environmental aspects of building bridges and roads.
This unit will look into several aspects of where we took into consideration a case study
related to industrial building and bridge construction. After studying this unit one would be
able to understand clearly about safety norms at the construction site, methods that are
required in laying the foundation, environmental effects and many more.

LO1 Explain the methods and techniques used in civil engineering for
earthworks and substructures.
P1 Discuss earthworks activities, equipment, and techniques.
The process of excavating the soil, transport to the other place and placing it is called
Earthwork.
Major and the most important material being used for construction is of soil. The soil is being
deployed for constructing embankment, roads, earthen dam, etc. Every construction of any
type of construction is done over land and land contains soil. So construction activities
require the used soil in one or other form and engineers are thus required to use it. The
method to excavate soil from land using tools and pieces of machinery and transporting and
settling to another site is known or called as Earthworks
Earthworks activity
The main activity that happens in the earthworks process are –
a) Soil shifting and soil excavation.
b) Soil unloading, transporting and loading.
c) Soil compaction and placing.
(NPTEL and IIT Guwahati, 2010)
Earthwork equipment’s
Earthwork equipment is the construction tools that are used for heavy moving of soil and
excavating and leveling of ground for the construction purpose. Some of this equipment is as
follows –
a) Backhoe Loaders
Backhoe loaders are the devices which comprise of the bucket in the back and a shovel
for digging holes

Figure 1 – Backhoe Loader
Available at: http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/Caterpillar/CM20170613-51122-33638?$cc-g$
b) Motor Graders
Motor graders are equipment that is deployed for transporting smaller soil type and fine
grading of rocks.
Figure 2 – Motor Grader
Available at: https://cdn.forconstructionpros.com/files/base/acbm/fcp/image/2016/07/16x9/960w/
Cat_14M3_Motor_Grader3.579b9d1e96b43.jpg
c) Crawler Loaders
Crawler loaders are the machines that are in between backhoe loader and an excavator.
They are generally used for moving a small amount of debris. They are best suitable for
loading debris into trucks for transportation.

Figure 3 – Crawler Loaders
Available at: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_4O4cZSu3vM/hqdefault.jpg
d) Dump Trucks
Dump trucks are used to move a large quantity of construction material. They are most
needed amenity over larger construction sites where moving large quantities materials are
impossible without dump trucks.
Figure 4 – Dump Trucks
Available at: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/omCDE64AveU/maxresdefault.jpg
(Rodriguez, 2018)
Earthmoving Techniques
Earthmoving techniques are those that help engineers to accomplish large scaled task easily
like moving of soil from one place to another to get the desired results like leveling, density,
etc. Some of these techniques are –
a) Compacting
b) Loading
c) Finishing

d) Excavating
e) Spreading and dumping
f) Grading
g) Hauling
P2 Describe methods and techniques used to create complex foundations, piling
works and drainage works.
Methods and techniques used for complex foundations
There is numerous type of foundation that is being used for the construction of buildings.
Different types of foundations are –
a) Open Trench Foundation or Spread Foundation
These foundations are laid by increasing area of foundation at the structure area are called
as spread foundations.
Figure 5 – Open trench foundation
Available at: https://www.kanapipeline.com/images/assets_c/2010/10/Open%20Sewer%20Trench-thumb-640x480-
160.jpg
b) Raft Foundation
The foundation that are covered with a huge and thick sheet of concrete and steel slab is
known as raft foundation.

Figure 6 – Raft foundation
Available at: https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project_images/rafts/raft-foundation.jpg
c) Inverted arch foundation
This foundation is laid in the form of inverted arches at the base of the structure so that
the load is transferred into the soil are known as an inverted arch foundation.
Figure 7 – the Inverted arch foundation
Available at: http://oldstructures.nyc/wp-content/images/2017/10/IMG_2736-300x139.jpg
d) Deep foundations
The foundation that is laid to construct large structures need for an artificial type of
foundation. These foundations are developed by using a layer of piles or wells for their
foundation.
Deep foundation types are Well foundation, Pile Foundation, Caisson Foundation.

Pile Foundation
Pile foundation is a deep foundation type category in which the foundation is laid by the use
of piling or grillage is called a pile foundation. Pile foundation is created where the support
by land is weak and shallow.
Figure 8 – Pile Foundation
Available at: https://civildigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/pile-foundation-design.jpg
(Jamal, 2017)
P3 Describe methods and techniques used in culvert construction, underpass
construction and provision for utilities.
Culvert technology is defined as the construction technology being used to construct tunnels
under other structures like railway tracks or roadways in order to facilitate to take cables from
one end to other, providing for drainage. These structure of culvert is totally enclosed within
land or soil. Some of the culvert structures used within rail tracks and road are an arch
culvert, pipe culvert, and box culvert.
Pipe arch Culvert

Pipe arch culvert is being made by the use of half pipes structure which allows the water to
flow from under it. Water in large quantities could flow under it maintaining that the water
flowing speed should be stable.
Figure 9 – Pipe arch culvert
Available at: https://theconstructor.org/construction/types-of-culverts-material-construction/12926/
Bridge Culvert
Being mainly used to construct a road or railway bridges above flowing rivers or canals so
that vehicles or trains could pass over it. This type of culvert needs its foundation to be laid
under the ground. Here pavement is laid on top of the culvert series being laid. Bridge culvert
is the same as box culvert if it doesn't require the artificial floor.
Figure 10 – Bridge Culvert
Available at: https://theconstructor.org/construction/types-of-culverts-material-construction/12926/
Arch culvert
The arch culvert is the same as pipe arch culvert but the difference here is that here an
artificial floor is present at the base. It application lies in the usage of the narrow passage.
The whole structure consisting of both the arches and the floor is concrete made.

Figure 11 – Arch culvert
Available at: https://theconstructor.org/construction/types-of-culverts-material-construction/12926/
Pipe culvert
Pipe culvert is the most common culvert techniques being used. The culvert number present
may be one or more than one based upon the requirement. Based upon the requirement the
diameter for archers is defined based upon the requirement if there is to be only one arch
used.
Figure 12 – Pipe culvert
Available at: https://theconstructor.org/construction/types-of-culverts-material-construction/12926/
(Anupoju, 2018)
There, in general, lies basically 3 methods for the construction of the underpass. That is –
Precast concrete units
Precast units are the readymade individual units of concrete that could be used over the site
like complete box structure, segments of portal frame, separate walls, roof units, and open
structure ends.