Civil Engineering Project: Earthworks, Foundations, Safety & Design

This report provides a comprehensive overview of civil engineering technology, focusing on earthworks, foundation construction, safety protocols, and highway design. It begins by discussing earthwork processes, equipment, and techniques used to prepare land for construction, including the use of scrapers, bulldozers, and power shovels. The report then details methods for creating complex foundations, piling works, and drainage systems, emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate techniques based on site conditions. It also covers culvert and underpass construction, highlighting the different methods and factors to consider. A significant portion of the report is dedicated to identifying hazards, risks, and safety arrangements for various construction activities, such as excavations and work on highways, and includes the development of a site safety plan with risk assessments and method statements. Furthermore, the report evaluates the environmental, quality, geotechnical, and economic context of civil engineering problems and proposes solutions, culminating in a description of highway design methods and a design proposal for a new infrastructure project. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a wide range of study tools and resources for students.

Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
P1. Using the scenario provided, discuss the earthworks, equipment and techniques...............3
P2 describe methods and techniques used to create complex foundations, pilling works, and
drainage works.............................................................................................................................6
P3 describe methods and techniques used in culvert construction, underpass construction and
provision for utilities....................................................................................................................8
LO2................................................................................................................................................10
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............10
P5 develop and present a site safety plan, risk assessment and method statements for a given
civil engineering activity...........................................................................................................12
LO3................................................................................................................................................14
P6 evaluate the environmental, quality, geotechnical and economic context of a given civil
engineering problem..................................................................................................................14
P7 propose a solution to a given civil engineering problem......................................................14
LO4................................................................................................................................................16
P8 describe methods and techniques used in highway design...................................................16
P9 develop a civil engineering design proposal for a new infrastructure project......................17
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................18

Figures
Figure 1: Different Equipment.........................................................................................................5
Figure 2: Pilling Work.....................................................................................................................7
Figure 3: Drainage System..............................................................................................................8
Figure 4: Pipe Culvert......................................................................................................................9
Figure 5: Underpass.......................................................................................................................10
Figure 6: Excavation Safety...........................................................................................................12
Figure 7: Safety sign and equipment.............................................................................................13
Figure 8: Highway section.............................................................................................................17

Introduction
This report will be made for understanding the basic concept of civil engineering technology and
the work done in civil engineering for construction. The report will be divided into four parts. In
this report, different earthwork activities and techniques will be specified. All the problems occur
in the field of construction will be specified in the report. Also, some solutions will be provided
for those problems. A scenario has been given in assignment, on which all the construction work
will be done. In the scenario, a client wants to design a highway so all the requirements,
specifications, etc., related to the highway are specified in the report.

LO1
P1. Using the scenario provided, discuss the earthworks, equipment and techniques
Earthwork is a process used in civil engineering for the purpose of constructing any kind of
building, landmark, highway, etc. In this process, the existing land is made excavated according
to the need of construction and designing requirement. The earthwork is done in such a way that
no harm is done the existing infrastructure and better design can be made according to the
requirement. In the given scenario, it has been stated that the client i.e., the investor wants to
make a plane surface near the Heathrow Airport of South England. It has been specified that
different earthwork equipment and techniques are needed for fulfilling the requirement. For
doing the earthwork, the unshaped soil and rock around the area of construction are made plane
by giving an accurate formation. For implementing earth work strategy, there are several
different kinds of civil engineering equipment that can be equipped for earthwork processing like
dump trucks, scrapers, rollers, backhoes, wheel loaders to load heavy substances, motor graders,
excavators, etc. All these equipment are used in construction and earthwork to make human
work easier and fast. They can be used for making a plain surface, or for digging land, or for
loading the materials.

Figure 1: Different Equipment
Equipment:
All the equipment have their own role and responsibility and purpose. Different equipment used
for a different purpose is as follows.
Scrappers: Scrappers are used for the purpose of removing the unwanted material like hard
rocks, stones, etc. from the surface of the earth. These are most commonly used in the industry of
construction as in this industry large work of removing unwanted materials has to be done.
Bulldozers: Bulldozers are used for shifting huge infrastructure. The equipment has largely
sized bladed at the front side which is handled by the hydraulic pistons.
Power Shovel: The most common equipment used in earthwork for loading and trenching
materials is power shovel. It is mostly used for cutting out earth materials.
Trenchers: Trenchers are used for holding and placing large materials like pipes onto their
surface.

Backhoe: Backhoe is a kind of mini tractors that have functionality similar to the tractors but
they are used in suburban areas. They are used for shifting materials from one place to another.
Techniques used in earthwork:
In the process of earthwork, the different techniques are mainly used for making the work easy
and functional. The work and major activities include in earthwork are:
 Stabilization of soil for slope
 Moving large materials and substances like a huge rock, unwanted soil, etc.
 Making the slopes flat
 Form smooth land surface
 Grading of land

P2 describe methods and techniques used to create complex foundations, pilling
works, and drainage works.
For the purpose of making complex foundations, different kind of methods and techniques can
be used. All the techniques have some kind of merits and demerits. The technique must be
chosen by analyzing all the requirements and purposes. There are two different kinds of
foundations, namely the shallow foundation and the deep foundation. It is very important to
analyze the scenario and then find out about the foundation that must have to be implemented.
The methods of the foundation are different for different requirements. Like there can be a
method that uses steel framing, the method that uses wood framing and products made by wood,
any other kind of platform framing. For the complex foundation, a three-dimensional volumetric
process of construction can be implemented.
Pilling Work:
For the designing point of view, pilling foundations are very integral part as it is the base of any
infrastructure. This process involves various different kind of methods of drive pilling like using
jacks, using vibrators, using weight droppers, etc. In the process of pilling using vibrators,
electrically powered hammers are used for pilling. While in the process of using a drop hammer
method a heavy hammer is dropped from a specific height for making the pile strike. It depends
on the type of soil for choosing the appropriate method for pilling work.
Figure 2: Pilling Work

Drainage System
The drainage system is a process that is important in the foundation for the purpose of removing
water from the drainage system. The system uses a different kind of drainages like the open
drainage system, blanket drainage system, closed drainage system, etc. It is based on the
requirement of the system for choosing the right drainage system. During the implementation of
the drainage system, different kind of methods can be used like the dewatering method, drainage
system based on foundations or any other kind of drainage system. The system is chosen
according to the type of soil and water holding capacity of the soil.
Figure 3: Drainage System

P3 describe methods and techniques used in culvert construction, underpass
construction and provision for utilities
From the given scenario, it can be stated that the for implementing complex foundation it is very
important to use culverts and underpasses that can help in stopping the water blockage during the
from the drainage system. Culverts are used for making the water to flow from one site to
another in a smooth and block-free way. It is kind of waterway that helps in making the water to
flow easily. The structure of the culverts can vary from small to medium to big according to the
kind of system and the amount of water flow. There are different kinds of forms in which
culverts can be used. They can be used in a different kind of structure like box structure, bridge
structure, arch structure or any other kind of culvert structure. The process followed in the
construction of culverts includes trenching, preparation of bed, placing the concrete to land and
at last making the diversion.
Figure 4: Pipe Culvert
Underpass: An underpass is an underground way for traffic passing that is constructed for the
purpose of reducing the on land traffic. For constructing an underpass several different kinds of
factors have to be analyzed like the tunnel length, water conditions, land and geographical
conditions, construction cost, etc. For constructing the underpass, there are three different
methods that can be implemented. The first method is the firm ground method, second is running
ground method and the third is a soft ground method. All these three methods are chosen
according to the type of ground on which underpass have to be constructed. Two different
support method are also used which are namely the top-down method and bottom-up method for

construction. Both methods have different mechanism and process of construction. (Yin, M.,
2018.)
Figure 5: Underpass

LO2
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.
During the time of risk management, the first step is to identify the risks and hazards of the
excavation process. It is very important to reduce the risks that can impact the work. (Srivastava,
Et Al 2015)
Some of the major risks involved in the excavation work are:
 Presence of any kind of airborne harmful substances
 Any misbalance or fault in the ground
 Unstable nearby structures
 Presence of harmful chemicals
 Non-suitable environment
 Falling of objects
 Rock falling
 Inappropriate material placement
 Continuous water flow
 A large number of power lines
 Equipment Tripping
Safety features to reduce the risks
For reducing the risk some of the major steps that can be taken are:
 Separating the electrically equipped plants from the pedestrians by making barriers that can
reduce the collision risks.
 For reducing the risk of ground collapsing, different engineering techniques must be
implemented.
 Using an automated system instead of the manual system can highly minimize the risks.
 Different security equipment must be used for handling risks.

Figure 6: Excavation Safety
Risks- while working with highways
 Hazards of the road: uneven structure, cabling overheads, excess traffic, etc.
 Hazards of vehicle: High speed, peak hour, nearby safe zone areas like hospitals and schools.
 Hazards of weather: High rainfall, bad weather, cloudy weather, etc.
 Hazards of work activity: operating equipment, water supply, etc.
Safety measures for highways
 Managing speed
 Using spotter
 The good understanding between all the communicating signals
 Riding on only plain land
 Wearing reflective clothes

P5 develop and present a site safety plan, risk assessment and method statements for
a given civil engineering activity.
The construction, design, and management regulations are one of the standardized regulation
systems that must have to be followed for minimizing the risks during the construction work in
Heathrow Airport which is near the south of England. For making the site safety plans it is very
important to analyze the environment of the site and to use the best safety equipment so that the
risks can be minimized to a larger extent. For controlling the hazards proper planning must have
to be done which can reduce hazardous factors that are increasing the risks.
Some of the plans that can be made for reducing the risk are:
Using safety equipment
Specifying risk or warning areas
Providing controls for working conditions
Figure 7: Safety sign and equipment

Some of the risks found in construction are:
 The risk associated with electricity
 The risk associated with constructing at the height
 The risk associated with any fire spreading
 The risk associated with high water flow
 The risk associated with site collapsing
 The risk associated with high noise of machinery
Method statements are used for controlling all the risks associated with construction work.
Method statements give assurance that all the work will be under the control of risks and no
hazardous actions will be taken. A word commonly used while talking about risks is RAMS i.e.,
Risk Assessment and Method Statement which specifies that there will be minimal risks and
hazards of working at a construction site. (Ansah, R.H. and Sorooshian, S., 2017)
For the scenario that has been given, safety plans that can be implemented are:
 Regular inspection of the site
 Reporting immediately about the accident
 Responding to the medical issues (Huang, C. and Wong, C.K., 2015)
 Providing communication flexibility
 Checking for the responsibility fulfillment

LO3
P6 evaluate the environmental, quality, geotechnical and economic context of a
given civil engineering problem.
Considering the environmental context for the given scenario the construction site is present near
an express highway which can be the reason for excess traffic due to construction. Also, there is
a river near the site, so there can be a risk of high water flow due to the unpleasant environmental
conditions. During the time of constructing culverts and underpass near the site, these two factors
can cause problems for construction. Focusing on the quality context part of the given scenario,
it can be stated that the standard quality of the construction can be reached only if all the
materials used for the construction are of good quality the resultant construction work will be of
best quality. As all the raw materials i.e., the concrete, sand, steel and their mixture are of best
quality, the bridge that will be constructed will ultimately be of best quality. If talking about the
economic context, it has been seen that there are around 10 industrial building and factories have
to be manufactured. It will involve a large amount of monetary investment for making a
successful project. Materials used must match the budget of the construction so that there can be
no mismatch in the economic context of the project.
P7 propose a solution to a given civil engineering problem
Some of the major problems that have been seen in the given scenario of a civil engineering
problem, it can be stated that majorly there are two problems namely the presence of expressway
and the presence of river near the site. Presence of expressway could be the reason for high
traffic near the site which will ultimately create problems for the people working for construction
work. Another problem i.e., the presence of the river near the site is actually a more critical
problem. Any change in the environment will affect the flow of the river, which on the other
hand can result in creating a problem for the construction. Presence of a river will be the reason
for generating a high amount of moisture in the environment which can loosen the foundation
and can also damage the strength of the constructed building.

Some solutions that can help in the minimization of problems for the construction site and
building are:
 For managing the traffic of expressway, there must be some signboards that display the
information on construction.
 Presence of separate people who can handle the traffic.
 Providing every kind of safety equipment that can be needed at the time of emergency.
( Latib, Et Al, 2016)
 For handling the issues of the river, the materials used for the construction should be of the
kind that can handle the high moisture conditions.
 For safeguarding the foundation of the building, a proper drainage system must be
constructed.

LO4
P8 describe methods and techniques used in highway design
For designing the first layout of the highway, it is very important to focus on all the factors of the
design such as the shape of the highway, the location of the highway, the proper alignment of the
highway, etc. During the time of creating the design, it should be taken into care that all the
aspects like the human, vehicles, and road are kept into mind and designing have been done that
can be best by considering all the aspects. It is being advised that before making the design a
study should be done to find out the requirements of the project. Different kind of surveys can be
very beneficial for such kind of project for finding the requirement of the project as per the type
of user. Several designs can be implemented based on the project requirements. The basic
designing is of a different kind like the overlay design, flexible design of pavement, rigid design
of pavement, etc. After making the overall layout it is the time to construct. The construction
work must be done by keeping in mind all the possibilities and aspects like the public aspects,
environmental aspect, high traffic aspect, political aspects, etc. The models that can be used for
the purpose of designing are designed modification model, layered model of elastic capability,
etc. Materials used for the construction are mainly the sand, gravel or stone. The pavement can
be made by asphalt or concrete.
Figure 8: Highway section

P9 develop a civil engineering design proposal for a new infrastructure project.
An ideal design proposal must include all the points that are necessary for describing the project
requirement. The proposal must include the overview of the project, all the important
specifications of the project, all the plans that must be followed during the time of risks, all the
backup plans, etc.
All the major features, functionality, requirement, and specifications must be included in the
proposal. It should highlight the materials needed for the construction along with the expenditure
cost. For managing the waste generated by the company, a waste management plan must be
made so that the waste can be recycled for better results. There should be specified plans for risk
management that can help at a time when some risk may happen.

Conclusion
In this report, a brief introduction of construction and the factors associated with the construction
work has been specified. A scenario has been given in the assignment and it has been given that
a conceptual design has to be made for the scenario specified of construction near the Heathrow
Airport of South England. Various earthwork equipment, activities, and techniques have been
specified in the report. Some risks and the solutions of those risks regarding the site and
construction were also specified in the report.

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