INSTITUTO POLITCNICO NACIONAL

Escuela Superior de Ingeniera y Arquitectura

Unidad Zacatenco

CONSTRUCTION
STUDIES
Construction studies are an important part of a
bridge project since we can obtain a substantial
amount of information about the materials that
are available in the region where the proposed
bridge is going to be built, the salaries of the
workers and the ancillary operations that need to
be considered. We can summarize the contents
that make up the construction studies in 4 main
sections.
1. AVAILABILITY OF MATERIALS
We must consider the quantity, quality and cost
of the materials that are expected to be used
during the construction of the bridge. It is of
special importance to determine whether gravel,
sand and rock banks can be found in the
surrounding area and if we can make use of these
banks.
Another aspect to consider is the availability of
other kind of materials that would be useful for
the construction of our bridge and its ancillary
operations. Nearby materials such as steel,
timber and concrete can help to save great
amounts of time and money.

PUENTES
GRUPO 8CM09

It is important to acknowledge the existing roads

that go in and out of the construction site,
especially those which give access to the material
banks, water, general resources, etc.
When considering existing roads, we must make
sure that their width is enough to accommodate
trucks, cranes and any other building vehicle that
is going to be needed. If there are no existing
roads or they are not suitable for our purposes we
must build temporary roads.
3. SALARY
In this section we need to take into consideration
the human resources that take part into the
development of the works.

Are there enough people to work on the

bridge project?
Do they have the knowledge and
experience to perform well in a task of this
importance?

When suitable workers cannot be found in the

surrounding area, the next thing to do is bring
people from other places. This means extra
transportation costs and the need to build a base
camp for the foreign workers to live. The base
camp must provide all facilities and services for
them to work happily. All of this impact in the final
cost of the project.

Water is another resource that cannot be

overlooked since no building can be built if there
isnt a reliable source of water located nearby.
The details that we need to know about water
are:

Water sources that can be found in the

area.
Quality and quantity of water.
If there isnt enough water in the area,
how much it will cost to bring it to the
construction site.
We must also consider the supply of
drinking water.

2. CONSTRUCTION SITE ACCESS

4. GENERAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA

This section is about what we can find near the
construction site, this includes towns, workshops
to fix the equipment, providers of tools, fuel, oil,
and any other facilities or services that could
come in handy.

INSTITUTO POLITCNICO NACIONAL

Escuela Superior de Ingeniera y Arquitectura
Unidad Zacatenco

The weather conditions are also crucial for the

developing of the construction, they will dictate
the scheme of work and sometimes necessary
measures need to be taken.
Finally, one of the most important parts of the
project: The construction procedure of the bridge.

PUENTES
GRUPO 8CM09

It will depend on the topography, the span and

cross section of the bridge, the soil type on which
it will stand and the selected foundation type.