SRDI Social Resources Development Institute

Level 3

Diploma in Construction & the Built Environment
(Civil Engineering)

Notes

CBE29-3

CBE29-3 Construction in Civil Engineering

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Level 3 Diploma in Construction & the Built Environment (Civil Engineering)
CBE29-3 Construction in Civil Engineering
Learning Outcomes:
1. Know about fundamental techniques, processes and materials used in the construction of
civil engineering works
2. Know the factors that constrain civil engineering work
3. Be able to select plant, materials and methods for civil engineering projects

4. Understand civil engineering infrastructure projects

Section 1 Construction of Civil Engineering Works
Learning Outcome 1: Know about fundamental techniques, processes and materials
used in the construction of civil engineering works
Groundworks


Site history


Site surveys


Site geology


Ground/Site investigation


Potential ground contaminants

Water table
Earthworks

Site History


Identification of previous and existing land uses of site


Information from previous and existing owners of site


Information from government departments (e.g. Lands Department)


Detailed ground investigation
Site Surveys


A critical examination and description of the site
 Topography

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Geology




Groundwater and surface water conditions

Site history
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 Public utilities
 Drains and sewers
Can be done by:
 Topographic survey
 Ground investigation
 Hydrographic survey

Topographic map (Lands Department):

Surveyed and plotted to scale


For studying the general features of the site


For identifying ground features of engineering significance, e.g. buildings, slopes,
retaining structures.
Site Geology


Hong Kong Geological Survey:
 Geological memoir
 Geological map sheet
 Geological survey sheet report

Records of previous ground investigations and laboratory tests (CEDD Building)

Detailed information from further ground investigation:
Identification of existing utilities
Determination of rockhead profile for foundation design
Determination of soil and rock properties for design works
Investigation of potential deterioration of concrete
Investigation of potential corrosion of steel
Investigation of potential land contamination

Ground Investigation


Trial pit Dug by hand using pick and shovel


Borehole by using rotary drilling rig
 Borehole log


Field and laboratory tests
 Soil classifications tests (Moisture content, liquid and plastic limits, linear
shrinkage, specific gravity, particle size distribution, vane shear)
 Chemical and corrosivity tests (Organic matter content, sulphate content, total
sulphide content of groundwater and aqueous soil extracts, pH value, chloride ion
content, carbonate content, resistivity, redox potential, bacteriological tests)
 Soil strength tests (Triaxial compression tests, direct shear tests)
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Soil deformation tests (Consolidation, modulus of deformation)

Soil permeability tests (constant head, falling head, triaxial permeability tests, rowe
cell)
Soil compaction tests (Dry density/moisture content relationship)
Pavement design tests (California bearing ratio)
Soil collapse potential test (Double odeometer)
Soil dispersion tests (Double hydrometer test)

Potential Ground Contaminants

Potential Sources:
 Shipyard
 Concrete batching plant
 Motor repairing facilities
 Storage area for chemicals
 Sawmill
 Timber factory


Potential Contaminants:
 Petroleum hydrocarbons
 Oil and oily wastes
 Organic solvent
 Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
 Heavy metals
 Acids and Alkalis
 Wood preservatives


Adverse impacts:
 Health risks to site workers
 Health risks to future users of site
 Health risks to animals, fishes and plants
 Deterioration of underground Structures


Land Contamination Assessment:
 Contamination Assessment Plan (Detailed site investigation)
 Contamination Assessment Report
 Remediation Action Plan (Mitigation measures)

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Water Table


Inadequate control of groundwater
 Difficulty in performing earthworks
 Failure of temporary slopes during construction
 Risks to site workers


Control of groundwater
 pumping by means of dewatering wells
 Provision of sufficient toe-in of cantilevered retaining wall


Precaution
 Settlement and tilting of structures nearby may occur
 Settlement services and land nearby may occur
 Frequent monitoring is required
Earthworks
Earthworks includes


Roadway excavations


Construction of embankment


Foundations , drainage , stabilization and reinforcement

Environmental factors
Instrumentations
All types of materials excavated and placed in highway embankments, including soil,
rock, intermediate materials and other natural and man-made materials.
Clearing, grubing, scalping, removal of existing structures and obstructions
Preparation of foundations and embankments
Disposal of excavated material
Preparation of subgrade
Placement of granular subbase and basecourse
Backfills

Earth Retaining Structure

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To prevent collapse of surrounding ground

To limit the settlement of the surrounding ground due to the lateral movement of the
earth retention system

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Sheet Piling


A watertight (nearly) temporary retaining structure type


Used for trench excavation, shallow excavation, deep excavation and cofferdams


Not suitable where rock material or boulder exist at shallow depth


Can be extracted for reuse, but beware of ground settlement


Useful to lengthen the groundwater seepage path and minimise ground heave and piping


By using vibrating hammer / drop hammer type
Soldier Piles


Are often spaced at about 1.5-3.0m on centre


The spaces between the soldier piles are filled with lagging


Is used soils which exhibit sufficient arching potential to permit lagging (Loose sand
may pose problem)


Practical for installation in rock (by Down-the-Hole Hammer method)
Groundwater control by pumping Test


To ensure the structure are watertight and does not affect much of the groundwater level
outside, which may induce consolidation settlement


Needs to be carried out before excavation
Consideration: Over-excavation
To ensure the earth is not over-excavated before the steel struts are placed at the right level.
For practical construction, the soil is excavated to 0.5-1m below the strut level to facilitate
installation
Consideration: Pre-loading to limit wall deflection


To ensure the pre-loaded forces are maintain


To ensure they are not put within the boundary of other parties, or very near to utilities,
or affected by shallow ground excavation
Foundation


Shallow Foundation


Deep Foundation
Shallow Foundation


generally more economical than deep foundations if extensive ground improvement
works are not required


often used to support low-rise structures at sites where subsurface materials are
sufficiently strong
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Type of shallow foundation


Pad footing


Strip footing


Raft footing
 Bearing capacity of soil > Applied loading from structure
Construction of Shallow Foundation


By excavation
 Open cut
 Excavation with shoring system
 Excavation supported by timber shoring system
 Excavation supported by steel shoring system
 Interlocked sheet piles
 Other shoring system (Soldier piles with laggings, Pipe piles with laggings,
Contiguous pipe piles)
Deep Foundation


Very large design loads (e.g. from high-rise structure) to be supported by foundation


Poor soil at shallow depth


Site constraints (e.g. site boundary)
Classification of Deep Foundation


By method of load transmission
 Friction pile (It happens where the bearing stratum has similar stiffness as


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the soil surrounding the pile. It is used where the rockhead is at very low level.)
End bearing pile (It happens where the bearing stratum is much stronger

than the soil surrounding the pile)

 Tension pile (Only skin friction can resist tension force, end bearing capacity does
not contribute. Typical case: low rise building with basement and high ground
water level - permanent tension on piles.)
By method of installation
 Displacement pile (should induce more skin friction as it displaces the surrounding
ground during pile driving)
 Replacement pile (Bored pile, pre-bored H-steel pile and mini-piles are the most
common replacement pile types in Hong Kong)

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Characteristics


End bearing pile transmits the majority of the load through pile direct into firm soil or
rock


Friction pile transmits the majority of the load to soil by means of skin friction or
cohesion between pile and soil


Displacement pile displaces soil downwards and sideways


Replacement pile formed by excavating soil from ground and replacing with in-situ
concrete or grout, etc.
Displacement pile installed by driving method with diesel hammer


Large displacement pile
 Precast concrete pile (e.g. Daido pile)


Small displacement pile
 H-pile
 Steel tubular pile (marine pile)
Replacement pile


Formed by machine boring grabbing or hand-digging


Excavation to supported by steel casing or bentonite slurry
Types of replacement pile


Mini-pile


Socketed (pre-bored) H-pile


Continuous flight auger pile


Bored pile


Barrette
 Determination of founding level by pre-drilling
Construction of bored pile


Installation of steel casing
 By hydraulic oscillator or vibrator


Excavation of pile shaft
 By hammer grab, rock chisel or bell-out tool, if required


Checking of verticality of pile shaft and sizes of bell-out
 By Koden Test


Cleaning of pile shaft
 By air-lifting process


Installation of steel reinforcement cage
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Concreting by tremie method

 with high slump concrete for self-compaction
Performance of pile to be verified by
 Sonic test
 Vibration test
 Interface core
 Full concrete core
 Pile loading test
Resistance to Lateral Loads
 By raking pile
 By lateral shaft resistance
 By pile cap

Substructure
Basement
Construction methods


Bottom-up construction method
 By traditional methods of excavation and construction of slabs, beams, walls and
columns


Top-down construction method
 Diaphragm walls are usually adopted as permanent walls of basement
Bottom-up construction method


Installation / construction of temporary retaining structure with wailings and struts, if
required
 Sheet pile walls (Cofferdam)
 Soldier pile walls with laggings
 Pipe pile walls with laggings
 Contiguous pipe pile walls


Excavation layer by layer


Installation of wailings and struts layer by layer, if required


Excavation down to formation level
Plant and equipment


Backhoe for excavation works


Crawler crane/Hydraulic to deliver excavated soil
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Construction of bottom slab


Removal of wailings and struts layer by layer, if required


Construction of basement walls columns, beams and slabs


Backfilling
Top-down construction method


Construction of permanent basement walls (Diaphragm walls)


Installation of steel columns for basement


Excavation


Construction of beams and slabs downwards


Simultaneous construction of Superstructure is allowed
Excavation

Hydraulically Operated Face Shovel

 The teeth acts like rippers causing the loosened material to fall into the bucket. The
higher power of the machine may be applied to force out rocks and boulders.
 Sometimes used in slope works and tunneling operation

Backacter (backhoe)
 The machine is used for excavating below the level of the tracks
 Backhoe with long arms can excavate up to 6-8m depth (i.e. one level of basement
excavation)
 Very often, backhoe is used for excavation in trenches, basements and shallow
foundations

Rope Operated Grab

 The grab is fitted with a grabbing bucket and the machine is limited to use in fairly
loose soils.
 It has to work with other excavation machineries to loosen the soil first
 It works in places like deep basement, deep foundation (bored piles)
 It is more expensive hence more careful planning is needed.

Mini Excavator
 The mini-machine weights about 3-5 tonnes
 It is often used for shallow trench excavation.
 A lot companies can afford to own one or two and they are useful for site
preparation works.

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Rock excavation techniques


Hammer and wedge, steel bars etc


Pneumatic breakers


Hydraulic breakers


Pneumatic machines and breakers with expanding agent


Drilling and blasting with explosive
Drilling and blasting method


The effect of an explosion is to convert a chemical substance into a gas which then
produces enormous pressure. The process takes place rapidly at 2000-6000 m/s
shattering the rock adjacent to the explosive and exposing the surrounding area to stress.


On ignition of a spherical charge placed in a solid medium such as rock, a shock wave is
propagated, causing crushing and possibly liquefaction of the adjacent rock. Radial
cracks are also formed which fade out with increasing distance from the wave front, as
the energy is dispersed to a greater volume of the medium.
Economic Considerations:


Type, weight and distribution of explosive.


Blasthole diameter.


Effective burden.


Effective spacing.


Sub-drill depth.


Blasthole inclination.


Stemming.


Initiation sequence for detonation of explosives.


Delays between successive hole or row firing.
Soil Excavation Plants

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Dragline
 Bulk excavation, cleaning out river beds, forming flood banks and trimming
embankments
Grab
 Spot digging, shaft excavation and dredging
Skimmer
 Shallow excavation
Face Shovel
 Quarrying and road cutting
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Backacter
 Excavating basements, pits and trenches
Trencher
 Excavating trenches
Bulldozer
 Shallow excavation, pushing, spreading and grading soil
Scraper
 Bulk excavation, cutting, loading spreading and grading soil
Grader
 Trimming, spreading, cutting and backfilling soil
Shovel
 Shallow excavation, stock piling and loading soil
Wheeled backhoe bucket loader
 For small building sites

Retaining Wall
Types of Retaining Wall


Gravity Retaining Wall
 Mass concrete
 Concrete crib


Cantilevered Retaining Wall
 Inverted T and L
 Counterfort
 Buttress


Diaphragm walling

Contiguous piling

Superstructure for Medium and High-rise Buildings

Structural frame of building
For load transfer purpose


Vertical loads due to gravity
 Dead loads from structure
 Live loads on structure


Lateral loads
 Wind load
 Seismic load (from Earthquake)
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Structural elements of frame


Slab


Beam


Column


Wall (Core wall and shear wall, etc).
Major construction materials structural elements of frame


Reinforced concrete


Prestressed concrete


Structural steel
Plant


Tower Crane


Passenger Hoist


Concrete truck from batching plant


Concrete mixer


Concrete Pump
Prestressed concrete frame


Advantages
 Increase load carrying capacity and thus reduce structural depth
 Increase span length and thus reduce number of column
 Lesser foundation to be required
 Reduce quantities of materials resulting in cheaper construction cost, etc.
Structural steel frame


Comprises rolled steel sections and / or plate girders
Types of connection


Rigid connection / joint


Hinged connection / joint

Connections of reinforced and prestressed concrete frames

 Achieved by provision of steel reinforcement
Connections of structural Steel frame
 Bolting


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Welding

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Structural elements of concrete floor


Beam and slab


Slab alone
Building floor system


Beam and slab (one-way slab)


Beam and slab (two-way slab)


Banded slab


Flat plate


Flat slab


One-way joist system (ribbed slab)


Two-way joist system (waffle slab)

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Solid flat slab

 Spans approximately equal both ways
 Relatively light working loads
 Residential buildings, office buildings, hotels, hospitals, parking areas
 Spans: 5 12 m
Solid flat slab with drop panels
 Applications are the same as for slab floors, but for spans up to 16 m
Banded flat slab
 Recommended for buildings mainly spanning one way
 Relatively moderate working loads
 Business centres, parking areas, schools
 Cantilever span: up to 16 m
Flat slab
 Spans approximately equal both ways
 Relative moderate working loads
 Office building, hotels, hospitals, parking areas
 Spans: 10 20 m
Ribbed slab
 To be used for heavy live loads
 File storage, industrial buildings, airport buildings
 Spans: 10 20 m
Coffered flat slab
 To be used for heavy live loads
 File storage, industrial buildings, airport buildings
 Spans: 10 20 m
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Common forms of sitecast concrete floor systems


One-way slab and beam
 Basic system has regularly spaced beams in one direction supporting the slab and
columns, bearing walls, or girders in the other direction supporting the
slab-carrying beams
 High variable to accommodate irregular plans, openings, cantilevered edges, and so
on.


Two-way slab (Flat plate)
 Uses no beams, except possibly at edges or around openings
 With top as floor surface and bottom as ceiling surface permits least floor-to-floor
distance
 Spans quite limited by high concentration of stresses at columns


Two-way slab (Flat slab)
 Same as flat plate above, except thickened slab and column capital reduces critical
stress conditions at columns, permitting longer spans or simply allowing for
thinner slab


One-way joist construction
 Formed with canoe-shaped pans
 Typically with very thing slab and narrow, closely spaced joists
 Joist width, depth and spacing variable, accommodating considerable range of
spans
 Typically one of the lightest (dead weight) of all sitecast systems


Two-way joist (waffle) construction
 Coffered form produced with inverted square dishpan-shaped units
 Forming units typically omitted to produce beams or solid portion around column
(emulating the thickened slab of the flat slab)
Typical construction methods
Formwork

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Formwork is the mould to shape the concrete structure

Materials
 Timber and plywood (in-situ concrete work)
 Steel formwork (Harmony and Concord public housing work)
 Glass-reinforced plastic formwork (complex shapes and special surface features)

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Formwork
 Correct position
 Line and level
 Accuracy within permitted tolerances
 Shape of members
 Verticality (plumb)
 Correct angles for batters etc.
 Finishing heights (mark off)
Joint
 Formwork joints flush and tight
 No nails protruding into the concrete
 Formwork joints sealed as required
 Construction joints strutted and supported
Waterstops
 Correctly positioned
 Fixed and suitably supported
Ties and Fixings
 Correct number
 Correct lengths
 Tight enough and not too tight
 Fitted with the proper washers
Finish
 All forms perfectly cleaned out
 Release agents correctly applied
Cleaning
 Timber and plywood: cleaned with a stiff brush to remove any grout
 Glass reinforced plastics: cleaned with a brush and wet cloth
 Steel forms: lightly oiled to prevent rusting

Steel fixing


Steel Positioning
 must be placed correctly


Cover
 the distance from the outside face of the concrete to the nearest surface of
reinforcing steel


Spacers
 used to maintain cover to keep the steel the required distance away from the edge
of the concrete
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Fixing
 fastening the steel reinforcing bars
 tie-wire is used at the junctions of bars to hold them together.
Bending

Concreting


Placing concrete


Compacting Concrete
 Removing Air
 Vibration
Prefabrication

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Advantages
 Mass production of units
 Reduction of costs and construction time on site
 Effective use of formwork
 Improved quality of units
 Special shapes and surface finishes
 Casting under cover
 Demountable structures
 Construction over and under water
 Casting of units before the site becomes available
 Built-in services and insulation
 Use of semi-skilled labour
 Accelerated curing techniques
 Solution to the problem of lack of local resources and labour
Limitations
 A small number of units required may prove to be uneconomical
 Special connections, such as special bearings to transmit the vertical and horizontal
loads, can add cost to the system
 Waterproofing at joints
 Transportation difficulties
 Need for cranes

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Infrastructure

Definition
 A set of interconnected structural elements as the fundamental facilities and
systems serving a country, city or area
 Physical assets of a society for functioning, development and growth of society
Elements
 Road (Highway / expressway, street, bridge, tunnel)
 Mass transit
 Airport
Port works
 Container terminal
 Cruise liner terminal
 Ferry pier
Public utilities
 Power supply system
 Town gas system
 Telecommunication system
Pipeline system
 Water supply system
 Drainage system
 Sewage system
 Pumping station
 Reservoir
Dam
Canal

Pavement


Pavement construction plant
 Wheeled Paver
 Tracked Paver
 Pneumatic-hyred roller
 Single drum asphalt compactor
 Vibratory plate compactor


Pavement testing equipment
 Measure of surface friction (by SCRIM Machine)
 Measurement of Skidding Resistance (by Grip tester, pendulum skid tester)
 Microtexture and Macrotexture (Falling weight deflectometer)
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Pavement instrumentation
 Accelerated pavement testing
 Horizontal Asphalt Strain Gauge
 Earth Pressure Cell
 Moisture Gauge
 Piezometer

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Section 2 Constraints
Learning Outcome 2: Know the factors that constrain civil engineering work

Physical constraints










Resources constraints





regulations related to work law, safety regulations, and supervision plan

Environmental constraints


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budget limit and allocation

Legal constraints


time
cost
quality
special agreement

Economic constraints


workforce
material
equipment and tools
subcontractor

Contract constraints





pre-requisite work
storage space
work space
safety and health
temporary structures
facilities/supplies
environmental condition
restrictive area and congested surroundings
technological dependency

regulations

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Social constraints




human resistance
emotional constraints
ownership

Contractors in Hong Kong

Government-Approved Contractors in Hong Kong for Public Works

 Buildings
 Site formation
 Roads and drainage
 Waterworks
 Port works

List of approved contractors

 Group A: contracts up to the value of HK$30 million
 Group B: contracts up to the value of HK$75 million
 Group C: contracts exceeding HK$75 million
Specialist contractors (50 separate lists)
Suppliers of materials (7 separate lists)

Registered contractors for private works

 Control by the Building Authority
 General building contractors
 Specialist contractor (demolition, site formation, foundation, ground investigation
and ventilation contractors)
 Fire service installation contractors (control by Fire Services Department)
 Plumbers (Water Supplies Department)

Environmental constraints

Pollutions







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Air quality
Noise
Water Quality
Waste
Natural habitat
Heritage

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Landscape
Green belts
Deforestation
Ozone depletion
Global warming

Legislation
 Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap. 499)
 Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap 311)
 Water Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap 358)
 Waste Disposal Ordinance (Cap 354)
 Noise Control Ordinance (Cap 400)

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Section 3 Construction Methods
Learning Outcome 3: Be able to select plant, materials and methods for civil
engineering projects
Method Statement

Contents of method statement

 Purpose of method statement
 Scope of method statement
 Documents to be referenced with this method statement
 Responsibilities for activities described within method statement
 Resources in terms of plant, equipment and materials required for completion of
activity described
 Detailed method of carrying out method statement
 Safety Requirements
 Environmental Protection
 Appendices

Example of Method Statement (Ground investigation bored hole)

Purpose of method statement

to expose the existing underground utilities for identification and recording the actual
positions of the utilities

Scope of method statement

applicable to the proposed trial pits by the competent person

cable detection to confirm the position of unexposed underground utilities
identification of the potential conflict between proposed foundations and the existing
utilities

Documents to be referenced with this method statement

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Project Quality Plan

Project Safety Plan
Environmental Management Plan
Subcontractor Management Plan
Guide to trench excavations issued by HyD an CEDD

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Responsibilities

construction manager is responsible for ensuring that the trial pit excavation is carried
out in a satisfactory manner

Resources

Plants
 Crane Lorries
 Generators
 Air-compressor
 Mini-backhoe with breaker
Equipment
 Electric breaker
 Electric driller
 Electric cutter
 Electric pump
 Pneumatic breaker
 Hand tool (spades, shovels, picks or forks)
Materials
 Timber board
 Timber strut & waling
 Timber wedge
 Steel lagging
 Steel channel
 Steel tube
 Fibre-glass trench cover

Detailed method of carrying out method statement

Underground Utilities Detection

Temporary Traffic Arrangement
Trial Pits Excavation
 Mark the alignment by competent person
 Brief the content of the proposed trial pit opening and the number of target
underground utilities
 Remove the top pavement of the trial pit
 The excavation will be carried out using hand tools
 Where hard material is need to be broken, electric/pneumatic breaker will be used


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to break the obstruction

Spoil heaps will be properly placed and covered, and will be kept sheltered in wet

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weather, or will be removed for maintaining access for pedestrians and traffic
 Sand bags will be prepared on site for barricading the muddy water entering the
public area
 Further excavation to expose all the targeted underground utilities.
 Identification with utilities undertakers and recording all the exposed utilities.
Shoring Support
 Excavation depth up to 1.2m (No shoring support is required)
 Excavation depth between 1.2m 2m (No ICE certificate is required)
 Excavation depth between 2m 4.5m (ICE certificate will be provided)
Excavation deeper than 4.5m (Specific design with ICE certificate will be
provided)
Backfilling
 The pit will be backfilled with the same materials as excavated after completion
 All warning tapes, tiles, protection plates or other protection materials will be
reinstated
 The backfill will be adequately compacted to prevent any settlement
 No power compaction should take place until a 150mm cover of fine fill
 Reinstate the top pavements as their original materials


Safety Requirements

Applicable Government Safety Standards and Regulations

General safety requirements
 Transportation by crane lorry
 Manual Lifting
 Electrical Equipment
 Fire Prevention
 Housekeeping
 Site Cleanliness and Tidiness

Environmental Protection

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Environmental protection measures

 Noise
 Air Pollution
 Water Pollution
 Waste

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Example of Method Statement (Bored pile construction)
Purpose of method statement

to describe the construction of bored piles

Scope of method statement

applicable to the construction of bored pile

Documents to be referenced with this method statement

Project Quality Plan

Project Safety Plan
Environmental Management Plan
Subcontractor Management Plan

Responsibilities

construction manager is responsible for ensuring that the construction of bored pile is
carried out in a satisfactory manner

Resources

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Plants and Equipment

 Crawler Crane
 Hydraulic Oscillator
 Reverse Circulation Drilling Plant (RCD)
 Grab
 Chisel
 Crane lorries
 Generators
 Welding set
 Air compressor
 Water tank
 Settlement tank
 Concrete skip
 Tremie pipe
Materials
 Rebar
 Concrete
 Steel tube for sonic test.
 Steel tube for interface core-drilling.
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U-bolt for splicing reinforcement.

Spacer

Detailed method of carrying out method statement

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Setting Out
 Set out all pile locations
 Final check all pile locations
 Survey check to verify the method of spirit level for first casing
 Monitor the verticality of steel casings by spirit level
Pile Excavation Above Rockhead (By Grab and Chisel)
 Set up the hydraulic oscillator in the bored hole position
 Use temporary steel casing
 Install the bottom section of the temporary casing
 Check the position and vertically of the first section of temporary steel casing
 Excavate the ground material inside the temporary steel casing
 Measurement of excavation depth periodically
 Use heavy chisel when obstruction is encountered
 Keep the bottom level of the temporary steel casing below the excavation level to
prevent the flow of soil into the casing
 Extend the temporary steel casing to rockhead level
 No pumping of water from an excavation will be carried out unless a casing has
been placed into a stable stratum


Rock Socket Excavation (by RCD)
 Collect the rock sample to confirm and measure rockhead level
 Set up the reverse circulation drill equipment
 Collect rock sample to confirm the completion of excavation when reaching the
foundation level
Cleaning Pile Base (by air lifting)
 Clean the base of excavation for pile by air lifting before steel cage installation
until the water is clear and free of particles of soil
Installation of Steel Reinforcement ( with prefabricated steel cage)
 Prefabricate the steel reinforcement
 Lower the prefabricated reinforcement cages into the bored pile
 Fix the circular cover spacers
 Attach spacer blocks in the bottom of the prefabricated reinforcement cages to
maintain clearance
Concreting (by tremie method)
 Concrete the pile shaft by tremie technique in one continuous operation
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Load concrete into concrete skip and tremie pipe to the bottom of the pile
Place tremie concrete to the base of the boring
Extend the tremie pipe to the base of boring
Immerse the tremie pipe in the wet concrete until completion of concreting
During concreting operation, extract the temporary steel casing and the tremie pipe
before the initial set of the concrete being placed
Maintain a minimum head between top surface of the concrete and bottom of the
temporary steel casing
Record of the concrete volume deposited and the level of concrete in the pile shaft
after placing of the concrete from each delivery
Made test cubes of concrete
Place the top level of the concrete in piles above the specified cut off level
Remove excess concrete at above the specified cut off level after the concrete has
hardened
Hold the last section of the temporary steel casing above the final top level of the
concrete until the initial set of the concrete

Safety Requirements

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Applicable Government Safety Standards and Regulations

General safety requirements
 Transportation of plants and equipments
 Installation of casings
 Installation of reinforcement cage and sonic tubes
 Piling operation
 Concreting
 Operating the air-compressors
 Transportation by crane lorry
 Housekeeping
 Manual lifting
 Electrical equipment
 Fire prevention
 Work at height
 Site cleanliness and tidiness
 Existing underground services

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Environmental Protection

Environmental protection measures

 Noise
 Air Pollution
 Water Pollution
 Waste

Common construction materials

Concrete


Metals
Performance criteria


Fitness for purpose


Visual appearance


Costs


Resistance to degradation


Ease of installation or use


Environmental implications


Sustainability and recycling potential


COSHH considerations


Compatibility
Materials properties


Strength


Elasticity


Porosity and water absorption


Thermal and moisture movement


Thermal and electrical conductivity/resistivity


Thermal transmittance (U values)


Durability


Ductility


Workability /


Density


Specific heat capacity


Viscosity


Fire Resistance

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Factors to be considered for selection of structural materials :


Structural form


Foundation


Site condition


Construction method


Availability of the materials and the relative cost


Time available for the construction
Example of selection of materials (Main uses of structural steel )

Long span bridges, such as truss bridges, arch bridges, suspension bridges.
Long span buildings, e.g. aircraft hangars and some industrial building because of the
high strength/weight ratio; multistory buildings because of the fast erections time.
Storage tanks, silos etc.
Transmission towers and masts.
Space frames and domes.
Submarine and ocean structures such as tunnels, oil drilling rigs.
Temporary works, such as steel sheet piles and falsework because of their easy
installation and possibility of re-use.
Steel H-piles because of their structural integrity and easy installation.

Specifications

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Materials
Workmanship
Not include cost, quantity or drawn information

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Section 4 Civil Engineering Projects
Learning Outcome 4: Understand civil engineering infrastructure projects
Construction industry

Public sector



Government
Statutory body (e.g. MTR and Airport Authority, etc)

Private sector

Importance of civil engineering infrastructure projects

Satisfy basic needs of human being
 Lead to stability of society


Improve living standards


Upgrade hygiene standards
 Eliminate flooding problem
 Reduce travelling time
 Increase social activities


Stimulate economic activities
 Increase employment rate (contractor, consultant, material supplier, plant supplier,
services provider)
 Stimulate economic activities
 Promote local and international business / trade
 Result in competition of supply of products / services
 Facilitate tourism
Professional Bodies

Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE)

Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA)
Hong Kong Institute of Planners (HKIP)
Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS)

Construction Professions

Civil Engineer
Structural Engineer
Building Services Engineer

Builder
Geotechnical Engineer

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Architect
Quantity Surveyor
Building Surveyor
Estate Surveyor
Town Planner
Landscape Architect
Land Surveyor
Safety Officer

Civil Engineer

Structures and foundations

Geotechnics and site Formation
Tunnelling
Highways & Transportation
Airports
Railways
Bridges
Harbours & Rivers
Drainage & Irrigation
Water Supply
Hydrology
Dams and Reservoirs
Power Stations
Offshore Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Sewerage & Sewage Treatment
Seismic Engineering
Municipal Engineering
Research & Development

Contractual Arrangement

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Relationships
 Client
 Consultant
 Contractor
Types of contract
 Design construction project
 Build-operate-transfer (BOT) project
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Joint venture (JV) project

Design and build (D&B) project
Partnering project

Responsibilities of Civil Engineers

Design phase
 Works closely with their client
 Advising the client
 Design
 Manage the design
 Advise on the selection and appointment of other consultants
 Select and appoint the contractor and/or sub-contractors
 Contractual arrangement
 Budgeting
 Project management,
 Producing detailed workings, drawings and specifications
 Specifying the nature and quality of materials required
 Preparing tender documents
 Assessing tender


Construction phase
 Performing a technical, organisational and supervisory role
 Applying designs and plans
 Working as part of the site management team
 Checking plans, drawings and quantities for accuracy of calculations
 Ensuring that all materials used and work performed are as per specification
 Overseeing the selection and requisition of materials and plant
 Agreeing a price for materials, and making cost-effective solutions
 Managing, monitoring and interpreting the contract design documents
 Liaising with any consultants, subcontractors, supervisors, planners, quantity
surveyors and the general workforce
 Liaising with the local authority
 Supervising and monitoring the site labour force and the work of any
subcontractors
 Overseeing quality control, health and safety matters on site
 Preparing reports as required
 Resolving any unexpected technical difficulties

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Construction Economics

Microeconomic level













contributes to economic growth

influences the marginal productivity of private capital
affects profitability, levels of output, income, and employment
has an impact on the costs and service quality in international trade
has an impact on domestic transaction costs and access to market information
impacts on demand and supply
contributes to diversification of the economy by facilitating growth of alternative
employment and consumption possibilities
provides access to applications of modern technology in many sectors, e.g.
telecommunication
creates the productivity gains from urbanization
reduces workers time spent on non-productive activities, raise the economic
returns to labor
reduces wasteful consumption of water, fuels, or land and contributes to the
protection of natural resources
creates amenities in the physical environment

Macroeconomic level




efficient allocation of resources can reduce the potential for investment in

infrastructure to take resources away from other more productive investment
infrastructure projects can only raise the returns to other resources when there is a
sufficient complement and productive capacity of other resources
infrastructure activities which have the most significant and durable benefits in
terms of both production and consumption are those providing the degree of
reliability and quality of services desired by users

Lifecycles of Infrastructure Projects

Project life cycle


Pre-investment phase:
 project identification
 project preparation
 project feasibility study
 project approval and financing


Investment phase
 detailed engineering/design
 project implementation


Post-investment phase
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project operation
mid-term monitoring
ex-post evaluation

Project management life cycle

Initiation
 develop a business case
 undertake a feasibility study
 establish the project charter
 appoint the project team
 setup the project office
 perform phase review


Planning
 create a project plan
 create a resource plan
 create a financial plan
 create a quality plan
 create a risk plan
 create an acceptance plan
 create a communications plan
 create a procurement plan
 contact the suppliers


Execution
 perform time management
 perform cost management
 perform quality management
 perform change management
 perform risk management
 perform issue management
 perform procurement management
 perform acceptance management
 perform communications management


Closure
 perform project closure
 review project completion

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References:
Chudley, R. and Greeno, R. (2005) Construction Technology, 4th edition, Prentice Hall.
CIRIA (2000) Environmental handbook for building and civil engineering projects: Design
and Specification Process, Part 1, CIRIA.
CIRIA (2000) Environmental handbook for building and civil engineering projects:
Demolition and Site Clearance Process, Part 3, CIRIA.
Domore, P.D. and Illston, J.M. (2001) Construction Materials: Their Nature and Behaviour,
Spon Press.
Elphick, R. (2004) Well-lit Highways, Code of Practice for Highway Lighting Management,
TSO The Stationery Office.
Everett, A. and Barritt, C. (1994) Materials (Mitchells Building Series), 5th edition,
Longman.
Foster, J.S., Harington, R. and Greeno, R. (2000) Structure and Fabric: Part 2 (Mitchells
Building Series), 6th edition, Longman.
Harris, F. (1994) Modern Construction and Ground Engineering Equipment and Methods,
Prentice Hall.
Hawkins. R.G.P. (2004) The Practical Guide to Waste Management Law, Thomas Telford
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H.S.E. (1995) Electrical Safety on Construction Sites, Health and Safety Executive.
H.S.E. (2004) Health and Safety in Construction HSG 150, 3rd edition, Health and Safety
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H.S.E. (2007) Managing Health and Safety in Construction: CDM Construction Design and
Management, Health and Safety Executive.
Hughes, P. (2008) Introduction to Health and Safety in Construction, 3rd edition, Butterworth
Heinemann.
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Iliston, J.M. and Domone, P.L.J. (2001) Construction Materials: Their Nature and Behaviour,
3rd edition, Spon.
Nicholls, J.C., McHale, M.J., Griffiths, R.D. (2008) Road Note 42: Best Practice Guide for
Durability of Asphalt Pavements, TRL.
Pitman, P. (2001) External Works, Roads and Drainage: A Practioners Guide, Spon Press.
Polley, S. (2008) Understanding the Building Regulations, 4th edition, Taylor S P and Francis.
Riley, J. (2008) Health and Safety in Brief, 4th edition, Butterworth Heinemann.
Roberts, C. and Nicholls, J.C. (2008) Road Note 39: Design of Surface Dressing, 6th edition,
TRL.
Rogers, M. (2008) Highway Engineering, Blackwell Publishing.
Skinner, H.D., Charles, J.A. and Tedd, P. (2005) Brownfield Sites; an integrated ground
engineering strategy, BRE.
Taylor, G.D. (2000) Materials in Construction: An Introduction, Longman.
Topliss, S., Hurst, M. and Skarratt, G. (2009) BTEC Level 3 National Construction and the
Built Environment Teaching Resource Pack, Pearson.
Topliss, S., Hurst, M. and Skarratt, G. (2009) BTEC Level 3 National Construction and the
Built Environment Student Book, Pearson.
Watson, J. (1994) Highway Construction and Maintenance, 2nd edition, Longman.
Willway, T. and Reeves, S. (2008) Maintaining Pavements in a Changing Climate, TSO The
Stationery Office.

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