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INA105/151 Building Construction & Materials 1

SITE WORKS & SETTING OUT

Prepared by : Othman Hassan Senior Lecturer / Registered Interior Designer with Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (Reg. No : ID/O 6) Department of Interior Architecture UiTM Perak

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When a builder/contractor is given possession of a building site the contractor will have been provided with the site layout plan and the detail drawings necessary for him to construct the building(s). Under most forms of building contract it is the builders responsibility to see that the setting out is accurate. The site having been taken over, the task of preparing for and setting out the building can be commenced. These operations can be grouped under four tasks.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Site Investigation Clearing the site Establishing level Setting out the building line

1. Site Investigation
Investigate on site and soil condition. A soil investigation includes the following aims:
a. Define the soil type b. Find the groundwater level c. Check for tree roots d. Take soil samples for tests e. Carry out some in-situ tests f. Test for contamination

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2. Clearing The Site

This may involved the demolition of existing buildings, the grubbing out of bushes and trees and the removal of soil to reduce level. Demolition is a skilled occupation and should only be tackled by an experienced demolition contractor. The removal of trees can be carried out by manual or mechanical means. The removal of large trees should be left to the specialist contractors.

3. Establishing Level
Very few sites are level and therefore before any building work can be commenced the area covered by the building must be levelled. In building terms this operation is called reducing levels. Three methods can be used and it is the most economical which is usually employed. a. b. c. Cut and Fill. The usual method because, if properly carried out, the amount of cut will equal the amount of fill. Cut. This method has the advantage of giving undisturbed soil over the whole of the site but has the disadvantage of the cost of removing the spoil from the site Fill. A method not to be recommended because, if the building is sited on the filled area, either deep foundation would be needed or the risk of settlement at a later stage would have to be accepted. The amount of fill should never exceed a dept of 600mm.

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Cut and Fill

Cut

Fill

Leveling work in progress

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4. Setting Out The Building Line

The first task is to establish a base line from which the whole of the building can be set out. The position of this line must be clearly marked on-site so that it can be re-established at any time.

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After the setting out of the main building lines has been completed and checked, profile boards are set up as shown. These are set up clear of the foundation trench positions to locate trench, foundation and walls.

Setting out work in progress

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References:
1. Ivor H. Seeley (1995):Building Technology. Fifth edition. MacMillan.
2. Roland Ashcroft (1992); ConstructionFor Interior Designers. Second Edition. Longman. 3 Roger Greeno (1998):Advanced Construction Technology. 4 5 Francis D.K Ching (1975) Building Construction Illustrated. Van Nostrand Reinhold R. Barry(1982) The Construction Of Buildings 2, Windows,Doors, Fires, Stairs, Finishes Third Edition. BSP Professional Books, London.

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