Site Preparation: BSR 100 Building Construction 1

Site preparation
BSR 100
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 1
INTRODUCTION
Site preparation is one of the preliminary works

to be done for starting construction works. The
selected construction site preparation need to be
completed properly before the start of
construction process.
The construction site is usually prepared in two
steps: first the vegetation is cleared, and
then the surface soil layer is removed. These
operations can be done either by hand or by
machine. In both cases, special pieces of
equipment such as ropes, cables, chains and etc
may be required.
FACTOR CONSIDERED FOR THE

CONSTRUCTION SITE PREPARATION
The first step of site preparation work is to remove all the scrubs or
jungle if there exists any on the site for building construction.
The whole area will be roughly leveled.
The holes of the construction site will be filled with sands or rammed
earth and leveled off as required or redirected by the authority.
As a part of site preparation, the trees will be cut off and their roots
are totally uprooted as directed by the authority.
Before starting the work, permanent bench marks must be established
at a suitable point in the construction site.
The orientation and trench lines of the building should be correctly laid
out in the construction site and the location for the storage and
stacking of the materials should be definitely set on the ground in the
site.
Site preparation also includes fixing position of the site office, go
downs, the guard and the labor shed, the access and existing roads for
trucks and carts etc.
1.1 The Equipment

For site preparation work, we need to
have certain instruments to do it
properly. The must have things that we
need includes the following.
Shears, axes and shovels
Heavy machinery
Ropes, cables, chains, pulley blocks
and fittings
1.2 Clearing the site

1. The site should be cleared of all obstructions
such as:
woody vegetation, where the roots can cause
severe cracking.
tree stumps which, when decaying, can also
weaken concrete structure by leaving voids in
the soil.
large stones, which may need to be dug out.
ant hills and animal burrows, which should
be dug completely; clayey soil should be
tramped into the hole created.
Place to clear
2. Define carefully the exact area to be cleared before you
begin. You could mark the area using wooden stakes and
cord or poles.
(a) Clear the area within the limit of all vegetation,
shrubs, trees (including woody roots and tree stumps) and
all large stones.
(b) Clear the work space and walkway around the dikes.
(c) Clear all trees and shrubs within 10 m of structures
and any access, water supply or drainage area.
Proceeding with the

clearing
3. The clearing method to be used largely depends on the type of vegetation
on the site. In open savannah country, it is a relatively easy task that can be
done manually with limited special equipment. In heavier forested areas on
the contrary, clearing generally requires either a large work force and/or the
use of machines. If an area is too heavily forested, it might be best not to
select it as a construction site, unless no other alternative exists.
4.There are two basic ways to clear the woody vegetation from a site:
you can cut the trees and then remove the stumps.
you can fell whole trees with their roots attached.
5. The clearing of the site should be completed by gathering all cut
vegetation, stumps, roots and large stones. All these should be removed from
the work area. When conditions are dry enough, the clearing can be
completed by starting a fire, which should be carefully kept under control.
1.3 The cutting of trees

High stumps are more easily removed
than low ones. This is particularly true if
you remove the stumps using either a
winch or low-powered machinery.
Preliminary work
Before starting to cut the trees, you
should first clear out the undergrowth.
This will reduce danger to people by
cutting down on tangles with fallen trees.
Selecting equipment
Small trees can be chopped with an axe
or they can be sawed. A handsaw
requires two operators and the use of a
wedge in the backcut.
For bigger tree, shears and shovels can
be use.
1.4 THE REMOVAL OF TREE

STUMPS
Standard ways of removing tree stumps from the
ground are either to dig them out or to pull them
out. Small stumps can easily be dug out by
hand. Larger stumps may require the use of
machine power. Stump pulling is done by placing
a rope, cable or chain around the trunk and
pulling as follows:
direct pull by an animal or machine;
winding in of a cable on a winch:
a combination of these methods with pulley
blocks.
1.5 UPROOTING WHOLE

TREES
A common method of removing smaller
trees and their roots from a construction site
is to uproot whole trees. This can be
relatively easy because of the greater
leverage obtained when pushing or pulling a
tree at a point high up its trunk. But to be
safe, this method should be used only if:
there is adequate space.
the tree is not rotten, cracked or split.
1.6 SURFACE SOIL REMOVAL

1. Surface soil has the highest concentration of roots and decaying
organic materials. This soil is unstable as a construction material and
cannot be used for the foundations of any structure. Therefore the
surface soil should be removed from the areas where:
structures will be built;
soil will be taken as construction material.
2. Soil may also be required outside the site to supply topsoil for
newly constructed areas.
3. The depth of the surface soil varies from region to region. It may
be totally absent or more than 1m thick. Usually the surface soil is
from 5 to 30 cm deep. Once your site has been cleared, find out how
thick the surface soil is. On this basis plan the construction method
for your dikes and the removal and storage of the surface soil.
4. Stake out clearly the areas of the site from where the
surface soil should be removed, as was done earlier before the
clearing started
5. Excavate to the desired depth and transport the surface soil
away from the construction site
6. To be able to dig out this surface soil without too much
effort, it might be necessary to loosen it by ploughing. In
exceptional cases, you may have to rip the soil with a tractor
first, before starting excavation. Use as many shanks as
possible, at low speed and maximum soil penetration, to
reach best efficiency. For small areas, the soil may be
loosened using a pick.
7. Store this surface soil in a suitable location, as close

as possible to the site. You will use this fertile organic
soil later for several purposes such as:
Covering the top and dry sides of the dikes with a thin
layer of rich soil to grow a protective grass.
Putting it back into the pond to increase its fertility.
Preparing compost piles.
Improving your garden and producing valuable crops.
Note: larger sites may present considerable variation in
surface soil depth. It is useful to measure this and plan
the excavation and movement of the soil accordingly

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What are the main steps involved in site preparation?

What factors need to be considered when preparing a construction site?

Site preparation

Site preparation is one of the preliminary works

FACTOR CONSIDERED FOR THE

1.1 The Equipment

1.2 Clearing the site

Proceeding with the

1.3 The cutting of trees

1.4 THE REMOVAL OF TREE

1.5 UPROOTING WHOLE

1.6 SURFACE SOIL REMOVAL

7. Store this surface soil in a suitable location, as close

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