CME101 Construction and Installation Sequence

TOPIC 3

1. Construction and installation sequence

• Site clearing

Firstly, bring all the required machinery to site. Such machineries would include: excavators, rock drills, compacting machine among others. Bulldozers are to be used where vegetation is thick and matured. Properly de-stump the site and remove trees nearby that are likely to affect the building structural integrity. Undertake proper landscaping.

• Hording

This is to be done for safety of the general public and safety of the assets within the site. Also set up offices for effective construction management.

• Excavation

Trenches are to be dug out a width of 450mm for the strip footing placement all round the building. These are shallow trenches hence no need for temporary reinforcement.

• Waterproofing

During footing placement, ensure sound waterproofing is attained. There is a special material for waterproofing, commonly used is PVC cover material.

• Footing and ground slab establishment
• Level the ground and blind it.
• Set up the slab formwork.
• Assemble the reinforcement bars.
• Batch the concrete onto the formwork and reinforcement to produce a strip footing otherwise known as column base.
• Erect column formwork, reinforcement bars and concrete them.
• Cure slabs for 14 days.
• Erect beam formwork.
• Erect the beam reinforcement bars.
• Erect formwork for the slab
• Assemble slab reinforcement bars and fix with beam reinforcement bars.

• Services

Electricity will be supplied to the site for powering of simple electric appliances and for lighting at night.

• Inspection

Inspect the quality of precast concrete. They must be able to bear the loadings once installed. Check for cracks and replace immediately¹.

• Site benchmarking

The site establishment must be benchmarked with the ideal constructions as stipulated in the various Australian standards and code of construction.

• Compaction

Once footings are sunk, the ground must be stabilized and firmed using a compaction machine.

• Termite protection

Since these are brick walls and the footing is wholly concrete, there will be no need for termite protection. However, as a cautionary measure, just before sinking the footings, apply appropriate chemical within and around the base.

• Slump test

Undertake the test during excavation and landscaping

• Wall establishment
• Set out on the ground.
• Prepare a masonry wall footing that is slightly bigger than the block (by at least 100mm on each side).
• Apply about 10mm thick mortar layer after wetting the foundation.
• Place a block on the mortar and check for alignment.
• Continue on till the first course (layer of bricks) is done.
• Repeat steps 3 to 5 for the subsequent courses of bricks.
• Add a steel strip every three or four courses of bricks.
• Plaster the brick wall faces
• Curing time

Allow curing time at minimum of 28 days (this is the standard time).

References

Murty, C. V. R., et al. "Reinforced concrete structures." Earthquake spectra 18.S1 (2002): 149-185

Nawy, Edward. Reinforced concrete: A fundamental approach. (2000).