Notebook Part-2

48340 CONSTRUCTION
AL-AMIN ISLAM
STUDENT ID-11885288
 48340 Construction Notebook Part 2
Site-1

564 Princes Hwy, Rockdale NSW 2216

Prime constructor- Open space constructions pty ltd

Fig1.1: Entrance
Entrances
The Fig1.1 shows the entrance of the construction site, there are two entrances in
this site, one is for vehicles and other is for the pedestrians. Although it is a good
idea to make two entrances for different purposes but it is not the safest choice to
make the entrances on one same lane next to each other. The pedestrians and
vehicles are more likely to collide or interrupt with each other and in the worst case,
accidents may occur. Mostly heavy vehicles are used in these construction sites and
they have very limited vision, so its usually hard for the drivers to watch out for
pedestrians. The wise solution would be moving the pedestrian entrance in different
part of the site. If the first solution is not possible, the second option would be
building a concrete barrier around or along the entrance for the protection of the
pedestrian. First solution is the preferred choice, but second solution will also be
effective to minimize the hazards.

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 Fig1.2: Signage on the construction site
Safety and warning signs
There were significant amount of safety signs at the entrance and around the site.
Construction is a reasonably dangerous industry and it is important that correct
procedures are followed. All visitors to the site must sign in at the site office and
have correct safety equipment including work boots and a hardhat before they are
allowed into the construction area to ensure safety within the premises.

Fig1.3: Site office Fig1.4: Storage

Site office and Storage
The above pictures shows the site office and storage. Site office usually contains all
the important paper works, construction plans, blue prints and labor records
regarding the ongoing construction. The site office also has the First Aid kit to
ensure primary treatment if accidents occur.
Room next to the office is a storage room, storage rooms are mainly used to keep
small machineries, chemical products and expensive equipment. The fig shows the

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 presence of some flammable liquids and fuel. A generator and a few machines are
seen to be kept in an organized manner. There is enough space inside the storage
which is adequate for one to access the room and use them. These expensive
machines are mostly used during the construction time and they are locked and
monitored with enough securities to prevent theft.
There are CCTV camera and enough security camera to guard the site and storage
during the day and night.

Fig1.5: Overall sight

Overall view of the sight
From the overall view of the site, we can see the reinforcement work to construct
the ground floor of the multi stored building. Horizontal slabs of steel reinforced
concrete are typically used which are usually between 4 and 20 inches thick. There
were 20 labor with 3 foreman actively working around the site. There were proper
fencing in and out of the site, the main purpose of fencing is to put a barrier to
prevent any risk, which can be caused by demolishing, excavation or other
construction work inside the site. Fencing can also act as the visual sign to alert
people construction work is being carried out at the site, which can prevent
unauthorized people to access to the site. Mostly mesh was seen to be used as
fencing around the site.

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 Fig1.6: Temporary scaffolding over footpath
Temporary hoarding and scaffolding over footpath
We can see the installment of temporary scaffolding over the footpath next to the
construction site to make sure safe access on the walkway for the pedestrians. A
permit is required by the local authority to install the scaffolding. Certain rules and
regulations are to be followed to install the scaffolding over footpath such as a clear
headroom of 2.45 meter, the width of highway enclosed by the scaffolding must not
exceed the minimum unobstructed width and scaffoldings should be clearly visible
by the pedestrians. Temporary scaffoldings are installed basically to give access to
the walkway and also the worker to work on top of it during construction.
Wooden hoarding are used around the site to make sure the pedestrians are safe
and restrict all dirt, dust and debris within the construction site. Hoardings create a
barrier to confine any sort of risk during demolition, excavation or any sort of
construction in the site.
These are temporary and often taken off at the end of the construction process.

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 Fig1.7: Reinforcement work
Reinforcement work
The fig1.7 shows the reinforcement work within the site. Mostly steel reinforcement
bars are used in the construction of buildings, bridges, skyscrapers and roads. Steel
is a very strong material to be used as reinforcement bar, they increase the
strength of concrete and ultimately help to hold up the structure. These steel bars
has cross hatchings which are also known as deformations which help to secure
the steel and transfer the load between the bar and the concrete. These steel bars
are tied with each other with wire to make sure there is no movement during
concreting. The tie tags were properly bent back to ensure they dont intrude into
cover. Reinforcement should be kept clean and free of grease.
After the reinforcement, they are filled with concrete. Reinforced concrete is
composite material, the concrete provides the material's compressive strength,
while the steel in the form of embedded reinforcing bars provides tensile strength.
The concrete need to be mixed properly, once they are adequately mixed, they are
placed on top of the reinforcement. Once the concrete is in place, it should be
consolidated to remove large air voids and make sure the concrete has flowed all
corners and nooks using vibration and this process is called compaction.
Lastly they are let for curing to make sure the concrete hardens and gains strength
and become less vulnerable. Proper curing generally includes keeping the concrete
moist using water and keeping it supported till it reaches the proper state to
continue construction over it.

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 Use of blower
Fig1.8 shows the use of blower in the construction site
to get rid of any sort of dirt or dust inside the
reinforcement. It is very important to keep the
reinforcement free of dust before spreading concrete on
it to get the best result.

Fig1.8: Use of blower

Fig1.9: Unloading of rebar Fig1.10: Guiding to

appropriate position
Unloading rebar from the truck
The picture shows the unloading of rebar used for reinforcement being unloaded
from the trailer using a crane supervised by a skilled worker. The unloading is done
with great caution and safety, as it is easy prone to serious hazard.
A skilled personnel on the trailer hooks the bunch of rebar with the crane, the crane
is supervised by a very skilled foremen and is moved towards its position on the site
with care without any obstruction. A foreman on the site as seen on fig1.10 guides
the bunch of rebar to the ground and unhooks it safely.
As seen on fig1.10 the labour on the construction site is not wearing any sort of
hard safety helmet which is very risky and prone of being struck on the head. A
small slip can cost his life. Employers have a responsibility under the Act to provide
and maintain a safe working environment. The site manager should make sure all
his team members are equipped with adequate safety
Failure by employers and employees to comply with occupational safety and health
laws can attract significant penalties and terms of imprisonment.

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 Fig1.11: Hammer Head Crane
Use of crane
The crane that is being used within the site is a very basic tower crane also known
as Hammer Head Crane. These cranes are well suited for heavy lifting and
placement duties.
The crane in the site was monitored by the site manager himself with great care
and caution. I have seen him using the crane to unload rebar from the trailer and
place it on the site, these cranes are very well known to save time on other jobsite
duties by easily moving materials from one area to another.

Fig1.12: False work and formwork

Falsework and Formwork
Falsework are usually temporary structure used to support a permanent structure
during its construction and until it becomes self-supporting. Falsework is very
common in many construction projects, where masonry, steel or timber needs
support in its position in order to be joined. A person needs to have a current
certificate in order to build, alter or dismantle the scaffolding over 4m height.
Bracing

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 Bracing is a structural member used to stiffen a structure. From fig1.12 we can see
several diagonally crossing bracings. Triangle shape is the most geometrically rigid
shape and therefore it can prevent swaying and displacement of the scaffold. A
square or rectangle scaffold without a cross brace should not be practiced as it will
easily collapse. It is not rigid and could easily flatten down due to the loads.
Diagonally crossing braces have several advantages over those without cross
bracing. They secure the vertical members (legs) together. They square and align
the legs so the scaffold stays plumb. And they resist sway forces that result from
horizontal loads imposed on scaffolds from wind and worker movements.
Jack posts
Jack posts are telescopic tubular steel props consisting of two primary parts. Middle
is the main part of the post. The other part is the jack screw or other adjustable
fitting on the end. In fig1.12 both ends are fitted with U-shaped metal plates on the
end. U-shaped jacks provide additional strength and stability than the flat-shaped
jacks to support the scaffolding. Jack posts are mainly used for falsework: temporary
supports during construction or alteration of a building, rather than scaffolding:
access platforms for workers.

Acrow Props
There are 3 or more acrow props are being used as can be seen in fig1.12. An Acrow
prop is a tubular steel prop which is being used as a temporary support for
falsework. Acrow props are adjustable for height by a large diameter screw thread,
formed on the outside of its tube. The screw thread provides a fine adjustment over
a short range. A loose pin through a series of holes in the inner tube gives a wider
range of coarse adjustment. By using the screw thread also allows the props to be
tightened when it is in the desire place to adjust the load.
Adjusting acrow props and jack posts
When loading the bearers and joists, the recommended way is to adjust the jack
posts and acrow props to the highest first then load. The reason is when levelling
the jack, you do not want to lift the wooden bars by yourself. By putting up to the
highest, the jack posts can be easily adjusted because the weights of the bars are
already helping you to push down.

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 Fig1.13: Yellow safety cap
Yellow Reo safety cap
End caps like the ones shown in fig1.13 are a great way to eliminate risk on site.
Those plastic end caps act as a cushion which will prevent the sharp rod from
causing any injuries due to trips and falls. These pile caps provide a vertical
reinforcement for horizontal footing columns.

SITE-2

183 Princes Hwy, Kogarah NSW 2217

Prime Constructor- The Rix Group

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 Fig2.1: Overview of site
Overview of the site
Fig2.1 shows the overview of the construction site of an apartment complex. The
construction of the apartment is in its concluding stage. The main types of finishing
work that is being performed includes facing, plastering, flooring, piping and
painting.
In modern construction process for residential, public and industrial buildings, the
technology of finishing work has changed substantially. Required prefabricated
units, structures and large parts for finishing work are delivered directly to the
construction site in its final form; for example, wall panels, sanitary facilities, door
and window units, roof slabs, etc. This decreases the time for post-assembly
finishing work which includes reduction of most laborious and time consuming work
with quality finish.
Finishing work I carried out by means of various type of mechanized equipment
such as smoothing and polishing machines, units for installing floors made of
polymeric materials, vibration pumps, paint sprayer, puttying apparatus etc. These
machines accelerates the processes of finishing construction and also reduces the
number of activity. However, finishing work is still very labour intensive and it
accounts roughly about 35% of all labour expenditures in construction and assembly
operations.
The finishing work inside a building is usually done after the completion of the
exterior construction work. Internal works are often the most expensive component
in a house, since many of these product and materials are marketed directly to
consumers. Internal work are said be the most dreaded part of the construction

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 process as they are to achieve consumer satisfaction and the likings vary from
person to person, thus builders and designers dont understand them well.

The installation of interior finish ceilings, floors, wiring, plumbing pipes , partitions
and carpentry cannot be proceed until exterior works like roof and walls are
completed.

Fig2.2: Suspended ceiling

Suspended Ceiling installation
Fig2.2 shows installation process of suspending ceiling in different rooms. A
suspending ceiling is a secondary ceiling, hung below the main ceiling. It is a staple
for modern construction and architecture in both residential and commercial
applications. A suspended ceiling offers some real advantages over the actual
permanent ceiling. Ducts, pipes and cable work can be hidden above a dropped
ceiling and with easy access, it is accessible for repair or modification.
They are easy to install, fig 2.2 shows the installation of runners on top of the L
shaped molding installed on walls with appropriate perimeter. The ceiling plates are
installed at the final stage of the construction before all the pipe and duct work are
done within them.

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 Fig2.3: Wiring under ceiling Fig2.4: Wiring on roof
Wiring in the building
Wiring is one of the major part of internal construction work. Heating, ventilating,
and air conditioning system (HVAC), including the installation of lights, elevator
installation, chiller, boilers, fans, piping, and ductwork are major part of the work.
Electrical, communications, and control wiring are routed through the building as
shown in fig 2.3 and 2.4.
The vertical runs of wires and ducts are made through vertical shafts whose position
and size are designed before the construction and the shafts are installed
accordingly during the construction process. Fig2.3 shows the installation of duct
and wire under the floor slab and above the suspended ceiling which will keep it out
of way.
These wires and ducts are latter enclosed with fire resistive walls to prevent spread
of fire through them.

Fig2.4: Installation of pipes

Pipe Installation
Fig2.4 shows the installed waste line and water supply lines required for the
building. Pipe lines are also required for the installation of automatic fire
suppression system. One of the labour is installing and joining a pipe opening with
another. The pipes pass through a ring shaped holder which is bolted to the ceiling.
It is very important to join the pipes using proper adhesive, the adhesive being used

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 here is PVC primer, proper adhesive is very important as it will prevent any leakages
or may get split which may cause severe damage and very expensive to repair.

Fig2.5: Storage of insullation

Insullation
Fig2.5 shows the storage for roll of bulk insulation. Insulations are used between
walls and are usually made of glass wool, wool, cellulose fibre, polyester and
polystyrene, insulation act as a barrier to heat flow and is essential for keeping the
inside of rooms warm in winter and cool in summer. Insulations are widely used
these days mostly in residential buildings. Usage of insullation reduces greenhouse
gas emissions.
Installation of insulation required skillful personel, to install insulation without
compromising its effectiveness, a number of issues are need to be considered such
as, thermal bridging, vapour barriers, ventilation, air gaps, and physical handling of
the different types of insulation.

Fig2.6: Spackling on walls

Spackling
Fig2.6 shows the spackling of wall. Spackling is the procedure to fill any cracks or
holes in the plaster of wall before painting on it. Spackling paste are being used and

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 they are applied using a spackling knife. Generally, spackling paste is composed of
gypsum plaster from hydrated calcium sulfate, and glue.
To coat the hole, adequate amount of paste is taken on the spackling knife and is
dragged tightly against the drywall over the hole. Even stroke on the wall will fill the
hole and extra paste should be scrapped off to get an even wall. The final stage of
spackling is to smooth down the spackle using very fine grade sandpaper or a damp
sponge to smooth out the surface until it is flush with the wall. Repeat the
procedure for second coating if required.
After the spackling, the walls are painted and ready to use. The last major finishing
operation is to do the flooring work and it is delayed till the end of the construction
process, to let other trades to complete their work otherwise dropped tools, heavy
equipment, paint spill, weld spatter can damage the floor.
Facing work
After the overall structure of the building is completed, the temporary formwork is
taken off and then the finishing work on the exterior of the building starts also
known as facing work.
Before external facing work of the building, all buried wiring must be layered,
sanitation work, water and drain pipes and plumbing must be completed. One of the
most labor intensive work are the facing operations, for the purpose of covering and
decorating the front of the structure using inlaid products made of natural and
artificial materials. Exterior facing operation is mainly finishing the front of the
building using facing bricks, slabs or ceramic blocks. They are used on the exterior
wall using cement mortar. Facing must be done in order to avoid the possibility of
penetration of moisture inside the wall.

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 Site 3

Ambulance Superstation, 9/5-9 Rocky Point Rd, Kogarah NSW 2217

Prime Constructor: Kane Constructions PTY ltd

Fig3.1: Signage Fig3.2: Entrance

Entrance and Signage
The picture above shows the entrance (gate-1) and signage on the entrance of early
stage of the construction site, proposed to be NSWs first Ambulance Superstation.
The site is located at Rocky Point Road, Kogarah.
There were adequate amount of signage and safety caution around the site. There
were separate gates for pedestrian and for truck use. As the photo shows,
unauthorized persons are to keep away from the sight and all visitors must report to
site office and to be supervised by a supervisor to wear safety before accessing the
site. There were also high voltage and truck crossing caution.

Fig3.3: Net Fencing

Fencing

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 There were proper fencing all around the site. Safety net was being used as
temporary protection before publishing wooden fence. Wooden fences are stronger
than net fence as they can block more dust, soil and debris to fall out of the site.
The outer fences are made of mesh metal which is very strong.

Fig3.4: Parked Hydraulic excavator Fig3.5: Excavation

Hydraulic Excavator
There were different type of hydraulic excavators were seen to be used around the
site. These excavators have bucket attachments which are being used tin
excavation of the ground. Fig3.5 is seen to be excavating the ground to install
pipelines, the excavation process was supervised by a skillful foremen and a very
skilled driver.

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 Fig3.6: Lifting pallet of cement with excavator.
The above picture shows a hydraulic excavator with hook attachment being used to
lift a pallet of cement supervised by worker. We can also see a spare bucket
attachment on the ground.

Fig3.7: Pallet of concrete block Fig3.8: Pallet of cement

Fig3.7 and 3.8 shows pallets of cement and blocks laid on the ground. These blocks
and cement will be used in the latter stage of the construction. These concrete
blocks are very strong and excellent choice to build low rise buildings and the tough
exterior of exposed units of block provides a durable finish in demanding
environments.
Cement is an excellent binding material, cement is mixed with appropriate
proportion of water and is used in mortar for plastering, masonry work, pointing,
etc. Concrete is also composed of fluid cement mixed with coarse aggregate which
hardens over time.

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 Fig3.9: Plate Compactor Fig3.10: Sherlock Wheelbarrow

Plate compactor
Fig3.9 shows the plate compactor on the site, plate compactors are an
indispensable piece of construction equipment which is used for compressing
different types of soil and gravel. They usually consist of ah heavy plate which is
mounted to the base of the machine. These are perfect for compacting gravel, loose
stone and sand on construction sites. Plate compactors are very easy-to-use and
they work straightforward. Once they switched on, it vibrates and the heavy pate
starts moving as the operator wants. The rapid impact of the heavy plate on the
ground, compacts the soil and pack them together more tightly.

Sherlock Wheelbarrow

The wheelbarrow seen on fig 3.10 is a 100L trade tough steel tray wheelbarrow. It
was seen to be used mostly to transfer rubble, concrete, bricks and other building
materials from one place of the site to another. They are very strong and efficient to
carry materials within a short distance.

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 Fig3.11: Designed Final look
Completion
The NSW Government has approved $150 million to build the first five hubs and
construction has started at Bankstown, Blacktown, Kogarah and Liverpool, with
Penrith soon to follow. The Ambulance Superstation being built in Kogarah is
expected to be completed in 2017 with parking bays for up to 20 ambulance
vehicles and paramedic office areas, administration and amenities.

Site-4

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 Fig 4.1: Concrete batching plant
Temporary Concrete batching plant
Fig4.1 shows the use of concrete plant, also known as a batch plant, they are used
to mix and form concrete on the site using raw materials like sand, water,
aggregate (rocks, gravel, etc.), fly ash, potash, and cement. They are mostly used in
the large scale construction site as it occupies a huge area , and sometimes on sites
which are located far away from the concrete batching plant as the concrete starts
hardening traveling long distance to get to the site.
As this site is located in a very busy area, middle of the CBD; it is a very functional
decision to build the batch plant within the site and form concrete simultaneously. It
is very expensive to set up one of these temporary batching plan but a very
effective solution indeed.
The benefit of having an onsite concrete batching plant is that, concrete from the
plant can be pumped directly to where it is needed on site while will reduce the
need of more than half the number of concrete trucks required on site. This lowers
the site traffic noise and also reduces emission.

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 Fig4.2: Hammer Pile driver on action
Hydraulic Hammer Pile Driver
The use of pile foundations is increasing day by day due to non-availability of proper
land for construction. Heavy multi-storied building are being constructed, and load
from these structures cannot be directly transferred to ground due to low bearing
capacity issue and stability issues of building during lateral load application. Due to
the increased demand for piling, there have been many improvements in piles and
pile driving technology and systems. Today there are many alternative and
advanced techniques of pile installation with the use of different type of pile driver.
A hydraulic hammer pile driver was seen to be used in the site as seen on Fig4.2,
pile driver is a mechanical device which is used in driving piles or poles into the soil
to provide foundation support for buildings or large structures.
Hammer pile drivers are mostly used now a days instead of diesel or air hammer.
Hydraulic hammers are slightly more advanced in controllability and environmental
concerns as they generate less noise and pollutant. The impact energy of a diesel
hammer depends on the soil resistance, and the mass and stiffness of the pile
foundation being driven. Because the capacity of a pile foundation depends on the
performance of the pile-driving hammer, governments and consulting engineers
have shown a recent preference for hydraulic hammers, since the impact energy or
stroke of a hydraulic hammer is relatively independent of the pile resistance.
In the construction site, the pile driver was seen to pile drive steel pile into the
ground. The pile driver was operated by a very skilled driver and was supervised by
a foremen on the site. These piles are driven and drilled all the way inside the

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 ground and then will be connected to pile caps. Piles are being placed as they
transfer the loads from structures to the hard strata, rocks or soil with high bearing
capacity.
References

http://www.barangaroo.com/news-media/news-
archive/2012/september/concrete-batch-plant.aspx
< http://www.berminghammer.com/papers/hammer%20comparison
%20paper.htm>
< https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_plant>
< http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/insulation>

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