2019

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

CEM571 – CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

NUR FAHIRAH ADILLAH BINTI HAMDAN 2018612454

NORAMIRAH BINTI MUHAMMAD HARUN 2018425104
FATIN NUR SYAHIRAH BINTI IDRIS 2018250242
NURFARAHIN BINTI ZAMRI 2018400472
MUHAMAD FARIZ SHAFIQ BIN MOHD JALIL 2018400062
TABLE CONTENT

NO. TASK PAGE

1 PROJECT DETAIL 2

2 PROBLEM AND RELEVANT SOLUTION 3

3 RESOURCES AVAILABLE 7

4 ASSESS RESOURCES 23

5 ANALYSIS COMPLEX ISSUES 29

6 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 33

7 APPENDIX 35

8 REFERRENCE 37

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1.0 INTRODUCTION: PROJECT DETAILS

1.1 Project Overview

On 24th March 2019, our group has visited construction site in Pendang managed by UCM
Construction. The current project that they handled is a construction of Sekolah Menengah
Sains Pendang. For this project, they need to build up 25 units of classrooms and other
facilities. During the site visit, what can be concluded is almost 65% of the construction
has been completed. There are almost all the structural works for this project has been
completed but as for the infrastructure works there are some project that still on going.

1.2 Objectives
The main objective for this project is to fulfill the need of government to establish another
branch of Sekolah Menengah Sains in this area to ensure that resident from this area are
given education that is equivalent to other areas.

1.3 Project Description

Name of project : Cadangan Membina dan Menyiapkan Sebuah Sekolah Menengah Sains
Pendang (25 Bilik Darjah).

Location of project : Lot (2073, 1863, 1869, 1870, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707), Bandar
Pendang, Daerah Pendang, Kedah.

Project cost : RM66,768,340.00

Project duration : Commencement (26/5/2017) – Completion (26/5/2019)

Owner : Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia

Main contractor : UCM Construction Sdn. Bhd.

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2.0 PROBLEM AND SOLUTION

2.1 Overview

Problems are at the center of what many people do at work every day. Whether were
solving a problem for a client and discovering new problems to solve, the problem that we face
can be large or small, simple or complex, and easy and difficult. Construction sites, large and
small are subject to a variety of problems. Contractors bear the major responsibility for keeping
construction site problems to a minimum. City and county building departments share in the
identification, monitoring and correction of problems that arise on residential and commercial
construction sites.

A fundamental part of every manager’s role is finding ways to solve them. So being a
confident problem solver is really important to the success. Much of that confidence comes from
having a good process use when approaching a problem, with one we can solve problems quickly
and effectively. Without one, your solutions may be ineffective or we will get stuck and do nothing,
with sometimes painful consequences. There are four basic steps in solving a problem which is
defining the problem, generating technique, evaluating and selecting technique and implementing
solutions.

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2.2 Problem and solution

Based on our site visit which is located at Pendang, Kedah, there are few problems that we get
from the site that we can discuss for this task.

Problem 1: Factory made mistake in dimension of the column size

 During the installation work of column is ready to be install, the workers finds out
that the column height is not equal to the other column and its totally too longer or too
shorter than its proposed size.

Solution 1: Corbel and cut

 For the column with the shorter size, they use extension called corbel to solve this
problem. A corbel for a wall including a corbel sleeve having a longitudinal passage for
extending into the wall or beam. The insertion can have insertion end and a support end.
The insertion end can be inserted into longitudinal passage of the corbel sleeve and
secured therein.
For the over length column, the workers will reduce the level of the column height

Problem 2: Machineries breakdown

 Machineries breakdown are one of the problem happen on site which can delay
the work on site and will take time to repair and also can increase the cost in maintenance
and also for transporting the broken machineries out from the site.

Solution 2: Establish a maintenance schedule

 When repairs and upkeep take place on machines at regular intervals, these efforts
can significantly improve the equipment reliability of these systems. Therefore,
organization should be sure to establish a consistent schedule to follow for preventive
maintenance. As part of this process, administrators and key employees should first
identify critical machines to be included in these plans. The schedule should also list the
types of maintenance that should be performed in each individual system and at what
intervals these fixes should be carried out.

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Problem 3: Lack of skilled workers

 There is a big problem facing the construction industry which is not enough skilled
workers to fill a growing demand. Shortage skill workers can cause the cost of construction
increase, time overrun, decrease in quality of the structure and the speed of construction
will be slow down, high accidents rate and more rework need to do. In fact, employ the
semi skilled and unskilled labour more than skilled worker will created more troubles for
the company. In addition, the chances of late completion also become higher.

Solution 3: Implementing construction technology

 Various advance in construction technology it is now possible to develop and build

large scale projects in the shortest time possible. As a result, construction technology
companies are able to undertake large sized projects. Moreover, implementing
construction technologies, the companies are able to develop projects under the most
challenging of circumstances.
These days it is possible to build buildings in an extremely short amount of time
and at the same time, ensure that the building in question is strong and well protected
against natural disasters.

Problem 4: Pollution

 Construction activities that contribute to air pollution include land clearing,

operation of diesel engines, demolition, burning and working with toxic materials. All
construction sites generate high level of dust typically from concrete, cement, wood, stone
and silica. All this dust can carry for large distances over a long period of time. Diesel is
also responsible for emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and
carbon dioxide.
However, construction site also produces a lot of noise mainly from vehicles, heavy
equipment and machinery but also from people shouting. Excessive noise is not only
annoying and distracting but can lead to hearing loss, sleep disturbance and extreme
stress. It also can disturb the natural cycles of animals and reduce their usable habitat.

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Solution 4: Ways to prevent and reduce pollution

 Good construction site practice can help to control and prevent pollution. The first
step is to prepare environment risk assessments for all construction activities and
materials likely to cause pollution. To prevent erosion and runoff, we can minimize land
disturbance and leave maximum vegetation cover. We can control dust through fine water
sprays to dampen down the site. To stop dust spreading, we can screen the whole site or
alternatively place fine mesh screening close to the dust source.
To reduce air pollution due to toxic material, use non-toxic paints, solvents and
other hazardous materials wherever possible. In addition, segregate, tightly cover and
monitor toxic substances to prevent spills and possible site contamination. For all vehicles
and equipment engines better use low sulfur diesel oil. To reduce noise pollution, careful
when handling of materials, modern, quiet power tools, equipment and generators.

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3.0 RESOURCE AVAILABLE

Construction companies had face many challenge according to achieved their objectives.
Resource management is the process of planning the resources necessary to meet the objectives
of the project while satisfying client’s requirement. Without proper resources management,
projects can be delay or over budget. The objective is to ensure the adequate and time supply of
resources while at the same time maximizing the utilisation of resources between the projects.

There are several construction resources to be considered which is:

1. Construction plant, tools and equipment.

2. Product and materials
3. Human resources

3.1 Machineries, tools and equipment

Without suitable machineries, tools and equipment, the project completion cannot be finish due
its time schedule. For UCM Construction Sdn. Bhd., there are some machineries, tools and
equipment owned by this company, others they rent from the private company. Table below
shows the machineries owned by this company:

Type of
Machineries/
No Quantity Details
Equipment/
Vehicles

1. Compactor 7 nos There are a lot of compactors’ type being used in

construction industry. For this company, they owned 2
unit of road roller and 5 unit of roller over 5 tonnes.

Function:
i. This engineering device had been used to compact
or reduce the size of soil, gravel, trash, concrete or
asphalt in the road construction or other related
activities.

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 Merit:
ii. This machine can be used to compress waste by
using electric or hydraulic power with incorporation of
excellent power.
iii. The compactor is a very helpful device at landfills or
agricultural purposes.
iv. The road roller is able to do a compaction up to 4
tonnes.
v. The roller drum weight is used for the compression of
the surface which required to be compacted. The
initial compaction is obtained by the use of roller with
tires.
vi. It wheels are flexible to attain some vertical
movement which enables the roller to operate
efficiently on an irregular ground surface.
vii. The rollers with metal drums is used to obtained the
final road surface

Demerit:
i. Expensive machines and too costly to buy for a single
job.
ii. It also must consider the maintenance,
transportation, storing and operation cost.
iii. When rolling on asphalt, rolling too slow can over-
compact the surface while driving too fast can leave
gaps and sudden turns or speed changes when
rolling can tear at the surface.

2. Motor grader 1 nos Motor grader or known as road grader is one of moving
machine that similar to bulldozers. It is also described as
heavy-duty machine that is used in different industry
sectors. However, the motor graders are most commonly
used in the construction and mining sites for creating
smooth and flat surface. This machine have an adjustable
mould blade fitted either at the front of the machine or
slung under the centre of the machines’ body.

Function:
i. Motor grader is been used in construction for finishing
fine limits large areas of ground which has been
scraped or bulldozed to the required formation level.

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 Merit:
i. The graders can be used with different attachments
for completing different kinds of construction or
mining task. This capable the machines to perform
and to do different things on the job sites.
ii. Some grades can be used for digging shallow holes
and even for rough grading.
iii. Can be used for maintenance of unpaved roads and
remove the rocks from the unpaved rocks.

Demerit:
i. It only can be used to grade the surface since their
low motive power is insufficient to enable them to be
used for over site excavation work.
ii. Expensive machines and too costly to buy for a single
job.
iii. It also must consider the maintenance,
transportation, storing and operation cost.

3. Excavator 4 nos Excavator is one of heavy construction equipment that

basically prepare the land before construction starts. The
performance of excavator can be measured from the
production cycle which is the time that an excavator took
to load the bucket from source, swing, dump, return back
and then dig again.

Function:
i. Usually used to dig the soil and rocks either in flat or
steep conditions.
ii. Act as a breaker or destroyer rocks so that it will easy
to dig those locations.

Merit:
i. The excavator can be used for a small housing
project, road construction, marine structure and
larger sites to excavate, move construction material
and remove construction waste.
ii. The modern excavators are being fitted with electric
motors that obtain power by fuel cells which are more
efficient, environmentally friendly, lighter and smaller
than a diesel engine.

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 Demerit:
i. Very expensive equipment.
ii. It also must consider the maintenance,
transportation, storing and operation cost.

4. Bulldozer 2 nos Bulldozer is one of moving machine which is high

powered tractors with caterpillar or crawler tracks. It is
fitted with a mould board or blade at the front.

Function:
i. It is used for stripping top soil, clearing vegetation and
over site excavation up to depth of 400mm.
ii. It is also can be used to flatten and push the pile of
soil and the pile of rocks or rocky ground.

Merit:
i. Using a bulldozer to clear land is cheaper than
manual felling.
ii. This machine is multi-functional and is available for
other uses on the job site after felling trees.
iii. A bulldozer helps to lessen the competition between
the old vegetation and the new plantation for light,
moisture and nutrients.

Demerit:
i. Using the bulldozer can leads to extensive soil
disturbance.
ii. It is only effective for clearing land when the
topography and soil conditions are suitable.
iii. On vulnerable sites, bulldozers increase erosion on
sloping land by disturbing the soil considerably.
iv. Very expensive equipment.
v. It also must consider the maintenance,
transportation, storing and operation cost

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 5. Backhoe 4 nos Backhoe is one of stationary machine which also known
as pull shovel, drag shovel or simply as hoe. The
production rates is depends on the depth of the
excavation.

Function:
i. This machine is used for excavating below the level
of the tracks. For example, trenches, basement,
foundation or other excavation work in confine
situation.

Merit:
i. Backhoe can tackle landscaping jobs of all sizes and
types such as digging up trees and moving them to a
new locations, even keeping the root balls intact.
ii. Backhoe has a great for digging fence post holes or
minor excavation jobs such as digging small ponds
and water features.
iii. This machine is also multitask and known for its
versatility on any construction site. For example, it is
equipped with a bucket that can scoop and move
materials as well as a digging arm that can excavate.
iv. Backhoe also can tackle a range of terrain types.

Demerit:
i. The backhoe is cannot been used in hilly or steep
ground.
ii. Expensive machines and too costly to buy for a single
job.
iii. It also must consider the maintenance,
transportation, storing and operation cost.

6. Mobile crane 1 nos Mobile crane is one of the lifting machines which has a
telescoping boom on its platform or a giant crane
equipped with a range of attachments. It is kitted with wire
ropes, chains, drums and control panels.

Function:
i. The standard crane machines are used for lifting big
and heavy sized objects.

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 Merit:
i. Mobile crane is flexible and able to access smaller
areas and sites with limited space for entrance.
ii. It also does not required a lot of space. It can be used
to access narrow passages and sites that have
limited space, making them a practical solution for
many job sites.
iii. The mobile crane is significantly smaller compared to
other crane types so it is capable and powerful
enough to lift heavy object like the tower crane.
iv. This crane also can be setup quickly and easily,
minimizing the amount of time spent on the work site
before the job actually be underway.
v. There is also little cost involved in this portion of the
job since it is required little setup time.

Demerit:
i. Safety Issues.

7. Concrete mixer 10 nos The concrete mixer is a machine which composed of

mixing drum, feeding and unloading mechanism, water
supply system, prime mover, transmission mechanism,
rack and supporting device.

Function:
i. To mixing the concrete, aggregate and water and
mixing it into concrete mixture.

Merit:
i. Concrete mixer can mix the cement with aggregate
easily.
ii. Using this machines, it also can save time.
iii. It is also need less energy.

Demerit:
i. Produce noise when mixing and feed.
ii. The uniform time is not easy to control.

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 Concrete vibrator is a construction tool typically used on
8. Concrete vibrator 10 nos concrete poring site. This machines and assortment of
attachments are designed for multiple application built by
a variety of manufactures. It is not only for a small jobs
but for essential of large load bearing projects.

Function:
i. The uses of concrete vibrator is to ensure that the
pour is free of air bubbles so that the concrete
remains strong and has a smooth finish even after
removal of the form work.

Merit:
i. This machine helps to create an even an attractive
surface.
ii. Produce higher strength in concrete.
iii. Concrete vibrator cause the mixture liquefy which can
reduce the internal friction of the mixture so that it
helps to ensure enough concrete gets into every little
nook and cranny and eliminate voids.

Demerit:
i. When the concrete vibrator is use incorrectly on a
concrete mix that has a wide range of material size,
it can cause the larger rocks to settle at the bottom
which can makes the concrete weaker.
ii. This also can make instability when the tool can push
rock and gravel away from the area that being
shaken.

9. Air compressor 3 nos Air compressor and breakers are incredibly useful tools
and breakers that can be used to power air tools and variety of other
attachment.

Function:
i. This machine is capable more than spraying-painting,
cleaning task and separation equipment.

Merit:
i. Air compressor and breakers is ease of maintenance.
It is highly powerful machines that also remarkably
easy to maintain.

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 ii. This machine can function at high temperatures and
in locations where explosions and fire hazards restrict
other forms of energy.
iii. This machine is very popular in construction because
of the safety and convenience of using air as a
resource as opposed to other energy sources.

Demerit:
i. This machines is to be designed for light-to-medium
construction only.

10. Generator set 3 nos The generator set backed by the largest dealer network in
the world, hence giving the access to the parts, services
and support the needed.

Function:
i. Generator set are efficient suppliers of electrical
power.

Merit:
i. The generator help to continue any task without delay
or retardation in work.
ii. The generator set has less maintenance which is
usually only need to change its oil, fuel, air filter and
oil filter.
iii. It also is long lasting.

Demerit:
i. Fuel may not be accessible during widespread
blackout.

11. Electric-welding 5 nos All electric welding set perform the same task no matter
set what size they are.

Function:
i. The electric welding set used to melt pieces of metal
in order to join them by creating a weld.

Merit:
i. The electric welding set is a multipurpose which it can
use for construction or
ii. The electric welding can be used in permanent
joining metal parts because of its strength. For

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 example, it can be used for joining the beams when
constructing buildings, bridges and other structure.

Demerit:
i. This set can perform a leakage of a welding
transformer.

12. Oxy-acetylene 3 nos This set is a process which produces a high temperature
welding/ flame over than 3000℃ by the combustion of pure oxygen
cutting set and acetylene. There are some colours in cylinder to
including gas differentiate the type of the gases. For acetylene, the
shoulder of the cylinder is maroon and for oxygen, the
shoulder is white.

Function:
i. The function of this set is to cutting and welding of
mild steel.

Merit:
i. The equipment is cheaper than most types of welding
rigs.
ii. Oxy-acetylene can be used on sites which have no
power supply.
iii. This equipment is more portable than most other
types of welding rigs.

Demerit:
i. This equipment are much rougher in appearance
than other kinds of welds and require more finishing
if neatness is required.
ii. Safety issues with oxy-acetylene because there is
naked flame present which does not exist with
electrical forms of welding.

13. Portable pump 12 nos Portable pumps refers to a kind of concrete pump which
is designed to be easily carried or moved.

Function:
i. Pumping the concrete over long distance and at high
considerable height.

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 Merit:
i. Can reduce the chances of injuries that might result
in severe injuries.
ii. It has efficiency pump.
iii. This equipment can decrease in operation stoppages
and attendant delays.

Demerit:
i. Need higher pressure when the concrete needs
higher to go.

14. Scaffolding 3’ 2500 set Scaffolding is a tool that is used to help the construction
industry and remains a valuable structure for workers
when carrying out projects of all sizes.

Function:
i. Help to reach those height as it will have a huge
platform for tools of construction and functional
workplace.

Merit:
Scaffolding 5’ 1000 set
i. Scaffolding enable easy access during the time of
construction either for building that is high or not.
ii. It also provide perfect balance which comfort in a
variety of positions while working.
iii. Scaffold structure provide a stable platform for
workers to use it where they are safe even at great
heights.
iv. A scaffolds also can help save time because it is easy
to assemble and to disassemble.

Demerit:
i. Only required for a skilled staff in many situations to
put it up and down.

15. Lorries 10 nos Truck transportation is the process or business of

transporting goods using motored, wheeled or non-rail
vehicles known as trucks. For this company, they owned
10 no of lorries. Five from that is lorries tipping over 3
tonnes.

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 Function:
i. To transport all the material needed to the site.

Merit:
i. Cheaper than other modes of transportation for short
hauls.
ii. It is highly flexible and able to go wherever there are
roads and streets.
iii. The freight can be loaded and unloaded quickly.

Demerit:
i. Affected by the weather and road conditions and
traffics.
ii. It is limited somewhat as to what it can carry by the
size of the vehicles used by size and weight
restrictions imposed by states.

Table 3.0 shows the list of the machinery, equipment and vehicles owned by UCM construction
Sdn. Bhd.

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3.2 Product and materials

In additional, material also is one of the resources in construction industry. Good material will
produce a high quality product. There are several factor in choosing a construction material for
site such as according to cost, aesthetics value, durability, supplier, availability and also method
of installation. There are several list of material used due to the previous site visit:

No Materials Descriptions

1 Cement Cement are widely used for concreting work. From the
previous site visit, this project had been used an Ordinary
Portland Cement (OPC) as their concreting work. This
OPC is widely used in construction industry according to
their own advantages. This product comes in a range of
specifications to suit various conditions and applications.
Merit:
i. This type of cement produce high durable and
sound concrete due to very low percentages of
chlorides, alkalis, magnesia and free lime in its
component.
ii. It also faster in initial setting time and higher in
strength compared to other cement type.
iii. The curing period of OPC is less so that it can
reduce the curing cost prohibitive.
Demerit:
i. The OPC cannot be used for mass concreting as
it has higher heat of hydration.
ii. It has low in durability because of the lower in
fineness and higher in permeability.

2 Timber Timber is widely used for the concrete precast. Other than
that, timber also is used for roof frames, supports, walls
and floors. Timber is one of natural material which has a
lot of advantages on it. Basically, timber is non-toxic and
does not leak chemical vapour into the building.
Merit:
i. Timber is easy to work with. Its’ versatility made
the timber can be used in a wide variety of ways.
Timber is easy to install and can be done with
simple equipment.

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 ii. Timber also have a high in strength and durability.
iii. Timber is potentially renewable sources.
iv. Timber is low in production energy. It takes a little
energy to produce timber from the trees.
Demerit:
i. However, the timber is easy to swell and shrink.
This is because, the timber has a natural ability to
absorb water.
ii. Due to fire resistance, timber is highly
combustible.
iii. Timber also has ability to mould if it is treated
wrongly or the installation is not regulated.

3 Bricks Bricks are used for building walls. It is come various in

shapes, size and strength based on different construction
requirements. There are many types of bricks with
different strength. High strength bricks are usually used
for load bearing walls as it have a capacity to withstand
the pressure due to load. From the previous site visit, we
observed that the construction of this project had been
used is clay bricks.
Merit:
i. According to fire safety, this clay bricks are
naturally fire resistant. However, the fire-
resistance structure is still occur but it will remain
intact for longer which can allow people escaping
from the fire.
ii. The compressive strength is good enough for
ordinary construction.
iii. Clay bricks can stabilize temperatures and
reducing the dependences on artificial cooling.
Most importantly, this clay bricks provide a natural
level of comfort which enhance wellbeing.
iv. It also have low maintenance cost.
v. Clay brick produce less environmental pollution
during manufacturing process.

Demerit:
i. Brick has very less tensile strength.
ii. Rough surface of bricks may cause moss growth
if it is not properly cleaned.

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 iii. It also can cause fluorescence when does not
exposed to air. This can happen because of the
bricks can absorb water easily.

4 Steel In construction, there have major applications of structural

steel. The uses of steel in construction is for frames,
support or others.
Merit:
i. Steel has a high strength.
ii. Steel also is flexible which easier to shape without
changing any properties.
Demerit:
i. Steel is easy to rust.
ii. It also has a high maintenance cost which it has to
be painted to avoid from rust.
iii. In high temperature, the steels tend to lose its
properties.
iv. For steel, it can buckling as the length of the steel
increases, the chances of the steel to buckle will
increase.

5 Ceramic tiles Ceramics is one of the construction materials which had

been used for tiles and fixtures. It used as fixtures or
coverings in a buildings such as ceramic floors, walls and
others.

Merit:
i. The ceramics is a water resistance. It have a hard
protective top layer that makes the tiles
impervious to water. This naturally resistant to the
ravages of high humidity conditions.
ii. It also has high durability. The tiles are difficult to
crack and extremely enough.
iii. The tiles also easy for the maintenance because
it is easy to wipe or mop for the dirt, stains and
liquid that rest on the surface.
iv. Ceramic tile is one of the more affordable flooring
materials which have a good looking tile and
professional installation.
Demerit:
i. The ceramic tile cannot hold on heat very well.

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 ii. The tiles with defect must be cut along with grout
lines.
iii. It also unable to take heavy loads on its surface.

3.3 Human Resources

For running the construction, our industry need manpower to handle it. In construction,
human resources is the process of managing people within an organisation. For site workers,
there are two types of labour which is skilled and unskilled workers. There are some of the
advantage and disadvantage for the site workers:

No Type of labour Description

1 Skilled labour Skilled labour is a person which required additional skills or

education.

Merit:
i. The time can save by hiring a skilled workers because
skilled workers potentially can finish their work earlier
compare to the unskilled workers.
ii. Skilled workers can reduce training expenses. Without this
training, it can reduce the fee for the training.
iii. They have more efficiency in finishing their task. This is
because they have more experience or expertise compare
to unskilled workers.

Demerit:
i. The process of hiring an employee is expensive compared
to unskilled workers.

2 Unskilled labour Unskilled labour is a person which required a high school

educational attainment.

Merit:
i. The process of hiring an employee is more cheaply
compared to the skilled workers.

Demerit:
i. For unskilled works, they are potentially need an extra time
to finish their work according to the schedule.

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 ii. Unskilled workers need to go training to obtain certain
qualifications.
iii. They have less efficiency in completing their work. This is
because they have less experience or expertise compare
to the skilled workers.

4.0 Assess resources

Assess resources is used to determine whether sufficient resources, including Construction

plant tools and equipment, Product and materials, and Human resources. It has been assessed
and budgeted for a project. Assess resources should be analyzed during the resources planning
stage because they are primary resources that help facilitate project success. Assess resources
is able to assess in detail all conditions that lead to the make use of the resources.

4.1.Construction plant tools and equipment

No Type of Description
Machinery/
Equipment/
Vehicles
1. Compactor As we know, the compactor usability in the
site as compact the soil, gravel, concrete
and asphalt in the construction of road and
foundation. At our site, The compactor on
this site is used to construct roads and
foundations. For more examples, it
compacts the soil such as for construct the
pedestrian, parking lot, school field,
foundation for the high rise building and
road. The number of machinery for
Figure4.1: Road roller construction also must be sufficient to
make sure the works finish on time. The
contractor is hired the unskilled worker for
this job. It is because this machine is easy
to uses. This job usually using on the
construction process. A compactor is a
machine used to reduce the size of
material such as waste material through
compaction. A trash compactor is often
used by a home or business to reduce the
volume of trash it produces. Normally
powered by hydraulics, compactors take
many shape and sizes

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 2. Motor Grader The motor grader is one construction
machinery that is used to create a well
smooth, wide-ranging, and level surface.
Motor graders are used for the
maintenance of the road at this site. It
spread the soil and then flattens that soil.
Before the pavement of the asphalt layer,
motor graders are used for the uniformly
flat surface so that asphalt distribute
uniformly throughout the surface.
Figure4.2: Motor Grader
Uses grader at our site:
 Moving of earth from one location to
another.
 Leveling of soil so that the next
bitumen layer spread uniformly
throughout the surface.
 Scarifying. Scarifying is the removal
of the complete layer of soil and
then spreading of a new layer at
that particular location.
 Mixing of two materials.
 Spreading of soil, aggregates
 Trenching
 Land grading. It is the process in
which a certain slope is achieved
with the help of a motor grader.
 Ditching

3. Excavator This is the type of moving machines.

Excavator is one of the heavy construction
equipment that basically prepare the land
before construction starts. During
construction work such as digging
trenches, holes, and foundations needs the
excavator and it providing the workers to
do these tasks. The contractor decides to
use this machine because of it much more
easily and effectively than any other piece
Figure4.3: Excavator of the heavy machine on the market. When
the site clearing, they are used for including
forestry, mining, and all types of
construction. In addition to digging,
excavators are used for projects such as
demolition, material handling, or just simply
heavy lifting of objects. It is also useful as a
tracked and wheel excavator, which is
perfect when the job calls for things such
as digging, material handling, brush cutting,
demolition, open-pit mining, forestry work,

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 and much more. There are great for big
jobs. During the construction have a
problem when excavating the soil. This
happens because of the type of soil at the
construction is soft soil. The soft is soil
maybe because of near the construction
site has a river. Excavation of soil is an
important part in in a construction process
and safety and care must be taken while
excavation.

4. Bulldozer Bulldozer is a tracked tractor that has an

integral metal blade used to drive a
significant magnitude of soil, sand, debris
generated during construction. The tracks
provide exceptional ground grip and
mobility in patchy terrain. The bulldozer
weight is distributed by the wide tracks over
a vast area. Thus, the pressure applied is
decreased, and the bulldozer is prevented
from plunging in sandy ground. Bulldozers
have a torque divider that is designed to
transform the engine power into enhanced
dragging capability. The bulldozers can tow
Figure4.4: Bulldozer heavy tanks with ease. Due to these
characteristics, bulldozers are employed to
remove debris, obstacles, clear roads,
bushes, and trees. Bulldozers can also be
used to dig trenches, farming works, and
even military operations. Some bulldozers
are modified by replacing the blade with a
large bucket and hydraulic arms that are
used for lifting and lowering of the bucket.
Loader tractors are created, thus making
the bulldozer valuable for soil excavation,
and loading the soil into trucks. Other
functions of bulldozers are for
deforestation, earth removal, and ground
flattening. Heavy bulldozers are generally
engaged for terrain leveling to organize it
for construction. The construction is mostly
executed by the use of small bulldozers.
Different bulldozers use different types of
blades and depending upon the type of
blade used, bulldozers are used at different
construction sites. For grading of surface
and night of soil, straight blade bulldozers
are most useful. Another type uses a U
blade, which is also called a universal
blade. It is best and suitable for pushing,

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 hauling, and scooping works. However, it
cannot use straight blade bulldozers or U
blade bulldozers for very heavy works. It
will require working with a combination
blade. Combination blade bulldozers can
do small jobs like pushing and cleaning
debris and also work with heavy loads at
the same time.

5. Concrete mixer A concrete mixer is the most uses at the

site. At our site, during the construction for
building that needed concrete, its functions
as mixing concrete, aggregate, and water
and mixing it into the concrete mixture. It is
mainly composed of mixing drum, feeding
and unloading mechanism, water supply
system, prime mover, transmission
mechanism, rack and supporting device.
Uses concrete mixture at our site:

1, make each composition on the macro

Figure4.4: concrete mixer and micro
2, destruction of cement particle reunion
phenomenon, promote the development of
dispersion phenomenon
3, the destruction of cement particles on
the surface of the initial hydrate film wrap
4, to promote the collision between the
friction of the material particles, reduce the
impact of dust film

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4.2 Product and materials

No Materials Descriptions
The types of construction in our site including
1 Cement school, building, mosque, and the road which
is need the basic material of cement as a
binder in concrete. As well as for decorative
applications (for patios, floors, staircases,
driveways, pool decks) and items like tables,
sculptures or bookcases. Cement is a water-
based binder used to bind other building
materials (sand, aggregate) together. It
is used in the production of mortar and
concrete during the construction process.
Figure 4.6 cement The reason cement is one of the most
common construction ingredients among
others is its ability to hold the structure
together. From the previous site visit, this
project had been used as an Ordinary
Portland Cement (OPC) as their concreting
work. The contractor decides to uses OPC
because it is the best cement for building
construction. The role of water
is important because the water to cement
ratio is the most critical factor in the
production of perfect concrete. Too much
water reduces concrete strength, while too
little will make the concrete unworkable.

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 Concrete is characterized by the type of
2 Concrete aggregate or cement used, by the specific
qualities it manifests or by the methods used
to provide it. The character of the structural
concrete is determined by water to cement
ratio. When the lower the water content, the
concrete is stronger. The mixture must have
enough water to ensure that each aggregate
particle is completely surrounded by the
Figure 4.7 concrete cement past. From foundation work to roof
slab, there is used concrete. There are also
used concrete to made wall and floor because
concrete is a sustainable choice.

4 Steel In construction, there have major applications

of structural steel. The uses of steel in
construction are for frames, support or others.
They used steel in fire rated door, railing and
car park place. The used steel because of the
tensile strength of steel is high. It also can help
the structure in resisting tensile forces and
flexible which easier to shape without
changing any properties. As we know, this
high rise building used steel as the main
material.
Figure 4.8 steel

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5.0 ANALYSIS COMPLEX ISSUE

Complex problems or issue are typically defined as those that include the ability to approach them
from multiple, sometimes competing, perspectives and which may have multiple possible
solutions. Related to the task given, we know that whether contractors all over the world where
they are big company or small company seem to face the same problems on project after project.
Whether you are a one-man painting contractor, a small remodel business, or a general contractor
with 20-years of industry experience, these construction problems have most likely plagued you
at one time or another. Every project must use the machineries to help or accumulate the works
progress until the project is finish.

When we talk about machineries or complex machine, we know that every machines need to be
well care of because to run the machines smoothly, it needs a intensive care before and after
operate it. Well there are various type of common problems related to machineries at construction
projects. It all depends on how we handle it. Big or complex project usually have many problems
compare to small projects.
From my point of view and knowledge and the information that we get from the Project
Management, list of complex issues of the machineries we divided to several type of machines
and its problem which is:

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 Figure 4.9 the excavator at site

1. EXCAVATOR

Excavators are important and widely used equipment in this construction project. Their
general purpose is to excavate soil of various types forcefully but other than that they are also
used for many purposes like heavy lifting, demolition, river dredging, cutting of trees etc.
Excavators contain a long arm and a cabinet. At the end of long arm digging bucket is provided
and cabinet is the place provided for machine operator. This whole cabin arrangement can be
rotatable up to 360o which eases the operation. Excavators are available in both wheeled and
tracked forms of vehicles but tracked forms are used for this construction project. This
machine is using hydraulic system. A hydraulic force is generated and utilizing this force
bucket to pull back towards the machine.

Since this excavator using hydraulic system, the problem for this machine occur when the
hydraulic system malfunction. This is because, the replacement component for this hydraulic
component is high precision in manufacturing and high demand in terms of maintenance
because of it is more difficult to be fixed. When the machine is malfunction, it is hard to
determine the cause of the accident and troubleshooting process more difficult and takes time.
Indirectly, when the maintenance processes get demand, so the cost for fixing it is high. Other
than that, work under high temperature and low temperature affects the transmission
efficiency. Since the construction site is at high temperature area, the transmission efficiency
will affect the output of the machine.

To overcome the problem of this machine, the project manager at the site told us that, every
day before using the excavator, they will do inspection and check more detail at the hydraulic
parts. This step more less can reduce the problem occur to the excavator machine.

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 Figure 5.0 backhoe loader at the site

2. BACKHOE LOADER
Backhoe is widely used equipment which is suitable for multiple purposes. The name itself
telling that the hoe arrangement is provided on the back side of vehicle while loading bucket
is provided in the front. This is well useful for excavating trenches below the machine level
and using front bucket loading, unloading and lifting of materials can be done. Other than that,
this machine can use for small demolition, light transportation of building materials, powering
building equipment, landscaping, breaking asphalt and paving roads.

The backhoe loader can also be used to perform various kinds of tasks related to fencing on
dissimilar kinds of soil. On the construction filed, the contractor has to mend the sewer lines,
roads and gas pipelines, so it is required to go under the asphalt layer. This work can be easily
done with much ease and speedily if he joins a sharp asphalt cutter with the backhoe loader
machine.

Backhoe machine is widely used in early stages of construction which is in preliminary works.
The problem occurred when the uses of this machine is at max capacity all the time. This may
lead to system failure and maybe can more vulnerable to breakdowns. So, the solution for this
problem is, the uses of the backhoe is limit to several hours a day. This may help to overcome
this problem. Other than that, this machine needs to be operating only by skilled labour. Since
this construction is shortage of workers, this may become the problem because they lacked
of skilled labours. Besides, this machine also needs special assistance to operate them as it
may harm people on site. So, to overcome this problem, they hired more skilled workers to
the construction project.

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 Figure 5.1 mobile crane at site

3. MOBILE CRANE

A mobile crane is a very simple cable-controlled machine with a telescopic boom attached to
its platform. It comes in different shapes and sizes and can be classified into different types.
There are more than a dozen types of these cranes. Some of them are vehicle mounted, side
lifter, all terrain and telescopic handler. Mobile cranes are faster to set up. The biggest
advantage of a mobile crane is the flexibility and ability to access in areas where static crane
can’t reach. Mobile Crane doesn’t require a lot of space. Mobile crane is a cheaper option of
the types of major types of crane, so it is a cost-efficient option. The rough terrain crane is the
subclass of the hydraulic crane group. It is a self-propelled crane mounted on four rubber
tires. They are specifically designed to operate on off-road and rough surfaces. They are
usually used for building bridges, operation in power and chemical plants and in large-scale
projects.

Problem that has to face when using this mobile crane is the wiring failure. This is the most
common problem at site that usually occurs. This wiring failure can occur due to being
overloaded, fatigued, having a pre-existing defect or etc. This problem can cause serious
damage which is can be dropped unexpectedly from height. So the solution for this problem is
to do inspection before using the mobile crane and try not to avoid the factor that lead to the
wiring failure which is overloaded, fatigued and etc.

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6.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

In a conclusion, the more problem at site, the longer the delay will occur. In order to achieve the
objective the clients these problem need to be lessen. To overcome these problem, we had come
up with a decision based on method, technique, temporary work, permanent work and latest
technology to apply for the problems due to the construction activities. which are mistake in
dimension of column, machineries breakdown, lack of skilled workers and pollution. Therefore,
this conclusion will summarizes on how they manage to overcome the issues that occur on the
construction site and also we as a student can recommend to improve their method of solution.
The issues and recommendation is as follow:

1. Mistake in dimension of column

The design team made mistakes in measuring the dimension of the column. They have
overcome this problem by adding more concrete to the column and install corbel if the
column is to short and hack the column if the column is too high.
Recommendation:
The workers must always be monitored to make sure there is no mistake in labeling and
the measurement is accurate with the standard and drawing that has been designed.

2. Machineries breakdown
The breakdown machineries can cause delay and take time to repair plus the cost for the
maintenance is high too. They overcome this problem by establish the maintenance
schedule as the administrators and key employees should identify critical machines to be
included in these plan.
Recommendation:
There are some ideas to prevent this problem from happening are do not overwork the
machines and equipment. Overheating will usually result from overworking a machines
and is a sign that the equipment is reaching its limit. Next, getting maintenance regularly.
During a routine check-up, make sure that everything is working perfectly and that part
that need changing are changed. Besides, cleaning and properly storing the plants and
equipment is also important to making them last longer and perform better. Proper storage
will keep them safe from natural elements and cleaning can keep them performing in best
performance.

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 3. Lack of skilled workers
Shortage of skilled workers can cause the cost of construction increase, time overrun,
decrease in quality of the structure and the speed of the construction activity will be slow
down. Thus, they manage this issue by implementing construction technology.
Recommendation:
Provide job training for the construction workers in order to produce skill workers. On the
job training they will be teach the skill to the standard. Plus, on the job training gives them
ability to train up and hone their skills .

4. Pollution problem
Pollution in a construction site usually causes by dust from cement, concrete, wood stone,
silica and diesel that responsible for emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, nitrogen
oxide and carbon dioxide. There are also noise pollution from vehicles, heavy equipment
and machineries. So, to reduce the pollution they control dust through fine water sprays
to dampen down the site and place fine mesh screening close to the dust source.
Meanwhile, to reduce the air pollution they use non-toxic paints, solvents and other
hazardous materials.
Recommendation:
They need to install, implement and maintain effective pollution prevention measures
during the course of a project to ensure pollutants are discharged correctly and safely with
limited impact on the environment. As for the noise pollution, careful handling the materials
by using modern, quiet power tools, equipment and generators; low impact technologies
and wall structures as sound shield. For example, they can use hydraulic operated
hammer when doing the piling works.

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7.0 Appendix

Figure 5.2 cement at site Figure 5.3 excavator at site

Figure 5.4 concrete mixer Figure 5.5 having talk with the project
manager during site visit

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REFERENCE

1. The Civil Engineer and Machinist, Charles John Blunt, 2012

2. Primitive Technology, David Wescott, 2002

3. https://www.thebalancesmb.com/must-have-earth-moving-construction-heavy-equipment-844586

4. http://www.basiccivilengineering.com/2015/04/type-of-equipment-use-in-construction.html

5. https://www.slideshare.net/hamo92/5-construction-equipment-building-construction

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