CHAPTER 2

Civil Engineering Workshop

Construction
This aspect of this SWEP program was carried out in the civil lab and also a visit to a
construction site to see visibly what construction process entails and also the stages in
constructing a structure. Precautions to be taken at a construction site was also discussed so as
to prevent/avoid injuries in site. Sections of building such as sub-structure, super structure,
roof structure. Lastly, the process of producing concrete was discussed so as to know the
materials and proportions for concrete production.

Construction: Is the process of constructing a building or infrastructure. In terms of

engineering, construction is the activity of putting together different elements, using a detailed
design and plan, to create a structure for a certain location.

Buildings: Is a structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one
place,such as a house or factory. The dimension of a standard plot is 60 x 120ft ( 18m x 36m).
Buildings have different height and width based on there purposes. There two types of building
namely RESIDENTIAL and COMMERCIAL.

Residential Building: As the name implies, built for human or goods habitation e.g Bungalow.

Commercial Building: are buildings that are used for commercial purposes, and include office
buildings, warehouses, and retail buildings.

SECTIONS OF A BUILDING

_Sub structure (beneath the ground)

_Super structure (above the ground)

_Roof structure

7
Objectives
_To understand and know what construction process entails.

_To have a knowledge of different sections that a building has.

_To be able to know materials and proportions for producing a concrete.

Equipment used
_Fine aggregate (sand)

_Coarse aggregate (granite)

_Water

_Soil

_Concrete

_Cement

_Concrete column

Precautions
_The use of safety boots is a must before going to the site to protect the foot.

_The use of helmet is a must to avoid accidental head contacts.

_Watch for overhead electrical distribution and transmission lines.

_Trainees are not to touch anything unless they are instructed by the instructors.

_Use the correct tool for the right job, no patching.

_Never do work in a manner which we know is dangerous.

_Talking unnecessarily while working is prohibited to avoid distraction.

8
 PRODUCTION OF CONCRETE
Concrete: a building material created by mixing cement, water, and aggregates including
coarse(gravels) and fine(sand). Concrete is the only material produced by an Engineer at a
construction site.

Materials for the production of concrete are;

1. Fine aggregate: these are fine structure materials and is Sandy in nature. These materials
must be free from impurities, to ensure this a Sieve is used to separate the rough particles from
the sand to have a smooth particle. Fine aggregate form the portion below 4.75mm.

2.Coarse aggregate: this type of material is strong and stony in nature. Coarse aggregate is the
portion of the concrete which is made up of the larger stones embedded in the mix.They have
irregular shapes and are free of impurities. Coarse aggregate are bigger in size than fine
aggregate and are of high quality. Coarse aggregate are said to be larger than 4.75mm

3. Cement: Is a binder, a substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to
other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind
sand and gravel together.

4. Water: this will help moisten the mixture of the materials listed earlier in the production of
concrete thereby binding them together .

METHOD OF PRODUCING CONCRETE

Concrete production has two different ratios of production. It varies in different ratio according
to the purpose of the production.

1. Ratio 1:2:4: the ratio means one head pan of cement, two head pan of fine aggregate and
four pans of coarse aggregate. This ratio of combination of the components of concrete is for
the REINFORCEMENT CONCRETE. This type of concrete is usef for lintels, beams and columns.

2. Ratio 1:3:6: this ratio means one head pan of cement, three pans of fine aggregate and 6
pans of coarse aggregate. This ratio of mixture is used in MASS CONCRETE.

9
To get a strong concrete, the mixing ratio must not be ignored. The standard ratio for mixing is
1:2:4 but it can be adjusted based on the engineers choice depending on the purpose and
management of the available resources.

PROCEDURES IN PRODUCING CONCRETE

In the process of producing concrete, the head pan is used for measuring the aggregates.

Firstly: measure the fine aggregate

Secondly: then measure the cement and mix them together thoroughly to get a mixture that is
green in colour.

Lastly: measure the coarse aggregate and spread it on the mixture of cement and fine
aggregate. Add water and mix them together. Concrete casting normally gains it's full strength
and shape after 28days.

SEQUENCES OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

The sequence of work to be followed in the construction of a building is the at most procedures
of construction. The major construction sequence are:

1. Site clearance: Site clearance is an important part of many construction and demolition
projects. It involves removing machinery and hazardous substances from a site, as well as
levelling and preparing land for any planned construction or landscaping.

2. Setting out: The process of setting out a building or structure is an important part of
surveying, as it enables the works to proceed on site exactly according to the prepared designs.
It also means the act of physically representing a specific design on a piece of land.

3. Excavation: In construction terms, excavation is the process of removing earth to form a

cavity in the ground. This involves the removal of the exposed layer of the earth’s surface,
including any vegetation or decaying matter which could make the soil compressible and
therefore unsuitable for bearing structural loads.

4. Foundation work: Foundation is the lowest part of the building or the civil structure that is in
direct contact with the soil which transfers loads from the structure to the soil safely. There are
two types of foundation namely deep and shallow foundation.

10
5. Brick masonry or bricklaying: It is done by placing bricks in mortar(mixture of cement, sand
and water) in a systematic manner to construct solid mass that withstand exerted loads.

6. Roof laying: A roof is part of what encloses a structure. It is the covering on the uppermost
part of a building which provides protection from animals and weather, notably rain or snow,
but also heat, wind and sunlight.

7. Flooring: A floor in building construction is a leveled surface which can support the objects,
occupants etc. Flooring is any a permanent covering of a floor either with mortar or
architectural material.

8. Finishing: As the name implies, is the concluding stage of construction to form the final look
of the structure such as plastering, painting, wallpapering.

11
 Conclusion
Construction is the activity of putting together different elements, using a detailed design and
plan, to create a structure for a certain location. Construction of a structure was basically
previewed, the types of buildings, sections of a building, the sequences of building construction,
the production of concrete which is an important element in construction. This gives out the
fundamental knowledge of what construction entails.

12