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EBOOK Construction Planning Equipment and Methods Ebook PDF Version Download Full Chapter PDF Kindle
EBOOK Construction Planning Equipment and Methods Ebook PDF Version Download Full Chapter PDF Kindle
EBOOK Construction Planning Equipment and Methods Ebook PDF Version Download Full Chapter PDF Kindle
CONTENTS
vii
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viii Contents
Contents ix
x Contents
Contents xi
xii Contents
CHAPTER 21
Forming Systems 737
Classification 737
Formwork and the Project Engineer 739
Formwork Design 741
Formwork Economics 745
Vertical Systems 752
Horizontal Systems 760
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PREFACE
The past decade has seen a shift in project delivery with these fundamentals, the constructor is prepared to eval-
owners seeking ways to accelerate project completion. uate those reams of computer-generated data and to
Contractors have responded and are successfully deliv- develop programs that speed the decision process or
ering projects much more rapidly. A key element lead- that enable easy analysis of multiple options.
ing to successful execution of an acceleration effort is Significant changes have been made to this edi-
planning. Planning must include detailed analyses of tion. Cranes are used on both heavy civil and building
equipment utilization. Additionally, there must be projects for vertical movement of materials, yet there
backup plans for all possible impediments. Speed is has been a shift in the culture of crane use. We have
also achieved by working concurrent activities and captured this change of perspective. The construction
opening multiple fronts, which means that a knowledge industry has seen a rash of crane accidents since publi-
of equipment productivity is critically important to cation of the seventh edition; therefore, greater empha-
those wishing to compete in this new environment. sis has been placed on crane safety and lift planning.
The use of design-build contracting is facilitating Contracts for projects in urban environments are
the introduction of innovation in design and construc- becoming more restrictive in terms of work schedule,
tion. Further, the use of a new delivery approach, Con- vibration and noise, and any regulations that will limit
struction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC), allows work or logistic activities. Following a course plotted
the owner to participate in the design phase while with the seventh edition, we have included more mate-
obtaining critical constructability input from the con- rial about how to deal with such machine utilization
tractor. This CMGC approach provides for a coopera- issues and information concerning small machines used
tive relationship and also promotes innovation. Con- for building construction and urban projects in the
tractors striving to work in these new contracting “Planning for Building Construction” chapter.
environments are finding that equipment planning is Formwork systems are another component of
now much more important. accelerated construction. The “Forming Systems”
Today, in the age of iPods, PDAs (personal digital chapter focuses on advanced modular and industrial-
assistant), laptop computers, the Internet, and the imme- ized forming systems that can help realize faster project
diate download of data, there is an even greater need to delivery.
plan equipment operations properly. A machine is eco- The chapter on “Draglines and Clamshells” is now
nomical only if used in the proper manner and in the envi- a part of the “Excavators” chapter so that all excavation-
ronment in which it has the mechanical capabilities to type activities are discussed in one chapter.
function effectively. Technology improvements greatly We have also found equipment manufacturers are
enhance our ability to formulate equipment, planning, continuing to place more machine specifications and
and construction decisions, but we must first have an operation materials on the Internet. Therefore, Web
understanding of machine capabilities and how to prop- resource information is provided. In addition, Web-
erly apply those capabilities to construction challenges. based exercises, which in some cases
To accelerate project work a contractor must direct the student to specific machine
develop its plans to a much greater level of detail due information on the Web, have been
to schedule constraints and overall contracting risk. added to some chapters. When you
This eighth edition follows in the tradition of the first see the website icon in the text mar-
seven by providing the reader with fundamentals of gin, visit our website at www.mhhe.com/peurifoy8e for
machine selection and production estimating in a logi- additional resources and exercises available on the
cal, simple, and concise format. With a grounding in Web.
xiii
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xiv Preface
All chapters have undergone revision, ranging Wisconsin. Mr. R. R. Walker of Tidewater Construction
from simple clarification to major modifications, Corporation has consistently worked with us to improve
depending on the need to improve organization and the “Piles and Pile-Driving Equipment” chapter. Addi-
presentation of concepts. Many photographs in the tionally, Prof. Amnon Katz from the Technion, Israel,
chapters have been updated to illustrate the latest has again helped with the “Concrete” chapter.
equipment and methods, and more pictures of operating We would like to express our thanks for many use-
equipment have been used in this edition. Drawings ful comments and suggestions provided by the follow-
have been added beside many of the figures so that the ing reviewers:
important features under consideration are clearly iden-
Lauren Evans
tified. Safety discussions are again presented in each of
Montana State University
the chapters dealing with machine or formwork use.
Paul M. Goodrum
The world of construction equipment is truly
University of Kentucky
global, and we have tried to search globally for the lat-
Jiong Hu
est ideas in machine application and technology. We
Texas State University–San Marcos
have visited manufacturers and project sites in over two
Victor Judnic
dozen countries around the world in gathering the
Lawrence Technological University–Michigan
information presented in this edition.
Byung-Cheol Kim
This book enjoys wide use as a practical reference
Ohio University
by the profession and as a college textbook. The use of
Joel Lieberman
examples to reinforce the concepts through application
Phoenix College
has been continued. Based on professional practice, we
Gene McGinnis
have tried to present standard formats for analyzing
Christian Brothers University
production. Many companies use such formats to avoid
Dustin Lee Olson
errors when estimating production during the fast-
Brigham Young University
paced efforts required for bid preparation.
Aziz Saber
To enhance the value of the book as a college text-
Louisiana Tech University
book, we have changed problems at the close of each
Steve Sanders
chapter. We have also included several problems that
Clemson University
compel the student to learn using a step-by-step
Scott Shuler
approach: these problems specifically request the solu-
Colorado State University
tion for each step before moving on to reach a final
Kenneth J. Tiss
solution. This approach focuses student learning by
SUNY College of Environmental Science and
clearly defining the critical pieces of information nec-
Forestry
essary for problem solving. The solutions to some
problems are included in the text at the end of the prob- However, we take full responsibility for the mate-
lem statements. Together with the examples, they facil- rial. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the comments
itate learning and give students confidence that they and suggestions for improvement received from per-
can master the subjects presented. sons using the book. We are all aware of how much our
We are deeply grateful to the many individuals and students help us to sharpen the subject presentation.
firms who have supplied information and illustrations. Their questions and comments in the classroom have
Four individuals are owed a particular debt of gratitude guided us in developing this revised book. For that and
for their support and efforts. Prof. John Zaniewski, much more, we want to thank our students at the Air
Director, Harley O. Staggers National Transportation Force Academy, Arizona State University, Louisiana
Center, West Virginia University, has consistently pro- Tech, Purdue, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology,
vided assistance with the “Asphalt Mix Production and University of New Mexico, University of Wisconsin–
Placement” chapter, and for this edition we also Platteville, Virginia Tech, the Universidad de Piura,
depended on Mr. Jeff Williams, Vice President of Universidad Technica Particuar de Loja, and the Uni-
Asphalt Plants for Payne and Dolan, Inc. in Waukesha, versidad de Ricardo Palma, who have over the years
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Preface xv
Cover photo: Construction of the Hoover Dam Bypass Composite Arch Bridge 880 feet over the Colorado River.
It is the first hybrid arch bridge in the United States. The overall length is 1,900 feet, with an arch span of 1,060
feet. The concrete arch was cast of 10,000 psi concrete, the highest utilized in the United States. Completion of
the bridge is scheduled for November 2010. Photo by C. J. Schexnayder
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C H
1 A P T E R
Machines Make It
Possible
Construction is the final objective of a design, and the transformation of a
design by construction into a useful structure is accomplished by men and
machines. Men and machines transform a project plan into reality, and as
machines evolve there is a continuing transformation of how projects are con-
structed. This book describes the fundamental concepts of machine utilization.
It explains how to match machine capability to specific project requirements
economically. The efforts of contractors and equipment manufacturers, daring
to develop new ideas, constantly advance machine capabilities. As the array
of useful equipment expands, the importance of careful planning for construc-
tion operations increases.
BEING COMPETITIVE
The past decade has seen a shift in project delivery, with owners seeking ways
to accelerate project completion. Contractors have responded and are success-
fully delivering projects much more rapidly. A key element leading to success-
ful execution of an acceleration effort is planning. Planning must include
detailed analyses of equipment utilization. Additionally, backup plans must
exist for all possible impediments. Speed is also achieved by working concur-
rent activities and opening multiple fronts, which means that a knowledge of
equipment productivity is critically important to those wishing to compete in
this new contracting environment.
The Yerba Buena Island (YBI) Viaduct carries Interstate 80 traffic across
Yerba Buena Island and links the east spans of the San Francisco–Oakland
Bay Bridge (SFOBB) with the YBI Tunnel. A 348-ft. portion of the YBI
Viaduct was in need of replacement. It was decided to build a new structure
next to the existing structure and then quickly demolish the old structure and
move in the new structure. The SFOBB was closed to traffic at 8 P.M. on Fri-
day night. Since there was no room to roll out the existing superstructure span,
1
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the contractor chose to demolish the 6500-ton structure on-site within two
days. The existing floor beams (75.5 ft. long each) were saw cut and hauled
across the east span of the SFOBB to a dump site in Oakland. The substructure
was demolished using demolition hammers. Lifting and moving the new span
into place required slightly less than three hours. The clearance between the
new and existing structure was 3 in. on each end. The superstructure was set
on its new columns, and the column pins were installed. The column pins were
dropped through prefabricated holes in the edge beam into prefabricated holes
in the columns. The successful installation of the column pins was a testament
to the tight tolerances the contractor was able to achieve during construction
and moving. Traffic was placed back on the Bay Bridge at 6 P.M. Monday, 11
hours ahead of the scheduled 5 A.M. Tuesday opening. A video of the demoli-
tion and roll-in operation can be found on the McGraw-Hill website supporting
this book. This project is a vivid example of what can be accomplished when a
job is properly planned.
This book introduces the engineering fundamentals for machine planning,
selection, and utilization. It helps you analyze operational problems and arrive
at practical solutions for completing construction tasks. Its focus is the applica-
tion of engineering fundamentals and analysis to construction activities and the
economic comparison of machine choices.
The construction contractor’s ability to win contracts and to perform them
at a profit is determined by two vital assets: people and equipment. To be eco-
nomically competitive, a contractor’s equipment must be competitive, both
mechanically and technologically. Old machines that require costly repairs
cannot compete successfully with new equipment’s lower repair costs and
higher production rates.
In most cases, a piece of equipment does not work as a stand-alone unit.
Pieces of equipment work in groups. An excavator loads trucks that haul mate-
rial to a location at the project where it is required. At that point, the material
is dumped and a dozer spreads the material. After spreading, a roller compacts
the material to the required density. Therefore, a group of machines—in this
example an excavator, trucks, a dozer, and a roller—constitutes what is com-
monly referred to as an equipment spread.
Optimization in the management of an equipment spread is critical, both in
achieving a competitive pricing position and in accumulating the corporate
operating capital required to finance the expansion of project performance
capability. This book describes the basic operational characteristics of the
major heavy construction equipment types. More important, however, is that it
explains the fundamental concepts of machine utilization, which economically
match machine capability to specific project construction requirements.
There are no unique solutions to the problem of selecting a machine to
work on a particular construction project. All machine selection problems are
influenced by external environmental conditions. The noise and vibrations
caused by construction operations and machines impact those adjacent to the
project. Nearby residents complain about noise and glare from temporary light-
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ing systems, and city codes restrict operations. Therefore, it must be under-
stood that selecting a machine for a project involves an understanding of the
environment in terms of soil type and moisture conditions—the physical envi-
ronment of the work site—and also in terms of the surrounding environment
impacted by the construction operations.
man and beast. When Ferdinand de Lesseps began excavating the Suez Canal
corvée in April 1859, corvée laborers, provided by the Egyptian viceroy, did the work
Labor required of digging that trench in the desert.
in lieu of taxes. Human labor assisted by only a very few machines continued the work on
the canal for the next four years. But in 1864, Lesseps and his engineers began
experimenting with machines, and eventually 300 steam-powered mechanical
dredges were at work. Those machines, in the final three years of the project,
excavated the majority of the main canal’s 74 million cubic meters. Mecha-
nization—machines—transformed the project and continues to transform how
projects are built today.
The Dreams
The development of construction equipment followed major changes in trans-
portation modes. Where travel and commerce took place via water systems,
builders dreamed of machines that would aid in dredging ports, rivers, and
canals. As early as 1420, the Venetian Giovanni Fontana was dreaming of and
diagramming dredging machines. Leonardo da Vinci designed such a machine
in 1503, and at least one of his machines was actually built, but the power
source was a lonely runner on a treadmill.
On July 4, 1817, at a site near Rome, New York, ground was broken for
the 363-mile-long Erie Canal. It was excavated by the efforts of local laborers
and Irish immigrants—human labor. However, by the 1830s, construction in
the United States was changing from canal building to railroad construction.
The Middlesex Canal, which connected Boston to the Merrimack River at
Lowell, had been in service since 1803, but in 1835 the Boston & Lowell Rail-
road opened for service. Nevertheless, construction, be it building canals or
railroads, was still achieved by the brawn of man and beast.
FIGURE 1.2 The Otis steam shovel; this machine was mounted on steel wheels that
ran on rails.1
and 25 years later when the Americans took over the Panama Canal work, the
Bucyrus Company was a major supplier of steam shovels for that effort.
Still, the most important driver in excavator development was the railroad.
Between 1885 and 1897, approximately 70,000 miles of railway were con-
structed in the United States. William Otis developed his excavator machine
because the construction company Carmichael & Fairbanks, for which he
worked and in which his uncle Daniel Carmichael was a senior partner, was in
the business of building railroads.
The Bucyrus Foundry and Manufacturing Company came into being
because Dan P. Eells, a bank president in Cleveland, was associated with sev-
eral railroads. In 1882, the Ohio Central Railroad gave the new company its
first order for a steam shovel, and sales to other railroads soon followed.
1 “Steam Excavating Machine,” London Journal of Arts and Science, Vol. 22, 1843.
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The Future
A time may come when the base machine is considered only a mobile counter-
weight with a hydraulic power plant. The base machine will perform a variety
of tasks through multiple attachments. This trend has started with hydraulic
excavators having many attachments, such as hammers, compactors, shears,
and material-handling equipment. Wheel loaders, no longer standard bucket
machines, have seen the introduction of the tool-carrier concept. Other attach-
ments such as brooms, forks, and stingers are available so that a loader can
perform a multitude of tasks. Other attachments will be developed, offering the
contractor more versatility from a base investment.
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additional safety requirements. Sound and emissions are issues that are receiv-
ing greater regulatory attention. Some owners, by clauses in the construction
contract, are limiting machine noise levels.
SAFETY
The rate of personal injury and death resulting from construction work is too
high. Of all major industry classifications, construction has one of the poorest
safety records. The construction industry employs nearly 6.4 million people—
about 6% of the American workforce. However, according to the National
Safety Council, the industry has about 23% of the deaths and 10.3% of
the injury accidents every year. That translates into 1150 to 2000 deaths
and 400,000 disabling injuries annually. The Construction Industry Institute
estimates the direct and indirect costs of construction accidents may be as high
as $17 billion annually. The major causes of deaths and injuries are falls
from elevations, electrocution, being struck by equipment, being caught in
between equipment, and trench excavation cave-ins. As an industry, we are
responsible and accountable for those statistics. It is the responsibility of con-
struction managers to create the safety programs that will prevent accidents
(Figures 1.5 and 1.6). We have both a moral and a business interest in doing
so. The key is to provide the leadership, the programs, and the incentives to
create a safe industry.
In the late 1960s, Congress began an investigation of construction safety,
and in 1970, it enacted the Williams-Steiger Act, more commonly referred to
as the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The act provided a comprehensive
set of safety rules and regulations, inspection procedures, and safety record-
keeping requirements. It imposed nationwide safety standards on the construc-
tion industry. It also permitted the states to enact their own OSHA legislation
as long as the state legislation is at least as stringent as the federal legislation.
Employers are required to provide their employees a safe place to work and to
maintain extensive safety records.
The act also established the Occupational Safety and Health Administra-
tion (OSHA), with regional offices in cities throughout the country. OSHA is
responsible for the administration of the legislation and the development of
rules and regulations to implement the act. The OSHA rules and regulations
are published in the Federal Register. OSHA Safety and Health Standards,
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Part 1910, contains the safety features
that must be included in construction projects by the architect or engineer.
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FIGURE 1.5 Cranes will easily overturn when not operated properly.
FIGURE 1.6 Job site and shop area housecleaning and neatness is important for
safety reasons.
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volume fails to answer any timing questions. A contractor who, with the same
contract volume as the competition, is able to achieve a more rapid project
completion, and therefore a higher capital turnover rate while maintaining the
revenue-to-expense ratio, will be able to increase the firm’s profits. Contrac-
tors who finish work ahead of schedule usually make money.
groups of similar materials (dry earth, wet earth, rock) are easily accessed. It is
not just a question of estimating the total quantity of rock or the total quantity
of material to be excavated. All factors that affect equipment performance and
choice of construction method must be considered in making the quantity take-
off, such as location of the water table, clay, or sand seams; site dimensions;
depth of excavations; and compaction requirements.
The normal operating modes of the particular equipment types are dis-
cussed in Chapters 5, 7 to 19, and 21. That presentation should not blind the
reader to other possible applications, however. The most successful construc-
tion companies are those that, for each individual project, carefully study all
possible approaches to the construction process. These companies use project
preplanning, risk identification, and risk quantification techniques in approach-
ing their work. No two projects are exactly alike; therefore, it is important that
the planner begins each new project with a completely open mind and reviews
all possible options. Additionally, machines are constantly being improved and
new equipment is being introduced.
Heavy equipment is usually classified or identified by one of two methods:
functional identification or operational identification. A bulldozer, used to push
a stockpile of material, could be identified as a support machine for an aggregate
production plant, a grouping that could also include front-end loaders. The bull-
dozer could, however, be functionally classified as an excavator. In this book,
combinations of functional and operational groupings are used. The basic pur-
pose is to explain the critical performance characteristics of a particular piece of
equipment and then to describe the most common applications for that machine.
The efforts of contractors and equipment manufacturers who dare to
develop new ideas constantly push machine capabilities forward. As the array
of useful equipment expands, the importance of careful planning and execution
of construction operations increases. New machines enable greater economies.
It is the job of the estimator and the field personnel to match equipment to
project situations, and that is the central focus of this book.
SUMMARY
Civilizations are built by construction efforts. Every civilization had a con-
struction industry that fostered its growth and quality of life. This chapter pre-
sented an abridged history of construction equipment, an overview of construc-
tion work, and the risks associated with bidding work. Machine production, the
amount of earth moved or concrete placed, is only one element of the machine
selection process. It is also necessary to know the cost associated with that
production. The critical learning objective is
■ An understanding of how construction equipment and machines have
been developed in response to the demands of the work to be
undertaken.
This objective is the basis for the problems that follow.
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PROBLEMS
1.1 Research these engineers on the Web and write a one-page paper about
their accomplishments:
William Mulholland
Stephen D. Bechtel Sr.
Benjamin Holt
R. G. LeTourneau
William S. Otis
1.2 Research these engineering accomplishments on the Web and write a one-
page paper about the equipment used to accomplish their construction:
Hoover Dam
Panama Canal
Interstate highway program
1.3 What is the function of the Occupational Health and Safety
Administration (http://www.osha.gov)?
1.4 Does your state operate an occupational safety and health program in
accordance with Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of
1970?
1.5 Why do some construction workers resist the use of safety equipment
such as hard hats and fall protection harnesses? Why does the practice of
resisting the use of safety equipment persist? What should be done about
it?
1.6 Review several issues of Engineering News Record, or ENR
(http://enr.construction.com/), to find reports about construction
accidents. Be prepared to give your perspective in class about what
should be done about the types of accidents mentioned in the reports.
RESOURCES
1. Building for Tomorrow: Global Enterprise and the U.S. Construction Industry
(1988). National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC.
2. Davis-Bacon Manual on Labor Standards for Federal and Federally Assisted
Construction (1993). The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America,
Alexandria, VA.
3. OSHA Safety & Health Standards for Construction (OSHA 29 CFR 1926
Construction Industry Standards) (2003). The Associated General Contractors
(AGC) of America, Alexandria, VA.
4. Schexnayder, Cliff J., and Scott A. David (2002). “Past and Future of Construction
Equipment,” Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, ASCE,
128(4), pp. 279–286.
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WEBSITE RESOURCES
Significant additional information about the construction industry can be found posted
on the following websites.
Safety
1. http://www.nsc.org National Safety Council (NSC) has an excellent library for
workplace safety consultants and human resources managers offering resources,
member information, services, and publications.
2. http://www.osha.gov The Occupational Safety and Health Administration site
includes news, statistics, publications, regulations, standards, and reference
resources.
3. http://www.ntsb.gov National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an
independent federal agency that conducts investigations on significant
transportation accidents and offers synopses and public hearing overviews.
4. http://www.crmusa.com Contractors Risk Management (CRM), Inc., offers
manuals, customized plans, and training programs for construction industry safety
and health guidelines.
5. http://www.agc.org The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) deals
with contracting and safety issues and construction laws.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
DANCE ON STILTS AT THE GIRLS’ UNYAGO, NIUCHI
I see increasing reason to believe that the view formed some time
back as to the origin of the Makonde bush is the correct one. I have
no doubt that it is not a natural product, but the result of human
occupation. Those parts of the high country where man—as a very
slight amount of practice enables the eye to perceive at once—has not
yet penetrated with axe and hoe, are still occupied by a splendid
timber forest quite able to sustain a comparison with our mixed
forests in Germany. But wherever man has once built his hut or tilled
his field, this horrible bush springs up. Every phase of this process
may be seen in the course of a couple of hours’ walk along the main
road. From the bush to right or left, one hears the sound of the axe—
not from one spot only, but from several directions at once. A few
steps further on, we can see what is taking place. The brush has been
cut down and piled up in heaps to the height of a yard or more,
between which the trunks of the large trees stand up like the last
pillars of a magnificent ruined building. These, too, present a
melancholy spectacle: the destructive Makonde have ringed them—
cut a broad strip of bark all round to ensure their dying off—and also
piled up pyramids of brush round them. Father and son, mother and
son-in-law, are chopping away perseveringly in the background—too
busy, almost, to look round at the white stranger, who usually excites
so much interest. If you pass by the same place a week later, the piles
of brushwood have disappeared and a thick layer of ashes has taken
the place of the green forest. The large trees stretch their
smouldering trunks and branches in dumb accusation to heaven—if
they have not already fallen and been more or less reduced to ashes,
perhaps only showing as a white stripe on the dark ground.
This work of destruction is carried out by the Makonde alike on the
virgin forest and on the bush which has sprung up on sites already
cultivated and deserted. In the second case they are saved the trouble
of burning the large trees, these being entirely absent in the
secondary bush.
After burning this piece of forest ground and loosening it with the
hoe, the native sows his corn and plants his vegetables. All over the
country, he goes in for bed-culture, which requires, and, in fact,
receives, the most careful attention. Weeds are nowhere tolerated in
the south of German East Africa. The crops may fail on the plains,
where droughts are frequent, but never on the plateau with its
abundant rains and heavy dews. Its fortunate inhabitants even have
the satisfaction of seeing the proud Wayao and Wamakua working
for them as labourers, driven by hunger to serve where they were
accustomed to rule.
But the light, sandy soil is soon exhausted, and would yield no
harvest the second year if cultivated twice running. This fact has
been familiar to the native for ages; consequently he provides in
time, and, while his crop is growing, prepares the next plot with axe
and firebrand. Next year he plants this with his various crops and
lets the first piece lie fallow. For a short time it remains waste and
desolate; then nature steps in to repair the destruction wrought by
man; a thousand new growths spring out of the exhausted soil, and
even the old stumps put forth fresh shoots. Next year the new growth
is up to one’s knees, and in a few years more it is that terrible,
impenetrable bush, which maintains its position till the black
occupier of the land has made the round of all the available sites and
come back to his starting point.
The Makonde are, body and soul, so to speak, one with this bush.
According to my Yao informants, indeed, their name means nothing
else but “bush people.” Their own tradition says that they have been
settled up here for a very long time, but to my surprise they laid great
stress on an original immigration. Their old homes were in the
south-east, near Mikindani and the mouth of the Rovuma, whence
their peaceful forefathers were driven by the continual raids of the
Sakalavas from Madagascar and the warlike Shirazis[47] of the coast,
to take refuge on the almost inaccessible plateau. I have studied
African ethnology for twenty years, but the fact that changes of
population in this apparently quiet and peaceable corner of the earth
could have been occasioned by outside enterprises taking place on
the high seas, was completely new to me. It is, no doubt, however,
correct.
The charming tribal legend of the Makonde—besides informing us
of other interesting matters—explains why they have to live in the
thickest of the bush and a long way from the edge of the plateau,
instead of making their permanent homes beside the purling brooks
and springs of the low country.
“The place where the tribe originated is Mahuta, on the southern
side of the plateau towards the Rovuma, where of old time there was
nothing but thick bush. Out of this bush came a man who never
washed himself or shaved his head, and who ate and drank but little.
He went out and made a human figure from the wood of a tree
growing in the open country, which he took home to his abode in the
bush and there set it upright. In the night this image came to life and
was a woman. The man and woman went down together to the
Rovuma to wash themselves. Here the woman gave birth to a still-
born child. They left that place and passed over the high land into the
valley of the Mbemkuru, where the woman had another child, which
was also born dead. Then they returned to the high bush country of
Mahuta, where the third child was born, which lived and grew up. In
course of time, the couple had many more children, and called
themselves Wamatanda. These were the ancestral stock of the
Makonde, also called Wamakonde,[48] i.e., aborigines. Their
forefather, the man from the bush, gave his children the command to
bury their dead upright, in memory of the mother of their race who
was cut out of wood and awoke to life when standing upright. He also
warned them against settling in the valleys and near large streams,
for sickness and death dwelt there. They were to make it a rule to
have their huts at least an hour’s walk from the nearest watering-
place; then their children would thrive and escape illness.”
The explanation of the name Makonde given by my informants is
somewhat different from that contained in the above legend, which I
extract from a little book (small, but packed with information), by
Pater Adams, entitled Lindi und sein Hinterland. Otherwise, my
results agree exactly with the statements of the legend. Washing?
Hapana—there is no such thing. Why should they do so? As it is, the
supply of water scarcely suffices for cooking and drinking; other
people do not wash, so why should the Makonde distinguish himself
by such needless eccentricity? As for shaving the head, the short,
woolly crop scarcely needs it,[49] so the second ancestral precept is
likewise easy enough to follow. Beyond this, however, there is
nothing ridiculous in the ancestor’s advice. I have obtained from
various local artists a fairly large number of figures carved in wood,
ranging from fifteen to twenty-three inches in height, and
representing women belonging to the great group of the Mavia,
Makonde, and Matambwe tribes. The carving is remarkably well
done and renders the female type with great accuracy, especially the
keloid ornamentation, to be described later on. As to the object and
meaning of their works the sculptors either could or (more probably)
would tell me nothing, and I was forced to content myself with the
scanty information vouchsafed by one man, who said that the figures
were merely intended to represent the nembo—the artificial
deformations of pelele, ear-discs, and keloids. The legend recorded
by Pater Adams places these figures in a new light. They must surely
be more than mere dolls; and we may even venture to assume that
they are—though the majority of present-day Makonde are probably
unaware of the fact—representations of the tribal ancestress.
The references in the legend to the descent from Mahuta to the
Rovuma, and to a journey across the highlands into the Mbekuru
valley, undoubtedly indicate the previous history of the tribe, the
travels of the ancestral pair typifying the migrations of their
descendants. The descent to the neighbouring Rovuma valley, with
its extraordinary fertility and great abundance of game, is intelligible
at a glance—but the crossing of the Lukuledi depression, the ascent
to the Rondo Plateau and the descent to the Mbemkuru, also lie
within the bounds of probability, for all these districts have exactly
the same character as the extreme south. Now, however, comes a
point of especial interest for our bacteriological age. The primitive
Makonde did not enjoy their lives in the marshy river-valleys.
Disease raged among them, and many died. It was only after they
had returned to their original home near Mahuta, that the health
conditions of these people improved. We are very apt to think of the
African as a stupid person whose ignorance of nature is only equalled
by his fear of it, and who looks on all mishaps as caused by evil
spirits and malignant natural powers. It is much more correct to
assume in this case that the people very early learnt to distinguish
districts infested with malaria from those where it is absent.
This knowledge is crystallized in the
ancestral warning against settling in the
valleys and near the great waters, the
dwelling-places of disease and death. At the
same time, for security against the hostile
Mavia south of the Rovuma, it was enacted
that every settlement must be not less than a
certain distance from the southern edge of the
plateau. Such in fact is their mode of life at the
present day. It is not such a bad one, and
certainly they are both safer and more
comfortable than the Makua, the recent
intruders from the south, who have made USUAL METHOD OF
good their footing on the western edge of the CLOSING HUT-DOOR
plateau, extending over a fairly wide belt of
country. Neither Makua nor Makonde show in their dwellings
anything of the size and comeliness of the Yao houses in the plain,
especially at Masasi, Chingulungulu and Zuza’s. Jumbe Chauro, a
Makonde hamlet not far from Newala, on the road to Mahuta, is the
most important settlement of the tribe I have yet seen, and has fairly
spacious huts. But how slovenly is their construction compared with
the palatial residences of the elephant-hunters living in the plain.
The roofs are still more untidy than in the general run of huts during
the dry season, the walls show here and there the scanty beginnings
or the lamentable remains of the mud plastering, and the interior is a
veritable dog-kennel; dirt, dust and disorder everywhere. A few huts
only show any attempt at division into rooms, and this consists
merely of very roughly-made bamboo partitions. In one point alone
have I noticed any indication of progress—in the method of fastening
the door. Houses all over the south are secured in a simple but
ingenious manner. The door consists of a set of stout pieces of wood
or bamboo, tied with bark-string to two cross-pieces, and moving in
two grooves round one of the door-posts, so as to open inwards. If
the owner wishes to leave home, he takes two logs as thick as a man’s
upper arm and about a yard long. One of these is placed obliquely
against the middle of the door from the inside, so as to form an angle
of from 60° to 75° with the ground. He then places the second piece
horizontally across the first, pressing it downward with all his might.
It is kept in place by two strong posts planted in the ground a few
inches inside the door. This fastening is absolutely safe, but of course
cannot be applied to both doors at once, otherwise how could the
owner leave or enter his house? I have not yet succeeded in finding
out how the back door is fastened.