CEng.

3205 17-Mar-21

CEN 3205- Building Construction

CONTENTS
1

Site Selection
Adama Science and Technology University Planning
School of Civil Engineering and Architecture Design
Department of Civil Engineering
Construction
Site preparation
Building Construction
Setting out
Semester I - (Architecture)
Earth work
2021 G.C.

17-Mar-21
3

CEN 3205- Building Construction 3.1. Site Selection

2
• The site of a building greatly affects its planning, design and
construction.
• The main factors that should be considered while making the
selection of site for a building are:
Lecture 3
• Climatic conditions: The intensity of rainfall and sub–soil
Chapter 3:- Building Site Works
water level should be low so as to avoid dampness in the
building. This factor is to be considered in case the choice is
not limited to any part of the country.
• Sub-soil conditions: A hard stratum should be available at a
reasonable depth so as to construct the foundation of the
17-Mar-21 building safely and economically. 4
CEng.3205
Cont’d
• Availability of modern amenities: The site must be within
municipal limits so that modern amenities like water supply,
electricity, drainage lines, roads, etc. can be made available in
near future if there is no provision at present.
• Local authority regulations: a site which comes within the limits
of an area where the bylaws of local authority enforce restrictions
regarding proportion of plot to be built up, vacant spaces to be
left in front and sides, heights of buildings, etc. should be
preferred.
Cont’d
• Availability of other facilities: The site should provide as easy
access from the nearest road and offer sufficient light and air;
there should be also good and cheap transport facilities available
near the site. It is always better if pubic services like the fire
brigade, police station, etc. are also not very far off from the site.
• Surroundings: The situation and surroundings of the site must
be such as to suit the purpose for which the building is to be
constructed.
• Level of the site: The level of the site must be higher than that of
its surroundings so as to provide good drainage.
17-Mar-21
3.2. Planning
• The basic objectives of planning of buildings are to arrange all
the units of a building on all floors and levels according to their
functional requirements, making best use of the space available
for a building.
• The shape of such a plan is governed by several factors such as
human factor, climatic conditions, site location, surrounding
environment, local bylaws etc.
5 7
1. Aspect: Arrangements in such a way that the occupants to enjoy natural
gifts such as sunshine, breeze, scenery/view, etc.
2. Prospect: Prospect is the impression, the house is likely to make when
looked at from the outside. Therefore it includes the attainment of pleasing
appearance by the use of natural beauties; disposition of doors and
windows etc.
3. Privacy: It requires consideration in two ways: privacy of one room from
another and privacy of the whole building from the neighbouring
buildings, public streets, etc.
6 8
CEng.3205 17-Mar-21

3.3 Design
4. Grouping: means the dispositions of various rooms in the layout in a typical
fashion so that all the rooms are placed in proper correlations of their
In building construction works, there are basically five
functions and in due proximity with each other. Its objective is to maintain major types of design:
the sequence of their functions with least interference.
• Architectural design :- space & aesthetic values.
5. Flexibility: planning a rooms in such a way that, though originally designed
for a specific purpose, if/they may be used to serve other overlapping • Structural design :- structural systems.
purposes when need arises. • Electrical design :- focus on the provision of adequate electric
6. Circulation: Circulation refers to the space provided for movement. It power and assembly of associated electrical equipment.
includes movement on the same floor either between the rooms or within the • Sanitary design :- involves mainly on the supply and
room called horizontal circulation and between the different floors through distribution of clean water and waste sewerage disposal
stairs or lifts called vertical circulation. Passages, corridors and lobbies system design.
serve the purpose of horizontal circulation, whereas staircases, ramps, and
etc. serve as vertical circulation. • Mechanical design :- involves the designing of mechanical
equipment like Boiler, Air conditioner, Dust sucker, elevators
7. Economy: is one of the factors, which affect planning. The economy of the
and escalators and etc.
client may affect the libraries of the architect or engineer and may also
require alterations and omissions in the original plan.
9 11

Orientation of a building wrt sun direction/Aspects and Sun diagram

3.4. Construction
I. Site preparation
• The site will consists of permanent objects existing within the site or
adjoining sites which are used for referencing or identification of the site
called physical site features. Eg. Existing buildings, trees, roads, fences,
etc.
• Before starting the work, permanent bench marks must be established at a
suitable point in the construction site. (like boundary lines)
• Fix position of the storage and stacking of the materials, the site office, the
guard and the labour shed, the access and existing roads for transport.
• Fix position of health and safety signs and screw them onto the fence.
Signs outside the fence should read "Danger Construction Work in
Progress" Signs inside the fence should include the site safety regulations,
"No Hats, No Boots, and No Job”.
10 12
CEng.3205 17-Mar-21

II. Setting out of the building Methods of Setting Out

In setting out simple (rectangular) building we can use one of the three method
Terminology 1. The 3, 4, 5 method
• Setting out: - is the process of locating of the works to be 2. The builder’s square method
constructed, ensuring that they are dimensionally within
permissible tolerances and correctly constructed. 3. Instruments method (Theodolite).

– It is transferring data from plans to the ground. The followings are equipment /tools used in building setting out:-
 Theodolite
• Pegs: - are short pointed wooden rods driving in to the  Builder’s square
ground to mark an excavation, construction, etc .line or a  Measuring Tape
level. A nail driven in top of the peg usually shows the  Pegs
position of the point.  Strings
 Hammer
• Batten boards (profile board):- A horizontal board 150mm  Nail (different size)
by 25mm cut to varying length.  Batten (4x5cm)
13 15

NOTE A. The 3, 4, 5 Method

 Errors in setting out will in most cases result in remedial
works which will be expensive.
 Whatever lines or levels are provided, they should be checked
to be sure of their accuracy, and should be provided to the
foreman efficiently so that he can have the necessary confidence
1. Mark out the building line from the road by measuring the required
distance from the centre of the road, or by stretching a line along an
existing building to the proposed site.
2. Mark out the overall length of the building by driving pegs at A and B
along the ranging line.
3. Obtain two steel tape measures; mark out four equal distances on the
ranging line starting from the corner peg at B. These distances may be
in any unit of measurement. That is mm, cm, m etc.

in them. 4. Pull a tape measure from point B to C and ask an assistant to hold it,
ready with hammer and peg.
5. Pull the second tape from fourth mark at D on the ranging line to point
E on the first tape.
14 16
CEng.3205 17-Mar-21

B. Builder’s square method

3, 4, 5 Method Cont’d
1. Set out the front or building line in the usual manner with pegs or marks
6. The distance 5m if using meters on tape DE should coincide with at the required distance.
point 3m on tape BEC. Then the angle B is 90 degree (from
2. Place the builder’s square so that front line touch one side if the square
Pythagoras theorem). If the points do not coincide, the tape BC is
right through its length.
either shifted out wards or in wards until 5m on the second tape
3. Stretch a line from the peg so that it is parallel to second side of the
coincide with the 3m marks on the first tape.
square and establish the third peg. A corner of angle 90 degree is thus
7. Repeat the same procedure to obtain the right angle for BAF and mark
obtained.
out the overall width of the building.
4. With the aid of a tape measure mark out the length and breadth of the
8. Establish corner pegs and erect profiles.
proposed building.
9. Mark the position of partition wall on the profile with either nails or
5. Transferring the builder’s square to the remaining corners and repeating
saw cut. Ranging lines are stretched through these nails and the corner
the above operations; a simple rectangular building can be set out.
pegs to mark the ground to indicate the line of excavation for the
6. After establishing the four corner pegs, profiles (separate or continuous)
foundation trench.
17 may be erected in the same way. 19

18 20
CEng.3205 17-Mar-21

C. Theodolite Method Setting out circular buildings

Theodolite is a tripod mounted instrument designed to measure angles in STEP ACTION
the horizontal or vertical plane.
1 Find out the radius of the building from the working drawings.
1. Read the distance from the drawing and measure with same distance on
the ground 2 Mark out this measurement on the ground.

2. Place the Theodolite at the measured point and adjust it with 00 00’ 00” 3 Place a stake securely on the ground at the end of the radius in the centre of the building.

3. Measure the second point with reference to the Theodolite which line 4 Drill a 12mm hole in the stake.
up with the original point 00 00’ 00” and dig a peg in to the ground at 5 Place a 12mm reinforcing bar in the hole in the stake.
the point
6 Check the top of the bar is level.
4. Rotate the Theodolite to 450 00’ 00” with reference to the original
7 Cement the stake in position.
point and measure the third point and place another peg in to the
8 Loop a piece of rope, which is the length of the radius of the building over the
ground
reinforcing bar. Measure the distance to the inner and outer sides of the foundation from
5. Again, rotate the Theodolite to 900 00’ 00” with reference to the
the working drawings.
original point and measure the fourth point and place another peg in to
the ground 9 Use the rope to measure the same distance on the ground.
10 Mark the distances ground the out line of the building.
6. Check the angle of each corners has made 900 00’ 00” by measuring the
diagonals which should be equal in distance. 21 23

22 24
CEng.3205 17-Mar-21

Setting out of columns and Piers

III. Earth work
 Columns and piers, which are up right supports, should be set out on two lines
EXCAVATION
• Removal of earth to form a cavity in the ground
that pass thought the center of the column or pier at right angles to each other.
• Excavation can be classified as shallow, medium and deep
 Follow these steps to set out columns and piers: - • Shallow up to 1.5m
• Medium (1.5- 3)m
• Locate the positions of the columns or piers on the working drawings.
• Deep greater than 3m
• Measure the positions on the ground and place pegs to mark the center of the The types and methods of excavation depend upon the following factors
columns or piers. • The nature of the subsoil
• Purpose of excavation: –reasonable working space and a Space for
• Check the lines are at right angles to the proposed wall positions. support
• Presence of ground water
• Run lines from the center of the pegs in both directions to the opposite wall • Position of excavation:- presence of public road, utilities, and other
positions or profiles. structures
• The disposal of the excavated soil
• Remove the pegs at the building work progresses
25 27

Types of Excavation
1) Over site
• The removal of top soil
• Depth varies from site to site (usually in a 150 to
300 mm range)
• Required since top soil often contains plant life,
animal life and decaying matters making soil
compressible and thus unstable for supporting
building

26 28
CEng.3205 17-Mar-21

…Cont’d
2) Reduce Level ( R. L. )
• Required in irregular sites to form a level surface
• Consists of both cutting and filling operations
• The level to which the ground is reduced is called the
formation level

3) Foundation (Top soil, Bulk ,Trench & Pit) Excavation

• Top soil should be removed,
• Dig down part of top soil to recommended level in sub soil,
• Done both manually (with use of spade, pick axe, rammer,
etc. and for small buildings) and mechanically (with use of
bulldozers, trench diggers, etc. and for large buildings)

29 31

…Cont’d
Bulk Excavation

30