UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND CONSTRUCTION

ENGINEERING

INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT WEEK REPORT

KENYA RURAL ROADS AUTHORITY

CONSTRUCTION OF GIAKANJA-TETU MISSION ROAD (D434),

KAGOGI-IHWA-IHURURU (E576/E1690) AND WANDUMBI-
KIGOGOINI (E573) ROAD

BY
MUNYUA ADRIAN MUTHOMI
F16/1345/2011
JUNE 2015
Week Five: 15/06/2015 – 16/06/2015

Stake out of the centre line Wandumbi-Kigogoini (E573).

Setting out is the process of using surveying instruments and techniques to transfer
information from a plan to the ground.

The surveyor from the RE’s was tasked to stake out the centre line of the Wandumbi-
Kigogoini road. The design of the road had been done prior and the coordinates of the centre
line at 20m intervals (chainage) had been recorded and stored in an electronic memory
device. Temporary Benchmarks (Iron pin in Concrete) had already been set up during the
preliminary stages. These had been left unattended for a long period of time and they had to
be located. The temporary benchmarks (TBM) have to be located to ensure that they were
still in place or had not been tampered with. TBMs that were misplaced had to be replaced
with new ones at suitable locations; with direct line of sight to a known point.

The process of setting out involved 3 distinct elements:

 Horizontal control
 Vertical Control
 Vertical alignment

In setting out the centre line, the main element was horizontal control. Vertical control and
vertical alignment were to be performed later during levelling.

A total station was used for this procedure. The surveyor started off at the junction branching
from the Giakanja-Tetu Mission Road. There was a control point whose coordinates were
known. It is from this point where other secondary setting out points were set up. The
secondary points were cast in concrete and had been constructed so as to last the construction
life of the road. It was important that the secondary control stations were placed so that they
were not disturbed by operations in future.

The total station was set up on a known point and a prism was placed on a secondary point.
Using bearing and distance method with electromagnetic distance measurement (EDM)
techniques, the internal computer in the instrument determined the northings and eastings of
the point on which the prism was placed. Each point set up had to have a direct line of sight
to the total station.
Once the total station was set at the control point, the coordinates of the control point were
confirmed by taking readings of a known secondary point from the control point. After
confirmation, the points of the centre line were determined by moving a prism to the point
indicated by the total station. The point was then marked with a detail point. The detail points
were wooden pegs driven to the ground with an orange marker. The secondary points were to
be heighted later and would provide vertical control during construction of the road such as in
earthworks and levelling.

This process was performed until the centre line of the road had been clearly marked, the
centre line was then offset a specified distance, in accordance with the Engineer’s design or
prevailing site conditions. Road marker posts indicating the chainage were then erected. The
distance the road marker post had been offset from the centre line was also indicated on the
wooden road marker.

A point noted is that the total station is greatly affected by the weather and it is crucial to
have calm weather, clear of fog, in order to increase the accuracy of the procedure.

References

1. A. Bannister, S. Raymond and R. Baker “Surveying,” 6th Ed., Longman Scientific &
Technical: England, 1993.
2. W. Schofield and M. Breach “Engineering Surveying,” 6th Ed., Butterworth-
Heinemann: Oxford, 2007.
Week Five: 18/06/2015 – 19/06/2015

Field density test for Nyeri High Main road by sand replacement method (chainage 0+320 –
0+460)

The layer to be tested was the subgrade of the road. The layer was neat and was imported
material from nearby Kihuyo quarry, Nyeri. The thickness of the subgrade was 175mm. The
sand used in this procedure had a density of 1276kg/m 3. The sand had to pass a sieve size 600
and be retained by sieve size 300. The following equipment were required to perform the test.
A metal tray to excavate the hole with suitable shape and size, calibrated to determine the
amount of sand that remains on the tray above the hole, excavation tools, moisture bags,
sand, weighing balance and containers.

A point is chosen arbitrarily on or close to the specified chainage. A round hole was
excavated in the soil. The amount of soil excavated was weighed and the volume of the hole
was measured by filling it with calibrated free-flowing dry sand through a special cylinder.
The density of the material was calculated by dividing the weight of the material by the
volume of the hole.

The important properties for the material being tested are:

 Bulk density: ratio of the total mass of soil to the total volume of the soil.
 Moisture Content: ratio of mass of water to mass of solids.
 Field Density: mass of solids per unit volume

The following is the result of a field density test performed on 0+335:

LOCATION(KM) 0+335
a) Depth of the hole 150mm
b) Side/RHS/LHS LHS
BULK DENSITY

c) Plate No. 1
d) Sand Container No. DD
e) Initial mass of sand 6000g
f) Final mass of sand 1595g
g) Sand in hole + cone 4405g
h) Sand in cone 1374g
i) Sand in hole 3031g
 j) Mass of excavated material 5076g
k) Bulk Density 2137kg/m3
TIN NO. 42
l) Tin + sample 127.9g
MOISTURE CONTENT

m) Tin + oven dried sample 112.2g

n) Weight of moisture 15.7g
o) Weight of tin 23g
p) Weight of dry soil 89.2g
q) Moisture Content 17.6%
r) Average Moisture content 17.6%
s) Dry Density
t) Optimum Moisture Content 17.4%
DENSITY

u) Maximum Dry Density 1860kg/m3

FIELD

v) Relative Compaction 98%

w) Relative Moisture Content 101%

The Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) and Maximum Dry Density (MDD) are usually
determined from prior tests. By plotting a graph of density against moisture content, the peak
of the graph shows the MDD on the y-axis and OMC on the x-axis.

The following equations show the calculation to determine the Relative Compaction and the
Relative Moisture content:

Field density
Relative compaction=
MDD

Soil Moisture Content

Relative Moisture Content=
OMC

The results are then forwarded to the Resident Engineer for approval. The Relative
compaction should be between 95% - 105%. The relative moisture content should be between
80%-105%. The sample tested above meets the above requirements and would thus be
recommended for approval having satisfied other specified conditions.

References
1. S. Osano, “FCE 311: Lecture Notes, Lecture No. 7” University of Nairobi, Kenya:
2013.