Faculty of Technology and Built Environment

Department of Civil Engineering

NZ DIPLOMA IN ENGINEERING (CIVIL)

SEMESTER 2, 2013 ASSESSMENT

SUBJECT:
ENGINEERING PROJECT
CODE:
ENGG DE6299
SHEET: 1 of 7 SEMESTER: 2
DATE: Monday,18th November 2013 DURATION: 3 HOURS
Assessment breakdown: This assessment 50% Other 50%
The total mark for this assessment is 100

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

10 minutes reading time will be allowed before commencement of this assessment.

Answer ALL questions.

Non programmable electronic calculators are permitted.

Start each question on a new page and write on one side of the paper only.

Upon completion of this assessment, ensure that on the front page of your answer
book you have ticked the questions that you have completed, and also recorded your
student ID number, subject and subject code.

Before handing in your script, ensure that your student ID number is on the top of any
loose pages, and that all pages are attached and in the correct order.
QUESTION 1 (Total 20 marks)

(a) You work for an Auckland based drainage company that has been
hired to construct a new 6km long 630mm diameter polyethylene
pipeline through a grassed rural area 20km north of Auckland. The
project will take about 6 months and will entail installing the pipeline
at depths between 1.5m and 3.0m in sandy silt type soils. The
construction team will consist of 10 workers including the site
engineer.

You will assist the site engineer. He has asked you to address the
following issues:
(i) Getting workers to and from the site
(ii) Provision of toilets.
(iii) Storage of materials in convenient locations.
(iv) Security of materials and plant.

For each of these items identify one potential site related problem in
providing these items and suggest one way of addressing this issue. (8 marks)

(b) Most of the pipeline in 1(a) is being laid along the top of a series of
gently sloping hills. At the bottom of the hills is a wetland with high
ecological value. The hills slope at about 1 in 15 down to the
wetland and the distance between the pipeline alignment and the
wetland edge varies between 10m and 15m. Identify and describe 4
ways that the wetland can be protected. (4 marks)

(c) You are preparing a task analysis for the laying of 600mm pipeline
described in Question 1(a). One of the steps in this task is to lay and
compact the bedding material in the trench.

Using a suitable table, identify 3 potential significant hazards related

to this step and set out at least 2 control methods for each indicating
whether the method is eliminating, isolating or minimising the
hazard. (8 marks)

Semester 2, 2013 Assessment ENGG DE6299 Engineering Project Page 2 of 7

QUESTION 2 (Total 20 marks)

(a) The following pieces of plants can be used for several different
activities on a construction site:

(i) Backhoe loader

(ii) Moxy – 6 wheel articulated truck

(iii) Grader

For each item of plant, identify two activities that it would be used on
and describe how it is used on each activity; (6 marks)

(b) An earthworks project involves the construction of a 3m high clay fill

embankment. The total volume of the embankment is 15,000m3
solid in place. The Bulking Factor of the clay is 1.30 while the
Shrinkage Factor is 0.95.

(i) What volume of cut (measured solid in place) is required to

provide a balanced cut and fill? (2 marks)

(ii) You will use excavators and trucks to excavate and move the
soil. Your trucks have 20m3 capacity. How many truckloads
are required to move the fill material? (2 marks)

(iii) The fill will be spread over the fill area ready for compaction.
Identify and describe three factors that need to be considered
in order to get proper compaction and indicate how you would
measure or assess them (2 marks)

(iv) Identify what type of roller you would use to compact the fill
and give two reasons why that type of roller is more effective
at compacting clay than other types. (2 marks)

Semester 2, 2013 Assessment ENGG DE6299 Engineering Project Page 3 of 7

(c) The figures below show the Long Section and Mass Haul Diagram
for the earthworks for a road construction project.

Identify two different types of earthmoving plant or plant

combinations that would be suitable for this work and state which
cut and fill areas they would each work on. Give reasons for your
choices.
(6 marks)

Semester 2, 2013 Assessment ENGG DE6299 Engineering Project Page 4 of 7

QUESTION 3 (Total 20 marks)

(a) List and briefly describe 2 types of shallow foundations and state
where each would be used. (4 marks)

(b) The figure below shows a beam bridge that is to be constructed

across a river. The bridge is to have piers supporting the deck
about 3m back from the river bank just above the river level. The
piers are to have 0.5m diameter reinforced concrete piles and
columns up to a cross head about 3m above the ground level. The
underlying ground is 2m to 3m of soft marine mud over a hard clay
layer. The pier piles are to be drilled 3 metres into the hard clay
layer.
Pier Caps
Bridge Deck

Piers
Marine mud River
Gabion Wall
Hard clay
Piles

Bridge Elevation

The pier is to be constructed in three stages - the piles, the piers

and the pier cap (or cross heads). The first stage of the
construction is to install the piles. List and describe the process
(including plant and equipment) that will be required to install the
piles. (7 marks)

(c) The bridge piers described in 3(b) need to be protected against the
river eroding the marine mud and undermining the piers. To do this
the engineer has decided to install a 2 metre high gabion retaining
wall on both sides of a 20 metre section of the river under the
bridge.

(i) Give 2 reasons why the gabion wall is a good choice of wall
for this situation.
(2 marks)

(ii) Describe the process (including plant and equipment) that

would need to be used to install these walls. (7 marks)

Semester 2, 2013 Assessment ENGG DE6299 Engineering Project Page 5 of 7

QUESTION 4 (Total 20 marks)

(a) You are working on a project which includes the construction of

concrete foundation pads for a number of power pylons. A series of
25 identical foundation pads will be constructed as part of the
project, with all of the pads being within 45 minutes of travel of the
concrete batching plant.

Each foundation pad measures 4.50m x 4.55m x 0.70m thick and

has 20mm diameter grade 500E reinforcement at 100mm centres
top and bottom in both directions.

Identify and describe 4 requirements which must be considered

when designing the formwork for the pad foundations. (4 marks)

(b) Describe in detail the entire operations involved in the construction

of the concrete of the pad foundations described in 4(a). (8 marks)

(c) The concrete pad foundations described in 4(a) all have the same
reinforcing steel design. It was decided the reinforcing steel cages
would be constructed offsite and delivered to site.

Describe the process for:

(i) The fabrication of the steel reinforcement cages offsite.

(ii) The lifting and placement of the steel reinforcing cages into
the pad foundation.

(iii) How the cover and spacing of the reinforcing steel will be
maintained during pouring. (6 marks)

(d) The concrete for the foundation pads described in 4(a) is to be

delivered by truck but most of the foundation pads are 10m away
from the access road and the ground in between is loose gravel.
Describe two ways that the concrete could be transported to the
foundation pad area. (2 marks)

Semester 2, 2013 Assessment ENGG DE6299 Engineering Project Page 6 of 7

QUESTION 5 (Total 20 marks)

(a) You are planning the construction of a 500m long 300mm diameter
wastewater main beside a rural road (i.e. in the countryside with no
footpaths)

(i) You are looking at using either the directional drilling

installation method or the trenched installation method.
Identify 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages for each of these
methods of installation. (4 marks)

(ii) Giving 1 reason, state what pipe material could be used for
each installation method? (2 marks)

(iii) The pipeline runs along the middle of a 3 metre wide grassed
berm beside the road. The pipe depth will vary between 1.5m
and 2.2m. The underlying soil is a silty sand and the
groundwater table is at 1.0m below the ground surface. State
which installation method you think would be most suitable
giving two reasons for your choice. (3 marks)

(b) You are installing a 3m diameter 15m long fibreglass storage tank to
provide wet weather storage for an existing wastewater pipe station.
The tank is to be located in a grassed area 10m away from the pump
station. There are no other structures or trees in the area. The
invert of the tank will be 5 metres below the ground level to allow it to
drain to the pump station wet well. The underlying soil is clay and
the water table is at 2m below ground level.

(i) List the activities that would be required to install the tank. (3 marks)

(ii) One of the activities is placing the tank on the granular

foundation. Produce a Construction Quality Plan for this
activity including at least 4 checks (6 marks)

(c) The Waterview Tunnel is being constructed using a Tunnel Boring

Machine (TBM). Briefly describe how a TBM constructs a tunnel. (2 marks)

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