SITE LAYOUT & TEMPORARY

BUILDINGS

Contents

• Introduction
• Definition
• Knowledge of the site
• Planning Site Layouts
• Conclusion

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 Introduction
• The construction of a building can be considered as
production with temporary ‘factory’
• The building site being the ‘factory’ in which the building
contractor will make the product
• The building site have to be carefully controlled so that:
• The operatives have the right machines in the most
advantageous position
• The materials stored so that they are readily available
and not interfering with general site circulation
• Adequate storage space for construction materials
• Site Accommodation and facilities for staff
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Definition
What is Site Layout?
Site Layout can be defined as site space
allocation for:
• material storage
• working areas
• units of accommodation
• plant positions
• general circulation areas.
• Ingress and egress for deliveries and emergency
services.
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 Knowledge of the site

• It is important to acquire the knowledge of

the site before setting out the site layout.
• The knowledge about the site can be
obtained from:
1. Contract Document
2. Site Investigation
3. Information from Local Authority

Knowledge of the site

1. Knowledge from contract document:
• Plant schedule
– This can be prepared in the form of a bar chart and method
statements showing requirements and utilization which will
help in deciding equipment and space for plant
accommodation will be needed on site
• Material Schedule
– Basic data can be obtained from the bill of quantities. The
contractor can predict the delivery periods and the amount
of site space and/or accommodation required.
• Labour summary
– Basic data obtained from the bill of quantities and pre-
tender bar chart programme to establish number of
subcontract trades required. Also the quantity and type of
site personnel accommodation required.

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 Knowledge of the site
2. Knowledge from site investigation:
• Access to site
– On and off-site access, road and rail facilities, distances
involved and bridge weight or height limitations on approach
routes.
• Staff
− Travel distances, availability of local trade contractors,
specialist contractors, local rates of pay and facilities to be
provided e.g. site accommodation, catering, health and
safety equipment.
• Temporary Services
– Available power and water supplies together with rates of
payment or services already on site, diversion required and
the time element involved in carrying out any necessary
diversion together with cost implications.

Knowledge of the site

2. Knowledge from site investigation (Cont.):
• Security
– Local vandalism and pilfering record, security contractors
facilities, need for night security, fencing hoarding
requirements to prevent trespass and to protect people in the
vicinity.
• Site clearance and demolition
– neighbouring properties, preservation orders, trees,
demolition problems and special insurance considerations.
• Ground composition
– General site conditions such as nature of soil, height of water
table, flooding risks, tidal waters

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 Knowledge of the site
3. Knowledge from local authority
(planning, highways, building departments)
– Permission to develop
• To ascertain the viability of the proposal
– Access roads and facilities are adequate
• Proposed alteration and improvement are acceptable
– Follow outline approval
• Detail planning application is necessary

Site Layouts Planning

When planning site layouts the following
must be taken into account:

• Site Activities
• Efficiency
• Facilities & Accommodation

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 Planning Site Layouts
Site Activities
• The time needed for carrying out the principal activities can
be estimated
i. the data obtained previously for preparing the material
e.g. rate of placing concrete will be determined by the output of the
mixer
ii. labour requirements
e.g. speed of transporting the mix to the appropriate positions.
• Alternatives which can be considered are:
– More than one mixer, regulated supply of ready mix concrete or on
large contracts, pumping the concrete to the placing position
• All alternatives methods for any activity will give different
requirements for staff numbers, material storage, access
facilities and possibly plant types and numbers

Planning Site Layouts

Efficiency
• To achieve maximum efficiency the site layout must aim
at maintaining the desired output of the planned
activities. This will depend largely upon the following
factors:
• Avoidance, as far as practicable of double handling
materials
• Walking distance are kept to a minimum to reduce the
non productive time spent in covering the distance
between working, rest and storage areas

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 Planning Site Layouts
Efficiency (Cont…)
• Avoidance of loss by the elements
– provide adequate protection for unfixed material on site,
thereby preventing time loss and cost of replacing
damage materials
– Proper store keeping arrangements to ensure that the
materials are of the correct type, in the correct quantity
and are available when required

Planning Site Layouts

Cement storage

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Planning Site Layouts

Aggregate storage

Storage of timber

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Efficiency (Cont…)
• Avoidance of loss by theft and vandalism
– provide security arrangements by having adequate hoardings and
fences.
• Avoidance of loss due to pilfering by site staff
– provide adequate system of stores’ requisition and material checking
procedures
• Minimising on‐site traffic congestion
– plan delivery arrivals,
– provide adequate parking facilities for staff cars and mobile
machinery when not in use,
– provide sufficient turning circle room for the type of delivery vehicles
likely to enter site

Planning Site Layouts

Facilities & Accommodation
The main contractor is obliged to provide a safe, healthy place
of work and safe system of work, plant and equipment which
are not a risk to health:
• A safe place of work
• Safe access and egress from place of work
• Safe system of work
• Safe items of plant and equipment
• Suitable and adequate training, supervision and
instruction in the use of equipment
• Suitable and appropriate PPE
• Material and substances which are safe to use

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 Planning Site Layouts
Facilities & Accommodation
Apart from legislative necessities, the main area of concern
will be sizing, equipping and assigned a location to the
various units of accommodations such as:
• Mess Hut
• Toilets
• First aid rooms
• Offices – Contractor’s supervisory staff, Clerk of work,
Reception of material or security
• Lock up store
• Storage compound for major materials
• Timber store and formwork fabrication area
• Reinforcement store and fabrication area

Planning Site Layouts

Facilities & Accommodation (Cont…)

• Scaffold store
• Car parking areas
• Plant and machineries area i.e. Tower crane, concrete
deliveries, sand and cement storage, and site mixer
• Fencing or hoarding
• Services
• Site Identification
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 Problems of poor site layout
Problems caused by poor site layout planning can
include:
• Inappropriate storage which can result in damage to products
and materials.
• Poor siting of plant.
• Poor siting of welfare facilities.
• Inadequate space provision.
• Unsatisfactory access.
• Security and safety issues.
• Poor way finding (due to complex layouts or inadequate
signage).
• Demoralised workers, delays and increased costs.
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Conclusion
• The planning of a site layout in practice will depend
upon a number of factors such as the time and
money

• The need for careful site layout and site
organization planning becomes more relevant as
the size and complexity of the operation increases,
and especially where spare site space is very
limited.
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Example of Site Layout Planning

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