LEVELING

Stripping and Reducing Levels

 First the site should be stripped off the top soil (vegetable soil) and the
shaped to its formation level referred to as reducing levels.
 Reducing levels generally refers to the leveling of the site by cutting the
higher portions and filling the lower ones.
 When reducing levels you may need to cut and carry away the spoil to
another site for dumping or cut and use the spoil for filling the lower parts
to level.

I. Cut and Fill

 This is the usual method because if carried out the amount of cut will equal
the amount of fill.

II. Cut
 This method has the advantage of giving undisturbed soil over the whole of
the site but has the disadvantage of the cost of removing the spoil from the
site.
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 III. Fill
 A method not recommended because if the building is sited on the filled
area; either deep foundation would be needed or the risk of settlement at a
later stage would have to be accepted.

Surface Drains
 These are used to drain pools of water that collect on a site due to rain.

Open ditches are made to drain the water before stripping of the site
begins.

Subsoil Drains
 Subsoil drainage is normally carried out in the waterlogged or low-lying
sites to lower the water table.

 Water table is the level at which water occurs naturally below the ground.

It varies with seasonal changes and the proximity (nearness) and the level
of water courses.

 Water table is lowered for the following reasons:

i. To avoid surface flooding.

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ii. To increase the stability of the ground.

iii. To avoid dampness in basements.

iv. To reduce humidity in the immediate vicinity of the building.

v. To improve the workability of the soil for agricultural purposes.

 Subsoil Drainage
 To ensure that your home and garden is safe from the risk of water damage,
you will need to have some form of drainage installed.
An effective yet unobtrusive method is to use subsoil drainage.

 A subsoil drainage system is designed to be installed within the ground in

order to remove excessive water from the soil, so that it doesn’t cause
damage to buildings or to the landscape.

 Because they are buried beneath the soil, they should be planned during the
landscaping or building stage in order to get the best possible results.

 Commonly they are installed by either a landscaper or a plumber.

Types of Subsoil Drainage

 The most common type of subsoil drainage is in the form of a special pipe
that is covered with a geo-textile material.

 The pipe itself has a number of perforations through it to let the water
through to be drained away.

 The geo-textile covering is important as it stops soil and other particles from
going through to the pipe and clogging it up so that it cannot serve its
purpose of draining the water away.

 Another type of subsoil drainage that you can utilize is to bury some rocks
or pebbles.
These are free draining and will let water through quite readily
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Ground Water Drainage Systems

 The most commonly used systems are porous or perforated pipes (usually
dry jointed) or gravel filled trench (French drains).

 The pipes or trenches are laid in one of the following arrangements:

 a) Herringbone

b) Grid

c) Moat

d) fan
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 Subsoil Drains

 The choice of a system depends on the soil conditions

The pipes are arranged to cover as much of the site as is necessary.

 A common arrangement is 100 mm diameter drains 600 mm to 1200 mm

deep with gradients determined by the fall of the land.

Determination of Ground Profile

 For small sites the location and the depth of bore or trial holes should be
such as to build up a profile of those soils which are likey to affect the
stability of the foundations.

 The three general methods of investigations are:

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i. Trial holes

ii. Shallow boreholes

iii. Deep boreholes

 Trial Holes

 The hole is excavated by hand or mechanical excavators to the required

depth, the size being 2.0 x 1.0 m which allows good visual inspection.

 Hand augers or other tools like picks, jembes and mattock are used when
the hole is dug manually.

 The trial hole is dug in order to determine the ground profile.

 Leveling Uneven Site

 Before starting construction work, uneven site is leveled by cutting the
raised grounds and filling low areas around the site.

 This is done to form a level ground base whose formation level is related to
the site datum.

 Various methods are used to establish the formation level around the site.
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Some of these methods involve the use of line level, spirit level, water level
and boning rods. On large sites a dumpy level may be used.
 1) The Use of a Line Level
 A peg is driven into the ground to the required formation level and a nail is
fixed on it from which a builder’s line with a line level is stretched to
another peg away from it.

 The second peg is driven into the ground and adjusted until its top is level
with the first peg.

 The process is repeated with other pegs within the site to establish the
formation level required.

2) The Use of Bricklayer’s Level

 A peg is driven into the ground to the required formation level.
 A second peg is driven into the ground some distance away from the first
peg.
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 One end of a straight edge is placed on top of the first peg while the other
end is rested on the second peg.
 The bricklayer’s level is then placed on the straight edge and the second
peg is adjusted to the required formation level.

 The process is repeated until all the required pegs are established
 3) The Use of Water Level

 A transparent horse pipe is filled with water.

 The level of water at one end of the horse pipe is aligned with the top of a
peg driven into the ground to the required formation level.

 A second peg is driven into the ground until the required formation level is
achieved.
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 4) The Use of Boning Rods

 Three boning rods of equal lengths are required.

 Two pegs are driven into the ground to the required formation level as far
apart as possible across the site.

 A boning rod is placed vertically at the top of each of the pegs.

 By sighting over the top of the two boning rods, intermediate peg can be
established using the third boning rod.

 The process is repeated until the required formation level is achieved

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 5) Dumpy Level
 Dumpy level is a leveling instrument.

It is quicker and more accurate to use than the other methods

 It consists of a telescopic instrument mounted on a tripod.

The instrument is set up before it is used for leveling.

Setting the Dumpy Level

 Setting up dumpy level involves setting up the tripod, leveling the
instrument and focusing the telescope.

a) Setting the dumpy level

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 The tripod is opened and the legs adjusted to provide a stable and firm
support to the instrument.

 The height of the tripod is adjusted so that when the instrument is

mounted, the eye piece is at a convenient height for the reader.
 b) Leveling the instrument
 The instrument is placed on the tripod and secured in position.

It is then leveled using foot screws.

c) Focusing telescope.

 This is done by placing a white paper in front of the telescope and focusing
the eye piece until the cross hair appear fine and black.

 The readings can then be taken.

 Leveling with a Dumpy Level

 The dumpy level is set up at a point on the site where as many readings as
possible can be taken without moving the instrument.

 The staff is held vertically on the first peg that has been driven into the
ground to the required formation level.

 The telescope is then directed to the staff, focused, as necessary and the
readings along the horizontal cross hair taken and recorded.

 A second peg is driven into the ground at the required position with the
staff placed on it; the peg is adjusted until the same reading as before is
noted.

 The same exercise is repeated until the required formation level of the site
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is established.
 Cutting and Filling to Formation Level
 After establishing the formation level on site the next operation involves
cutting the high grounds and filling the lower portions.

Machines and hand tools are used.

 The uneven ground on the site is first leveled approximately to the

formation level.

A builder’s line or straight edge is used ti check the level of the ground
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between any two of established pegs.

 Any portion of the ground above or below the top of the pegs are cut or
filled respectively until all the ground is level.

 Rollers and tampers are used to compact the filled portions.

  Any excess material is removed from site.

If the excavated material is not enough to fill the lower portion, good
quality material should be imported from elsewhere to the site to complete
the fillings.

Storage of Materials and Equipment

 This is important to ensure that materials are stored and handled with care
to avoid wastage and damage.

i. Bulk materials like sand, coarse aggregates and stones should be

conveniently placed so that time is not wasted transporting them to the
place where they are required.

 Damage may occur as result of weather action e.g. mixing with mud.

 The materials should be kept in bins or bunkers, stockpiles, with or without

cover.

ii. Cement should be stored in a shed and stacked on a raised platform to

avoid damage by moisture.

 Cement should be used in the order it was supplied i.e. first arrival should
be used first.

This is because cement does not last for long time under site conditions
before it is damaged by moisture.
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iii. Timber should be stacked on a raised platform to prevent them from

warping and twisting and from being attacked by termites.

Proper stacking also facilitates drying before use.

 iv. Sand stacks should be contained by means of stones or timber on a hard
surface to prevent wastage through storm water.

 The stockpiles of sand should be free from organic impurities (leaves, mud
or clay)

v. Blocks

 Blocks need protection at certain times.

Blocks should be placed on a firmly prepared level bed free from sulphates.

 The blocks can be stored in stockpiles with or without cover.

vi. Wheelbarrows

 Wheelbarrows should be cleaned and the wheels greased daily after use.

They should be kept under covered sheds.

vii. Mortar pans (karais)

 These should be washed to remove the mortar or concrete that may stick
on them.

 They should be kept upside down in piles either in open or covered sheds.
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viii. Leveling boards

 For the leveling boards not to warp and twist, they should be kept on a flat
surface under a covered shed.
 ix. Tiles

 Tiles can be stored in stockpiles with or without cover.

 Highly porous tiles should be stored in stockpiles with covers.

x. All small hand tools e.g. Jembes, pick axe, shovels, etc should be stored in a
locked store.

Safety during Preparation of Site

 Every worker should wear protective clothing:

i. Rubber boots to protect the feet when working on waterlogged grounds.

ii. Goggles to protect the eyes in dusty conditions.

iii. Hand gloves to protect the hands when handling abrasives or chemicals.

iv. Open trenches should be provided with barriers to prevent people from
falling in them. They can also be covered.

v. A helmet should be worn to protect the head from falling bodies. Pegs and
lines

vi. Pegs should be clearly marked and lines should be removed as soon as they
have been used so as to guard against tripping by workmen.

vii. Excavations
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 People working within the excavation should be protected against

collapsing sides. This protection can be provided by timbering, battering the
sides of excavations and building retaining walls.

 Underground services such as electricity and telephone wires and water

pipes should be located and their positions clearly identified in order to
avoid electrocution of the operatives and damaging of the services.