River Loughur Supporting Column Construction - Case Study Example

River Loughur Supporting Column Construction Name Date Course Introduction River Loughur requires a bridge that spans for a length of 100 meters. When building a bridge across a river, the columns are required for the purposes of providing support to the deck. The construction of the supports requires a lot of expertise as the foundations will be submerged in water. Two columns will be located inside the river, which requires specialized construction techniques as well as tools. Since the bridge will span for a length of 100 meters, a simple beam will be appropriate. Simple beams are appropriate when the bridge does not cover much distance. The strength of the beam is dependant on the strength of the column. The columns will be responsible for supporting heavy loads, as the vehicles will be passing through the bridge. The strength of the bridge is dependent on various factor including the design and type of materials used (Tan, Ong & Chong Yong, 2015). During the construction process, several activities have to be carried out. This includes developing a site layout, as well as heavy construction materials will be required at the sites. Due to the complex nature of the works, some experts will be required at the site. Several labourers will also be required in order to carry out different tasks. Technicians will be required for the purposes of ensuring that several tasks are carried out. A lot of planning and monitoring is required during the construction process. This includes the activities that will be involved in the construction of the support columns as well as the issues of monitoring and control. List of activities with labourers and duration Gantt chart Arrow diagram Resource smoothing calculations The resource smoothing calculations will be carried out using a software. However, some of the calculations will be carried out using the following formula. =( x  Where; n = Working day number M= Resource Explanation of the processes The construction process can commence after the decision has been completed and all the necessary approvals from the authorities have been obtained. The construction process is vital is it determines the outcome of the bridge. Proper planning is also required for the purposes of ensuring all the activities are identified and planned for. This therefore requires the use of a Gantt chart. In the management of a project, a Gantt chart is useful in ensuring that all the activities are identified and the timeframe required to implement the activities established (Stephens, Berg, Lehman & Roeder, 2016). This is therefore useful in ensuring that the work is carried out in a procedural manner. The Gant chart will therefore be used to guide all the operations at the site during the construction process. The site has to be inspected before the heavy machinery and equipment is brought on the site. This will require a site layout, which will ensure that the temporary site is able to accommodate the labourers, storage of materials and the heavy machinery and equipment. In order to ensure that the operations are carried out smoothly, al the personnel involved in the construction process have to be stationed at the site. This therefore requires the construction of temporary structures to house the personnel working at the site. During the construction process, the first step, which is also the most important, is the construction of the substructures for the supporting columns (Stephens, Berg, Lehman & Roeder, 2016). Fig 1: Supporting column, Source Getty images Two of the columns will be submerged in water and the construction of the substructure has to be carried out under water. This complex process requires the use of specialized skills as well as machinery. At the riverbed, there is mud and a large layer of lime, which covers four meters. The foundation cannot be built on this type of soil, as it is not stable. Drilling to a firm ground is therefore required. However, since the works has to be carried under water, a cofferdam has to be constructed. This is to allow for the dewatering of the area that the construction works is being carried out. The construction of the cofferdams has to be carried out with a lot of expertise in order to ensure that the construction area which is the riverbed is dry (Stephens, Berg, Lehman & Roeder, 2015). Piles will be used in the foundation due to the nature of the soil and the location of the support columns. The piles have to be driven on the area on a temporary basis. This is for the purposes of ensuring that it can allow the construction works to be carried out. The excavation in the soft strata will be carried out through the use of soft drilling bits. However, the hard drilling bits will be carried out through the use of hard strata drilling bits. Steel bindings also need to be placed during the process. This is for creating room for the placing of steel reinforcements. The process of placing steel requires the use of a crane as lifting and hoisting is required. Fig 2: Cofferdam Pouring of concrete can be carried out after the concrete has been placed. The supporting column can then be constructed after the foundation has to be developed. The soil is likely to corrode the structure due to the presence of lime. Cement that resists corrosion from alkali is therefore required during the construction process. Structures that are built inside water are a risk of being weakened if water penetrates through it. Waterproof cement must therefore be used in order to protect the supporting column from the effects of water. The temporary sheet piles can them be removed after the process has been completed. Curing will be required in order to strengthen the concrete. A curing membrane is considered a suitable option due to its effectiveness. The mixing of concrete has to be carried out through the use of a mixer to ensure that the process is fast. A lot of expertise will be required during the process of monitoring the activities. During the construction process, several activities need to be carried out and this includes testing of the concrete. Tests are useful in order to ensure that the structure is table (Grace, Bebawy & Kasabasic, 2015). Resource smoothing calculations are useful in ensuring that all the operations are carried out within the required time. It also plays a vital role in ensuring that the work is completed within the scheduled time. The calculations are useful in the allocation of resources for different activities in order to ensure that project is completed on time. More resources may be required if a project is takes more time to be completed. Forces on a beam bridge The calculation of resource smoothing can be carried out through the use of different means. Different formulas can be used for the purposes of calculating the resource smoothing. The common method that is used in the calculation involves the network method. The manual methods of calculations re however cumbersome and requires a lot of expertise as well as accuracy. The simplest method that can be used during the calculations includes the software method. A software program together with the manual method of calculating the will however be used. The information obtained is partly used for the developing the list of activities with labourers. The process is part of planning and it contributes to the success of the organization. The activities that will promote the resources smoothing concepts involve putting in place measures to ensure resources are not wasted (Larsson, Krantz & Olofsson, 2015). All the laborer as well as the personnel will be accommodated at the site. Mechanization will be heavily relied upon in order to ensure that tasks are completed within a short period of time. The personnel in some case will have to work for long hours in order to ensure that all the deadlines are met. In other instances, extra labourers and machine operators may also be recruited in order to ensure that the tasks are completed on time. It is expected that the labourers should be ready for the terms and conditions including working for long hours. However, they will be paid for overtime and in accordance with the labour law. Site layout Site layout involves the development of temporary facilities at the construction sites in order to support the construction activities. The temporary facilities can be used for storage of materials, accommodation of the personnel, temporary offices, holding yards and recreational facilities. When setting up a layout, some documentation may be required (Li, Chan, Skitmore & Huang, 2015). This is considering that the site will be located in a public road reserve. Documentations will be obtained from the relevant authorities before it is set up. Permits and licenses are usually issued by the authorities in order to certify the construction of the facilities. It is estimated that the construction of the temporary facilities will take about twenty days. The construction of the temporary roads may take much time, as the roads will be used by heavy vehicles. The site is an open place and it may not require much clearing. The site layout is also a costly process since materials for constructing the temporary facilities has to be purchased. Labour costs will also be incurred during the process. The employees who will be engaged in the construction process will be involved in the set up of the site layout. The measure will play an important role in terms of ensuring that costs are reduced. The location of the site is appropriate as it is far from the residential area. The residents will therefore not be affected by the noise and dust as a result of the construction activities. It is important for the environmental aspects to be considered during the construction process. The temporary facilities are required at the site as the project is expected to last for more than three months. The temporary structures will be built close to the river and within the road reserves. The site can also be accessed easily as it is close to the main road. Hoarding will be carried out at the site in order to ensure that no unauthorized personnel have access to it. This mainly involves the process of fencing. The temporary fence will mainly be made of barbed wire and poles. Heavy machinery will be expected at the site. A holding yard wills therefore e required. The yard will also be used by the transportation vehicles when delivering the materials to the site. The nature of activities at the site will require the presence of a good road network in order to promote access. Temporary roads will be developed within the site and it will have all the signage. The signage is useful in terms of preventing the accidents at the site (Peldschus, Zavadskas, Turskis & Tamosaitiene, 2015). Due to the heavy equipment as well as vehicles turning at the site, accidents can occur when there is no proper signage. The presence of signage is therefore an important safety precaution at the site. Fig 3: Site layout A temporary parking space for the other ordinary vehicles including the personal vehicles will be developed at the site. All the personnel visiting the site through the use of their personal vehicles will be required to use the parking and observe the safety measures. In order to avoid any inconvenience, there will be two gates. All the gates will be located close to the main road. One of the gate will be used for entry while the other will be used for exit. The gates will be labeled clearly with the words Entry and Exit. The gates will be manned by hire security personnel. The role of the security personnel will be to guide the driving entering and exciting the site. They are also responsible for the security of the personnel as well as the materials that will be stored at the site (RazaviAlavi & AbouRizk, 2015). This means they may be required to inspect some of the vehicle entering and leaving the site. In a construction project, one of the main sources of wastage and loss of materials is through pilfering. This has to be prevented by the security personnel at the site. All the personnel who will be working on a full time basis will be accommodated at the site. This includes the Engineers, supervisors, technicians and the labourers. The supervisors are required at the site throughout the construction process as they will also be in charge of some of the activities. Temporary house will therefore be constructed to accommodate the personnel. Since the houses are temporary, they will be made of wood and corrugate iron sheets. A functional toilet and bathrooms will also be on the site for the use by the personnel. Bins will be provided at to the personnel in order to ensure all wastes are properly disposed. A waste management company will be contracted to collect all the waste generated. This measure will ensure that the river is not polluted. Recreational facilities will be developed at the site to carter for the needs of the personnel. This will include a gym as well as a cafeteria that will have a television set. The personnel working at the site will also be served their meals at the cafeteria. An office block will also be built at the site. The engineers and the supervisors require an office to carry out different activities including writing a report. Meetings will also be held at the office to discuss various issues regarding the construction. Stakeholders who require information about the construction activities can obtain such information at the office (Sun, Liu & Zhou, 2015). The office will also be used for storing the technical drawings and the computers required during the project. A store and laboratory will be located close to the yard and it will be used for the storage of materials such as cement. Other materials such as sand, reinforcement bars, wood and gravel will however be stored out in the open at the yard. A storekeeper will be responsible for manning the store at all times. This will also include receiving all the materials and recording the quantity that have been released to the site. A small laboratory will also be set up at the store. The main function of the laboratory will be testing the materials during the construction process. This is for the purposes of ensuring that all the materials used during the construction process are within the acceptable standards. This is also in terms of ensuring compliance with the laws that are in place. The site will be fully connected with electricity in order to ensure that various activities are carried out. In some instances, the personnel may be required to work until late at night or may start working early in the morning. This will require a floodlight at the site which will be powered by electricity. A standby power supply which will be a generator will also be available at the site. Some heavy machinery will also be installed at the site. This is for ensuring that different activities are carried out. The heavy machinery that will be used during the construction process includes cranes, dewatering plants, bulldozers, dumptracks, excavators and tracked vehicles among other. The cranes will be stationed close to the site and this will require a lot of expertise in order to fix it. This is considering that the collapse of the cranes has resulted to several deaths across the world in the recent past (Rapp & Benhart, 2015). It is also due to this risk that the houses and offices will be built far from the location where the crane will be installed. Safety is an important aspect that has to be considered during the process of developing the temporary facilities at the site. The heavy commercial vehicles that will be used for transportation of materials to and from the site will also be parked at the yard after work. All the personnel operating the heavy machinery as well as those operating the heavy vehicles will be required to observe safety measures at all times. The site layout will mainly be useful in terms of ensuring that the needs of the construction process are fulfilled. Only the authorized personnel will be required at the yard due to the nature of activities taking place. This includes hoisting and lifting of materials at the yard. The subcontractors delivering the materials at the site will be allowed at the yard. The site is not large but it has the ability to accommodate all the activities that are required at the site. Proper use of space will have to be considered in order to ensure that all the temporary structures are developed. The nature of activities will determine the amount of space allocated. However, the yard will occupy much of the space due to the nature of activities and machinery that will be located. No permanent structure will be located as the site. This is considering that it is at the road reserve and it may contribute to accidents after the road has been opened for use. All the structures at the site will have to be demolished after the completion of the works (Sun, Liu & Zhou, 2015). All the materials from the site will transported and disposed in other areas. Conclusion In conclusion, the construction of the support columns at river Loughor requires a high number of activities. The main activities require a lot of expertise due to the complex nature of activities that needs to be carried out. The foundation of two columns will be inside the river and this requires the construction of a cofferdam. It is evident that specialized skills, equipment and materials will be required during then construction process. Waterproof cement as well as cement that resists alkaline will be required. Heavy equipment such as bulldozers, excavators and cranes will be required during the construction process. The site layout will involve the establishment of different construction structures. Planning as well as coordination of activities will be required during the construction process. It is evident that the site will have structures such as staff houses, offices, laboratory, store, parking and a holding yard. Bibliography Tan, G. E., Ong, T. B., & Chong Yong, O. 2015, Precast Concrete Closed Spandrel Arch Bridge System as Viable Alternative to Conventional Beam Bridge System. In Applied Mechanics and Materials (Vol. 802, pp. 261-266). Trans Tech Publications. Stephens, M. T., Berg, L. M., Lehman, D. E., & Roeder, C. W 2016, Seismic CFST Column-to-Precast Cap Beam Connections for Accelerated Bridge Construction. Journal of Structural Engineering, 04016049. Stephens, M. T., Lehman, D. E., & Roeder, C. W 2015, Concrete-Filled Tube Bridge Pier Connections for Accelerated Bridge Construction (No. CA15-2417). Grace, N. F., Bebawy, M., & Kasabasic, M 2015, Evaluation and Analysis of Decked Bulb T Beam Bridge (No. RC-1620). Larsson, J., Lu, W., Krantz, J., & Olofsson, T 2015, Discrete Event Simulation Analysis of Product and Process Platforms: A Bridge Construction Case Study. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 04015097. Li, H., Chan, G., Skitmore, M., & Huang, T 2015, A 4D automatic simulation tool for construction resource planning: a case study. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 22(5), 536-550. Peldschus, F., Zavadskas, E. K., Turskis, Z., & Tamosaitiene, J 2015, Sustainable Assessment of Construction Site by Applying Game The. Engineering Economics, 21(3). RazaviAlavi, S., & AbouRizk, S. (2015). A hybrid simulation approach for quantitatively analyzing the impact of facility size on construction projects. Automation in Construction, 60, 39-48. Sun, H., Liu, Y., & Zhou, W. (2015). Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) Technique and Its Application in Bridge Engineering in The Future. In International Conference on Education, Management, Commerce and Society (EMCS-15). Atlantis Press. Rapp, R. R., & Benhart, B. L. (Eds.). (2015). Construction Site Planning and Logistical Operations: Site-Focused Management for Builders. Purdue University Press. Read More

The Gant chart will therefore be used to guide all the operations at the site during the construction process. The site has to be inspected before the heavy machinery and equipment is brought on the site. This will require a site layout, which will ensure that the temporary site is able to accommodate the labourers, storage of materials and the heavy machinery and equipment. In order to ensure that the operations are carried out smoothly, al the personnel involved in the construction process have to be stationed at the site.

This therefore requires the construction of temporary structures to house the personnel working at the site. During the construction process, the first step, which is also the most important, is the construction of the substructures for the supporting columns (Stephens, Berg, Lehman & Roeder, 2016). Fig 1: Supporting column, Source Getty images Two of the columns will be submerged in water and the construction of the substructure has to be carried out under water. This complex process requires the use of specialized skills as well as machinery.

At the riverbed, there is mud and a large layer of lime, which covers four meters. The foundation cannot be built on this type of soil, as it is not stable. Drilling to a firm ground is therefore required. However, since the works has to be carried under water, a cofferdam has to be constructed. This is to allow for the dewatering of the area that the construction works is being carried out. The construction of the cofferdams has to be carried out with a lot of expertise in order to ensure that the construction area which is the riverbed is dry (Stephens, Berg, Lehman & Roeder, 2015).

Piles will be used in the foundation due to the nature of the soil and the location of the support columns. The piles have to be driven on the area on a temporary basis. This is for the purposes of ensuring that it can allow the construction works to be carried out. The excavation in the soft strata will be carried out through the use of soft drilling bits. However, the hard drilling bits will be carried out through the use of hard strata drilling bits. Steel bindings also need to be placed during the process.

This is for creating room for the placing of steel reinforcements. The process of placing steel requires the use of a crane as lifting and hoisting is required. Fig 2: Cofferdam Pouring of concrete can be carried out after the concrete has been placed. The supporting column can then be constructed after the foundation has to be developed. The soil is likely to corrode the structure due to the presence of lime. Cement that resists corrosion from alkali is therefore required during the construction process.

Structures that are built inside water are a risk of being weakened if water penetrates through it. Waterproof cement must therefore be used in order to protect the supporting column from the effects of water. The temporary sheet piles can them be removed after the process has been completed. Curing will be required in order to strengthen the concrete. A curing membrane is considered a suitable option due to its effectiveness. The mixing of concrete has to be carried out through the use of a mixer to ensure that the process is fast.

A lot of expertise will be required during the process of monitoring the activities. During the construction process, several activities need to be carried out and this includes testing of the concrete. Tests are useful in order to ensure that the structure is table (Grace, Bebawy & Kasabasic, 2015). Resource smoothing calculations are useful in ensuring that all the operations are carried out within the required time. It also plays a vital role in ensuring that the work is completed within the scheduled time.

The calculations are useful in the allocation of resources for different activities in order to ensure that project is completed on time. More resources may be required if a project is takes more time to be completed. Forces on a beam bridge The calculation of resource smoothing can be carried out through the use of different means.

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