BUILDING

TECHNOLOGY-III
LAYOUT AND
EXCAVATION
Module 06

DR. DENNIS L. ESTACIO

Adjunct Faculty -OMSC-CAFA
DEAN, College of Architecture & Fine Arts
Bulacan State University
Site Preparation
Site preparation involves the demolition or wrecking of
buildings and other structures, clearing of building sites
and sale of materials from demolished structures.
Site preparation also entails blasting, test drilling, landfill,
levelling, earth-moving, excavating, land drainage and
other land preparation.
Site Preparation
Generally, SOIL provides the load-bearing surface upon
which the foundation (base) of the structure rests. No
matter what the structure may be, it must have a strong
and sturdy foundation. To be sure of the strength and
stability (firmness) of foundation, the construction
designer must know what soil is like where the
foundation is to be built. The designer or soil consultant
tests the soil and decides what needs to be done with
the soil so it will support the structure that is being
planned.
Site Preparation
SITE INVESTIGATION – is the procedure of determining surface
and subsurface conditions in the area of the proposed
construction.

BORING TEST – serves to provide a visual identification of soil

strata underlying an area by literally penetrating into the earth.
Site Preparation
1. DEMOLISHING – destroying by blasting, use of explosives, or wrecking
which can be done using mechanical devices such as crowbar (a hand
tool), crawler tractor (bulldozer with blade), and crane with wrecking ball.
2. SALVAGING – saving things from being demolished. This can be done by
tearing down, taking apart or removing the wanted materials from the site.
3. CUTTING – bringing down trees by using axes, explosives or saws; cutting
of pieces metals using torch. Special equipment can also be used.
4. EARTHMOVING – also a major part of construction process, usually done
by excavating (digging) and transferring (moving) it to another place
where it is piled up, spread out, or used as fill materials (disposing).
5. DISPOSING – removing from the site materials that are not wanted, may
be done by burying, burning, or hauling away.
Site Preparation
SITE FACTORS – things about the site is important to
those who prepare and clear the site; such as:
a.size of the site
b.the amount of natural growth
c.man-made and natural obstacles
d.location of the site
e.what is around the site.
Site Preparation
LAYOUT is also called “STAKING OUT” which means the process of relocating
the point of boundaries and property line of the site where the building is to
be constructed. Or simply LAYOUT is the process of transferring the building
plan measurements to the ground of the site. Materials used in Staking Out
are:
a. Stake – are wooden sticks used as posts sharpened at one end driven
into the ground to serve as boundaries or support of the batter boards.
b. Batter Board – wood stick or board nailed horizontally at the stake which
serves as the horizontal plane where the reference point of building
measurements is established.
c. String – is either plastic chord or galvanized wire across the batter board
used to indicate the outline of the building wall and foundation.
LAYOUT METHODS AND PROCEDURES
1. Secure Building Permit first before Construction begins.
2. Relocate the boundaries of the construction site. It is suggested that this
shall be done by a Geodetic Engineer specially for those lots without
existing reference points or adjoining structures.
3. Clear the site of any existing structures, trees and other elements that will
obstruct the construction work.
4. Construct and allocate a space for laborers’ quarters, construction
office, bodega for the materials and working tools and temporary waste
disposal
5. Apply for temporary connections of electric and water supply.
6. Construct a temporary fence around the construction.
7. Order the construction materials
8. Verify the measurement in the plan
9. Fix the batter board to its horizontal position with the aid of a
level instrument preferably plastic hose with water.
10. Verify the measurement on the batter board.
11. After establishing the reference point and the line of footing,
transfer the intersecting points of the string to the ground by the
aid of a plumb bob and indicate the size and width to be
excavated.
EARTHMOVING is usually done by excavating (digging) and
transferring (moving) spoil to another place where it is piled up,
spread out or used as fill materials (disposing).

SPOIL – excavated materials, transferred or moved then

disposed. The spoil may be disposed of by using it for fill or top
dressing. Transferring liquid wastes and rain water may be done
through the use of pumps.

FILLING – leveling of low spots

TOP DRESSING – is spreading of the thin coat over an area

CATEGORY OF EXCAVATION FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION:

1. MINOR EXCAVATION
Minor Excavation are those constructions having independent footing
and hollow block wall footing where the digging of the soil for the footing
extend to a depth from 1.0 to 1.50 meters and about half a meter depth
for the wall footing.

2. MAJOR EXCAVATION
Building construction that requires wide excavation or total extraction
of the soil are classified into two categories depending upon the condition
or location of the site. When an area of construction site is big that there is
enough space to accommodate working activities, storing of materials
and dumping ground for excavated soil, problem is less due to free
movement of construction equipment.
TRIMMING AND STABILIZING
Crude trench or pit or rough excavation is unfit for the
foundation. It may weaken the support of structures. Trimming
and stabilizing the bed and walls of excavation may then be
necessary.

1. TRIMMING – done to make the excavation ready for the

foundation.

2. STABILIZING –done to make the walls hold their form and to

keep them from falling
4 MAJOR PRACTICES USED FOR TRIMMING AND SHAPING
EXCAVATION

BED AND WALLS:

1. CLEANING & WASHING – remove mud from the base rock. This is done so there will be good bond
between the concrete of the foundation and the base of the excavation. This is done by high-
pressure water hosing which blasts the mud off the rock.

2. GRADING – makes bed and walls of the excavation level and firm. Grading is done by:
compacting (packing), grouting (filling with mortar), scaling (scraping), or filling (moving in loose
earth).

3. SLOPING – The sides of excavation are sloped to lower the chances of slides. Here loose soil is
usually removed from the sides of the excavation.

4. TREATING – Loose soil is filled with a substance that makes it more solid. Sometimes chemical
solution is used.
5 WAYS TO STABILIZE EARTHWORKS:

1. COMPACTING – is the compressing or packing down of the earth to

make it firm.

2. SHORING – is the process of providing temporary supports to the

structure or ground during excavation. The shore is placed diagonally
against the excavation walls or sheeting panels. It is held by stake at the
bottom. Shoring is used in wider excavations where you cannot brace
against the sidewall. This is sometimes called sheeting and bracing.

3. BRACING AND SHEETING – The brace in placed horizontally between the

sheeting panels. Bracing is used in narrow excavation. SHEETING – forms
walls to keep earth out of the excavated area.
5 WAYS TO STABILIZE EARTHWORKS:
4. PILING – driving of large concrete, steel or wooden stake called piles
into the ground to give more stability to a structure. This method is used
even during the prehistoric times. Piling has two main purposes:
a. to improve the load bearing capacity of the earth, and
b. to help guard against uneven settlement of the structure.

5. COFFERDAMMING – is popular method used in construction when a

structure must be built in water or water-filled soil.
SUBSIDENCE – sinking down, or sink to lower level.

SETTLEMENT – the sinking or lowering of materials or structure.

UNDERPINNING – the operation of providing permanent

foundation in place of inadequate footing, for instance
replacing shallow footing by a new footing at a greater depth.
Foundation
All of the buildings were assumed to be supported on several
different foundations (Parmelee, 1967). Soil parameters, like
bearing capacities, shear coefficients, and subgrade moduli,
are important in designing efficient and effective foundations.
But, for the purpose of creating the standardized foundation
concepts for use in a variety of sites, some soil parameters have
been assumed (as in the case of bearing capacity for shallow
foundations) and others have been stipulated (as those required
to produce specific performance – as in the case for deep
driven piles).
All structures are general composed of:
1. SUBSTRUCTURE – which refers to foundation, and
2. SUPERSTRUCTURE – that part resting on a foundation.
All substructure rest upon bearing surfaces, in addition they may have
footings, walls or piers.

Superstructure may be classified as:

a. mass – are those built from materials taken directly from the earth.
Example; dams
b. bearing wall – built from masonry and other materials which are built into
walls around the place to be enclosed. Example of materials: bricks or
CHB
c. framed superstructure – made of steel, reinforced concrete, or wood
assembled to provide skeleton upon which the walls, floors, and roof can
be constructed.
FOUNDATION is that portion of the structural elements that
carry or support the superstructure of the building. Also, called
SUBSTRUCTURE which refer to that portion of the structure below
the surface of the ground that transmits the load of the building
to the underlying soil or rock.
PARTS OF FOUNDATION:

UPRIGHT SUPPORT
-also called foundation
wall
PARTS OF FOUNDATION:

FOOTING -flat part of foundation which directly transmits the

column load to the underlying soil or rock.
PARTS OF FOUNDATION:

FOUNDATION BED
-refers to the soil or rock
Beneath the footing
The floating column is a
vertical member which
rest on a beam but
doesn't transfer the load
directly to the foundation.

The floating
column acts as a point
load on the beam and this
beam transfers the load
to the columns below it.
END OF PRESENTATION
THANK YOU!