How to Prepare a Construction Site
A building company will usually prepare a building site within hours of receiving the building consent from the authorities. The process of clearing a site needs to be done as swiftly as possible. A site or project manager will have to make serious decisions within a very short period of time, taking legally binding health and safety regulations into consideration, as well as the contentment of his future workforce. While decision making must be high speed, missing small details can have a huge impact on the outcome of the project.
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Things You'll Need
- Fencing material or boards according to size of site
- Company placard
- Health and Safety signs
- Screws and screwdriver
- Shears, axes and shovels
- Heavy machinery if buildings have to be removed
- Skips
Instructions
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Stake out the exact boundaries of the construction site with the help of the architectural drawings. Set up fences or boards.
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2
Screw your company placard on the most visible part of the fence. The placard details should display the company name and an emergency phone number for after hours incidents and possible complaints.
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Locate the best placements for your health and safety signs and screw them onto the fence. Signs outside the fence should read "Danger Construction Work in Progess" and "All Visitors Must Report to Site Office." Signs inside the fence should include the site safety regulations, "No Hats, No Boots, No Job" placards and specifications about the fire extinguisher location.
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Perform soil tests with a professional environmental engineer. Soil tests will not only determine contamination, but also give indications on future problems with excavations and concrete pouring. Search the grounds for hidden dangers such as old excavation shafts, cables and drainage channels. Remove and fill anything necessary.
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Clear the site of all vegetation and remaining buildings. Discourage local wildlife from staying or returning. Hire an exterminator if necessary as rodents not only cause health and safety issues, but also have a taste for plastic materials. If destroying old buildings, salvage the remains such as brickwork and concrete pieces. Used bricks have a profitable resale market, while concrete rubble can be reused in foundations and road works. Plants, including trees, need to be cut down to ground level.
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Locate existing services such as water, electricity and gas. Allocate amenities according to your funds. Site facilities are usually hired ready made and should include toilets, site office, drying or changing room for your workforce, and a canteen/restroom.
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Order a phone line from your preferred telecommunications provider. Construction workflow is very much dependent on faxes for the supply of plans, instructions and contracts. The line should be installed in the site office.
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Allocate space for material storage, skips and plant machinery sheds. Check security such as CCTV and locks. Theft of construction plans and materials is a profitable specialization within the crime trade and precautionary measures need to be taken to prevent it.
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Install your facilities and amenities at their allocated spaces. Connect water, electricity, gas and sewer lines. Install security systems. Inform the building and construction companies about the completion of the site preparation.
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Resources
- Photo Credit construction site image by itsallgood from Fotolia.com
