Preliminary Operations In Construction

Preliminary operations refers to all activities involves on a construction site before the actual work commences; some of this operations may includes:

- Site acquisition

- Site investigation

- Grubbing up and levelling

- Escavation of vegetation top soil


- SITE ACQUISATION: The acquisation of any construction site is basic responsibilities of the client, however it is necessary to provide the client with some factors to be consider while making the choice and the selection of the construction site. Therefore site acquisation requires a professional approach while working with land owners and goverment agencies.
Among the major things to be consider while making selection of building or construction site may includes:

¡. Location of the plot or site; the area of any plot will have effect on both the cost of the land itself and the economic of construction vis-a-vis; ligthing, ventilation, orientation of building with respect to sunlight, and the wheather changes of that particular of the construction site and also the evenness of the area and the nature of existing study all have to be considered.

¡¡. Climate Variation of the area; climate variation are more widely pronounced between regions but differences exist even within a given regions- some parts normaly suffered as a result of wind problem while others battle with turential rain and drainage problems. All of this most be considered also when acquiring a piece of land depend on it's uses.

¡¡¡. The elevation of the site; the elevated sites are mostly preffered than the valley area as they provide better horizon and land scapes, never the less building on hill site may required wind breakers or parapette walls, in other to protect those structures against bad wheather.

¡v. Nature of soil; it is important to have an idea, knowledge or information on particular piece of land before it is selected for any kind of buildings, this will intermed effect the type of foundation and materials to be used during construction.

V. Proximity of public utilities; it is necessary that the building plots expecially those that are made resdentials purpose be selected within zone where access to public utilities will not purse a major problem to the inhabitant to those buildings intended such as school, market, hospitals, water supply base, etc.

- SITE INVESTIGATION: Basically envolves a specifically visit to be acquired on construction plot in other to ascertain it major features particularly the nature of the site, the soil composition of the site and the bearing capacity of that soil. It is also important to note the amount and nature of preliminary work to be done.
The site investigation will also help in reveiling the exact nature of the sorrounding plots and possible ornamental tree that may needs to be left during grubbing up and levelling of the site. It is also essential to note other features that may left or avoided during the work.

- GRUBBING UP AND LEVELLING: This is a process of roting of fallen down of unwanted trees on site and shrubs on a virgin site and also the activities of falling up the low land dishes, glowly on the construction site. In either case the area to be levelled up most be well marked out and read to ensure that no decayed organic matter are covered underground within the soil topography of the construction site.

- ESCAVATION OF VEGETATION TOP SOIL: This is considered as the major aspect of site clearance starting with the grubbing up before any building operation on site commences, the vegetation top soil needs to be cleared from the area upon which the structure will stands.