WEEK 3: SITE ORGANISATION AND LAYOUT
(2.3) Site Layout and Organisation
The building site can be considered a temporary factory, where the building is produced this
activity to take place the builder requires men, materials and plants. All these have to be
carefully controlled so that the men have the right machine in the most adequate position, the
materials stored so that they are readily available and not interfering with the general site
circulation a building and the total size of the site on which the building is to be erected.
Therefore is no standard size ratio between the free site spaces required considered as a
separation problem in terms of allocating space for men, materials and plant. To obtain
maximum efficiency there is an optimum way of laying out the site and also a correct amount of
expenditure to support the proposed site layout. Any planned layout should be reviewed
periodically and adjusted to suit the changing needs of the site activities. A careful consideration
of planning and control of this aspect of the building construction will reflect in the progress and
profitability of the building project.
Factors to Be Considered in Site Layout
Before any specific considerations and decisions can be made regarding site layout a general
appreciation should be obtained by conducting a thorough site investigation to formulate how the
job will be executed. This will involve the assessment of the plants and equipment that will be
utilized to execute the work. Specifically the considerations include the following:
Access Consideration: this must be considered for both on and off site access. Routes to and
from the site must be checked as to the suitability for transporting all the requirements for the
proposed work. Access on site for deliveries and general circulation must also be carefully
considered so that vehicles delivering materials to the site will do so without difficulty or
delay. If is anticipated that large vehicles will be operating on the site it will be necessary to
consider the road surface required. If the road and the paved areas will form part of the
permanent work there should be constructed earlier in the work. If the anticipated traffic at
the end of the work is lighter than the one expected during construction enough protection
should be given to the road against the effect of the heavy traffic load.
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Storage Considerations: the amount and types of material to be stored, security and weather
protection requirements, allocation of adequate areas for storing materials and allocating adequate
working space around storage areas required, siting of storage areas to reduce double
handling to a minimum without impeding the general site circulation and/or works in
progress.
Accommodation Consideration: number and type of site staff anticipated, calculate size
and select units of accommodation and check to ensure compliance with the minimum
requirements of the relevant construction regulations. Select siting for offices to give easy
and quick access for visitors and at the same time giving a reasonable view of the site. Select
site for resting sheds and toilets to reduce walking time to a minimum without impeding the
general site circulation.
Temporary Services Considerations: what, when and where are they required? Possibility
of having permanent services installed at an early stage and making temporary connections
for site use during the construction period. Coordination with the various service providers is
essential.
Plants Considerations: the type and nature of plants and where they will be required on the
site are important. Whether the plants will be static or mobile. If static the most appropriate
position should be selected and hard standing should be provided. If mobile the circulation
routes should be checked for optimum efficiency and stability. Provision of space and hard
surface for plant maintenance should also be considered.
Fencing and Hoarding Considerations: distinction should be made between what is
mandatory and what is desirable. These will depend on vandalism record in the area, type of
fence or hoarding required possibility of using fencing which will form part of the permanent
work by erecting it at the early stage of the work.
Safety and Health Considerations: it should be ensured that all the above considerations
comply with the relevant construction safety regulations.
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On taking over the site one of the first jobs is to layout the site boundaries as they are marked out
on the drawings. The security fence should be set up around the site so as to control the
movement of people and materials. The boundary fence should have only one access so that
someone can check people in and out of the site. The site office should be located close to the
entrance into the site together with the site sheds where meals will be taken. The toilet on the site
should be located at one corner away from where it will constitute a nuisance and to also
enhance privacy.
The aggregates should be stored close to where the mixing will take place which in turn should
be located close to where provision has been made for water storage. Generally materials should
be stored to close to where they will be put to use.
The site should be laid out in such a way that there will be free movement of vehicles around the
site incase it will become necessary to move materials using vehicles around the site.
Lay out of Construction Site
The layout of every site could be divided into
Administrative areas
Construction areas
Administrative area: this will be the location of offices, stores, sub-contractors huts, canteen
and similar accommodation.
Construction area: this is the actual site of the building to be constructed, and it will be located
close to the consumable stores adjacent to the various buildings and equipment required for the
construction purpose. The layout of both these areas form an essential part of the early planning
in every construction work, the neglect of which will lead to delay in the initial progress of the
job leading to extra wastage of resources on the
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Fig 3.1 A typical site layout
Test Question
i. Discuss the factors considered in a construction site layout.
