SC401:CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES AND

SITE ORGANISATION
LECTURER: Eng. HAPPYNESS PAUL

Monday - November 14th 2022 – 16:00hrs – 18:00hrs

ASSESMENT: CA - 40% UE – 60%

CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Construction technologies
• Construction Equipment's
• Construction Site Organization
• Sustainable Construction
• Construction Methods
• Construction Health and Safety management
INTRODUCTION

Construction is process that involves conversion of materials or existing natural resources

from one form to another that is desirable for human development and wellbeing.

On a piece of land, using different construction/building materials, a building, a road, an

airport, etc. can be erected and serve human development functions and wellbeing.
The construction process is dependent on availability of technology.

The are two main processes/types of construction:

1. Civil Works Construction process: Roads and bridges, dams, power stations, large steel
and reinforced concrete structures, water and gas mains, electricity transmission lines,
etc.
2. Building Construction process: buildings of all types with their associated services,
repairs, and specialist works on buildings.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

Construction technology refers to the collection

of innovative tools, machinery, modifications
softwares etc. used during the construction
phase that enables advancement in the
construction.

Basically there are two major groups of

construction technologies
1. Labor based technology
2. Machine/Equipment based technology
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

Labor based technology (LBT) – It is a

technology that applies labor force for
execution of construction projects with
use of locally available non mechanical
tools.
If the activities can not be performed by
labor alone then introduction of simple or
intermediated equipment is deployed for
increasing efficiency and effectiveness.

In Tanzania Labor based technology is

highly employed in road maintenance
project, Construction of earth & Concrete
roads for Both TARURA and TANROADS
depending on the value of the project.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
• When the right conditions are present in a given area, labor-based technology is the
most cost-effective approach to rural infrastructure development. These conditions
include:
 sufficient numbers of under- or unemployed persons in the areas where the work

is required plus local availability of construction materials;

 low wage levels (under US$ 4.00 per day according to World Bank studies);

 shortage of conventional construction equipment and high capital costs;

 Government commitment to the development of employment and generation of

income in the rural areas;

 small contractors skilled in labour-based technology and capable of supervising

the work efficiently; and

 competence of the public sector agencies responsible for rural infrastructure

 works in the areas of contracting and supervision of contractors' performance

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

Equipment based technology (EBT) –

it’s a technology that implies extensive
use of heavy equipment and
machinery, driven by skilled
manpower and minimal use of labor
force. There is greater suitability of
EBT for fast working rate and well
maintained standards, although its
highly efficient and effective it
requires huge capital cost for
machines operation, maintenance,
repair and transportation to site
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
• Comparison between Labor based Technology (LBT) and Equipment based
technology (EBT)
Characteristics Labor Based Method Equipment Based Method
Technical Potential • Small scale • Large scale works
• Excess labor available • Enough machinery
• High quality work not • High quality of work is
required required

Social Effects • Job creation • Economic benefits

• Both social-economic
development

Financial feasibility • Limited budget • Budget sufficient for

machinery
Time taken • Project requires more time • Project can be completed in
to complete lesser time
Cost • Low cost method • High cost method
Employment • More number of unskilled • More number of skilled
manpower are employed manpower are employed

Equipment • Hand tools • Machineries

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
• Comparison between Labor based Technology (LBT) and Equipment based
technology (EBT)
Characteristics Labor Based Method Equipment Based Method
Environmental consideration • Lesser consideration is • Higher degree of
requirement sufficient consideration is required

Environmental degradation • Lower degree • Higher degree

Maintenance requirement for • Frequently • Often During rain season

infrastructure projects

Quality • Low • Higher

Social responsibility of Public • Public are more concerned • Public are less responsible for
on infrastructures about the road road development and
development maintenance

Seasons favoring the • Non rain seasons • Any season

construction
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Feasibility assessment of Labor based technology
• Feasibility assessment of labor based technology includes technical feasibility,
financial feasibility as well as Socioeconomic feasibility.
Do not consider Consider
Labor based methods Labor based method
unfavorable favorable
Technical feasibility

unfavorable favorable
Financial feasibility

unfavorable favorable
Socioeconomic feasibility
 CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Feasibility assessment of Labor based technology
• Technical feasibility considers the relationships between labor based technology and :
1. Product quality and design
2. Project type and timing
3. Availability of resources

1: Product quality and design

• Labor based methods can be used to produce, at satisfactory levels of quality, most of
civil works needed in labor abundant and capital-scarce countries.
• Labor based methods are not appropriate to every task
 In activities such as underwater excavation, long-distance transport, high density compaction, hot-
materials mixing, deep pile driving, and high quality pavement surfacing, equipment based
technologies offer superior results for purely technical reasons
• Designs or materials may have to be modified to make the most efficient use of labor-
based methods without compromising the product.
 CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Feasibility assessment of Labor based technology
2. Project Type and Timing
• Project type frequently dictates the quality and design considerations that must be
observed during construction.
 Equipment based methods are more appropriate for large, more concentrated project or for
activities depending on high-technology operations, such as the construction of dams or
underwater tunnels etc
 Smaller, technically simpler projects may be better served, both for construction and for
maintenance purposes, by methods drawing upon locally available labor
 For the efficient application of labor-based methods, far more important that size of the project is
the required speed of its execution which, in turn, may generate organizational, logistical, and
labor supply problems.
 The projects most suitable for labor-based operations are those where small groups of workers can
be assigned to work on fairly slow schedules at sites
The construction and maintenance of roads, railroad beds, and canals are
particularly appropriate given a sufficient labor supply, competent supervision and
management, and adequate logistics
 CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Feasibility assessment of Labor based technology
3. Availability of resources
• Timely availability of resources in the form of labor, tools, light equipment, materials,

management and supervisory expertise has a major influence on labor based

construction and maintenance methods
 Laborers are attracted by the prospect of work that best fits into their other work opportunities
 Personnel experienced in the management and supervision of unskilled laborers are not likely to
be available.
 Significant training of site supervisors is required
 If compared to equipment based methods, for the same rate of output, the supervisory
requirements for labor based method are greater
 To develop skill at motivating and coordinating groups of laborers, supervisors must have a
certain inclination and training.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Feasibility assessment of Labor based technology
Financial and Economic feasibility
• Comparison of costs likely to be incurred when using labor based methods and
when using equipment based methods to perform a comparable job.
 Cost comparison are normally done first in terms of financial costs and then, in those cases
where distortions between financial and economic costs are thought to be great, in terms of
economic costs.
 Use break-even cost levels to establish the upper limit of the financial feasible labor daily wage.
 Financial prices may reflect market distortions, and although labor based methods may be
financially more expensive, they may be more advantageous from the perspective of the
national economy
 Economic analysis may be used to assign economic valuations to inputs and outputs
 In the event that the economic analysis does not justify the use of labor based methods,
equipment based technologies should be adopted
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Review Question
• Discuss the criteria used for determining the feasibility of using labor
based technologies
• Discuss how the following factors affect the competitiveness and
quality of the project executed using labor based technology
 suitably trained supervisory staff,
 appropriate planning, programming and control systems,
 incentive schemes, and
 hand tools and light equipment.
 CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Review Question
• You have been employed to work as the senior project manager of rural roads. You
are about to engage into the construction of a 100km rural road in a remote area
in Tanzania. In order to select the appropriate technology to use during
construction of the road, you have tasked your engineer to establish the resources
that would be required in both the labour-based and equipment-base technology.
From this resource data you want the engineer to propose the appropriate method
based on financial feasibility criteria only. The engineer has done his work and has
brought you the information as contained in Table 1. Based on the total
construction cost per km, what will be your final decision on the technology to use
on this project?
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
Review Question
Component Equipment-based construction Labour-based construction

Labour
Unskilled 120 man-days@$8.00/day 1500 man-days@$8.00/day

Skilled 180 man-days@$15.00/day 240 man-days@$15.00/day

Local supervisory 25 man-days@$17.50/day 50 man-days@$17.50/day

Tools and equipment

Tools, minor equipment Handtools, wheelbarrows, etc. @$175.00/km Handtools, wheelbarrows, etc. @$285.00/km

Major equipment Rippers, dozers, graders, trucks, etc.@$5000.00/km Truck, tractor/trailer, etc.@$750.00/km

Materials
Culverts 1 culvert/km @$12500.00 1 culvert/km @$12500.00

Others Road structure (80% earth; 20% gravel) Road structure (80% earth; 20% gravel)
@25250.00/km @25250.00/km

Site overheads For the whole project $20,000.00 For the whole project $20,000.00