Before you commence your next construction project, acquiring concrete mixers and preparing your construction site is essential. From site clearing and soil testing to excavation and draining, there are several crucial steps that are involved in prepping a construction site correctly.
As a manufacturing company in the construction industry, we at BS Power know how important it is to ensure that your construction site is up to scratch before commencing your project. In this brief article, we’ll be providing you with a step-by-step guide on how to properly prepare your construction site as well as touching on the importance of concrete mixers.
What Is Construction Site Preparation?
Above all else, construction site preparation is one of the most important processes of any construction project. Site preparation is a multistep process that involves all of the work you’ll be doing prior to construction. No matter the type of construction, every construction site needs to be correctly prepared before beginning construction work. If you want to ensure that your construction project is successful, you need to prepare the location of the project.
Examples of construction site preparation include drainage, leveling, grading, earthmoving, site surveying and demolition. Depending on the type of construction you’re performing or the location of your project, the different steps of site preparation may differ. If your construction site has no structures, for instance, you won’t need to include demolition in your site preparation.
Essential Equipment For Preparing Your Construction Site
If you want to effectively and efficiently prepare the land of your construction site for your next project, you’re going to need some specialised equipment. Having the right tools for site preparation not only minimises the environmental impact of your project but also ensures that your project runs smoothly and efficiently.
Just as concrete mixers and forklifts are essential for construction work, so too are bulldozers and compactors for site preparation. If you’re not sure which tools to acquire for preparing your construction site, here’s a quick breakdown of some essential equipment:
Excavators:
One of the most important tools you can invest in for your construction projects is an excavator. Due to their versatility, excavators are extremely valuable in construction. With an excavator, you can remove soil, digging, lifting and other processes. Depending on the scale of your construction project, you can choose which size excavator works best for your construction.
Compactors:
Every construction project needs a compactor, especially if you’re pouring concrete onto the site with concrete mixers. When it comes to the construction of roads or foundations, compactors are used to compress the asphalt, soil, gravel and concrete to form a solid base. Compactors help to create a sturdy foundation for when concrete mixers pour cement or concrete onto land.
Bulldozers:
While a bulldozer may not be required on every construction site, they are typically used for most construction projects. They are fundamental to the construction process as they grade and clear the land before construction begins.
A Step-By-Step Guide On Proper Construction Site Preparation
Once you’ve got all the necessary tools and equipment, it’s time to start preparing your construction site. The status of the construction site and type of project you’re working on will determine which steps of the site planning process you’ll need to incorporate. Here’s a comprehensive guide on each of the steps involved in construction site preparation:
Evaluating The Site
Before you begin clearing the site, you need to ensure that you have a full understanding of the land you’ll be working on. If there are any obstructions or there is a lack of adequate soil at the construction site, this will affect how you prepare the site for your project.
During this step, you’ll need to thoroughly inspect the soil of the area so as to gauge how it will affect your project. Soil testing helps to determine if the soil of your construction site is stable enough to withstand the weight, foundations and structures needed for your project. This step is crucial as your structure may collapse if built on the wrong type of soil. Additionally, testing the soil also informs the type of foundation you’ll need to build for your structure.
Not only does the soil of your construction site need to be tested, but you’ll also need to check for any underground obstructions while preparing the site. Whether it be sewer systems, electrical lines or tree roots, underground obstructions can cause major issues for your construction project if not properly dealt with. Once you’ve fully evaluated soil and underground obstructions of the site, you can move on to the next step of the site preparation process.
Site Surveying
If you want to launch your construction project, you’ll need to hire a surveyor to assess the construction site and determine the scope of your project. This step is essential as it not only allows you to locate boundaries and be granted permits, but it also informs your contractor of any of the requirements the land needs to achieve your desired design elevation. Depending on the land of your construction site and the structure you’re building, your contractor may need to cut or fill land where necessary.
Design & Site Planning
Now that your construction site has been fully surveyed and assessed, you can start creating your design plan for the location of your project. Your site design plan needs to be highly detailed as it must include septic systems, drainage and laying out where each structure will go. Be sure to go over the site design plan thoroughly with your designer so that you’re accounting for all the necessary requirements of your project before construction begins. The design will guide you throughout construction and help you to map out where each structure will go.
Creating Site Access Points
For added safety, ease of access and efficiency, your construction site needs to have access points. In construction, access points are used for the systematic management of entry and exit points on a construction site, specifically for workers and heavy construction equipment. In order to have heavy machinery used on your construction project, you need to ensure that you’ve created the correct access points for your larger equipment to access. Additionally, access points also improve the flow of traffic on your construction site, allowing you and your workers to better avoid construction delays.
Clearing Your Construction Site
Once you’ve created access points for your heavy machinery, you can begin clearing the site for construction. To properly clear your construction site, you’ll need to determine which equipment you’ll be using and what existing structures will need to be removed. Depending on the nature of your construction site, you may need to repair existing structures or remove debris. During this phase of the process, you’ll probably be using backhoes and bulldozers to clear and prepare the sire for construction.
Installing Erosion System Controls & Installing Drainage
Whether it be installing retention ponds or dewatering groundwater, you’re going to need to ensure that your construction site has adequate drainage and erosion system controls. It’s your responsibility to ensure that excess soil doesn’t spill onto nearby roads or disrupt surrounding land. To avoid these issues, you may need to install a silt fence around the perimeter of your construction site. These measures will help you to safely control water runoff and maintain the land during construction.
Compacting & Grading The Construction Site
Grading and compacting are the final measures you’ll need to take before construction begins. This step involves doing earthwork landscaping and moving earth around according to your construction project. By grading and compacting the land, your construction site becomes leveled out and is able to create a stable foundation for the rest of the construction process.
The Benefits Of Construction Site Preparation
Correctly preparing your construction site before commencing your construction project goes a long way, especially when it comes to preventing serious issues throughout the construction process. Here are just a few of the key benefits that come from preparing your construction site adequately:
Prevent Theft Of Construction Equipment:
Heavy machinery is rather costly and quite hard to miss in the public eye, which is why they’re often stolen from construction sites without proper site preparation. By preparing your construction site correctly, you can pinpoint site security issues before equipment is stolen and create better security measures. If your equipment is left on-site after a full day of construction, site preparation helps to decrease the chances of theft and keep operations running smoothly.
Ensure Safety & Prevent Accidents:
No matter how experienced you or your team of workers are, construction is highly dangerous and can lead to serious accidents or injuries. If your site is not correctly prepared, it could leave you with fatal consequences in the event of an accident. To avoid this, make sure that your construction site is effectively prepared before construction begins. This ensures that equipment is working properly and that your workers are properly trained on how to use the machinery beforehand.
The Importance Of Concrete Mixers
After your construction site is correctly prepared, it’s important that you acquire the right tools and equipment for your project, such as concrete mixers. Mixers are considered to be one of the most important pieces of equipment on any construction site due to their efficiency, affordability and time-saving benefits. Concrete is the foundation of most if not all construction projects, which is why it is crucial that you invest in powerful mixers that are high-quality, durable and easy to use.
If you want to ensure that your construction project runs smoothly and efficiently, concrete mixers are the way to go. From effortlessly mixing large quantities of concrete in no time to producing concrete that is more high quality and has a better consistency, there are many benefits that come from using these machines for your construction projects.
Prepare Your Construction Site Effectively With BS Power’s High-Quality Equipment
Whether you’re preparing your construction site or commencing your construction project, having the right equipment makes a world of difference. From concrete mixers to plate compactors, BS Power has got it all. Take your construction project to the next level with our extensive range of robust, state-of-the-range construction equipment. Whether you’re in search of vibratory rollers or concrete mixers, we’ve got you covered.
To get your hands on one of our high-quality concrete mixers or other construction tools, visit our website to find out more.