Site visit a for providing a project overview and the current status of the works

Question

Task: A fairly large project should be chosen in order to provide sufficient information – we suggest a value of A$2M minimum, with substantial civil works included in it.The level of detail relating to each of the objectives will depend entirely on the construction site. You are not expected to address each objective in detail but to use this assessment as an opportunity to see some of the course material information being used in a live construction environment. Write a report on the project you are visiting. Your report is expected to provide a project overview and the current status of the works. Prepare your report in accordance with the following information:
Site location – geographic and topographic features • Demonstrate understanding of project purpose and objectives – why is this project being done? • Show awareness of site constraints and site construction problems - how they were addressed? • Demonstrated awareness of opportunities offered by the particular site visited and the impact these may have had on the execution of the project design and construction.
Demonstrate your understanding of the construction processes and activities • Machinery plant items used, particularly those used on the day of your visit, and their activities • Materials used and their sources (overview relating to construction materials covered in this course, extensive lists are not required) • Particular points of interest – e.g., any innovative technology or construction processes used.
Management structure of the project – who is the client, Contractor(s), Structural Engineer, Architect, where available and where relevant. • Contractor on-site organisation and management, including method of day-to-day planning (what software system used for project planning), safety, materials delivery, storage, traffic, safety, rubbish/tidiness as appropriate

Answer

Introduction

The construction company “Fulton hogan” have recently conduct contract deakin private hospital for mental health specialist of their premises placed at Deakin ACT, Canberra. With the approval from management the site visit has been conducted on the existing construction site to report about what going on for the construction procedure. The details has been collected from this site visit will ensure the new members of management with a basic aspects of the project, also update on the current condition of the work as well. The project report has convey the project overview and working condition in concisely.

Project overview

Project purpose and objectives

The deakin private hospital is Canberra based largest private mental hospital, has situated at 63 Denison Street, Deakin, and Canberra to complete the 2 stage of the construction or expansion work. The hospital has 80% of their capacity and stage 2 will ease this through increasing the hospital capacity, added extra department and services and ensure an additional 100 car-parking spaces. The construction company have been contracted on approximate $20 million design and construction contract with 20 month to complete the 7 level of building construction of the ground level with the five lower ground parking levels(Scott-Deane, L., 2017).

Site location

This is stage 2 of Deaikin private hospital is construction attached below with the existing hospital location at 63 Denison Street, Deakin, and Canberra. The location of 2nd stage is effectively surrounded through the existing hospital structure, car-parking area, and general way and hospital roads. The terrain is extremely steep as demonstrate in following pictures.

Project Construction and Status

The construction of stage 2 has been contain the fundamental aspects of construction such as reinforced column and beam construction of the lower ground levels. It finds that the columns in the lower ground surface has been construct through filleted from boxes and the slabs have been constructed through the table form and conventional deck systems Sim.et.al.(2021).The back propping is essential for mainly two level through the working deck and currently exist on the stage 3.

As per construction, the spacing and location of the back propping has been found through the formwork engineer and showed after post tensioning and stressing Schultz.et.al.(2014). It observes that the ground slab of the lower ground five has a strength of 28 MPa with the additional floor above having the strength of 40 MPa. Each slabs are approximate 180mm thick and has been constructed using high early strength concrete to permit the ply through the formwork to be removed and back propping to immediate result.

The following has been provided further details for the specific work of each level has been provided below;

a. Lower ground 5 :

The lower the car-parking level with the underground water tank has been installed to collect the storm water. This is essential for the flood mitigation control require by the Brisbane city council as the steep site is prone to the water runoff. The car parking line marking are essential and services are to be access in.

b. Lower ground 4 :

For this case, the lower car-park level currently back sustained. The eastern side retaining wall has been prepare by using the core occupied blocks and contains.

c. lower ground level: 3

The lower car parking area back buttressed. The western side earth has been retained through the contiguous retaining wall contain of concrete piles through the shotcrete laid on to the mesh board between the piles.

d. Lower ground level : 2

The current working site deck and licensed from the workers are the only personnel recently allowed on that. This level has a contiguous retaining wall which visible on the western side. The partial lift shaft core has been founded on the north side.

Construction constrains and potential issues

According to visual observation of stage 2, the Deakin Private Hospital is placed directly over the adjacent to the existing main segment of the hospital area, that creating the number of various issues that has been highlight. As Deakin Private Hospital is mental health intuition, therefore, it is essential to follows all instruction in terms of safety and ensure patients safety as well. The company has been obey all steps to ensure there are no ligature points as the result of their site. This has been removing the top rail of each temporary site fencing and replacing that with the flexible lines. According to study, that age linea and complete site fence has been covered in the blind cloth to ensure the ligature point occurring from the fence. As per the additional pre-caution, the company has also installed the security cameras on the site and require each construction workers to lock away tools and equipment over-night that could causing the injuries Wang.et.al.(2017).

The study suggest that the site location has also proved challenging. It indicate that the hospital has only one way entry through the southern side of the site and exit that through the one way road along the eastern side Russell.et.al.(2020).

Because of considerable less surface area for walking, the one way entry has been stop by the construction procedure, and that has required the timed traffic light system to be installed on the one way exit road to provides way and egress to the hospital through the similar single lane road. This is lack of space on the site has also cause major issues through the material laydown and storage area, the site has been space and worker car-parking. As per result, the company has been essential to get the car-parking adjacent to that site. This has been manage to date, whereas this was demonstrate that the new construction site is due to be opened on the land next to the stage 2 and wound potentially essential company to share that specific space with the construction company responsible for that.

As per commercial aspect, the construction company has struggle with the material supply chain disruptions and price increase with the increasing the scarcity and cost of building materials.

Opportunities provides throughout site visit:

During site visit, it found various constraints and issues, still the construction area may suggest the positive aspects. As the construction site running on stage 2 and 3 position, it find that initial two stages has been completed. Recently, the hospital management are working at that particular stage. That suggest the opportunity that in case the consultation with the hospital management, those are patient, it require completely close to the site and possible be contacted.

This construction site is placed on open area, and toward the road or public place, transportation area and so on. This has been benefit for the workers includes in the stage 3 as they are not resist to transport to the site through the car and essential parking for the site is unable to the provide. They also has been access to the amenities ensure through the shopping centres.

Working report

Construction procedure and activities;

While conducting site visit at stage 2 and 3, the supervisor and their team were working on deck and the material movement observes. The workers were trained and licensed to do particular work. This is because of safety concern as they are essential to work close to that edges. From the workers also have knowledge for the safe working areas and significantly increases the resistance of plywood areaLiu..et.al.(2015).

However, it observes that the tower crane was also in the operation whereas on site shifting materials and rubbish around that site. As per specification through the company manager, the use and cost of expense of the tower crane means to achieve the best possible value for the money as crane require to be in the constant operation. This is manage through the good work-flow management and material movement operation to ensure that the machine may not harm or sit in idle situation.

Materials uses during construction

It obvious that the concrete and metal are often uses for the construction procedure, for this case, the construction contractor use high early strength concrete with 30 to 32 MPa strength over the lower ground 4, 5 and 6 and approximate 40 to 45 MPa strength over the remaining levels. This could be useful on the site, and that was used the overabundance of the legs and scaffolding to support the structure until the effective strength occur to concrete structure Perkins.et.al.(2015)

While conducting the site visit along with the supervisor using the large volume of the steel metal and wooden structure to extract the formwork. As guide by the construction contractor, the strength steel material and high quality wooden material used at the starting of the build but this could be effective in terms of recycled from level to level in order to save the material and total cost as well.

The material selection, assigned are the specific approach as considering current market condition, the consumer have to contend with the high supply chain disturbances and increase which are significantly increase the cost of building materials. That has place it in the condition where they are having to obtain any materials available ad stockpile it for the future aspects as the potential future price increases and supply could be harmful. The construction company has also suggest that the conventional approach across the industry and as the result storing space for the construction materials has become increasingly difficult to ascertain.

Organisation and Management

Project Stakeholders

The Fulton Hogan is known for large projects such as roadway construction, bridge etc. however, the construction of the deakin private hospital at the 2nd and 3rd stage based on request of the consumer health care Australia Chileshe.et.al.(2016). In the combination with the existing project along with experience team includes Research and development team, architecture and structure engineer companies have been engaged for this project. The structure and civil engineers for the 2nd and 3rd stage has been ensure through the engineering consultancy. However, the electrical and mechanical engineers serves through the integral team unit. However, the plumbing work, along with the hydraulic service engaged through the ACOR consultants, the designing, analysis and structural services were serves through the health architecture and surveying services.

Fulton hogan’s management for the construction of the project:

According to study, the management elements of this company engage with the deakin private hospital at 2nd and 3rd stage can be observes and prepare as following ;

It observes that the effective reporting lines and construction structure are useful when the maintaining the orderly and creative worksite. However, the project manager and contractor representative Jack d’mon provides the construction site centre along with the organization charts, and that play crucial roles within that process. Jack has to engage and make deal with the health and safety officer, site engineer, project manager and senior contractor admin. However, this is also essential to communicate with the project manager and understand the primary need of the health care organization. It is considering that the management has to manage the reporting lines, each sub-contractors on the site report to the on-site level of the project management as per Jack d’mon.

Project Software

During the site visit, the Deakin private hospital stage 2 and 3 project, that has been uses various software in order to prepare drawing of the complete project. At the initial stage, the drafting software has been use in order to prepare tentative drawing of the building structure with detailing and essential aspects of the construction. For that case, the AutoCAD professional version uses in research and development department. Subsequently, the civil 3D, and strand7 software uses in order conduct structural analysis, hydraulic analysis, and electric analysis as considering project aspects, structural durability evaluation and much more. However, SAP software application uses for inventory management, internal management and so on.

Personal experience during site visit and after site visit

One of the most informatics moment during the site visit was that the project engineer’s and management support throughout the visit, at each day and each stage of the construction. The engagement with the engineers in the special room for the site can ensure some details but that being able to engage with the project engineer on the site, that has been able to visit in the person and has an understanding of what had been occurring and permit to gain the effective outcome of what the engineer was assigned roles for particular job. However, it observes that each engineer, worker, management and support staff has difficult strategy to execute the project significantly.

Conclusions

From the site visit, it observes that the real life experience and engagement with the construction approach has gave more clarity for the project. The Deakin private hospital will surely get the benefit for the patients and support staff through ensuring an increasing overall services, special room for the special treatment and additional space for the vehicle.

The construction procedure along with the worker engagement was useful experience, as they are potential to execute the complete construction project. Also, the organization structure and software engagement guide that how the current study has been useful to make impactful engineer for major construction project.

References

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Perkins, G.D., Jacobs, I.G., Nadkarni, V.M., Berg, R.A., Bhanji, F., Biarent, D., Bossaert, L.L., Brett, S.J., Chamberlain, D., de Caen, A.R. and Deakin, C.D., 2015. Cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation outcome reports: update of the Utstein resuscitation registry templates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a statement for healthcare professionals from a task force of the International liaison Committee on resuscitation (American heart association, European resuscitation Council, Australian and New Zealand Council on resuscitation, heart and stroke Foundation of Canada, InterAmerican heart Foundation, resuscitation Council of southern Africa .... Circulation, 132(13), pp.1286-1300.

Liu, S., Xie, B., Tivendale, L. and Liu, C., 2015. Critical barriers to BIM implementation in the AEC industry.

Russell, C., Lawrence, M., Cullerton, K. and Baker, P., 2020. The political construction of public health nutrition problems: a framing analysis of parliamentary debates on junk-food marketing to children in Australia. Public health nutrition, 23(11), pp.2041-2052.

Schultz, T.J., Crock, C., Hansen, K., Deakin, A. and Gosbell, A., 2014. Piloting an online incident reporting system in Australasian emergency medicine. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 26(5), pp.461-467.

Scott-Deane, L., 2017. TRACING THE MISSING: VERA DEAKIN AND THE AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS WOUNDED AND MISSING INQUIRY BUREAU. Melbourne Historical Journal, 45(1).

Sim, H.W., Nowak, A.K., Lwin, Z. and Khasraw, M., 2021. Management of glioblastoma: an Australian perspective.

Wang, J., Wu, P., Wang, X. and Shou, W., 2017. The outlook of blockchain technology for construction engineering management.