16138 Site Establishment and Management

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: School of the Built Environment
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): (((16265 Construction Technology 2 OR 16631 Construction and Development Process)) OR 16314 Construction Technology 3 )
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.

Description

This subject examines the technology and processes involved in construction site establishment and operation and site surveying. The changing nature of the site as construction evolves is also explored. The key issues surrounding site excavation are also explored and include maintaining faces of excavation, shoring, underpinning, piling and other sub-strata operations. The design and erection of temporary structures to support construction works during the course of a project are examined in detail. Students are introduced to site surveying including advanced set out and levelling skills, setting out using theodolites and a thorough background in all building marking out and location techniques. Safety requirements and legal liabilities form a thread through the whole subject.

Students demonstrate their ability to solve real-world site establishment and surveying problems by undertaking individual and group works that develop a working plan for operational efficiency and safety of a construction site. Knowledge of techniques and best practices is shown by addressing the requirements of a building project, choosing and locating site temporary facilities and structures, deciding on excavation stabilisation methods, examining productivity of earthmoving, setting a traffic management plan, and surveying and setting out the building.

Site establishment and surveying is a critical quality for a construction manager. A competent construction manager is thus expected to achieve a strong command of principles and practices associated with the above site operations through learning theories and practicing manual and hands-on techniques and tools.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

1.	Methodically examine a project site environment and conditions in order to effectively establish a site.
2.	Investigate and describe the sub-strata conditions of a site.
3.	Survey and set out buildings.
4.	Develop site and environmental plans.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Apply a variety of communication skills and technologies in professional contexts. (C.1)
• Work effectively in project teams in professional contexts. (C.2)
• Apply the body of knowledge underpinning construction project management practice. (P.2)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:

C = communication and groupwork

A = attitudes and values

P = practical and professional

R = research and critique

I = innovation and creativity.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

Classes will incorporate a range of teaching and learning strategies including lectures, videos, discussion of readings and case studies, online quizzes, and student group work. Materials related to each strategy, including lecture notes, exercises, tutorial instructions, tasks' briefs, questions and answers, and videos will be provided on UTS Canvas.

This subject involves field exercises including surveying exercises and potentially site visits. The site visits aim to enable students collect information of a case project to be used in developing a site establishment plan.

Both formative and summative feedback will be provided to assist students in achieving the intended learning outcomes. The formative feedback is typically delivered informally during lectures or tutorials at the scale of the whole class and students are responsible to record any feedback given. The summative feedback focuses on assessment outcomes of a certain task and will be provided in writing along with grades on UTS Canvas.

Content (topics)

• Overview of construction site establishment
• Overview of main legislative requirements and legal issues
• Changing nature of a site through the construction process
• Site planning
• Site investigations and testing
• Contaminated sites
• Site environmental planning and erosion control
• Site waste management
• Site access, temporary roads and site movement
• Site amenities, storage and work areas
• Site safety and security
• Site hoardings
• Materials handling, plant and equipment
• Temporary structures
• Temporary services
• Site excavation
• Site surveying
• Setting out building works
• Levelling and vertical alignment
• Innovative approaches to site establishment

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Site establishment plan for a project

Intent:	To assist students in understanding construction site environment and conditions and how a site is effectively established.
Objective(s):	This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2 and 4 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.1, C.2 and P.2
Type:	Case study
Groupwork:	Group, group assessed
Weight:	20%
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Develop a site establishment plan based on the project condition and requirements (documentations) 40 4 C.2 Evaluate sufficiency, efficiency and safety of processes involved in establishing temporary structures/services/facilities, plants, material handling, and environmental management 30 1 C.1 Ensure logical flow of site establishment operations that represents real-world scenarios 30 2 P.2 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Tutorial reports and/or Quizzes

Intent:	To assist students in methodical site management, surveying and setting out buildings.
Objective(s):	This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1 and 3 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.1 and P.2
Type:	Exercises
Groupwork:	Group, group and individually assessed
Weight:	40%
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Demonstrate ability to use surveying tools and techniques 40 3 C.1 Demonstrate ability to methodically gather and analyse site information 60 1 P.2 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Formal examination

Intent:	To examine students across processes, principles and practices of site establishment and surveying.
Objective(s):	This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1, 2 and 3 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.1, C.2 and P.2
Type:	Examination
Groupwork:	Individual
Weight:	40%
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Effective application of site establishment principles 45 1 P.2 Demonstrate understanding of sub-strata operations and site management 25 2 C.1 Demonstrate knowledge of site surveying 30 3 C.2 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.

Achievement of the subject’s aims is difficult if classes are not attended. Where assessment tasks are to be presented personally in class, attendance is mandatory. Pursuant to UTS rule 3.8.2 students who do not satisfy attendance requirements may be refused permission by the Responsible Academic Officer to be considered for assessment for this subject.

Other resources

1. Ratay, R.T. (1996), Handbook of Temporary Structures in Construction: Engineering Standards, Designs, Practices, and Procedures, McGraw-Hill

2. Bernold, L.E. (2013), Construction Equipment and Methods: PLANNING, INNOVATION, SAFETY, Wiley.

3. Johnston, R. (2005), Preparing Projects for Site Construction - Smart Practices for Profitable Land Development, Trans Mountain Pub

4. La Gro, J. (2007), Site Analysis - A Contextual Approach to Sustainable Land Planning and Site Design, 2nd Ed., Wiley
5. Uren, J. & Price, W. (2005), Surveying for Engineers, 4th Edition, Palgrave Macmillan