Managing Construction Site Constraints Research Paper

Managing Construction Site Constraints - Research Paper Example   Geotechnical engineering is a field of study concerned with the behavior of rocks and soil present at any particular area. The features of geotechnical engineering are not just restricted to construction of buildings; rather it serves many other areas that include petroleum, military, and mining (Benny). Some of the main areas of study covered by geotechnical engineering include soil mechanics, rock mechanics, and design of foundations. Geotechnical engineering plays a key role in site development and, in particular, in designing foundations of a building. According to Rowe, geotechnical engineers study the behavior of soil and rocks in order to determine their physical and chemical properties that are necessary to be investigated at the earliest stages of building design (31). Based on investigations, engineers move towards the process of designing soil stabilization system in order to overcome the soil contamination problems.Working of Geotechnical EngineersThe first thing geot echnical engineers do in building design process is starting the design process by taking soil samples from the land where construction is to be started. The purpose is to determine the environmental impact on the soil of the site. Some other aspects of the site that geotechnical engineers study include chemical properties of soil, soil stability, and the presence of air pockets in the soil. The results of these tests determine the viability of the decision to start construction at the site or not.   The tests reveal the soil behavior at the site, as well as help the engineers in finding suitable solutions to the identified problems. The engineers use the results to design foundations for the building planned for construction. Here, an important point is that the complexity of the design of foundations depends on the condition of the soil. According to Day, if condition of the soil is normal, the design of the foundation will also be simple, whereas it will be complex in case the soil at the construction site shows atypical pattern or behavior (71). Geotechnical engineers not only provide feasibility report for the designing of foundations but also play an important role in the designing of earth support structures. The earth support structures play a valuable role in the construction of dams, roads, and tunnels. Some of the main tasks of