Student’s Book

Student’s Book
FET FIRST
FET FIRST
Level 3
Level 3
Construction
Author Planning
Author

NQF Level 2

Student's Book

S. Jowaheer, B. Quail, T. Vundla

 FET FIRST Construction Planning
NQF Level 2 Student’s Book

© Sparrow Consulting, S. Jowaheer, 2010

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

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of the Copyright Act, 1978 [as amended].
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claims for damages.

First published 2010 by

Troupant Publishers [Pty] Ltd
P O Box 4532
Northcliff
2115

Distributed by Macmillan South Africa [Pty] Ltd

Edited by Jeannie van der Heever

Cover design by René de Wet
Proofread by WORDIT Publishing
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Artwork by Ian Greenop, Sean Strydom and Stephan Theron
Printed by

ISBN 978-1-920311-80-3

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Contents
Topic 1 Terminology and components used in the construction industry. . . . . 1
Module 1 Terminology and components used in the construction industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Unit 1.1: Terms used in the construction industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Unit 1.2: Components and materials used in residential houses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Topic 2 Measuring, setting out and levelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Module 2 Measuring instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Unit 2.1: Measuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Unit 2.2: Equipment and methods used for measuring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Unit 2.3: Measuring tapes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Module 3 Vernier callipers and micrometers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Unit 3.1: Vernier callipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Unit 3.2: Micrometers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Module 4 Setting-out instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Unit 4.1: Setting-out instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Unit 4.2: Using and taking care of setting-out instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Module 5 Setting out shapes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Unit 5.1: Setting out right angles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Unit 5.2: Setting out arcs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Module 6 Levelling instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Unit 6.1: Basic levelling concepts and instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Unit 6.2: Optical and laser levelling instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Module 7 Theodolites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Unit 7.1: The theodolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Unit 7.2: Setting up and using a theodolite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Module 8 Setting out strip footing foundations for a residential house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Unit 8.1: Setting out foundations for a residential house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Unit 8.2: Excavation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Topic 3 Foundations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Module 9 The principles of foundations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Unit 9.1: The functions and types of foundations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Unit 9.2: Requirements of national standards for a strip footing foundation of a
single-storey residential house . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Unit 9.3: The importance of using the correct foundation for the soil type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Topic 4 Behaviour of structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Module 10 The principles of engineering structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Unit 10.1: Concepts used in the design of engineering structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Unit 10.2: Roof trusses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Unit 10.3: Point loads and uniformly distributed loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Unit 10.4: Deformation of structures under load. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Unit 10.5: The neutral axis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Unit 10.6: Wooden beams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Unit 10.7: Arches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Unit 10.8: Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Unit 10.9: Frame structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Unit 10.10: Analysing a sketch and redundancy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Topic 5 The International System (SI) units of measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Module 11 Understanding and using SI units of measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Unit 11.1: Basic SI units of measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Unit 11.2: Derived SI units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Unit 11.3: The International System (SI) prefixes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Unit 11.4: Converting between prefixes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Topic 6 Area and volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Module 12 Calculating area and volume. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Unit 12.1: Calculating volumes of concrete for strip footing foundations and surface beds. . . . . . . . . 161
Unit 12.2: Calculating the volume of plaster to plaster walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Unit 12.3: Calculating the volume of a spherical pile of sand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Unit 12.4: Calculating the volume of paint required to coat a structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Unit 12.5: Calculating the area per unit and the number of units per square metre in a wall . . . . . . . 168

Topic 7 Technical drawings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Module 13 Reading and interpreting technical drawings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Unit 13.1: Technical drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Unit 13.2: Inspecting and revising drawings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Unit 13.3: Symbols, lines, hatching, abbreviations and colour codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Unit 13.4: Orientation and scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Unit 13.5: Resolving problems with drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

PoE Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

 Topic 1
Terminology and
components used
in the construction
industry
Module 1
Terminology and
components used in the
construction industry
Overview
Every field of human endeavour has its own vocabulary – the
construction industry is no different. In this module you are
going to start learning some of the many words and terms used
in the construction industry. Consider creating your own personal
construction dictionary. Every time you come across a word used
in construction that is new to you, write it in an A4 indexed book
together with its meaning. This will help you to build up your
construction vocabulary quickly so that you can communicate
effectively with your co-workers.
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
• define terms used in the construction industry including building
line, servitude, Agrément certificate, registered home builder,
owner builder, National Building Regulations, competent person,
professional indemnity insurance, a specification, a standard,
tolerance, contract document (range: ISO 6707-1: Building and
civil engineering – vocabulary: Part 1: General terms)
• identify and describe all components and materials used when
building a residential masonry house.

Units in this module

Unit 1.1: Terms used in the construction industry
Unit 1.2: Components and materials used in residential houses

Unit 1.1 Terms used in the

construction industry
Unit outcomes
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• define terms used in the construction industry including building
line, servitude, Agrément certificate, registered home builder,
owner builder, National Building Regulations, competent person,
professional indemnity insurance, a specification, a standard,
tolerance, contract document (range: ISO 6707-1: Building and civil
engineering – vocabulary: Part 1: General terms).

2 Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry

The International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO)
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is a
worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member
bodies). The work of preparing international standards is normally
carried out by ISO technical committees. Each member interested in a
subject for which a technical committee has been established has the
right to be represented on that committee. International organisations,
both governmental and non-governmental, also take part in the work.
The ISO decided that with the growth in the number of international
construction projects, there was an increasing need for agreement on
a common language in civil engineering. The ISO therefore adopted
terminology for the construction industry to improve communication
in the planning and execution of construction work.
Let’s look at some of the terminology used in the construction industry
in more detail.
Words &
Terms
Building line
building line: a lin
The building line indicates the furthest boundary of a building from is usually a fixed
e that
the street or any boundary of a property. The building may not project distance
from the bounda
ry of a
further than the building line which is usually a fixed distance from property beyond
which a
the boundary of the property. Although owners may apply to the building may not
project
municipality for the relaxation of the building line to allow for a more servitude: a regis
functional building, it may not necessarily be granted. tered right
over a property th
at allows
someone to use an
other
person’s land or
section of
land for a specific
purpose
Boundary of
property

Building

Bu
ild
ing
lin
e

Fig. 1.1 The building line

Servitude
A servitude is a registered right that a person, company or
municipality has over the property of another person. It allows the
holder of the servitude to do something not normally allowed with the
other person’s property. Here are some examples:

Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry 3

• Servitudes allow municipalities access to a property for various
reasons including the inspection or installation of pipes, road
building, sewerage pipes and electricity cables.
• Eskom also relies on servitudes for its right to erect and maintain
power lines. If there is an Eskom power line on a property, then
there is probably a servitude or limited right in favour of Eskom.
• A servitude may also include a right of way, which may take the
form of the right to walk across another person’s land, or even to
drive cattle or vehicles across it. This type of servitude is common
in rural areas.
• Servitudes common in urban areas include servitudes of light, view,
projection, support and discharging water onto another person’s
property.
– A light servitude means that one person may have the right to
access light from another’s land, unimpeded by buildings or trees.
– A view servitude can restrict the rights of the owner of a property
to block the view in any way, whether by buildings or trees and,
Words &
as in the case of a light servitude, it may prevent the owner of the
other property from raising the height of buildings on his land. Terms
– A support servitude can require your neighbour to support the title deed: a lega
l
weight of your own building or give you the right to drive a document provin
g the right
beam into your neighbour’s building. to ownership of a
property
– The right of projection is the right to have a balcony or another surveyor-general
projection over a neighbour’s land. :
a government of
fice
– The right to water can include the right to receive or not receive responsible for su
rveying
dripping rainwater, water coming down in a stream and the right and land informat
ion
to have an artificial pipe or canal crossing a neighbour’s land. services

To establish whether a servitude exists on a property, you need to innovation: a new

way of
doing something
examine the title deeds and the diagram of the property drawn up by
the surveyor-general. statutory: require
d,
permitted or enac
ted by law

Agrément certificate
Agrément South Africa (ASA) is an agency that operates under the
Department of Public Works. Its function is to assess and certify non-
standardised construction products in South Africa with the aim
of ensuring satisfactory innovation and technology development
and preventing the kinds of catastrophic failures that have been
experienced worldwide with the introduction of new and untested
technology.
The Agrément certificate is the certificate issued by Agrément South
Africa that states that as long as the product does what it was certified
to do, it can be marketed. However, the moment there is something
faulty with the product or if it endangers the consumer, the certificate
will be withdrawn. Did you know?

Registered home builder The word agrément is

The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is a French and means consent
statutory body established to regulate the home building industry. The or approval.
council was established in terms of the Housing Consumers Protection

4 Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry

Measures Act 95 of 1998. All home builders are required to register
with the NHBRC in terms of Section 10 of the legislation.
In addition, the registered home builder is required to build in Did you know?
accordance with NHBRC standards and also to register all new
homes so that the homes are protected by the standard home builder
warranty. The warranty provides a five-year warranty on the
structural integrity of the new home. Not all banks are prepared
to grant owner-builder
bonds.

Owner-builder
An owner-builder is a person who builds a home for occupation by
him- or herself. An owner-builder does not need to register with the
NHBRC. However, if a person is building one or more new homes a
year or every few years on a part-time basis and then selling them, he
or she is in the business of home building and must therefore register Words &
with the NHBRC. Terms
warranty: a writt
en
guarantee issued
National Building Regulations the buyer of the
to
house
promising to repa
These regulations form part of the National Building Regulations and ir it,
if necessary, with
Building Standards Act 103 of 1977. They provide for the promotion in a
specified period
of uniformity in the law relating to the erection of buildings in the
indemnity: protec
areas of jurisdiction of local authorities, for the prescribing of building tion
against a loss
standards and for matters connected therewith.
liability: legal re
sponsibility
premium: an am
Competent person for an insurance
ount paid
contract
A competent person is someone who is qualified by virtue of his or her
education, training, experience and knowledge to make a determination
regarding the performance of a building or part thereof in relation to a
functional regulation or to undertake such duties as may be assigned to
him or her in terms of the National Building Regulations.

Professional indemnity (PI) insurance

Professional indemnity (PI) insurance is insurance that covers work
conducted by professionals and that requires professional opinion
and/or advice. It covers legal liability only; it does not cover statutory
or criminal liability. In other words, it is insurance that covers you in
the event that someone sues you for losses resulting from your opinion
or advice.
Did you know?
PI insurance is based on a percentage of annual turnover – higher
turnovers imply more work and thus higher risks and higher
premiums. The minimum cover is R1 million.
PI cover for civil engineers
is between 2% and 2,5%
of turnover. Architects,
Specifications however, only pay 0,2%
because their risks are
Specifications are a detailed description of the design and materials lower.
used to make or build something.

Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry 5

A standard
A standard is usually a formal document that establishes uniform
engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes and practices. A
standard is established by consensus and approved by a recognised
body. It provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or
characteristics for a way of doing something. Standards help to make
life simpler and to increase the reliability and the effectiveness of many
goods and services we use. 

Tolerance
Tolerance is the allowable amount of variation from a specified value,
measurement or quantity.

A contract
A contract is a set of documents describing arrangements between two
parties and once signed, is legally binding on both parties.

Assessment activity 1.1

Work in groups of five.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being an owner-builder. Your group must research
the topic by making use of local or college libraries or the internet. Write a report on your findings
and present it to the class.

Assessment activity 1.2

Work in pairs.
Explain to your partner the meanings of the following terms:
1. Building line
2. Servitude
3. Agrément certificate
4. Registered home builder
5. Owner-builder
6. National Building Regulations
7. Competent person
8. Professional indemnity insurance
9. A specification
10. A standard
11. Tolerance
12. A contract

6 Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry

Unit 1.2 Components and materials
used in residential houses
Unit outcomes
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• identify and describe all components and materials used when
building a residential masonry house. Did you know?
Many types of components and materials are used in the building
industry. Some of the most commonly used materials include timber,
thatch, bricks and various metals such as steel and aluminium. Some On 28 March 2008 the
of these materials have been used extensively for many centuries. Minister for Environmental
Affairs and Tourism, Mr
Some materials may become unpopular due to the labour costs Marthinus van Schalkwyk,
involved or have been banned due to public health risks. For example, announced that the use,
the use of lead-based paints and asbestos fibres was discontinued in manufacture and processing
of asbestos would be
the second half of the 1900s.
prohibited in South Africa
People working in the building trade need to be able to identify with immediate effect.
Asbestos is a naturally
and describe all components and materials used when building
occurring silicate mineral
a residential masonry house. Fig. 1.2 shows some of the different with long, thin fibrous
materials used to build a residential masonry house. crystals. Asbestos became
increasingly popular among
Material Symbol Material Symbol manufacturers and builders
Brick Metal in the late 19th century
because of its resistance
to heat, electricity and
Face brick or fair Blockwork chemical damage, its sound
faced absorption and its tensile
strength. However, asbestos
Concrete Plywood is toxic. The inhalation of
asbestos fibres can cause
serious illnesses, including
Earth Screed malignant mesothelioma,
undisturbed lung cancer and asbestosis.
Since the mid 1980s, many
Earth (fill) Sheet membrane uses of asbestos have been
banned in several countries.
Fibreboard Stone

Glass Wood (undressed)

Hardcore Wood (dressed)

Insulation Plaster or brick

Fig. 1.2 Typical materials used to build a residential masonry house and their symbols

Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry 7

Component Symbol
Access eye: an inspection eye (pipes can be inspected by lifting AE Words &
the cover) Terms
Air brick: a brick with holes for ventilation AB
rising damp: mois
ture
Column: an upright pillar supporting an arch or other structure COL absorbed from th
e ground
into a wall
Damp-proof course: a layer of waterproof material in the wall of DPC
a building near the ground to prevent rising damp
Damp-proof membrane: a layer of waterproof material in the DPM
floor to prevent rising damp
Ground level: the floor of a building that is at or nearest to the GL
level of the ground around the building
Inspection chamber: a formal name for manhole IC
Manhole: a covered opening in a floor or pavement allowing MH
access beneath, especially one leading to a sewer
Not to scale: a drawing that does not have a uniform reduction or NTS
enlargement in size
Rainwater pipe: similar to downpipes or gutter pipes RWP
Rising main: main cold-water pipe rising up through a building to RM
a water tank
Stormwater drain: a drain built to carry excess water away in SWD
times of heavy rain
Table 1.1 Components and symbols

Material Symbol
Aluminium: a strong, light, corrosion-resistant, silvery-grey al Words &
metal Terms
Asphalt: a dark, bituminous pitch occurring naturally or made asph
from crude oil that is used to surface roads or as waterproofing corrosion: damag
e done
in buildings gradually to a m
etal by
chemical action
Bitumen: a black viscous mixture of hydrocarbons obtained bit
naturally or as a residue from petroleum distillation and used for viscous: having a
thick,
surfacing roads and roofing sticky consistency
that is
between solid an
Brickwork: a part of a structure made from bricks which are bwk d liquid
small rectangular blocks of fired or sun-dried clay alloy: a metal m
ade by
combining two or
Cast iron: a hard, brittle alloy of iron and carbon which can be ci more
metals to give gr
cast in a mould eater
strength or resis
tance to
Concrete: a building material made from a mixture of gravel, conc corrosion
sand, cement and water and that forms a stone-like mass when
it hardens
Copper: a red-brown metal which is a good conductor of cu
electricity and heat and is used for electrical wiring
Galvanised steel: steel coated with a protective layer of zinc galvs
Granolithic: a concrete product made of cement and fine grano
aggregate mortar, the aggregate being granite chippings, used
for hard-wearing surfaces
Hardboard: a stiff board made of compressed and treated wood hbd
pulp

8 Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry

Hardcore: broken bricks and rubble used as a filling or hc
foundation
Words &
Hardwood: wood from a broadleaved tree, for example oak, as hwd Terms
distinguished from that of conifers (pines)
Plasterboard: board made of plaster set between two sheets of pbd unplasticised: rig
id
paper and used to line inner walls composite: made
up of
Pressed metal: metal pressed into decorative designs and used pm various material
s
in ceilings and wall panels
cladding: coverin
g on a
Reinforced concrete: concrete in which steel reinforcement bars rc structure
(rebars), plates or fibres have been included to strengthen a
material that would otherwise be brittle eave: the part of
a roof that
meets or overha
Softwood: the wood from a conifer, for example pine sw ngs the
walls
Stainless steel: steel that contains chromium and that is ss
resistant to rust and tarnishing
Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride: a type of plastic used for pipes upvc
and pipe fittings, building products such as gutters, cladding and
window frames, and floor tiling
Fibre cement: a composite material made of sand, cement and fc
cellulose fibres used for cladding, eaves linings and as a tile
underlay on decks and in bathrooms
Table 1.2 Materials and symbols

Ridge cover
114 mm x 38 mm SA pine trusses spaced 76 mm x 50 mm SA pine purlins spaced at max 1 200 mm centres
at 1 200 mm centres

Galvanised sheet roof 50 mm x 38 mm SA pine brandering

spaced at ±400 mm centres max
100 mm x 100 mm
fibre cement gutters
and 75 mm ø fibre
cement downpipes

114 mm x 38 mm SA pine wall plate

W6
W5

Lounge
Kitchen

DPC Plaster and paint

DPC

200 mm x 600 mm concrete strip 200 mm x 450 mm 25 mm screed on 75 mm concrete slab on approved
foundation concrete strip damp-proof membrane on 50 mm sand blinding on
foundation 100 mm well compacted hardcore

Fig. 1.3 A cross-sectional view of a house with specifications

Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry 9

 Beam filling

Galvanised sheet roof

114 mm x 38 mm SA pine
rafters at 1 200 mm centres
76 mm x 50 mm SA pine
purlins at 1 200 mm centres

6,5 mm gypsum board

100 mm x 100 mm fibre
cement gutters Cornice
50 mm x 36 mm SA pine
brandering at 400 mm spacing
600 mm overhang DPC over all windows
Precast concrete lintel
Plaster and paint internal finish

75 mm fibre cement downpipe Quarry tile internal sill

DPC
Brick on edge external sill 73 mm x 19 mm meranti skirting
with 19 mm quadrant
Mortar Tile finish to floor

Earth fill

Earth
25 mm screed

500 mm x 200 mm concrete 75 mm concrete slab

strip foundation
Damp-proof membrane on
50 mm sand blinding
220 mm 100 mm fill
Brick wall

Fig. 1.4 A detailed explanation of a residential house

10 Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry

 Ridge tile

PVC sheeting over or

under battens
Did you know?

Cavity walls consist of two

‘skins’ separated by a cavity
Barge board or hollow space. The skins
are usually masonry such as
bricks or concrete blocks.
Masonry is an absorbent
material and will therefore
slowly draw rainwater or
moisture into the wall.
The cavity serves as a way
to drain this water out
through weep holes in the
base of the wall system.
Cavity walls prevent rain
from penetrating to the
internal wall. They have
a high insulating value,
are economical and fire-
resistant, and are used for
weather proofing.
Gable end

Battens

Gutter

Fig. 1.5 A cutaway view of a typical roof structure

Assessment activity 1.3

Work on your own.

The following symbols appear on a drawing. Explain what they mean.
1. COL
2. DPC
3. GL
4. NTS
5. MN

Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry 11

 Assessment activity 1.4

Work in groups of five.

Practical activity
Your lecturer will show you a residential masonry house built by final-year students at your
college. Make a list of all the components and materials used during the construction of the house.

Summary
• The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is a
worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member
bodies).
• The building line indicates the furthest boundary of a building from
the street or any boundary of a property.
• A servitude is a registered right that a person, company or
municipality has over the property of another person. It allows the
holder of the servitude to do something not normally allowed with
the other person’s property.
• The Agrément certificate is the certificate issued by Agrément South
Africa that states that as long as the product does what it was
certified to do, it can be marketed.
• The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is a
statutory body established to regulate the home building industry.
All home builders are required to register with the NHBRC in terms
of Section 10 of the legislation.
• An owner-builder is a person who builds a home for occupation by
him- or herself.
• The National Building Regulations form part of the National
Building Regulations and Building Standards Act 103 of 1977. They
provide for the promotion of uniformity in the law relating to the
erection of buildings.
• A competent person is someone who is qualified by virtue of his
or her education, training, experience and knowledge to make a
determination regarding the performance of a building or part
thereof in relation to a functional regulation.
• Professional indemnity (PI) insurance is insurance that covers work
conducted by professionals that requires professional opinion and/
or advice.
• Specifications are a detailed description of the design and materials
used to make something.
• A standard is a formal document that establishes uniform
engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes and practices.
• Tolerance is the allowable amount of variation from a specified
value, measurement or quantity.
• A contract is a set of documents describing agreements between two
parties and once signed, is legally binding on both parties.
• Some of the most commonly used materials in construction
include timber, thatch, bricks and various metals such as steel and
aluminium.

12 Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry

Summative assessment
1. Match column A to column B.

Column A Term Column B Explanation

1.1 Building line a) A registered right over a property that allows someone to use another person’s
land or section of land for a specific purpose
1.2 Servitude b) A legal document proving the right to ownership of a property
1.3 Title deed c) A person who builds a home for occupation by him- or herself
1. 4 Owner- d) A set of documents describing agreements between two parties and, once
builder signed, is legally binding on both parties
1.5 A contract e) A line that is usually a fixed distance from the boundary of a property beyond
which a building may not project
2. The following table shows some materials and their corresponding symbols. State whether they
are true or false. If false, supply the correct symbol.

Material Symbol
2.1 Aluminium a) upvc
2.2 Asphalt b) al
2.3 Bitumen c) bit
2.4 Brickwork d) bwk
2.5 Cast iron e) ci
2.6 Concrete f) conc
2.7 Copper g) asph
2.8 Plasterboard h) pbd
2.9 Pressed metal i) pm
2.10 Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride j) cu

Module 1: Terminology and components used in the construction industry 13

 Topic 2
Measuring, setting out
and levelling
Module 2
Measuring instruments
Overview
How do we measure things and why do we do it? Measuring
instruments are indispensable to all facets of engineering and are of
special importance to the prospective civil engineer or technician.
As a student, and later in the workplace, you will need to take
measurements and perform calculations regularly. The end results
will be meaningless unless they are numerically and dimensionally
correct and accurate.
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
• explain the concept of measuring and indicate the purpose of
measuring
• list equipment and methods used for measuring
• explain and demonstrate the correct use and care of measuring
tapes
• explain and demonstrate how to measure successive intervals
from the zero mark
• explain the benefits of using a stop to cut multiple lengths of
material.

Units in this module

Unit 2.1: Measuring
Unit 2.2: Equipment and methods used for measuring
Unit 2.3: Measuring tapes

Fig 2.1 A typical measuring tape used on a construction site

16 Module 2: Measuring instruments

Unit 2 .1 Measuring
Unit outcomes
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• explain the concept of measuring and indicate the purpose of
measuring.

The concept of measuring

What does it mean to measure something? To measure means to find Words &
out the size, amount or degree of something by comparing it with a Terms
standard unit. For example, when you measure the height of a wall,
you are comparing the height of the wall with the basic or standard measure: find ou
t the
size, amount or de
unit of length in the metric system, namely the metre. something by co
gree of
mparing it
A unit is a standard quantity used to express other quantities, for with a standard un
it
example a quantity of whole units along with a part or fraction of a unit: a standard
physical
unit. The fractional part of a unit is determined by the precision with quantity used to
express
which you are measuring. When estimating the height of the wall, other quantities
that is
you may say that it is about 2 m. The building plans must be more defined and adop
ted by
convention
accurate, however, and will therefore show that the height of the wall
is 2,25 m. standard: the un
it used
is accepted as no
The units that we use to measure are standard units. Standard means rmal, is
universally availab
le and
that the unit used is accepted as normal. Standard units are universally has the same va
lue for all
available and have the same value for all who use them. They can be who use it
used to reproduce one or several definite values of a given quantity. value: the numer
ical
Value means the numerical amount denoted by an algebraic term. amount denoted
by an
algebraic term
A measurement thus has a value as well as a unit represented by a
conventional sign known as the unit’s symbol: ongoing measure
ment:
continually and fre
Measurement = numerical value × unit quently
monitors a proces
s
For example, the length of a plot is 100 m where the m represents the investigative
metre. measurement: fin
ds out
more about a sp
You will learn more about standard units in Topic 5. ecific
problem or caus
e of a
problem

The purpose of measuring

There are two main reasons for measuring quantities:
• Ongoing measurement continually and frequently monitors a
process. For example, when you are digging the foundations for
a house that you are going to build, you will have to measure
continually and frequently the depth and breadth of the trench and
compare your measurements to the plans to ensure that the trench
meets the specifications laid out in the plans.
• Investigative measurement is done to find out more about a
specific problem or cause of a problem. For example, say the roof
blows off a house in a light wind. You will have to take various
measurements to find out why this problem occurred.

Module 2: Measuring instruments 17

The following are key aspects of measurement in civil engineering:
• Measurements are usually taken of physical quantities such as Words &
length or mass. Terms
• Measurements are expressed in standard units.
• Almost all measurements involve a certain amount of error that physical quantit
y: a
needs to be taken into account. quantity that can
be used in
the mathematica
l equations
of science and te
chnology

In the workplace

Measuring instruments only give good results when given due care and attention. Every piece of
equipment must be put away after use in a clean and dry condition.

Assessment activity 2.1

Work in groups of five .

Discuss the concept of measuring and think of more practical examples of ongoing and
investigative measurement in the field of construction planning. Choose one member of your
group to report on the results of your discussion to the class.

Unit 2 .2 Equipment and methods

used for measuring
Unit outcomes
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• list equipment and methods used for measuring.

Measuring instruments and methods

Measuring instruments and methods used in the construction industry
include the following:
• Rulers and measuring tapes are used to measure distance, for
example length, breadth and height.
• Vernier callipers and micrometers are precision instruments used
to measure outside diameters, inside diameters and depth. (See
Module 3.)
• Setting-out instruments are used to determine angles as well as
horizontal and vertical planes. (See Module 4.) They include the:
– spirit level
– plumb bob
– straight edge

18 Module 2: Measuring instruments

 – builder's square
– steel square
– ranging rods
– profile
– optical square.
• Levelling instruments are used to determine the relative heights of
points on the earth’s surface. They include line levels, water levels,
tilting levels, automatic levels and laser levels. (See Module 6.)
• A theodolite is a precision instrument used to measure horizontal
and vertical angles. (See Module 7.)
Let’s start by looking at one of the most basic measuring instruments,
namely the engineer’s steel ruler.

Engineer’s steel ruler

The engineer’s steel ruler is used to measure short distances. Steel rulers
are available in different lengths, for example 150 mm, 300 mm and
1 000 mm. Fig. 2.2 shows a 300 mm stainless steel ruler. The ruler has
graduations in 10 mm, 5 mm, 1 mm and 0, 5 mm as shown in Fig. 2.3.

Fig. 2.2 A 300 mm steel ruler

Fig. 2.3 The scale and graduations on a steel ruler

Words &
The top scale is shown in half millimetres while the bottom scale is Terms
shown in millimetres. You will generally use metres and millimetres scale: a graduate
when measuring or reading from drawings. d range of
values forming a
standard
system for measu
Many rulers show divisions in centimetres. One centimetre is equal to something
ring
10 millimetres (1 cm = 10 mm).
Steel rulers are made of spring steel or stainless steel so that the ruler
does not buckle or bend. The surfaces are satin chromed to reduce
glare and prevent rust.

Module 2: Measuring instruments 19

How to use a steel ruler
You can use the following procedure to take accurate readings when
measuring length, width or height:
• Position the ruler squarely to the workpiece otherwise the reading
will be inaccurate.
• To measure the inner length of a shaft, measure from the straight
edge as shown in Fig. 2.4.

Fig. 2.4 Measuring the inner length of a shaft

Words &
• To measure a dimension of a piece of wood or other material, Terms
place the ruler so that the datum end of the ruler is flush with the datum: a fixed st
arting
workpiece as shown in Fig. 2.5. The ruler is in a tilted position so point of a scale
that the ruler’s graduations are correctly aligned to the piece of
wood.

Fig. 2.5 Measuring dimensions of a piece of wood

20 Module 2: Measuring instruments

Care of a steel ruler
• Do not damage the edges of the ruler as this will result in incorrect
readings.
• After use, clean the ruler and store it safely.
• A ruler is designed to be used only as a measuring tool and not for
other purposes, for example as a lever, scraper or tin opener.
• Avoid placing the ruler close to heated surfaces.
• Do not put other tools on top of the ruler as they may bend the
ruler or scratch the graduation marks making reading difficult.

Assessment activity 2.2

Work in pairs.
1. Measure and write down the length in mm of the following lines:
a) ____________________________
b) ___________________
c) ____________________________________________
d) ___
e) ________________________
2. Measure and write down the diameter of the following circles:

a)

b)

c)

Module 2: Measuring instruments 21