UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DEGREE IN SCIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

QUESTION ONE i. Briefly explain the importance of this study course to construction Manager (3Marks) ii. To be economically competitive, a contractor's equipment must be competitive both mechanically and economically. Briefly explain this statement (4Marks) iii. Differentiate amongst the following terminologies (3 Marks) a) Equipment b) Machinery c) Plant iv. The general aim of construction is to produce a structure at reasonable cost and at of sound workmanship within acceptable time limits. Discuss the main reasons that a manager may consider to choose machinery and not manual labour (8 Marks) v. Briefly discus the two-stroke internal combustion engine including its cycles of operation (9Marks) vi. Mention any three ways in which soil is used in construction works (3 Marks) QUESTION TWO i. Often in construction projects, soils are excavated, processed and compacted to meet certain engineering needs a) How can machinery be used to achieve optimal moisture content in soil processing works (4 Marks) b) In a construction work somewhere in Mandera County, the engineering specifications required that the soil be compacted at a moisture content of 19% to achieve a dry density of 1850Kg/m3. If water supply in the area is inadequate and the construction manager prefers to achieve the same density at a lower moisture content what options could he consider (5Marks) ii. Define the following terminologies as used in construction discipline (5Marks) a) Coarse aggregate b) Optimum moisture content c) Pavement d) Liquid Limit (LL) e) Plasticity index (PI) iii. An earthfill when completed will occupy a net volume of 142,972m3. The borrow material is stiff clay which has wet density of , water content of 16.5% and in-place void ratio, of 0.620. The fill will be compacted in layers of 200mm depth (loose measure0 and compacted to a dry density, of 1826 Kg/m3 at a moisture content of 18.3/%. Compute the required volume of borrow pit excavation (6 marks) QUESTION THREE (20MARKS)