Almondia – Bautipps Die Bauherrenberatung

The construction site equipment

Before the construction of the house can start, the construction site must be set up. The type and size of the development, as well as the special features of the site and expected weather conditions, determine how elaborate the construction site set-up will be. The Construction Site Ordinance (BaustellV) lists all the guidelines that must be observed. The BaustellV consists of elements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Workplace Ordinance and the Road Safety Obligation.

The essentials in brief:

  • Good planning leads to a balance between necessary effort and economic efficiency. After all, the construction site equipment accounts for 5-10% of the cost of building a house.
  • When you have your home construction project done by a general contractor, they usually set up the construction site as well. Nevertheless, the ultimate responsibility for a properly set up construction site remains with the building owner.
  • First and foremost, the safety and health of employees on construction sites (occupational health and safety) is important, but so is environmental protection. In addition, the site equipment is designed to ensure optimal workflows.

The responsibility of the builder

In principle, the builder or the holder of the building permit bears the overall responsibility for the house construction project. For this reason, the commissioning of a general contractor to carry out the construction work does not release him from the responsibility for the proper set-up of the construction site – even if he delegates the tasks involved to a third party.

What the builder must pay attention to

As a rule, construction companies set up the construction site professionally and with some experience, so that the Construction Site Ordinance (BaustellV) is thus sufficiently taken into account. Nevertheless, the builder should have an eye on this issue, because the following in any case remains his responsibility:

  • Responsibility for the selection of a suitable third party to whom he delegates the construction site installation
  • Responsibility for the delegation of authority and tasks
  • Responsibility for checking whether the construction company fulfills the delegated tasks in accordance with the Construction Site Ordinance (BaustellV)

It is important to check whether all items of the construction site equipment are listed in the bill of quantities of the construction contract

Precisely because the responsibility ultimately lies with the building owner, it is important to carefully check all work steps and measures for site installation in the bill of quantities of the construction contract. Missing points lead to additional costs. In case of doubts regarding the completeness of the bill of quantities in the construction contract or other contractual ambiguities, the construction company should always be consulted and external expert advice should be sought. An inspection of the construction site (if necessary with independent construction consultants or architects) is also recommended.

Learn more about pitfalls in construction contracts here.

Advantages result from a well-established construction site

  • Increased legal and planning security
  • Lower costs due to optimized workflows and less resources required
  • optimal quality in construction
  • lower risk of construction delay

Three phases of site set-up

1st phase: Planning before award of contract

For the offer it is necessary to realistically calculate the costs of construction procedures and construction process. Of course, it must also include the site equipment. In the first phase, a preliminary calculation is made regarding the expected use of labor and work equipment.

2nd phase: planning after contract award

The preliminary plans and calculations from the first phase are concretized. The planning is prepared to the extent that the execution can begin. Changes to the preliminary concept occur in most cases.

3rd phase: planning after the start of construction

Construction is always a complex affair, which is why it is often necessary to adjust the site equipment after construction has already started, because often important details only come up now. This occurs, for example, when the construction sequence has been changed and new framework conditions result from this.

The site layout plan

All buildings (containers), equipment (cranes, etc.), construction roads and access routes are drawn to scale in the site layout plan. All entries must be clearly marked.

The working steps of the site installation

Measurement

Surveyors must stake out in accordance with the site layout plan so that the site can be set up according to its specifications.

Here you can find a detailed article about land surveying.

Preparation of the building ground

If necessary, shrubs and trees (only after approval) or even contaminated sites (chemicals, toxic material or similar) must be removed.

Read our article on building ground investigation and soil expertise.

Building

Depending on the size of the construction site, different buildings or containers must be set up for the construction phase. This may include the following requirement areas:

  • Warehouse for building materials and tools
  • Break and recreation rooms
  • Site office
  • Sanitary rooms
  • Laboratory for earthworks and concrete
  • First aid facility

Supply and disposal

The supply lines of energy and water, which are needed during the construction phase, must be set up. These include:

  • Water supply
  • Disposal of wastewater and precipitation water
  • Power supply (If the construction site cannot be supplied from the public grid, generators must be set up).
  • Connection to the communication network

Site safety

This important point is not only relevant to insurance, but also ensures a smooth construction process. Depending on the size of the construction and the type of land, the following items may apply:

  • Construction fences are used to prevent access by unauthorized persons and to prevent theft.
  • Protection of neighboring properties if they may be affected by the construction.
  • Protection against the weather for people, tools, equipment, building materials and completed construction work.
  • Securing traffic routes adjacent to the construction site. These can be, for example, guide walls or beams that protect construction workers from traffic. In addition, there are warning signs on the roads to warn and protect road users.
  • The protection of the tree population is regulated by law.
  • Fire protection of stored materials and with regard to work to be carried out (fire extinguishing equipment).
  • Protection of existing lines, e.g. spacing regulations of high-voltage lines and cranes.
  • Attach signs

Do not enter the construction site. Parents are liable for their children.

The familiar sign “Do not enter the construction site. Parents are liable for their children” does not always hit the nail on the head. Because if children seek adventure on a construction site, cause damage there or even come to harm themselves, their parents are only liable insofar as they have violated their duty of supervision. However, this is often very difficult to prove in individual cases. If, in addition, the builder has not adequately fulfilled his duty of road safety (e.g. holes in the construction fence), then he is liable for the damage caused anyway.

Construction equipment

Equipment must be set up for both the construction phase and site setup. When setting up the construction equipment, it is necessary to achieve an optimal balance between the smooth running of the construction and the profitability of the project. The following construction equipment must be set up:

  • Excavator
  • Tower cranes, mobile cranes
  • Water and concrete pumps
  • Construction hoists

Construction site access, construction roads and storage areas

The site requires a site access road designed for the size of vehicles required. In addition, it must not impede the flow of traffic and must be secured accordingly. Construction roads and storage areas for the transport of construction materials and equipment shall be provided on the construction site.

Working and protective scaffolds

Scaffolding is indispensable for some operations – often for the protection of workers, roads or buildings.

Waste disposal

Waste disposal infrastructure must be established after prior assessment of waste occurrence. Attention should be paid to the type of waste and its separation. Again, do not plan too big and not too small, otherwise you will incur extra costs. In addition, sufficient parking space must be planned for the collection containers.

Costs site equipment

For each construction site, there are costs for the construction site equipment. They are part of the ancillary construction costs. Costs vary from site to site. It always depends on the type and size of the development, the construction period, the use of workers and equipment, and the special features of the building site (e.g. soil conditions, slopes). However, these costs are not shown in the same way in every contract. In many cases, they are named in the specifications as a separate item and broken down into individual work steps. If they are not, vendors add these costs under site overhead.

The cost of site installation is about 5-10% of the cost of building the house. The specifications of a bid or contract should be carefully reviewed. It happens that individual aspects (e.g. water supply and disposal) of the construction site facilities are not listed there, which can lead to additional costs.

Therefore, it is best to go over contracts with independent experts. Always check with your construction partner if you have any doubts, and don’t settle until there are no more ambiguities.

Read more about ancillary construction costs here.

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