CE164 Civil Engineering Drawing (1,3,2)
STRUCTURE FOR CE164- CIVIL ENGINEERING DRAWING
Instructor Name: Dr. Emmanuel Dzisi
Tel:+233206656711
E-mail: emmanuel.dzisi@knust.edu.gh
Class Location:
Course a) Introduction to Drawing: Basic Concepts and types; b) Structural Drawings:
Description Drawing basic structural elements in reinforced concrete buildings, General
arrangement and detailing of foundations, columns, beams, Slabs and
staircases; c) Basic Highway Drawings: Vertical and horizontal alignments
sections, d) Contours.
Course 1. Give students an understanding of need for civil engineering drawings
Objectives 2. Appreciation of various forms of drawings
Course Students of Civil and Geomatic Engineering Department, KNUST (Obuasi Campus)
participants
Mode of Coursework/Project 20- %; Class Tests-5 %; Attendance- 5 % Mid Semester Exams -
Assessment 20 % Final Exam- 50%
Facilitation Lecture notes, Project work (s), Case studies, Videos
Duration 2nd semester
Key Lecture notes, other lecture materials and drawings as and when prescribed
Resources
Civil Engineering Drawing notes 2023
Drawing is an essential aspect of engineer communication. It is important that an engineer be
well conversant with relevant engineering drawings in order to be a good practisioner. Drawings
communicate the final version of a product/piece of construction that is to be executed. They
should be easily intepreable to allow the person doing the construction, to execute correctly even
in the absence of the drawing’s creator.
Drawings are prepared as per the requirements of a client with the help of a consultant. These
drawings are also produced in compliance with standard specifications defined by the
appropirate agency. Any modifications in the form of additions or omissions can be suggested
after the drawings are carefully studied. These suggestions may however best come before actual
construction of the structure is started.
Drawings provide a language with specific data to Architects, Engineers and workmen at the site
to construct the structure accordingly. In case of public buildings or any other civil engineering
works, it is essential to work out different items of construction with their quantities for
estimating the total cost of construction project. For this purpose, drawings of different parts and
different views are essential so that the approval of work from the sanctioning authority can be
obtained. Further, the detailed drawings form an essential part of the contract document when the
work is handed over to a contractor. Hence it is necessary to prepare detailed drawings, which
will inform the contractor’s action. These drawings should have the exact information which he
needs during the construction of different items of work.
REQUIREMENTS OF GOOD DRAWING:
1. Drawings should be clear, simple and clean
2. Should be scaled correctly so the the actual measurements can be taken from them.
3. Should provide exact information in order to carry out the work at site.
4. Should have a sufficient, but not an excessive number of notes so as not to confuse the
contractor.
5. Should have sufficient space between the drawings so as to avoid crowding and
unintepreability.
USE OF CONVENTIONAL SIGNS AND SYMBOLS:
Conventional signs are used to represent specific items such as stone masonary, brick masonary,
concrete etc. in the section of drawing. (i.e.,) when the materials are cut by any imaginary plane.
Conventional symbols are provided to indicate doors, windows, sanitary fixtures like taps, wash
basins, W.Cs., urinals, Kitchen sinks, etc. Symbols are used to indicate the position of electrical
fittings like lamps, switches, power sockets, fans etc.
They also indicate positions of furniture on drawings of rooms, bedrooms, etc.
Below are some typical signs that may be used in symbolising various material types in Civil
Engineering.
Below are some typical symbols for electrical installations.
Identify and interpret the following drawings below:
● What drawing is it? What do the inscriptions represent?
Square footing
● What is to be constructed in the image below? What are the differences between the
two images on the left and right? Can the image on the left hand side serve the same
purpose as the image on the right hand side (or vice versa)? What are the
implications of you allowing the image on the left to serve the purpose of the other?
Next topic: Road Construction Drawings
Road Construction Drawings
Several factors are considered in the design of roads. Some of these factors include;
Can you name some?
● Design vehicle
● Design speed
● Functional classification of the road (i.e. Arterials, Collectors and Local roads--which is
why not all roads can be dual carriageways)
● Financial/economic constraints
● Environmental considerations
● Topography of the location
● Etc.
There are also different classes of roads, managed by differenet agencies
Arterials= Major Highways (High speed environments >=100km/h), GHA
Collectors DUR/GHA
Local roads (Lowest speed environments >=50km/h) DUR/GHA, Feeder roads (DFR)
For any typical road project, we are to have certain basic drawings that serve as a guide for the
construction.
The process of determining the layout and visible features of a highway is termed as the
Geometric design process/ stage of a road project.
In Geometric design, emphasis is placed more on satisfying the needs of the driver- such as
comfort, and safety of the vehicle.
In geometric design, a road can be looked at from 3 essential perspectives;
● The plan/top view which is referred to in Transportation Engineering/ Geometric Design
as the Horizontal Alignment
● The vertical alignment/profile and
● Cross Section
Question: How do you create access (for cars) at the Teaching hospital?
Answer: One answer could be to provide/ design roads
The site drawings are provided in the subsequent sections
The first drawing you would typically provide in the Geometric Design process is the General
Layout.
Here, you show how the road infrastrcture being proposed all interrelae with each other, and the
other facilities on the site.
Figure 1 General Layout drawing
Figure 2 Horizontal Alignment, Vertical alignment
Figure 3 Cross Sectional Drawing of Main Road
Figure 4 Cross section of a drain
Key features of drawings to note:
● Carriageway/lanes
● Shoulders
● Pedestrain Walkways
● Curbs
● Covered and Opened drains
● Curves and Tangents in Horizontal and Vertical alignment design
Questions to ponder
Question: 1. What is the width of a typical carriageway in an urban area like Obuasi?
Question 2: How do you connect roads in a new development/site to roads in an existing development?
Question 3: What are some factors that would influence your selection of a particular intersection?
Question 4: Can you name any types of intersections you know?
Answers
Answer 2: It depends, but in the case of this example, an intersection was introduced.
Answer 3: Traffic volumes, Availability of land, Economic/resource considerations, etc.
Types of intersections include:
Typical intersection drawings
Which type of intersection design is this? (Based on the examples provided)
Roundabouts
Figure 5 Basic Geometric Elements of a Roundabout
Apron: It is an optional mountable feature of a rounabout that is included as part of the central island for
accommodating larger vehicle wheel tracking
Splitter Island:
Entry width:
Yield Line: It is a pavement marking for entry point to the circulatory roadway. Entry vehicles must yield
to circulating traffic before crossing the yield line onto the circulatory path.
Exit radius:
Inscribed diameter:
Approach width:
Circulatory roadway: It is the curved path travelled by vehicles (in a counterclockwise direction) around
the central island
Exit width:
Roundabout video
Interchanges
Traffic Calming
Figure 6 Simple design plan for a zebra crossing
Project work
You are to group yourselves into groups of five (5) and carry out an inventory of the road network in Obuasi
township. Specifically, you are to select a roundabout in the township, and measure the following:
● Width of Apron
● Splitter island dimensions:
● Entry width:
● Yield Line length:
● Inscribed diameter of the roundabout:
● Circulatory roadway width:
● Exit width:
Produce a sketch of the roundabout showing the various measurements.
If any of these are above stated features are not present at your roundabout of choice, please state accordingly in
your report. If you observe any additional features in your field study, state these observations. You are required to
take a group picture at your study location, and to provide a brief report (no more than 5 pages) of your observations
by 24th June 2023.
Pavement layer thicknesses can for instance be adopted using a combination of the CBR value
obtained from geotechnical investigations and Overseas Road Note 31 on road pavement
thicknesses. Using that guide, a specific pavement thickness would be adopted.
