Preparatory Period

in construction engineering, the preparation of a building site for erecting or reconstructing buildings and structures. During this period the construction area is prepared and equipped for building purposes: unneeded structures are removed, the building site is mapped, surface water is drained, water drawdown is effected, removable underground and overhead utility lines to be removed are relocated, power lines for construction work are installed, auxiliary buildings and structures for the construction workers are built, and engineering equipment and materials are provided or, if necessary, supplemented. In newly developed districts, housing for the workers, access roads, and spur tracks are built. The preparatory period is preceded by organizational and technical planning and by the projection of preliminary estimates; the site is assigned and the funds granted.

Temporary buildings and structures used on the site are prefabricated (knockdown, movable, or container-like) and can be reused many times; as a result, expenditures for these structures are lowered. Permanent structures to be used during construction, such as shops, garages, and storerooms, are also built during the preparatory period. In the USSR, the work to be done during this period is outlined in the organizational project of construction work; the work estimate takes into account the conditions at each building site.

The preparatory period usually takes 10–15 percent of the time projected for construction. The work during this period is carried out by a general contractor; when necessary, subcontractors are assigned to do specialized work. The plan describing the work to be done during the preparatory period contains a detailed listing of tasks to be completed, including their scope, an overall plan of the building site, working drawings, and engineering maps. Continuity of operations and a maximum utilization of mechanized equipment are important preconditions for successful completion of work during the preparatory period.