When construction commences, the first phase is mobilization, which includes site preparation. In the case of the Grandview Children’s Treatment Centre Redevelopment Project, also known as the New Grandview Kids, site preparation includes clearing and grubbing and dewatering. These activities include safely removing excess soil and water from the site and safely relocating it.
When developing land, site conditions can be very wet and saturated. Sometimes, site conditions are naturally susceptible to saturated soil because of soil type, terrain, heavy rains, flooding, or a high-water table. When building on sites with the listed conditions, water is removed from the site to lower groundwater levels and allow digging to begin in stable conditions. The removal of excess water from a construction site prevents hazards such as mudslides, unstable foundations, and equipment failure caused by bogging. Additionally, it ensures a worksite is ready for excavation, foundation preparation and cement footing pours. At the New Grandview Kids construction site, workers will remove approximately 355,000 litres of water from the site, equivalent to 177,500 two-litre soda bottles. For this project, the excess water undergoes a quality and quantity treatment before it is discharged into a nearby stormwater pond as seen in the image below. This technique is called dewatering.
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