For any civil engineering project, the first stage is to commission a site investigation to determine the nature of the subgrade conditions in the proposed project area. This will determine whether the site is suitable for the proposed structure be it buildings, roads, dams or bridges to be built. It also enables the type and cost of foundations to be determined.
Road alignments in particular require that the subgrade conditions along the proposed alignment be suitable for pavement construction in terms of bearing strength. The materials required for the construction of the other layers also need to be investigated to ensure that the quality of pavement constructed is satisfactory and will provide adequate service over the design life of the pavement.
In this project the understanding of how to carry out site investigations for a road and the processes of determining the adequate quality of the construction material were discussed.