Profession road construction worker

Road construction workers perform road construction on earthworks, substructure works and the pavement section of the road. They cover the compacted soil with one or more layers. Road construction workers usually lay a stabilising bed of sand or clay first before adding asphalt or concrete slabs in order to finish a road.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Related professions road construction

• Asphalt roller operator
• Breaker's yard worker
• Maintenance helper
• Navvy
• Paving machinery or bituminous operator
• Pneumatic drill operator
• Road clearer
• Road construction helper
• Road paviour
• Tunnelling machinery or construction operator

Skills

• Lay base courses

  Lay the stabilising courses that support a road. Lay the road base, which enhances the drainage properties of the road, and a sub-base if called for. Use the correct material for this, usually a mix of aggregates or local secondary materials, sometimes with some binding agents added.

• Install frost protection materials

  Install insulation materials such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, foam glass or extruded polystyrene to reduce frost penetration and any resulting road damage.

• Level earth surface

  Change the profile of the earth surface, turning it flat or shaping it to match a certain slope. Remove irregularities such as knolls, pits and ditches.

• Use safety equipment in construction

  Use elements of protective clothing such as steel-tipped shoes, and gear such as protective goggles, in order to minimise risk of accidents in construction and to mitigate any injury if an accident does occur.

• Work safely with chemicals

  Take the necessary precautions for storing, using and disposing chemical products.

• Work ergonomically

  Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.

• Plan surface slope

  Make sure the planned surface has the necessary slope to prevent puddling of water or fluids.

• Prepare subgrade for road pavement

  Make sure the surface underneath the road is ready to be paved. Ensure that it is flat, stable and able to resist the mechanical stresses of road traffic.

• Inspect construction supplies

  Check construction supplies for damage, moisture, loss or other problems before using the material.

• Pave asphalt layers

  Use different grades of asphalt to lay the asphalt layers of a road. Lay an asphalt base layer with low bitumen content to provide a stable surface, a binder layer with intermediate bitumen content, and a surface layer containing the highest grade material with the highest bitumen content to withstand the stresses of road transport. Tend a paver to lay the asphalt or use different techniques and instruments.

• Work safely with hot materials

  Take care when handling hot materials. Wear the right protective clothing and take care not to burn yourself or others, damage equipment, or create fire hazards.

• Perform drainage work

  Dig draining ditches and lay the pipe or gutter installation to allow evacuation of surplus liquid and avoid subsidence or other damage.

• Prevent damage to utility infrastructure

  Consult utility companies or plans on the location of any utility infrastructure that may interfere with a project or be damaged by it. Take the necessary steps to avoid damage.

• Follow health and safety procedures in construction

  Apply the relevant health and safety procedures in construction in order to prevent accidents, pollution and other risks.

• Transport construction supplies

  Bring construction materials, tools and equipment to the construction site and store them properly taking various aspects into account such as the workers' safety and protection from deterioration.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB