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UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING

REPORT

CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

H.T. SHAMEERA WIJESOORIYA

08/08/14

MÄGA ENGINEERING (PVT) LTD

200 Nawala Road

Narahenpita

Colombo 05

Sri Lanka

Work Period

18.11.2013 – 15.02.2014

Executive Summary This report details the skills and experience I gathered during my time working as an intern at MÄGA

Engineering. As an intern I was appointed as a training engineering assistant at the construction site of a

high rise building which would eventually be used as a hotel complex that included residential facilities

as well. During this internship I was able to apply my learnt academic knowledge in practical situations

as well as gather a vast array of methods and processes that was only possible to be learnt through

working on site. It was a gateway towards becoming a professional civil engineer.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Mr. M.G. Kularathna who is the Managing Director at

MÄGA Engineering for giving me the opportunity to work as a summer intern at the Hyatt Regency Hotel

Project – Kollupitiya.

Furthermore I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr. A. A. Thilakarathna who was the

Project Manager for the Hyatt Regency Hotel Project. His guidance throughout my training period was

invaluable.

I would also like to thank all other engineers, foremen, supervisors, co-workers and workmen for all of

their support and cooperation. I would especially like to appreciate the encouragement and assistance

given to me by Mr. Umayawan Gnaneswaran, Mr. Nuwan Wijayarathna, Mr. Rupasinghe and Mr.

Abeyrathna. Their counsel helped me vastly to attain a variety of skills and expertise which has guided

me to become a proficient engineer.

Finally I would like to thank all my lecturers and tutoring staff at the University of Auckland for providing

me with the knowledge and proficiency to conduct myself diligently at the workplace.

H.T. Shameera Wijesooriya

Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering,

University of Auckland,

Auckland.

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1

History of the Company ................................................................................................................................ 2

Project Briefing ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Organisation Structure ................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Site Layout ..................................................................................................................................................... 4

Scope of Works ............................................................................................................................................. 5

Summary of Construction Operations .......................................................................................................... 7

Personal Responsibilities .............................................................................................................................. 8

Direct Construction Works ............................................................................................................................ 9

Technical Facilities ...................................................................................................................................... 19

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................ 22

List of Tables and Figures

Figure 1 - Graphical rendering of building .................................................................................................... 5

Figure 2 - Work on top level.......................................................................................................................... 8

Figure 3 - Propped aluminium formwork ................................................................................................... 10

Figure 4 - Formwork of a column ................................................................................................................ 11

Figure 5 - Formwork and concreting of the staircase ................................................................................. 12

Figure 6 - Reinforcement works and formwork .......................................................................................... 13

Figure 7 - Raising of a prefabricated structure ........................................................................................... 15

Figure 8 - Ready mix concrete poured into concrete bucket ..................................................................... 17

Figure 9 - Concrete being poured into a wall.............................................................................................. 18

Figure 10 - View from tower crane ............................................................................................................. 19

Figure 11 - Construction Elevator ............................................................................................................... 20

Table 1 - Concrete Mix Design .................................................................................................................... 17

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Introduction

MÄGA Engineering (Pvt) Ltd is one of the leading construction firms in Sri Lanka. The company was

established in 1984 under the leadership of the present Managing Director, Capt. M.G. Kularathna. By

wisely managing its capital and resources, the company has evolved into one of the pioneering

construction companies in Sri Lanka, executing some of the most prestigious infrastructure and

development projects (1). The company collectively has the capability for the construction works of

buildings, bridges, roads, water supply, drainage facilities, irrigation, land drains, dredging, land

reclamation and electrical installations (2).

The Institute for Construction Training and Development (ICTAD) in Sri Lanka has awarded MÄGA

Engineering with the highest possible national grade C-1 for the majority of its civil operations. This

grade provided by the ICTAD evaluates the financial capability, technical ability of staff, plant and

machinery, and expertise gained in relevant fields.

Out of the numerous projects that MÄGA Engineering was working on at that time, I was assigned to its

flagship building construction project, which was the construction of the Hyatt Regency Hotel Colombo.

The site was located in the busy commercial capital of Sri Lanka hugging the coastline of the beautiful

Indian Ocean. During the period of my internship, the project had already progressed extensively. I was

fortunate enough to contribute to the construction of the structure from the 20th floor to the 23rd floor

during my assignment.

This project was initially commissioned to the private sector but later taken over by the government

when it was abandoned by the developer for over three years since 2008. This asset was taken into

government control under the revival of the Underperforming Enterprises and Underutilised Assets Act

of Sri Lanka. The Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka hereafter signed an agreement with Sino Lanka

Hotels and Spa (Pvt) Ltd. The BOI agreement awarded the approval for the Client to develop the

property and also to grant the necessary concessions for construction under the Strategic Development

Projects Act. The project was finally given the go ahead in March 2012 by the Cabinet of Ministers of Sri

Lanka. A consortium of investors including both private and state entities provided the capital to the

new project developer. The project was finalised to be a 45 storey 5 star luxury hotel and serviced

apartment complex upon completion to be managed by the Hyatt Regency brand.

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History of the Company

The company was incorporated under the companies Act No. 12 of 1982 on 2/12/1983 as a private

limited liability company and was registered under the name Chandranayake and Company (Private)

Limited. It was initially in the business of constructing of commercial or residential buildings, roadways,

bridges and other civil, electrical & mechanical engineering works. On 17/10/1989 the company name

was changed to MÄGA Engineering (Private) Limited.

In its early years the company was mostly engaged as a sub-contractor to several international

contractors operating in Sri Lanka. During this time, under the leadership of the present Managing

Director, Capt. M.G. Kularathna this company evolved into Sri Lanka’s pioneering construction firm. In

the modern age, MAGA is the market leader in both in volume and quality of work. Because of the

recognition earned by the company it would expand into foreign markets as far back as 1987 to go on to

complete over a dozen civil and coastal engineering projects.

During the company’s 18 year lifetime, it has completed well over 125 projects in multiple disciplines

which include numerous large scale prestigious projects. The company has been decorated with a

multitude of awards over the years, but the greatest award that MAGA achieved is the recognition of

the industry and its stakeholders for its capability to maintain an extremely high standard of quality

across the board.

Notable Awards :

2012 Sri Lanka’s Corporate Accountability Index – Platinum Rating, No. 3 Rank

2011 National Business Excellence Award by National Chamber of Commerce of Sri

Lanka, Construction Sector – Winner

2011 Central Environmental Authority, National Green Award for Private & Public Sector

2010 National Business Excellence Awards by National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka,

Construction Sector – Winner

2010 National Construction Awards by National Construction Association of Sri Lanka (NCASL),

Buildings Sector – Winner

2008 The Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL), Engineering Excellence Award (Infrastructure

Development)

2008 Business Superbrands Certification

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Project Briefing

Project : Construction of Proposed Hyatt Regency Hotel – Colombo

Location : 116 Galle Road, Colombo-03, Sri Lanka

Client : Sino Lanka Hotels and Spa (Pvt) Ltd

Contractor : MÄGA Engineering (Pvt) Ltd

Consultant : Design Consortium Ltd

Project Initiation : 10/06/2012

Estimated Project Completion : 31/08/2014

Estimated Duration of Project : 2 years and 2 months

Contract Structure : Measure and Pay

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Site Layout

1. Proposed building 2. Material and equipment stores 3. Steel yard 4. Security office 5. Construction elevators 6. Tower crane 01 7. Tower crane 02

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Scope of Works

The structure was to be a 45 floor RCC framed structure with an approximate total of 565 rooms which

amounts to around 94,000 sqm of built up area. The luxurious hotel complex is to sustain 475

guestrooms with a variety of models which include different features. It would comprise of 54 suites,

265 King rooms, 150 twin rooms and 6 rooms with disability access. Furthermore the structure would

feature 84 serviced apartments. To accommodate parking needs of the guests the structure will include

of ample parking spaces involving 2 basement floors and exterior structures for car parks.

To establish the hotel as a glamorous modern architectural masterpiece in Sri Lanka, the designers have

endeavoured to incorporate some truly stunning features into their magnum opus. One of these

aspirations was the infinity pool and pool deck located at the 11th floor of the structure. The deck sits

atop the western coastline of Sri Lanka looking into the vast Indian Ocean. The pool deck is expected to

have a seating capacity for 76 individuals.

Figure 1 - Graphical rendering of building

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Furthermore the complex is to consist of amenities such as a lobby lounge, dining areas, a multi-cuisine

restaurant, 3 more specialty restaurants, a bar, eight spa treatment rooms, a fitness centre, and a

Regency Club lounge. Moreover the complex will offer more than 17,000 sq ft of enclosed meeting

spaces the highlight of which will be the 7,500 sq ft, 27 ft high grand ballroom.

Upon completion the structure is to stand at 176 m which would make it the tallest structure in the

country surpassing the previous tallest building, the World Trade Centre Towers which stands at 152 m.

The WTO towers are visible across the undeveloped Galle Face promenade which will make it an

exquisite sight from the guests at the hotel. The hotel complex is expected to be inaugurated by the end

of October 2013 with the residential suites to be operational by August 2014.

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Summary of Construction Operations

Surveying The continuous surveying and levelling operations during the construction works were quintessential

towards maintaining the accuracy of the dimensions construction works as proposed by the design

blueprints to an acceptable tolerance.

Formwork Formwork is either a temporary or permanent structure used as a container or mould into which fresh

concrete can be poured to achieve the designed structure. It helps achieve the required shape and

dimensions of the concrete works. Additionally it acts as a platform to lay out the steel reinforcement

prior to concreting and also supports the fresh concrete until it has matured sufficiently to be self-

supporting. Numerous techniques and materials are available for formwork purposes but in this project

mostly plywood and specifically designed aluminium formwork systems were used.

Reinforcement Works The concrete structure is reinforced with steel reinforcing to provide strength and resilience to the

structure. The reinforcement is usually required because of the lack of tensile and ductility capacities of

plain concrete which can be counteracted b using an appropriate composition of rebar.

Concreting Works Concrete is a mixture of cement, water, and construction aggregates. Concrete is widely adopted in the

construction field because of its relative less cost, fire proofing capabilities and durability. Concrete has

excellent performance in compression making it excellent for high-rise structures.

Masonry Work Masonry work is necessary in structures such as this to form partitions. Both clay bricks and concrete

blocks were used in the construction of this building.

Quality Control The quality control and quality assurance sectors involved in the construction works help to monitor and

achieve the targeted quality standards approved for the project. Throughout which the continuous set

of records are maintained to prove that the quality standards are being met. Their scope not only

includes the construction works but also the construction materials and equipment as well.

Health and Safety Even though everyone on site had to maintain their own health and safety obligations, there were also

specifically assigned safety officers who were in charge of implementing an adaptive health and safety

plan.

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Personal Responsibilities

The staff involved in the direct construction works was divided into sectors for reinforcement works,

concrete works, formwork and surveying. During my internship at the Hyatt Regency – Colombo project

working at MAGA, I was assigned to work with the reinforcement sector of the construction works. My

key task was to work with my peers and apply my engineering knowledge to manage and instruct the

workmen to perform the reinforcement works.

The company employed many subcontractors to perform the works. The subcontract groups were

assigned to carry out specific portions of reinforcement work or were used as labour supply to perform

more general work. They payment schedules of these two types of workers varied as well. The formerly

mentioned workers were paid using a rate based mechanism where they would be paid according to the

quantity of reinforcement works completed. The unit of measured quantity would usually be the

reinforcement used by weight. The later would be paid on a daily basis. Even though the workers in

general were cooperative, because of the characteristics of the payment schedule challenges did occur

when it came to motivating and regulating their work.

Figure 2 - Work on top level

Engineering drawings were extensively used on site as the primary for all construction works. A

comprehensive understanding of the drawings was required to quickly determine what was required to

be constructed. Drawings depicted the structure and layout of columns, beams, slabs and walls. The skill

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level of the workmen varied significantly with some being able to understand the drawings and some

finding it more difficult to grasp the information. Because of this my peers and I played a key role in

interpreting and conveying the contents of the drawings. Furthermore it was required by us to review

and scrutinize the works to check for defects before the final inspection for the item was conducted by

the consulting engineers.

Being part of the construction team on site meant that even though you were assigned to a specific

sector, the cooperation of other members was required in order to complete the tasks at hand. This

brought out a good teamwork ethic in the entire staff to collaborate with others from different sectors

to achieve the final goal of progressing through the construction works. Often times it was necessary to

communicate with the tower crane operators, signalman and bar bending staff to make sure the right

materials and prefabricated structures were delivered to the right location at the right time.

The concept of tight deadlines was heavily emphasised by the superiors. Even though different sectors

have their own specific tasks, they are all interlinked. Therefore a delay in one area would effectively

delay the entire process. For example if a delay occurs in laying the formwork it would delay the

reinforcement works and subsequently the final concreting. We were also made aware the ramifications

for the delays occurred on site. Every delay results in costs one way or the other. Furthermore it has

negative effect on the relationships between the members involved in the project. Although my primary

assignment was in the reinforcement section, to better understand the functions of the involved

construction works I extended my attention to other sectors as well.

Direct Construction Works

Formwork Formwork is a temporary or permanent mould required for the casting of concrete. A high quality

formwork system is cost efficient and quick & easy to assemble/disassemble. Specifically designed

aluminium panel system was used for beams, slabs, walls and columns while 12 mm thick plywood was

used for the staircases. An array of jack and pipes were used to prop up and support the panels. Chains,

chain blocks, turnbuckles and other accessories were used to brace and align the panels.

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Figure 3 - Propped aluminium formwork

Formwork for Columns and Walls

The columns had a rectangular cross section; therefore four aluminium panels were sufficiently enough

to cover the perimeter of the column. The panels used for walls are also designed to sufficiently cover it

but as the wall is connected to columns on its sides only the two larger faces are required to be

enclosed. Usually a 200 mm offset is marked using surveying equipment. The formwork would then be

erected using this offset as the basis to find the outline of the column or wall. Once the initial assembly

of the formwork is completed, the verticality of the formwork is checked using a plumb bob and

measuring tape. The plumb bob is left to hang from a known offset from the face of panel at the top of

the assembly. Then the offset distance of the plumb bob is measured from the bottom of the assembly.

If these two values are within the appropriate tolerance limits the formwork is acceptable, if not it has

to be adjusted using the accessories provided.

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Figure 4 - Formwork of a column

Formwork of Beam and Slab

The first step in the assembly of beam and slab formwork is to setup a uniform level by which the

heights to the formwork can be measured. This is achieved by making a 1000 mm mark on each of the

columns from the top of the slab on the floor beneath. The column heads are fixed subsequently and

then the formwork is then propped. A grid like structure is formed initially while the formwork for the

beams are installed first. After the sideboards are installed for the beams, the workmen then proceed to

finish off by completing the slab area between the beams. The level of the slabs and beams are fairly

accurate due to the use of the use of the same aluminium props. Hence if the concrete level of the lower

slab is done accurately the formwork should also be very consistent. If finer adjustments are required it

is done by placing a small square of plywood with a thickness that would account for the difference in

that area.

Formwork for Staircases

Initially the foundation for the flight of stairs is laid by constructing the beam at the bottom. After the

dimensions of the staircase have been set out the formwork for the landing is erected and supported

using adjustable steel props. The landing should be accurately levelled to ensure quality standards are

maintained. After this step the formwork to support the stringer and its sideboards are laid. When these

steps are completed the reinforcement of the staircase is installed. Following this step dimensional

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timber and plywood are used to form the risers of the staircase which can finally be followed by the

concreting works.

Figure 5 - Formwork and concreting of the staircase

Removal of Formwork

Because it is cost efficient to reuse the formwork equipment, they must be carefully removed at the

right time. Concrete gains strength over time and once the concrete is sufficiently strong enough the

disassembly of the formwork may begin. The concrete is allowed to reach its design strength before the

formwork is removed. This is usually attained after 28 days. To ease the removal of the aluminium

panels, form oil is applied prior to the concreting of the segment. The form oil used at the site was a

mixture of grease and diesel and is applied to prevent concrete from sticking onto the aluminium panels.

Reinforcement Work Steel reinforcement is added to concrete mainly to increase its tensile, shear and ductile capacity. It also

helps to control the expansion and compression of the concrete which occurs due to numerous reasons

which include environmental factors and long term chemical reactions in the concrete. The steel

reinforcement comes in a myriad of sizes and grades. In this site Tor steel and mild steel was used

accordingly. The designers had specified the necessary size and grade of the steel reinforcement in the

drawings. They were chosen taking into consideration factors such as required tensile capacity,

bendability, availability and cost. Steel bars of all sizes arrived to the site in 11 m lengths, from which

they would be cut and bent appropriately.

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Figure 6 - Reinforcement works and formwork

Tor steel occupied a larger portion of the reinforcement works. It has a design tensile capacity of

460MPa and is used for a variety of purposes. Its surface is ribbed to provide extra friction with the

concrete which results in a better bond with the concrete. Mild steel has a design tensile capacity of

250MPa and is mainly used for some column stirrups and secondary reinforcement.

Bar Bending Schedule

A bar bending schedule is a document prepared in order to create a bending and cutting schedule for

the reinforcement bars. The steel reinforcing at times is required to be bent into shapes or cut

appropriately. The bar bending schedule specifies the quality and quantity of the required

reinforcement bars. It identifies information such as bar mark, location of the bar, quality of steel, size of

steel bar, dimensions, shape code, cut length etc.

Bar Notation

To recognize and relate bar details with the information provided in bar bending schedules, bar

notations are used in the engineering drawings. It is a simple and easy system to help people on site to

identify the reinforcing requirement of an element.

Eg: 5T10 – 06 – 150 B

5 - Number of bars required 06 - Bar mark

T - Tor steel (R = mild steel) 150 - Spacing of bars in millimetres

10 - Diameter of bar B - Bar location

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Crank Length

When reinforcement bars overlap they have to be cranked in order to maintain a linear force line. A

standard formula was introduced to identify this required length.

Crank Length = (d1 + d2 + 5) * 10 mm

d1 - Diameter of first bar

d2 - Diameter of second bar

Lap Length

When a reinforcement bar has to be connected to another bar to achieve its desired purpose it would

be overlapped. This overlapping enables complete transfer of the bars design tensile capacity. In order

achieve this complete tension transfer sufficient length of bar has to overlap the other in what is known

to be the lap length. Even though the calculation of the lap length requires the use of standards and

knowledge of the properties of the concrete and steel used, it has been simplified so that even an

unskilled worker can implement it.

Lap Length = (50 * d) mm

d - Diameter of smallest bar

Cover Blocks

When the reinforcement is being assembled over the formwork, the design specified cover must be

maintained between the outermost surface of the reinforcing and the formwork. This cover length is

required to deter corrosion and to increase fire resistance of the reinforcing amongst other reasons. To

achieve this blocks made out of mortar are placed in between the reinforcing and the formwork. These

are known as cover blocks and are usually made with a mortar mixture that would have a compressive

strength similar to that of the concrete poured into the element.

Cover block sizes :

Floor slabs - 25 mm

Beams - 30 mm

Staircase - 30 mm

Shear walls - 40 mm

Columns - 50 mm

Spacer Bars and Stools

When laying out the reinforcement for a slab there is usually a top and bottom layer. An effective gap

between the two layers must be maintained in order to obtain the design capacity of the slab. In order

to achieve this either spacer bars or reinforcement stools must be placed. Usually the absolute spacing

between the two layers is approximately 30 mm. In these areas 32 mm bars would be placed as a spacer

bar. The spacer bars are short lengths of steel bars which are usually obtained from cut-off material. In

other cases 10 mm bars are bent into shapes which can support the top layer of reinforcing.

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Prefabrication of Reinforcement Works

The traditional method of constructing the reinforcement is to build the assembly on the site itself

which is known as building in situ. There are times when the specific element is built offsite and

transported to the desired location using the tower cranes. There are many advantages to prefabricating

items. It is useful to have a proportion of the labour force working in the prefabrication areas as the

construction site can otherwise become congested with an excess of people and materials lying about.

Prefabrication also increases the efficiency at which the elements such as beams columns and even

walls are constructed. The workers can construct the structure in a comfortable area which is likely to be

sheltered from the elements to a certain degree. Structures such as columns when being built in situ, is

relatively difficult to construct as the workers would have to mount themselves onto high scaffolding

and lower heavy bars from the top of the existing column. This is both strenuous and dangerous.

Prefabrication of these segments avoids these circumstances and often results in a much more quality

product. After prefabrication is complete diagonal bracing members are welded onto the segment,

hoisted to the appropriate floor and installed into the relative section.

Figure 7 - Raising of a prefabricated structure

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Concreting Concrete is made from a mixture of cement, fine aggregates, coarse aggregates and water. At times

admixtures are added to the formula in order to adjust certain properties of the concrete such as setting

times and workability. The cement reacts with the water in an exothermic hydration reaction to produce

the concrete. The cement is made from a mixture of silicates and oxides which mainly have some lime,

aluminium and iron. Coarse aggregates increase the strength of the concrete and also reduce the

amount of cement required. Ideally they should be as angular as possible as this increases the surface

area the grout can adhere to. The fine aggregates help fill the voids in between the coarse aggregates.

They also help reduce shrinkage of cement on hardening. Sea sand should not be used for reinforcement

works as the high pH of saltwater could accelerate corrosion. Ideally the aggregates should be in a

saturated surface dry (SSD) state before being added to the mixture as this avoids surface adsorption of

the free water. Otherwise this loss of water would have to be taken into account during the batching

process.

After the concrete arrived at the site it would either have to be pumped or carried up using a bucket.

When concreting the slab and beam areas the concrete was pumped and distributed using a

combination of steel and rubber piping. When columns or walls were to be concrete the concrete would

be transported up using the tower crane in a large bucket and discharged either directly from the bucket

or with the use of a tremie.

Ready Mix Concrete

The concrete was not made in situ instead it was brought in from a concrete batching plant. Making

concrete for a large scale structure requires a lot of labour, plant equipment and materials. If all of this

were to be included in the site itself it would have been a tremendous inconvenience as it would occupy

a large area and would lead to congestion. This batching plant was owned by MAGA and it serviced

multiple construction sites at the same time which helped reduce costs. Additionally because of the

specialisation of the staff at the batching plant, a better quality of concrete can be obtained. After the

concrete is made at the batching plant it would then be transported to the site using agitating trucks.

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Figure 8 - Ready mix concrete poured into concrete bucket

Concrete Mix Designs

A concrete mix design is a schedule of the materials to add to the concrete mixture and the necessary

quantities. The concrete mix varies for different compressive strengths and the added admixtures may

also change depending on the element which is required to be concreted.

Table 1 - Concrete Mix Design

Grade 30 Grade 50

Cement 350 kg/m3 450 kg/m3

Fly ash 53kg/m3 70 kg/m3

Silica Fume 0 0

Chilled Water 165 l/m3 166 l/m3

Fine Aggregate 861 kg/m3 794 kg/m3

Course Aggregate 1011kg/m3 970 kg/m3

Retarders 0.70 l/m3 0.9 l/m3

Superplastic 2.84 l/3 4.68 l/m3

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Concrete Quality Control

The quality of the concrete used was continuously checked. The workability of the concrete was an

essential factor. As the site was using a concrete pump and steel pipes during large concrete pours, the

concrete had to have a sufficient workability. If this requirement wasn’t met there would be a possibility

that the distribution system would get clogged. To monitor the workability of the concrete a simple

slump test was conducted for every truckload of concrete.

Furthermore the compressive strength of the concrete must be monitored. The site maintained its own

set of testing procedures not relying solely on the suppliers guarantee. The cube crushing test was

conducted on site as a measure to maintain the required quality. A sample of the fresh concrete would

be poured into a steel cubic mould. After the concrete is set and cured for a specified time, its maximum

compressive strength is investigated by using a crushing apparatus.

Figure 9 - Concrete being poured into a wall

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Technical Facilities

Concrete Pump The proposed construction site was to accommodate 45 floors. One of the greatest challenges was to

transport the material up there. Even though concrete could be transported to the top using the tower

cranes using various apparatuses, it would only be able to carry small commodities due to its maximum

lift capacity. Hence a much more practical approach is to merely pump the concrete upwards. In order

to generate the required pressure to transport the concrete to that height a concrete pump is used.

Truck Mixture The truck mixture is used to transport the ready-mix concrete supplied from the concrete batching

plant. It continuously rotates its drum which is filled with concrete during transportation. This prevents

the concrete from setting during the transportation process. The concrete would be driven out of the

drum using a spiral blade and then poured into the necessary apparatus using a pull-out chute.

Tower Crane This machine is used to lift and transport heavy loads. It is used extensively in transporting items such as

steel rebar, fresh concrete, prefabricated structures, cover blocks, water tanks etc. Tower crane no. 2

was a Luffing crane which had to undergo repairs. But due to the presence of the other tower crane

some of the adverse effects were mitigated.

Figure 10 - View from tower crane

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Poker Vibrator Poker vibrators were extensively used on site as a means of compacting the freshly poured concrete.

They were very advantageous as they could be easily moved around, stored and quick to setup.

Construction Elevator The construction elevator is a quick and efficient way to transport people and materials along the

building. Even though the site had a stairway which reached the top, in order to move masses of people

and materials it wasn’t a viable method to solely use the stairs. There was a site policy of always have at

least one elevator operational at all times. Designated operators were appointed to control the hoists.

The hoists were powered by an electrical generator situated on site. The hoist operators shared the

responsibility to monitor the fuel levels of the generator so as to avoid a sudden termination of power.

Figure 11 - Construction Elevator

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Conclusions

From this work experience I was able to attain a number of skills that a capable engineer should attain

and also the knowledge to go along side it. I have a gained a better understanding to work with my

peers and to work with 3rd parties such as clients, consultants and subcontractors. I have been able to

successfully build relationships with them and use them instrumentally to perform the required works.

This experience has contributed towards improving my work ethic and also to take pride in my work as a

professional engineer.

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Bibliography 1. Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd. Home Page : Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd. Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd

Web site. [Online] Ultimax (Pvt) Ltd. [Cited: 03 March 2014.] http://www.maga.lk/.

2. Institution for Construction and Development. Home Page: Institution for Construction and

Development. Institution for Construction and Development. [Online] SLT Web Services, 31 January

2014. [Cited: 06 March 2014.] http://www.ictad.lk.

3. Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd. Hyatt Regency Hotel: Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd. Maga Engineering (Pvt)

Ltd. [Online] Ultimax (Pvt) Ltd. [Cited: 06 March 2014.] http://www.maga.lk/?page_id=137.

4. ICRA Lanka & IMaCS Research & Analytics. Construction Industry in Sri Lanka. 2011.