CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
In the earlier stage of science and technology education in Nigeria, students were
graduating from their respective institutions without any technical knowledge or working
experience. It was in this view that students undergoing science and technology related
courses were mandated to undergo training at various Technology institutions in view of
widening their horizons so as to enable them have technical knowledge, or working
experience before graduating from their various institutions. The Student Industrial Work
Experience Scheme (SIWES) was established by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in 1973 to
enable students of tertiary institution have technical knowledge of industrial work base on
their course of study before the completion of their program in their respective
institutions. The scheme was designed to expose students to industrial environment and
enable them develop occupational competencies so that they can readily contribute their
quota to national economic and technological development after graduation. With the
rapid growth of higher institutions both in size and number, funding became a problem for
ITF which singlehandedly funded the programme, and by 1979 the management of the
scheme was passed on to the National Universities Commission (NUC) a regulatory body
for the polytechnics, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). However, five
years later in 1984, it was returned once more to the ITF which had continued to manage it
to date but with the burden of funding resting on the Federal Government.
The major benefits of students who participate conscientiously in Students Industrial
Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) are the skills and competencies they acquire. The relevant
production skills remain a part of the recipients of industrial training as life-long assets
which cannot be taken away from them, this is because the knowledge and skills acquired
through training are internalized and become relevant when required to perform jobs or
functions.

1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF SIWES

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 The effort is aimed at helping/training students in the Nigerian tertiary institutions the
practical aspect of their field of study by exposing students to machines and equipment,
professional work methods and ways of safeguarding the work areas and workers in
industries and other organizations. The Industrial Training Fund’s policy Document No. 1 of
1973 which established SIWES outlined the objectives of the scheme. The objectives are to:
 It provides an avenue for students in institutions of higher learning to acquire
industrial skills and experience during their course of study.
 It exposes Students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and
machinery that may not be available in their institutions.
 It makes the transition from school to the world of work easier and enhance
students' contact for later job placements and a chance to evaluate companies for
which they might wish to work.
 It provides students with the opportunities to apply their educational knowledge in
real work and industrial situations, there by bridging the gap between theory and
practice.
 The programme teaches the students on how to interact effectively with other
workers and supervisors under various conditions in the organization.

1.3 IMPORTANCE OF SIWES TO CIVIL ENGINEERING 1.

 It exposes students to more practical work methods and techniques in civil
engineering.
 It provides students in civil engineering with an opportunity to apply their
theoretical knowledge to real life situations.
 It enables students in civil engineering to gain experience in handling equipment and
machineries.
 It provides an environment whereby students in civil engineering can develop their
creativity and interpersonal skills through software design techniques.
 It is one of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Engineering Degree
(B.Eng.) in Civil Engineering.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ATTACHMENT

2.1 LOCATION AND BRIEF HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL PLANNING
AND DEVELOPMENT
The Department is responsible to the Vice chancellor for the Conceptualization, design,
implementation, Supervision and management of university Physical Planning Development
Projects. The Department consists of many units: Architectural, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical,
Quantity Surveyor and Land & Estate Units.
The Department is headed by the Director Physical Planning who oversees the smooth
running of the Department. The Department carries out feasibility studies and
comprehensive report on each project. With the report, the particular project is sent to vice-
chancellor for further directives/actions. After completion of a project, is then handed over
to the users and the Works and Maintenance Department for maintains and sustain the
facility (completed project).

Mission
The mission of the Department of Physical Planning and Development is the provision of
physical infrastructural facilities needed for the overall development of the university.
Vision
Our vision is tailored towards the overall objective of providing conducive built-up
environment for teaching, learning, and research activities for students and staff.
Values
General physical Planning and Development of all university projects particularly buildings,
infrastructure, furniture and equipment.

2.2 OBJECTIVE OF ESTABLISHMENT

 Implementation and Monitoring of the University Master Plan.

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  Project Initiation, Planning, Design, Supervision and Monitoring of Capital Projects in
the University.
 Supervision of activities of External Consultants and Contractors.
 Project report writing, valuations and cost monitoring.

 Represent the University on technical issues and capital projects.

CORE VALUES
 Quality: Committed to maintaining a strong quality culture throughout our
organization and our comprehensive Quality Management System provides tangible
benefits that satisfy our clients and distinguish our brand.
 Integrity: Integrity forms the essence of our business principles and code of conduct. As
such, we hold ourselves accountable for being honest, fair and respectful in all aspects
of our business and operate in a zero-tolerance atmosphere for any actions that could
be perceived as contrary to these ideals.
 Partnership: We prioritize cooperation and long-term business relationships built on
trust and transparency. Each member of our staff carries out work with a spirit of
partnership, with an awareness and consideration of partners’ needs-be it colleagues,
clients, partners or communities.
 Innovation: We continually seek to expand our knowledge on progressive construction
methodologies and advanced technologies to provide the most effective solutions and
services.

2.3 ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

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2.4 VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND FUNCTIONS
 ARCHITECTURAL SECTION: Their functions is to regulate the practice of architecture in
the university such that it conforms to the national and international standards and
requirements, Stands as the client’s representative in all matters that pertain to
architecture between the university and consultants, contractors, individuals, and
government, The section plays a key role in the review of sketch/preliminary design
as presented by external consultants, Resident supervision of on-going projects in
the University, Initiating design and production of drawings for new projects (in-
house), Liaison and co-ordination with other professionals in the Unit to achieve
successful project delivery.
 QUANTITY SURVEYING SECTION: Their job involves Preparing Estimate, Bills of
Quantities, Schedules of materials/Labour for the construction of building & other
projects, Analyzing construction costs, undertaking general contract administration,
measuring sites and locations, carrying out administrations for interim or final
certificates and settlement of account, preparing forum for capital estimates and
expenditure return as required by National Universities Commission or other funding
agencies, supervising and coordinating the activities of staff in lower grades in the
unit.
 CONSULTANT: There is to ensure the safe, timely and well-resourced completion of
different projects.

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 CIVIL/STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING SECTION: Their jobs involve the design of civil and
structural engineering works, supervision of all civil/ structural engineering works,
preparation of bill of engineering measurement and evaluation (BEME), attending
site meetings and inspection of on-going projects.
 SITE ENGINEER: Their jobs involve daily visiting of the site, working with workmen,
daily payment of workers and ensuring all construction were done with respect to
the plans.
 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SECTION: Their jobs involve Carrying out electrical design
of all sorts on the campus, they supervise and certify all electrical installations and
other jobs done by contractors, taking care of all electrical and electronic
installations, wiring of building in the campus, carrying out electrical load balancing
of the phases foe effective functioning of electrical power supply.
 MECHANICAL SECTION: Their job is to take care of all the Mechanical projects in the
unit.

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 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 ACTIVITIES DURING THE SIWES PERIOD

My industrial training was carried out at the Department of Physical Planning and
Development, University of Port Harcourt, East-West Road, P.M.B. 5323, Choba, Rivers
State. I was posted to Students’ Centre Phase 1, Abuja Park.

3.1 INTRODUCTION TO SITE

Access to Students’ Centre Phase 1 is not granted to non-staff or non-workers, therefore if
you are not a staff or worker (skilled or unskilled) you will not be granted access to the
construction area.

3.2 SITE CLEARANCE

Site clearance was carried out to prepare the site for construction. It involved the removal
and disposal of bushes, trees, as well as grass within the top soil using cutlass and spade.

3.3 SETTING OUT

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Setting out is the process of marking the position, shape, and size of a building on a
construction site. The details provided by the architect and surveyor on the project plans
and drawings are transferred to the ground on which the structure will be built.
The main reason for setting out (other than guide the workers as they begin construction) is
to ensure the construction remains within the legal boundary. The set-back method was
adopted.

3.4 SOIL TEST INVESTIGATION

Soil investigation was undertaken to determine the bearing capacity of the soil, its
settlement rate and the position of the water table. Soil investigation is to carry out physical
testing on site to understand the ground conditions for geotechnical design.
The Auger-Boring method was used. Circular holes were bore equally at the corners of an
equilateral triangle. Soil samples were taken at every 1m interval at a depth of 5m. The
result gotten from the soil investigation was also used to determine the type of foundation
used.

F
ig 3.1: Soil Test Investigation using Auger-Boring Method

3.5 EXCAVATION OF EARTHWORKS

This process involved the use of digger tool and spade to excavate the existing ground to the
required depth of 1.5m (300mm for column base). Due to the difference in the quality of the

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soils at various chainages, some portions were excavated to depths deeper than others.
Soils with good lateritic qualities were excavated and left on site to be used as backfill.

Fig 3.2: Excavation of Earthwork

3.6 FOUNDATION
This is the lowest part of the structure that is in direct contact with the soil which transfers
loads from the structure to the soil. It is dependent on the magnitude of the superstructure,
the nature of the soil (bearing capacity and settlement degree), economy and problems that
may be encountered during construction.
Types of foundation
 Shallow Foundation
 Deep Foundation
Shallow Foundation: (sometimes called ‘Spread Footings’) includes pads (isolated footings),
strip footings and rafts. The foundation adopted on the site is Pad foundation.
Deep Foundation: includes piles, pile walls, diaphragm walls and caissons.

3.6.1 PAD FOUNDATION

Pad foundation are shallow foundation that take and spread point loads to the soil safely.
Reinforced concrete enables relatively wide but shallow foundations, often designed to be
square plan area to make the reinforcing cage easier to construct and place.

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 Fig 3.3: Isolated Pad footing

3.7 BLINDING
Blinding is a thin layer, usually around 50mm (2 inches) thick. It is usually a weak concrete of
lower strength grade (1:3:6), which is laid as base preparation beneath pavements and
footings to provide a clean, level and dry working surface. Concrete blinding is the most
common form of blinding.
Blinding reduces the amount of moisture penetrating up into the concrete. It provides a
sturdy surface on which reinforcements for a concrete floor can be positioned.

Fig 3.4 Blinding with Weak Concrete

3.8 TESTING OF HARDENED CONCRETES FOR COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

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 Cube tests were carried out to determine the compressive strength of concrete.
Compressive strength of the concrete is the characteristic strength of 150mm size concrete
cubes tested after curing for 28 days. Although the crushing of the cubes can be done after
curing for 7 or 14 days, the real strength can’t be determined until it comes to a stable state
(28 days).

Fig 3.5: Cube Concrete

Apparatus
1. 150mm x 150mm x 150mm Steel mould
2. Trowel
3. Shutter oil
5. Brush
6. Tamping rod
7. Compressive testing machine.

Procedure
1. Steel mould was disassembled and cleaned thoroughly using towel.
2. Little amount of shutter oil was applied on the steel mould with a brush, this facilitates
easy removal of steel mould after casting.
3. Trowel was used to fill the steel mould with concrete in layers approximately 50mm thick.
4. Each layer was compacted with 35 strokes per layer using tamping rod.

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5. Surface of the concrete was smoothened with hand trowel and outer part of the mould
wiped clean.
6. For easy identification, concrete cube was labelled.
7. It was left for 24 hours before the mould was disassembled and taken to the lab for curing
and further testing.

Material Used and Definitions

Cement: When water is mixed with cement the paste formed remains plastic and
elastic for a short time. As a reaction between water and cement continues, the paste
loses its plasticity. Dangote cement was used throughout the entire project. Grade 42.5
N
Coarse Aggregate: They involve crushed rocks, pebbles and gravel, they must be hard,
strong and durable and free from any impurities. They must be greater than 4.75mm.
Fine Aggregate: It is added to concrete to assist workability and to bring uniformity in
mixture.

3.9 BAR BENDING SCHEDULE

Bar Bending Schedule or BBS is truly a detailed tabulated worksheet showing the particulars
of reinforcing bars as needed in reinforcement drawings of a structure. The phrase “Bar
Bending” is so because at the steel yard where different types of reinforcement are cut and
bent this table is used as a reference to bend the reinforcement bars in desired and required
shape and sizes.
What information a bar bending schedule has?
Bar Bending Schedule is expected to contain all the important information and summarizes
in tabular form. A good bar bending schedule must contain the following information:
 Position No
 Bar Diameter
 No of Pieces
 Cut Length

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  Bar Cut Shape
WHAT IS THE NEED OF BAR BENDING SCHEDULE?
The simplest answer for this question would be that money matters a lot and reinforcement
bars, in any project, takes a healthy share of the financial term of the project. Therefore, in
order to purchase material, we need an estimate which should be near-to-actual during
execution; this estimate may differ from engineer estimate which is only on the basis of
experience and is only taking construction or bidding tender drawings as reference which
are general and typical. Bar bending schedule provides the reinforcement calculation for
reinforced concrete beam. It provides details of reinforcement cutting length, type of bends
and bend length.

PREPARATION OF BAR BENDING SCHEDULE

Bar bending schedule (or schedule of bars) is a list of reinforcement bars, concerning, a
given RCC work item, and is presented in a tabular form for easy visual reference. This table
summarizes all the needed particulars of bars – diameter, shape of bending, length of each
bent and straight portions, angles of bending, total length of each bar, and number of each
type of bar. This information is a great help in preparing an estimate of quantities.

3.10 BAR BENDING

This is a process of interpreting engineering drawings and bar bending schedules, then
cutting reinforcement into required length and bent into required lengths. Bar bending was
done manually. During manual operations the bending of reinforcement was carried out on
a bending bench, in which reinforcement bars were fixed and F-bar was used to bend the
bar to shape. Steel is one of the best forms of reinforcements to take care of stresses and to
strengthen concrete to bear all kinds of loads. Y16, Y12 and R10 rods were used for the
construction.

Instruments used by Iron bender for rebar Tying

 F bar: It is used for straightening and bending of rods, they are various sizes
depending on the rod type. They are F bars for 12mm, 16mm rods respectively.
 Pair of Pinches: For tying of stirrups and cutting of binding wire.

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  Hacksaw: This is a type of saw used for cutting iron rods.

Fi
g 3.6: Bar Bending of Steel Reinforcement

3.11 BLOCKWORK

After blinding and casting of column base, 9 inches hollow blocks were used in the
formation of walls by bricklayers for the substructure.

Hollow block: It is a type of sandcrete block used for building external and internal walls.
They are made from cement, sand with a mix ratio of (1:6) and sometimes river gravel.

Fig 3.7: Erection of walls

3.12 COLUMN CONSTRUCTION

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Column Reinforcement

Y16 rods were used for column construction with R10 rods used for stirrups and stirrups
spacing were done at 200mm.

F
ig 3.8: Column Reinforcement

Column Shuttering

Using the 225×225mm column as description the formwork was made with plyboard.
Binding wire was used to lock the column in place to prevent collapse after pouring.

Column Pouring

After column shuttering, pouring of concrete followed, Concrete comprised of sand, cement,
gravel and water. The mix ratio for the 225×225mm column was 1:2:4.

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 CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 EXPERIENCE GAINED DURING THE SIWES PROGRAMME

The skills I acquired during the SIWES Programme is as follows:
 It offered me a great appreciation on the theoretical background of my course of
study.
 Handling and operating of qualitative equipment and various procedures use in
carrying out engineering tests.
 Methods involved in constructing an Isolated pad Footing.
 I was able to grasp adequate and understanding regarding quality assurance and
quality control in construction.
 I learned how to improve construction quality and productivity by ensuring
Environmentally friendly construction best practices and materials are implemented.

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  I learnt how difficult task were handled to ensure smooth progress of a project work
in conjunction to the time frame for a given project.
 Interpretation of structural drawings and bar bending schedule and manual fitting of
reinforcement and installation of formworks.
 Supervisory techniques involved in ensuring labourers deliver projects on time
without faulting in quality.
 Importance of strict adherence to safety laws and PPE.
 The students will have the chance to evaluate company for which they might wish to
work, that is, it prepares students for the labor market upon graduation.

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 SUMMARY AND GENERAL APPRAISAL OF THE PROGRAMME

The SIWES training at the Department of Physical Planning and Development was an
educative and informative one, as it exposed the trainee to practical applications of
theories and solutions to construction problems in real life situations.
In conclusion, the SIWES training equipped me with enough skill to compete in the
engineering industry and bring innovative ideas for urban development and
progress.

5.2 PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE SIWES PROGRAMME

The following challenges were encountered during my internship program carried out at the
Department of Physical Planning and Development:

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  Unavailability of structural designs to I.T. students which hindered the understanding
calculations used to achieve advanced structures and the methodology of achieving
structural drawings.
 Unavailability of test report to I.T students.
 Difficulty in handling humans was seen during supervision as most of the time,
Supervisors had to be on the tail of labourers in order to ensure that their projects
were carried out effectively.
 Heavy rainfall slowed down excavation process and casting.
 Extreme difficulty in securing Industrial Training Attachment.

5.3 SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF SIWES PROGRAMME

 The school authorities should assist the students in getting a place of attachment
within this period.
 The log book issued at attachment by institution must be checked and signed by
the institution and ITF supervision responsible during supervision not in their
offices at the end of attachment.
 There is need for greater co-operation between the industrial and educational
institution for better implementation of the SIWES programme.
 Students’ allowance and supervising allowance should be disbursed on time to
assist student pay for transportation to their place of attachment.
 Industrial training fund should formulate policies and guidelines on SIWES
distribution to all SIWES participation bodies, institutions and industrial
attachment.

5.4 ADVICE FOR THE FUTURE PARTICIPANTS

 The search for internship position should begin timely to avoid the problem of
not finding internship space.
 The desire for learning should be a top priority when searching for internship
position and not monetary gain.

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  They ensure they attend SIWES orientation programme before going on the
training.
 Punctuality to place of attachment should be on their mind always.
 The six months internship period should not be mistaken for a holiday or long
vacation, rather it should be an opportunity for the students to equip themselves
with necessary skills relating to their discipline.
 Students should embrace the program and draw out workable plans with which
to make it a success.
 The knowledge garnered during this training should be held with importance as it
will be needed in the future.

5.5 ADVICE FOR THE SIWES MANAGER

 Orientation programmes should be organized at least twice before the
programme begins.
 They should ensure that designated supervisors visit the students regularly and
to see to their activities.
 The managers should always encourage the students by seeing to their welfare.
 Log books should be properly checked, signed and stamped.
 SIWES management should visit the students from time to time to know how
they are doing.
 Companies or organizations refusing to accept students for industrial attachment
should be queried.
 In all humility I would like the SIWES managers to take into cognizance the fact
that sometimes abnormalities could occur in the system and this may lead to the
organizational supervisors to neglect the routine put forward by SIWES in signing
logbooks and the existence of students who complete the program
unsupervised. My sincere hope is that these issues would be taken care of.

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 REFERENCE

A Lecture note on Foundation Engineering by Dr. D. B. Eme (unpublished)

COREN (1991). Supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering (SITSIE). Council of
Registered Engineers of Nigeria.
ITF, (2011). [Online] Available at https://itf.gov.ng/ Retrieved on [30 March, 2012]
ITF (1973). Policy Document No 1. Industrial Training Fund, Jos, Nigeria.
Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Handbook.

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