A TECHNICAL REPORT ON STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORK

EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES)

DONE AT

IFYHL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

NO: 20 OBIZI MARKET, EZINIHITTE MBAISE, IMO STATE.

WRITTEN BY

ANOSIKE LUCIUS CHIBUIKEM

2020/ND/36011/CE

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

AKANU IBIAM FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC UNWANA
P.M.B. 1007, AFIKPO-EBONYI STATE.

AND

SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL

ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF
NATIONAL DIPLOMA (ND)

i
 DEDICATION
The SIWES report work is dedicated to Almighty, my parents and all those who
contributed to the success of this program.

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
With profound gratitude to almighty god for his love and mercies, which have enable
me to write this report, to him be all the glory forever.
i am highly indebted to the management and staff of IFHYL building construction for
their support in terms of giving me access to their equipment and facilities. i thank
Engr. Paul Osuagwu, the base engineer, who took time, explain and show me the basic
things writing in this report and other staffs for their support.
i am extremely grateful to the school administration for giving me the opportunity to
blend my theoretical knowledge with practical and expose me to the work
environment.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT
Abstract i
Dedication ii
Acknowledgement iii
Table of Content iv-v
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 History of SIWES 1
1.2 Objectives of SIWES 1
1.3 Objectives of SIWES report 2
CHAPTER TWO
SITE PREPARATION
2.1 Meaning of site preparation 3
2.2 Steps involve in site preparation 3-4
2.3 Site preparation tools and equipment 5-6
2.4 Importance of site preparation 6-7
CHAPTER THREE
SETTING OUT
3.1 Meaning of setting out 8
3.2 Methods of setting out 8-9
3.3 Setting out equipment 9
CHAPTER FOUR
FOUNDATION
iv
4.1 Meaning of foundation 10
4.2 Categories/types of foundation 10-12
4.3 Functions of foundation 13
4.4 Meaning of excavation 13
4.5 Trench excavation 13

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 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE HISTORY OF SIWES
The engineering discipline is practical in nature and mainly hinged on experience.
Hence there is great need for any student aspiring to be a professional engineer, must
have some form of work experience while studying at school, in a reputable
engineering firm related to his/her course of study. Students industrial work
experience scheme (SIWES) is in accordance with the federal government policy of
technical education to enable students to be exposed to the working experience in
industries and to enable them to be useful to their employers practically and not
theoretically alone. The students industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) gives
students the opportunity to gain some relevant experience before leaving the
campus. The experience gotten by the students during the SIWES program would
enable then quickly fit into the industry upon graduation.

1.2 OBJECTIVES OF INDUSTRIAL TRAINING SCHEME

Objectives of the student industrial work experience scheme are:
1. To promote and encourage the acquisition of skill in industries.
2. It accords students the opportunity of being familiarized and exposed to the
needed experience in handling machineries and equipment which are usually not
available in the educational institutions.
3. To expose student to new industrial development and innovations.
4. To appreciate the importance of good communication skills and to develop the
skills.
5. To enable educational institutions to produce highly qualified graduates with
sound theoretical and practical knowledge in their respective disciplines.

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1.3 OBJECTIVES OF SIWES REPORT

1. To provide students additional opportunities on how to write fields reports.

2. To match classroom theories with the practical experience acquired during the
industrial attachment programme.
3. Make known all the practical experiences and knowledge gained during the
period of training.
4. Present a detailed technical report on the work done and the activities of the
establishment and to keep the report for future as a good reference material.
5. And finally, offer useful recommendations for further improvement of the
programme.

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 CHAPTER TWO

SITE PREPARATION

2.1 MEANING OF SITE PREPARATION:

Site preparation involves the demolition or wrecking of buildings and other

structures, clearing of building sites and sale of materials from demolished
structures. Site preparation also entails blasting, test drilling, landfill, leveling,
earth-moving, excavating, land drainage and other land preparation.

Construction Site Preparation work is essential for any project. It is important to

prepare a construction site before the main construction activities started.

The Construction site may have lots of obstructions like old buildings or structures, big
trees, sloping ground, loose soil, underground services. This may create problems
during construction work. Therefore before starting any site preparation for
construction is a must for the smooth running of construction projects.

2.2 STEPS INVOLVE IN SITE PREPARATION:

There are steps involved when doing site preparation of building construction project.
These steps are listed below;
 1. Soil Testing and Report Analysis
2. Demolition of Old Structure
3. Underground Service and Wire Mapping
4. Site Surveying and Layout
5. Site Clearing
6. Site Excavation and Earthwork
7. Compaction of Construction Project Site
8. Anti-Termite Treatment
9. Start Construction Work

1. Soil Testing and Reports Analysis

Soil testing is essential before planning and designs any construction project. Without
knowing the properties of soil we cannot design any structure. Soil geotechnical
investing is carried out to know the properties of soil, types of soil, and its load-bearing
capacity. So, the structural designers can decide whether soil requires any
strengthening treatment or not.

Soil testing reports various different details like type of foundation appropriate for the
site, settlements and related recommendations, liquefaction possibilities, slope
stability, groundwater level, soil bearing capacity, excavation-related hazards, soil
strength, soil classification, and many more information are provided in the
geotechnical reports. This soil investing provides valuable information about the
properties of soil and its behavior in the future. If the construction site near an
earthquake-prone area, then necessary testing and recommendation should be
included in the geotechnical report.

2. Demolition of Old Structure

The demolition of the old structure is important in construction site preparation work.
If there is any old structure then prepare a plan to demolish it with the help of the
demolition team. Demolition must include, If the structure is required partly
demolition, you should make sure the remaining part of the structure remains safe as
per building rules and regulations. For example, if any part of the building is needs
cracking then the necessary care should take to support other structures connected
with it. In this stage, the presence structural engineer or any other competent
professional might be necessary to monitor any movement or cracking.

Without a doubt, Systematic planning and work will help determine methods and
procedures in order to identify hazards, ensure safe disposal of materials, and
complying with legislation requirements.

As demolition of structure, you may also need an asbestos clearance certificate.

3. Underground Service and Wire Mapping

While doing construction site preparation work and excavating in urban areas, near to
telecom service, or near to railway line care should be taking no service line or
underground wire break and disturbed due to work.

Therefore, as a precautionary measure, you should conduct an advance survey of

underground assets or wire running below the ground before starting any construction
excavation.

Write a letter to the telecom department, natural gas supply department, and the
electrical department to aware them of your work area. This department receives your
letter and verifies if there service assets running underground in your workplace. If they
found any wire below your work area they will shift wire from that location to any
other so that no damage will happen due to work on site.

4. Site Surveying and Layout

Now, it is time to layout the building plan and fixing the exact position of the building.
With the help of survey pegs or physical markers, a surveyor will locate the boundaries
of the new building. A land surveyor will the position of pegs on a construction site, are
further complemented with engineering and informational surveys. Other engineering
surveys will assure that the building structure is built in the proper place and as
designed, while the second one helps to obtain data concerning topography, drainage,
and man-made features of the area.

A site layout plan is essential to have all of the important data at hand: where the new
building will be located, access roads for construction vehicles, storage areas for
supplies, the locations for drainage systems, etc. Having the site set out at hand, you
now know which area needs to be cleared of vegetation and rocks.

5. Site Clearing

Construction site preparation work involves removing any underground wood,

underbrush, trees, and rocks to a distance of approximately three meters from the
building zone. Topsoil quality is not good for structure, then removes it and replaces it
with a suitable type of soil. The site should clear such it looks flat and clear without any
undulation.

6. Site Excavation and Earthwork

As the layout of the building plan is transferred on the ground, the excavation work
begins and the soil is removed to a required depth in which the foundation of the
structure is placed. There are different types of machinery used to excavate and
transport soil at the project site. The type of machinery used for excavation is based on
the soil type, how long are the distance the soil needs to be transported, soil site ability
to carry the load, and site accessibility.

In case hard soil like rock is available on the construction site blasting, drilling, and
machinery like boulders, backhoe, shovels, and scooper are involved to excavate and
transported blasted and drilled materials when rocks are present at the site.

7. Compaction of Construction Project Site

The soil at the base of the foundation must be compacted to the required degree which
as per the IBC Code is 90% of maximum dry density. Compaction of soil at the base of
the foundation is essential because it decreases settlement and consequently prevents
undesired incidents. For compaction of soil there are different methods are utilized ad
tamping, rolling, and vibration are. There is various machinery available in construction
sites such as smooth wheel roller, sheep foot roller, rubber tire, crawler, and tamping
plate compactor.

Compaction of soil as the base of the foundation not only improves the shear strength
but also declines soil permeability and compressibility. Compaction of soil is important
while doing construction site preparation.

8. Anti-Termite Treatment

Anti-Termite treatment is essential for building constriction. Termite may eat timber
items and another material contains cellulose as their principal food is timber. Termites
are able to infiltrate into wall cavities, cracks in concrete slabs, and voids in walls or
floors.

9. Start Construction Work:

After all the task works of construction site preparation, we can now proceed to start
our main construction activities. Site preparation is an essential task needed specialist
skills to be carried out safely and appropriately. With well construction site preparation
work ensure uninterrupted working conditions for future construction work.

2.3 Site Preparation Tools and Equipment:

1- Compactors

You may have seen this particular machine on the road before, especially when a road
construction work is on-going. This particular building site tool used in site preparation
to level and compact the ground, and not just any ground but the ground that will
serve as the foundation for the building. The ground that will help as the foundation
needs to be compact for it to be suitable for construction.

If it is not compact enough, it will eventually become loose, and this will make any
building that stands on agree with the saying: built on sinking ground. The compactor
will make the foundation ground firm or tightly bound.

2- Wheelbarrows

Almost everyone would have seen this particular tool. Every construction site has a
wheelbarrow present. The wheelbarrow is used to moving loads from one place to

another in the construction sites. Loads like cement are needed in the construction site,
but they are always kept in a cool dry place, which is still away from the construction
site.

The wheelbarrow can be used to haul cement from the store to the construction site.

3- Bulldozer

This equipment is used to move unwanted materials from the surface of the ground.
Unwanted materials like heavy pieces of trees that cannot be lifted with the hands are
moved away using a bulldozer.

The bulldozer always moves a large amount of dirt from the surface of the ground. The
bulldozer helps to create a surface that is free of unwanted materials.

4- Backhoe Tool for Land Preparation

The backhoe works synergistically with the bulldozer. While the bulldozer does more of
pushing unwanted materials, the backhoe pulls up or digs out these unwanted
materials. Think of it as a big hoe. You will always find these mechanical tools and
equipment in building construction site.

5- Lever

This land preparation equipment is used to know if a surface is balanced or leveled. The
foundation of a building cannot afford to be sloping; it must be leveled. This equipment
will help you achieve that.

If you want to start new building construction, you do not have to bother yourself
about these building site tools and equipment. Those offering site preparation services
will provide them.

2.4 IMPORTANCE OF SITE PREPARATION:

1- Removal of Obstructions

If you are starting construction work on a new building site, you will need to fell some
trees, remove debris, rocks, and other obstacles. This is otherwise known as land
clearing. It will be unwise for you to think that you can do this hastily. If a shabby job is
done, you will end up paying for it in the nearest future. However, proper building site
preparation will help you to remove obstructions on the site.

2- Makes Excavation Easier

One of the highlights of site preparation is the removal of obstructions. This will make
the site open and remove everything that was initially present on the site before site
preparation started. This will make tasks like excavation very easier. Why? Everything
that would have posed as the opposition has been eliminated.

3- Ease of Access

For the engineers and other workers to perform their jobs, they need to have full
access to the site. One of the benefits of site preparation is that it removes every single
form of hindrance from the way. If this was not done initially, it would increase the
timeline of the project. This, in turn, will cost more money.

4- Damage Reduction

When site preparation is done correctly, areas on the site that have underground pipes
or wires will be identified. This will prevent the damage of underground pipelines
during construction activities. If any wire is accidentally touched during construction, it
may electrocute the person in question. This could even cause legal troubles for you as
the site owner.

5- Land Grading

This is an activity that is carried out during site preparation for construction of the
project. It is done for the land to take the shape the land or site surveyor wants.
 7

CHAPTER THREE
SETTING OUT
3.1 MEANING OF SETTING OUT
Setting out is the process by which information is taken from construction design
drawings and then pegs, profiles or other marks are set to control the construction
work and ensure that each element is constructed in the right position and to the
correct level. It can also be referred as the transfer of information on the building
drawing to the ground with high degree of accuracy. It could also be described as the
process of transferring the coordinates of a building, road, or structure from design
drawings to the ground/site.
A building is set out in order to accurately define the outline and width of the
excavation and to determine the center line of the proposed building walls, so that
construction according to the building professionals drawing (the architectural plan)
plan can be transfer into the ground, this building process is called setting out of
building. The center line method of setting out is generally preferred and adopted.
Setting out can be a very complex engineering process but with need experience its
quite easy. Experienced engineer and surveyors are those involved in setting out of
structures, in large projects, services of land surveyors are required for more accurate
transfer of levels and angles in setting out with the aid of a Theodolite to decide points
around the building area.

3.2 METHODS OF SETTING OUT:

3:4:5 square method:
Procedures:
At peg “A”, measure a distance of 4m along the baseline and drive another peg into the
ground at the end point.
Place the hook of the tape on the new peg (end point of 4m), measure 5m and clip.
At peg “A”, measure a distance of 3m above it with another tape, joining the preserved
measurement (5m) with the 3m recently measured, line “D” is obtained.
8
The same procedure is applied at peg “B” to obtain line “C”.
Builder’s square method:
The builder’s square is a right angled-triangular frame with metal sides ranging in
length from 1.5m-3.0m.
Procedures:
Place the square against the building line, making the right-angled end to be on peg
“A”.
Drive in a peg into the ground at the end point of the square that is not on the building
line.
Range or sight across the new peg and drive in a third peg on the same straight line.
Attach a string on peg “A” and stretch along the pegs on the straight line to introduce
peg “D”. Apply the same steps at peg “B” to get point “C”.
Theodolite method:
This is an instrument used in setting out at right angles to a line (in this case building
line) by holding it firmly against a ranging rod/pole on the line and sighting into its
peephole, through the unsilver half of one its mirrors, at the rod ranged along line .
Another ranging rod is then placed at the line and adjusted until its reflected image is
seen to coincide with the direct view of the rod on the main line (building line). The rod
is then perpendicular to the building line from the position of the optical square.

3.3 SETTING OUT EQUIPMENTS:

 Measuring tape
 Profile; the use of pegs driven into the ground and boards nailed across them.
  Datum pegs
 Nails
 Lines
 Hammer
 Tape
 Mallet
 Marking tool

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CHAPTER FOUR
FOUNDATION
4.1 MEANING OF FOUNDATION:
Foundation is one of the most essential substructures on which a building stands. It is
beneath the ground soil and the ground on which it rests is called foundation bed.
Foundation transfers the load from the structure constructed on it to the soil.
4.2 CATEGORIES/TYPES OF FOUNDATION:
Foundation is broadly divided into two categories: shallow foundation and deep
foundation. The foundation to be chosen depends largely on the soil profile, as well as
the size and load of the structure to be constructed.
SHALLOW FOUNDATIONS:
Shallow foundations are also known as spread footings. The depth of the foundation is
less than its width. The depth is usually 6ft from the lowest finished floor. Shallow
foundations are basically used in cases where the sufficient bearing capacity of the soil
is shallow and when the foundation material does not result in undue settlement. They
are mostly used for low-rise building construction. There about five types of shallow
foundation.

Individual footings:
This is also called isolated footings and is the most widely used foundation. Individual
footing is used to support a single column and is mostly suitable when columns are not
closely spaced, when the loads on the footings are less and the safe bearing capacity of
the soil is usually high at low depth. This type of footing is economical compared to
others because the requirement of the shuttering material is less. Also, it requires no
skilled labor and is its simple shape makes it time-saving. The sub-types of individual
footing include stepped footing which are provided with steps in foundation sides. The
second is simple spread footing where only foundation base is constructed and
followed by a column.
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The third type is called slopped footing which has a foundation base and is also
followed by a column.

Strip footings:
This is also known as wall footing. It is a continuous footing constructed at the load
bearing masonry construction where walls will be acted as load bearing structure. The
footing is constructed continually under the walls to support the load developed on the
walls. It is used to distribute loads of structural or non- structural load-bearing walls to
the ground in such a way that the load-bearing limit of the soil isn't outperformed. It
runs along the direction of the wall.
The width of the strip foundation is often 2-3 times the width of the wall. The materials
used in the constructed include brick, stone and reinforced concrete.

Combined footings:
The combined footing is constructed when two or more columns are close enough and
their isolated footings overlap each other. It is a combination of isolated footings, but
their structural design differs.
The shape of this footing is a rectangle and is used when loads from the structure is
carried by the columns.

Raft or mat footings:

Raft footing is usually used in the construction of basements. The entire basement floor
slab acts as the foundation while the weight of the building is spread evenly over the
footprint of the building. Raft footing is used when the soil is week so that the building
loads are spread over a large are. It is also used where columns are closely spaced. It is
designed as a single mat of all the load-bearing elements of the structure to prevent
differential settlement of individual footing. Raft footing is economical when one-half of
the structure is covered with individual footings and wall footings are provided.

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Strap or Cantilever footings:
This is similar to combined footings as it is chosen for reasons identical to those of
combined footings. In cantilever footing, the foundation under the columns is built
individually and connected by a strap beam. Usually, the exterior footing is connected
by a strap beam with interior footing if the edge of the footing cannot be extended
beyond the property line.

DEEP FOUNDATIONS:
Deep foundations are deeply below the finished ground surface for their base bearing
capacity to be affected by surface conditions. They are usually 3m depths below
finished ground level and can be used to transfer the loading to a deeper, more
competent stratum at depth if unsuitable soils are present near the surface. The sub-
types are discussed below.

Pile foundation:
Pile foundation is made of concrete, timber, or steel. It is like a small-diameter column
which is driven into or cast in the ground and is mainly used in bridge construction. Pile
is used when the soil below the foundation does not have the enough sufficient bearing
capacity to carry the load of building into deep soil up to hard strata. Pile foundation is
used to transmit loads to the lower level of the ground by the combination of friction
pile and end-bearing pile at the pile point or base. There are end bearing pile, friction
pile, settlement reducing pile, tension piles, laterally-loaded piles and piles in fill.
Drilled Shaft or Caissons foundation:
This is similar to pile foundations but is known as high capacity cast-in-situ foundation.
Caisson foundation resists loads from structure through shaft resistance, toe resistance
and/or combination of both of these. It is constructed with an auger. Caisson
foundation is capable of transferring column loads larger than pile foundations and is
used where the depth of hard strata below ground level is located within 10m to 100m.
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Caisson foundation is not suitable when deep deposits of soft clays and loose, water-
bearing granular soils exist. It is also not suitable for soils where caving formations are
difficult to stabilize, soils made up of boulders, artesian aquifer exists.

4.3 USES OF FOUNDATION:

 Distribute the weight of the structure over a large area of soil;
 Avoid unequal settlement;
 Prevent the lateral movement of the structure;
 Increase structural stability.

4.4 FUNCTIONS OF FOUNDATION

Based on the purposes of foundation in construction, the main functions of the
foundation can be enlisted as below:
1. Provide overall lateral stability for the structure
2. Foundation serve the function of providing a level surface for the construction of
substructure.
3. Load Distribution is carried out evenly
4. The load intensity is reduced to be within the safe bearing capacity of the soil.
5. The soil movement effect is resisted and prevented.
6. Scouring and the undermining issues are solved by the construction of foundation
4.5 MEANING OF EXCAVATION:
Excavation work generally means work involving the removal of soil or rock from a site
to form an open face, hole or cavity, using tools, machinery or explosives.

4.6 MEANING OF TRENCH EXCAVATION:

A trench is a hollow cut into the ground, usually with parallel sides and which is
typically deeper than it is wide. It can also be defined as a narrow excavation (in
relation to its length) made below the surface of the ground. In general, the depth of a
trench is greater than its width, but the width of a trench (measured at the bottom) is
not greater than 15 feet (4.6 m).

CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
This report has been able to x-ray an account of the most work – experience garnered
by me during my SIWES program at IFYHL Building Construction which is a core scheme
in ITF and which is saddled with the responsibility of strengthening the effective
teaching and learning of skill based course such as Civil Engineering. I therefore
concludes that SIWES is of great benefit to students in tertiary institutions. It therefore
implies that the proper and effective administration of SIWES will go a long way in
boosting and enhancing the competencies of the workforce of the country. I also
concluded that SIWES is confronted with series of challenges and this may have
hindered the realization of the goals and objectives of the scheme and it therefore
needs to be given attention by all concerned stakeholders. Also, my general
relationship with people and also work ethics has increased greatly.

RECOMMENDATION
In view of the relevance of the SIWES program, it is important that it is sustained by the
government through the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) as it exposes the student to work
tools, facilities, and equipment that may not be available in their respective institutions
in relation to their course of study.To this end, I recommend that the following under-
listed points should be implemented.

 The ITCC should also ensure frequent visit of supervisors to the companies where
students are posted so as to enable students to be serious minded for the
duration of the IT.
 I will advice that more Civil Engineering students be posted to the organisation
for their SWEP and SIWES.
 Students should be posted on time to ensure enough knowledge of what they
should learn at their respective workplace.
 Also, the ITCC should find a way to liaise with the company that students on IT be
given transport allowance or there should be provision of a staff bus for the
students, being an example I spent an average of 500 daily during the course of
the IT.
 The main essence of the scheme should be made known to the companies, so
that students are not assigned to tasks that are not of benefit to his/her career
development.
 It will be of great benefit if the institution can create a platform whereby student
can obtain presiwes knowledge or excursion programs, before student embark
for general 4 months industrial training programme.
REFERENCE
 Nicholson, Peter. Practical Masonry, Bricklaying and Plastering, Both Plain and
Ornamental. Thomas Kelly: London. 1838. 30–31.
 Beohar, Rakesh Ranjan. Basic Civil Engineering. 2005. 90. ISBN 8170087937
 Gillesania, Diego Inocencio T. (2004). Fundamentals of reinforced concrete
design (2nd ed.). [Cebu, Cirty, Philippines]. p. 259. ISBN 971-8614-26-5. OCLC
1015901733.
 ITF (1973). Policy Document No 1. Industrial Training Fund, Jos, Nigeria.
 Oyenuga, V. O. (2011). Simplified Reinforced Concrete design, (2nd ed.), chapters
3 - 7.
 COREN (1991). Supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering (SITSIE).
Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria.