REPORT

on
Industrial Work Experience – Block # 2

by

Risal Ravneel Deo

S11185128

Lawai Valley Road, Sigatoka

BEng CV

February 2024

A report submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements of the Industrial Attachment component of the degree of
Bachelor of Engineering (Civil)

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 My Details

Name: Risal Ravneel Deo

Student ID#: S11185128

Semester Contact Details: 8724299

Address (Physical): USP halls of residence, 11th hall, Laucala Campus.

Address (Postal): P.O Box 1417 Sigatoka

Address (Email): s11185128@student.usp.ac.fj

Tel:679 8724299

Vacation Contact Details:

Address (Physical): Lawai Valley Road, Sigatoka

Address (Postal): P.O Box 1417

Address (Non USP student email): rishalravneel7@gmail.com

Tel: 679 8724299

Expected Graduation Date: 12th April 2024

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Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have provided this project with
their unwavering support: Firstly,

➢ Engineered Designs admin and staff for allowing me to join their team of dynamic
engineers
➢ To Mr. Imran Janiff for his guidance throughout the EN001 program.
➢ Mr. Vijay Krishnan (Head of Engineered Designs) for providing me with professional
skills and guidance
➢ My Parents for their continuous support in my academic journey.

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 CONTENTS

1.0 Summary of practical experience

2.0 Letter from employer
3.0 Technical Report
3.1 The structure of the company
3.1.1 Services
3.1.2 Project Experience
3.2 My position in the company
3.2.1 Title of the Job- Geotechnical Engineer
3.2.2 Responsibilities and Requirements if my Job
3.2.3 Interactions with other Employees
3.2.4 The Job offer
3.3 Technical description of my job – weekly highlight schedule
3.4 Technical description of my job – Essay
3.4.1 Administration and Admin work
3.4.2 Borehole and Drilling Operations
3.4.3 Shallow investigation
3.4.4 Lab Testing
3.4.5 Reporting
3.5 Reflective appraisal
4.0 Conclusions
5.0 Declarations
6.0 Evaluation Forms

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List of Figures

➢ Fig 1- Borehole drilling in progress – Page 12

➢ Fig 2 – Borehole samples retrieved after drilling works – Page 13

List of Acronyms

ED- Engineered Designs

SPT- Standard Penetration Test
DCP – Dynamic Cone Penetrometer
YML – Yee Morgan & Company Limited
IPENZ – Institute of Professional Engineers New-Zealand
IEAUST- Institute of Engineers Australia
CBR – California Bearing Ratio
PI- Plastic Index
PSD – Particle Size Distribution

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 1.0 SUMMARY OF PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

Block #1
Name of Employer: Engineered Designs
Starting date of employment: 21st January, 2024
Ending date of employment: Permanent employment
Position/job: Geotechnical Engineer
Number of Weeks: 5
Number of hours:200

Total number of weeks of experience claimed: 200 hours

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 2.0 LETTER FORM EMPLOYER

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 3.0 TECHNICAL REPORT

3.1 The structure and operation of the Company

Engineered Designs

Engineered Designs (ED) was perceived through the management buy-out of Yee Morgan &
Company (YML) and has since than continued to be the provider of engineering services to
multiple projects throughout Fiji and the Pacific. The principal of ED is Mr. Vijay Krishnan
who is holder of Master of Engineering degree and also hold cooperate membership of
IPENZ, IEAUST and Fiji institution of Engineers.

ED focuses on providing clients with the most efficient and competent civil and structural
engineering services. ED is equipped with core skills in the civil engineering body including:
power generation, port development, roading, drainage, water and sewerage systems.

Over the years ED has been engaged with various clients that includes: statutory bodies,
Government Departments, Corporate organizations and individuals throughout Fiji.
Furthermore, ED has also been part of secondary consultancy to architects and other
consultants.

3.1.1 Services

ED provides services that includes:

1. Preliminary investigations, such as field surveys, designing and cost estimations

2. Preparation of contract documents, detail designing, calling of tenders
3. Contract administrations including supervision of construction, testing and
acceptance.
4. Re-engineering on projects designed by other consultants to identify cost savings
5. Cyclone certifications and inspections
6. Geotechnical drilling, laboratory testing and reporting.

3.1.2 Project Experience

ED has executed over 800 projects in the last 10 years. The firm has been vested with local
and regional projects in the structural design and construction ranging from multistorey
buildings, warehouses, offices, hotels, resorts, shopping complex, power generation facilities,
airports and even residential homes. Some of the major project name includes

1. JK Holdings commercial complex, Savusavu- 3 storey office/apartment building

2. Marriot Momi Bay resort
3. FMF distribution center and Biscuit factory
4. Laucala Island runway
5. And many more.

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3.2 My position in the Company

3.2.1 Title of the Job- Geotechnical Engineer

I have been employed as a graduate geotechnical engineer in the Engineered Designs

company. Through an email process of sending an EOI to the interview, I had been in the top
list to be selected as part of the dynamic team. My current status includes 3 months of
probation period and upon reviews from seniors and project records I will be taken as
permanent staff.

3.2.2 Responsibilities and requirements in my Job

ED has 4 geotechnical engineers including myself. The following makes up the team:

- Mr. Ravi Lal- Drafting and field specialist

- Mr. Manzal Hussein – Reporting and field
- Mr. Ansaar Ali- Lab’s manager and fields
- Mr. Risal Deo – Labs and Field technician

My responsibilities include reporting on geotechnical investigation. This includes testing in

the laboratory, site logging of drill works, shallow and deep investigations of soils, making
recommendation on foundation types based on soil strata and bearing capacity values, office
works of printing, filing and approvals, site reconnaissance and inspection for slope stability
analysis and mobilizing of drilling teams.

3.2.3 Interactions with other employees

The ED office comprises of 21 staff inclusive of engineers, draftsman, cyclone inspectors,

structural engineers, a receptionist, an accountant and the 3 head of companies. The
interactions with my geotechnical team are informal when discussions are on strategies or
plans but formal when it comes to reporting information to structural engineers and heads.
The work starts at 8 and 10 there is tea break of 15 min that allows me to converse with other
draftsmen and engineers on there project status. The company values young ideas and in
cooperate them with their experience to produce quality.

3.2.4 The job offer

Upon completing my academic units at the end of 2023, I started seeking for attachment
opportunities to complete my EN001 course requirements. I came through my seniors (Mr.
Shivnesh Nandam) who was also previously my TA for year 3 units. Upon his advice I gave
in my EOI with attached CV and cumulative grades. The interview took place on the 15th of
January in the ED office where Mr. Vijay personally addressed me. There was an opening for
a geotechnical engineer and due to my successful grades and teaching experience I got in as a
permanent staff.

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3.3 Technical description of my job – weekly highlight schedule

Week Date Highlights

1 22/01/2024 – ▪ Team introduction

26/01/2024 ▪ Borehole data logging
▪ Drafting
2 29/01/2024 – ▪ Reporting
02/02/2024 ▪ Filing and organizing projects
▪ DCP test logging
3 05/02/2024 – ▪ Shear vane testing
09/02/2024 ▪ Hand auger tests
▪ Reporting
▪ Site Inspection
4 12/02/2024 – ▪ Lab testing
16/02/2024 ▪ Atterberg’s/ PSD and reporting
▪ Mobilizing into a new site
▪ Test pits and DCP
5 19/02/2024 – ▪ Determining foundation parameters
23/02/2024 of soil
▪ Designing Retaining walls
▪ Major project supervision
▪ Western trip inspection

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3.4 Technical description

3.4.1 Administration and Office work

This segment of my work mostly involves managing and organizing business operations.
This portion of work typically accounts for my 20% of the overall work that I have done as a
Geotechnical Engineer. Some typical examples of my work involve:

1. Reporting on internal projects

2. Data entry of assets
3. Daily logging
4. Record keeping and updating registrar.
5. Preparation of quotes
6. Expanse forecasting for jobs
7. Client liaison.

Administration work forms the major backbone for any business. These tasks help
streamlining the day-to-day operations thus ensuring that daily movement are tracked and
process run smoothly. This information provides data from which productivity is optimized
by means of correct decisions. For example, data entry of assets with serial numbers allows
the engineering coordinator to keep up with maintenance dates and expiry of assets or contact
suppliers if an asset has malfunctioned.

3.4.2 Borehole and Drilling operations

Deep investigations of soil are the main component of geotechnical engineering that allows
the engineer to report on soil parameters, subsoil conditions, foundation options and more. I
have got the opportunity to attend a full deep investigation of a site that is projected to build a
S11 fuel tank and thus requires a full deep investigation. 5 boreholes are projected for this
job. The drilling operations initiate with Auger Screwing where the top soil is investigated
with contents of cobbles, gravels and rootlets. After the first 0.5m than drilling rods are
inserted and SPT tests are conducted every 1.5 m to attain N values. N values in SPT test
refer to geotechnical standards where parameters such as bearing capacity of the soil is
attained. The engineer takes a site log and records the data on the borehole log template.

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 Figure 1: Borehole drilling in progress (Source: Personal)

This site log is than inputted into a software called GINT or AUTOCAD that allows the
engineer to prepare appendix items for reporting. The Borehole data is logged in a
standardized procedure that is given by New- Zealand soil guide. For instance:

Color→ Major soil percentage→ Minority→ Moisture→ state→ Plasticity.

Example:

Dark Grey mottled white, SILT, with traces of gravel (residual soil) and shell fragments
(coral), wet to saturated, stiff, high plasticity.

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 Figure 2: Borehole samples retrieved after drilling (Source: Personal)

3.4.3 Shallow Investigation

This includes DCP and test pits. DCP test uses a scala rod and weights that are used to
penetrate into the ground. The information from this test allows the technician to report on
relevant CBR and Bearing values. Test pits uses excavators to dig a trench up to 3m and see
the soil strata. Manually logging is done by description of the soil. This site logs are than
converted into reporting by using excel spreadsheets and personalized software. Other test
that shallow investigation encompass of are: Percolation test to attain seepage and flow rate
to make recommendation for sewer system based on capacity and usage of building, shear
vane testing to attain samples for lab testing.

3.4.4 Lab Testing

ED has its own geotechnical laboratory for testing of soil samples and reporting. The lab is
equipped with all geotechnical apparatus that are calibrated using international standards. All
the test and apparatus are certified and approved. The lab does investigations that includes:
plastic index testing, Atterberg’s tests, particle size distributions, moisture content, NDM
testing and more. The samples that are collected while drilling operations are labeled with
date, depth and borehole number. Based on that particular reference testing and reporting is
done.

3.4.5 Reporting

For any engineering project, reporting is the execution phase that contains the overall result
of an investigation. For all testing that are done in the geotechnical department are reported
using company templates and formats that establishes a particular standard of writing. After
test certain days are allocated for the draft report. The drat report is cited and reviewed by
Mr. Vijay (Principal of ED) and then changes are done accordingly before handing it over to
the relevant clients.

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3.5 Reflective Appraisal

➢ Communications

Communications is one of the most important skills in the engineering work field. It
is the base of healthy relationships, networking, understanding and problem solving.
My attachment period involved communication with different people of different
status and background. To effectively portray ideas, arguments, generate
discussions a person has to blend in. especially when it comes to client engagement
and meetings. Information and instructions given must be definite, researched and
free of ambiguity. Slight mis communication can cost both the client and the
company a lot of dollars.

➢ Safety

Safety in engineering is essential to protect personnel from injury or harm whilst on

the job. ED ensured that the safety shoes, overalls are all equipped by all the
engineering staff. They provided these PPEs to their staffs. All construction sights
are equipped with proper signage and safety dust nets. Scaffolding is ensured to be
safe for work and harness are provided for height works.

1. Job Hazard Analysis- This is done prior to any internal project that is carried
out. Along with this, induction is conducted such that movement and
accessibility can be minimized before any drilling works
2. Safety Training- All the heavy machinery works are carried out by trained
professionals.
3. PPE- Those on the frontline end of the work are ensured to be equipped with
proper PPE. All the engineers are equipped with overall on site, safety boots on,
safety glasses in place and special considerations are given to helmets that needs
to have the chin strap on.

➢ Ethics

Ethics are important considerations that keeps an organization apart. To promote

positive work environment, build trust foundations such that equal opportunity, fair
treatment is received by all individuals. Ethics are important for a number of
reasons:

1. Establishing good network, trust and reputation- employees and employers who
display high ethical values are more likely to be trusted with greater value of
work with greater prizes.
2. Fairness and Equality- Ethics ensures a fair opportunity to success
3. Legal compliances- majority of the ethical standards are bided by laws such as
to prevent harassment and discrimination.

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 ➢ Teamwork

Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a group of people working together to attain

a common goal. The engineering department as a whole works collaboratively to
encounter the situation on hand. Each of the sectors of engineering department has 4
to 5 staffs that work collectively on daily tasks and projects. These are some of the
important aspects of teamwork in the work field

1. A successful team has a clear goal and role for each individual member
2. Effective communication forms the base of teamwork
3. Trust forms the crucial component of successful teamwork.
4. Team members should also have respect for each other opinions and ideas.

➢ Academic preparedness

Relating my industrial attachment with the academics that I have attained at USP. I
have been engaged in situations where geotechnology was associated. Knowledge
on testing procedures, calculations of pressure, bearing capacity, retaining wall
designing, footing design, pile designing and hydrology are all used. When it
comes to construction, I was able to dictate and explain technical drawings, explain
technical codes information and reason out on construction works

4.0 Conclusions

All in all, Engineered Designs company has provided me with opportunities to utilize,
enhance, build and to perfect my engineering skills. I have been employed in the firm as a
geotechnical engineer on a full-time basis. My works include deep and shallow
investigations, reporting, site visitation, data logging, preparing quotations and invoices,
office works and more. The firm allows me to put my engineering knowledge onto real time
application scenarios. Proficiency in any field is attained through confidence, clear
communication, good ethical display and workmanship that ensures how you shine out of the
crowd. geotechnical department is a team of 4 young engineers that execute jobs both in
western division and central division whereby sometime opportunities of work in the outer
island also gets included. My engagement and input allow me to put clear ideas, generate
conversation and interest to experienced engineers. They value and resonate onto my
statements. The company takes a vital care on the safety aspects of all the engineers in the
room thus, PPE are always renewed and taken extra consideration off.

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5.0 Declaration

I Solemnly declare that this IWE batch 02 report on “Engineered Designs” is my own
original composition which was carried out during my industrial attachment period.

_____________________

Risal Ravneel Deo

S11185128

24-02-2024

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 6.0 EVALUATION FORM

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