TOM'S report

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FACULTY OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING & SURVEYING CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION NAME: SELLO MATSEPE STUDENT NUMBER: 211174300 TITTLE: MID-YEAR WRITTEN REPORT MODULE: CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE 1 COORDINATOR: MS P OVERMEYER YEAR: 2014 Page | 1

Transcript of TOM'S report

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING & SURVEYING

CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION

NAME: SELLO MATSEPESTUDENT NUMBER: 211174300TITTLE: MID-YEAR WRITTEN REPORTMODULE: CIVIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE 1COORDINATOR: MS P OVERMEYERYEAR: 2014DUE DATE: 27/06/14

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TABLE OF CONTENT Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3

ABSTRACT 3

LEGEND 3

1. INTRODUCTION 4

1.1. IN-SERVICE OBJECTIVES 4

1.2.COMPANY PROFILE 4

1.3.STUDENT PROFILE 4

2. COMMENCEMENT OF THE PRACTICALS 4

2.1.HEAD OFFICE INDUCTION 4

2.2.SITE INDUCTION 4

2.3.SURVEY & BASE EXCAVATIONS 4

2.4.CONSTRUCTION AND SURVEY 4

2.5.STABILIZATION OF BASES AND LAYER WORKS 4

2.6.LAYER-WORKS AND SURVEY 4

2.7.BUILDING IN THE RAINY SEASON 4

2.8. SAFETY FINES

3. DISCUSSIONS 5

4. CONCLUSIONS 6

5. RECOMMENDATIONS

6. PLANT WORKED WITH UP TO DATE 7

*APENDIX A-report writing checklist 6

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author, Sello Matsepe, would like to express his gratitude to Martin & East for giving

him the opportunity of doing his in- service training at their company. He would also like to

thank his colleagues, supervisors, production agent and site agent for being patient with him

as a student learning the culture and the norms of the working environment. Furthermore, he

wants to thank the operators for teaching him the work ethics and approach when it comes to

the levels of leadership at site and the age dynamics.

He would also like to express his gratitude to Gregg Higgs who made sure that he got an

interview with him even though Sello was out of Cape Town. He would like to acknowledge

that the company believes in the quality of work and they would do whatever it takes to reach

out to those who have potential. Finally and importantly, he wants to thank Megan Adonis for

placing him at the site as he found it helpful to him because the operations that were running

on site varied and that will help in covering the scope of requirements for in-service training.

ABSTRACT

In the department of civil engineering, at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, students

go for their in-service training in their second year, which was before S3 and S4. Even though

this is rarely done in the university’s other engineering departments, it is very significant for

the civil engineering students to go gain experience in the industry prior to the completion of

their studies as they do use some of the experiences in their third year.

This report will fully detail the knowledge that has been amassed at the head office and on

site for the first six months. It will mostly focusing on the site environment. This is because

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not much was done at the main office. It will detail the events that took place from the

inductions up to the operations on site.

This report will focus on the experiences of Sello Matsepe, a student who was placed at

Martin & East for his in-service training.

Legend

M-grader: A grader that was fitted with tarcheometry equipment SSG: Selected Sub Grade OGLs: Original Ground Levels GPS: Geographical Positioning System G5: Crushed rock material that was mixed with fines QS: Quantity Surveyor SI: Site Instruction PPE: Personal protective equipment Troxler: an equipment used to test compaction Rover: a surveying equipment which works with the triangulation of the satellite

loaded with designs of the whole project

PLANT THAT THE STUDENT HAVE WORKED WITH IN VARIOUS OPERATIONS

M-Grader

Single drum roller

Tipper

Excavator

Digger loader

Dump trucks

Caterpillar

Rortivator

Loader

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1. INTRODUCTION

In the Civil engineering department, students were given exposure of the industry prior the

completion of their studies. This is done to give students a highlight of the industry. The

exposure allows the students to experience what it’s like to work in the industry and also

helps them decide which field to specialize in after they have received they National

Diplomas. Civil engineering has various sub major disciplines such as structural,

environmental, water resources, geotechnical, construction and transportation. These

disciplines involve knowing the global vision, approach to problem identification, problem

solving in areas such as infrastructure, environment, facilities and systems.

It is advised that every civil engineering student should have:

A basic management knowledgebase in areas such as business, resources, personnel

management, good communication skills, cost and value judgments and time

management

A solid foundation in personal and inter-personal attributes ethics

An involvement with civil engineering practice as formal education evolves

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1.1. IN-SERVICE OBJECTIVES

Sello Matsepe had a few objectives prior to starting the in-service training. These objectives

were in line with what was required by the university curriculum but were also there to help

him achieve specific goals during his training.

These objectives are:

Construction : Involved in or being responsible for earthworks, roadwork, railways, marine work, the construction of any structure or any pipeline (including the maintenance of any of the above) – Supervision, Control, etc.

Contracts : Preparation of contract documentation other than drawings, i.e. specifications, Schedules and Bill of Quantities, acting as resident engineers assistant, tendering, estimating, feasibility studies (including traffic counts), measurement, ordering materials, contract certificates, etc.

Design : Structural elements, water reticulation, sewer and stormwater, pipelines, roads, railways, parking areas, etc. (not drawing or detailing).

Drawing : Preparation of drawings, tracing, CAD, detailing, plotting surveying data, interpretation of drawings for purposes of setting out, steel fixing or checking etc.

Project Management : Understanding objectives, meetings, co-ordinating activities, quality assurance, planning activities, progress reports and charts, resource management, etc.

Survey : Setting out or surveying using level, theodolite, laser or total station, GPS or GIS, leveling, tacheometry, co-ordinate work (including determination of co-ordinates).

Testing : Soils, bitumen, asphalt, aggregates, concrete, pipelines, roads, water retaining structures, etc.

1.2. COMPANY PROFILE

Group Martin & East (Pty) Ltd is the civil engineering and construction management operation of Martin & East Holdings. The group also includes the businesses of:

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Zebra Surfacing - A long-established and highly reputable black top surfacing, road rehabilitation and road maintenance company.

TT Innovations - A specialist trenchless technology provider that offers innovative underground drilling and construction solutions.

Isidima Civils - A Cape-based civil engineering firm that is also the vehicle for empowerment of Martin & East Group employees and managers.

Isidima Trust - A voluntary employee trust that owns equity in the Group's companies

MARTIN AND EAST (PTY) LTD

Phone: 021 761 3474 Fax: 021 797 1151 Email: [email protected] Website: www.martin-east.co.za Physical Address: 3 Mercury Cres, Wetton, Cape Town, 7780 Postal Address: PO Box 14335, Kenwyn, Cape Town, 7790

Martin & East are civil engineering contractors, they deal in road rehabilitation. Road

construction, laying sewers, building manholes and any construction related to roads.Sello

has been placed at Gouda,were the other team of Martin & East is contracting roughly for a

year.Martin & East act as a sub-contractor in this project as the main contractors are Aveng

Grinaker LTA.i.e.When Martin & East is done with its work,Aveng Grinaker LTA approves

if they are impressed with the work done.

The contract is based on:

Base excavations

Building G5 roads

Building G5 & G7 platforms

Stabilising platforms and bases

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Excavating slopes

Laying storm water pipes

Bridge construction

Back filling bases

1.3. STUDENT PROFILE

Sello Matsepe is a Civil engineering student who attend at Cape Peninsula University of

Technology.

As part of his diploma, he has complete a year of experiential learning with a civil

engineering company. He has successfully completed S1 and S2.He is currently doing his in-

service training with Martin and Eats PTY (LTD).For him, he takes this is more than just

work, instead he is taking it as a challenge. The student’s enthusiasm is beyond measure as he

is willing to work anywhere for anything to complete my diploma.

Sello good in concentrating for long period. He has been placed at Gouda. The main purse for

the site that he has been placed at is a wind farm facility. He is a good team player with

developed skills in writing, also individual hard worker and able to work under pressure. I

would love to be part of your team for my in-service training, He could not wait to apply his

theory work and gain as much experience as he is currently gaining.Sello runs a daily

production which he calculates averages every weekend to get an amount used and also

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attends cost meeting and plant meetings.He feels to be privileged as he is taken into account

during meetings and in brain storming.

He would not like to focus more on experience because for him every day for him he does

take it as a new day to learn and apply himself to the fullest.He really works hard as most of

the time he puts on too much overtime to be on schedule. However he reckons that he can be

able to survive in most of the operations that he has been through as he grasped most of what

was done.Sello will be completing his diploma in the academic year 2015 at . Cape Peninsula

University of Technology

2. COMMENCEMENT OF THE PRACTICALS

The student began his practical training at Martin & East on…

2.1. Head office Induction

At the initial stage of being considered by the company, they made a programme that ran for

two weeks at their offices. In this phase not much work took place. Instead the in service

students, including Sello Matsepe, were introduced to the staff members of the company, this

included the Chief Executive Officer and the Human Resources Management Team.

The programme at the office was categorised in sections that were more relevant to me as a

student as well as the Go for Gold students, which was introduction to production, logging

into the company’s net, the information technology department, safety, salary allocation

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sheets, procedures of reporting incidents and handling of orders. The programme was drafted

for student to bring them to up to speed with things that happens on site, also to make them

aware of unforeseen circumstances that might occur on site. During this period they focused

more on the disciplinary and administrative side of the company the students were taught the

ways and steps of reporting cases such as verbal violation, threats, maltreatment, harassment

and the others.

The cases that were introduced to the students were found by the company to be more

relevant to the students and because these were the type of incidents that could occur. It was

done in a manner which the students understood that if something good or bad happens which

department would be relevant for such a case.

On the last day at the head office the students were taken to various sites that were in Cape

Town for exposure of site work prior the formal departure to the sites that they were placed

at. Sello Matsepe went to The Settlers High School site, were a hockey turf was going to be

constructed. He mostly did the surveying. This included doing a two-peg test, checking the

corner pegs of the hockey turf and setting out a grid. As he was undertaking these tasks he

was under close supervision from a colleague who usually did the surveying. Later that day a

braai was made as the students were about to depart to their respective sites. During the braai

session the students were meeting up with their site agents.

2.2. Site Induction

Site induction consisted of the introduction of the plant that was being used on site, being

made aware the safety issues, driving through the whole site viewing operations, meeting the

senior management of the site and planning for the day .In this phase students were given an

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opportunity to read plans of what they were being inducted on. This was done to familiarise

students as it will be the environment in which the in-service training would take place. It

involved a lot of plan viewing while driving on onsite, viewing the operations.

The induction took only a day, as the bottom line of site was production. The site agent,

production agent and safety officer conducted the induction. They presented relevant

information that linked issues that will be concerning the students in case of reporting. This

was done to give the students a gist of which route they should take if they had matters to

report or queries.

This was where he, Sello, learnt that there was certain protocol to be observed in any

operation on site. Every operation had a start time and a due date or a hand over date; also for

every operation a daily production had to be carried out at the end of the day until it was

handed over to the client. In the induction phase students were still unsteady. They asked

questions which helped the people who were giving the induction to comprehend a bit of

what they had already learnt and what they needed to know.

.3. Survey and Excavation of bases

On the second day of being on site Sello was under the mentorship of the onsite surveyor. He

was introduced to a rover. It was mostly used for tarchy survey on site. They did levelling

with GPS(Geographical Positioning System) and also set out a road. They then took a survey

of a stockpile of G5 for quantification. After surveying the stockpile the information captured

onsite was computerised and was turned into a 3-Dimension model in order to quantify the

material. He was under a close supervision for three weeks, because of this all his work

including costing sheets were rechecked now and then.

Although He didn’t get the opportunity to use the software of quantifying as he was mostly

based on site, He had an idea of what happened after surveying a stockpile, excavating bases

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and over-excavating of trenches. With the aid of the surveyor He made control points using

the Geographical Positioning System.

He got moved to a new operation of excavating a base, prior the excavation of these bases,

trial bases were dug to check the bearing capacity of the soil. The trial hole had to be examine

by the geotechnical engineer .When the trial holes were dug, they were dug to design level

such as a level, bench mark height. A staff was required to monitor the excavation.

The base that Sello got placed at was already being excavated He just continued from where

it was left off. In the excavation of bases He was introduced to an automatic level, which was

very interesting to him as he would get to perform a bit of a calculation before everything can

start running. At first it was a bit challenging. The terms that were used took him almost three

days to figure them out.

Before a base was sunk, Sello and a team of labourers and plant operators, used the receiver

which responds to the automatic level when a level was maintained. It was also used for

determining the staff reading before it was set to the final base excavation. In this operation

He got to learn a lot of new information and processes because the base that He was placed at

had a high water table. This meant a mode was dug around the base and it was also required

that Sello and his team over-excavate by a meter below design until they hit shale.

As the base was too deep they had to open up gentle slopes, which were also derived by

holding a staff at the bottom of the excavation and multiplying that with a required factor for

sloping. They came across a situation were more water kept on rising in the base. They were

advised to place bidim, as it acted as a filter and a separator. After placing the bidim, blinding

was casted immediately to prevent the water from seeping through the bidim.

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Sello was moved from this operation to another operation as the situation was critical. The

base was still on hold until printing of this report as they were still waiting for site instruction.

The base was being pumped on a daily basis to keep the water level low.

He learnt more about safety on this operation as most aspects were involved such as:

barricading when the operation stops on a daily basis

making sure that the slopes were correctly excavated

making sure the plant did not travel at the edge of the base

stockpiling a reasonable distance away from the base

He did excavation of bases for a month, each base had its own characteristics as they were

dug almost 1.5kilometers away from each other. The second base that He went to was mostly

rocky, moreover the plant that He had to use was equipped with relevant tools to be able to

prevail in such conditions. Tools such as a rock bucket and a hammer were introduced.

Excavating in this condition was very precarious as the excavator operator was not using any

GPS as he was breaking the rock.

Therefore constant checks of the levels were required as the team did not want to exceed the

design level. It was very expensive to stabilise a base so normally when they were excavating

on shale, rock and stable areas they stick to the design levels. What He had also noticed in the

rock excavation was that it seemed that the slopes were not as important because they just

sloped the base a meter below the ground level.

Prior the finalisation of the base dips were required to be taken and also the average. Sello

normally took the dips on the other site that the plant was not busy with and later on switch

with the plant operator and instructed him were he still needed to polish up. When working

with the plant all the parties involved in that operation from supervisors to general workers

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had to inform each other about every move they were making around the plant. This was

done to make everyone fully aware of the environment they were working to increase safety

and also the plan for the day.

After the excavations, He went to quantify the trees and also the concrete structures that were

remaining on the farm which the site was located. This quantification was done prior to the

site clearance. Only the structures that were lying in the centre line of the project had to be

removed as this project was “’GREEN”. Afterwards the quantity that had to be removed was

submitted to the QS(Quantity Surveyor) to calculate the cost and compile a certificate of

payment.

Illustrations of base excavations

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Trial holes excavated prior a base is excavated (done to check the traits of the soil)

Excavating on stable material with good bearing capacity (Normally excavated to design)

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Poor bearing capacity leading to deeper

excavations, that will require stabilizing.

Finaling a base using an M-Grader prior a hand-over to Grinaker LTA

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2.4. Construction and Survey

After He was done with the excavations Sello moved to a bridge operation where Sello and

the team came across an area where the footing was crumbled. It was then decided that they

mark the sections that were crumbled prior to their removal. In this operation He was also

introduced to the other tools. He had to be strategic as most of our work was relying on the

physical work of the labourers.

In this operation our Site Inspector said the team should only remove 150mm of the crumbled

section. The operation was quite crucial as the footing had steel for reinforcement inside it,

hence more attention was given when they were doing the cutting. He also learned that there

was equipment that needed permits to operate that for that certain time.

Tools used in breaking the crumbled concrete

Compressor

Two breaker

Centrifugal pump

Personal Protective Equipment

Helmet

Live jackets

Ear plugs

Reflector vests

Protective gloves

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The operation took more days than estimated because as they broke the crumbled concrete it

went deeper than the 150mm given. Then it was suggested again that they break as much as

they could until blue concrete was reached. It took them three weeks to fully break the

crumbled concrete.

Afterwards they had to prepare the recesses in the culvert spacing, this became interesting as

Sello was using a dumpy level to cut those recesses. Lot of things started making more sense

around the bridge because at first a wooden plank was cut to 75mm depth to be used as the

dipping stick. Subsequently in setting up the dumpy and taking spot checks in the culvert

spacing that’s when he picked up a huge variation. It was discovered that the concrete had

expanded as it set because on the other spots He read the accurate level for the culvert and on

the other hand the spacing was 40mm higher.

It was suspected that the concrete might have also crumbled inside and in order to examine it

about eight trial holes were drilled to the bottom of the footing. After drilling the trial holes,

the crumbled areas were detected by inserting a hand into the hole and feeling the sides of the

hole the hand glided down the hole. The holes were then examined and if most of them were

crumbled inside, the bridge was supposed to be demolished. Fortunately after the test was

performed it was found that most of the area was not crumbled so they opted for repairs.

Having being done with removing the concrete, they prepared for the repairs .All this work

was dictated in the plan of the bridge.

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Prepping of the recesses prior the packing of the culverts and finalising the breaking of the

crumbled concrete.

Breaking the sections of the crumbled concrete on bridge footing.

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Testing between the storm water pipes using a troxler. Also the backfilling team carries on

the tested areas

2.5. Stabilization of bases and layer works

Sello moved to a stabilizing operation were him and his team had to make stabilized material

with G5 for stabilizing the bases that went below design. This kind of operation sounded like

a relaxed operation but it was not the case as the other operations relied on it. At times the

pressure was too much as the student got questions like “when must we expect the first loads?

How many cubes can we run until such a time? How many cubes are left on your site?”. This

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kind of operation needed good time management and a team that was willing to push the job

until it was done.

Afterwards Sello moved to a construction operation were He did site clearance were a

platform of about 6000 square metres was to be built, it involved identifying existing

structures, confirming electrical cable crossing, water supply pipes, cutting trees that were in

the boundary pegs, removing concrete structures, removing waste matter from the dump site

and so forth. He enjoyed the site clearance because he fully had an idea of the point to which

him and his team must clear. The surveyor on site made it easier by setting out the boundary

pegs. In that regard Sello had an opportunity to plan the work and as well communicate well

with the operators.

Having being done with the bulk site clearance they began with topsoil stripping of the entire

area. The topsoil was striped at 150mm deep; it was then stockpiled at outside the boundary

for use at a later stage. It was required that the stockpile should not be higher than 1.5m as

they were dealing with topsoil This was done because topsoil was not stable when disturbed.

When He was still on the same operation the student did day-works for AFRIMAT which He

had an excavator breaking concrete in their wash bay.

Eventually the topsoil stripping came to an end and Sello began with setting the grids within

the boundaries. He flooded the area with droppers also putting levels on the droppers. After

they had the grids with levels on, He dipped the SSG and worked on his average dip. This

helped when he was going to import because he could work out what he was supposed to dip

after importing the G5. Prior the importation of the G5, tests of the SSG were required to be

carried out and also the OGLs(Original Ground Levels) had to be taken.

They did work the dump spacing and place rocks prior the tippers start the importing, then

when they were done they could start running. This operation used to keep the student at

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work overtime from the morning as 05:45 am, throughout tea, lunch and until 19:00 pm.

Once the G5 importing was running they placed the material with the aid of a loader and also

dipped the material as it were placed to ensure there was enough material. There was nothing

as frustrating as being short of material while mixing and processing. They used to import

around 17:00pm to 19:00 pm, so this needed accurate calculation of dump spacing because

during the working hours they would normally mix, process, cut final and slush.

This operation took place 50 meters away from the our site office, client office and the other

offices at each end of Sello’s operation He had to protect his work by barricading the entire

area that He had worked on and also closing his working space. He also ran the dust control

around the area as we were working in the vicinity of the offices. This operation took place

over a period of a month. After the G5 has been imported, placed, processed and finalised,

Dips of the G5 were then taken and they were modelled with the OGLs to quantify the

amount of cubes used in building the platform.

After the completion of the first squares that the client required He then moved to

stabilization of bases. In this operation the student was on a site that receiving the stabilized

material from the other team. Sello and the team of labourers were stabilizing a base that

went 800mm below design. He understood many things when He was on the receiving site as

he had to ensure that the base was fully cleaned and also the dips were taken prior the import

The was a sequence that they followed when they were on the receiving site, the team was

required to stabilise in layers of 200mm.It became easy if you quantified the amount of cubes

you were going to need per layer prior to the import. After quantifying they could just

manage the number of trucks as they tip and went. Then after they achieved the cubes for that

certain layer, they let a loader to flatten the loads; a roller to compact and then we run tests

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after every 300mm.The tests were carried out with a troxler. The results, place, time, and the

operation were recoded.

As the layers were being built they used a rover to keep track of the cubes that they still had

to import in order to reach the required design level. In building the other layers prior to the

final layer, accuracy was not very important. Prior to the import of the final layer, dips were

taken to ensure the exact quantity required. After the final layer has been tipped, the loader

fattens the loads as normal, then they used the M-grader to level the layer to design. The M-

grader was loader with the centreline of the project, design levels and it made operations

quicker and thus saved time. The team normally used it for finishing of work as its schedule

was tight on a daily basis.

After the M-grader completed its work, they let a roller compact the layer and then they

immediately slush. The team slush the final layer to give it a smooth finish, but most

significantly it was done to cure the layer. Then after the completion of the slushing they rung

tests, took dips and handed over the work to Grinaker LTA to cast their blinding prior the cast

of their base. It was preferred that when taking final dips of a base, a staff, tripod and a

surveyor’s level must be used because we were only allowed to be out with a few mills.

They used a surveyor’s level because the rover changes with the satellite hence it changes

from time to time. Normally this kind of operation lasted a day or two depending on the

travelling distance of the plant. However this kind of operations were only done if the team

over excavated a base. Sello took a week in the stabilizing operation (receiving site).

He was fortunate he got an opportunity to experience a stabilizer

Prior the importing of G5 the team had a hole of 14mx8mx1.2m deem which was backfilled

with sand until SSG was reached. It was backfilled in layers of 300mm and for every layer

completed a test was ran to ensure the compaction was sufficient. As sand was not that stable

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we needed 100% plus on the troxler and it was achieved by adding more roller passes. Sello

and the team also did a bit of cut to fill on the final layer in order to shape the hole around it.

This kind of an operation was treated as a day work as it was not the main operation and it

was also claimed on a different cost sheet.

Stabilisation on the receiving site(hole fully prepared and signed off for stabilizing).Base

went below the design level,its being stabilised to design level.

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Site clearance prior setting out the grid, taking OGLs and importing G5 at the keystones.

Platform tipped with G5 ready for placing.

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Dump spacing worked out(Importation of G5 in progress).SI advised Martin & East to lay

bidim on the SSG as their mobile crane is going to be using that as the road for offloading

the keystones.(mobile crane also called the elephant)

Processing G5 with a grader(Constructing a platform for the keystones)

Far left is the elephant caring a keystone to its position.

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Finished section of the platform for the keystones signed off. Elephant offloading a keystone

on the up normal load horse and trailer. Platform is to be built up to 6500 square meters

which is close to 17000 cubes of G5.

Building in the rainy season

The last section of building the platform was the most crucial operation that Sello had worked

on. It was still the same process that they followed when building a platform but the team was

encountering a rainy season. Every day before importing material they had to check the

weather focus and then after importing on a sunny day they had to do a weather check before

they left the site. If there was possible rain they had to do everything by all means to protect

their work. They did this by identifying low lying areas, and cutting them or bring fill

material to fill them up in order to avoid puddles and ponds the following day. As they were

working with a large area it was very rare that they could protected the whole area. Therefore

after rainy days they had puddles that made their material to heave.

It was quite tricky to work with G5 during the rainy days because once it absorbed too much

water it took days to return to its initial stage and also become workable. In this season

normally water tables rose and places that naturally had a high water table will be running out

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of the SSG. The team had a situation where water was running out of the SSG where they had

to dig a box of 12mx9m x800mm and also dig a trench out of it. This hole was only felt with

rock to allow the water to escape through the trench prior it reaches the SSG. This was done

to provide drainage if the water level rise so that the water could be drained out of the

platform running through a channel that was dug under it.Sello also realised that rainy

seasons are not good for contractors as their plans are dictated by the weather.

2.8. Safety Fines

This category is ran by a safety officer and this is mostly done to ensure that the employees

on site wear their PPE and always barricade if need be. Sello as a student found this very

significant to every operation on site as it protects whoever who is on site at that certain time,

this was found that it prevent unforeseen circumstances and severe injuries. The fines are

treated as warnings because if you get more than three fines, employees do sit for hearing to

explain a few things that they don’t understand about PPE, barricading and so forth.

This program was introduced later after few incidents on site, which came to attention to the

site office. Since the fines were introduced, the employees seem to be cooperating because

everything is in a shipshape. Sello as a student found it also as a challenge as he had to instil

the motion to his general workers who took it easy. He was asked questions like “why do I

have to wear my helmet while dipping the grader or doing housekeeping. However with time

the employees blended with the motion.

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General Comments

Sello would have liked to run a storm water operation as he only got to experience it for half

a day. He would have liked to understand the specifications around the operation as he had in

the other operations he had performed over a longer period.

He would have liked to learn more about certain equipment such as the troxler and the

trimble equipment. He felt that being able to use the equipment would be more vital to him as

a student as these were the machines that were constantly being used around site.

He acknowledges and is grateful for the fact that he ran two major operations which were

about sixty thousand squares of a platform and the stabilisation operations. Both operations

went well and were delivered on time.

He learnt that effective communication was key to a good team. He developed in the way he

approached his colleagues. He realised that it was advisable to be down to earth in the

industry and that he had the authority to give the instructions to the plant but the operators

carried out the work and were to be allowed to have a say on the daily operations.

As a student, he saw that proper attitude was vital as he was still earning his place. It helped a

lot to have a proper attitude as it becomes easier for the senior management to approach him

with projects even though sometimes he got limited time to complete them. This was

extremely significant for students as they could be noticed for their ability to make the best

out of a severe situation.

The ability to be frank about the limits of your knowledge turned out to be very important in

his day to day work. It made it easier for management to understand the knowledge he had

and how to utilise that as much as possible. It also allowed him to focus a bit more on

acquiring knowledge on subjects and areas he did not know much about. It was a

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demonstration of maturity and allowed for him to ask the right questions to get answers he

needed.

Sello aimed to what was expected of him as a student and to excel at it. He also asked for

extra work whenever he had free time on his hands and thus was able to learn quicker and sat

up to date on what was taking place on site.

6. CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, with what he has learn and done so far, Sello Matsepe now has a better

understanding of the industry and the site environment and processes. The exposure taught

him ways of approaching a situation. It allowed gaining exposure that would allow him to

make an informed decision on what field he would specialise in. It also improved his work

ethic compared to the one he had whilst in university. By working closely with experienced

professionals, he has put in more than what is required and tried to excel in whatever he has

done.

Sello fits well with the team because he knows what is required of him, also with a better

understanding which was yield from frequent operations made him to be able to intensify in

what he has grasped. He also believes that with the scope of work that he has covered up to

so far,and having to go on for another six months will only made him rich of enlightenment.

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7. RECOMMENDATIONS

In Civil Engineering team work and good commination are the first keys that ease the

tension amongst the employees and give them the liberty to become innovative and

proactive. The company needs to encourage good communication systems between

the different levels of leadership.

Operators on site need to be acknowledged as most of them have quite a lot of

experience in this industry, if operators are happy they will work harder on a daily

basis. It’s said “together we prevail but division leads to doom”

Its recommend that briefings every Mondays mornings and Fridays be implemented.

They will bring everyone up to date as to what the weekly plan is and also what was

achieved or lost in the past week. If most of the operators know what happens if they

lag behind they will be less likely to do so.

It is advised that the company must draft the students a programme which the will

rotate them quarterly such as from working with the quantity surveyor, safety officer,

site clerk, production agent and whatever the categories that they have on site or at the

office, this will help the students be able to relate how the different departments are

interlinked. In other words a site of this magnitude cannot run without a quantity

surveyor or a site agent it will seem to be a ship without a captain.

It might help a lot if students can get a proper introduction of the equipment that they

will be using. It would be interesting and an overwhelming experience if they are able

to fully use a rover in the absence of any supervision.

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Backfilling of bases with a layer of 300mm(After every 300mm a test is ran to check the compaction)Test are carried out using as troxler.

Workmen placing the material for the roller

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*APENDIX A-report writing checklist*

Were the purpose & aims clear?

Were the readers needs taken into account?

Were the main points included?

Were the points supported with evidence/valuable information?

Was all the information relevant to the purpose?

Was there logical order?

Were the headings & numbering clear?

Was the style formal?

Was the tone suited for the purpose?

Were the diagrams clearly visible

Were the conclusions & recommendations clearly linked to the purpose and based on findings?

Curriculum Vitae of Sello Matsepe1111 PLAZA PLACECNR Jeppe and Rissik StreetsJOHANNESBURG2000+27 78 619 8511 /[email protected]

Profile

A determined individual who is busy with ND civil engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology with developed skills in writing and working in teams. I successfully completed S1 and S2.I am currently doing my in-service training with Martin & East PTY(LTD) Personal details

Full names Sello MatsepeDOB 1991-06-19Gender MaleNationality South AfricanLearner’s licence Code 10Languages Sepedi and English Hobbies / Interests Reading, Sports and going to the gym.Marital status Single

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Academic experience

Institution Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyQualification ND Civil Engineering Subjects passed Construction material 1 Mathematics 1

Applied Mechanics 1 Topographical Drawings 1

Computer SkillsTechnical Drawings 1Surveying (Civil) 1 TheorySurveying (Civil) 1 PracticalMathematics 2

Communication skills 1 Theory of Structures 2

Construction Methods 1Management Civil 1

Surveying Civil 2 Theory Surveying Civil 2 Practicals Civil Drawing 2(module 1) Civil Drawing 2(module 2)

Last School Attended Boleu High SchoolQualification Senior Certificate (Grade 12)Completed 2009

References

1.Mr Tladi Geography teacher 082 450 7166

2.Mr Madira Principal076 867 8461

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