Day 20: Bright Start Beach Resort Site Visit

On two successive days, we all went on a site visit to Bright Start Beach Resort located on Jumeirah Beach Road, right next to Dubai Ladies Club. It extends to an area of 60,000 m² comprising of a hotel building and an underground car park. The hotel is 5 star rating; it consists of 237 rooms along with other common areas such as restaurants, bars, lounges, pool restaurants, tennis courts and all different types of entertainment. This project is expected to finish at the end of March 2014. On our first day, Mr. Jihad Choueiri (project manager) along with Mr. Subrahmanyam (project director) gave us a brief description on the project as a whole and on the work in-progress at that time. Then the safety officer gave us a safety induction about every single aspect of danger we might encounter on site and how to deal with each case. After that we saw the piles being erected, all the steel bars being placed crossing one another in an organized manner, and finally we tried to build a wall using hollow concrete blocks and a cementitious mixture. Then we passed by the laboratory where some tests on concrete blocks were implemented. In the meeting room, Mr. Chris Battle (commercial manager) was there to inform us about all forms of preliminary costs since the project is at its early stage among which we can mention the costs of scaffolding, site offices, labor camps, water and electricity on site and many others.

On the second day, we were given drawings of piles and their caps along with the bar bending schedule. We located each bar on the drawings and then we went on site to actually see them. It was a very productive day to relate what we saw on the drawings to what is on site.

Day 19: Lecture on Delays, Disputes, & Arbitration

Today we had a lecture on delays, disputes, and arbitration in the construction industry with Mr. Ian Harper. Many construction projects will have some delays from the contractual finishing date. These delays can stem from the contractor, the client, or from factors outside of either party’s control. If the contractor causes the delays, it can lead to liquidated damages, a payment the contractor must every day if not finished with a project by a certain date.  If the client causes the delays, it may lead to an extension of time. Contractors can obtain an extension of time if there are variations in the original design, changes in the quantities of materials, and other reasons. A contractor’s request for more money or time is called a claim. If claims are rejected and the dispute cannot be amicably resolved, then a arbitration, litigation, or mediation may have to take place.

These are issues that every contractor would love to avoid, but at some point in our careers, we will all encounter these. It is extremely important for us to understand the process of disputes and delays, and some of the basic contract conditions and types seen in the UAE. With this knowledge, we can be prepared for any potential issues that may arise and try to avoid them.

Day 18: Tour and Lunch at Atlantis Hotel

It was another day off full of action and entertainment at the Atlantis Hotel in palm Jumaira. We had the opportunity to discover the Lost Chamber, the Lagoon, and the Aquaventure Park.

We arrived at 10 a.m. full of energy and enthusiasm. We got our tickets and headed to the Lost Chamber where we discovered numerous types of fish and aquatic creatures. After that we viewed bigger scale aquariums in the lagoon.

After that, we entered the Aquaventure Park where the fun lasted until the closing time. We first had a tour in the moving river around the place before some of us had the courage to try the leap of faith.

The playing time was interrupted by a quick lunch. After that, the fun resumed until the end of the day. Thank you Mr. Yabroudi!

Day 16/17: Al-Bonian Office Visit

This afternoon we headed to AL BONIAN office. AL BONIAN, which deals with MEP services, is a Lebanese company that was established in Tripoli-Lebanon in 1987. They are now classified as an international firm, specialty trade contractors, electrical contractors and provide professional, scientific, and technical Services as well as engineering services.

Mr. Suhyb Smadi briefed us about electrical services provided by the company. He gave us an idea about the low current and low voltage systems, and explained what they include. Afterwards, Mr. Tarek Ghaoui, the first mechanical engineer at AL BONIAN, introduced us to the Mechanical and Plumbing services, from which we can mention the fire protection system and air-conditioning system. It was really interesting to us, as civil engineers to enter into the mechanical world for a while and understand what is behind the MEP work on a project. To close our first session at AL BONIAN, we were given snacks. We all enjoyed the shawarma and falafel.

We began Thursday by visiting the United Precast Concrete site. It was interesting to see what we have learned from lectures actually being completed. Below is a picture of the rebar being placed before the concrete is poured. After the rebar is placed it is tightened and then the concrete will be poured. Concrete is strong in compression and weak in tension.This method creates a compressive stress in the concrete to counter the tensile forces that will be placed.

That afternoon, we headed to AL BONIAN office again. Mr. Tarek Ghaoui explained the MEP work process in a project. He went in details from the work planning to the shop drawings and materials approval passing by all the steps up to the project handing over. Finally, and since environmental issues are becoming a major concern, Mr. Job Anthony gave us a brief introduction about the green building concept. He explained causes of pollution from buildings and ways to reduce direct and indirect emissions in buildings. Again, cookies were here to give a “flavor” to the end of our AL BONIAN two sessions visit.

Day 14/15: Burj al Salam & Kingdom of Sheeba site visits and e-construct office visit

Today was our first split site visit with team 1 (ACME engineering) visiting the Burj al Salam and team 2 (Prestige Worldwide Engineers) visiting the Kingdom of Sheeba.

The Burj al Salam is a mixed-use development comprised of three different towers built as one: a residential tower, an office tower, and a Sheraton Hotel along with a parking garage attached with bridges. Presently the substructure (foundation) and superstructure (structural concrete above the ground) are complete and they are working on internal finishes and external finishes. This building is very unique due to the fact that the three towers are built together as one and also because of how DCC began work on the project. DCC was not the original contractor, but they took over the construction when the building had already reach the sixth floor. The client and previous contractor terminated the contract due to disagreements.

For the first day on site we received a tour of the entire building including all three towers and the parking structure. The tour was conducted by DCC employee and former DSIP intern Ryan Bistany. We were first given a site overview by project manager Mr. Mazen and safety overview by safety officer Mr. Riyad. We then proceeded with the site tour by traveling in a hoist (temporary outside elevator) to the 54th floor. Ryan brought us down a few floors at a time explaining to us the different features in the building that we were seeing.

 

For the second day on site we got to do some hands on work including building a block wall, applying plaster to a wall, and installing floor tiles. We all took turns in different parts of the process and worked up a really good sweat. The block walls were constructed by looking at the construction drawings and putting lines on the concrete slab to establish the wall location. We then put mortar and the lightweight concrete blocks together with mesh reinforcement between the layers. For the wall plaster, we used a spaying mixture to spray the plaster onto the wall. For the tiling, we learned how to screed out the black sand mixture that they use as a base for the tiles and then finally the cement glue coat and the tiles. We also learned how to cut the tiles.

Team 2 (PWE) visited the Kingdom of Sheba project, which is located on the Palm Jumeraih. The original Kingdom of Sheba was an ancient kingdom thought to be located in Yeman. This entire project was inspired by the kingdom and the architecture in Yeman. The entire project encompasses 34 villas and a 12 story building with apartments. The first day on site, we took a construction tour with the project manager Mr. Pat Doyle. We saw a finished mock up villa, and a part of the 12 story tower. From the roof of the main block, we could see an amazing view of the palm. At the end of the tour, we were able to get some hands on experience with false stone plastering. We learned the economic benefits and the process of plastering and carving false stones.

On the second day, we began a site project. Pat Doyle explained that a major connection to the main sewage line is missing, and that DCC has to create the connection. After being briefed on the issue, Mr. Doyle took us to the site where we saw the on-site manhole and the main manhole they have to connect to. We then had to create a method statement; including a description of works, traffic plan, and risk assessment. This activity gave us real world experience and showed us how much detailed work has to go into even the smallest projects.

Day 13: Introduction to Formwork Design and Hard Rock Cafe

This afternoon we were treated to a lecture by Joe Farina and Malcom Rees of Harsco Infastructure.  The lecture was an in-depth description of formwork on a construction site and how the needs are calculated.

Our discussion began with a brief description of formwork and falsework and their importance on any construction site.  We viewed photographs of the various types of formwork and how they are erected.  Plywood and steel formwork are the most commonly used and cover most construction jobs.

Next, Mr. Reese led us through two calculations to show how the formwork is designed for a specific job requirement. The beloved bending moment and shear digrams that have followed us through our engineering education so far made an appearance and aided in the calculations.

The most important part of the presentation was the section about what NOT to do.  We saw many examples of badly errected formwork and the dangerous events that can occur if the proper safety measure are not taken.  This lecture experience was very unique and very helpful.  We were able to learn so much more about formwork and falsework and how to make sure our construction sites are safe.

On this same day, we took a trip to Festival City to the Hard Rock Cafe to celebrate the birthdays of Dr. Clemence, Jenna Testa, Shea Tomlinson, and Eli Smith.  The dinner was a wonderful time to spend together and everyone got to share in the birthday cake.

Day 12: Nine Villas Visit and BOQ & S-Curve

We started of the day with a visit to one of DCC's current projects: the Nine Villas Project. Prior to heading to the side we prepared our PPE to get ready for the site visit. Waiting for us at the site was the project manager Mr. Hasan Yabroudi and DCC's CEO Mr. Abdallah Yabroudi.
We started by receiving a general overview of the project and its construction phases.  The project's start date was April 1, 2012 and is expected to be handed over in 12 months. The plot area is 45,000 ft² and the built-up area is 34,700 ft². Each villa consists of a ground and first floor ( G+F) with an area of 5,000 ft² . The project was designed by ERGA and has a contract price of 21 Million AED ($5.7 million).

We were introduced to the foundation work (which consists of strip footings and tie beams), to the columns form-work and reinforcement, and to the reinforced concrete slab. Also, we discussed the finishes of the villas externally and internally.

Near the end of the site visit, we saw the site's storage rooms, labor mess, and mosque.

After the tour, we went to Mr. Hasan's Villa which is under construction in its latest stages. Mr. Hasan showed us the villa's special design and the different types of finishes. One main feature is the inclined slab as well as the continuous internal and external white limestone cladding.

Following our return to the offices and our lunch break, we had a lecture on Bill of Quantities (BOQ) and S-curves with the CEO, Mr. Abdullah Yabroudi. A definition of BOQ was given and we did an example S-curve in which we calculated the costs manually and drew the S-curve.