Ethio Civil Engineering FINAL REPORT 2

Table of Contents
1. BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY............................................................................1
1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF TENDAHO CONSTRUCTION PLC...........2
PROJECT ORGANIZATION................................................................................................2
2. HOW I JOINED THE COMPANY....................................................................................4
3. CHALLENGES DURING THE INTERNSHIP.................................................................5
4. DEFECTS OBSERVED AT SITE AND THEIR PROPER SOLUTION..........................6
5. OVERALL INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE........................................................................8
5.1 SUBSTRUCTURE.........................................................................................................8
5.1.1 PREPARATION OF THE PROJECT SITE..............................................................9
5.1.2 SETTING OUT.............................................................................................................9
5.1.3 CONCRETE WORK...............................................................................................11
5.1.3 CONCRETE PREPARATION................................................................................15
5.1.4 BATCHING OF CONCRETE................................................................................16
5.2 SUPER STRUCTURE WORK......................................................................................20
5.2.1 STEEL REINFORCEMENT FOR SUPER STRUCTURE....................................20
5.2.2 FORMWORKS FOR SUPERSTRUCTURE..........................................................21
5.2.3 COLUMN WORK...................................................................................................24
5.2.4 BEAM WORK.........................................................................................................26
5.2.5 SLAB WORK..........................................................................................................27
5.2.6 PLACING, CASTING AND COMPACTION OF CONCRETE...........................29
6. BENEFITS FROM THE INTERNSHIP..........................................................................33
7. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION...............................................................37
8. REFERENCES.................................................................................................................39
BAHIRDA UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 2011
1. BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY
Finchaa sugar factory is a government owned plant whose ambition was to create a company
that has a comfortable environment for his employees. Finchaa sugar factory is located in
western wellega zone near finchaa valley. Finchaa sugar factory started in late 1970s it was
requested to carry out an investigation of several potential sites in Ethiopia for the
development of sugar estate in early 1980s detailed feasibilities of study was carried out and
also out line designs for all elements of the project;
 Field layout
 irrigation layout
 electrical distribution plan
 housing plan
 utility service
After the completion of the design work the project was handled by Ethio-Libyan joint
venture in mid 1980s. The project was financed with the cooperation of African development
bank, African development fund and bilateral financing package from the government of
Spain, Sweden, Australia and with major commitment of government of Ethiopia.
The construction work commenced on site in late in 1989 by bush clearing, surveying works
and soil testing. After this tasks are accomplished they move to the next step i.e. developing
cane fields, irrigation cannel pipe lines road way. Lastly construction of the main town
houses progressed steadily and at the same time the factory plant was being constructed by
international contractors.
The construction is continued further to plant additional cane on east bank of the river;
 to improve the road access for transportation of sugar

 to generate additional electrical power for pump station and housing service,
due to this needs the factory as a client select a contractor which sufficiently perform
based on the contract agreement .TENDAHO was a tenderer&a contract negotiation
were made.
Well done finchaa success continued well into the future.
FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 1

1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF TENDAHO CONSTRUCTION

PLC
Finchaa sugar factory G.M.
(client)
Project Manager
ETG Tendaho contractor
Consultant
Office Engineer Administration

Site Engineer
Finance Office Administrator

Construction Supervisor Data collector Clerk
General Foreman Quantity Surveyor Time Keeper
Carpenter Foreman Chef Guard
Carpenter Shift Leader
Mason
Accountant
Plasterer
Cashier
Chiseler
Purchaser
Daily Laborer

Site Engineer
The site engineer controls all construction activities on the site starting from the
very beginning. Generally, the site engineer;
- Set out the site

- Check the excavation and earthworks according to specifications and
drawings.
- Strictly follows the given time schedules in order to avoid any delaying on the
project completion time.
Foreman
The Forman coordinates the workmen according to their particular activity like
masons, carpenters, bar benders, electricians, plumbers, labor and operators on the site
order and control them.
In general the foreman;-
- Keeps the work moving ahead daily as the project engineer has planned it,
- Organizes and directs the work done by the skilled and unskilled labors,
- Studies the working drawings in detail before starting the work,
- Checks that the various construction works goes parallel,
- Checks whether skilled or unskilled labor, materials, is sufficient or not for the
given work schedule,
- Executes the order that come from the project engineer.
All the other members of the company have their own responsibilities and duties which will
be described to them according to the company policy and agree on signing the contract
agreement.

2. HOW I JOINED THE COMPANY
I have visited a number of construction companies which had negative responses

before I joined FINCHAA SUGAR FACTORY. Most of the companies I sent my request
letters to said they have already other students and some of them said they have no policy to
host interns. This was totally out of my expectation and since there were many construction
companies in the country and I believed they could host interns competitively. I had sent my
request letter to about 12 contractors and about 3 of the responses I got mentioned they had
no sight in Addis Ababa and asked if I were willing to move then I started to walk around
nearby construction sites and asked personally if they had places for interns. I joine FINCHA
SUGAR FACTORY because my father was working there and it was easier for me to work
there.

3. CHALLENGES DURING THE INTERNSHIP
There were many challenges I faced during my internship experience in the past four months.
Most of the challenges are at the work place. The challenges I faced during my tasks where:-
- During concrete works and payment checking for calculating lengths I encountered
that some of the dimension where not on the blue print so I had to refer to the soft
copies and also with understanding the details on the drawings I had to see the actual
field work in order to get a clear vision.
- In payment checking for the middle mat foundation for the payment prepared by the
contractor with reinforcement bar CAD drawings and details we were assigned to
check the spacing, numbers and length with a measuring tape and the length of bars
on site and detail where different so we checked the formwork position if it was
correct then it was right and the problem was the overlaps were larger so it was
decided for the payment to be prepared according to the actual field measurements.
- When casting concrete for the middle mat foundation there were lack of coordination,
because the area was large it was decided that using only the small mixers would take
longer time to cast the area so two truck mixers where used additional to the mixers
and since there was no gage reader for water insertion they used their common sense
by pumping from a container but when the mix was seen it had a lot of water and
segregation occurred for a day or two and those mixes where used for making bonds
for the next casting of concrete. And for the case of proportion of water as time went
by, they corrected it by common sense after trying a few times.
- During the casting of the middle mat foundation since it was a large area the mixing
was done with truck mixers and was casted using shooters for short distances and
concrete pump for the longer ones. In using the concrete pump even though
plasticizers were used which help the concrete not to harden quickly and make it
consistent the mix was stuck on the path and pressure got it to burst and got few
workers harmed. Also we were checking the casting process nearby but we were
unharmed.

4. PROBLEMS OBSERVED AT SITE AND THEIR PROPER SOLUTION
As per design the work at site may not took place because of some errors and
misunderstanding by site engineers or may be due to carelessness of site engineers .since the
purpose of design is to ensure that ,the structure being designed will not become unfit for
the use it is required which ensure suitable margin of safety.
Accepting the fact that the strength of construction material varies, as do also the loads on
the structure, two partial safety factors are present.
 Factor of safety for material

 Factor of safety for loading, by considering these two factor of safety we can
ensure the ultimate resistance of section.
 Some problems observed at site
 As per design the spacing of stirrup is denser at supports or end span
and more spaced at middle span but at site the stirrups of beam are
uniformly spaced.
 As we know that the clear horizontal and vertical distance between the
bars shall be at least equal to the largest of the following values:
a. 20mm
b. The diameter of the largest bar or effective diameter or bundle.
c. The maximum size of aggregate plus 5mm.
Where the bars are positioned in separate horizontal layers, the bars in each layer should be
located vertically above each other and the space between the resulting columns of the bar
should permit the passage of an internal vibrator. But also I observed at the site the bar
spacing is not uniform and don’t allow the entrance of vibrator.
 The problem with bar splicing ;since reinforcing bars are limited in
length (12m),the bar splicing follows some rules :
a. Splicing of bars must be avoided at points of maximum
moment.
b. Bars which are spliced should be spread out.

c. Splicing is made simply by lapping the bars a sufficient

distance to transfer stress by bond from one bar to the
other.
But, very small over lapping length of bar is observable at site.
 Preparation of medicinal treatment center (first aid); since engineering

work needs safety and care there should be first aid center.
Example: most of daily laborers get injured but no one can look back
them.
However all workers have safety shoes which is really good for safety. but no one have a
safety helmet. Workman ship problem observed after proper inspection.
 Delivery of material and equipment shortage
Example: in site, the site engineers command to construct structural elements as slab without
pre preparation such as:
 Sand
 Stones
 Water pumps
 Shower truck
 Shortage of mixing machine, due to these parameters
discontinuity of work that results leakage, cracks…are
observed.
 Design clarification problems
Example: some floor slabs, beams, footing beds and so on.
 Some site engineers are careless even they do not re erect the beams,
slabs reinforcement before casting and do not use on some places
spacer bars even the spacers may break but they do not replaced.
 Care for formwork is not satisfactory.
At finchaa referral hospital construction site there are dominant problems regarding
formwork.

 The formwork is not sufficiently rigid during placing and

compacting of concrete which results the formwork to escape
back and creation of unwanted structure. Due to this cutting
away and excess chiseling is necessary to broke. That is
uneconomical and time consuming to broke extra escaped
concrete which may result crack and leakage mostly on
structure such as slabs and top beams.
 The formwork is not sufficiently tight which results loss of
liquid from concrete.
 Cleaning and treatment formwork problem is dominant at the
site. That means they do not remove rubbish, particularly
chippings, shavings and sawdust from interior of the forms
before concrete is placed.
Generally, the aim of design of a member is to ensure resistance of section of a beam,
column, slab or any structural element along all planes and achieve structure or part of
structure that will result safe and economical solution. So we need to care for design when we
construct or inspect for construction.
5. Overall internship experience
During the past four months during my internship stay in FINCHAA SUGAR
FACTORY, I have experienced a wide range of knowledge in different construction works.
There were different kinds of construction works including hospital building, condominium
apartments, store building, canal and culverts.
The major procedures we followed are discussed in detail below;
5.1 Substructure
Sub structure is one part of a structure which is found below the ground surface. It is
used to transfer load from super structure (i.e. the structural part which is found above the
ground surface) to the ground surface mainly soil mass or bed rock. In this stage of
construction work the following works are to be done at the site of the project:

5.1.1 Preparation of the project site
This is the first stage in construction work. At this stage the site is prepared as follows:
 Clearing the site,

 Dewatering if any water exist,
 Preparing place for storing construction material,
 Preparing a haul road and other such things are done.
Site clearing
Site clearing is one type of excavation that is used to prepare the site for work .while we do
site cleaning we have to clear and remove top soil to an average depth of 200mm.during these
we must clear by adding about 1m from each corner of building. This creates safe condition
for the remaining work.
Trees, bushes, stones, and other unnecessary things must be removed while clearing the
site.
During excavations if we face public pipe lines, sewer lines as much as possible we must
shift the pipes unless if difficult we change the site.
I have observed site clearance for reservoir and pump house.
5.1.2 SETTING OUT
The very first task before the erection of any building is the proper setting out. Setting
out, which is a task of field surveyors, is a process of putting the exact/actual form of the
building from a plan or map provided to the ground. Given the site plan, the surveyors will
indicate the posterior column edges of the building’s corners using pegs. Take the figure
below for instance. Here the surveyor will mark points A, B, C and D using pegs.

Fig. 1 setting out (Pegs showing posterior edge of columns)
Once these points are indicated, the construction site has to be cleared of any
obstruction to the work. Following the clearance bulk excavation will be held. In most cases
bulldozers are utilized both for the site clearance and bulk excavation at once. For the
bulldozers to operate in an accurate manner they will be given a minimum of 1 meter
working space. Here is what has been done by the engineers before the excavation as not to
miss the pegs during the bulk excavation.
Bulk excavation
Bulk excavation is done when the terrain of the ground is not leveled i.e. when there is
elevation difference on the site where the building is going to rest.
Back fill
Back fill is to mean replacing excavated soil or selected material from another place and
compacting around foundation and hard core. We carry over compacting in layers of
appropriate thickness. Well compaction is necessary because reduces voids, approve strength
[safe bearing capacity] of soil which creates safe condition for buildings.
I have observed when back fill is done under hard core, hard core us 250mmthick basaltic
stone well rolled, consolidate and blinded with crushed stone. Almost the back fill done at
site is by material excavated from site.

Cart away
The bulk excavated must be removed from site, to facilitate the working condition.
The volume of the load cart away =volume of excavation - volume of back fill.
5.1.3 Concrete work
Concrete is the most crucial part of any project. All construction work greatly needs
concrete.
Concrete is stone like material obtained artificially by hardening of mixture of cement,

inert aggregate materials (fine and course) in a pre determined amount. Setting of concrete is
achieved due to the exothermic chemical reaction between cement and water. The water
cement ratio required for complete chemical reaction is about 0.25.the reaction between
cement and water is relatively slow and requires time and favorable temperature for its
completion. The strength of concrete depends up on the quality of its ingredients, their
relative quantities and manner in which they are mixed, compacted and cured.
Concrete is very important for the structural constructions as in beams, slab, column,
retaining wall, concrete pavement, shear wall, bridge etc.
Concrete is selected because of its unique advantages such as;
 Concrete is highly resistance to compressive force

 It is highly resistance to fire
 It is good insulator
 Easily molded into any shape
 Water proof, if it properly mixed, vibrated, chiseled and plastered.
Two types of concrete is observable at site
 Lean concrete
 Reinforced concrete

Lean concrete
Lean concrete is concrete of 5mm thick with class, C-5 with minimum cement content of
150kg/m3 of concrete. Approximately at ratio of1:4:6.
I have informed this kind of concrete used under;
 Footing
 Grade beam
 Floor slab
 Masonry foundation
 Retaining wall.
Advantages of lean concrete
o It protects all sub-structure element from extra moisture

o It act like hard stratum
o It prevents the soil particles that are present under substructure from any
relative movement
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is composite material made of concrete and steel. Plain concrete
possesses high compressive strength, but little tensile strength which makes it week in
bending, shear, torsion.
Reinforced concrete is more advantageous than lean concrete because of its high strength
in both tension and compression. In RC the steel provides the tensile strength and concrete
provides the compressive strength.
The tensile stresses developed in the section are transferred to reinforcing steel by bond
between the interfaces of the two materials.
Reinforcing steel and concrete may work readily due to the following reasons;
 Bond between the bars and surrounding concrete prevents slip of the bars relative to
the concrete.
 Proper concrete mixes provide adequate impermeability of concrete against bar
corrosion.
 Sufficiently similar rates of thermal expansion for the two materials introduce
negligible stresses between steel and concrete under temperature changes.
Advantages of reinforced concrete
oIts durable(does not deteriorate with time)

oIts moldable into any desired shape
oIts fire, weather, and corrosion resistant.
oIts monolithic
oIt can be water tight if proper proportioning of mix
oMaintenance cost is nil.
On site ,I have told that reinforced concrete class C-25, with minimum cement content of
360kg/m3 filled into formwork and vibrated around steel with cement :sand: gravel ratio of
1:2:3,in
o Foundation column
o Grade beam
o Foundation concrete wall
o Iterance slab
o Ramp at iterance.
Generally, the concrete work completed before my arrival at referral hospital
construction site is,
 thick lean concrete class C-5 ,with minimum 5cm cement

content of 150kg/m3 by mix design ratio of 1part cement ,
4part aggregate ,6part sand that is 1:4:6,
 under footing
 under grade beam
 under floor slab
 under masonry foundation
 Reinforced concrete class C-25,with minimum cement content of

360kg/m3 by mix design ratio 1:2:3;

 in isolated foundation footing

 in foundation column
 in grade beam
 in foundation concrete wall
 in iterance slabs
 in ramp at iterance
 10cm thick reinforced concrete class C-15,with minimum cement

content of 280kg/m3 by mix design 1:2.5:3.5 evenly spread and
leveled
 under isolated foundation footing
 under foundation column
 Under grade beam.

5.1.3 CONCRETE PREPARATION
Concrete is a material that forms by the proportioned and well monitored mixing of
aggregate, cement and water. Concrete is known for its high compressive strength. After the
mix has been cast, it will take it 28 days to attain its maximum compressive strength.
Concrete is made by mixing: Cement, water, course fine aggregates and admixtures (if
required). The aim is to mix these materials in measured amounts to make concrete that is
easy to: Transport, place, compact, finish and which will set, and harden, to give a strong and
durable product. The amount of each material (i.e. cement, water and aggregates) affects the
properties of hardened concrete.
The three ingredients of concrete: aggregate, cement and water are combined to give a
hard and monolithic solid that would take the form of the container (formwork) it has been
casted in to this while it was fresh.
For the concrete to meet its intended purposes its ingredients have to be of good quality
and the batching and mixing of the ingredients/constituents should be handled in a concrete
friendly environment.
Aggregate falls in to two categories based on size:
1. Coarse aggregate
2. Fine aggregate
Measurement of the Ingredients of Concrete
Cement comes from the factory in bags/sachets. It is with the number of bags of cement
consumed that that we measure the amount of cement. However the other ingredients do not
come in bags, so a field measurement is essential. The amount of both fine and coarse
aggregate could be measured in two ways:
i. Measure by weight
ii. Measure by volume

A. Measure by weight
This is a method where a beam balance or scale balance is used to measure and adjust
the right quantity (in grams, kilograms…) of sand and aggregate. For a person to use this
method, it’s better to have the mix ratio by weight.
For instance: for a mix ratio by volume of 1:2:3 (1 cement, 2 sand & 3 aggregate) the
ratio could be converted in to weight as follows.
 1 bag/sack of cement weighs 50Kg

 Therefore the sand should weigh 2*50Kg = 100Kg and
 The aggregate should weigh 3*50Kg = 150Kg.
But this method of measuring is time taking and not applicable in smaller constructions.
B. Measure by Volume
This method is highly practiced on site and is seen to be widespread on the project sites
I was practiced too. In applying this method it is usual to see people in the construction
world use boxes made either from wood or metal of various sizes and volumes.
As in most building constructions in our country, this method of measuring was the one
that was mostly adopted. a box having a volume of 32,000cm 3 were used. Accordingly
boxes of the following dimensions were produced:
i.40cmx50cmx16cm—when struck volume is used, and
ii.40cmx50cmx18cm—when hipped with an inclination of 1:2 (H: V)
5.1.4 Batching Of Concrete

According to the material specification provided the ingredients of concrete are mixed
with a certain ratio for different concrete works. They are of different grade (i.e. their
strength, durability) are different. And hence they are used in different structure according to
the structural requirement. For instance concrete of type:
C5—is used for lean concrete.
C15—for ground floor slabs.
C25—for all other structural elements.

The mixing ratio of the sand, cement and coarse aggregate + water differs from one concrete type to
another. The mix design by volume specifies that for lean concrete a mix ratio of 1:6:7 (1 cement: 6 sand
and 7 aggregate) should be used. A mix of 1:2:3 was adopted for all other concrete works. Refer to the table
below for more information.
Design mix Max. size of Minimum Minimum crushing Alternative Max. w/c
quality coarse Cement strength of test cubes Nominal Ratio by
7 days 28 days
aggregate content Mixes by weight weight
C15 20mm 200kg/m3 9.0N/mm2 15.0 N/mm2 1:4:8 0.7
C20 20mm 250 kg/m3 14.0 N/mm2 20.0 N/mm2 1:4:6 0.7
C25 20mm 360 kg/m3 17.0 N/mm2 25.0 N/mm2 1:4:6 0.7
Table 1 concrete mixes.
The ESCP-2: part 1:1983 also has another method of preparation of different type of grade
of concrete using standard box sizes measured in cm .the volume of coarse aggregate sand
and water used is given in the table below per 50 kg bag of cement for different grade of
concrete.
Fig.2 measuring boxes
Masonry work /stone masonry/

The stone masonry observed at site is of random rubble type. Masonry work may include
sub structural or super structural. At this site stone masonry is used for retaining wall which
separates the building into two zones.
Since the topography of construction site is ragged and the total bulk excavation is highly
economical they prefer retaining wall to retain the soil at high elevation by leveling and
compaction, So that the grade beam can lay horizontal.
Materials for stone masonry
Dominant materials of masonry available at site for construction of retaining wall;
1. Mortar is prepared at site which is a homogeneous mixture produced by uniform

mixing of binder with inert materials such as sand and water to make a paste of required
consistency and is used to bind a masonry unit.
Materials used at Finchaa referral hospital site to prepare mortar.
a) Materials which causes adhesion when dried from wet plastic state such as
clay, mud, etc.
b) Cementations ingredients such as cement, lime, or mortar combination of
this two. In this mixture sand is used as a filter along with these binders to
reduce the shrinkage characteristics of the mortar.
2. Stone the stone available at the site is obtained only from approved quarry which is
igneous rock type.
The stone used for masonry should be hard, durable, tough and sound, free from weathering,
decay or defects like cavities, cracks, sand holes, etc.
Desired properties of concrete
Workability: The concrete mix should be workable, so that it can be placed and consolidated
properly by the workmen.
Hardness, cohesiveness and strength:

Concrete must be resistant to freezing, thawing, water tight (permeable), wear resistance, and
strength.

Economy:
Since the quality mainly depends on the w/c ratio, the water requirement should be
minimized to reduce the cement requirement and hence cost.
Mixing of concrete
The process of combining the ingredients of concrete to give the required property
such as: strength, durability, workability and other. Mostly it is done by mixers and manually
if the project is small and the concrete needed is small enough to mix with hand.
Fig.3 Concrete mixer
Mixing time
It is important to know the minimum mixing time necessary to produce a concrete

of uniform composition, and of reliable strength.
The mixing time or period should be measured from time all the cementing materials
and aggregates are in mixer drum till taking out the concrete.
Mixing time depends on the type and size of mixer, on the speed of rotation, and on the
quality of blending of ingredients during charging of the mixer. Generally, a mixing time of
less than 1 to 1.25 minutes produces appreciable non-uniformity in composition and a
significant lower strength; mixing beyond 2 minutes causes no significant improvement in
these pro.

5.2 Super structure work
Super structure is part of building above ground surface as columns, beams, slabs, etc.
5.2.1 Steel reinforcement for super structure

It is observed at site that steel reinforcement is stored in clean condition. It should be
reasonably free from loose rust and other impurities such as grease oil, or tar and other kind
of dirt.
The steel observed at site is available in the form of round bars and welded wire
fabric. But the most commonly used bars have projected ribs on the surface of the bars which
is called ribbed bars. The ribs of deformed bars improve the bond between the steel and
surrounding concrete in reinforced concrete members by providing mechanical keys.
The bar that doesn’t have rib is also available at site that have 6mm diameter which
is used for stirrup work (Staffa).
The diameter, length and shape of the reinforcement bars are according to the
drawings and specification.
The bending of reinforcement bar is done with adequate bending tools bat, heat is
strictly not allowed for bending of reinforcement bars.
The required bars are placed in position according to the drawings, and firmly bound
together with pliable mild steel wire, diameter 1.0/1.6mm in accordance with the standard
technical specification.
During work for super structure mostly slabs, the reinforcement bars may bend .for
this, before casting of concrete starts, the pre cast concrete blocks or spacers of metal chairs
are prepared and all reinforcement bars straighten and placed on them. This spacer is pre cast
at site.

Fig. 4 pre-cast spacer
Bar cut off and bends point
Its common practice at site either to cut off bars where they no longer required to
resist stress or in case of continuous beams, to bend up bottom steel so that it provides tensile
reinforcement at the top of the beam over the support.
At site I observed when they use table like wooden material and welded steel (bega)
in order to bend and cut bars.
5.2.2 Formworks for superstructure
The formwork available at site is a temporarily ancillary construction used as a mould

for the structure in which concrete is placed and hardened or matures. The construction of
formwork involves considerable expenditure of time and material. Since the cost of
formwork is it is necessary to design economical types of formwork and to mechanize its
construction.
At the site, when the concrete has reached certain required strength, the form is no
longer needed and is removed and is removed which is called stripping.
During stripping, the components of formwork are removed and then re used for the
forms of another part of structure.
The disadvantage of timber formwork observed at site;
Wooden formwork is possibility of warping, swelling, and shrinkage. However,

those defects can be overcome by applying to the shuttering water impermeable coatings.

This coating also prevents the shuttering from adhering to concrete and hence make stripping
easier. Mostly at this NRH site plastic coating and grease oil is dominant which facilities
stripping.
In addition to wooden formwork, steel formwork is used for structural elements such as
slabs, and cylindrical column for the following advantages;
 It can be put to high number of uses

 It provides ease of stripping
 It ensures an even and smooth concrete surface
 It possesses greater rigidity
 It is not liable to shrinkage or distortion.
 Even though steel formwork is more advantageous than wooden formwork, it
is comparatively coaster.
Fig. 5 wooden formwork prepared for stair.
Criteria of formwork adopted at site
At site the engineers have their own check lists in which they check the quality of
formwork. A good form work should satisfy the following requirements:
i. The material of formwork should be cheap and it should be suitable for re use
several times.

ii. It should be practically water proof so that it doesn’t absorb water from
concrete .also its shrinkage and swelling should be minimum.
iii. It should be strong enough to withstand all loads coming on it, such as dead load
of concrete and live load during its pouring, compaction and curing.
iv. It should be stiff enough so that deflection is minimum.
v. It should be as tight as possible.
vi. The surface of formwork should be smooth, and it should afford easy stripping.
vii. All joints of formwork should be stiff so that lateral deformation under load is
minimum. Also, these joints should be leak proof.
viii. The formwork should rest on non yielding supports.
Form work standards.
1) General- the formwork shall conform to the shape, lines and dimensions,
as shown on the planes and be so constructed as to remain sufficiently
rigid during the placing and compacting of the concrete, and shall be
sufficiently tight to prevent loss of liquid from the concrete.
2) Cleaning and treatment of concrete- all rubbish , particularly chippings
,shavings and saw dust, shall be removed from the interior of the
formwork before concrete is placed and the formwork in contact with the
concrete shall be cleaned and thoroughly wetted or treated with an
appropriate composition is kept out of contact with the reinforcement.
3) Stripping time- in no circumstances forms shall be struck until the
concrete reaches strength of at least twice the stresses to which the
concrete may be subjected at time of striking.
In normal circumstances (temp. above 20 degree Celsius) and where ordinary cement is
used, forms may be struck after expiry of the following periods.
a) Walls ,columns and vertical side of beams……..24-48hr(as dictated by the site

engineers in charge)
b) Slabs (probs left under them)…………………..3 days
c) Beam soffits (probs left under them)…………...7 days
d) Removal of probs to slabs:
i. Spanning up to 6m……………………..14 days

ii. Spanning over 6m………………………21 days.

e) Removal of props to beams:
i. Spanning up to 6m………………………14 days
ii. Spanning over 6m………………………..21 days.
4) Procedure when removing the formwork- all formwork shall be removed
without such shock or vibration as would damage the reinforced concrete.
Before soffit and struts are removed, the concrete surface shall be
exposed, where necessary in order to ascertain that the concrete has
sufficiently hardened.
5) Camber- it is generally desirable to give formwork an upward camber to
ensure that the beam does not have sag when they have taken up their
deflection.
6) Tolerances- formwork shall be constructed that the internal dimensions
are within the permissible tolerance specified by the designer.
5.2.3 Column work
Column is as structural part of a building which is a vertical member that support vertical,
horizontal and moments coming from the beam ,slab, stair and other member of the structure
and transfer it to the sub structure i.e. foundation.
A column in structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits,

through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below.
For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral
forces. Other compression members are often termed "columns" because of the similar stress
conditions. Columns are frequently used to support beams or arches on which the upper parts
of walls or ceilings rest. In architecture "column" refers to such a structural element that also
has certain proportional and decorative features. A column might also be a decorative or
triumphant feature but need not be supporting any structure e.g. a statue on top.
Construction:
A column is constructed at the site of the project, they may be pre stressed or not
according to the need. The supporting structure is built (i.e. form work) to the correct
dimensions, in order to make the column may fit. The in situ concrete columns are built on

the building site using form work (a type of boxing in to which the wet concrete is poured to
produce good bond between steel reinforcement and concrete. The reinforcing bars are
positioned with in the form work according to the drawing before the concrete is poured in.
plastic tipped metal, or plastic bar chairs are used to hold the reinforcing bars away from the
bottom and the sides of the form work, so that when the concrete sets it completely envelops
the reinforcement.
The form work is commonly built from wooden planks and boards, rigid
plastic, or steel. After the concrete has set the wood may be removed, or left there
permanently.
Foundations column:
A column that carries the load down to a foundation must have means to transfer the
load without overstressing the foundation material. Reinforced concrete and masonry
columns are generally built directly on top of concrete foundations. A steel column, when
seated on a concrete foundation, must have a base plate to spread the load over a larger area
and thereby reduce the bearing pressure. The base plate is a thick rectangular steel plate
usually welded to the bottom end of the column.
Extensions column:
When a column is too long to be built or transported in one piece, it has to be

extended or spliced at the construction site. A reinforced concrete column is extended by
having the steel reinforcing bars protrude a few inches or feet above the top of the concrete,
then placing the next level of reinforcing bars to overlap, and pouring the concrete of the next
level. A steel column is extended by welding or bolting splice plates on the flanges and webs
or walls of the columns to provide a few inches or feet of load transfer from the upper to the
lower column section. A timber column is usually extended by the use of a steel tube or
wrapped-around sheet-metal plate bolted onto the two connecting timber sections.

Fig. 6 foundation Column Fig. 7 extension column
5.2.4 Beam work
A beam is a structural element that is capable of withstanding load primarily by resisting bending.
The bending force induced into the material of the beam as a result of the external loads, own weight, span
and external reactions to these loads is called a bending moment.
Beams generally carry vertical gravitational forces but can also be used to carry horizontal loads (i.e.,
loads due to an earthquake or wind). The loads carried by a beam are transferred to columns, walls, or
girders, which then transfer the force to adjacent structural compression members.
Construction: The construction of beam is the same as the case of column, but in this case the
form work is set up in the horizontal direction, while in the case of column it is laid vertical. The
placing, compacting and curing processes are the same.
Fig.8 Beam

5.2.5 Slab work
Concrete slabs are used for the foundations of houses and other buildings. They are
reinforced by the steel framework, but for simple houses, they’re enough to serve as a
foundation. Thick slabs that are about 10 to 50 centimeters thick are usually used for the
flooring of buildings and also for the roof or the ceiling. Thinner slabs can be used for the
pavement of walkways and driveways.
What makes concrete slabs so great is because they are so durable. Concrete is made
of cement mixed with water and other aggregate materials such as gravel, sand, limestone,
and other chemicals that are bonded together in such a way that creates one of the best
building materials in the world. Not only that, concrete is also hailed as the most popular
building material due to its durability, workability and affordability.
In building concrete slab, a number of steps need to be taken before the pouring of the
concrete. To prevent cracks, the earth beneath it must be compacted very well. Also, sand and
gravel is usually placed down between the earth and concrete to protect the foundation from
moisture.
Construction:
A concrete slab may be prefabricated or in situ. Prefabricated concrete slabs are built
in a factory and transported to the site, ready to be lowered into place between steel or
concrete beams. They may be pre-stressed (in the factory), post-stressed (on site), or
unstressed. It is vital that the supporting structure is built to the correct dimensions, or the
slabs may not fit.
In situ concrete slabs are built on the building site using formwork - a type of boxing
into which the wet concrete is poured. If the slab is to be reinforced, the rebars are positioned
within the formwork before the concrete is poured in. Plastic tipped metal, or plastic bar
chairs are used to hold the rebar away from the bottom and sides of the form-work, so that
when the concrete sets it completely envelops the reinforcement. For a ground slab, the form-
work may consist only of sidewalls pushed into the ground. For a suspended slab, the form-
work is shaped like a tray, often supported by a temporary scaffold until the concrete sets.

The formwork is commonly built from wooden planks and boards, plastic, or steel.
On commercial building sites today, plastic and steel are more common as they save labor.
On low-budget sites, for instance when laying a concrete garden path, wooden planks are
very common. After the concrete has set the wood may be removed, or left there
permanently.
In some cases formwork is not necessary - for instance, a ground slab surrounded by
brick or block foundation walls, where the walls act as the sides of the tray and hardcore acts
as the base.
Fig. 9 slab reiforcement
Electrical installation
Electrical installation starts parallel with ground slab work by installing conduits. Starting
from second floor I observed when they install the conduits according to the design, before
slab is filled with concrete. Additionally the conduits are covered before concrete is filled to
prevent clogging of cables. At site, electrical installation is done for different kinds of utilities
such as light bulbs, bells, switches, air conditioners, fire and smoking alarms etc.

At site, they have some check list for electrical installation:
 The electrical installation is approved by designated professional.

 Material to be used for installation strictly follow the specifications and the
drawings
 The conduits are free from defects and cover the wires all the ways
 All switches and outlets are properly fixed according to the drawings
 The excavation is in straight line between the inspection pits.
Sanitary installation
Sanitary installation begins by pointing points where different sizes of pipes are installed
then comes installing the pipes .this is done with form working after that the pipe lines are
covered to prevent clogging up.
5.2.6 Placing, Casting and compaction of concrete
Concrete Casting in the Pad
Formwork: is a temporary structure built to contain fresh concrete so as to form it to the required
shape and dimensions and to support it until it becomes self supporting.
A formwork includes the surface in contact with concrete and any necessary concrete supporting
structure. The surface should be smooth. A formwork should be sufficiently rigid and by no means
defective throughout the placing, ramming, vibrating and setting of the concrete without visible
deflection. A formwork must not buckle or deflect in any way more than the specification. For this
reason it will be supported every 50cm if it is made of timber and every 60cm if made from steel/iron.
Back Filling:
Backfill is a selected and approved material that is used to fill a void/depression/pit/or trench
dug. And backfilling is the process of filling a depression or void with a selected material and
compacting it.
A backfill should not have organic material such as pieces of wood and roots embedded with in
it. If the soil on the site is capable of being compacted and forming a stable filling, it is useful/better to
do the backfilling with material excavated on the site.

Placing of concrete
The operation of placing and compaction are interdependent and are carried out
simultaneously. They are most important for the purpose of ensuring the requirements of
strength, impermeability and durability of hardened concrete in the actual structure i.e. beam
column or slab. As for as placing is concerned, the main objective is to deposit the concrete
as close as possible to its final position so that segregation is avoided and the concrete can be
fully compacted. The aim of good concrete placing can be stated quite simply.
It is to get the concrete into position at a speed, and in a condition, that allow it to be
compacted properly.
To achieve proper placing following rules should be kept in mind:
1. The concrete should be placed in uniform layers, not in large heaps or sloping layers.
2. The thickness of the layer should be compatible with the method of vibration so that
entrapped air can be removed from the bottom of each layer.
3. The rate of placing and of compaction should be equal. If you proceed too
slowly, the mix could stiffen so that it is no longer sufficiently workable. On no account
should water ever be added to concrete that is setting. On the other hand, if you go too
quickly, you might race ahead of the compacting gang, making it impossible for them to do
their job properly.
4. Each layer should be fully compacted before placing the next one, and each
subsequent layer should be placed whilst the underlying layer is still plastic so that
monolithic construction is achieved
5. Collision between concrete and formwork or reinforcement should be avoided.
6. For deep sections, a long down pipe ensures accuracy of location of concrete and
minimum segregation.
7. You must be able to see that the placing is proceeding correctly, so lighting should be
available for large, deep sections, and thin walls and columns.

Compaction of concrete
Once the concrete has been placed, it is ready to be compacted. The purpose of
compaction is to get rid of the air voids that are trapped in loose concrete.
It is important to compact the concrete fully because:
 Air voids reduce the strength of the concrete. For every 1% of entrapped air, the
strength falls by somewhere between 5 and 7%. This means that concrete containing a mere
5% air voids due to incomplete compaction can lose as much as one third of its strength.
 Air voids increase concrete's permeability. That in turn reduces its durability. If the
concrete is not dense and impermeable, it will not be watertight. It will be less able to
withstand aggression and its exposed surfaces will weather badly.
 Moisture and air are more likely to penetrate to the reinforcement causing it to rust.
 Air voids impair contact between the mix and reinforcement (and, indeed, any other
embedded metals). The required bond will not be achieved and the reinforced member will
not be as strong as it should be.
 Air voids produce blemishes on struck surfaces. For instance, blowholes and
honeycombing might occur.
Summing up, fully compacted concrete is dense, strong and durable; badly compacted
concrete will be porous, weak and prone to rapid deterioration. Sooner or later it will have to
be repaired or replaced. It pays, therefore, to do the job properly in the first place.
Stiff mixes contain far more air than workable ones. That is one of the reasons why a
low-slump concrete requires more compactive effort than one with a higher slump - the
compaction needs to continue for a longer time, or more equipment has to be used.
Even air-entrained concrete needs to be compacted to get rid of entrapped air voids.
The difference between air voids and entrained air bubbles should be noted at this stage. The
air bubbles that are entrained are relatively small and spherical in shape, increase the
workability of the mix, reduce bleeding, and increase frost resistance. Entrapped air on the
other hand tends to be irregular in shape and is detrimental to the strength of the mix. It is to

remove this air that the concrete must be properly compacted. There is little danger that
compaction will remove the minute air bubbles that have been deliberately entrained, since
they are so stable.
Vibration:
To compact concrete you apply energy to it so that the mix becomes more fluid. Air
trapped in it can then rise to the top and escape. As a result, the concrete becomes
consolidated, and you are left with a good dense material that will, after proper curing,
develop its full strength and durability.
Vibration is the next and quickest method of supplying the energy. Manual techniques
such as rodding are only suitable for smaller projects. Various types of vibrator are available
for use on site.
1. The workability of the concrete: the less workable the mix, the longer it must be
vibrated.
2. The energy put in by the vibrator: bigger vibrators do the job faster.
3. The depth of the concrete: thick sections take longer.
Fig.10 vibrator

The above mentioned procedures and construction materials were used in almost
all of the construction projects I participated.

6. BENEFITS FROM THE INTERNSHIP
Through the internship I developed a better understanding in my perspective

engineering field from theoretical concept to practical application. My new point of view
allowed me to grasp many of the theoretical concepts that were introduced in the class.
In upgrading my practical and theoretical skills, through some general

explanations and tests done in laboratory at school from construction material, reinforced
concrete and foundation engineering courses were elaborated in depth by the observations
made on the project I was participating in. The tasks executed which are explained on the
above report were also new concepts except tests done. Through observation and checking
procedures throughout the internship I got to check and observe mixing of concrete with both
a fixed mixer and a truck mixer. On the project I am working on the design strength of the
concrete and reinforcements are C 30 and S 420 with the ratio of 1:2:3 for the concrete. The
gauge box of length 50cm, width 40cm and height 16cm is used for the mix. Usually because
of the mixer capacity being 500 liters mixing is done in a double ratio with two cement bags,
four boxes of sand and six boxes of gravel. Also casting of lean concrete which has no
structural significance with a ratio of 1: 5:7 but helps the reinforcement from decaying by the
direct contact with the soil. The mixed concrete is transported by the crane for the fast casting
before the mixture hardens and losses its workability. Reinforcement placing on the actual
field and how the spacing is kept using tape measurements.
Figure 11 concrete casting and formwork placing
Spacers are used to attain the clear cover specifically a concrete spacer in our site to
prevent the reinforcement bars from being exposed to the environment leading to corrosion
which affects the strength of the structure by reducing the cross sectional area of the bar.

For the case of ground water being at a high level at our site the use of shear wall
rather than HCB as a retaining wall around the periphery and also the application of water
proofing which is a plastic membrane and is glued by gas on the footing and shear walls for
the basement and the grade beam with gas and should not have any openings.
checking formwork placing on the site to give the concrete casting support and
use of the plumb bob and hand level to make the casting work uniform and on the right
alignment again in addition of the metal formwork (panel) we used a ply wood which has an
advantage of giving smoother surfaces and decrease construction joint it is also used for a
long time unlike the normal wood formwork. Scaffolding was supplied to make it possible
for casting at a higher length of the structure. And from surveying works done I got to see the
procedure used for locating points using the total station.
Fig. 12 wateproof and plywood formwork
This learning method is broader concept which goes beyond applying

knowledge to practical use, and is relevant to all disciplines. It puts us in situations
which help to make sense of and to question the theoretical knowledge learned in the
classroom. In these processes, students come to their own understanding of theoretical
knowledge to generate new knowledge and to see things in a different light.
This process also helped me to learn what is expected from me by the

employers, to gain relevant professional work experience, I got a test of the pace and
learning curve that exists in a theoretical engineering/construction environment, the
process starting from planning to implementation also challenges that might be
encountered, in testing or deciding a career choice which gave me a better idea of
what type of work I wanted to pursue for my career, understand that I can learn from

everybody and anybody, regardless of their experience or education, to apply, test

and deepen knowledge outside the class room and gain recommendations for the
future in approaching potential employers after graduation.
Experimental learning is a powerful form of learning because the problems

encountered in the real world and often not well-defined, unlike textbook problems.
We have to define even identify what the problem is, we have to communicate,
collaborate and negotiate with others to find solutions, we even have to live with
imperfect solutions. Because this was my first time in the working environment
interacting with people was difficult at first but through time it got better and this new
experience with the staff members and also other interns by sharing their knowledge
and also the interns from different work sections discussing their assignments with us
helped me to perform my tasks well. This led me to create friendship with many great
people.
As of preparation of comprehensive project report and also each monthly reports

through the internship period which are written forms of communication skill was
also improved.
Trying to figure out what is going on, what my responsibilities are the kind of
things I am expected to do, expected to know and sometimes their might occur a
language barrier between the co-workers and yourself, depending on what terms were
used in our education so we have to sort of figure out at first what people are talking
about and then things start clicking after the first couple of weeks or a month. It is
always good to be able to communicate clearly with others and be able to work in a
group and not feel threatened or uncomfortable working with others, because that is
the way things work and have a lot of patience. And we also get to learn team
dynamics, collaborative thinking, how to open up to people, stretch our limits and also
making ties with other interns and share experiences with other students. This
internship has helped me in learning how to get along with people that I have to work
with every day, building relationship with people, building confidence and improving
my communication skills.
While performing work tasks there where individual and group works given
to us by our supervisor. Working in team gives the project given a different
perspective and approach to make the working progress easier because there are many

ideas from different people. This team work showed me how to better my role and
fulfill people’s expectations.
Leadership is all about confidence, self esteem, trust, worthiness, good

conducts and professionalism. The exposure for constructive consultation and
preparations has enabled me to enhance my confidence and self esteem. It has helped
me realize that I can do better in the future.
Through the work ethics I learned many aspects. Among them punctuality is
very important and it is not only coming to the work place on time but also being
available during work hours and if needed sacrificing extra working hours from our
personal life, meeting deadlines for the work to go smoothly. Handling any property
in better care whether it is ours or the companies and making the habit of developing a
feeling of responsibility for even the smaller things. Also having a rational
relationship with other workers and staff members by creating a good also productive
environment is an important role that makes the employees to want to work there
without any pressure.

7. Conclusion and Recommendation
Conclusion
The field practice has played a tremendous role in equipping, students with the practical
knowledge of understanding and implementing field exercises in civil engineering. It helped us
develop self confidence and introduced us to the world of construction. It helps the student to
practically understand the theory they learned in the class. It also acquainted us with the knowledge
required to monitor construction sites.
On the site I worked I have tried to see the excavation, setting out, slab construction, beam
construction and other construction stages stated above. Foundation is the structure that transfers load
from the building to the soil underneath. And this is the part of the construction work where high
precision and control is necessary. My being there at the time of construction of this structure was
helpful in all manners.
The whole process beginning from the sub-surface investigation to the finalizing steps in the
construction of the foundation is basic and needs a little more care than do others. This is because the
minimum of mistakes made in the construction of the foundation may lead to a disastrous collapse/
failure of the whole building. Therefore the processes and activities mentioned on the report should
be strictly followed and controlled.
I have taken good lessons out of what I used to see on site while the site engineers were doing
their job (following up and controlling the construction) and I believe that by the time I move out to
the field, I will be able to conduct the supervision work with only little help from those who had long
years experience in the field.

Recommendation
During my internship stay at site, I was able to see construction of the foundation, beam, iand
column and slab elements deeply. With the assistance of various site engineers, I followed up the
construction of various apartments. As I have mentioned in the conclusion, high care should be given
to the foundation work as the slightest mistake may result in a risky situation. But wrong handlings
and practices were seen being made by contractors (contradicting the contract agreement they
signed), knowingly or unknowingly. Some wrong doings are listed below.
Some individuals:
 Fail to begin construction on time.

 Tie reinforcement bars and stirrups in a way that don’t match the design.
 Use stones and other materials of unknown thickness in place of spacers.
 Use volume mixing, which is not permitted. This is because the weight of damp aggregate must
be adjusted to take in to account the weight if water in the aggregates, which in turn affects the
amount of water to be added to the mix.
 Fail to cure the concrete and many expose the concrete surface to direct sunlight.
 Over vibrate the concrete.
 Remove the formworks and panels carelessly, which highly disturbs the setting/hardening
concrete.

8. References
- EBCS 1995
- Finchaa sugar factory company profile magazine
- A text book of Building Construction by Dr. Abebe Dinku Addis Ababa University
Printing press 2007 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Analysis and Design of Structures by R.S Vaishwanar & M.M. Malhotra Jain
Brothers, Publishers March 2008, New Delhi, India
- Construction materials hand out

Ethio Civil Engineering FINAL REPORT 2

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Table of Contents

1. BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY............................................................................1

1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF TENDAHO CONSTRUCTION PLC...........2

2. HOW I JOINED THE COMPANY....................................................................................4

3. CHALLENGES DURING THE INTERNSHIP.................................................................5

4. DEFECTS OBSERVED AT SITE AND THEIR PROPER SOLUTION..........................6

5. OVERALL INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE........................................................................8

5.1.1 PREPARATION OF THE PROJECT SITE..............................................................9

5.1.2 SETTING OUT.............................................................................................................9

5.1.3 CONCRETE WORK...............................................................................................11

5.1.3 CONCRETE PREPARATION................................................................................15

5.1.4 BATCHING OF CONCRETE................................................................................16

5.2 SUPER STRUCTURE WORK......................................................................................20

5.2.1 STEEL REINFORCEMENT FOR SUPER STRUCTURE....................................20

5.2.2 FORMWORKS FOR SUPERSTRUCTURE..........................................................21

5.2.3 COLUMN WORK...................................................................................................24

5.2.4 BEAM WORK.........................................................................................................26

5.2.5 SLAB WORK..........................................................................................................27

5.2.6 PLACING, CASTING AND COMPACTION OF CONCRETE...........................29

6. BENEFITS FROM THE INTERNSHIP..........................................................................33

7. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION...............................................................37

1. BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY

 to improve the road access for transportation of sugar

Well done finchaa success continued well into the future.

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 1

1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF TENDAHO CONSTRUCTION

Finchaa sugar factory G.M.

Office Engineer Administration

Finance Office Administrator

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 2

- Set out the site

In general the foreman;-

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 3

2. HOW I JOINED THE COMPANY

I have visited a number of construction companies which had negative responses

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 4

3. CHALLENGES DURING THE INTERNSHIP

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 5

4. PROBLEMS OBSERVED AT SITE AND THEIR PROPER SOLUTION

 Factor of safety for material

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 6

c. Splicing is made simply by lapping the bars a sufficient

 Preparation of medicinal treatment center (first aid); since engineering

 Delivery of material and equipment shortage

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 7

 The formwork is not sufficiently rigid during placing and

5. Overall internship experience

The major procedures we followed are discussed in detail below;

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 8

5.1.1 Preparation of the project site

 Clearing the site,

I have observed site clearance for reservoir and pump house.

5.1.2 SETTING OUT

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 9

Fig. 1 setting out (Pegs showing posterior edge of columns)

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 10

5.1.3 Concrete work

Concrete is stone like material obtained artificially by hardening of mixture of cement,

Concrete is selected because of its unique advantages such as;

 Concrete is highly resistance to compressive force

FINAL INTERNSHIP REPORT Page 11

I have informed this kind of concrete used under;

o It protects all sub-structure element from extra moisture