ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

Addis Ababa Institute of Technology

School Civil and Environmental Engineering

Monthly Internship Report No. 3

Name of student: Mohammed Abdusemed

Student ID No.: ATR/1728/06
Mentor’s name: Mr. Zerihun Getaneh
School: Civil and Environmental Engineering

To be filled out by the department:

Submission date: ______________________

Accepted by mentor: ___________________________

(Date, full name and signature)

Comments:

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 Acknowledgment

First and foremost, I have to extend my greatest gratitude to Addis Ababa Institute of
Technology for providing such kind of opportunity for students to stretch their perception on
how a given construction is carried out. I would also like to thank my supervisors, mentor and
all the employees of Eskinder Architects and China Jiang Su International Economic
Technical Cooperation Corp. at United bank headquarters project. They all have been such a
great asset to my eye opening experience during the first month of my internship program.
Especially I must thank all the employees that I have encountered on the construction site for
giving me the time and for their patience in making sure that all my questions have been
answered.

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 Table of Contents

Contents Page
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................5

2. Weekly Reports......................................................................................................................7

3. Experience Gained...............................................................................................................12

4. Progress of the Project over the Month................................................................................13

List of Figures
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Figure Page
1.1 Top View of the building 6

2.1 Concrete mixer truck feeding the pump 9

2.2 Concrete filling process using the powerful pump 9

2.3 Backfilling 10

2.4 Vertical PVC rising upward to pump out the excess water 10

2.5 Perforated PVC 11

4.1 Status of work at start of June (Block A) 13

4.2 Status of work at start of June (Block B {right} & Block C {left}) 14

4.3 Status of work at end of June (Block A) 14

4.4 Status of work at end of June (Block B) 15

4.5 Status of work at start of June (Block C) 15

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 1. Introduction
This report of June briefly explains my overall monthly stay with the United bank
headquarters project. This skyscraper which is located at mexico, which is soon to be a
business district, will be one of the many pillars of Addis Ababa symbolizing the rapid
development of Ethiopia. With four stories deep underground and thirty-two stories high is
the sky, this structure will be a breakthrough in the construction field in Ethiopia.

General Information:

o Project: United Bank Headquarter Building

o Client: United Bank S.C.
o Consultant: Eskinder Architects
o Contractor: China Jiang Su International Economic Technical Cooperation Corp.
o Total Cost: 1.65 Billion Birr

A crane was used in the construction site which aids in lifting and transporting heavy
materials. Most of the work was done by machines, and few labors were used in the project.
The labor force included both Chinese and Ethiopian people. The Ethiopian labors were
trained basic Chinese language in order to communicate which is very essential. Every
worker on the site had PPE (personal protective equipment) and they executed their jobs in a
safe working environment.

The site also had a computerized batching plant. The plant which is located in the vicinity
enabled rapid construction work. The batching plant produced three kinds of concrete namely
C-30, C-40 & C-60. These different types of concrete were poured to the slabs, retaining
walls and columns accordingly. The concrete pouring process was done by a concrete
pumping truck with two concrete transport trucks feeding concrete continuously and also
powerful concrete pump with pipes running directly through the building was used where the
truck couldn’t reach the desired place.

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 1.1 Top View of the building

The building is divided in to three blocks namely block A, block B and block C. Block A
constitutes the commercial center, block B is the tower which will rise thirty-two stories
above ground and lastly block C is the conference and staff section. Additionally, the ramp
which leads to the basements is located at the southern side of block C which is ideally
situated in front of the main road.

This report consists the overall weekly activities done in the construction site. Some
details of the work are explained in the experience gained section and the overall monthly
progress is also discussed.

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 2. Weekly Reports
Weekly report for June

Week No: 13 Dates: June /05/2017 to June /09/2017

Weekday Activity

Monday The slab of the fourth floor at block B was filled with concrete.
Formwork and re-bar work on the stairs at the first floor of block A.

Tuesday Backfill started on the northern portion of the structure.

Wednesday Re-bar work on the 8 elevator shafts and columns at the fourth floor of
block B was carried away.
Initial preparations for work on the slab of second floor at block C.

Thursday Formwork on the shear walls of the first floor at block A. and some
columns were filled with concrete.

Friday Concrete was filled on the shear walls, elevators and stairs of the first floor
of block A was held.
Formwork and re-bar work on columns and elevators at the fourth floor of
block B

Weekly report for June

Week No: 14 Dates: June /12/2017 to June /16/2017

Weekday Activity

Monday Re-bar work and formwork on the columns at the first floor of block C
was carried away.

Tuesday At this stage the fourth floor was completed.

Wednesday Formwork on the slab of the fifth floor of block B.

Casts on the columns at the first floor of block A were removed and
wrapped with plastic and left to cure.

Thursday Re-bar work and conduit laying out on the slab of the fifth floor of block B

Friday Formwork and re-bar work on the slab of the second floor of block C still

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 continued.

Weekly report for June

Week No: 15 Dates: June /19/2017 to June /23/2017

Weekday Activity

Monday Back filling still continued around the northern portion of the structure.
The slab was done on the fifth floor of block B. re-bar work and formwork
started on the elevator shafts and columns.

Tuesday Formwork construction on the slab at the second floor of block C was
done.
No progress on block A.

Wednesday The elevator shafts were filled with concrete at the fifth floor of block B.

Thursday The columns were filled with concrete at the fifth floor of block B.

Friday Re-bar work was completed on the slab of second floor of block C and
conduit was laid out in the slab.

Weekly report for June

Week No: 16 Dates: June /26/2017 to June /30/2017

Weekday Activity

Monday Didn’t go to work due to sickness.

Tuesday Backfill on the norther portion of the structure was completed.

At this stage the fourth floor was completed and the initial preparations for
the sixth floor was underway

Wednesday Formwork and re-bar work on the slab at the sixth floor of block B was
completed.
The slab of second floor of block C was completed.

Thursday Concrete was being filled on the slab at the sixth floor of block B.

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 No noticeable progress on block A.

Friday General continuation of the same work on all blocks.

Abstract:

The company had other way of pumping concrete rapidly other than the concrete
pumping truck. This method adopted a powerful concrete pumping machine with its pipes
running through the building. They started using this machine starting from the sixth floor.
And also a better position was found once the backfill on the northern portion of the structure
was completed.

2.1 Concrete mixer truck feeding the pump

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 2.2 Concrete filling process using the powerful pump

The layered backfill consisted of specified materials with sand bags at the bottom,
perforated (slotted) PVC, 0.2 gravel, 0.1 gravel, selected material and finally pavement at the
top. The water will be collected inside the slotted PVC and an automatic water pump will
start once the amount of water rises. Each layer and PVC is wrapped by a geostatic
membrane to filter out the water from debris and to protect the layers from external
disruptions. This layered backfill enables a relief from uplift force produced increasing the
stability of the structure.

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 2.3 Backfilling

2.4 Vertical PVC rising upward to pump out the excess water

2.5 Perforated PVC

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 The perforated PVC is wrapped by geostatic membrane to filter in only the water and
avoid being clogged. This PVC of diameter 200 mm runs transversely along the structure at
the level of the fourth basement. Then a vertical non slotted PVC is used to pump out the
collected water.

3. Experience Gained
The following are list of experience gained working under Eskinder Architects and China
Jiang Su International Economic Technical Cooperation corp. at United bank headquarters
project.

o I was able to perform the takeoff work for the architecture material for the internal
decorations of the project and on the columns.
o The crane is located inside the structure between two columns at the intersection
of the lowest shear force and bending moment.
o The retaining wall was first painted with prime coating and then a flexible
reinforced bitumen sheet was hot mixed onto the wall. Finally, a strong second
layer of bitumen sheet was hot mixed onto the first layer to protect it against
physical damage.
o Flexible and strong conduits called thermoplastic conduits were used and they
were laid out after re-bar work.
o Bonding agents were used when casting old and new concrete.
o Admixtures were used in the concrete. Retarder, which is used to delay the setting
time and plasticizer which helps easier pumping process.

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 4. Progress of the Project over the Month
Within the month of June there has been noticeable progress on the project which is listed
below:

o Backfill on the norther portion of the structure was completed.

o The first floor of block A and C was completed.
o The slab of the second floor of block A and C was completed.
o The fourth and fifth floor of block B was completed.

Generally, the work is rapid with very coordinated workers. Priority is given to block B
(The Tower) because it is the critical activity which governs the overall deadline of the
project. While block A & C can be constructed at a slower pace because relatively they are
low-rise buildings. Now, the next portion of work on the tower will be just repetition work
considering that there are still 26 floors left to complete.

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 4.1 Status of work at start of June (Block A)

4.2 Status of work at start of June (Block B {right} & Block C {left})

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4.3 Status of work at end of June (Block A)

4.4 Status of work at end of June (Block B)

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4.5 Status of work at start of June (Block C)

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