PREFACE

The practical subject entitled “CE-509: FIELD PRACTICES” has been introduced in
C-14 Curriculum to expose the students to the practical aspects of several activities in the
field of construction with a focus on increasing the competencies of the students. The course
content is designed to increase the employability skills by enabling the students to involve in
the activities with a focus on hands on experience. All the exercises are finalised, keeping the
relevant theoretical aspects learned by the students up to the end of 4 th semester. The course
material/manual is prepared by the senior teaching faculty of the department under the
guidance of NITTTR, Chennai. For each exercise, the preamble is given, different types of
competencies were identified and presented in a structured manner. This is aimed at guiding
the diploma students to observe such traits during their participation in the practical class
such that they can effectively supervise in the field, guide and exercise good control over the
artisans like masons, carpenters, welders, etc and execute the work to the standards. Several
illustrations were provided in the actual sequence of executing different tasks of the activity,
which increase the preparedness of the student to take up the job and participate with
confidence and acquire the appropriate skills. Execution of the exercises also motivates the
staff and students to take up the minor repairs in the polytechnic or in the buildings of
poor/weaker sections in the vicinity of the Polytechnic, paving a way to expose the students
to get involved in the activities related to the social responsibility.

Another important aspect of the course material is to help the students in team
building activity as any exercise essentially involves at least three to four students under the
guidance of an artisan (Mason/Carpenter/Plumber/Bar bender). The course material is
structured in such a manner that the process of exercise involves application of the technical
knowledge, initial observation from the artisan, practicing the skills with a focus on achieving
the perfection, resulting in professionalism in his/her supervisory talents. When the student
completes the exercise, he derives the satisfaction and confidence of supervising such an
activity in the field, which is essential part of the skill development activity leading to better
employability of the outgoing diploma students.

Any structural reforms to bring in the appropriate change in inculcating the skill
development activities in the domain of teaching-learning involves certain compulsions in
both capital investments and recurring expenditure, without which, the quality of the
expected outcome cannot be guaranteed in the field of Civil Engineering. Hence, successful
conduct of this course mandates capital expenditure for a small working platform, stock yard
for placing the materials like bricks, sand, cement, etc., stacking rakes, tools like troughs,
trowels, etc., (used for masonry, concrete, carpentry, plumbing and such works) and water
and drainage arrangements. There will be some capital investment and some recurring
expenditure for the consumable materials like wood, steel bars, forms, pipes and pipe
specials. Such investments at the Polytechnic Level are MANDATORY initially to set up the
working environment for this course. It is thus, essential to establish a separate “Field
Practices Workshop” in the Polytechnic, with open yard to house the material stacks, etc and
in an elevated place in the campus without drainage problems, as lot of water comes out from
the construction and cleaning operations carried out during the execution of different under
the this course.