One month internship report starting from 15-02-2014 up to 15-03-2014

The building where I am engaged my internship was found on the main road of industry park to
adisumenaharia located in hawassa textile industry.it is a three story building and its purpose was
for super market. When I was there the building was started and its sub structure was finished.

During my stay for 1 month I observed and took knowledge of some building construction
structural and nonstructural parts like colons, beams and staircase from the structural parts on
one hand and HCB wall construction and plastering from nonstructural one. on site I have also
observed the way of mixing concretes starting from batching up to casting including the steps of
vibrating of the concrete compaction in order to have good interaction of the mixes and to
remove voids.

Unfortunately when I start my internship sub structural parts of the building was finished so I
missed the setting out of the site, excavation for footing, the types of foundations used and the
way how the floor slab was casted.

Detail monthly activity report

No Structural member dimension size Longitudinal no stirrups Stirrup

reinforcement spacing
bar
1 colomn square 40*40 24mm 8 8mm 20cm
2 beam rectangular 25*40 24mm 8 12mm 20cm

Mix ratio1*2*3 for beams and columns by volume method 50*40*18cm

Plastering also another activity that I have seen during my stay starting from building the HCB
wall with 20cm size of external wall after setting the HCB the plastering work started from the
first coat up to the final the mortar ratio for plastering was 1;3 with box size of sand
(50*40*20)cm leveling the wall using rigga and fasha.
I have also seen dismantling of the formwork in order to cast the slab of another compartment
slabs using the name called modini with the 50cm spacing.

During my stay at the site i had some problems with the integration of the team from the
contractor where there are no professionals/site engineers/ on the site there are Forman’s that
they have no adequate knowledge to transfer so i decided to see other site located behind sidama
coffee cooperation building the client of the building is sidama regional state from the contractor
site it has full staff professionals engaged on the work site having adequate knowledge to transfer
during my stay at the site i have seen

 Retaining wall constructed for lateral earth pressure

 Shear wall for seismic /earth quake/
 Ribbed slab at the last stories of the building
 Slender column

Observing the above structures with various engineers at the work I have gained a lot of
knowledge of those structures regarding their purpose, reason and their applications.

Activities that have been observed during this month:-

1. Plastering and finishing

2. Roof slab
3. Stair case at 8th floor

1.Plastering in construction refers to the process of covering walls and uneven surfaces after
masonry work so as to achieve a smooth finish and even surface. This protects the wall from
damages, wear and tear and increases the durability of the surface.  
Plasters are one of the oldest construction materials that function as a protective agent and a
decorative coating that seals together the building materials, adds strength to the building, and
increases the durability and aesthetics of the masonry walls and concrete surfaces. 
Gypsum plaster is obtained as a dry powder from partial or complete dehydration of gypsum. Heating
forces the water in gypsum to evaporate and produces a fine powder. When this powder is then mixed
with water and applied over bricks, walls or cement, it hardens and re-forms to form a smooth surface
called gypsum plaster. 
 Gypsum plastering has received widespread acceptance and adoption as a construction material in the
last decade and has been revolutionizing the Ethiopian construction industry. The miraculous
properties of gypsum plaster has enabled, in reality, the construction of greener, cheaper and faster
buildings
Some advantages of gypsum
1. Ease of application- It is very easy to apply gypsum plaster to a surface with bricks, blocks, etc. as
they do not require a separate finishing.
2. Produces a smooth surface- Gypsum plasters produce a smooth surface with levelled corners
unlike other plasters like sand cement that result in cracks. 
3. Do not require putty- Walls plastered with Gypsum are paint-ready as they are smooth and do not
require putty or whitewashing. 
4. No curing required- Unlike cement plasters that require water curing for 21 days to settle down,
gypsum plasters do not require water curing and so saves 75% of construction time. 
5. More economical and uses less resources

6. Faster setting time- Gypsum plasters sets in 25-30 minutes and the gypsum plastered walls are
paint-ready in 4 days when compared to cement plasters that require 15 days to settle. Gypsum
plasters attain their inherent strength in 78 hours. 
Disadvantages of gypsum plasters
1. Gypsum plasters retain dampness and so are unfit to use in outside walls, or in other areas like
bathrooms that are continuously wet. 
2. Because exposure to moisture or water reduces the strength of the plaster, they should be stored in
dry platforms. 
3. Lower shelf life- Gypsum has a shelf life of 3-4 months but when stored with caution it can be
extended up to 6 months.

2.slab Roof construction

The building is a 10 story building and the roofing was reinforced concrete slab the reinforcement
has been stated as follows:-
Reinforcement for slab
 The lower reinforcement Ø8 both in the x and y direction
  The negative bar 1/3rd of the total length Ø10 in both direction
 Slab thickness 15 cm
Reinforcement for beam
 the upper and lower reinforcement 6 Ø16
 Negative bar 1/3rd of the total length 3 Ø16
 Beam dimension 35*30
3.Stair case at 8th floor
Area of the stair case
 length of the slab 4.2m
 width of the slab 1.8m
 rising 15 cm
 step 35 cm
Reinforcement of the stair case
 longitudinal reinforcement 12 Ø20 at spacing of 15 cm
 c bar 9 Ø8
 3 mesh on each step Ø8
Ribbed slab construction

Advantages of ribbed slab

 Electrical installation
 Formwork coast redaction
 Aesthetically good

Disadvantages of ribbed slab

 Earth quake resistance

 Leakage problem

Ribbed slab construction according to EBCS 2 1995

1. Ribs shall not be less than 70 mm width and shall have a depth excluding any topping of
not more than 4 times the minimum width of the rib
2. The rib spacing shall not exceed 1 meter
3. Thickness of topping shall not have less than 40 mm or less than 1/10 of the clear
distance between the ribs
 4. The topping shall be provided with reinforcement mesh providing in each direction
across sectional area not less than .001 of the section of the slab

Ribbed slab construction on site

Ribbed slab is composed of:-

o Girder beam
o HCB
o Ribbed beam
o Topping slab

Ribbed reinforcement 2Ø16

Shear reinforcement Ø8 spacing 20 cm l

Topping reinforcement providing in each direction(x and y direction) Ø6 20 cm spacing

Topping slab thickness 6 cm

Rib width 80 mm

Center to center ribbed spacing 40 cm

HCB size 230 mm

Problems faced
The site where I am practicing was stopped for long time due to shortage of construction
material
Action taken
I made an observation on sites which are taking construction

4 7.2.2 Slabs ,

I 7.2.2.1 Thickness

(1) The following minimum thicknesses shall be adopted in design:

(a) 60 rom for ~labs not exposed to concentrated loads (e.g inaccessible roofs)

, (b) 80 rom for slabs exposed mainly to distributed loads.

(c) 100 mm for slabs exposed to light moving concentrated loads (e.g slabs accessible to light
motor vehicles)
.(d) 120 rom for slabs exposed to heavy dynamic moving loads (eg. slabs accessible to heavy
vehicles)

(e) 150 rom for slabs on point supports (e.g flat slabs)

7.2.2.2 Flexural Reinforcement

(1) The ratio of the secondary reinforcement to the main reinforcement shall be at

least equal to 0.2.

(2) The geometrical ratio of main reinforcement in a slab shall not be less than

Pmin= 0.5/fyk where fyk is in MPa.

(3) The spacing between main bars for slabs shall not exceed 350 rnm.

(4) The spacing between secondary bars shall not exceed 400 mm.

6.5 FOOTINGS

6.5.1 Moment in Footings

(1) The external moment on any section of a footing shall be determined by passing a vertical
plane through the footing, and computing the moment of the forces acting over the entire area of
the footing on one side of that vertical plane.

(2) The critical section for moment shall be taken as follows:

(a) At the face of column, pedestal, or wall, for footings supporting a concrete column pedestal
or wall (b) Halfway between middle and edge of wall, for footings supporting a masonry wall.

(c) Halfway between face of column and edge of steel base for footings supporting a column
with . steel base plates.

SPECIAL STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

6.5.2 Flexural Reinforcement

(1) Distribution: In one-way footings and two-way square footings, reinforcement shall be
distributed uniformly across the entire width of footing.

(2) In two.;way rectangular footings, reinforcement shall be distributed as follows:

(a) Reinforcement in long direction shall be distributed uniformly across the entire width of
footing.
 (b) For reinforcement in the short direction, a portion of the total reinforcement given by Eq.
6.13 shall be distributed uniformly over a band width (centered on center line of column or
pedestal) equal to the length of the short side of footing. The remainder of the reinforcement
required in the short direction shall be distributed uniformly outside the center band widm of the
footing.

(4) ,If the projection exceeds d, the anchorage length may be measured from a section situated at
a distance d from the above defined critical section for moment.

6.5.3 Shear in Footings

(1) Design of footings for shear shall be in accordance with provisions for slabs in Section 4.5.

(2) The location of the critical section for shear in accordance with Section 4.5 shall be
measured from face of column, pedestal or wall for footings supporting a column, pedestal, or
wall.

(3) For footings supporting a column or pedestal with steel base plates, the critical section shall
be measured from the location defined in Section

6.5.1. 6.5.4 Bearing

(1) All forces and moments applied at the base of a column or pedestal shall be transferred to the
top of the supporting pedestal or footing by bearing on concrete and by reinforcement.

(2) The design bearing strength on concrete shall not exceed the design compressive strength !
cd' except as follows:

(a) When the supporting surface is wider on all sides than the loaded area, the design bearing
strength on the load

(b) When the supporting surface is sloped or stepped, A2 may be taken as the area of the lower
base of the largest frustrum of a right pyramid or cone contained wholly within the support and
having for its upper base the loaded area, and having side slopes of 2 vertical to 1 ~ horizontal. In
the above A1 is the loaded area, and Az is the maximum area of the portion of the supporting
'surface that is geometrically similar to and concentric with the loaded area.

6.5.5 Minimum Footing Depth

(1) The depth of footing above bottom reinforcement shall not be less than 150 rom for footings
on soil, nor 300 rom for footings on piles.

6.5.6 Plain Concrete Pedestals and Footings

(1) The maximum compressive stress in plain concrete pedestals shall not exceed the concrete
bearing strength given in Section 6.5.4.
(2) Plain concrete footing may be used provided that the projection of the footing beyond the
critical section defined in Section 6.5.1 does not exceed half the thickness of the footing at that
section.

(3) Flexural design stresses in plain concrete shall not exceed 1.70fc/d' .

(4) Shear and punching shall be checked in accordance with Sections 4.8 and 4.10. –

(5) Plain concrete shall not be used for pile caps.

(6) The depth of plain concrete footings shall not be less than 200 mm