CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), known in the United Kingdom as

Sandwich and Co-operative Education Programme in U.S.A and Canada respectively, started in

the University of Glasgow in 1840 but could not have a stand in Nigeria until 1973 when the

Industrial Training Fund (ITF) was established by decree no 47 of October 8, 1971. The

programme was established purposely for the provision of high quality technical man power

capable of meeting the demand of the fast-growing industrial sector as it as a viable means of

closing the gap between theory and practice, having watched the program successfully in

countries where it was adopted. The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is a body established by

decree no 47 of 1971 and amended by decree no 37 of 1973 under the ITF decree. The body

was established by the government to foster a more adequately trained workforce for the

nation’s economic growth, the training processes are funded by the ITF. In Nigeria, the

Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has its history traced back to the Polytechnic education which at

the onset globally was not intended to be part of higher-level institution. Students industrial

work experience scheme (SIWES) is a programme introduced into the Nigerian educational

system to enable students, on the basis of their respective levels, to have practical experiences

of their course of study including its professional correspondence and relevance, by attachments

to established professionals. The Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) is an

out of classroom curricula programme. It is a part of the requirements that must be met by

undergraduate students before the bachelor of technology (B.Tech) degree can be awarded. It

spans a period of six months, all through the second semester of the fourth year in the

university.
During the period of this attachment, a student is expected to put into practical and constructive

use all the knowledge and experiences he has gathered in the classroom over the period of the

preceding three years he had spent in school. The SIWES student is also expected to access new

problem-solving techniques while modifying existing ones so as to be able to meet modern

challenges encountered. The training scheme forms a mandatory part of the approved minimum

academic standards for the professions. This scheme is usually undertaken at firms, industries,

companies, establishments and government parastatals to carry out activities relating to the

students’ area of study. On completion of the training, students are required to prepare a

comprehensive technical report based on activities done by him/her during the period of

training.

1.1 Aim and Objectives of SIWES

The aim of SIWES is to provide necessary practical experience so as to bridge the gap

between the theoretical and practical reality of the student’s course of study and also to convey

information about the knowledge acquired during my SIWES programme as well as to establish

the importance and relevance of SIWES, particularly to the profession of urban and regional

planning.

The objectives of SIWES among others includes to:

• Provide an avenue for students in institutions of higher learning to acquire industrial

skills and experience in their approved course of study;

• To expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipment and

machineries that may not be in educational institutions.

 • To make transition from school to the world of work easier and enhance students

contacts for later job placements.

1.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION

The Ondo State Ministry of Land and Housing was established in 1976 from the formal

western region of Nigeria. It is located along Oyemekun road, in Akure, the state capital of

Ondo State. It is headed by Mr. Saka Yusuf Ogunleye who is the present commissioner in

the state.

In the ministry, there are various departments and offices such as the Surveying Department”,

“Valuation Department”, “Structure and Material Departments”, “Lands Department”,

“Deeds Department”, “Civil Engineering Departments” and many more. During this period,

I was exposed to some of these departments and their works. I was also on the field for

practical works whenever I need to be.

1.2 ORGANIZATONAL STRUCTURE

HONORABLE COMMISIONER

PERMANENT SECRETARY

DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR

VALUATION SURVEYING PLANNING
BUILDING

CHIEF
RESIDENT
OFFICER

DEPUTY CHIEF
OFFICER

ESTATE LAND
OFFICER RESIDENT SURVEYOR
OFFICER

Fig. 1.0 Organizational structure of Osun State Ministry of Land and Housing
 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 SECTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND WORK DONE

In the Ondo State Ministry of Land and Housing, I was able lean and carry out various

activities, some of these activities were highlighted below:

 Introduction to the entire ministry departments, my supervisor and activities

performed by each of these departments

 Introduction to the various materials used for construction

 Introduction to some machines that are used in construction

 The various activities and test carried out

2.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE MINISTRY, SUPERVISORS AND ACTIVITIES

On getting to the ministry of Land and Housing in Ondo State, I was first introduced to the

various departments which are functioning in the ministry. I was taken to my supervisors:

Engr. A.S Salami. After these are done, I was taken to the various places of which

activities are being carried out in the ministry. I was introduced to how things are being

done under each department. An example of such is the mechanical department which is

in charge of repairs that are carried out on all the basic machines, equipments, and tools.

Another like it is the construction department which is into the construction and

maintenance of the state construction works as building and roads.

Various works done and training undergone during my internship period, toward the

achievement of the above would be discussed later in this report. However, before I

proceed to the detailing of the work experience and training, I’d like to create a list of the

training I underwent during the internship period.

A.OFFICE EXPERIENCE

I. Taking off

a. Measurement of building works

b. Steel work

c. Projects I worked on

II. Valuation

III. Collation of Tender Document

IV. Material Procurement

V. Office and workplace ethics

B. SITE EXPERIENCE

I. The site I worked on

a. Casting of roof beam

b. Roof carcass and roofing

c. Staircase work

d. Construction of septic tank and soak away pit

e. Construction of water tank base

f. Construction steel stanchion

g. Tiling work

h. Conduiting in electrical works

i. Fencing

j. Earthing

k. Fixing of Burglar proof and aluminum

l. Painting and screeding of walls

m. Plastering and rendering

n. Fixing of galvanized pipes on fence

o. Plumbing works

p. Other site works and experiences.

2.1 INTRODUCTIONTO SITE MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND

MACHINERIES

In the process of my work experience program I was introduced to various materials,

equipments and machineries used in the construction and development of a building.

MATERIALS

Example of materials used in building construction is as follows;

Cement: This is a powdered substance that develops strong adhesive properties when

mixed with water. It is used in Block work, Plastering, Rendering and Concreting. The

establishment of Cement is achieved by burning a mixture of clay and chalk or limestone

in a kiln.

Reinforcement: Reinforcement is provided in concrete structures to enhance its tensile

strength. Therefore in all structural elements, the reinforcement is provided in the region

of the element that will be subjected to tension. Standard bar diameters ~ 6, 8, 10, 12, 16,

20, 25, 32 and 40 mm.

Aggregates: This consists of sand, ground crushed stone, pebbles, broken blocks and

similar such materials. Aggregates may either be light or heavy weight and also All-in-

Aggregates. Aggregates must be clean, structural sound, well graded, weather resistance

and inert in the presence of water.

Mineral Fibre Felt: a waterproofing membrane consisting of a thin fibrous mat of

polyester or glass fibres saturatedwith bitumen or a bitumen-polymer, it lies between the

actual roof and the house and the layer of protection from the element. It is always 36”
wide and they come in a rectangular shape (roll). The mineral fibre felt was used during

the repair of roof slabs leakages, it was applied after the roof slabs has been primed, this

was carried out by heating the primed surface and the felt together with the aid of gas.

EQUIPMENTS

The following are examples of various tools used in construction;

Trowel: This is a flat metal blade fixed to a short handle used for the application, jointing,

smoothing and shaping of mortar in masonry. It is also used in the trimming of

block/bricks. Trowel sizes ranges from 225-350mm measuring from the blade.

Spirit Level: This is a Hand-tool usedfor indicating true horizontal and vertical of a work,

by means of an air bubble sealed in a marked, liquid-filled glass tube mounted in a frame;

the tube is horizontal when the bubble is between two marks. Spirit levels are of various

length ranging from about 225mm to 1.2m.

Straight Edge: The kind of straight edge that was used on the construction site is an

Aluminum frame of about 2m in length. The straight edge is used to check the fairness of

the newly laid piece of a wall and to ensure that all the blocks are laid to the same level of

each course.

Iron Square: This is a hand tool of angle 90 which measures 600mm by 450mm long. It

is used for setting out walls at right angles to check for square nature of a section of work.

MACHINERIES

The machineries that were used on site were brought into considerations so as to promote

high standards required particularly in the context of structural engineering works.

 Machineries are used on site to eliminate heavy manual work thus reducing fatigue and as

a consequence increasing productivity. Such machineries that were used include;

Tilting Drum Concrete Mixer: This is a type of concrete mixer with a rotating hinged

drum in which the constituent materials are mixed thoroughly and can be tilted to enable

emptying. Choice of Mixer ~ the factors to be taken into consideration when selecting the

type of concrete mixer required are …

1. Maximum output required (m3/ hour).

2. Total output required (m3).

3. Type or method of transporting the mixed concrete.

4. Discharge height of mixer (compatibility with transporting method).

Poker Vibrator: This consist of a hollow steel tube casing inwhich is a rotating impellor

which generates vibrations as its headcomes into contact with the

casing. It is immersed in fresh concrete to provide compaction

through gentle agitation.

Block moulding machine: The block moulding machine has a

demountable mould which determines the size of the blocks to be

moulded. It is either powered by a diesel engine or electricity.

The engine enables the machine to induce the desired vibration to

the mix placed in the mould in order to enhance the strength of the blocks.
 2.2 CONCRETING

This is generally referred to as Casting. It is a process of working with freshly mixed

concrete especially the placing of concrete. Before the establishment of the second floor

some procedures where undertaken. Such procedures include;

1. Material Supply and Storage: This is the receiving on site ofthe basic materials namely

cement, fine aggregate and coarseaggregate and storing them under satisfactory conditions.

Cement is supplied in bags form and was stored on racks to prevent moisture penetration

from the ground in a dry store free from draughts which can introduce moist air and cause air

set of the material. Cement should not be stored on the site for long period of time on site;

therefore provision should be made for rotational use so that the material being used comes

from older stock.

Aggregates were stored in Bays on a clean firm base to ensure that foreign matter is not

included when extracting materials from the base of the stock pile.

2. Batching: Before mixing was carried out, the ingredients have to be measured in their correct

proportion to enhance the quality of the concrete. Volume batching was used in this process

with the aid of a head pan with a ratio of 1:2:4 and 1:3:6 and this was supervised by the site

engineer.

3. Mixing: The purpose of mixing is to coat the surfaces of Aggregate particles with cement paste

and to make it a uniform mass. The quality of mixture depends on the accuracy of proportioning

of the materials and the method of mixing. The method of mixing was carried out mechanically

through the use of a Tilting Drum concrete mixer.

4. Transportation: This involves themeans of conveying concrete from the point of mixing to the

point of placement. The choice of transportation depends on the size and complexity of the site,

weather condition and the height of the placement of the concrete. The mode of transportation

used was the manual method with the use of head pans and labour. A mason’s ladder made of

both bamboo and timber was constructed to enhance vertical/inclined movements.

5. Placing: Before the concrete was placed in the formwork, the inside of the formwork is

thoroughly cleaned and a release agent (lubricant) was applied after the formwork was blown

off of dust. The concrete was placed at a reasonable height of not more than 1m so as to avoid

the segregation of its component materials.

6. Compacting: The Compacting of freshly placed concrete is to make it a unit mass by

eliminating voids within it. The method and the type of compaction given to concrete depend on

the nature of work. Poker Vibrator was used for the compacting of concrete during the

construction of the floors of the new university hostel while the concretes of small works were

compacted using tapping rod.

7. Curing: After the placing and compacting of the concrete it is allowed to sufficiently harden for

a day then the curing process comes in which involves the prevention of the evaporation of

moisture in the concrete. The concrete was watered for 7days with use of a hose pipe connected

to a tank. This was done to avoid shrinkage of the concrete and cause a more permanent and

durable material produced.

After 21 days the formwork are removed completely to enhance the full setting of the

reinforced concrete floor.

Hence, concreting was carried out on almost all the construction work during my period of

attachment.
2.3 SETTING OUT

Refers to the act of measuring and marking out a full size plan of a building or element

of a building on site. This is accomplished by transferring the architectural details from

paper to the ground.

2.4 FOUNDATION WORKS

Foundation consist of firm strata to prevent differential settlement of the structure and

it provides stability to the structure. It transfers the weight of the structure (live, dead,

and other loads) to the earth.

2.4 BLOCKWORK

The walling system was mostly carried out using sandcrete hollow blocks. The sizes of

blocks were used in respect to their functions. The 6 inches blocks were used mostly

for internal walls while the 9 inches blocks were used in load bearing areas and

external walling. The bonding process used in the union of these block is Stretcher

Bond; which is when the stretcher faces of the blocks appear on the front or rear

elevation of the wall.

 2.5 LINTELS

Lintel is referred to as the beam above an opening in a building, which supports the

weight above it and transmits such weight of the imposed materials to the vertical

sides of the wall opening. The lintel used for the opening in the constructed fence was

Precast Reinforced Concrete Lintel that was constructed on site by using a wooden

mould while the cast in-situ lintel was used for the construction of the new university

hostel. The precast lintel was transported and placed manually. One of the advantages

of precast lintel is that it quickens production.

2.6 GROUND BEAM

Ground beam is a beam of reinforced concrete at or near ground level supporting a

wall, and either resting directly on the ground or transferring its load to piles or piers

in the manner of a lintel.

2.7 DOOR AND WINDOW AS PART OF BUILDING COMPONENT

A door is a movable barrier secured in an opening, known as the doorway, through a building

wall or partition for the purpose of providing access to the inside of a building or rooms of a

building. A door is held in position by doorframes, the members of which are located at the sides

and top of the opening or doorway. Sills may or may not be provided at the bottom of doorways.

A window is defined as an opening in a wall of a building to serve one or more of the functions

like natural light, natural ventilation and vision.

 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 DEFINITION OF LOGICAL TERMS

 Borrow pit: A pit resulting from the excavation of materials for use in

embankments

 Blinding : This typically refers to a base layer of a weak concrete or sand that is

laid abov a layer of hardcore to provide a clean, level and dry working surface

 Curve: This is a slight bend from the direction in the construction lane of a road

 Sidewalk: This is a path along the side of a road. It is usually constructed of

concrete or asphalt and is designed for pedestrians.

 Pothole: a depression or hollow in a road surface caused by wear or subsidence.

 Highway: A main road, especially one connecting major towns or cities.

 Lane: A division of a road marked off with painted lines and intended to separate

single lines of traffic according to speed or direction.

 Heavy equipment: This refers to heavy-duty vehicles, specially designed for

executing construction tasks, most frequently ones involving earthwork operations

or other large construction tasks.

 Asphalt: This is also known as “Bitumen”. It is a sticky, black, highly viscous

liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may

be refined product, and is classed as a pitch.

 Filter bed: A layer of sand or gravel in a tank or reservoir through which a liquid is

passed so as to purify it.

 Culvert: This is a tunnel carrying a stream or open drain under a road or railway

 Drainage: This is a pathway in which water passes through to prevent water from

storing and passing on the road

 Tarred: It is used to describe a completed road work. Most times, its used to

pottress on the fact that coal tar has been added to a road or that the road has been

successfully tarred with coal tar.

 CHAPTER FOUR

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION, CONCLUSION

4.1 Summary

The Student Industrial Work Experience scheme (SIWES) is a very good and

important programme which often boosts the professional knowledge of students and

prepare student for their future in their chosen carrier. Engaging in the Students Industrial

Work Experience (SIWES) is a necessary program for all students in tertiary institutions in

Nigeria. I have completed my internship program successfully and have learnt necessary

skills, experience, and knowledge as expected of me as a SIWES student in the country.

Also, I started the report writing by describing the nature of SIWES program in

Nigeria in the first chapter and narrated the program’s aims and objectives, the relevance of

the program and the Bodies involved in the program. Arguably, students that do not

participate in SIWES program have found it not easy to blend with the work force after

graduation.

4.2 Recommendations

Although the SIWES program is a very wonderful and enriching program for students. I

have also noted some lapses in the program and have decided to make some

recommendations pertaining to the improvement of the program. The recommendations will

be made to the major bodies involved in the SIWES program; The Federal Government; the

Industrial Training Fund (ITF); the Supervising Agencies – National Universities

Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National

Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE); Employers of Labour and Institutions have

specific roles assigned to them in the management of the SIWES Programme.

4.1. Recommendations for the Federal Government

The federal government must ensure that the funds disbursed to the Industrial Training Fund

through the Federal Ministry of Industries for the Scheme are actually given to the SIWES

students on time;

4.2. Recommendations to the Industrial training Fund (ITF)

The supervision of SIWES students on internship is expected to be monthly and at the

SIWES Student’s firm premises. Most of the supervision is not regular and not at the actual

place of work of the SIWES student.

4.3. Recommendations to the Institutions

The Institutions should be serious with the funding and empowering the SIWES supervisors

with necessary tools and fund to help carry their job effectively.

4.4 Recommendations to the Employers

The employers of SIWES students should not discriminate students from different

universities and make it a painstaking effort to bring up SIWES students in their firms and

see them as toddlers that need to be fed in the mouth.

4.5. Recommendations to the SIWES Students

Finally, the functions of the units should incorporate such schemes as the college-based

student’s work experience programme, which involves setting up pilot projects like proto-

type industries and production centres where students can acquire industrial experience

during the early periods of their training.

4.3 Conclusion

My industrial attachment to ministry of land and Housing has really helped to sharpen my skills

in the area of Project Development and supervising . It has given me the opportunity to apply the

theoretical knowledge I have in real work situation, thereby bridging the gap between theory and

actual practical experience.

Hence, I can state categorically that the three months program was educative,

productive, rewarding and successful.