Career Episode 1: Construction of a New Building

CAREER EPISODE 1
Introduction:
CE 1.1 I will describe about my experience in constructing a new building after removing
an existing establishment in my first career episode. The project activity started in
August 2015 and continued till September 2016. I worked as a Structural Design
Engineer in UMANG PATEL CONSULTING CIVIL ENGINEER AND
STRUCTURAL DESIGNER. The organization was headquartered in Ahmedabad,
India.
Background:
CE1.2 Umang Patel Consulting Civil Engineer and Structural Designer is a design,
engineering and structural consultancy providing professional consulting
services for infrastructure, construction, industrial and property markets. The
company has evolved into a multi specialize team of more than 70 structural
engineers, cost consultants, construction managers and architects. The company
works for Indian corporates, EPC contractors, multinational companies,
developers, government organizations, and financial firms. This company has
executed big projects in residential, commercial, and industrial levels. This
company has more than 20 years of experience and executed more than 1000
projects nationally.
CE1.3 The main project scope was to work on the construction of a G+5 brand-new
building on a plot where there was already an establishment. However, the
requirement was to completely clear the construction site by demolishing the
existing establishment and start constructing the newly proposed design. My
organization secured the deal to work on the project and I was one of the key
members of the team deployed for the task.
CE1.4 I performed the following responsibilities in the project.
 Carrying out the project site investigations
 Checking and evaluating engineering design documents and carrying out
modifications
 Working with cross-functional engineering teams to ensure that the building
design is errorfree and effective
 Preparing the various load and stress estimations of the planned engineering
structures
 Finalizing the quality of the materials, concrete mix and so on for constructions
 Supervising the construction and material requirements
 Obtaining planning and/or building regulations approval
 Working with relevant professional staff such as architects
 Coordinating staff and deliveries of construction material
 Mentoring and monitoring labours and contractors working on the project

 Ensuring quality of design that is produced on a project to eliminate any
possibility of error or rework
 Working closely with the project management, customers, and project
resources
 Maintaining effort estimates and weekly project progress reports
CE1.5 The following organisational chart highlights my position as a Structural Engineer in
the project.
Chairman
Chief Executing
Department of Civil
Engineering
Construction
Engineering
Geotechnical
Engineering
Mechanical
Engineering
Structural
Engineering
Structural Design
Engineer
Cad Technician

Personal Engineering Activity:
CE1.6 The engineers and architects were assigned the task to prepare the design of the
building and I reviewed the received designs to ensure that the design can resist
earthquake, wind load, and provide stability to the structure by demonstrating
stiffness and resistance against the displacement of the building. I took the
responsibility to monitor the project proceedings on a daily basis. To achieve the
project objectives, I ensured managing the workforces, selecting the most effective
raw material, resolving the disputes arising in the construction site and so on.
CE1.7 I consulted the landscape engineers and the architects, to carry out the site
inspection to check whether the proposed site could comply with the proposed
engineering plans and designs and they are effective enough to be implemented.
Then I prepared all the required documentation to be submitted to the municipality
officials for the approval of the project so that the project work could commence. I
also ensured to accompany the government officials and explain them the plan
vividly whenever they came for the site inspections.
CE1.8 I reviewed the preliminary engineering drawings and construction designs
submitted by the architects. To review the design better and propose effective
modifications, I divided the building design into several designable entities. The
entities included basement, foundation, floors, slabs & beams, reinforced walls,
stairs, garages, elevator and so on. I used the STAAD.pro software to calculate the
loads on each of the entity again to validate the design and ensure that it can
sustain load when implemented into actual construction. I used ETABS software to
obtain stress analysis in slabs, shear force for the beam and area reinforcement for
the columns as designing the foundation was dependent upon the reaction and
height of the foundation level was dependent upon site and safe bearing capacity
of the soil stability.
CE1.9 I used numerous engineering formulae and Microsoft Excel to obtain the dead
load, live loads, wind loads, and seismic loads. I used the advanced functionalities
of the AutoCAD software to draft a framing plan with required sizes of beams and
columns. I worked closely with the architects and discussed the proposed plan with
them. After receiving their approval, I worked on designing a skeletal structure
considering the sizes and dimensions adhering to the engineering drawings
prepared by the architects.
CE1.10 I considered the live load as 2 KN/m2 since the analysis and design was planned
to be carried out for residential building as per IS Code 875 part-2 and as there
was no need of giving Dead load in ETABS which is an advantageous thing. I
provided wall load as 16.48 KN/m2 and for inner walls 8.24 KN/m2. I provided the
floor finish to be 0.6 KN/m. I considered the following dimensions for the design:
Grade of concrete for slab, beam, column: M20, Column Sizes = 250X360 mm,
Beam Size = 250X360 mm, Slab thickness = 160 mm, Number of Stories = 5,