A
TECHNICAL REPORT
ON
STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES)
BY
AKIRU PRECIOUS
MATRIC NO: 170402005
UNDERTAKEN AT
NEXANT CONSULTING LIMITED, LAGOS
SUBMITTED TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
University of Lagos, Lagos
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
IN CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
SUPERVISOR: DR A.O ADEBOJE
PERIOD OF ATTACHMENT: JANUARY - JUNE 2023
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, I am Immensely grateful to God almighty for the Success of this Programme,
I am also grateful to my Parents Mr. and Mrs. Akiru, my Siblings for their words of
encouragement and support throughout the programme
I am also very grateful to my Industry Based Supervisor Engr Joel Ogunniran, My Site engineer
(Engr Isabella), My Resident engineer (Engineer Amarachi) and my fellow interns (Mariam,
George, Stephen), my able contractors (Engr Eniola, Engr Ope, Engr Tolu) who despite the
pressure mounted on them for the completion of the project ensured that they supported and
contributed immensely to the success of the programme
Furthermore, Special thanks go to SIWES, the University of Lagos for providing the opportunity
to have this work experience and I will also like to appreciate my Department SIWES
coordinator Dr Afolabi and my Institution Based Supervisor Dr Adeboje for their words of advice
during the programme
CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that I, Akiru Precious with matriculation number 170402005 of the Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos made this
report of my Six months Attachment at Nexant Consulting Limited for January- June 2023 as a
requirement for the award of a Degree in B.Sc. Civil and was supervised accordingly by Engr Dr
A.O Adeboje
AKIRU PRECIOUS Engr Dr A. O Adeboje
Student Signature Institution based Supervisor
-------------------------- -------------------------------------------
Engr O.A Afolabi
Departmental SIWES Supervisor signature
-------------------------------------------------------
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES)
The Student Industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) was established by the industrial
training fund (ITF) in 1973 to enable students of the tertiary institution to have basic technical
knowledge of industrial work based on their course of study before the completion of their
program in their respective institutions. The scheme was designed to expose students to the
industrial environment and enable them to develop occupational competiencies so that they
can readily contribute their quota to national economic and technological development after
graduation
The students industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) is a planned and supervised training
intervention based on stated and specific learning and career objectives and geared towards
developing the occupational competiences of the participants. It is a program required to be
undertaken by all students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria pursuing courses in specialized
engineering, technical, business, applied sciences and applied Arts ( ITF, 2004a)
Industrial training fund in its policy statement No 1 published in 1973, inserted a clause dealing
with the issue of practical skills among locally trained professionals section 15 of the policy
statement states inter- alia that "Great emphasis will be placed on assisting certain products of
the Post- Secondary school system to adopt or orientqte easily to their possible Post-graduate
job environment
The scheme exposes students to industry - based skills necessary for a smooth transition from
the classroom to the world of work. It affords students of tertiary institutions the opportunity of
being familarized and exposed to the needed experiences in handling machinery abd
equipment which are not available to the institute
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OFAIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF SIWES
According to Eze (1998) as cited in Mofesola (2012), the objectives of the scheme as
summarized by the federal governments in its gazette of April 1978 are to
1) Provide an avenue for students in institutions of higher learning to acquire industrial skills
and experience in their course of study which is restricted to Engineering and technology
including environmental studies and other courses that may be approved. Courses of NCE
Technical, NCE Agriculture, NCE Business, NCE ( Fine and Applied Arts) and NCE ( Home
Economics) in Colleges of Education are also included
2) Prepare students for the industrial work station they are to meet after graduation
3) Expose students to work methods and techniques in handling equipments and
machinerythat may not be available in their institutions
4) Make the transition from school to the world of work easier and enhance students contact
for later Job Placement
5) Provides students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge in real work situations
thereby bridging the gap between theory and practice and enlist and strengthen employers,
involvement in the entire educational process and prepare students for employments in
Industry and Commerce
NEXANT CONSULTING LIMITED
Nexant Consulting Limited is a multi- disciplinary construction management, engineering
Consulting firm and one of the top structural Engineering Firms in Lagos servicing a variety of
industries and delivering Infrastructure Projects
Nexant Consulting Limited is an ISO 9001 2005 certified firm with an extensive expertise and
Experience in Railway Engineering works (tracks, signaling, telecoms, power and
electrifications), Major Civil Engineering Projects (stations, highways, bridges, building etc.),
Structural Engineering works as well as Asset management
Nexant consulting Limited is a registered member of the council for the regulation of
Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a registered member of the Association for Consulting
Engineering in Nigeria (ACEN).
The company major services include
i) Construction Supervision
ii) Project management
iii) Railway Consultancy management
iv) Quality Assurance and quality control
Some of the projects handled by the company includes
1) Lagos Rail Mass Transit
2) Oyo state Light Rail Mass Transit
3) Project management for Skye Bank Plc Funded Projects
4) Project management for Shell Petroleum Development Company
5) Expansion of Murtala Muhammed International Airport
6) Safety Audit for all NRC Rail crossing Lagos state
ORGANIZATION ADDRESS
Nexant Consulting Limited is currently located at CCECC Yard, Opposite NRC Running shed
Clinic, Ebutte- meta, Lagos after moving from the original office located at the second floor,
West Wing, Catholic Mission Street Lagos Island, due to the damages done during the END SARS
project
PLACE OF PRIMARY ASSIGNMENT
In Nexant Consulting Limited, I was allocated to a Train station Project (Yaba Train Station)
where I worked as a consultant for the Six months SIWES training
I worked alongside my fellow interns (Stephen, Mariam, George, Abdullah), My Site Engineer
(Engineer Isabella), My Resident Engineer (Engineer Amarachi), My Contractors STEP
DEVELOPMENT LIMITED (Engr Tolu, Engr Eniola, Engr Ope)
As a Site engineer Intern, I was responsible for Supervising most onsite construction for the
train station and ensuring the work was done according to the required quality
DETAILED REPORT ON THE STUDENT INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE
Overview: In the course of my industrial training, a six months internship program with Nexant
Consulting Limited, I have been exposed to the nature of work on site and the different
Construction processes for building structures ( Excavation, Blinding, Installation of formwork
and reinforcement, Concrete Placing, backfilling) for both the lift shear wall of the platform and
the pedestrian bridge pad foundation, Drainages ( Installing of formwork and reinforcement,
Concrete Placing), Laying of wall, floor and marble tiles, Laying of blocks, Rendering, wall
screeding, Crushing test for determining the cube compressive strength, Installing of Steel
columns, Purlin, Rafters, tie beams and roof gutter for steel columns, Installation of glass
windows, Molding and Laying of Kerbstones, Floor Screeding, Landscaping, Compaction of earth
prior to the laying of Interlocking, Backfilling with Stone dust prior to the Laying of Interlocking
and the laying of interlocking, I was also involved in taking reports of activities done and the
progress of work on site.
Also, I have learnt how to relate with Co- Workers on site and Labourers and how to contribute
meaningfully to the success of a Construction project as a consultant thereby building my
leadership skills, communication skills and time management skills
HIGHLIGHT OF MY WORK EXPERIENCE IN NEXANT CONSULTING LIMITED
1) Overseeing the placing of formwork and casting processes (ensuring that samples of
concrete were taken which is a very integral part of the concrete cube compressive
strength, the concrete used was also well vibrated to prevent honeycomb in concrete)
2) Structural assessment of the reinforcement layout for the pedestrian bridge pad
foundation to ensure it is in line with the provided structural drawing for the project
3) Overseeing the crushing test for determining the Concrete cube compressive strength
for concrete used for the pedestrian bridge pad foundation, the lift shear wall of the
platform, drainages etc.
4) Witnessing the construction processes involved in the construction of the pedestrian
bridge pad foundation (Excavation, Blinding, Installation of formwork and
reinforcement, Concrete placing (batching, mixing, pouring, vibration and finishes),
striking off formwork and backfilling of the pedestrian bridge pad foundation
5) Ensuring proper housekeeping on site whenever the safety official visits
6) Witnessing the construction processes involved in the construction of the lift shear wall
of the platform (installing of formwork and reinforcement), concrete placing (G25 and
G30 was mostly used), Rendering and Screeding
7) Witnessing the construction processes involved in drainages (Excavation, Blinding,
installing of formwork and reinforcement, concrete placing for drainage side walls,
laying of kerbs, Installing of formwork and reinforcement for drainage slab, concrete
placing for drainage slab
8) Witnessing the installation of 1350*6 steel columns, C-Section Purlins, H-Section Rafters,
Tye beams and Roof gutters of the steel columns
9) Witnessing the installing of frame for the pedestrian bridge joining the LHS and RHS of
the platform
10) Witnessing the landscaping, compaction, backfilling with stone dust and laying of
interlocking
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH FOR DETERMINING THE CONCRETE CUBE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
This provides an idea about all the characteristics of concrete. By this test, one can judge
whether concreting has been done properly or not. Concrete compressive strength for general
construction varies from G15- G30 and higher in commercial and industrial structures
Compressive strength of concrete depends on many factors such as the water cement ratio,
cement strength, Quality of concrete materials, quality control during the production of
concrete
PROCEDURE FOR CARRYING OUT THE COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE
For the work carried out in the Yaba train station, concrete cube mold of 15cm* 15cm* 15cm
was used and was cleaned with oil to avoid sticking, after which the concrete was poured in the
mold and properly tampered so as not to have any voids. After 24 hours, the molds are
removed and the test specimen put in water for curing. The top surface of the specimen should
be made even and smooth which is achieved by placing cement paste and spreading smoothly
on the whole area of the specimen. These specimens are tested by the compression testing
machine after 7 days curing or 28 days curing
Overview of the processes carried out for Concrete Cubes
1) Clean the molds and apply oil
2) Fill the concrete in the molds in layers approximately 5cm thick
3) Compact each layer with not less than 25 strokes per layer using a tamping rod
4) Level the top surface and smoothen with a trowel
CURING OF CUBES
The test specimens are stored in moist air for 24 hours and after this period, the specimens are
marked and removed from the molds and kept submerged in clear fresh water until taken out
prior to the test, minimum of three specimens should be tested at each selected age. If the
strength of any specimen varies by more than 15% of average strength, the results of such
specimen should be rejected. The average of three specimen divided by the square of the mold
should give the crushing strength of concrete
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE AT VARIOUS AGES
The strength of concrete increases with age, the table shows the strength of concrete at
different ages in comparison with the strength at 28 days after casting
Age Strength percent (%)
1days 16
3 days 40
7 days 65
14 days 90
28 days 99
CONSTRUCTION OF DRAINAGES FOR THE YABA TRAIN STATION
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub- surface water from an area with
excess of water. It is important for preventing flooding and erosion
TYPES OF DRAINAGES
1) Surface drainage: This involves the removal of water from the surface of the ground
through channels, ditches or other forms of conveyance systems
2) Sub- Surface drainage: This is the removal of water from below the surface of the
ground through the use of pipes or other types of underground conveyance systems
3) Combined drainage system: This uses both surface and subsurface drainages technique
to remove water from an area
CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES OVERVIEW FOR THE DRAINAGE
Before the excavation work was done, levelling of the ground took place in order to know the
depth to be excavated. The depth and width of the drainage is 900mm, that is the drainage was
excavated by 1m. then after excavation, blinding with a mass concrete of 1:3:6 and thickness of
50mm was done. For the reinforcement, the main bar is 12mm and 200 spacing center to
center. After which the formwork was erected, this was done using marine board 1.2 by 2.4
then Concrete of grade 25 was casted (1:2:4) after which it is left to dry for 24 hours before
removing the formwork, Kerbs was laid beside the drainage. Then for the drainage cover,
formwork was erected after which placing of reinforcement was done, then casting was done
with a specific concrete mix ratio of 1:2:4
STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT AND SUPERVISION OF CONSTRUCTION STAGES IN A STRUCTURE
This entails the construction processes carried out using the YABA train station pedestrian
bridge pad foundation as an example
Setting out: Generally, this is the preparatory stage in every construction process, this involves
clearing of site and marking out section with pegs
Excavation: This was done using a mechanical excavator
Blinding: Blinding for the Yaba train station Pedestrian bridge pad foundation was mainly done
with a mass concrete mix ratio of 1:3:6 and a thickness of 50mm.
Formwork and reinforcement: After the foundation reinforcements were structurally assessed
to ensure they are in line with the drawing, formwork was erected after which the next step
was the Concrete placing otherwise known as the casting process, before casting was done
(which was done twice), the kicker column was erected to ensure the coordinates of the
column was maintained uniformly throughout, after which formwork of the column was
erected and then the first set of casting was done with a mix ratio of 1:3:6 then anchor bolts for
the steel columns was set, installation of formwork continued before the second set of casting
(G30) was done to the level of the anchor bolt
Backfilling: after the concrete was allowed to cure for at least 24 hours, the previously set aside
soil was used to backfill the foundation
FENCING: This was erected to prevent the intrusion of pedestrians into the site. This process
included excavation, blinding, laying of 9 inches blocks, prefabrication of steel reinforcement,
installation of formwork, concrete placing on columns, coping and wall finishes
SITE SAFETY: Nexant construction limited is very keen on safety and so we were to always wear
our PPES on site
IMAGES TAKEN ON SITE
LAYING OF KERBS
LAYING OF INTERLOCKING
DRAINAGES
LIFT SHEAR WALL OF THE PLATFORM
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE PAD FOUNDATION
STEEL COLUMNS
CRUSHING TEST VIBRATING MACHINE
CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED DURING MY INTERNSHIP
BAD WEATHER: The project was carried out during the rainy season, hence affecting the
completion of the project as the project had to be paused for several days when rain fell
No Design Department: There was no design department in Nexant consulting limited, hence I
could not be really trained in that aspect
Labourers: The Labourers preferred using a concrete mix ratio that looks okay to them, hence
we the contractors had to ensure that the right concrete mix ratio was used and the concrete
was properly vibrated
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The SIWES programme carried out at NEXANT CONSULTING LIMITED was worth it as I gained
more exposure to the practical aspect of construction, I also developed my leadership,
communication and project management skills.
I can boldly say that the training has been educative, interesting, challenging and has given me
access to experience real life working environment
Asides the fact that Nexant consulting limited had no design department, the training has been
worth it and I would love to do it again
