Civil Engineering

Details of Construction and Quantity Surveying: Fall 2022

A Professional Talk on “CE 200 and CE 208; Details of Construction and Quantity Surveying” organized by the Department of Civil Engineering was held on Thursday, 3^rd August 2023 at Room no. 2A06, Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST), under the Chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Sharmin Reza Chowdhury, Head, Department of Civil Engineering, AUST.

Executive Engineer (Civil), Public Works Development (PWD), Mr. Rashed Ahsan was the keynote speaker. Prof. Dr. Sharmin Reza Chowdhury, Head, Department of Civil Engineering, AUST, the course coordinators, course teachers of CE 200 and CE 208 of Fall 2022 and other faculties along with students of 2^nd year 2^nd semester were present in the session.

The Honorable Head, Prof. Dr. Sharmin Reza Chowdhury, greeted all the students to the session and introduced the program speaker. After that, he discussed on recently developed construction materials, cost-effective sustainable options, and updated cost estimation techniques. He also suggested getting updated on the current new resources apart from conventional textbooks to get prepare for the job market. Then, Mr. Shafiqul Islam also addressed the program speaker to all the students. After that, the program started officially.

The speaker welcomed all the students and thanked the departmental Head for his valuable speech. After that, he introduced himself as well to the students. He is now working as Executive Engineer, in the Public Work Department (PWD). He graduated from BUET in 2011. Professionally he is a certified engineer and worked in different capacities and organizations such as in the ready-mix company, World University, UITS, WaterAid, etc.

After ending the general discussion, he started to give his speech on the “Details of construction materials”.

He asked the students about any experience staying in clay made home as it is comparatively cooler environment than any other homemade of other materials. He also suggested students visit a clay-made NGO building for getting experience in Dinajpur if student get visit to Dinajpur.

After that, he started to share his slides on the construction material to the present student. He started with concrete material. He told about coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, admixture, types of concrete: reinforcing concrete, mass concrete, precast concrete, prestressed concrete, fiber reinforced concrete. He mentioned the importance of concrete workability, curing and particularly the field experience of concrete handling, slum test for concrete workability in construction site. He asked the student how the procedure of concreting is done in construction site. One of the students shared his experience saying that the concreting is done by mixing the concrete beforehand in the mixer machine.

He presented the main strength of concrete depends on water and cement ratio; it is related to workability as well. In the manual process of concrete mixing, the water cement ratio is very difficult to control even if finest materials are supplied as the field workers do not follow the instruction and mix them according to their judgement. Adding that, he said the required strength of concrete is difficult to attain even in mixer machine. As now-a-days Engineers work with 4000, 5000 and 7000 psi concrete, therefore the solution is to use ready mix concrete as stated by the speaker. The speaker also gives insights on some issues related to the ready-mix concrete as well.  He also mentioned the issues related to quality control of the concrete in the construction site and informed that almost 60% of the buildings in Dhaka city are uncontrollably constructed.

Then the discussion was carried out on the compaction of concrete in the construction site and its related issues in the construction site, also the procedure of compaction in various places.

The next topic of his presentation was on the curing of concrete, the methods of curing, where the curing is required and where it is not necessary, new technology for curing using self-cure admixture/concrete, giving insightful information to the students. He also talked about the age of concrete as well.

The next topic was on the type and grades of cement, OPC cement and PCC cement in the construction industry, the difference between them, the difference of selecting cement OPC & PCC among marketing executive, cement company, private company, and Government sector. The reason for choosing the OPC all time by the Government personnel.

Then the presentation was on the shape of aggregate, production of aggregate and required shape of aggregate for better concrete, and the problems of production aggregate in the concrete.

The discussion was on the construction joint, definition of construction joint, specification of construction joint in the code for government personnel, problems of maintaining some joints. After that the presentation continued on expansion join and the places it is provided. Having said that, he shared his experience working on the earthquake project, the first retrofitting project under the Bangladesh government.

Then his presentation was on concrete mixing: volume basis and weight basis, hand mixing, mixer machine, ready mix concrete. After that he showed various cases of placing concrete in construction sites and their relative problems using his presentation slides.

Mr. Rashed Ahsan also shared invaluable insights on the topic of "Estimation of Building" based on his extensive field experience. Key Highlights of Mr. Mr. Rashed Ahsan's Speech:

Introduction to Quantity Surveying: Mr. Ahsan began by introducing the fundamental concept of Quantity Surveying and its critical role in the construction industry. He emphasized how precise estimation is the cornerstone of successful project management.

Types of Estimates: Mr. Ahsan elaborated on the different types of estimates, including Preliminary, Approximate, and Detailed Estimates. He elucidated when each type should be used and the significance of early-stage estimates in project planning.

Methods and Techniques: He delved into various methods and techniques employed in estimating building quantities, elucidating both traditional and modern approaches. Specifically, Mr. Ahsan highlighted the importance of the PWD rate schedule 2022 as a valuable tool for accurately estimating construction costs. This rate schedule, provided by the Public Works Department, contains standardized rates for materials, labor, and services commonly used in construction projects. It serves as a crucial reference for professionals in the field, helping ensure transparency and consistency in cost estimation for building projects. This information aids in budgeting, project planning, and resource allocation, making it an essential resource for the construction industry.

Factors Affecting Estimation: Addressing the complexity of estimation, he highlighted factors that can influence the accuracy of estimates, such as design alterations, site conditions, and fluctuations in material costs.

Real-world Examples: Drawing from his field experience, Mr. Ashan shared insightful real-world examples and case studies of building estimation projects. He demonstrated how to estimate the cost of a 13-storey building using the PWD rate schedule 2022 with detailed calculations and drawings.

Challenges and Solutions: He candidly discussed the challenges often encountered during the estimation process and offered practical solutions and best practices for mitigating these challenges.

The speech was followed by an engaging Q&A session, during which Mr. Ahsan fielded questions and further clarified key points. The presence of Prof. Dr. Sharmin Reza Chowdhury, Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at AUST, and the enthusiastic participation of faculty members and students from the 2nd year, 2nd semester of the Department of Civil Engineering, added depth and vibrancy to the discussion.

Extending heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Rashed Ahsan for sharing his expertise and making this professional talk a resounding success. His insights have undoubtedly enriched our understanding of quantity surveying and its pivotal role in the world of civil engineering.