ifice August,16

Editorial

There was a felt need for a medium to provide effective but concise information related to advancements in civil construction, highlighting the work done by students and faculty, their achievements and thoughts. So, in order to fulfil that need, we came up with the concept of “EDIFICE”, the monthly newsletter of Faculty of Technology. The word ‘Edifice’ originates from the Latin word meaning ‘a large, imposed building’. Its meaning has been expanded to include ‘a system of ideas’. Edifice, as a newsletter, is an attempt to provide a common platform for the students, faculty and the alumni to enunciate on the existing issues faced by the industry, current technological advancements and other such trending topics with an aspiration of a positive outcome. With this belief, we commence our journey.

02 Know your Dean 04 Magical steering Wheel 06 3D Printing 07 TIMBER – Does it sustain? Know your Mentor Alumni Connect

Don't wait - Innovate Words that sustain

08 Spanning strands 10 Calibrating Fume 11 Highway, P.T., Thesis 14 Accolades Random Rubbles Knowledge Pot

Student's Portfolio Evantuals

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Know your Dean Inquire & Explo re, Observe & Lea rn, Innovate & Pro sper.

Dr. Paresh Shah B.E. (Civil Engg.- L.D. College of Engg.) M.Tech - Ph.D (Geotechnical Engg.- IIT,Mumbai)

Dean's Words Dear Students, let me inform you that I started my academic career at SBST in 1992, after working with consulting engineers for eight years and worked here till 1997. I came back to CEPT after a gap of 19 years, as I was missing the CEPT culture, ethos, vibrancy and energy you feel on this campus. Uniqueness of the programs offered at FT is our practice oriented curriculum and teaching-learning processes. I would like to concentrate on two words for the time to come at FT: “Innovations” & “Sustainability”. Friends, just think about the fact that new construction materials, technologies, tools and equipment keep on coming into practice, but what is our contribution to that. So my message to all: Whatever you do: assignment, field studies, project training, projects, thesis, etc., ask yourself a question: “Can I think of a more innovative and sustainable way of doing any construction activity?”

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n the last two decades, the construction industry has experienced an exponential growth rate due to the rapid expansion of housing and infrastructure facilities as a result of adoption of globalization and liberalization policies by the Government of India. In order to meet the expectations of all stakeholders, challenges before construction industry are satisfying higher expectations of quality and speed of construction, availability of trained manpower, safety on construction sites, increasing awareness about aesthetics of finished structures, satisfying sustainability criteria in all construction processes due to increased environmental concerns all over the world (green building practices), productivity and economy of construction processes. To meet these challenges, use of latest tools, equipment and techniques are required to be employed. One has to constantly look for innovative solutions for specific construction projects, as each project has a unique set of challenges.

04 An Alumini with a

Magical Steering

Wheel Atul Gupta Member Alphabet/ Google [X], Self Driving Car project

‘95

Role of S.B.S.T. I left SBST with a passion for structural engineering and 16 years later, I am Excited to be part of the Google Self Driving car project where I’m utilizing various computational modeling tools to assess structural stability and safety of the car structure. My education at SBST played a significant role throughout my career. There is something very special about SBST, and that is right from the very beginning it gives opportunity to work on individual projects. That gives you exposure to make contact with external agencies to seek their help and information for the project and you also get to present your work in front of the jury. It taught me to work hard, built my confidence and helped me prove myself at every stage. Also, my education at SBST helped me develop my interest in structural engineering through various electives, training and final semester project. SBST taught me that there are no boundaries if one is determined. This is why you’ll find SBST graduates going into various fields and becoming successful in whatever they chose.

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tul Gupta did his diploma in Building Construction Technology from C.E.P.T. University(1995-2000). He worked as a Research Assistant for 8 months in National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) before applying for Master of Science (MS) in Structural Engineering, Mechanics and Material in University of California, Berkeley (2001-2002) where he also worked as a Graduate Research Assistant in Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory. His graduate research involved computational biomechanics of bone structures utilizing highly scalable supercomputing environment. He has been an active participant in several industry-wide collaborations for computational modeling, fatigue characterization of materials and development of Verification & Validation standards as a member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He worked as a Senior Principal R&D Engineer at Medtronic where he was involved in developing methodologies for modeling of medical devices, improving test methods and characterizing mechanical and fatigue behavior of challenging materials like Nitinol. Prior to that, he worked for Abaqus/SIMULIA focusing on FEA consulting and support. He is currently working at Alphabet/Google [x] as part of the self-driving car advanced research team where he focuses on materials and computational modeling to improve the performance of the car. His present job description involves the utilization of Finite Element Analysis and optimization tools to develop, analyze, and test various design options to improve vehicle safety. He is also an active researcher on innovative materials and technologies to help the R&D team solve challenging design issues.

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Civil engineering is about developing and sustaining infrastructure. The profession covers many areas of interest and a broad range of expertise. As a result, civil engineers work with a voluminous amount of data from a variety of sources. Geographic information system (GIS) technology provides the tools for creating, managing, analyzing, and visualizing the data associated with developing and managing infrastructure. GIS allows civil engineers to manage and share data and turn it into easily understood reports and visualizations that can be analyzed and communicated to others. This data can be related to both a project and its broader geographic context. It also helps organizations and governments work together to develop strategies for sustainable development. Thus, GIS is playing an increasingly important role in civil engineering companies, supporting all phases of the infrastructure life cycle. GIS software is interoperable, supporting the many data formats used in the infrastructure life cycle and allowing civil engineers to provide data to various agencies in the required format while maintaining the data’s core integrity. GIS technology provides a central location to conduct spatial analysis, overlay data, and integrate other solutions and systems. Built on a database rather than individual project files, GIS enables civil engineers to easily manage, reuse, share, and analyze data, saving time and resources.

Application of GIS with Civil engineering Water distribution analysis Traffic management analysis Soil analysis Site feasibility analysis Environment impact analysis Volume or Area analysis of catchment River or canals pattern analysis Temperature and humidity a`nalysis Contour profiling Terrain modeling Optimizing path for dumpers and Transit trucks Earth filling and cutting -Mayanksing Sakla

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3D Printing: A Plethra of Opportunities & Inspirations

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Timber As A Sustainable Solution

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whole new realm of innovations and prospects has been unlocked with the advent of 3D printing in construction industry. Originated in the 1980s, it wasn’t until the 2000 that the technology became affordable. One of the pioneers, Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis of University of Southern California has spent more than 15 years developing his Contour Crafting system. The process involves creating a 3D digital model of the needed entity either by computer aided design (CAD) or using a 3D scanner. A plastic 3d printer consisting primarily of a heated nozzle, known as an extrusion head, moves in 3 dimensions, X, Y and Z. The printer thereafter reads the design and lays down successive layers of printing medium (this can be a liquid, powder, or sheet material). An outstanding example of this technology is the construction of 10 small block houses built by a Shangai based firm called “WinSun Decoration Design Engineering” within 24 hours. Despite this, 3D printing has its own set of constraints.3D printing in India is still under the research phase. Climatic conditions, standard of constructions and economic feasibility are the aspects which shall govern its emergence in India. CEPT University too has its own 3D printer albeit at a lower scale. With the development of a robotic arm on its way, it shall revolutionize the makings in our college. All in all, 3D printing is definitely one of the upcoming technologies to look forward to in the next decade. -Aakanksha Rebello

Cross-roads words

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ll major cultures have numerous vernacular methods of timber construction. The traditions of these cultures co-existed with their construction methods and contributed significantly to the sustainability of their practices. In modern contexts however, the use of timber is associated primarily with deforestation, reduction of biodiversity, and is generally not treated as a structural material. This does not need to be the case. Recent literature is beginning to argue that sustainable harvesting practices are far more reliable in the conservation of biodiversity, are more energy efficient and preserve vernacular knowledge in ways that purely conservationist policies cannot. Timber farming is not an energy intensive activity and can be performed using treated city waste water and city compost to further reduce its resource requirements. Timber stores atmospheric carbon inside its mass by converting it to cellulose. When used for construction, this carbon remains fixed inside the timber for its entire lifetime. Traditional craft workers can bring valuable indigenous knowledge to the table in both design and construction. By engaging local materials one is also engaging local knowledge and local people and enabling job creation without destroying cultural heritage. Timber should be selected for construction from the indigenous species of that region. The carbon fixing benefits become irrelevant if the energy cost of transportation is high. It is important for all participants in the process, particularly architect and structural engineer to be aware of these and plan accordingly. Indian standards can be particularly helpful towards achieving this goal.

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Spanning The Strands

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n extradosed balance cantilever bridge is very efficient for spans ranging from 100m to 200m. Balanced cantilever bridges and cable stayed bridges are not considered economical for this span range. Thus an extradosed balanced cantilever bridge fills that gap, giving a very economical as well as structurally and aesthetically sound design.

Deck erection work comprises of five major activities mentioned as under. Pre-cast segment construction - Precast segment construction is carried out by match cast technique, in which the new segment is casted alongside of the preceding segment; this arrangement of casting segments allow proper geometry control during segment erection and deck construction. Segment transport - The segment is brought to the load out jetty from the casting yard with the assistance of a trailer designed according to the segment dimensions and placed there. The lifting goliath crane gantry lifts the segment and transfers it to the float barge. The segment is positioned and anchored with precision on barge. Cantilever construction equipment handling - While the segment placement on barge and shifting works are going on, the C.C.E. (Cantilever Construction Equipment) is auto launched. Deck geometry control - After lifting the segment, it is aligned and matched with the previous segment according to the match casted shear keys. The process is called dry matching. Thixotropic epoxy glue is used in order to bind the two segments.

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Fun Facts 1. Tehri Dam is asia’s tallest rockfill dam with over 25 Million M3 of filler material placement and is third largest in the World. 2. Suurhusen church (Leaning Tower of Suurhusen) is the most unintentionally tilted tower in the world, leaning out of plumb at an angle of 5.19 degrees, thus beating the previous record-holder, the world famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, by 1.22 degrees. 3. Concrete is the second most consumed substance on planet by humans after water. 4. Built in 605A.D. Zhauzhou (China) is the oldest standing stone Segmental arch Bridge. 5. Hong kong has the Highest number of skyscrapers. It has 308 skyscrapers standing taller than 150M. 6. The Petronas Tower have the world deepest foundation Ranging from 60-114m (Pile Raft Foundation).

Civil-cabulary Abreuvoir A space between stones in masonry to be filled with mortar Dike An embankment constructed on dry ground along a riverbank to prevent overflow Engaged column A column partially built into a wall, and not freestanding.

Deck pre-stressing - The Post-tensioning type is double end double stroke stressing. The post tensioning process consist of three main steps, Stressing operation, Lock off operation, Jack retraction. Post tensioning is followed by stressing of the inclined strut members, after which stressing of stay cable begins. Pre-stressing of deck using stay cable is done via ‘strand by strand’ installation method ree components: Anchorage end assembly, saddle end assembly and stay pipe assembly. Advances in construction technology are very helpful in design execution if they are properly implicated. Extradosed balance cantilever type of bridge is an excellent example of that. Pre-stressing technique can be a very helpful tool in order to reduce the depth of deck and provide longer spans which are economical as well as aesthetically pleasant. More over a proper understanding of site conditions, and construction planning and management according to site conditions can lead to successful completion of project. -Aanand shah

Easement The right to use or control the property of another for designated purposes. Plat

A small plot of land

Profilograpgh Instrunment used for measuring smoothness of surface

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Highway

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Engineering

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Presence of CO in

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Ahmedabad

city

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a vital criterion of pollutants, universal in urban environment. Roughly, 80-90% of absorbed CO binds with hemoglobin to form carboxy hemoglobin (COHb). The intimacy of Hb for CO is 200-250 times more than the oxygen. The exposure to CO levels has a major effect on vehicle drivers, traffic police, street cleaners, and street sellers, pedestrians and cyclists, since, the percentage contribution of CO in total emission load due to vehicles is 61%. From 2001 to 2011, population growth rate was recorded 58%, while vehicles’ growth rate jumped to 100%. As of 2014, every second person in Ahmedabad owned a vehicle. Vehicular pollution accounts for 60-70 % of total air pollution loads in urban India. Unlike industrial emissions, vehicular pollutants are released at the ground level and hence, their impacts are likely to be more significant. The rapid population and vehicular growth rate has caused serious traffic congestion on streets during peak hours in Ahmedabad, leading to high level CO emissions. To quantify this phenomena, carbon monoxide concentration was measured at high vehicular traffic junctions in the city by using carbon monoxide analyzer. The selected traffic junctions were Income tax circle, Panchvati crossroad, Kalupur crossroad, Anjali crossroad, Helmet circle, Visat junction, Memco crossroad, Narol crossroad, Delhi darwaja, Panjrapol crossroad, Crossroad at Kankariya lake gate No. 1. CO concentration was measured at a height of 1.5 m between 10 am and 7 pm at interval of every 15 minutes. The CO investigation was conducted between 21st April and 19th May, 2015. The results were compared with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Out of the 15 traffic junctions tested, 13 junctions showed CO concentration exceeding the NAAQS one hour acceptable limit in peak hours due to heavy traffic during school and office hours. The cumulative 8 hour NAAQS acceptable limit was exceeded at 9 of the 15 junctions. The estimated percentage COHb was not more than 1%, so it does not contribute to any serious health issues as of now. -Prof. Dipsha Shah

ne of the chief nodes in its evolvement is the linkage of roads: their connectivity and quality. Ahmedabad too is on its path of progression. Yearly it keeps on swelling and accommodating a large number of people. Enhancing its basic utilities thus becomes a necessity. The students of 3rd year, Faculty of Technology where given the project work of surveying and analyzing a region enclosing 1 km radius surrounding the Acropolis Mall. Under the guidance of Anal Sheth, Assistant Proffesor a group consisting of about 30 members, inspected the quality of roads and pavements, its sufficiency, the major obstructions, parking facilities etc. A study of the traffic volume and speed was done through the PCU counts after analyzing eight junctions and mid sections for a period of 10 minutes. A device called ‘Lux-meter’ checked the adequacy of street lighting. Taking assistance of GIS software, an array of maps were generated which exhibited the key activity nodes, land use, pedestrian and lighting infrastructure, road signage and marking, visibility , accessibility to bus stops and much more. This information was then processed and conclusions were drawn.Partaking in this project helped to grasp the inter-relation between the roads, to understand their function, its significance in development and the mass to which it caters to.

-Aakanksha Rebello

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Project training'16

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Thesis'16

course designed for students in 8th semester, Project Training is a 20 credits course in Faculty of Technology, serving as an important part of its under graduate curriculum. Training on construction project site helps to relate theory with practice, students could observe and learn about various construction activities, issues related to management – acquisition and allocation of resources, issues related to achieving expected quality of construction, reasons for delay or cost escalations, material procurement, applications of tools and equipment, dealing with skilled and unskilled workers, and integration among different agencies. This year, a total of 57 students did their project training on various across the country. Projects related to bridges, power- plants, port, highways, metro, high-rise etc. were covered. There were certain changes that were observed this year. The training duration was reduced to 17 weeks instead of 18 weeks so as to confine the entire training period within the designed semester. The reporting schedule also witnessed a significant change this time, as the construction activity reports were sent fortnightly instead of monthly submissions. The concept of Daily Time Sheets was also introduced.

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The project training was an excellent open door for me to get to the ground level and observe the technical practices as well as management practices that are being practice in the industry which otherwise would never have been gained through other reference material available around. -Amol Shah Project training was a golden opportunity for me as it enhanced my visualization power, improved my knowledge in construction technology and also learnt basic management skills related to it.

-Viranj Patel The 17 weeks of training were all together an enthralling experience. It provided an opportunity to absorb tricks and techniques of large scaled projects. I had a first-hand experience of learning of how this massive industry works.

I feel very exhilarated to get an opportunity to increase my knowledge about my fascination with metro rail. It was a one of a kind experience which will be difficult to replicate. -Aseem Modi

I didn’t know that a small question with curiosity lead me to peruse my thesis. Thesis could not help, me to figure out my area of interest it has certainly taught me what I do not want to peruse in my life.

-Durgesh Patel -Kalrav Shah

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opularly known as “Thesis”, which is last semester of the course, Bachelors in Construction Technology has a huge impact on every SBSTian’s student life. This is a chance given to every undergraduate student to dwell into and learn more about any specific subject or a research question of his own interest. The process of thesis at Faculty of Technology takes place the way it happens for any doctoral thesis. The only difference is the quantum of work considering the shorter duration. The program aims at introduction to Research and to know tools of Research at the early in student life. Imbibing an attitude towards research in the minds of undergraduate students and to complement the practical work abilities of students by further contributing to a higher professional competency have been always main motives this program. Many of the problems being faced by construction industry have been chosen as the subject of research at the institute. From every research that is conducted, either solution has been drawn or it has been confirmed which solutions aren’t feasible for those concerned problems. Thesis comprises of rigorous reviews at every stage of research starting from proposal framing research question then literature study followed by data collection and data analysis, by Prof. C.B. Shah, who has designed this thesis program. Finally, a conclusion is reached by one final jury by the experts from the field and institution. Expert comments and reviews not only help make every thesis a strong document, but also result in many of them in becoming a part of renowned national and international publications. Thesis not only changes one’s perspective to look at problems but also influence the curiosity in minds to know and learn more.

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AUGUST EVENTUALS Accolades

• Maaz Dixit, student of M.Tech Building energy performance Program at Faculty of Technology, participated in Building Energy Efficiency Higher & Advanced Network (BHAVAN) Program, supported by Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India and the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum at University of Minnesota. • Jil Sheth, student of UG stood first in The Great Indian Toilet Design Competition organized by the “Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)” focusing on cost effective toilet design for rural areas with readily available material • Dhwanilnath Gharekhan, Aakash Malik, Ankit Prashnani and Nisha Pramanik, M.Tech students won award in an international Summer School in Wuhan “a 11 students took part and the final project works were presented by four groups in collaboration with students from 16 different countries. • Janki Adhvaryu, M.Tech student under the guidance of Dr. Anjana Vyas, presented three papers titled “Strategy for Water Conservation using Geospatial Technology”, “Criminal Hotspot across the country: India” and “Monitoring of Epidemic using Spatial Technology” at 16th ESRI International User Conference held in San Diego California, USA • Dr. Anjana Vyas has been awarded a ‘President Honorary Citation’ for her tireless efforts to support Commission VI Goals and for her outstanding leadership of Working Group VI/2 E-Delivery of Education Services. She remained a Chairperson of ISPRS Technical Commission VI/ WG2 for the period of 2012-2016.

Winter is Here

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• Prof. Anjana Vyas and Ms. Darshana Rawal has participated in The 8th International Cities for Mobility Congress titled Mobility in the sustainable city: What do we need to do now? at Stuttgart City Hall where more than 35 countries participated. There presentations, interactive workshops andpractical activities, such as trainings and excursions were held. They also attended GI-Forum 2016 organised by Sazburg University in Austria.

Air Conditioning of FT Basements

modification to the air-conditioning system has been added to the classrooms on that level. As the author gathered from a conversation with a member of the administrative staff, the new system consists of a false ceiling connecting the rooms together and the split ACs are connected with a centralized radiator. Each classroom is connected to a digital controller located near the FT conference room. The controller enables pre-programmed control over the various classrooms, saving power by disabling the air conditioners when the system is not in use. This move has been made after a detailed energy analysis of all the buildings in CEPT as a part of the Building Energy Modelling program in the Faculty of Technology. The addition was made in May shortly after the end of the Spring Semester. Another welcome move is the addition of LED lights in the false ceiling holding the ducts, adding some more brightness to the otherwise dark passage between FT110 and FT107. From a building maintenance perspective as well, the removal of remotes shall be a welcome move.

Event-Alert 71st RILEM Week and ICACMS 2017

International conference on advancement in construction material and system Venue- Chennai, Date- 9/ 2017 Last date for submission of abstract- 30 /9/ 2016 http://www.concrete2017. org/

ISMMRCE-16

International Symposium on Current Research in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Robotics and Civil Engineering Venue- vadodra Last date for abstract-18/8/16 http://itar.in

REDECON 16

IInternational conference and exhibition on recent development in design and construction technologies of tall structures Venue- Nimhans convention center,Bengaluru ,Date9/11/16 to 12/11/16 http://redecon.in/

Faculty of Technology Faculty of Technology has established its name in the field of Construction Industry in last three decades. The program has a bedrock reputation of a premier course in construction technology and management in which we have undergraduate and post-graduate courses ranging in disciplines pertaining to construction, structures, services, infrastructure, geomatics, building energy, management and skills, thereby formulating a critical part of engineering education. The program is designed towards preparing every student for national and international employability and also making a better human being. The undergraduate program offered is a 5 year course with emphasis laid on subjects pertaining to structures, materials, technology, services and management. Various two year post graduate programs offered at Faculty of Technology are as follows: • • • • • • • • •

Masters of Technology in Geomatics Masters of Technology in Structural Design Masters of Technology in Construction Engineering and Management ` Masters of Technology in Infrastructure Engineering Design Masters of Technology in Building Energy Performance

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