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Chika Walter Report
Chika Walter Report
ON
CARRIED OUT
AT
MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE
BY
LEVEL: 400L
This is to certify that certify that CHIKA WALTER AMAEZE with matriculation number
infrastrutcure, under highway engineering division ekhewhaun road, Benin City, Edo state; with
.............................................. ..........................................
Chika walter
(Student) DATE
......................................... .............................................
I hereby declare that this report was written by me and has not been submitted to any other
..................................
I dedicate this report to GOD almighty who has granted me the enablement to
experience and finish this SIWES successfully to him alone be the glory.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My greatest thanks go to God almighty, the giver of every good things including
period.
OGEYEMHE ANGELA for his time, knowledge, and effort to ensure I got the
knowledge required in the work site also to my fellow colleagues from UNIBEN, I
say a big thank you for all your words of advice and I also express my deepest
thanks to all the lecturers in the department of civil engineering, UNIBEN for all
This Report is based on the experience gathered during my SIWES programme undertaken at
practical aspect of the construction of flexible pavement and drainage system. It is a well detailed
description of the various steps involved in construction of side drain and flexible pavement. It
also describes the importance of the various materials used as applied to road construction.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Declaration iii
Dedication v
Acknowledgement vi
Abstract vii
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
2.4 Earthwork
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Experiences gained
CHAPTER FOUR
4.2 conclusion
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
The student industrial work experience popularly known as the SIWES was founded and
establish by the International Training Fund in the year 1973, to solve the problem of lack of
adequate proper skills require for the employment of tertiary institution graduate by Nigerian
industries. The student industrial work experience was founded to be a skill training program to
help expose and prepare student in the tertiary institution to the industrial work situation to be
met after graduation. The aim is to bridge the gap between theories learnt in school to the real
life practical situation and relevance. After graduation it was observed that a good number of
student lack the necessary skill and practical know-how of their respective field of study: to curb
The role of this scheme cannot be over emphasized as it is highly needed by student to get a clear
picture and experience of what their profession expects from them before they finally move into
the labour market. The objective of the SIWES is all about strengthening the future employees.
Such program is a successful attempt to help student to understand the underlying principle of
their future work. After passing the program, student can concentrate on the really necessary
factors of his or her work. It is beneficial to the labour market as it helps to produce graduates
that are fully grounded in their respective field. The following are the main objective of SIWES
To provide student with industrial skills and needed experience while in the course of study.
To create conditions and circumstances, this can be as close as possible to the actual
workflow.
To prepare specialist who will be ready for any working situation immediately after
graduation.
To teach student the technique and method of working with facilities and equipment they
To give student the ability tp try and apply the given knowledge acquired from the school
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 familiarized and
exposed to the needed experience in handling machinery and equipment which are usually
not available in the educational institutions. As a Civil Engineering student I would say that
SIWES is very important because it gives students the chance to relate and apply what they
already have a theoretical knowledge about in the industry and hence face real life challenges
and not just solving problems in class; It creates an avenue for one to experience challenges
and think of possible solutions knowing well that the industry is quite different from what
one experience in classroom thereby preparing the student for similar cinereous time to
come.
Edo Ministry of Works now known as Ministry of infrastructure is the pioneer in the
construction arena of Edo state, Nigeria. Over the years, they have successfully set the trend and
standard in the state’s infrastructure and development. It plays a pivotal role in the
implementation of the state government’s construction projects. It also undertakes projects for
autonomous bodies as deposit works. The Edo state ministry of infrastructure has highly
qualified and experienced professionals forming a multi-disciplinary team of Civil, Electrical and
Mechanical engineers who work alongside Architects from EDPA. With its strong base of
standards and professionalism developed over the years, Edo state ministry of infrastructure is
the repository of expertise and hence the number choice among discerning clients for any type of
of construction project in Edo state. Besides being the construction agency of the government, it
performs regulatory functions in setting the pace and managing projects for the state’s
construction industry.
The vision of the Ministry of Works is to become a dependable and efficient agency of
Government in providing and maintaining durable and sustainable network of Roads, Public
The mission of the Ministry of Works is to through team work with other stakeholders
provide efficient and sustainable network of Roads, Housing and Infrastructure in the State.
The Ministry of Works has different branches and I was deployed to the Department of
HONOURABLE
COMMISIONER
PERMANENT
SECRETARY
MECHANICAL ELECTRICAL
CIVIL ENGINEERING HOUSING AND
ENGINEERING ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT PUBLIC BUILDING
DEPARMENT DEPARTMENT
DESIGN AND
CONSULANCY WORKS AND
PRODUCTION HOUSING
(QUALITY CONTROL SERVICES
& DESIGN UNIT)
STAFF TRAINING
SCHOOL
CHAPTER TWO
2.1 DRAINAGE CONSTRUCTION
One of the most important aspects of the design of a road is the provision made for protecting the
road from surface water and groundwater. Water on the pavement slows traffic and contributes
to accidents from hydroplaning and loss of visibility from splash and spray. If water is allowed to
enter the structure of the road, the pavement and sub-grade will be weakened, and it will be
much more susceptible to damage by the traffic. Water can enter the road as a result of rain
penetrating the surface, or as a result of the infiltration of groundwater. When roads fail it is
The objective of surface drainage is to remove storm water from the roadway so that
traffic can move safely and efficiently. In addition cross-drainage structures, including bridges,
should be designed to prevent flooding and damage to the roadway and upstream property land.
Functions of drainage
To control the level of the water table in the sub-grade beneath the carriageway;
The first three functions are performed by longitudinal drainage components, in particular side
drains, while the fourth function requires cross-drainage structures such as culverts, fords, drifts
and bridges.
Cross-fall
The road surface must be constructed with a sufficient camber or cross-fall to shed rainwater
quickly, and the formation of the road must be raised above the level of the local groundwater
table. Wider pavements increase the catchment area, thus increasing the quantity of storm water
that has to be removed. Flatter gradients, both transverse and longitudinal, increase water depth
on the surface.
Longitudinal gradients
uncurbed pavements in order to avoid undue spread of storm water on the pavement. However,
vegetation along the pavement edge may impede the runoff of water from uncurbed pavement if
the gradient is flat. Where the longitudinal gradient of the roadway has to be near zero, the depth
of side drains may have to be varied to obtain sufficient gradient of the ditch.
To provide adequate drainage for curbed pavement in sag vertical curves, a minimum
longitudinal gradient of 0.3% should be maintained within 15m of the level point in the curve.
Subsurface drainage
Ideally, the base and sub-base should extend below the shoulder to the side ditches with a
sufficient cross fall of the sub-base. When ditches are lined with concrete, etc., drainage outlet
Cross-drains
If it is too costly to extend the base and sub-base material below the shoulder, cross-drains at 3–5
m intervals should be cut through the shoulder to a depth of 50 mm below sub-base level. The
cross-drains should be backfilled with base material, or more permeable material, and should be
given a fall of 1 in 10 to the side ditch. Alternatively, a continuous drainage layer 75–100 mm
thick of pervious material can be laid under the shoulder at the level of the underside of the sub-
base. Perforated drain pipes can also be used to drain the road pavement.
Roadside drainage
Open roadside drainage channels may be classified according to their function as ditches, gutters,
Ditches
Ditches are channels provided to remove the runoff from the road pavement, shoulders, and cut
and fill slopes. The depth of the ditch should be sufficient to remove the water without risk of
saturating the pavement sub-grade. Ditches may be lined in order to control erosion. Unlined
ditches should preferable have side slopes not steeper than 4 horizontal to 1 vertical.
Gutters
Gutters are channels at the edges of the pavement or the shoulder formed by a curb or by a
shallow depression. Gutters are paved with concrete, brick, stone blocks, or some other structural
material. Spacing between outlets on curbed road sections depends on runoff, longitudinal
Turnouts
Turnouts or mitre drains are short, open, skew ditches used to remove water from the roadside
ditches or gutters. Use of turnouts reduces the necessary size of the side ditches and minimizes
the velocity of water and thereby the risk of erosion. Turnouts must be provided at intervals
depending on runoff, permissible velocity of water and slope of the terrain. To prevent the flow
through a turnout from generating soil erosion at its outlet, the discharge end of the turnout
Chutes
Chutes are open, lined channels or closed pipes used to convey water from gutters and side
ditches down fill slopes and from intercepting ditches down cut slopes. On long slopes, closed
(pipe) chutes are generally preferable to open chutes. The inlet of chutes must be designed to
prevent water bypassing the chute and eroding the slope. The outlet must likewise be designed to
prevent erosion at the outlet. The chute interval will depend on the capacity of gutters or ditches.
Intercepting ditches
Intercepting (or cut-off) ditches are located on the natural ground near the top edge of a cut slope
or along the edge of the right-of-way, to intercept the runoff from a hillside before it reaches the
road. Intercepting the surface flow reduces erosion of cut slopes and roadside ditches, lessens silt
deposition and infiltration in the road-bed area, and decreases the likelihood of flooding the road
in severe storms. Intercepting surface water is particularly important in arid and semi-arid
regions because of generally low water infiltration capacity and high tendency to erosion of arid
soils. Intercepting ditches may be built well back (3 m) from the top of the cut slope and
generally on a flat grade until the water can be spread or emptied into a natural watercourse.
1 Making of alignment: the surveyor marked the alignment for the trench to be dug. The
3 Concrete blinding: the blinding is done on the excavated trench to correct any irregularities
and to provide a level surface to receive the concrete base. The blinding is needed to protect
the base from debris and unsuitable materials that may affect the base: also to protect the
base reinforcement from mud.
Blinding depth is 50mm depending on the rate of regularity of the surface area. Concrete grade
10 or 15 is used. The blinding mass is required to spread to cover the entire width of the
4 Placement of reinforcement and formworks: at this stage the reinforcements are tied and
placed on the blinded base with the appropriate concrete cover. The reinforcement used are
of 10mm steel diameter at 150mm c/c. formwork commence simultaneously or immediately
after the reinforcements are placed. The formworks use are steel formworks popularly called
5 Concreting: this is the sage where the drainage is being casted with G20 concrete.
3.2 EARTHWORKS
Definitions
Construction of new roads, especially major highways, nearly always involves some earthworks.
Earthworks are those construction processes involving soil and rock in its natural form and
preceding the building of the road pavement. Earthwork operations may be classified as:
excavation;
construction of embankments;
compaction;
Finishing operations.
Clearing and grubbing are defined as the removal of trees, stumps, roots, debris, etc. from the
area of proposed excavation and embankment. Clearing refers to the removal of material above
existing ground surface. Grubbing means the removal of objects to a nominal depth below the
surface. On equipment-based road projects clearing and grubbing operations are generally
performed by bulldozers with various attachments. A considerable amount of hand labour may
also be necessary.
2.2.2 Excavation
Excavation is the process of loosening and removing rock or earth from its original position and
transporting it to a fill or waste deposit. Excavation is often divided into three categories:
roadway and drainage excavation, excavation for structures, and borrow excavation. Roadway
and drainage excavation means excavation of the roadway in cuts and the excavation of ditches.
Excavated materials capable of being compacted to form a stable fill are used for construction of
embankments, sub-grades, and shoulders or as backfill for structures. Unsuitable and surplus
excavated material is disposed of. Excavated top-soil is usually stockpiled for later use on side
slopes in cuts and on embankments. If the soil forming the bottom of a cut is not suitable as the
foundation for the road pavement, it may be necessary to remove the soil and replace it with
satisfactory material.
raised some distance above the level of the existing ground surface in order to satisfy design
standards or prevent a damaging effect from surface or groundwater. Many embankments are
only 0.5–1.5 m high, but heights of 5m or more are not unusual on major highways.
2.2.4 Compaction
material by expelling air from the voids in the material and thereby bringing the particles into
more intimate contact with each other. Compaction is the cheapest and simplest method for
improving the shearing resistance of the soil and minimizing future settlements. Therefore, soils
in embankments and sub-grades in cuts are usually always compacted using special compacting
equipment (rollers, vibrators, tampers, etc.). The result of a compaction work depends primarily
on the moisture content of the soil, the type of the soil, the compaction equipment used, and the
energy applied.
Finishing operations are the final activities necessary to complete the earthwork, i.e. trimming of
formation level, shoulders, ditches, and side slopes. Most finishing operations are carried out
concurrently with other earthwork operations and performed as the job approaches completion.
The equipment most widely used for finishing is the motor grader and the dozer.
EQUIPMENT USED
The under listed are various machines I came across during my industrial training and their uses:
for construction.
Plate 2.1
Vibratory roller compactor is used to compact soil, gravel, concrete, or asphalt in the
Plate 2.2
Motor Grader: A grader is a machine with a long blade used to create a flat surface.
Graders are commonly used in the construction and maintenance of dirt roads and gravel
roads. In the construction of paved roads they are used to prepare the base course to
Plate 2.3
A cement mixer is a machine that homogeneously combines cement, aggregate (such as sand or
gravel), and water to form concrete. A typical concrete mixer uses a revolving drum to mix the
components.
Plate 2.8
Excavator
Excavators are used for earthworks, digging of trenches, holes, foundations, Material handling,
Plate 2.14
Pay loader
This is used in construction to move aside or load materials such as asphalt, demolition
debris, dirt, snow, feed, gravel, logs, raw minerals, recycled material, rock, sand, woodchips, etc.
into or onto another type of machinery.
Plate 2.15
Bulldozer
This is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate (known as a blade ) used to push large
quantities of soil, sand, rubble, or other such material during construction or conversion work
and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device (known as a ripper) to loosen densely
Vibrating poker
Concrete vibrating poker consolidate freshly poured concrete so that trapped air and excess water
are released and the concrete settles firmly in place in the formwork
Plate 2.17
CHAPTER THREE
Before construction of drain began, the surveyor marked out the necessary points and gave the
foremen level for them to properly dig the trench. It should be noted that he was always on site to
give appropriate supervision and inspection alongside the engineer and myself.
Reinforced concrete rectangular drains were constructed along ekewhuan road, Benin
city using 8mm high tensile steel rods as reinforcement for the concrete casted.
First the surveyor took level and pegged out the outline for the trapezoidal drain
to be constructed. After which digging of the trench by the foremen on site begun
reinforcement for construction of the drains were being prepared also. 8mm high
Plate 4.15
On completion of the digging, the base (floor) of the drain is blinded with
concrete to act as base for the reinforcement and the drain also.
Plate 4.16
When the base is ready the reinforcement is installed. After which casting of the
Next, the approved crushed stone base is provided, spread, shaped and compacted
to a compacted thickness of 125mm. The stone base can be laid using a paver or
otherwise just supplied and spread using the motor grader; after which
compaction can be carried out with the vibrating steel drum compactor.
Plate 4.21
After construction of the stone base course, laying of kerb stones commences
very important for curing to be carried out. Hence, prime coat, medium curing MC1 was
provided and sprayed at the rate of 1.2litres/𝑚2 using an oil distributor and then built
The sharp sand is swept off after the prime coat dries off. After it is swept off, tack coat
colas ‘A’ bitumen is provided and sprayed at the rate of 0.8liters/𝑚2 on the surface ready
to receive asphalt.
Then asphaltic concrete (binder course) is then laid using a mechanical paver at a
note that the control of temperature during the mixing and compaction of the layer are of
Tack coat colas ‘A’ bitumen is provided and sprayed at the rate of 0.8liters/𝑚2 on the
concrete prime surface ready to receive asphalt. Then asphaltic concrete (wearing course)
Plate 4.23
CHAPTER FOUR
For a project like this it takes a level of expertise to be able to understand the process and
operation involved in draianage and road constructions. However, I was only opportune to
experience the side drainage construction and also the early parts of earth works and surfacing.
Long distance to get to site on a daily basis. Most times I do spend money to and from.
4.2 CONCLUSION.
In conclusion SIWES has been able to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical
knowledge and understanding. For the very first time in my life, I felt like and engineer. I was exposed to
real life practical construction and I began to understanding some terms normal mentioned frequently
in the class. Indeed the best way to learn is by practicing what you are learning. Being ignorant was my
state prior to the siwes but with my brief six month exposure to civil engineering practice I have been