25th Aug. 2015| Vol. 3, Issue 01| Civil Engineering Association CIVIL ENGINEERING ASSOCIATION

Tagged as the world’s first zero-

carbon, car free city, Masdar is lo-

cated 17 km southeast of Abu Dha-

bi International airport. Recently our

prime minister, on UAE tour visited

this city. The desert city is designed

to be powered entirely with renewa-

ble energy, including solar pow-

er and wind power. The mixed-use,

high density city will include a Uni-

versity, Innovation Center, Compa-

ny Headquarters and several eco-

nomic zones. It will combine the

talent, expertise and resources to

enable the technological break-

throughs necessary for truly sus-

tainable development.

Construction of city, with an area of

5.95 km2 , started in 2006 with a vi-

sion of world’s first zero carbon city

that would house 50,000 residents

and 40,000 commuters.

The city has terracotta

walls and resembles a

cube from distance. The

temperature is always 15-

20 degree Celsius. A 45-

metre wind tower located

at the center that sucks in

air from above and push-

es it through the streets.

Masdar is raised above

the surrounding desert to

lower temperatures fur-

ther.

Private vehicles are not

allowed inside Masdar and residents

can walk, cycle , use electric vehicles

or hop on to one of the 3000 driver-

less Private Rapid Transportation

Trains that crisscross the city.

The PRT uses self driving cars de-

signed by Italy’s Zagato and manufac-

tured by 2getthere.It uses a virtual

software to guide the vehicles. The

site is located in close proximity to

Abu Dhabi’s transportation infrastruc-

ture, which will allow for easy access

to and from surrounding communities.

An efficient network of rail, road and

public transit will link the city to central

Abu Dhabi and the international air-

port.

Wind tower located at Masdar Institute of Sci. and Tech.

MASDAR - A SUSTAINABLE Eco-City

BIM - FUTURE OF DESIGNING AND MODELLING BIM (Building Information Model-

ing) is one of the hottest topics in

construction, and more and more

projects are ‘doing BIM’. But what

does that mean? And how can you

make your BIM project success-

ful? There is a common misconception that BIM means 3D design. In fact, it's much more. BIM is a process for creating and managing all of the information on a pro-ject before, during and after construction. The output of this process is the Build-ing Information Model, the digital description of every aspect of the built asset.

How can BIM help you?

BIM brings together all of the information about every component of a building, in one place. It makes it possible for anyone to access that information for any purpose, e.g. to integrate different aspects of the design more effectively. In this way, the risk of mistakes or discrepancies is reduced, and abortive costs minimized.

BIM data can be used to illustrate the entire building life-cycle, from cradle to cradle, from inception and design to demolition and materials reuse. Spaces, systems, products and sequences can be shown in relative scale to each other and, in turn, relative to the entire project.

BIM in construction management

Participants in the building process are constantly chal-lenged to deliver successful projects despite tight budg-ets, limited manpower, accelerated schedules, and lim-ited or conflicting information. The significant disciplines such as architectural, structural and MEP designs should be well coordinated, as two things can’t take place at the same place and time. Building Information Modeling aids in collision detection at the initial stage, identifying the exact location of discrepancies.

The BIM concept envisages virtual construction of a facil-ity prior to its actual physical construction, in order to re-duce uncertainty, improve safety, work out problems, and simulate and analyze potential impacts. Waste can be minimized on-site and products delivered on a just-in-time basis rather than being stock-piled on-site. Systems,

assemblies and sequences can be shown in a relative scale with the entire facility or group of facilities. BIM also prevents errors by enabling conflict or 'clash detection' whereby the computer model visually highlights to the team where parts of the building (e.g.: structural frame and building services pipes or ducts) may wrongly inter-sect.

The future of BIM

The future of the construction industry is digital, and BIM is the future of design and long term facility management; it is government led and driven by technology and clear processes; and it is implementing change across all in-dustries. As hardware, software and cloud applications herald greater capability to handle increasing amounts of raw data and information, use of BIM will become even more pronounced than it is in current projects.

The Palm Jumeirah is the world’s largest artificial island

with a total area of 6.5km2. It consists of a trunk, a crown

with 16 fronds and a surrounding crescent island that

forms an 11 km (6.8 mi)

long breakwater. The crown

is connected to the main-

land by a 300-metre

(980 ft.) bridge and the

crescent is connected to the

top of the palm by a subsea

tunnel. Over the next few

years, as the tourism phases

develop, The Palm Jumeirah

is touted as soon to be one

of the world’s premier re-

sorts. The Palm Island is the self-declared ‘Eighth Wonder

of the World’. The island doubled the length of the Dubai

coastline.

The island has been created using 94,000,000 cubic mtr

(3.3×109 cu ft.) of sand and 7 million tons of rock. The Palm

Jumeirah was created by pouring sand fill onto the 10.5 mtr

-deep seabed using dredgers. Above sea level, 3 mtr of the

reclamation were achieved by a dredging technique known

as “rainbowing”, in which the sand fill was sprayed over the

surface of the rising island. Calcareous sand was used for

the reclamation. The is-

land includes a curved

breakwater using natural

rock, intended to encour-

age the creation of a nat-

ural reef and provide

habitats for sea life. The

land form was reclaimed

by the Dutch company

Vanoord. Two F-

100 super sabre fighter

jets have been stripped

and sunk near The Palm Jumeirah to create an artificial

reef, intended as an additional attraction for divers. Total

cost reached US$12.3 billion and maintaining the island is a

costly expenditure. Approximately 40,000 workers, mostly

from South Asia, have been involved in the construction of

the island.

Take a look at the world’s largest ARTIFICIAL ISLAND

A B io Concrete that can heal itself Concrete is the world’s most common building material, and a particularly long-lasting one. Cracks in con-

crete allow in salt and water that can corrode the steel reinforcements inside. To make it easier to repair struc-

tures that are hard to access—in extreme environments, supertall skyscrapers, or underground—engineers

are determined to create a concrete that can fix its own fissures through naturally occurring reactions.

One self-healing concrete prototype starts to work when exposed to sunlight. Another, developed by research-

ers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, uses bacteria to mend its own cracks—no sun re-

quired. Bacillus bacteria are added to the concrete—a blend of cement, sand and water—during the mixing

phase. The bacteria feed on capsules of calcium lactate that are water soluble. When moisture enters the

concrete through a new crack, it opens up the capsules, allowing the bacteria to feed, germinate, and multiply,

and in the process form limestone that fills the cracks. If the

concrete remains whole and sealed, no water can get in, and

the bacteria remain inactive. Since bio-concrete only needs

moisture to work, it's well-suited to heal underground structures

in dams, basements, and more. Bio-concrete might be particu-

larly useful in China, which used more cement between 2011

and 2013 than the U.S. did in the whole 20th century.

Research avenues after graduation Civil engineering department has an outstanding reputation for research and is one of the few worldwide in which engineering is studied as unified discipline.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that sup-port or resist loads. Structural engineers are most commonly involved in the design of buildings and large non-building structures but they can also be involved in the design of machinery, medical equipment, ve-hicles or any item where structural integrity affects the item's function or safety. Structural engineers must ensure their designs satisfy given design criteria, predicated on safety or serviceability and performance.

GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. Geotechnical engineering is important in civil engineering, but also has applications in mil-itary, mining, petroleum and other engineering disciplines that are concerned with construction occurring on the surface or within the ground. Geotechnical engineering uses principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics to investigate subsurface conditions and materials; determine the relevant physical/mechanical and chemical properties of these materials; assess risks posed by site conditions; and monitor site condi-tions, earthwork and foundation construction.

WATER RESOURCE ENGINEERING Study of water and its properties, including its distribution and movement in and through the land areas of the earth. Hydrologists study the cycle by measuring such variables as the amount and intensity of precipi-tation, the amount of water stored as snow or in glaciers, the advance and retreat of glaciers, the rate of flow in streams, and the soil-water balance. Hydrology also includes the study of the amount and flow of groundwater. Though the flow of water cannot be seen under the surface, hydrologists can reduce the flow by understanding the characteristics, including permeability, of the soil and bedrock; how water behaves near other sources of water, such as rivers and oceans; and fluid flow models based on water movements on the earth's surface.

ENERGY ENGINEERING This engineering is a broad field of engineering dealing with energy efficiency, energy services, facility management, plant engineering, environmental compliance and alternative energy technologies. Energy engineering is one of the more recent engineering disciplines to emerge. Energy engineering combines knowledge from the fields of physics, math, and chemistry with economic and environmental engineering practices. Energy engineers apply their skills to increase efficiency and further develop renewable sources of energy. Energy engineers audit the use of energy in those processes and suggest ways to improve the systems. This means suggesting advanced lighting, better insulation, more efficient heating and cooling properties of buildings.

Jobs after B.Tech /B.E. in Civil Engineering A student who has finished his graduation in the civil engineering stream can get good opportunities now with the boom of real estate industry and focus on infrastructure development. It is possible for students after B.Tech in Civil Engineering to get jobs not only in India but also overseas especially in gulf countries. The presence of architectural companies as well as construction firms abroad is the main reason behind this. The details about the career opportu-nities are given below.

Private Sector

Candidates who possess a graduate degree in Civil Engineering can very lucrative jobs with the private sector. It is also possible for them to go for research if they pursue Masters Courses.B.Tech Civil Engineers can also work as Consultant with private construction firms like Larsen & Toubro Limited, Jaypee Group, Punj Lloyd, IVRCL Infra etc. B.Tech Civil Engineers can join as Consultants with Architectural Firms and En-gineering services firms. They are also recruited as Consultant Engineer with IT firms, Transportation and even in the Private aviation fields.

Government Sector

Students of Civil Engineering can get good jobs not only with the private sector, but the public sector too. It is possible for freshers to get employed as trainee or junior engineer. B.Tech Civil Engineers can appear in the UPSC exam which is carried out every year. B.Tech graduates can appear in the IAS, IPS as well as the IES civil service exam for getting jobs in the government sectors. The PSC also carries out exams as to se-lect qualified engineers in to various state government departments like Public work department or PWD. Those who are skilled in this field have a chance to get promoted into the posts of Assistant Engineers, Executive Engineers etc. Engineering professionals in the field of Civil Engineering are required in fields such as Gas and Oil plants, Power generation firms, Construction of pipelines and water mains etc. The Railway recruitment Board is another major recruiter of B.Tech Civil Engineers. Candidates can also try their luck in the defense sector.

Recent Achievements of Civil Undergraduates BITS’ians leave behind their legacy wherever they go, whatever be the field. How can the Civilites stay behind. Can they?

The prestigious Engineering Service Exam-2014 saw Mr Himashu Aggarwal claim AIR 4 in the Civil Engineering category. As far as International internships are concerned, Mr Pragnesh Pahuja and Mr Sanchit Bajaj, got selected through MITACS for summer internships at Canada. Mr Siddharth Awasthi, Ex-President CEA, made it to the MS programme at Stanford University for the session 2015-2017.

Know Your ASSOCIATION CEA is the body responsible for carrying out activities like selection of civil engineering related projects for Apogee, organizing an annual civil engineering fest ‘Archetype’ and providing a platform for student-teacher interaction.

Archetype is the annual Civil engineering fest organized by the association every year during first semester around November. Many events like Urbanistica , Bridge the gap, Cliffhanger and workshop on building information modelling were organized in the last edition of the fest. The objective of the fest is to organise events which encompass the basic concepts of Civil en- gineering. Its inclusive nature makes it possible for students from every year to participate in the events which are fun-filled as well as educative.

Association also publishes Anthill, twice a year, and HIGH- RISE, an annual magazine. These publications give you the recent updates in and around BITS. Also it brings you words from our faculty members.

Apogee, the annual technical fest of BITS Pilani, is the time when we get a chance to showcase our innovative side. You can present papers and projects on various top- ics of your interest. To test your skills in both structural and geotechnical aspects CEA organizes Geotecknik, an event in which you have to make a four legged structure resting on footings with materials of different lengths in soil but the struc-ture should sustain vibratory and dead loads. If you are more inclined towards structural side than there are BridgeD and Krazy Bridge for you. In both the events you are required to make a bridge with specified materials such that it could bear the maximum load. You can also try your hand on AutoCAD and Google sketchup in ‘Shrishti’.

FORMAL INTERACTIONS, CIVIL ENGINEERING ASSOCIATION LTC 5101

Be there at 5:15 pm sharp on 26th August, 2015

All first year B.E. Civil, Second year dual degree and higher degree students are invited for

interaction with the faculty of Civil Engineering Department, BITS Pilani.

For queries contact Tandon Abhilash Borthakur (9954980023)