GSC News June 2015

Vol 1 Issue 8, June 2015

GSC Newse-Newsletter

IN THISISSUE

2 News of June ’15

7 Recap of Nov ‘14

11 Tech Briefs

19 Coming Events

20 Announcements

24 New Enrollments

26 InculcatingEngineeringHabits of mind

28 Four Things toconsider beforedismissing thatsuggestion or idea

Dear Esteemedmembers,

Greetings!

We are pleased to place our very first e-News letter before you with lotsof material and information. Besides giving detailed account of eventsof the past month, we shall be giving similar account as Recap startingNovember 2014 in each issue till we catch up with current issue, so thatwhatever we could not give you in printed version is covered. Whereverpresentations or videos are available, we shall be providing links so thatby clicking the same, you can view them.

This issue provides under “Tech Briefs” some technical news thathappened in the past month the world over. There are twonon-technical articles that might be liked by you.

In our endeavor to be more helpful to our members, we seek yourvaluable suggestions. We shall try to act upon the same to the extentpossible.

Looking to the fact that there are many women taking to engineeringthese days, it is felt appropriate to have separate programmes as pertheir choice. Most probably their very first meeting in July would yieldsome useful results in that direction.

Engineering colleges have completed their exams and season for resulthas set in. We shall try to get as many young engineers enrolled aspossible. To spread our wings amongst students, we shall continue ourattempts to open up new Students’ Chapters. Faculties have beencontacted and they are very keen to support us.In that case, ourprogrammes may shift to college campuses.

Guidance classes for AMIE Diploma A stream shall commence from 10th

July. It is expected that the number of students shall increase looking tothe response we got at our first attempt. The IEI is going to be anUniversity as the President has set the ball rolling.

S.J.Desai C.V.NadparaChairman Hon secretary

“95 Years of Relentless Journey towards Engineering Advancement for Nation-building”

GSC NewsVol 1 Issue 8 Monthly News Letter of Gujarat State Center June 2015



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All India Seminar on Safety Evaluationand Remedial Measures for existing civilengineering structures was inauguratedon 12th June at Ahmedabad by ShriB.N.Navlavala, Adviser to the ChiefMinister of Gujarat and also Adviser tothe Ministry of Water Resources,RiverDevelopment and Ganga Rejuvenation,Government of India. Shri V.B.Patel, ex-Chairman, Central water Commissiongraced the occasion as Special Guest andShri P.N.Jain, Secretary Roads andBuildings Department as Guest of Honourbesides Shri S.J.Desai, Chairman, GSC;Shri C.V.Nadpara Hon Secretary, GSC;Shri Navin Vasoya, Council Member; ShriBharatbhai Patel, past Chairman & ShriV.P.Kapadia, Organizing Secretary of theseminar.In his address Shri Navlavala stressed theneed for such a seminar and cited the

example of Ganga canal in Uttarakhandwhich is the oldest system built by theBritishers. He stated that proper upkeepand periodic maintenance andsupervision of civil engineering structurescould avert any major mishap. He alsoinsisted on observance of stricter qualitycontrol during construction as was beingpracticed in good old days so as toprevent or minimize hazardous situationresulting out of poor construction. Hewished the seminar grand success.Shri V.B.Patel who had worked with theState Government as Irrigation Secretarybefore moving to the Government ofIndia advised the participant to keep theireyes open while inspecting the structures.He stated that by doing so impendingfailure could be mostly averted. Timelyaction is the key according to him.

NEWS OF JUNE 2015

All India Seminar on Safety evaluation & remedial measures forexisting civil engineering Structures



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Shri P.N.Jain made a presentation givingfacts and figures of failures/ mishaps andpresented a very good analysis.Earlier, Shri S.J.Desai welcomed thedignitaries and the delegates as well asdistinguished speakers and explained theimportance of the seminar.Shri Kapadiagave session wise outline of theprogramme. Shri C.V.Nadpara concludedthe Inaugural session by proposing a voteof thanks.The Technical Sessions were taken upthereafter as under:Technical Session I : Safety of DamsThis session was chaired by ProfS.R.Gandhi, Prof Civil EngineeringDepartment, IIT, Madras. 3 papers werepresented.These were:(a) Common Distresses in dams & safetymeasures-- Case studies by Prof Gandhi(b) Safety measures in dams by ShriS.R.Toley, Retd Chief Engineer, Centralwater Commission, New Delhi( c) Integrated geophysical approach fordam health checks & dam conditionmonitoring by Shri Sanjay Rana,Professional Engineer, Geo Technique &DamSafetyTechnical session II: Safety of CanalsThis session was chaired by Shri SanjayRana.Following 2 papers were presented:(a) Safety issues for foundation ofaqueduct: a case study of restoration ofSardar Sarovar Project : by ShriV.P.Kapadia, Managing Director, Gujaratwater resources DevelopmentCorporation(b) Safety evaluation of structures byShri B.V.Harsoda, Retd DEE, R&BDepartment, Govt of GujaratTechnical Session III : Safety ofBuildingsThis session was chaired by shri S.R.Toley.

Following two papers were presented:(a) Inspection of buildings & remedialmeasures: Case study of renovation ofAdministrative building of GERI,Vadodara by Smt Prasanna Chari,Executive Engineer, GERI(b) Scar of multi-storied buildings by ShriVijay Kumar, Retd Engineer, SpaceApplication Center, ISROTechnical Session IV: Safety of bridgesand canal structuresShri S.K.Patel, Superintending Engineer,Roads & Buildings Designs Organisationchaired the session. Three papers werepresented as under:

(a) Failure of obligatory span of flyoverbridge-- a case study by Shri S.K.Patel(b) Use of Ground penetrating radar forconcrete inspection by Shri Sanjay Rana(c) Health check, problems and remedialmeasures for Mechanically StabilizedEarth (MSE) Approaches by Shri MangeshShinde, Regional head, Reinforced EarthIndia Pvt ltd, Navi Mumbai

Valedictory session was held on 13th June.Chairman, GSC welcomed the delegatesto the session, Shri Kapadia read out therecommendations that came during thesession which are listed below.ShriNadpara proposed a vote of thanks.Recommendations: For dams, canals, canal structures,bridges, buildings, etc. there is nomandatory norms for inspection andhealth monitoring which are essentialand the state governments shouldconsider it seriously as safety of manylives and performance of the projectsdepend on their condition. There are several dams, bridges, etc.which are older than 50 years which arerequired to be thoroughly inspected as



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the baseline survey and thereafter theirperiodical inspection should be done.

Their repairs should also beplanned accordingly. All the stategovernments should take upthese activities because old assetsare still having potential ofdelivering a lot.

Sometime the considerations madeat the design stage for structure do nothold good during the actual usage or theygo completely wrong and the structure orfoundation is endangered. It is necessaryto inspect the structure in this context toavoid a sudden catastrophe. Largestructures on canals and bridges arerequired to be monitored with this aspectfor which the state governments andmunicipal corporations are needed to payproper attention. Non-destructive testing in earthworkand concrete like radar penetration,tomography, etc. can be very useful andeconomical as compared to conventionaltechniques and hence those techniquesshould be explored by all the stategovernments and municipal corporationsfor health monitoring of their assets. During the life span of structures andbuildings, many services are required tobe installed but that installation is doneby the workmen having no or only littleknowledge about structural engineeringand hence they drill the holes throughreinforcements. Before drilling any holeor chiseling the concrete surface, locationof reinforcement should be knownthrough non-destructive testing andaccordingly the drilling or chiselingshould be allowed. There is an urgentneed of spreading awareness amongstthe users, workmen and civic authorities.

Sensitization of the entire society on thisissue is needed. In geo-reinforced earth walls, i.e.mechanically stabilized walls, regularinspection of the drainage condition,bulging of outer surface, cracking of facia,etc. should be conducted after monsoonto avoid their failure. In large projects of the government,private design consultants are appointedfor the purpose of design but sometimetheir design is not properly validated andhence a proof check is must. Theadministrative machinery of thegovernment should take this point in toconsideration to avoid failures.

VIDEOS OF ALL THE PAPERSPRESENTED CAN BE VIEWEDBYCLICKINGhttps://www.facebook.com/IEIGSC/videos



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World Environment Day 2015 was celebratedat Bhaikaka Bhavan, Ahmedabad on June 5,2015. This year Theme was “Seven BillionDreams. One Planet. Consume with Care.”The Keynote speakers were Prof. Dr. N. S.Varandani, Principal Research Scientist, Env& Energy Efficiency RW, GERMI,Gandhinagar and Mr. S. D. Vora, IFS,RetiredChief Conservator of Forest, Government ofGujarat.Mr. C. V. Nadapara, Hon. Secretary, IEI, GSCwelcomed the keynote speakers and theaudience.Prof. Dr. N. S. Varandani explained the themein general and stressed on carefulassessment of each and every word of thetheme. He explained that human beingsmust consume daily needs i.e. of food, airand water with care and that as the humanpopulation is increasing day by day we haveto sustain natural resources. Economicgrowth can be achieved by rationally usingthe natural resources like air, land and waterwhich are very much important for humansurvival.He also stated that as the air pollution isincreasing due to industrial growth andincreasing vehicles day by day we have to use

energy efficient vehicles and rationalize theuse of fuel resources.We have to save energyby using LED lights etc, use fuel efficientvehicle, public transportation, use small carand good quality fuel.He also said that we shall have to grow morefood for increasing population. And forincreasing food production, we shall have toincrease the crop yield with the use ofsynthetic fertilizers & pesticides. Hetherefore stressed the need to consume foodwith care and to minimize wastage of foodetc.He also said that water is important forhuman survival, but we are already living inwater scarce area. Therefore for economicuse of water, he said, we shall have to reducewastage of water during supply to cities andagriculture, conserve water, use waterrationally, conduct awareness programmesfor saving of water, adopt reuse & recycle fortreated sewage and industrial waste water.Shri S. D. Vora, retired Chief Conservator ofForest explained the important of social,economic and environmental development indetails. He explained the concept ofsustainable development implemented inSardar Sarovar Project with different types ofillustrations.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY



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Talk onModern Recharging Techniques



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Er Manoj Raghavan, Principal Manager,SGS India Pvt Ltd delivered a talk cumpresentation. He discussed Quality Conceptan errors affecting quality; Objective ofinspection; outcome of inspection; when,where, how and how much to inspect;Quality Assurance Plan; Procurementinspection; raw material testing; inspectionof welding and welding procedurespecs,welding positions and defects inwelding; inspection of pipes; inspection ofcoating; procurement inspection ofmechanical and electrical items; TPI of QC& QA of site construction work; inspectionof pipe laying; construction supervision ofpumping stations and commissioning ofthe project. Presentation can be seen athttp://www.slideshare.net/IEIGSC/quality-control-quality-assurance-of-ms-pipeline

RECAP OF NOVEMBER 2014

Talk on inspection of manufacturing & laying of pipelines



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Dr. S.S.Sarkar, Director, Payload Division,Space Application Center, Indian SpaceResearch Organisation came to GSC withhis whole team and made a presentationcum film show on India’s mostprestigious and successful Mars OrbiterMission (MOM) on 14th November atVasvik Auditorium, Bhaikaka Bhavan.Marking India's first venture into theinterplanetary space, MOM will exploreand observe Mars surface features,morphology, mineralogy and the Martianatmosphere. Further, a specific search formethane in the Martian atmosphere willprovide information about the possibilityor the past existence of life on the planet.

The enormous distances involved ininterplanetary missions present ademanding challenge; developing andmastering the technologies essential for

these missions will open endlesspossibilities for space exploration. Afterleaving Earth, the Orbiter will have toendure the Interplanetary space for 300days before Mars capture. Apart fromdeep space communications andnavigation-guidance-control capabilities,the mission will require autonomy at thespacecraft end to handle contingencies.

Once India decided to go to Mars, ISROhad no time to lose as the nearest launchwindow was only a few months away andit could not afford to lose the chance,given the next launch would present itselfafter over 780 days, in 2016. Thus,mission planning, manufacturing thespacecraft and the launch vehicle andreadying the support systems took placeswiftly.

Film show on India's Mars Orbiter Mission



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Launch Vehicle

The Space craft

Ground SegmentThe Orbiter is being tracked by the

Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN),located outside Bangalore. IDSN's 32 mand 18 m diameter antennas are beingcomplemented by NASA - JPL's DeepSpace Network

Mission profile



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Micro irrigation known in commonparlance as Drip or Sprinkler irrigation isthe latest technology in agriculture andhorticulture which is employed to savewater and enhance irrigation efficiency aswell as crop yield. When employedproperly, it can pay back all theinvestment made on it within a period of3 years put conservatively. As water isgiven in a measured volume and as liquidfertilizer can be injected through thissystem, there is saving from wastage ofmanure and most importantly, the land issaved from salt extrusion. Microirrigation has given life to countries likeIsrael which is having most of its soil onwhich nothing could be grown iftraditional methods are followed. Similarexample could be set byGujarat which is

deficient in rains and having 75 % of itsarea classified as drought prone.Thesewere the words of Er Chirag Shah, M E(Civil) with specialisation inEnvironment engineering havingfourteen years of experience in microirrigation industry and other alliedactivities. Er Shah enlightened anaudience of 35 engineers on 28th

November in a talk cum presentationgiven at Bhaikaka Bhavan.

Talk on Micro Irrigation Systems



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1 World's largest particlecollider busts record

As reported by the EuropeanOrganisation for Nuclear Research(CERN) protons collided in the LargeHadron Collider (LHC) atthe record-breaking energy of 13TeV (teraelectronvolts) for the first time.The collisions took place at the giant lab,housed in a 27-kilometre (17-mile) tunnelstraddling the French-Swiss border.

The LHC's previous highest energy forcollisions was eight TeV, reached in 2012.In April, it started up again after atwo-year overhaul designed to pave theway to experiments at 13 TeV. It has thepotential to be cranked up to 14TeV.

Experiments at the collider are aimed atunlocking clues as to how the universecame into existence bystudying fundamental particles, the

building blocks of all matter, and theforces that control them. Before theupgrade, the LHC was used to prove theexistence of the Higgs Boson, also knownas theGod particle, which confers mass.

That discovery earned the 2013 Nobelphysics prize for two of the scientistswho had theorised the existence of theHiggs back in 1964.

The LHC allows beams containing billionsof protons traveling at 99.9 percent thespeed of light to shoot through themassive collider in opposite directions.Powerful magnets bend the beams sothat they collide at points around thetrack where four laboratories havebatteries of sensors to monitor thesmashups.

One tera-electronvolt is roughlyequivalent to the energy of motion of aflying mosquito,But within the LHC,the energy is squeezed into anextremely small space—about a million,million times smaller than a mosquito.It is this intensity which causesthe particles to be smashed apart.---------------------------------------------------2 RESEARCHERS DEVELOPIMPROVED TUNNEL FIREPROTECTION

A team has developed a method ofgreatly increasing the amount of steelfibers embedded in shotcrete, adevelopment that could significantlyboost fire protection in tunnels.

TECH BRIEFS



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A research team at Ruhr-UniversityBochum in Germany has developed amethod of spraying steel-fiber-infusedshotcrete onto the surface of tunnels,greatly enhancing the ability towithstand high-intensity fires, explosiveblasts, or a combination of the two. Themethod shows promise in bolstering thesecurity performance of criticalinfrastructure.

The research team is led by GoetzVollmann, Ph.D., Dr.-Ing., an assistantprofessor at the university's Institute forTunnelling and ConstructionManagement. The project, funded by theGerman Federal Ministry for Educationand Research, began as an examinationof the security of critical bridges andtunnels with a focus on finding ways toenhance that security. "We took anall-hazard approach and naturally fire andexplosion—and especially a combination ofboth—are the most severe threats,especially for tunnels," said Vollmann,who provided written answers toquestions posed by CivilEngineering online.

The researchers found that althoughthere are several methods available forincreasing the resiliency of concrete orsteel infrastructure, most are so highlyspecialized they focus either on fire orblast resiliency, bolstering one quality atthe expense of the other. "For instance,high-performance concrete, whose strongmatrix has a positive effect in terms ofexplosion, might be too brittle in a firethreat scenario, leading to increasespalling," Vollmann explained. "[And,]most of the products can only bemanufactured as prefabricated boards due

to their complicated manufacturingprinciples."

The team focused on shotcrete becauseit can be applied to a variety of surfaceshapes and materials, and is especiallywell-suited to tunnel applications. Fromearlier research, the team knew thatshotcrete with many embedded steelfibers and a smaller amount of syntheticfibers would provide the compressivestrength they wanted to achieve.

"The problem was naturally theworkability of the shotcrete with theneeded levels of steel and PP[polypropene] fibers," Vollmann said. Theteam was attempting to use 140kg/m 3 of steel fibers and another 3kg/m 3 of PP fibers, when theconventionally accepted limit is closer to70 kg/m 3 . Additionally, the teamfocused on ultrahigh-performanceconcrete, which is much stiffer thantypical shotcrete.

"For months we struggled with theworkability of the wet mix. As expected,the high amounts of fibers ... together withthe basic mix design made the concretestiff and not workable at all, at least notfor the application that we had in mind,"Vollmann said. To solve the workabilityissue, the team experimented withadding high levels of air-entrainingchemicals to the concrete mixture.

Although air entrainment is common inthe concrete industry and is often used tobolster performance in applications thatwill be exposed to freeze-thaw cycles, theteam went far beyond the typical levelsfor this application. "For our test series, wesimply ignored the normal levels of air in a



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concrete mixture and instead tried to go toextremes, looking at how much air wecould add and how the mixture wouldreact," Vollmann said. The team foundthey could exceed 20 percent air byvolume and still have a stable mixture.The air bubbles function as ball bearings,releasing the fibers to move more freelywithin the shotcrete and enabling theteam to spray the mixture moreeffectively.

The shotcrete is applied via ahigh-pressure nozzle at speeds of 50 to80 km per hour, forming layers as muchas 35 cm thick. An accelerating agent isadded to the mixture as it emerges fromthe nozzle to enable the application ofthick layers and to increase theshotcrete's early compressive strength. Adefoaming agent is also added at thenozzle. "The aim is to extract thepreviously added air on the concrete's wayfrom the nozzle to its application target,"Vollmann said.

In early testing conducted at theFraunhofer Ernst-Mach-Institute inFreiburg, Germany, the mixture greatlyenhanced blast protection. A coated slabexposed to a blast retained 60 percent ofits bearing capacity, compared to just 20percent for an untreated slab. Fireperformance also improved. The slabshowed no spalling when exposed to firethat reached 1,200°C within 5 minutes,burned feely for 55 minutes, and thenendured a long cool down phase.

The shotcrete is still in the prototypestage; the research team and itsindustrial partner, MC-Bauchemie—achemical manufacturer headquartered inBottrop, Germany—are working on

additional refinements to the mixtureand its workability.

"We are still not sure that we have reachedthe limit state of fiber content orworkability," Vollmann said. "We alsoenvision that there are other applicationsof a fiber concrete with huge amounts offibers, where you don't need theseenormous contents, but still more than youwould normally expect." Bridge repairs areone such area, he said. "We are alreadyformulating new proposals for additionalresearch."

3 Desalination: the quest toquench the world's thirst forwaterTechnological advances have maderemoving salt from seawater and wastewater less energy-intensive, but will theysimply encourage us to use more?The average Briton uses 150 litres ofwater a day; the average American getsthrough 570 litres of the stuff. The worldis getting thirstier and the global demandfor fresh water is rising by 640bn litres ayear. Population growth is one factor, notonly the need for drinking water andsanitation but also the need to producemore food. Agriculture accounts for 70%of water use.

Even the push for biofuels to reduceconsumption of fossil fuels has anunexpected consequence: between 1,000and 4,000 litres of water are needed toproduce just one litre of biofuel. Whilereducing consumption is one way ofhelping to address the water crisis on anindividual level, it is far from thecomplete solution. Something on a largerscale is also needed: desalination.



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As climate change makes rainfall lesspredictable and droughts more common,a growing number of countries areturning to desalination. The term is usedto refer to removing salt from bothseawater and subterranean “brackish”water, as well as the treatment of wastewater (aka sewerage) to make itdrinkable. Some environmentalists havelong opposed desalination because of theenergy the process demands, as well asother considerations such as the impactof sucking in large quantities of seawaterfrom the ocean.

But technological advances in recentyears have altered the equation. Themost common form of desalinationis reverse osmosis; it involves forcingwater through cartridges that containthin-film composite polyamidemembranes, which trap salt and otherimpurities but allow the fresh waterthrough.

Randy Truby, comptroller ofthe International DesalinationAssociation, says that advances inmanufacturing processes have allowed450 sq ft of membrane to be crammedinto each cartridge, compared with 300sq ft when they first came on the market.But treating seawater still requirespressure of about 80 bar, 40 times morethan car tyres. That is why treatingseawater is more energy-intensive thanbrackish or waste water, which requireless force. The location of a seawaterdesalination plant also makes adifference, Truby adds: while the saltcontent of water off the coast ofCalifornia is about 34,000 parts permillion, the figure in the Middle East ismore like 40,000.

No alternative

Saudi Arabia is the country that reliesmost on desalination – mostly ofseawater. The US is in second place. Ituses mainly brackish and waste wateralthough later this year it will open one ofthe world’s largest seawater desalinationplants in Carlsbad, San Diego. Trubysays: “In many places there is noalternative – certainly the Middle East andplaces like Singapore, the Canary Islandsand the Caribbean have to look to the sea.Those that have a choice, like Europe andthe US, China, Japan, will try conservationand re-use and brackish treatment and use[seawater] desalination as a way to top-upand provide some drought-proofing.”

Desalination remains about twice asexpensive as treating rainwater or wastewater, at about $3 (£1.95) per cubic metre,but the economics depend on a numberof variables, explains Professor RaphaelSemiat of Technion, the Israel Institute ofTechnology, in Haifa. He says 3.5 kilowatthours (kWh) of electricity are needed todesalinate 1 cubic metre of seawater –1.3kWh to pump seawater to the plant and2.2kWh for the reverse osmosis process.

Pumping a cubic metre of fresh waterdistances of more than 200km requiresmore energy than desalinating thesame amount of seawater, according toSemiat. In addition, many plants producethe bulk of their water at night whenthere is less demand for electricity, andthus utilise power that would otherwisego to waste.

Philip Davies, reader in mechanicalengineering and design at AstonUniversity in Birmingham, argues that



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desalination is not an expensive way ofproducing drinking water. He adds: “Thetrouble is most distribution systems don’tallow us to distinguish between drinkingwater or water used for sanitation. It’s alsovery difficult to put differential costing onwater to reflect merits of its use, becauseat the end of the day you’ve got to makewater affordable to everybody. There aremuch cheaper ways to economise on waterthan desalination … we should be re-usingwater for sanitation or irrigation.”

Davies points out that reverse osmosisis not ideal for developing countriesbecause the maintenance of themembranes required to keep themrunning effectively is more problematicin a country like India. Most desalinationon the subcontinent is of brackish waterthat contains high levels of impurities,meaning the membranes can easilybecome clogged: “They are just filtersand they get blocked up like anythingelse unless you have the right sort ofpre-treatment.”

The expense of operating a desalinationplant is another issue in developingcountries. While NGOs can provide seedfunding, they are less able to coverrunning costs. One solution could be amicro-enterprise project Davies has beeninvolved with near Jodhpur in India. Aswell as producing desalinated water, itgenerates incomes from farmers who payto have their seeds pressed to producecastor oil, and provides refrigeration forripening bananas. There is also a growingeffort to reduce the environmentalimpact of desalinating brackish water.The salt recovery rate is typically about50%, meaning that the waste salty brine

is often injected back into the ground inplaces such as India and Pakistan.

Saltwater greenhouses

Such a strategy is not sustainablebecause it increases the salinity of soil orrivers further downstream. Davies saysincreasing the amount of salt beingremoved to between 70% and 90% solvesthat problem, but requires more energy –although he has devised a system of solarpower to keep usage to a minimum.

Seawater greenhouse technology is wellsuited to arid parts of the world.Photograph: Seawater Greenhouse

The academic is also involved in a projectin Somaliland, which faces the twinchallenges of rapid population growthand limited water resources. It is one areausing seawater greenhouses, whichproduce water for irrigation by pumpingseawater into the greenhouse and pipingit over honeycomb cardboard pads thatprovide a large area for evaporativecooling.

According to Charlie Paton, whofounded Seawater Greenhouse Ltd twodecades ago, a seawater greenhousecools the air by up to 15 degrees and



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increases humidity to as much as 90%even in some of the world’s most aridplaces. Davies says they can reduce theamount of water needed to produce akilogram of produce from hundreds totens of litres.

Researchers continue to seek to improvethe technology behind reverse osmosis.Adel Sharif, professor of waterengineering and process innovation atthe University of Surrey, co-developed anew form of desalinationcalled manipulated osmosis in 2003. Hesays the technique helps to removeimpurities such as limescale before thereverse osmosis process, which reducesthe amount of energy needed by as muchas 30%, as well as increasing the lifespanof the membranes and reducingmaintenance costs.

The first plant using manipulated osmosisbegan operating in Gibraltar in March2009. A second opened in Oman laterthat year, and another opened in 2010.The company founded by Sharif tocommercialise the technology, ModernWater, is listed on the AIM stock marketin London, but he admits it has struggledto win contracts and may end up beingbought by a larger desalination player.Many desalination companies are eyeingChina, which has just 7% of the world’sfreshwater but a fifth of its population.About 400 cities face serious watershortages and Beijing aims to quadrupleits seawater desalination capacity to3.6bn litres a day by 2020.

Even London now has a seawaterdesalination plant. The city and thesoutheast of England is a “water-stressedarea”, says Simon Earl, head of water

production for Thames Water. However,the plant is not routinely used and isthere “in case of severe drought”, like theone that occurred in 2011 and 2012 aftertwo dry winters. Surprisingly, there is nowastewater recycling in London,although Earl says building that capacity– or a new reservoir or pumping waterfrom other parts of Britain – are optionsfor coping with rising demand.

As the world’s population continues torise, the pressure on water resourcesare only going to increase. It is yet to beseen whether technological advanceswill be able to meet the demand.

4 Bladeless Wind TurbinesMay Offer More Form ThanFunction

StartupVortex Bladeless makes a turbinethat looks intriguing, but it may not solvewind power’s challenges.

Vortex says its bladeless turbines willgenerate electricity for 40 percent lessthan the cost of power fromconventional wind turbines.

Wind power has become a legitimatesource of energy over the past fewdecades as larger, more efficient turbinedesigns have produced ever-increasing



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amounts of power. But even though theindustry saw a record $99.5 billion globalinvestment in 2014, turbine growth maybe reaching its limits.

Transportation is increasingly challengingbecause of the size of the components:individual blades and tower sectionsoften require specialized trucks andstraight, wide roads. Today’s windturbines are also incredibly top heavy.Generators and gearboxes sitting onsupport towers 100 meters off theground can weigh more than 100 tons. Asthe weight and height of turbinesincrease, the materials costs of wider,stronger support towers, as well as thecost of maintaining components housedso far from the ground, are cutting intothe efficiency benefits of larger turbines.

The alternative energy industry hasrepeatedly tried to solve these issues tono avail. But the latest entry promises aradically different type of wind turbine: abladeless cylinder that oscillates orvibrates. Spanish startupVortex Bladelesshas developed turbines that harnessvorticity, the spinning motion of air orother fluids.When wind passes one of thecylindrical turbines, it shears off thedownwind side of the cylinder in aspinning whirlpool or vortex. That vortexthen exerts force on the cylinder, causingit to vibrate. The kinetic energy of theoscillating cylinder is converted toelectricity through a linear generatorsimilar to those used to harness waveenergy.

David Yáñez, one of the company’scofounders, first came across the conceptas a student studying the collapse of theTacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington.

The bridge collapsed in 1940 due toexcessive vibrations formed by thespinning motion of wind as it blew pastthe bridge and is a textbook engineeringfailure. Yáñez, however, learned adifferent lesson. “This is a very good wayto transmit energy from a fluid to astructure,” he says.

Vortex’s lightweight cylinder design hasno gears or bearings. Yáñez says it willgenerate electricity for 40 percent lessthan the cost of power from conventionalwind turbines. The company has received$1 million in private capital andgovernment funding in Spain and isseeking another $5 million in venturecapital funding. Yáñez says the companyplans to release a four-kilowatt system in2016 and a much larger one-megawattdevice around 2018. The Vortex turbinesounds promising, but like any radicalnew alternative energy design, bladelessturbines have plenty of skeptics.

“If you have a common propeller-type windturbine, you have a big area swept by theblades,” says Martin Hansen, a windenergy specialist at the TechnicalUniversity of Denmark. “Here you justhave a pole.” In addition to capturing lessenergy, oscillating cylinders can’t convertas much of that energy into electricity,Hansen says. A conventional wind turbinetypically converts 80 to 90 percent of thekinetic energy of its spinning rotor intoelectricity. Yáñez says his company’scustom-built linear generator will have aconversion efficiency of 70 percent.Yáñezconcedes that the oscillating turbinedesign will sweep a smaller area and havea lower conversion efficiency, but sayssignificant reductions in manufacturing



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and maintenance costs will outweigh thelosses.

AsVortex builds bigger devices that catchhigher-speed winds further from theground, it will also run up against otherchallenges inherent to the physics of fluidmechanics. Air or other fluids moving atlow speeds past small-diameter cylindersflow in a smooth, constant motion.Increase the diameter of the cylinder andthe speed at which the air flows across it,however, and the flow becomes turbulent,producing chaotic eddies or vortices. Theturbulent flow causes the oscillatingfrequency of the cylinder to vary, makingit difficult to optimize for energyproduction.

“With very thin cylinders and very slowvelocities you get singing telephone lines,an absolutely pure frequency or tone,” saysSheila Widnall, an aeronautics andastronautics professor at MIT. “But whenthe cylinder gets very big and wind getsvery high, you get a range of frequencies.You won’t be able to get as much energyout of it as you want to because theoscillation is fundamentally turbulent.”Widnall also questions the company’sclaim that its turbines will be silent. “Theoscillating frequencies that shake thecylinder will make noise,” she says. “It willsound like a freight train coming throughyour wind farm.”

Oscillating cylinders are just one ofseveral emerging technologies aimed atharvesting more of the wind for less.Makani Power is developing a tethered“energy kite” (see “Flying Windmills”). Itflies in a large circle similar to the tip of aconventional turbine blade whileharnessing wind power via smaller

onboard turbines. Astro Teller, head ofGoogle X, Google’s semi-secret researchfacility that acquired Makani in 2013, saidin March that the company would soonbegin tests of a full-scale, 600-kilowattkite.

John Dabiri, an aeronautics andbioengineering professor at Caltech, istesting different configurations ofvertical axis turbines, which areessentially windmills that spin like amerry-go-round rather than on ahorizontal axis like a bicycle wheel.Typically wind turbines are placed farapart from each other to optimize energyproduction.Drawing on the sameprinciples that fish use to conserveenergy by schooling, Dabiri found thatturbines placed close to each othercould produce more energy than thosethat are far apart.“You can coӧrdinatethe operation of multiple wind turbinessuch that the whole is greater than thesum of its parts,” he says. Dabiri sayssuch synergistic effects could also applyto conventional, horizontal axis windmillsor even oscillating turbines. The latterpose a greater challenge because thewake of such turbines is very chaotic butalso a potential benefit because the wakepacks a lot of energy, he says.

Much remains to be seen with Vortex’soscillating turbine, Dabiri says, but headds that he is excited by the company’sconcept. “Anyone who says thethree-bladed turbine is the best we cando is lacking in vision.”



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Forthcoming Events

03/07/2015One Day Seminar : Safetyexamination, O & M of gates for dams,canals,drains & other structures

10/07/2015Guidance to new batch of AMIEStudents & Commencement ofClasses

17/07/2015Talk on role of engineers postretirementBy Prof S Mashruwala, AMA

24/07/2015Women Engineers’ Programme

07/08/2015TalkBy Prof S Mashruwala, AMA

15/08/2015Independence Day-- Flag Hoisting incollaboration with GICEA

22-23/08/2015All India Seminar :PolymerProcessing, reclamation & itsEnd -of-life impact onEnvironment

30-31/08/2015National Conference of CivilEngineersInnovative concepts emerging inmodern construction technologyand use of smart materials forconstructionAssociates : ASCE

11-12/09/2015All India Seminar : Lean managementtechniques & the application fortextile MSME

15/09/2015Engineers’ Day

Engineering challanges for knowledgeera

03/10/2015World Habitat Day

Forthcoming Events...... 14/10/2015World Standards Day

31/10-01/11/2015All India Seminar : Internet of things:Trends that affect lives

19-21 /11 / 201513th edition of Green BuildingCongress 2015

In association of IGBC at MahatmaMandir, Gandhinagar

14/12/2015Energy Conservation Day

29-30/01/2016National Conference of AgricultureEngineers

Agro-Tech Industries:Status, Scope &Strategies for Food Security

Venue: Gujarat Agriculture University,Anand



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EDUCATIONALA) 3-year diploma courses in differentengineering disciplines of GTU under distancemode shall be now considered as equivalent to3-year regular diploma course for SeniorTechnician membership provided themembership application of an individual besupported with an equivalence certificate issuedby Technical Examination Board,Gujarat.( Decision of Council in its 685th meetingdated 4--5April 2015)----------------------------------------------------------B) Evening Coaching classes for Section A–Diploma stream of the candidates appearingfor Winter 2015 AMIE Examination willcommence from 10th July 2015.Admission started.For details contact :The Institution of Engineers (I),Gujarat State Center, Bhaikaka Bhavan, OppEllisbridge Gymkhana, Near Law Garden,Ahmedabad 380006Phone: 079 26400811---------------------------------------------------C) Candidates who passed MSc in ComputerScience/ Electronics or in any other disciplines &subsequently obtained ME/ MTech degree orany higher degree in an engineering disciplinefrom any recognised Indian University and areCorporate members of IEI, shall be permitted toappear in Section B examination directly in thesame batch in which they passed their ME/ MTechor higher degree in engineering as decided in685th meeting of IEI Council (4--5TH April 15)---------------------------------------------------

Library facility at GSCOur technical library with over 15,000 booksremains open daily 6 to 8 pm except on Sundays.

We are constantly adding latest titles &journals/magazines. Proceedings of Seminars /Conventions/ Workshop are also being added. Werequest members to avail of library facility to themaximum.-------------------------------------------------------------Candidates getting direct lateral entry insecond year of 4-year BE/BTech courses inrelevant field of engineering of recognised

Indian University, by virtue of passing B.Sc/BCA,shall be considered for appropriate grade ofcorporate membership of IEI (Decided in 685th

meeting of Council,April 15)---------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------CALL FOR PAPERS National Convention of Civil Engineers :

Innovative concepts emerging in modernconstruction technology and use of smartmaterials for constructionLast date for receipt of Synopsis: 10/7/2015& for Full length papers: 30/7/2015

All India Seminar :Polymer Processing,reclamation & its End -of-life impact onEnvironmentLast date for receipt of Synopsis: 17/7/2015& for Full length papers: 07/8/2015

All India Seminar : Lean managementtechniques & the application for textileMSMELast date for receipt of Synopsis: 10/8/2015& for Full length papers: 25/8/2015

For details: see brochure on our websitewww.ieigsc.org

ANNOUNCEMENTS

23rd IEI Convocation andTechnicians’/Students’ Convention atDharwad (Karnataka) on October 10-112015Theme: Innovative Indigenous TechnologyPathways for successful Accomplishment ofNational Program“Make in India”For registration and other information:www.ieidharwad.orgEmail :[email protected]



21

Becoming anAMIE recognisesyour skillsAchieving AMIE marks you out as askilled professional. Customers – andthe public more widely – are likely tohave a higher level of confidence. Youwill:

Gain a professional title that

recognises your hard work and

expertise

Enhance your employability

Higher earning potential

Stand out from the crowd

Enjoy greater influence within your

organisation

Enhanced status leading to higher

self esteem

Have access to life-long learning

resources

Serious about yourcareer inengineering? Are you responsible for supervising

staff or managing technical projects,with knowledge of how to apply safesystems of working?

Do you make a valuable contributionto the design, development,manufacture, commissioning,decommissioning, operation ormaintenance of products, equipment,processes or services?

If so, then you should be seriouslythinking of gaining the professionalAMIE degree.

Engineering Technicians are concernedwith applying proven techniques andprocedures to the solution of practicalengineering problems. They carrysupervisory or technical responsibility,and are competent to exercise creativeaptitudes and skills within defined fieldsof technology. Professional EngineeringDegree like AMIE contributes to thedesign, development, manufacture,commissioning, decommissioning,operation or maintenance of products,equipment, processes or services.

General InformationAbout AMIEExaminations

Only members of The Institution ofEngineers(India) are permitted to appearat the examinations conducted by theInstitution in conformity with theireligibility and qualifications. TheInstitution conducts the followingexaminations :

Section A (Non-Diploma Stream)Section A (Diploma Stream)Section B

in the following branches of engineering :



22

Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Science & Engineering Electrical Engineering Electronics and CommunicationEngineering

Materials and MetallurgicalEngineering

Mechanical Engineering Mining Engineering Production Engineering Textile Engineering

The Institution Examinations are heldtwice a year, generally in June and inDecember — termed as SUMMER andWINTER Examination. The exact dates ofexaminations, the programmes thereofand the period of submission ofexamination application forms shall benotified and displayed at the Center.

ELIGIBILITY & DETAILS OFEXAMINATIONS

SECTION A (NON-DIPLOMASTREAM) EXAMINATION

Technician members enrolled with theInstitution are eligible to apply forappearance in the Institutionexamination within the stipulated period.The enrollment includes registration forexamination in Section A (Non-diploma).A candidate shall be required to pass in10 (ten) subjects.

SECTION A (DIPLOMA STREAM)EXAMINATION

Senior Technician members enrolled withthe Institution are only eligible to applyfor appearance in the Institutionexamination within the stipulated period.

The enrollment includes registration forexamination in SectionA (Diploma).

A candidate shall be required to pass in 4(four) subjects. A candidate may berequired to qualify in less number ofsubjects provided such a candidate, inconsideration of his academic credentials,is given exemption in one or moresubjects by the Institution.

SECTION B EXAMINATION

Technician/Senior Technician membersenrolled with the Institution who havepassed Section A of the InstitutionExamination or any other examinationrecognised by the Council as exemptingtherefrom OR Associates and corporatemembers, who have passed Sections A &B of Institution Examinations in onebranch of engineering or securedexemption therefrom for appearing inanother branch of engineering, are onlyeligible to apply for appearance in theInstitution examination within thestipulated period.

A candidate shall be required to qualifyin 9 (nine) subjects — 6 (six) compulsoryand 3 (three) optional, except in MarineEngineering branch, where a candidate isrequired to pass in 10 (ten) compulsorysubjects and 1 (one) optional subject, outof the two.

For appearing in the examinationplease log in to our website fordownloading the appropriateform.Or else visit the center nearestto you.



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Be the voice of female engineers

A number of barriers exist to the progression of larger numbers of women inengineering, and these can be represented by the analogy of hurdles in a running race.These exist at every career stage. We at IEI need to work hard to lower these hurdles,but they will only disappear altogether when we get sufficient numbers of 'runners' inthe race to knock them down. This is why the work that is done in the early careerstages is very important. We cannot address all of these barriers to progression, but wehave tried to identify a number of ways that can make a difference.

Tomotivate girls to consider careers in engineering To organize annual two day student conference called Engineering

Inspiration To promote engineering role models To discuss difficulties being faced at workplace and possible solutions To upgrade knowledge continuously through seminars/ workshops/ talks/

presentations To scout opportunities in private sector To arrange for personality development lectures

The Institution of Engineers (India) Gujarat State Center, Bhaikaka Bhavan, OppLaw Garden, Near Ellisbridge gymkhana, Ahmedabad helps the studentcommunity by conducting free evening Guidance Classes forAMIE Section A (Diploma Stream) examinations. One timeenrolment fees for the classes Rs. 1000/- There shall be noother charges to be paid.

Senior Technician members enrolled with the Institution areonly eligible to apply for appearance in the Institutionexamination within the stipulated period.Classes shall be conducted from Mondays through Thursdaysfrom 7 pm to 9 pm. Classes shall commence from 10th July 2015for:

Fundamentals of Design & Manufacturing Material Science & Engineering Electrical Science, electronics and instrumentation Mechanical scienceMore particulars and Application Form for Registration can be had from the office .



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FSAMIR SAHAMAMIRUDDINMOHAMMED SIDDIQ MOULVIARUN KUMARMINOCHAATULMAHASHUKHALALTALSANIABHASKERKUMARMOHANLAL PATHAKDHADIYA RAJESHKUMARMAGANBHAIDHANDHUKIYANILESHVINODRAIDHARMESHKUMAR RAMANLALGAMITGAJJARCHINTANBALVANTJETHWA JIGNESH NIRANJANJOSHI RUTVIJ CHANDRAKANTMAHESHWARIVISHALVISHNUKUMARMAKADIA REENAKUMARI NANUBHAIPATELAMRATMANILALPATIL RAKESHKUMAR RAMDASRAJESH RAMANLALMODYVIVEK DEVIDAS KALYANKARAMADROJA FALGUN NARANBHAIANKURBHAI DHANSUKHBHAI CHAUDHARIBHAVSAR PARTHMAHESHBHAIBINJAYKUMAR BHIKHABHAI PATELCHOKSI ROSHANI RAJESHKUMARDABHIASHOKKUMAR JIVRAJBHAIGANVIT FALGUNI BABUBHAIGEVARIA KAUSHALKUMAR MOHANLALGOPANI HARIKRISHNA PANKAJKUMARHIRAPARA RONAKKUMAR JAYANTIBHAIHIRAPARATARUN PRAVINBHAIJADEJA RATNADEEPSINH MAHENDRASINHJOSHIANAND RAMESHBHAIKACHANIRAJ DEVSUKHLALKEVADIYA JAYDEEPKUMAR SHAMJIBHAILAKHANI JIGNESH DHIRAJLALMANTHANKUMAR PRAVINCHANDRA RADADIANILESHKUMARVISHNUBHAI PRAJAPATIPANCHAL RAVI SURESHKUMARPARSANIA PRATIK ARVINDBHAIPATELAMITKUMAR RAMSINGBHAIPATELCHIRAG VINODBHAIPATEL HARDIKKUMAR RAMESHBHAIPATEL JAYDEEPKUMAR JAYANTILALPATELMUKESHKUMAR MAHENDRABHAIPRAJAPATI RAVIKUMARARVINDBHAIRAJGURU NIPURN SURESHKUMARRATHODMANISH KISHORBHAIRAVAL BHAVESHKUMAR BHOLABHAIRUPANK MUKHISHAH JAYSNEHALBHAISOLANKI JAYRAJSINH BALVANTSINHSUNILKUMARASHOKKUMAR DOMADIASURYAKANT DIPCHAND PATEL

THAKAR JATINKUMAR RAJENDRAKUMARTOPIWALA HETAL JINENDRAKUMARVAMJA DIPAKKUMAR GOBARBHAIVARUNBHAI RANCHHODBHAI CHAUDHARIVASAVA RATILALBHAI SINGABHAIVASHI JAYDIPSINHVIKRAMSINHVIMALKUMARAMRUTLAL PATELVIPULKUMARARVINDBHAI CHAUDHARISTKALAVADIYAYASHKUMAR BHARATBHAIDHAKEVAIBHAVKUMARVENUPRASADISRANI MAHENDRA KISHANBHAISUTHAR RIPALKUMAR JAYANTIBHAISUTHAR PRITESHKUMAR DINESHCHANDRASAVALIAVISHAL JAYANTIBHAITHAPA RAMJI NARBAHADURDIPALASHAY PATELPARMAR KETANKUMARDAHYABHAICHUDASAMA DHARA KHIMJIBHAIPATEL DHAVALKUMAR RAMESHBHAIPATEL NIRMALKUMAR KANAIYALALMALEKMAKSUDAHEMADGULAMNABIBHOIATULBHAI LALLUBHAITHAKORDHANRAJSINH DHARMENDRASINHPARMAR HINABENGULABSINHRAJPUT SANDEEP DILIPSINGHHIRALBEN RAMESHBHAI RANASHAIKH JISHANAJIJMAHAMMADPRAJAPATIVISHALKUMARMANUBHAIVAGHELACHANDRAPALSINHVAJESANGPAREKH HEMANTKUMAR RAMANBHAISOLANKI BHAVESHKUMAR JADAVBHAIHARISH DEWANGANSOLANKI HIRALBEN NARESHKUMARKAKLOTAR KISHANBHAI JIVANBHAISHAH NIRAV JAGDISHBHAIPARMAR JAYENDRASINHVINODCHANDRASHARMAASHVARYA RAMESHMANISH LUDHANIANKIT KISHORBHAI KAHARSHAIKH RUKHSANAMUNNABHAIPANJABI IRFANYUSUFBHAIPATEL RAJESHKUMARGANPATBHAINILAKANTHA JENAPANDYAMEHULMUKESHCHANDRADHAKAD SANDEEP MAHENDRASINGHPATEL KARANSHANTILALGOSAIANOOPGIRIVIRENDRAGIRIDEVMURARI MAULIK RAMESHBHAIMAHETA JITENDRA SHAILESHKUMARPATEL PRATIK BHARATBHAIGOHIL HITENDRA HARESHBHAIPARMAR PRITESH JAGADISHBHAICHAUHANSHRADDHAMAHENDRABHAI

NEW ENROLMENTS



25

SOUVIK DATTASAVANI KRUNAL BABUBHAIPANDYAHIRENMUKESHBHAISOLANKI JEEGNISHA SANTOSHBHAISHAHSANKETMANISHBHAIDHOLAKIYAVIJAYKUMARCHUNILALRATHODANALKUMARI CHANDULALTANK PRAVINCHANDRA BHAGVANJIGHADAASIF HANIFBHAIVYASVISHALVIJAYBHAIBHANDERI RAVI CHHAGANBHAISOLANKI RUSHIRAJSINH DEVENDRASINHPRAJAPATI NAVINBHAI BHIMAJIBHAIKASHYAPKUMARMAHENDRABHAI PATELSINGH SURAJKUMARSANTOSHKUMARDODIA JIGNESHKUMAR BHAVANBHAIKARARMEHUL SHISHIRJADHAV PRADIP BHIKHABHAIPATEL RAHULKUMARVINODBHAILASHKARI HIMENMANSUKHLALPUROHIT BHUSHANASHWINBHAITPATEL NANDANDINESHCHANDRABHOI KIRANKUMAR RAMESHBHAIDIKSHITKUMAR PATEL

Benefits & privileges of IEI membership

1 Receive IEI's Journals, technicalmonographs, papers, conference proceedingsfor enhancement of knowledge.

2 Share your technical knowledge &ideas through these Journals, papers

3 Receive prizes for papers/articleswritten and published in the Journal as per theIEI Bye-Laws

4 Receive FREE copies of IEI News, GSCNewsletter & Technorama

5 Access our websites for updates atwww.iei.org& for Gujarat State Center:www.ieigsc.org

6 Read our Engineering magazine IEIGSC Weekly online & stay up to date onnational & international industry news; people,events, videos

7 Access library FREE at State and localcenters to expand your professionalknowledge

8 Participate freely in various technicalactivities like

weekly lectures,workshops,seminars,conventions andAnnual Engineering Congress of IEIand take opportunities to gain /updateknowledge & experience9 Develop business contacts and

opportunities, meet new people & gaininvaluable opportunities10 Participate in international

conferences11 Enjoy facilities and benefits from 24

foreign professional bodies with whom IEI hasbilateral relationships12 Act as arbitrators in arbitration

matters relating to engineering jobs & services13 Receive & stay in accommodation

available at HQ & centers at concessional rates

What can IEI do for

You ?

Continuousprofessionaldevelopment throughregular professionalprogrammes in India &abroad

Opportunities toupdate professionalknowledge throughcourses conducted byEngineering StaffCollege of India,Hyderabad

Chance to participatein interdisciplinaryactivities in ruraldevelopment ,sustainabledevelopment , watermanagement, quality,safety and R & D



26

It’s not just what engineers do that isimportant – it is how they think. And this issomething that can be taught to youngpeople of all ages, says Professor Bill Lucas.

It is widely believed that we need moreengineers. And it is frequently asserted thatpeople have a poor grasp of whatengineering is all about.

Just as the scientific method is integral toscience, so there are ways of thinking anddoing that epitomise engineering.

Rather than sticking to an outdatedsupply-and-demand model, which plainly isnot working, we should be focusing insteadon embedding engineering thinking anddoing skills into young people’s education –nudging more down the engineeringpathway while also enhancing generaltechnological literacy.

This was the premise that underpinned our‘engineering habits of mind’ project for theRoyal Academy of Engineering. Throughwide consultation and discussion, and byexhaustively trawling through what hadalready been written, we attempted to comeup with a consensus on what engineers doand how they think – something we called‘engineering habits of mind’.

We settled on a simple description of whatengineers do: being an engineer is allabout‘making ‘things’ that work andmaking ‘things’ work better’. We foundsurprising levels of agreement about ourproposed six levels of engineering habits ofmind:

Systems thinkingAdaptingProblem-findingCreative problem-solvingVisualisingImproving

INCULCATING ENGINEERINGHABITS OF MINDBy Professor Bill Lucas



27

We also considered the processes in whichthese habits are applied, and stirred sevenmore generic ‘learning habits of mind’ intothemix.

Notably, these habits of mind are strikinglyapparent in the way primary-age childrennaturally behave – young children are littleengineers. Yet we make little effort to exploitthis natural propensity – quite the reverse –and by secondary school we distance childreneven more from the world of engineering,encouraging abstraction and more academicpursuits.

If we want to nurture engineering habits ofmind, we are going to have to rethink ourapproach to education. This can be done,even within the constraints of existingcontent-heavy, outcome-oriented curriculaand without a specific place for engineeringwithin the curriculum.

Indeed, in our project we identified manyexamples of good teaching and learningpractice that promoted the development ofengineering habits of mind – particularlyproblem-based and project-basedactive-learning approaches.

Our hypothesis is that it is feasible toimplement these approaches routinely inschools and that they will be at least as goodas traditional teaching methods, in terms ofstudents’ academic achievement, while alsoenhancing our desired engineering habits ofmind.

We are testing this hypothesis in a range ofschools, primary and secondary, across theUK. At primary level, engineering-orientedproblem-based learning is something that allchildren can engage with.

The main challenge is to give primaryteachers the confidence to use unfamiliar

approaches to teaching and addresspotentially unfamiliar subject material. Atsecondary level, more sophisticatedapproaches may mean focusing on morerestricted groups of students.

We have identified suitable resources and areworking with a range of schools and teacherswho are introducing new methods in actionlearning projects, tracking impact onattainment and the development of theirstudents’ thinking skills.

Where do we go next? Hopefully we willgenerate hard evidence that engineeringsubject-specific pedagogy has a beneficialimpact on students’ learning – that we reallycan inculcate engineering habits of mind.

Adopting our approach more widely wouldbe challenging, but the proof of principle hasbeen established. We have created aplatform for transforming young people’sexposure to engineering thinking – we nowneed policy-makers to be equally open tonew ways of thinking.

Professor Bill Lucas([email protected]) is Director ofthe Centre for Real-World Learning andProfessor of Learning at the University ofWinchester. He led the team that produced theRoyal Academy of Engineering report ‘Thinkinglike an Engineer: Implications for the EducationSystem’.



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It didn’t work then. Does that mean itwon’t work now?

If it didn’t work then, will it work now?Elephant syndrome is what I call it, thetendency to never forget. But I’m notreferring to a good memory; I’m talkingabout a faulty forgetter.

Like the elephant in the photo, we remaintied with string to obstacles we couldreadily overcome. That elephant was tiedto an object when it was little but doesn’tnow understand what happened and whatit could do to break out.

Consider this: You are the leader of acompany on its way to fulfilling its purpose.One of your associates suggests an idea that

you’ve already tried. You’ve tried it before,and it didn’t work.What would you do?

Most of us would reject it outright. We tendto have elephant syndrome.We remember

those things that stymied us before, thosetactics that failed, those efforts that fell short.And there could be a good reason not topursue them again.

On the other hand, it might be moreeffective to take another look at it.

Why?

1. Because that was then, and this is now.

The circumstances, components, anddynamics that stopped you back then mightnot exist anymore. When the economycrashed here in the United States in 2009, itwas virtually impossible to get a businessloan. Many business owners simply gave uptrying. But that was then. The economy haschanged, and lenders are loaning again. Justbecause it didn’t work then doesn’t mean oneshouldn’t try now when things are different.Like the elephant, you could be tied withstring. What you remember as beinginsurmountable then is well within yourpower to do now.

2. It’s impossible to steer a ship when it’snot moving.

In organizations beset by inertia andstagnation, the principle effect you want ismovement. You want people to think, toproject, to create, to propose, to experiment,

Four Things to ConsiderBefore Dismissing ThatSuggestion or IdeaJACK DUNIGAN ,COURTSEY: QUALITY DIGEST



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to act. When the ship moves it can besteered.

Your role as a leader is not to stand at thehelm looking splendid in your captain’suniform. No, your role is to guide and steerthe ship. Everyone else gets to make it move.Let them do your job while you do yours.

3. Never stomp on someone’s ideaoutright.

It may indeed be a bad idea, but don’t takethe mere suggestion of it personally. Thosewho work for you and with you can either beassociates or lackeys. How you respond totheir suggestions says a lot about what youthink about them, about yourself, and aboutyour authority. People who have an inflatedopinion of themselves and their position tendto dismiss others. But remember what I’vewritten earlier, that leaders’ circle of concern

is greater than their circle of ability. Theyneed, indeed you need, others to extend yourreach, multiply your effectiveness, and divideyour work.

4. If it’s really an unworkable idea, themere suggestion of it suggests a teachablemoment.

So teach already. Define your objections,analyze and verify their validity, explain yourreasons, invite participation and feedback inthe discussion and—this is importanthere—come to the same conclusion together.There’s more to getting things done than justdoing things. You’re also in the process ofdeveloping capable people as well.

There are, of course, some things that willnever work. But you need to be fair aboutdiscerning what they are. There’s more atstake here than just exercising yourauthority.

Object of opening a Students’ Chapter

Minimum strength required to open a chapter

Eligibility for membership

All engineering students studying in an engineering college or polytechnic are eligiblefor membership of the Chapter.

WANT TO OPEN STUDENTS’CHAPTER AT YOUR COLLEGE?



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How the Chapter works?

Activities of a Students’ Chapter

How to open a Students’ Chapter ?

An engineering College or a Polytechnic can make a written request to the Secretary &Director General, The Institution of Engineers (India) Head quarters at Kolkattaexpressing a desire to open a Students’ Chapter. Name of the branch/ branches ofengineering shall have to be mentioned.On obtaining written permission from IEI, withspecific code number, necessary form can be downloaded from www.ieindia.info.



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Fee Structure for members of Students’ Chapter:

Disclaimer: The Institution of Engineers(India), Gujarat State Centre, as a body,accepts no responsibility for the statementsmade by individuals. Printed and published byEr. C. V. Nadpara on behalf of The Institutionof Engineers (India), Gujarat State Centre.Bhaikaka Bhavan Opposite Law Garden,Ahmedabad 380006Phone: 079 26400811 Fax: 079 26561825E-mail: [email protected]: www. ieigsc.org

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