Name: Abid Nadeem

Nationality: Pakistani

Date of Birth: September 15, 1971

Present Address: Department of Building and Construction, City University of Hong

Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Phone: 852-27844324 (office)

852-94179112 (cell)

Fax: 852-27887612

E-Mail: a.nadeem@plink.cityu.edu.hk (present)

abidnadeem@yahoo.com (permanent)

Declaration

‘All statements of fact in this report are true and correct and I have made claims of acquired
competencies in good faith. The report is my own work and is a true representation of my
personal competence in written English. I confirm that I understand that members of the
engineering team in Australia are required to display a commitment to exercising professional
and ethical responsibility in all aspects of their work’.

/ /

(Abid Nadeem) (Date)

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 Continuing Professional Development
I have developed my career through steadily participating in various capability-enhancing activities
since 1994 when I graduated as Civil Engineer from University of Engineering and Technology (UET)
Lahore Pakistan. I describe my Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities as follows.

1. In April 1998, I graduated from the School of Civil Engineering (SCE), Asian Institute of
Technology (AIT) Bangkok, Thailand as Master of Engineering in ‘Construction Engineering and
Management’ with a GPA of 3.79 and 4th position in a batch of 30 graduates. My coursework was
focussed on the fields of project management, information technology, contract administration, etc
with reference to construction engineering. During thesis phase, I conducted research on multi-
criteria decision making for evaluating risks of BOT (build operate transfer) projects in Pakistan.
2. During September to November 1999, I attended a Series of ‘Workshops on Teaching
Enhancement’ organized by the Centre for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, City
University of Hong Kong, which helped to enhance my teaching skills in terms of knowing students,
planning teaching, professional assessment of student performance and promoting learning with
technology.
3. During September to November 2000, I participated in various short training courses to learn ‘Web
Development Applications, Statistical Modelling and Bibliography Management’ at City
University of Hong Kong. I got the training of software namely, MS FrontPage, SPSS and
EndNote in these courses. These courses improved my capability to apply information technology
for my ongoing professional duties.
4. In December 2000, I attended the ‘International Conference on High Performance Concrete
(HPC): workability, strength and durability’ at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
I presented a research paper on strengthening HPC beams with FRP and steel plates. This
conference provided me the knowledge of latest innovations in HPC technology covering a wide
range of applications in civil engineering practice.
5. In June 2001, I attended the ‘3rd International Conference on Concrete under Severe Conditions:
Environment and Loading (CONSEC’01)’ in Vancouver, Canada. I presented a research paper on
the tensile strength of HPC under elevated temperatures. This conference provided me the
knowledge of latest developments in the field of concrete subjected to various severe conditions
including fire and elevated temperatures. I got useful feedback regarding my ongoing research in
the field of elevated temperature performance of HPC from conference participants doing research
in the similar fields.
6. In August 2001, I got the membership of ‘ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers)’, member
ID: 382604, to keep myself aware of the latest information on technical and professional issues
related to civil engineering especially those related to construction, building materials and
structures.
7. In November 2001, I attended a seminar on ‘Corrosion, Technology and Quality Assurance of
Reinforced Concrete’ organized by the Materials Division of the Hong Kong Institution of
Engineers (HKIE) at City University of Hong Kong. Corrosion is one of the severe problems in
reinforced concrete structures. It provided me the latest knowledge about controlling corrosion of
steel in concrete structures.
8. In August 2002, I attended a seminar on ‘How to tackle Building Dilapidation Problem in Hong
Kong’ organized by the Asian Institute of Intelligent Buildings, City University of Hong Kong.
This seminar enhanced my understanding of the building maintenance and refurbishments works
and their environmental and social implications.

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 CAREER EPISODE 1

INTRODUCTION
This career episode is about my field experience working as a Project Engineer with National
Engineering Services Pakistan Limited (NESPAK) (http://www.nespak.com.pk). NESPAK is
a multi-discipline engineering consultancy. I was employed in the Geotechnical Division of
NESPAK and worked on an urban development project for the construction of 2nd underpass
bridge at Lahore Canal, Lahore Pakistan from September 1995 to August 1996.

BACKGROUND
Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan with a population of 6 million. In Lahore, the
Canal Road, which runs along the canal banks, crosses six major roads of the city. Since the
volume of traffic has increased tremendously during the last decade, longer delays and traffic
jams are frequent at the crossings of Canal Road with other roads. The Lahore Development
Authority (the client) decided to undertake detailed study of the problem and employed
NESPAK to perform detailed investigations and prepare feasibility report for the suggested
solution of the problem. It was suggested to construct underpass along the canal at all of the
six major crossing roads. The client approved the proposal and awarded the detailed design,
construction supervision and contract management of the project to NESPAK. The
construction contract was awarded to a local construction company with an overall project
duration of 18 months. Being in the Geotechnical Division of my company, I was assigned to
supervise foundation and retaining wall works for the project. The design of pile foundations
comprised of 206 cast-in-place reinforced concrete piles of 1 m diameter at 2 m centre-to-
centre spacing ranging from 20 to 35 m depth. Reinforced concrete retaining walls ranged in
height from 1 to 10 m and about 4 km total length. My duties on this project were related to
construction supervision, designing and progress reporting. I used both construction
management and engineering skills while working on this project. In the next section, I have
depicted an overview of my duties with regard to this project. The organizational chart of this
project regarding my involvement is shown in Figure 1 and my position has been highlighted.

Resident Engineer

Project Engineer

Site Engineers Site Inspectors

Skilled/Unskilled
Labour

Figure 1: Organizational Chart

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PERSONAL WORKPLACE ACTIVITIES
1. I carried out the calculations for the required depth of piles at different locations. It was
specified that the depth of pile should not be less than 20 m from ground level and exact
depth of pile to be determined based on actual soil/rock conditions at depths of 20 m or
below which could satisfy the pile load capacity and settlements limits in the design
specifications.
2. The contractor submitted the schedule for piling and retaining walls operations, which
indicated the completion time for these two work packages to be 10 months. This could
delay the target completion time of the project. I wrote to the contractor to re-schedule
piling and retaining walls activities to complete in 8 months. I worked in collaboration with
the contractor’s site engineer to revise the schedule. The schedule was revised with MS
Project and it was used in the project for planing operations and progress monitoring.
3. Two site engineers and two site inspectors assisted me in the project tasks. To make them
familiar with the project, I demonstrated to the site engineers the criteria to use in
designing for pile depth. On the project supervision side, I briefed them the piling and
retaining walls operations involved in the project and how to monitor the progress using
daily reports and schedules. In this way, I assigned a part of the project tasks to them. I
also assigned duties of site inspectors to carry out on site operations which included
sampling concrete for laboratory testing, recording subsurface soil/rock types at various
depths, ensuring the quality of concrete and checking reinforcement details used in piles.
4. For the supervision of each work package, I assigned one site engineer and one site
inspector. Both the site engineers were required to get the details of the daily activities in
association with the site inspectors and contractor’s supervisors and submit to me at least
twice a week. I made weekly progress monitoring reports of both work packages in
specific format and submitted to the Resident Engineer (RE).
5. During the course of the project, the need to handle documents arose because of the
volume of project documents increased with time. I initiated the idea of a computer
assisted documentation management system that indexed electronically the project
documents according to various features of the project, document types, project
participants, etc. I presented the idea to the RE for approval. I, then, developed an
application in MS Access to file the documents with their features electronically and to
retrieve the information quickly. I demonstrated the use of this application to the site office
assistant and instructed to further build on the database of documents on weekly basis.
6. The productivity of excavation was low at deep excavation locations because of the low
capacity excavator used by the contractor and was delaying the retaining walls
construction. I pointed out this shortcoming to the contractor and instructed to increase
the excavation capacity by mobilizing an additional excavator at the site. The contractor
then agreed to mobilize the extra excavator within 7 days. With this change, the deep
excavations were re-scheduled at later dates and shallow excavations were performed
earlier. Necessary adjustments to the schedule were made so that the delay was recovered.
7. The excavation and sheet pile driving operations often met with difficulties in the form of
flooding of pits after excavation due to heavy rains, some underground hard rocks that
impeded the pile advancement and existing crossing sewer lines at some locations. I
worked out a procedure for obstructions handling to assess the effect of such problems on
project. I instructed my staff to prepare a specific form for this purpose which was to be
filled in to record the location, time, nature of the obstruction, estimated delay, etc. This

4
 information was submitted to me and the delays/disruptions, if any, in the project were
recorded. The delays were classified into excusable, non-excusable and compensatory
delays according to the delay liability on behalf of project participants. It became possible
with this process to check the validity of possible future claims of the contractor for
awarding extra time or cost for completing the project.
8. The occurrence of unexpected hard strata at intermediate depths was a big problem while
boring the holes for pile construction at many locations. It caused the advancement of bore
extremely difficult at times and the contractor had to employ extra time and to operate
boring rig near to its design capacity. That caused frequent breakdown of boring rigs,
increased cost and delays in the piling operations. To reduce this problem, I updated the
information in the original subsurface investigation report by entering the actual subsurface
strata information of the previously bored piles and located the potential problem areas
along the alignment of piles. I used AutoCAD to generate the revised subsurface cross
sections along the alignment of piles. Therefore, improved drawings were obtained after
revision. The new drawings thus reduced the unexpected occurrences of hard strata in
boring operations and helped to minimize the delays and cost of the project.
9. The boring operations caused environmental and social problems in the form of
disturbance to traffic due to equipment movement, construction in the vicinity of houses,
offices, and shops, nuisance caused by noise, etc. I suggested to the contractor to minimize
the disturbance caused due to these operations by better planning the activities. I called for
great care to the contractor while using the area around each pile to carry out the
operation. Traffic routes had to be redefined based on the occupied area around piles or
retaining walls in coordination with Traffic Police.
10. I identified that the piling operation could cause the risk of disrupting underground utilities
as the site was in a well built-up area. These utilities could be gas pipeline, electricity or
telephone cables, etc. The damage to these utilities could cause a severe loss or at least
disconnection of supply of these utilities to the public. After recognizing the potential
damage of this risk, I decided to take counter measures. I contacted with the concerned
departments through client to get drawings of these utilities at the project site. I found that
at four locations, the alignment of piles crossed the utility lines. I, therefore, recommended
to the client to arrange for the relocation of these utilities in coordination with other
departments. Client agreed to undertake the relocation task and the piling at those
locations was re-scheduled.
11. I predicted the risk of settlements in the existing road besides the retaining walls. To
ensure the safety on road, I instructed the contractor to monitor settlements on the roads
adjacent to retaining walls by fixing rigid level points on the road surface at an interval of 3
m. The levels were measured every alternate day during the sheet pile driving operations
and twice a week after the piling for a period of six weeks to monitor the road settlement.
If the road settled more than the permissible limits, I instructed to rectify it without delay
by refilling and/or reconstructing the settled section.
12. In the early part of the project, the client instructed to decrease the underpass height to
reduce the cost of the project. This change affected the design of retaining walls, which
has to be revised. For this purpose, I carried out the design and analysis of the retaining
walls. Retaining wall structure consisted of two significant parts as footing and wall.
Different scenarios were taken into account depending on the level of ground water table
and the uplift of water at the footing was also considered. I used ACI (American Concrete

5
 Institute) standard design method and calculated maximum moments at the base of
retaining walls.
13. I calculated the reinforcement drawings were prepared afterwards. I supervised the work
of draftsperson of our company who prepared shop drawings of retailing walls using
AutoCAD. I submitted the analysis, design of retaining walls and shop drawings to the
Resident Engineer (RE) who submitted the design to the client for their approval. The
client’s engineers reviewed the design and suggested alternatives for alterations like
reducing thickness of walls, using different diameter steel, grade of steel etc in order to
make the design further economical. This process called for the design and consequently
shop drawing revisions. In addition to supervising design revisions, I also monitored
revisions to immediately mark rejected and updated drawings with suitable stamps for
future referencing.
14. During the piling operation, I noticed that the contractor used a low capacity crane to
carry heavy steel cages and concrete into the pile bore and using a wheel mounted rotary
mixer for concrete production. From the size and criticality of operations, these provisions
were insufficient and were causing breakdowns and reduced productivity in pile
construction. I issued a notice to the contractor to mobilize a higher capacity hydraulically
operated crane and an additional concrete mixer to increase concrete production at site.
The contractor then to followed the instructions and promised to mobilize new
arrangements within one week.
15. A full scale pile load test was conducted to ascertain the quality of pile construction at site.
I selected the location for test pile keeping in view the space requirements and vicinity to
the actual piles and delegated one site engineer and one site inspectors to supervise the
construction of test pile and to collect the test data. I supervised the test in accordance
with ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards. I organized the test
data in worksheets using MS Excel and analysed the results. I found that the settlements in
the pile were within permissible limits. I submitted the test results to the client. The client
examined the results and mentioned that there was small discrepancy between the diameter
of test pile and actual piles due to which the capacity of the actual piles was overestimated.
I re-evaluated and interpreted that the overestimation in pile capacity was still in the
acceptable limits and the results of test pile were valid. After this explanation, the client
agreed and accepted the results of test pile.
16. I implemented construction materials testing program for regular inspection of the quality
of materials by instructing the contractor to submit laboratory testing reports of the
construction materials whenever they receive the new batch of materials at site. I assigned
the site inspectors check the quality of concrete used in the pile construction by regularly
performing compressive strength tests of concrete samples obtained at site during
concreting operations. Moreover, to achieve the construction quality standards, I
instructed the site inspectors to regularly check the level of boring rig during drilling
operations for vertical alignment of piles and the provision of circular disc shaped spacers
in steel cages for proper concrete cover around steel cages.
17. I received reports from site engineers and inspectors on regular basis and developed
weekly progress monitoring reports and sent the copy to the RE. In addition, regular
weekly meetings were conducted with the contractor and the client. I along with the RE
attended these meetings. I discussed the progress of the contractor and the issues related
to the operational difficulties in the project.

6
18. The contractor submitted monthly bills for approval. I examined the bills and verified the
actual progress made by the contractor. On the basis of actual progress, I recommended
the payment to the contractor by the client. The contractor also came up with occasional
claims for the delays in the project owing to the alleged faults of the client and consultant.
I evaluated the claims and took suitable actions to either refute or accept the claims. This
was based on the factual evidences I gathered throughout the course of the project in the
form of progress reports from my subordinates and my own observations.

SUMMARY
The progress of the project was mostly according to the schedule with the exception of a few
delays due to rains, unforeseen underground conditions, contractor’s insufficiency in terms of
some resources mobilization, etc. The delays were in the most part counteracted with proper
engineering practice and supervision. I got opportunities to practically utilize my engineering
and management skills by working on this project. I sharpened my skills in communication,
task assignment, application of engineering knowledge, progress monitoring, construction
problem solving and teamwork. I employed various computing tools related to worksheets,
scheduling, drafting and design aids to execute various tasks in this project. Moreover, I also
guided fellow site engineers and technicians to learn and use these tools.

7
CAREER EPISODE 2
INTRODUCTION
This career episode is about the research, which I conducted as a Research Assistant at the
Department of Building and Construction, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
(http://www.bc.cityu.edu.hk). I worked on the project titled ‘Applying Case Based Reasoning
for Construction Delays Mitigation’ from July 1998 to August 1999.

BACKGROUND
Time overruns in the form of delays are very common in construction projects. The contractor
is primarily held responsible for delays mitigation often due to contractual liability. The delay
mitigation is performed by employing extra resources to speed up the activities, which incurs
additional cost to the contractor. Contractors try to minimize the additional cost incurred on
delays mitigation. In practice, the project manager’s planning experience is important for the
selection of the best possible time-cost relationship for expedited activities. Case Based
Reasoning (CBR) is the artificial intelligence technique that captures previous decisions made
in the domain of a problem and reuses/adapts the retrieved decisions to suit for the new
problem. It has been used for capturing and manipulating unstructured experience and
knowledge. Considering, the nature of the delays mitigation problem, CBR was chosen to
model the process of construction delays mitigation in this project.
The objectives of this project were to investigate the causes of delays in construction projects,
to explore ways for delays mitigation, to build a conceptual framework for delays mitigation
and to develop a prototype model for delays mitigation using case based reasoning approach.
My major duties in this project ranged were data collection, data analysis, modelling, report
writing and producing publications for journals and conferences. I divided the overall process
into three phases. In the first phase, delays analysis was done to establish the length of delays
caused by contractor. The second phase is the time-cost optimization using CBR and the third
phase is schedule re-estimation to get the desired time recovery. I have described the account
of my involvement in this project in the following section. The organization chart for this
project has been given in Figure 2 highlighting my position.

Principal Investigator

Research Assistant

Research Student

Figure 2: Organization Chart

PERSONAL WORKPLACE ACTIVITIES

1. I conducted a thorough literature review on construction delays analysis and delays
mitigation. I consulted relevant journals, conference proceedings, books, reports and
internet to gather information about the delays problem in construction industry. I

8
 explored various fields to get the related information which included decision-making,
artificial intelligence, construction information technology, construction law, construction
planning and scheduling, qualitative and quantitative research methods and construction
productivity.
2. During the literature review, I studied various schedule compression techniques. These
included the implementation of substitute construction method, seeking to change in
specifications, re-ordering the remaining tasks in the project and as a last resort
accelerating the remaining tasks by employing extra resources. I found that the normal
practice of applying time-cost relationships based on the normal estimating techniques was
inappropriate in practical situations of delays mitigation and might not reach at the best
solution. I, therefore, based the methodology on capturing past experiences in delays
mitigation to mitigate the delays in new project.
3. I investigated the existing delays analysis techniques and found that none of the techniques
apportioned the delays to the client and the contractor with reference to the delays
mitigation. I resolved it by performing delays analysis after introducing necessary
modifications in the existing delays analysis techniques. Prioritizing the task of delays
analysis in the development of delay mitigation system was a critical step for the
appropriateness of outcomes of the system. I, therefore, took an initiative to propose that
the delay analysis should be integrated into the delay mitigation system so that it would be
fair for all parties involved in the project. Most of the delay analysis techniques required
schedule updating and I used MS Project for demonstration.
4. I started data collection on delays mitigation in construction projects with exploratory
interviews of project managers from local construction companies with the assistance of a
Research Student (RS). A total of 15 interviews were conducted and I assigned ten of the
interviews to the RS. The procedure included the sending of covering letter to interviewee
to explain the purpose of the study, contacting the invitees on phone for interview
arrangement and taking appointments. Approximately one hour duration was set for each
interview and the interviews were recorded with the permission of interviewee. The
questions about the nature and causes of delays and the ways for mitigation were asked.
The contents of the recordings were analysed and notes were prepared from each
interview’s recording.
5. The data collection was further expanded by preforming a questionnaire survey which was
structured on the basis of causes, effects and mitigation of delays. The causes of delays
were obtained from the literature review and exploratory interviews and were categorized
into eight factors related to project, client, designer, contractor, materials, labour,
plant/equipment and external sources. I extracted five categories of delays mitigation
solutions from the exploratory interviews. For each cause of delay, the delay mitigation
techniques/solutions were provided to the respondent and asked to propose an alternative
solution in case of disagreement with the proposed solutions.
6. I prepared questionnaire in both paper and web forms and offered the respondents to
choose any of the two media according to their convenience. I selected the respondent
companies from Hong Kong Contractors’ Directory which could meet a minimum market
capital requirement of HK$ 4 million for the government projects with the suggestion of
the Principal Investigator (PI). The paper based forms were sent to the companies via mail
with covering letter describing the objectives of research and the respondents were asked
to fill in with their input and send back to us either by mail or fax. In the case of web based
forms, the respondents could send their feedback using internet. A total of 147 sets of

9
 questionnaires were sent. I assigned the RS to follow up the questionnaires with the
respondents.
7. The web based questionnaire was an innovative idea and was prepared for the convenience
of respondents as the internet was commonly used in Hong Kong in many industries. For
this purpose, I undertook self-learning of web development applications like MS
FrontPage and Netscape Composer. I used MS FrontPage to develop online web based
questionnaire as it was more user-friendly. The form was designed to provide the ability to
select most of the options conveniently. Working with the RS, we developed the system to
store input from the respondents in the background as database files using MS Access in
which different fields were predefined. The online form was uploaded to a host remote
computer (Server) which was connected to the internet and that made access to the form
possible to the respondents.
8. I analysed the data obtained from the respondents using worksheets application MS Excel.
The overall response rate was 34% of which about two-third respondents used web based
submission of questionnaires. The average experience of the respondents was 17 years. I
ranked the contractor related and overall delay factors based on the responses. For each
contractor related delay the delay mitigation ways were also ranked. A set of practical
methods to alleviate delays was also obtained for each delay factor.
9. I analysed the results obtained from the data collection techniques and found that it was
not possible from this information to recommend a specific delay mitigation approach for a
new project unless it was organized in a structured manner. For this purpose, I initiated
modelling of delays mitigation problem using Case Based Reasoning (CBR) which had
potential for the solution of unstructured information.
10. I created system architecture of Case Based Reasoning for Delays Mitigation (CBR-DM)
which included the formation of a case base. Each case presented the features of the
project related to the delays problem. I categorized the features as those related to project
identity, problem and solution fields. Problem fields contained the delays in the project and
solution fields contained the delay mitigation ways adopted in the project. A new case
(project) is entered into the system whose project identity and problem fields are known
and solution field is unknown. The user then assigns the similarity weights of project
identity and problem fields between the case base projects and new project based on
his/her experience. The system then retrieves the nearest match for the new project which
has the known solution field. The solution field of the retrieved case can be used for the
new project after adapting to the conditions of new project.
11. I further expanded the system architecture for CBR-DM to develop a framework of delays
mitigation model. This model addressed in more detail the issues related to delay
identification, delay analysis, choosing crashing activity, estimation, re-scheduling, data
input and output. Delay identification focused on the delayed tasks and remaining tasks on
critical path. Delay analysis determined the liability of the contractor for delays. In
practical situations, only a few activities are considered for crashing and the choosing the
right crashing activity is critical for the success of delays mitigation. I found a high
potential in CBR for this task. Data input about the new project is required and the
crashing activity is obtained as output of the system. Once the crashing activity is selected,
it is estimated for additional resources, etc obtained from the retrieved solution and using
estimating techniques. The schedule is then be updated and the delays are recovered.

10
12. I modelled the framework for delays mitigation on commercially available CBR software
REMIND. The software provides the mechanism for specifying the project features,
retrieval, indexing and adaptation strategies. The input variables designed were the site
conditions, constraints, length of delays, causes of delays, remaining tasks at the point of
delay, etc. The input to these variables was used for case searching. As the case base
increased in volume, inductive retrieval was proposed for narrowing down the search
space which was further narrowed down with nearest neighbour retrieval and the crashing
activity was obtained.
13. Based on the research done in this project, I prepared and submitted a report on ‘Case
Based Reasoning Modelling for Construction Delay Mitigation’ to the PI. I published a
paper titled ‘Applying Delay Analysis to Establish the Extent of Delays for Mitigation’ at the CIB
W103 Conference on Construction Conflict: Avoidance and Resolution, Manchester, UK, July 7-
9, 2000. Another paper titled ‘Improving Existing Delay Analysis Techniques for the
Establishment of Delay Liabilities’ has been submitted for publication in the International
Journal of Project Management, UK and is currently under review by the publishers.

SUMMARY
Working on this project, I improved my skills to collect, manage and analyse information
needed for the project. These included the comprehensive literature review, exploratory
interviews and questionnaire survey. I used various computer applications on this project to
implement the tasks of data collection, analysis and modelling that helped me strengthen my
computing skills. The modelling of delays mitigation was first conceptually developed in the
form of system architecture and framework and implemented on CBR software ‘REMIND’.
Publishing papers out of this research helped me to present the research findings to the
professionals in this field and to get acknowledgment and self-confidence.

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 CAREER EPISODE 3

INTRODUCTION
This career episode is about the research work, which I am performing as Postgraduate
Research Fellow at the Department of Building and Construction, City University of Hong
Kong from May 2000 to present. I am working on a research project “Strength, Durability and
Microstructure of Metakaolin and Fly Ash Incorporated HPC Subjected to Elevated
Temperatures”.

BACKGROUND
This project is related to High Performance Concrete (HPC) which is being increasingly used
in Hong Kong for the construction of high rise buildings, large span bridges, subways, tunnels,
etc. HPC has significant improvements over normal strength concrete (NSC) in terms of
economy, architecture and durability. However, it has also been found that HPC is more brittle
than NSC and is thought to have decreased fire resistance. Considering this weakness of HPC,
the research was undertaken to evaluate the performance of HPC subjected to the elevated
temperatures. Metakaolin (MK) and Pulverised Fuel Ash/Fly Ash (PFA) were added to modify
concrete composition to enhance the properties of HPC and possible improvements in fire
resistance. Concrete is a non-flammable material and has fire resistance for normal fire
exposures up to times as given in fire design codes. However, post fire concrete exhibits
deterioration in its mechanical properties both at macro and micro levels. Changes in concrete
at both micro and macro levels are interrelated with each other. So the study was made on
both macro and micro level aspects.
The main objectives of the project are to identify the characteristics of damage to HPC due to
elevated temperatures, to develop mechanism for the damage, to find the ways improve the
elevated temperatures performance of HPC. As a member of the project team, I my duties
were to develop the experimental testing plan in consultation with the Principal Investigator
(PI) to accomplish the research objectives, to guide the laboratory staff and research students
to carry out the testing, to analyse and model the data and to presented the findings in the
form of project report and research papers for related conferences or journals. The
organization chart of the project team is shown in Figure 3 and my position in the team has
been highlighted in Figure 3.

Principal Investigator

Postgraduate Research Fellow

Laboratory Staff Research

(Technician & Students
Workers)

Figure 3: Organization Chart

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PERSONAL WORKPLACE ACTIVITIES
1. I conducted a detailed literature review of the fire performance of both normal strength
and high strength concrete. The sources to locate the information were journals,
conference proceedings, edited books, past dissertations and reports from the agencies
working in the similar fields and the internet. I found that the current state of knowledge in
this area was segregated and various techniques and testing programs to assess the fire
performance of concrete were under implementation all over the world. The reviewed
studies were different from each other in terms of the different variables chosen in the
studies. For better comprehension of the reviewed studies, I took an initiative to classify
the studies based on factors incorporating the characteristics of heating, materials,
specimens and tests. This classification was useful in setting the methodology for the
research project.
2. The mechanical properties of concrete are affected under elevated temperatures. I
acknowledged that mechanical properties alone provide limited explanation of the
behaviour of concrete under elevated temperatures and microstructure properties should
be investigated to support the results from mechanical properties testing. The
microstructure investigations were thus included in the program of the project. I chose
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Image Analysis (IA), Fourier Transform Infrared
Spectroscopy (FTIR) and micro indentation hardness testing (MHT) for this purpose and
learnt to use the apparatus and software for these techniques by going through their
operation manuals and discussing with the equipment operators. These techniques are
originally used in the fields of applied physics and material sciences and I made special
considerations for application of these techniques to suit for the needs in my project.
3. I fixed the various parameters for the project program from the knowledge gained from
literature review and my personal experience. It involved the mix design of various mixes.
One set of mixes varied in terms of varying compressive strengths from 50 to 130 MPa
using Portland cement and 10% silica fume. The other set of mixes was based on the
variations among mixes in terms of proportions of MK and PFA and having a strength
grade of 100 MPa. Other parameters included the curing conditions, curing age, peak
temperature levels, heating rates, peak temperature exposure times and cooling methods.
4. I planned a number of tests to carry out the experimental part of the project which
included compressive strength, direct and indirect tensile strength, flexural strength,
modulus of elasticity and chloride ion permeability. Some infrequently used tests like
stiffness damage tests (SDT), water sorption test (WST) and water permeability test
(WPT) were also included to broaden the stiffness and durability performance parameters.
I adopted special considerations to prepare the specimens for durability and microstructure
testing for obtaining representative samples. These considerations included heating the
specimens very slowly to protect the hydrated state of the specimen, cutting into thin slices
and vacuuming and epoxy impregnation. I discussed the initial plan and major
considerations with the Principal Investigator (PI) to further refine and make some
adjustments.
5. I developed a detailed schedule with a total duration of three years. Major activities were
identified in the initial plan and field level activities were assigned to perform each test.
Field level activities included the estimation of materials, mixing, casting, curing, heating,
testing, data collection, data analysis and report writing. The time duration for each field
level activity was estimated based on the standard time for activity and the experience of
laboratory staff and their interrelationships were established. I input all the information

13
 about field level activities and summary activities of a test into MS Project and created a
detailed schedule.
6. As our department did not have equipment for SEM and MHT, I contacted other
departments and found that the Applied Physics Department had the equipment for these
tests. They applied SEM and MHT tests for metals and ceramics materials. They did not
have experience for concrete. To solve this problem, I talked to the concerned technicians
and made some modifications in the standard methods to suit for the new conditions due
to the use of concrete.
7. The stiffness damage test required special equipments in the form of a data logger, force
and dual function load testing machine and a compressometer fitted with two LVDTs
(Linear Variable Differential Transducers). On advice of the PI, I invited quotations from
different suppliers about the equipment. After analysing their quotations, I selected one
supplier to give me a presentation of the features of their equipment. I discussed our
testing requirements about SDT. I reported to the PI about the suitability of equipment
from the selected supplier and it was decided to buy the equipment keeping in view the
current and future use and versatility of equipment. Eventually, the data logger was
bought from Tokyo Sokki Kenkyujo Co., Ltd. and force control testing Machine from
MTS (MTS system Corporation).
8. The equipment was installed in the laboratory and I invited the supplier’s engineer to give
us demonstrations about the use of equipment for various types of tests including SDT. In
addition, I practised using machine and developed methodology to perform SDT
efficiently. As, the machine was computer controlled and the laboratory staff was not much
familiar with the use of new software to control the loading machine, I helped them to
learn the necessary functions of the software to use with the machine.
9. During heating the specimens, it was required to estimate the time taken by the
temperature at the centre of specimen to increase to the level of surface temperature. This
is the steady state which was aimed to achieve during the heating operation. I employed
my knowledge of engineering mathematics and finite element method to set up differential
equations for heat conduction for the specimens and solved the equations numerically by
finite element method.
10. I allocated different jobs based on the complexity of the task to laboratory staff and
research student. I allocated most of the simple testing to laboratory staff and research
student which included strength testing and durability testing. I decided to perform more
advanced level tests such as SDT, SEM, IA, FTIR and MHT.
11. I prepared the data entry tables for the tests to be performed in the project. These forms
were to be manually filled by the person performing the tests. I started to collect data
about the test results from laboratory staff and the RS. This type of data was about the
strength and durability characteristics of concrete and it was related to the testing
conditions regarding age and type of concrete, curing conditions, peak temperature,
heating rate, cooling methods, etc. A number of relationships emerged which were
regularly updated on weekly basis as the results from the tests became available. The
necessary calculations and plotting of graphs was performed in worksheets using MS
Excel. Prediction equations were also derived for these relationships.
12. I undertook the microstructural studies which revealed the basic units of concrete at micro
level as hydrated cement paste (hcp) and interfacial transition zone (ITZ). HCP is the main
binding medium of concrete consisting of the hydration products of cement and other

14
 binding materials. ITZ is the weak link between aggregate particles and hcp. The
deterioration in the macro properties is thought to be due to the weakening of hcp and/or
ITZ. I explored the deterioration phenomenon using microstructural investigations.
13. I used scanning electron microscopy to get images at the microstructural level of concrete
in the range of 100 μm dimension. The images were carefully selected to represent the
sample. I analysed the images quantitative comparison using Image Pro Plus software
which highlighted and calculated the areas of different features in the image. The identified
features were pores, calcium hydroxide and unhydrated cement particles in both hcp and
ITZ. Comparison of the images of heated and unheated specimens revealed a coarsening of
pores effect in hcp in heated specimens and the effect kept on increasing with the increase
in temperature. Therefore, it provided an argument to explain the loss of strength and
durability in heated concrete.
14. I performed Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which employed infrared light
spectrum through the powdered specimens to help understand the composition of the
phases that exist inside a cement paste after hydration and exposure to elevated
temperatures. The high temperature affected these phases and caused transformation of the
phases. I found that cement phase changed when it was heated to temperature around
550C. C-S-H (calcium silicate hydrate) broke down into different compounds weakening
the overall structure and hence was the cause of considerable drop in strength after
concrete was heated to a temperature of 600C or above.
15. I employed microhardness testing to quantitatively compare in terms of Microhardness
number, the results of different concrete mixes when subjected to different temperature
schemes. Microhardness number is the hardness of specimen’s surface at micro level and it
is the indication of the quality of the specimen. I took special care to prepare the specimen
and produce a well polished and plane specimen for better results. I investigated the
hardness both in cement paste and ITZ. The decrease in microhardness number described
the weakening of the strength of concrete and corresponded to the results from SEM and
image analysis.
16. Up to now, I have obtained a sufficient amount of data from the experimental results of the
project. The analysis of results from this study has helped to produce five papers so far
from this study in different journals and conferences. In June 2001, I presented one of such
research paper titled ‘Effect of elevated temperatures on the flexural and split cylinder
strengths of HSC’ in 3rd International Conference on Concrete under Severe Conditions:
Environment & Loading, Vancouver, Canada and discussed my project with researchers
and professionals from all over the world. A paper on the tensile strength properties of
HPC under elevated temperatures has been accepted for publication in Fire Technology
Journal, USA. Another paper titled ‘Effect of cooling method on residual compressive
strength of high strength concrete cured for 28 days and 180 days and heated to elevated
temperatures’ has been published in the proceedings of the 26th conference on Our World
in Concrete and Structures, 26-28 August 2001, Singapore. Two more papers have been
submitted. 1. ‘Cooling method effect on residual compressive strength of high
performance concrete subjected to elevated temperature’ submitted to Building and
Environment, UK. 2. ‘Strength and Durability Performance of HPC Incorporating
Pozzolans at Elevated Temperatures’ submitted to Structural Survey, UK.
17. I monitored the research progress by preparing monthly progress reports for submission to
the PI. I used MS Project to conveniently update the project tasks. The monthly progress
reports also included the summary of results available at the time of report compilation. I

15
 attended fortnightly meetings with the PI to discuss the updated state of the project,
encountered difficulties, and ways to keep the project on track and being focussed on
objectives.
18. I prepared annual project reports which described the results in detail, research findings
and recommendations to improve the performance of concrete under elevated temperature.
Currently, the research is in progress on the compilation of SDT and microstructure tests
results and will be completed by April 2003.

SUMMARY
The study is potentially helpful for improving existing specifications related to fire resistant
design of pozzolanic concrete incorporating PFA and MK. The major part of the project
involved the application of engineering and technical knowledge. The implementation of
project, however, required the application of management skills. I practiced my technical
knowledge in this project by conducting the literature survey, experimental testing and
analysing the results and my management skills by planning the research program,
communicating with colleagues, assigning duties and making progress reports. Moreover, I
employed my report writing skills and technical knowledge to write research papers for
refereed journals and conferences.

16
 ANALYSIS OF CAREER EPISODES

By the workplace activities given in Career Episode 1, I used my knowledge of engineering and
management in design, planning, and execution tasks of the project. The project execution encountered
various problems, which were dealt with proper application of remedial actions and better control of
operations. I worked with engineering professionals from my company, the contractor and the client for
various project tasks. It gave me a good teamwork experience. I directed my subordinates on various
tasks to make them more productive in their duties. I endeavoured to supervise the works in efficient
manner to minimize the likelihood of delays in the operations. I exercised my communication skills in
correspondences, meetings and workplace discussions with the project participants. I effectively
employed the scheduling software MS Project for sequencing the operations in this project and progress
monitoring and used worksheet application MS Excel for design calculations for pile depth and
retaining walls. I practiced and supervised the drafting works on AutoCAD for subsurface investigation
and design related tasks. I developed the computer assisted document management system at project site
office using MS Access for convenient indexing and quick retrieval of project documents. The effective
document handling helped to better assess the validity of claims from the contractor. Overall, I got a
valuable practical experience for my professional development while working on this project.
By the activities given in Career Episode 2, I got an insight into the delays problem and its
remedial measures. While working on this project, I met with various issues to develop research
methodology, data collection, analysis and modelling. The issue were solved gradually starting from the
literature survey and basing the next major task on the feedback from the previous task. The delays in
construction projects are based on the inherent uncertainties and risks of construction and thus are
difficult to control. This research focussed on delays mitigation and the practical knowledge of project
managers to eliminate delays from the project. I developed my skills on conducting research on an
unstructured problem in construction I sharpened my communication skills by conducting exploratory
interviews of the construction professionals from Hong Kong. I exercised my computer skills by
preparing web based forms using MS FrontPage and managing the data using MS Access and MS
Excel. I practiced my analytical and problem solving skills by implementing case based reasoning
framework on computer using REMIND™. I prepared a report and papers for conferences and journals
from this research which emphasised the proper understanding of delay problem in construction and
provided an approach to mitigate construction project delays. The experience gained from this project
helped me to effectively carry out the similar jobs in the future.
The job activities depicted in Career Episode 3 present a research project of predominantly
technical character. I improved my understanding of high performance concrete (HPC) under elevated
temperature/fire exposure while working on this project. This is one of the most important issues
regarding the use of HPC in modern construction owing to the vulnerability of HPC to this severe
condition. This was related to the denser structure of HPC than normal strength concrete. The addition
of pozzolanic materials to HPC was tested as a solution to this problem to alter the composition and
improve microstructure of HPC. The research theme and objectives were purely technical. However, its
execution required me to exercise my management skills as well in the shape of assigning duties to the
laboratory staff, research students, communicating with the Principal Investigator, equipment supplier,
etc. I practiced my analytical skills to process the data collected from the experiments and made
comparisons between the research parameters. I applied my academic writing skills to write and publish
research papers in conferences and journals based on the results of the project tasks.
“By activities performed on my jobs as presented in career episodes, I strongly believe that I
hold the core competencies of a Professional Engineer and would continue to learn and exercise new
skills and technology”.

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 Summary Statement of Competencies Element Claimed

Competency How and Where Demonstrated Paragraph References

Element in Career Episodes
UNIT PC1: ENGINEERING PRACTICE
C 1.1 By exercising engineering and management skills while Career episode 1
Presents and working on a pile foundation construction project
develops By employing various engineering techniques and CE1.1, CE1.12, CE1.13,
professional methods to accomplish project tasks CE2.4, CE2.6
Image
By performing tasks that require innovative and rational CE1.8, CE3.12, CE3.13,
approach CE3.14, CE3.15
By publishing the research findings as reports, journals CE2.13, CE3.16, CE3.18
papers and conference presentations
By applying engineering knowledge to implement and CE1.14, CE1.15, CE1.16
ensure proper engineering practice and quality of
construction on project
By resolving the environmental, social and safety issues CE1.9, CE1.10, CE1.11
arising out of the construction
C 1.2 By learning Web Development Applications to apply for CE2.7
Pursues the accomplishment of project tasks e.g. MS FrontPage
continuing and Netscape Composer
professional By studying/learning about information technology, CE2.1, CE2.2
development artificial intelligence, decision making, construction law,
planning, scheduling, and research methods to refresh
my knowledge and support the execution of my project
tasks
By adapting techniques from other fields like scanning CE3.2, CE3.13, CE3.14,
electron microscopy, image analysis, Fourier Transform CE3.15
Infrared Spectroscopy and microhardness testing to use
in concrete
By attending a conference to present paper and CE3.16
discussing my project with the researchers and
professionals from all over the world
C 1.3 By collaborating with the site engineer of the contractor CE 1.2, CE 1.13
Integrates to revise the schedule for foundation works and with the
engineering client officials to settle on the design of retaining walls
with other By seeking a range of information from various fields CE 2.1, CE 3.2
professional like information technology, artificial intelligence,
input construction law, research methods etc and
microstructure analysis techniques
By challenging the appropriateness of normal time-cost CE 2.2
relationships for schedule recovery and proposing the
capture of experiential knowledge for delays mitigation
By emphasizing the integration of delays analysis with CE2.3
delays mitigation process

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C 1.4 By taking special considerations for conducting CE3.2, CE3.4, CE 3.13,
Develops microstructure studies for better representation of CE3.15
innovative results as the techniques were not originally developed
engineering for concrete
solutions By making special arrangements regarding equipment CE3.7
for conducting stiffness damage test
By preparing improved subsurface elevations to locate CE1.8
potential locations for hard strata by utilizing the data
from bored piles
By devising the regular road settlement procedure to CE1.11
monitor the quality of new construction
By developing web based forms for online submission by CE 2.7
the respondents of survey
C 1.5 By anticipating the disturbances to public associated CE1.9
Identifies with construction operations and coordinating with the
constraints on city administration for minimizing the disturbances
potential By identifying the consequences of disrupting CE1.10
engineering underground utilities with pile construction and
solutions. coordinating remedial measures
By identifying the potential settlements at existing road CE1.11
surface with sheet pile operations and executing
settlement monitoring exercise
By identifying the limitation of mechanical testing CE3.2
methods for getting an insight onto concrete behaviour.
The microstructure testing was included in the testing
program to supplement mechanical testing

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UNIT PC2: ENGINEERING PLANNING AND DESIGN
C 2.1 By instructing the contractor to increase the excavation CE1.6
Interprets and capacity on site to attain the productivity according to
scopes design the design specifications
requirement By bringing into the client’s attention the disruptions to CE1.10
public utilities due to the project
By complying with client’s requirements in revising the CE1.12
design of retaining walls
By interpreting the pile load test results to satisfy design CE1.15
requirements
C 2.2 By applying innovative approaches to improve CE1.5, CE1.8, CE1.11,
Prepares productivity and handle problems CE2.7
concept
By conceptualizing case based reasoning system CE2.10, CE2.11, CE2.12
proposal and
architecture and framework of delays mitigation and
seeks advice
implementation using REMIND software
on latest
technology By seeking advice to use scanning electron microscopy CE3.6
and microhardness testing techniques for concrete
specimens
By seeking advice on the duration of activities and on CE3.5, CE3.8
the use of newly installed load testing machine for
stiffness damage test
C 2.3 By providing input into the design processes/parameters CE1.1, CE1.8, CE1.12,
Implements to meet the project requirements CE 3.3
planning and By preparing/updating the project plans to monitor CE1.2, CE1.6, CE3.4,
design process project progress CE3.5, CE3.17
By checking the capacity of cranes and concrete mixers CE1.14
to meet the specifications
By establishing documentation management processes CE1.5, CE1.7, CE1.13,
CE1.17, CE2.7, CE3.11
C 2.4 By reviewing the design of retaining walls to meet the CE1.13,
Reviews the client’s requirements
design to
achieve By reviewing the pile load test results for verification and CE1.15
acceptance validation

C 2.5 By ensuring that subsurface cross sections along the CE1.8

Prepares and alignment of piles indicate hard strata with more
maintains probability.
documentation By setting up a monitoring procedure for drawing CE1.13
during the revisions during the retaining walls design
design process
C 2.6 By supervising full-scale pile load test CE1.15
Reviews
Design
By developing periodic checking practice of materials, CE1.16
outcomes in
pile quality, etc
operation

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UNIT PC3: SELF MANAGEMENT IN ENGINEERING WORKPLACE
C 3.1 By coping with the unexpected conditions and changes CE1.7, CE1.8, CE1.12
Manages Self from the client
By exercising initiative in the workplaces CE1.8, CE1.14, CE2.3,
CE3.1, CE3.6, CE3.8
By completing tasks in a competent and timely manner CE1.6, CE1.10

C 3.2 By cooperating and communicating effectively with the CE1.2, CE1.5, CE1.10,
Works colleagues from my company and other project CE1.13, CE1.15,
effectively participants CE1.17, CE2.4, CE2.6,
with the team CE3.4, CE3.6, CE3.7,
CE3.8, CE3.11, CE3.17
By mentoring subordinates to carry out their job CE1.3, CE1.5, CE3.8
effectively
C 3.3 By locating and reviewing relevant information. CE2.1, CE2.4, CE2.6,
Manages CE3.1, CE3.11
Information
By analysing data/information to get results and explain CE2.5, CE2.8, CE2.9,
the related phenomena CE3.11, CE3.13, CE3.17
By managing information relating to contractual CE1.7, CE1.18
liabilities and obligations
By applying relevant standards while performing project CE1.12, CE1.15
tasks
C 3.4 By prioritizing processes to achieve the project goals CE2.3, CE3.10
Manages
Work By preparing, monitoring and reviewing the project work CE3.5, CE3.17, CE1.4,
priorities and plan and progress CE1.17,
resources By assigning duties to use the available human resources CE1.3, CE1.4, CE1.15,
efficiently CE1.16, CE2.4, CE2.6,
CE3.10
C 3.5 By working with colleagues to introduce new ideas in CE2.7
Facilitates and the project
capitalises on
By developing creative and flexible approaches CE1.7, CE1.8, CE3.2
change and
innovation By initiating the case based reasoning approach for CE2.9
delays mitigation solution
C 3.6 By identifying the client’s needs to economize the design CE1.12, CE1.8
Establishes and improve construction productivity
and maintains By working in collaborative relationships with CE1.2, CE1.10, CE1.13,
business client/contractor/supplier in planning and implementation CE3.8
relationships of the project
with clients etc By providing regular and complete progress reports CE1.17, CE3.17

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GENERAL ATTRIBUTES
1. Ability to apply knowledge of
science and engineering
fundamentals.
2. Ability to communicate
effectively not only with
members of engineering team
but also with clients, customers
and community at large.
3. Ability to undertake problem
identification, formulation and
solution through the
development of new and
innovative engineering practices.
4. Ability to utilize a whole
system approach to design and
operational performance.
5. Ability to function effectively Achieved and demonstrated by
as an individual and in
multidisciplinary and
multicultural teams with the
capacity to be team leader or
manager as well as effective
team member
6. Understanding and application Achieved and demonstrated by
of social, cultural, global,
environmental and business
responsibilities and the need to
employ principle of sustainable
development.
Achieved and exercised by applying it Career episodes 1 to 3
practically in the execution of project
tasks ensuring to meet the required
standards
Achieved and demonstrated at various CE1.2, CE1.4, CE1.5,
occasions. For example, by CE1.10, CE1.13, CE1.15,
communicating with the contractor’s CE1.17, CE2.4, CE2.6,
site engineer for project schedule, with CE3.4, CE3.6, CE3.7,
the client’s engineer for drawing CE3.8, CE3.11, CE3.17
revisions in career episode 1, with the
interviewees for delay mitigation
techniques career episode 2, with the
loading machine supplier’s engineer
for machine operation in career
episode 3
Achieved and executed a number of CE2.2, CE2.3, CE2.6,
times to identify, formulate and seek CE2.7, CE2.12, CE1.5,
the innovative solution to the problem CE1.7, CE1.8, CE1.9,
CE1.10, CE1.11, CE3.2,
CE3.12, CE3.13, CE
3.14, CE3.15
Achieved and applied by CE1.1, CE1.8, CE 1.12,
designing/construction of the piles and CE2.3, CE2.10, CE2.11,
retaining walls with a view to the CE2.12
operational performance set for the
constructed facility in career episode 1
and by developing delay mitigation
system in career episode 2
Career episodes 1 to 3
supervising and carrying out projects
managing the works individually and
also with colleagues from my own
organization and with other affiliates
to the projects. Got the multicultural
experience while working abroad in
Hong Kong on two projects
Career episodes 1 and 3
working on the construction of an
underpass project having benefits to
the community and environment and
working on the elevated temperature
performance project of concrete using
environment friendly materials fly ash
and metakaolin, which have
implications for sustainable
development.
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7. Understanding of commitment Achieved and demonstrated by Career episodes 1 to 3
to professional ethical working on the projects in episode 1
responsibilities. to 3 to exhibit commitment to my
professional duties.
8. A capacity to undertake life Achieved and demonstrated by always CE2.7, CE2.1, CE2.2,
long learning trying to develop my skills on job and CE3.2, CE3.12, CE3.13,
practically exercising them and CE3.14, CE3.15, CE3.16
participating in workshops, trainings, and CPD activities
seminars, conferences, by getting described separately.
membership of the professional
organizations and planning to get my
skills recognized with other
professional bodies.

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