Three days workshop on concrete mix design using IS 10262-2019 (Theory and Practice) organized by Department of Civil Engineering in association with ICI-Mangalore chapter, ACCE-Bangalore and Mangalore Center, ISTE-Student Chapter, Nirman-Student Association and Research facility group SJEC inaugurated with great enthusiasm at St Joseph Engineering college Mangalore. The event was sponsored by Infra Market and co sponsored by Dr Fixit and Sri Durga Electricals. The inaugural ceremony commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamp, followed by a series of esteemed introductions and addresses.
The chief guest of the event, Er. Concroc Nagesh Puttaswamy, a seasoned professional with over three decades of experience in the field. Dr. Yajneshwaran B, Head of the Department (HOD) welcomed all the dignitaries and participants to the program . The inaugural function was graced by the presence of Rev. Fr. Wilfred Prakash D'souza, Director of SJEC, Dr Rio D'souza,the Principal of SJEC and guest of honors, Er. Ujwal D'souza , Dr. K E Prakash.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Rio D'Souza highlighted the significance of such workshops in the current construction industry scenario, emphasizing the fusion of civil engineering with technology to stay aligned with contemporary trends.
Mr. Bhojaraj M, Co-Convener of the workshop, introduced the chief guest, Er. Nagesh Puttaswamy, In his address, Er. Puttaswamy traced the remarkable evolution of concrete technology since 1947, underlining its exponential growth. He highlighted India's ability to recycle concrete ingredients, exemplifying the industry's progress. He also called for a closer collaboration between academia and industry through expert sessions.
Er. Ujwal D'souza, guest of honor, chairman of ACCE Mangalore expressed optimism about the workshop's potential to enhance understanding of industrial concepts and emphasized the historical evolution of concrete mix design. Dr. K E Prakash another guest of honour and chairman of ICI commended SJEC's commitment to education and research, underlining the innovative aspects of concrete and the workshop's objective to explore its applications beyond sheer strength.
Rev. Fr. Wilfred Prakash D'souza, Director of SJEC, in his presidential address emphasized sustainable and eco-friendly construction practices, a vital aspect of mode civil engineering.
Ms. Pranamya, the convener of the workshop, concluded the ceremony with a vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all contributors and attendees.
The post inaugural session continued with Brand and Product presentation by our Diamond sponsors Infra Market (Building Revolution).
The first technical session of Er Nagesh Puttaswamy emphasized on historical evolution of construction from Egyptian Pyramid to the birth of Portland cement. Sir also explained the evolution of concrete as a friendly material for the construction industry. Session also put a light on art of making a concrete by understanding concrete composition ie., Binder and filler materials.
Sir also described the desirable properties of concrete such as
Sir gave a quick recap to the manufacturing of cement and different types of cement available in the market.
Session also highlighted the rate of hydration, mechanism of water reducing admixtures and its effect on rate of hydration.
Session moved from binder material to desirable properties of filler material to achieve high strength concrete such as moisture condition of the aggregate and importance of shape of coarse aggregate.
Session also covered the evolution of fine aggregate and its adoption in IS 383-2016.Sir also highlighted the 3 important phases of concrete and explained in detail the variation in the chemical composition in different phases of concrete.
Post lunch session concentrated more into achieving economical concrete right mix proportion of compositions to achieve good workability with a required time window, with desired strength, toughness and durability.
Sir discussed in detail the different desirable properties of concrete such as compressive and flexural strength, green properties of concrete such as slump, slump retention and flow, durability of concrete against chemical attack, rain and sun, freeze and thaw.
Participants also understood the logical explanation of achieving economical concrete by understanding cost of materials, machinery, manpower, transport, and logistics with cost of compaction and finishing without compromising any codal requirements.
In the session sir also described different parameters influencing cement mix proportions, maintaining minimum and maximum cement content without compromising on strength requirements.
During Session 4 of the Concrete Mix Design Workshop on Day 2 , Er. Nagesh Puttaswamy began with an insightful introduction, sharing his extensive experience with the attendees. He then delved into concrete specifications, discussing the roles of specific consultants and site teams. Notably, Er. Nagesh emphasized the crucial role of target strength in the concrete mix design process, underlining its significance for achieving desired outcomes. Participants gained valuable insights into both practical experiences and technical aspects of concrete mix design.
Session 5 of the workshop involved a dynamic hands-on activity, where participants were organized into teams of 10 members each. Each team was assigned with unique real time challenges that required them to design appropriate concrete grades and determine exposure conditions. The participants exhibited great enthusiasm as they tackled these challenges head- on, working collaboratively to find solutions. This interactive session provided valuable practical experience and encouraged active problem-solving among the participants. In the session sir explained concrete mix design with aid of test data.
In the afteoon session we had effective hands on session in concrete lab of SJEC with the help of student volunteers. We had very informative and interactive session, all the participants benefited from this session, where session was conducted in hybrid mode with the help of zoom platform, and hence many of the interested people from various parts got benefited from this.
On third day of the workshop, i.e 13th of August participants has visited RMC plant of Infra Market in BC road. This industrial visit is planned to provide practical insight to the participants about the mechanism of concrete preparation and transportation in a RMC plant in day to day construction activities.
The workshop ended with a valedictory function presided by Dr Ramananda H S, Registrar of SJEC. Dr. Yajneshwaran B, Head of the Department (HOD) welcomed all the dignitaries and participants to the valedictory function. Chief guest of the function Er Nagesh Puttaswamy shared his experience as resource for the workshop and thanked SJEC for providing the opportunity to be part of the successful workshop. Dr Ramananda H S in his presidential address congratulated the department and participants for successful completion of the workshop. Chief guest Er Nagesh Puttswamy was felicitated by Dr Ramananda HS. Ms Pranamya K, convener of the workshop read a brief report of the workshop for the gathering. Mr Bhojaraj M co-convener of the workshop, concluded the ceremony with a vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all contributors and attendees.
In conclusion, the three days workshop conducted by Er. Nagesh Puttaswamy proved to be an enriching experience, offering participants a comprehensive insight into the subject matter and leaving them equipped with valuable knowledge to apply in the Civil Engineering field.