MIRI: Students from Curtin University Malaysia’s Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, accompanied by their lecturers, recently visited the site of the new Miri City Council building at Marina ParkCity here.
The purpose was to allow the first-year Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) in Construction Management students to learn about construction technology and methods. Construction Management is a relatively new undergraduate course at Curtin Malaysia.
It is a management-oriented course that prepares students for professional roles in the building and infrastructure construction industries.
Its scope includes quantity surveying, project planning, construction technologies and other aspects of construction management, which offers graduates wide-ranging career options, from construction managers, contract administrators and project managers to quantity surveyors, building contractors and property developers.
On arrival at the site, the students were given a safety briefing by the site safety officer, followed by a briefing on the ongoing construction by engineers of the building contractors, Riaplus Sdn Bhd.
They then visited the construction site where the engineers explained the design of the building’s foundations and the piling being done for it. They also viewed the reinforcement bars, pile casings and tremie pipes and learned about the use of the different plant and equipment at the site.
In addition, the students had the opportunity to engage in extensive discussions with the engineers to learn how construction of the building will progress in the coming months. They also had the opportunity to view the building’s architectural and technical drawings for a better understanding.
Department of Civil and Construction Engineering head Assoc Prof Muhammad Ekhlasur Rahman said the site visit was of great benefit to the students as an extension of their classroom learning where they could connect engineering concepts and theories learned to real-life applications.
He added that such site visits were embedded in the Curtin engineering course curricula and his department organised regular visits for students at locations within and outside Miri to help them broaden their outlook and give them the necessary exposure and practical knowledge to graduate job-ready.
The nine-storey Miri City Hall, which will house the city council’s operational sections and a number of function venues, is located on a 1.3 hectare site within Miri’s iconic 550-acre Marina ParkCity.
It will be a significant landmark for Miri with a unique oil barrel-shaped architecture and design reflecting Miri’s modern outlook and reputation as the birthplace of Malaysia’s petroleum industry.
Commenced in June this year, the project is expected to take 18 months and is scheduled for completion by December next year.
Once completed, it will interconnect with the surrounding commercial properties, parkland and beach frontage with commanding views of the South China Sea.
