Educational site visit at Sunway

The group gathered at SMC3 construction site

Forty-eight UTAR students from the Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology’s (FEGT) Department of Construction Management had an educational experience during their site visit to the Sunway Medical Centre 3 (SMC3) and Commercial Precinct 4 (CP4) projects of Sunway Construction Sdn Bhd on 2 April 2016.

Initiated by Prof Dr Naoto Mine, the site visit aimed to educate students in the Building Technology III course. From the visit, students were exposed to information regarding the building and construction technologies of high-rise buildings. Citing his motto “Seeing is believing”, Prof Mine organised the visit so that students have the opportunity to gain on-site experiences that could not be learnt in the classroom. “The best way to learn building technology is to explore the construction site,” said Prof Mine, who believes that site visits are the best textbook for students.

He understood very well that construction projects are the frontline of a company, and with that, Prof Mine intended for his students to learn the technical issues and the detailed planning that goes on in a construction site. Careful planning is essential for safe and efficient construction to be carried out. More so, students were able to listen to personal experiences at briefings by the management personnel. The learning scope included piling, earthworks, architecture, external works, landscaping, and many more.

There was also new knowledge to be learnt, which was not available in the classroom, such as the assemblage of scaffolding and the types of drawings used at the site. On a wider scope, the students were taught about the piling works, formworks, reinforcement works, structural works, machinery and electricity, and finishing works involved in the construction of a high-rise building.

Year One Construction Management student Yong Jia Jun expressed his joy in being able to learn from the site visit and stated that, “I appreciate the chance given which has allowed me to improve my experience and to gain more knowledge.” He said that the site visit has taught him team management, upon watching how the experienced supervisor managed the team. At the site, Yong and his classmates were exposed to the actual working environment that proved to be helpful for their studies and also to prepare them for the future. The site visit also provided a networking platform for students to contact the organisation, which may help in their internship or work.

Agreeing with Prof Mine’s statement, Year One Construction Management student Ch’ng Hong Hoe mentioned that the site visit was an eye-opener for him because it provided a better understanding on the construction of building structures. “I was able to learn the diversity of architectural and structural aspects,” stated Ch’ng. He continued by stating that the site visit gave him experience in the practical skills involved in construction. Feeling grateful for the trip organised, he also thanked UTAR and his lecturer Prof Mine for the site visit as it was certainly a golden opportunity for Ch’ng to have learnt so much that day.

Separated into two sessions, the trip first brought the group to visit SMC3, where they were led and briefed by SMC3 Deputy Project Director Balamurugan. SMC3 is the extension project of Sunway Medical Centre located at Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya. In hopes of educating the students, Prof Mine wanted them to understand that the construction of a hospital involves the assembly of various function rooms, such as the operating theatre and X-Ray room. All these rooms require careful attention during the building process. With that understanding, the site visit to SMC3 taught the students on matters relating to earthworks, piling work, and the hospital’s finishing works which Prof Mine had taught in his previous lectures.

SMC3 project briefing by Balamurugan

SMC3 site walk

The second session continued with the visit to CP4. CP4 is one of the Sunway South Quay Development projects and is also located at Subang Jaya, Selangor. The completed commercial building will consist of a shopping mall, offices, and car parks.

CP4 Deputy Project Director Lee Meng Hua led the visit and also gave a briefing on the project. For some of the students, the visit to CP4 was their second experience as they had previously visited the site in July 2015. This group of students had the advantage of witnessing the progress of the construction after eight months. “By visiting the site twice at different periods, I was able to observe the construction processes that have taken place and the differences from before. It showed that the project had progressed quickly just as it was planned,” said Year Two Construction Management student Lim Min. From the progress, it gave these students insight into the duration needed for certain construction to be completed.

As for the first-timers at CP4, they were able to learn about the construction management system, which included time and manpower scheduling, safety management, quality management, and waste management.

The visit ended with a souvenir presentation to Balamurugan and Lee.

The students at CP4 construction site

Student Loo Xiao Ying (right) presenting a certificate of appreciation to Balamurugan

Student Sim Chuen Yee (left) presenting a certificate of appreciation to Lee