Industrial Visit of UAP Civil Engineering Students to IDB Bhaban-2 Construction Site

On May 3, 2025, a total of 107 students from Semester 4.1 of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Asia Pacific (UAP), accompanied by faculty members and staff, undertook a significant industrial visit to the IDB Bhaban-2 construction site, located in the Agargaon Administrative Area, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. This educational tour was an essential part of their academic curriculum, aimed at bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world construction practices.

The visit provided students with firsthand exposure to ongoing large-scale construction activities, enhancing their understanding of modern building techniques and safety protocols. IDB Bhaban-2, a major commercial infrastructure project that began in October 2022 and is expected to be completed by December 2025, served as an ideal site for experiential learning.

During the visit, students observed the use of fair-faced concrete, a technique that eliminates the need for surface finishing due to precise cement and material ratios. Other notable features included flat slab construction, aesthetic hollow columns, shear walls with varying thicknesses (200 mm, 300 mm, and 330 mm), and floor slab casting using a 2.5-inch pipe vibrator to prevent concrete segregation.

The construction site demonstrated strict adherence to safety standards, including the use of scaffolding with safety nets, hard barricades, and extended canopies on upper floors to prevent falls. Students were introduced to personal protective equipment (PPE) and learned about fall prevention systems, such as safety trays and temporary barriers installed after the removal of scaffolding.

• Additional technical highlights included: • Column dimensions: 600 × 600 mm • Floor-to-floor height: 4.5 m; ground floor and auditorium height: 6 m • Use of 31 MPa concrete with a slump of 140 ± 25 mm • Application of admixtures and surface finishing stickers • Basement supported by shore piles (4.8 m in height), allowing parking for 329 cars per level • Two access ramps at a 45° angle with a slope of 1:6 • Brick masonry with 1:4 and 1:6 mortar ratios and ½" joint thickness • Fair-faced walls with a 60/40 white cement mix and a verticality tolerance of 3 millimeters • Estimated structural cost: BDT 266 crore

The visit to IDB Bhaban-2 significantly enhanced the students’ technical knowledge by providing insights into complex structural components such as shear walls, mat casting, and hollow columns, all contributing to integrated design functionality. Faculty members emphasized that such experiences are crucial in preparing students for the professional challenges they will face in the field of civil engineering. As the IDB Bhaban-2 project progresses toward completion, visits like this underscore the importance of academic-industry collaboration in nurturing the next generation of engineers.