Xavier University Civil Engineering Cebu Plant Tour 2014: Makati Development Corporation Cebu City Visit - Journal

Makati Development Corporation

Brief Overview of the Company

                In over 38 years, Makati Development Corporation MDC has built a solid reputation for market excellence. It is a premiere Filipino EPC/CM Company that transformed Makati into a world class financial and commercial District and changed the Philippine Landscape at par with the world’s best.

                As Ayala Land’s construction arm. MDC plays a vital role in serving 100% of Ayala land projects.

      

The Project

                MDC is not a new company to me even before the construction of Ayala Centrio Mall in Cagayan De Oro City so as soon as I was informed that MDC will be the first company that we will be visiting in Cebu City I was already expecting a blast experience out there based upon on the reputation of the company. I couldn’t even think of a good civil engineer who doesn’t know or even heard of this company.

                As expected, I was extremely amazed, challenged and inspired after our visit in the site where they were currently constructing a high rise condominium that rises above Ayala Center Cebu. The building is called the Park Point Residences wherein it is programmed to merge the twin destination of Cebu City, the Cebu Business Park and the Cebu IT Park.

The Structural, Architectural and the Actual Operation

                According to the engineer who toured us in the site, the construction of the building is in a 24/7 operation. They started board piling which consists of more than 15m since there is basement. They used pre cast exterior walls from Manduae City. The Slabs were pre-fabricated. In 14 days curing time it is already okay and of course the installment is at the site.

                For their connections, they used pre fixed and post fixed with the help of tower cranes. The columns curing days is 7 while the beam and girders is 14 and if the walls and columns need admixtures, they added it but then again the curing days that will reach its maximum strength is 28 days. Normally, according to the engineer, it has about 7, 000 psi.

                On the other hand, the interior walls they used will mainly depend on the strength and specification. One more thing I was able to confirm by asking the engineer is that the first thing in a project will always be based on the Structural Plan and not on the Architectural plan. However, architectural work needs more time and it is more delicate than the structural works.

The Floor Plans

                The condominium includes a 1 bedroom to 3 bedroom residences with limited edition residences such as the Mountain Scape, City Scape, Sky Scape Residences A to C and lastly an aqua scape residences with 3 bedroom B1 Level Penthouse unit with pool. The building also features a park point deck where the swimming pool, kiddie pool and Gazebo are located, park point podium and more…

                    

                                       Here is the Photo of the Architectural Plan and Safety Precaution of the Project

Personal Experiences, Insights and Thoughts

                Here I was able to learn so many things that I couldn’t even easily learn by just reading my textbooks. Also, I was able to take a closer look of my “future” field. I didn’t even hesitate to ask questions because I want to grab the opportunity to learn and I am really so blessed that they answered me in the simplest manner in order for me to understand it even if I still don’t have real experiences in the actual construction project.

                As I have observed in the site, they are actually considering four major dimensions in the development of the project. These include, Safety, quality, time and sustainable construction.

a.        Safety

One thing that caught my attention before going up to the building is the way they observed the safety of every worker and visitors just like us. They have this safety notice board which shows their project monthly statistics and I seriously praise those construction firms like MDC who are really concern not only to the development of the project but as well as the good of all workers. As their safety slogan says, “It is better to be careful a thousand times than killed once”.

b.       Time

Aside from the safety, MDC also provide a timely statistics of the development of the project. I think it is very essential to meet every deadline as according to the plan and with these records they will be able to trace their tracks and be aware of the time they have lost. This statistics updated every month, in the aspect of the total man hours worked, total number of manpower, total number of non-cost time accident and more…

c.        Quality

“Quality natin Pangako Natin!”

Yes, every construction firm always claim that the quality of service they are providing is at maximum, that they did their best to produce the best quality of the project but MDC is purely different from others, they distinctly have standards for every little details they are constructing. This is the most probably reason why MDC is the construction arm of all Ayala Projects.

d.       Sustainable Construction

I have also observed that based on the quality of projects produced by MDC, they were able to create a sustainable construction. Sustainable in a way that there construction involves methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources and their projects were able to last or continue for a longer time.

                To sum up, visiting MDC is one of the best construction site I have visited so far. It was all worth it experienced that I will always treasure in my whole life.

This visit is part of our Plant Tour 2014. Xavier University Civil Engineering students taking up CE43: Construction Materials and Testing. Cebu City Plant Tour Journal
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Xavier University Civil Engineering Cebu Plant Tour 2014: DPWH Regional Office VII Cebu City Visit - Journal

Department of Public Works and Highways

Regional Office VII Cebu City

Brief Overview of the Company

As we all know, the Philippine’s Department of Public Works and Highways abbreviated as DPWH is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for all safety of projects in the field of public works. It is also responsible for the maintenance of the Philippine road network and irrigation system.

                It is formed last January 30, 1897 with 206. 6 Billion pesos annual budget of this year 2014.

A Group Photo at the Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Office No. VII

What happened in DPWH Office?

                Right after our visit in Makati Development Corporation or MDC we directly went to our second destination, the Department of Public Works and Highways Regional Office VII. It was about 30 minutes ride away from MDC and situated in the South Properties of Cebu.

                Our visit in DPWH was divided into two parts, the first part is showing on how to test a construction material that will be used in designated DPWH Projects and as well as they are finding ways to improve those said construction materials. The first test is the compression test for a concrete hollow blocks using their compression machine. Second was testing a solid concrete cylinder and lastly testing a 25mm steel bars in a very huge tension compression machine. There testing laboratory is just like a bigger laboratory with higher and improved apparatuses than we used to have in school. The type of test of simple and interpreting the data is much easier than we used to in our laboratory experiment, it is because the result of the rest can be directly achieved as soon as the machine will release the result.

This is some apparatus and machine used in their laboratory. The top right photo shows the parts of a reinforcing steel parts and what should be measured before testing into a tension machine shown in the bottom part of the photo.

                The second part is touring the current project of DPWH in Cebu City. This is the widening road project fronting gate 3 and gate 4 of Cebu City Port. According to a DPWH officer, the thickness of the road that they are currently constructing is much thicker than the usual thickness of the road. This is because, the usage of the said road is much higher than the usual road in a sense that it is fronting two gates of Cebu port where huge tracks passes in and out of Cebu City.

The photo above shows the two DPWH Officers who helped us touring their current road widening project fronting gate 3 and four of Cebu City Port. The photo also shows how thick the road they are constructing. Lastly, the woman in the photo is one of those DPWH officer whom I interviewed regarding the thickness of the road, how they are going to repair it and of course regarding those uncut trees in the middle of the widened road.

                When I asked the officer regarding the life span of that thicker road, she just told me that when the time that they can observed that the concrete surface of the road started to wear out they will just put asphalt to it and eventually when the asphalt will be the one to wear out, it will be replaced again by another asphalt and the concrete beneath it will not be damaged and does not need to be replaced for a longer time.

                Lastly, one thing that caught my attention during the site visit was those trees right in the middle of newly paved road. It is not actually an island or what, not even decorations you know, so I asked the officer why it was so… and the officer told me that because of those trees the project was delayed and served as a hindrance to the development of the road project. She told me that the environmentalist with the helped of the church and the Cardinal of Cebu protested the widening of the said road because of those trees that will surely be destroyed once they are cleaning the area. The next question I raised to her was, what if they will just transfer those trees so it will not be damaged and will just be transported to another place just like what SM Baguio did with those old fine trees. Well, the officer simply answered me that it wasn’t as easy as that especially those protesters are not just small time people and if it was possible they already did that. So until now the remaining trees are still there in the middle of the widened road and I wanted to ask more and dig deeper but it wasn’t my business anyway and beside the confidentiality is too high.

                After visiting that place we went to directly Mandaue City to visit KIMWA Construction Corporation but nevertheless the experienced and what happened in DPWH Regional office was still a worth it experienced and again Horizontal Construction will never be easy as some civil engineers think of! Problems are inevitable just like those trees but as a civil engineer we can always find ways, in fact all civil engineers are GOOD DESTROYERS as emphasized by Sir Camillo Haos! J

Personal Experiences, Insights and Thoughts

                Actually when I was informed that our next destination is the DPWH Regional Office VII I have never felt any excitement at all. I was thinking like, why should we go there when we already have a DPWH Regional office in Cagayan De Oro City in the first place. I felt like it was really the most uninteresting place to visit but when we were there and they showed us on how to test construction materials which then helped me realized that I was wrong after all. It was a very informative experienced visiting the place which I can also divide my learnings into two parts, the first part is the part where I was able to watch an actual test for a construction material and the second part is where I was able to visit a road construction with a problem regarding some environmental issues.

                As I have mentioned, in the DPWH office, the officers shown as an actual test experiment for example on using the veneer caliper, the tension and compression test for concrete cylinder and hollow blocks and of course that tension test for a steel bars using their very huge testing machine. What good thing about those officers is that they patiently and explain thoroughly the process or the step by step procedure of testing and even though our time was limited they were able to maximize it. When it comes to orderliness of their laboratory I can say that it wasn’t so good, apparatuses are not placed properly that it looks incongruous. Lastly, I am hopeful that next time I will be there, just if there will be a chance, I can performed an actual test for those materials by my own so I can learn it thoroughly not just by showing it to us.

                On the other hand, visiting their current road widening project is a bliss. It gives us the opportunity to have a glimpse of a road construction and encountered us some problems that may rise during the project. Like what happened with those trees that even a very powerful office like DPWH can’t easily cut those trees and not even transported it to another place. It never crossed to my mind that such problem may occur even in a road widening project of DPWH and they couldn’t do anything to counter the petition and protest of those environmentalist and religion thingy.

                To sum up, visiting DPWH was never a failure unlike how I was expecting it to be. Then our journey continued in our next destination, to a well-known batching plant… KIMWA!

This visit is part of our Plant Tour 2014. Xavier University Civil Engineering students taking up CE43: Construction Materials and Testing. Cebu City Plant Tour Journal
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