Curtin construction management students visit site of new city hall

Miri – 24 October 2019 – Students of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia), accompanied by their lecturers, recently visited the site of the new Miri City Council building or Miri City Hall being built at Marina ParkCity here.

The purpose of the site visit was to allow the first-year Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons.) in Construction Management students to learn about the construction technology and methods used in the construction of the building.

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.

Head of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Associate Professor Muhammad Ekhlasur Rahman, said the site visit was of great benefit to the students as an extension of their classroom learning where they can connect engineering concepts and theories learned to real-life applications.

He added that such site visits are embedded in the Curtin engineering course curricula and his department organises regular visits for students at locations within and outside Miri to help them to broaden their outlooks 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.

Curtin students and staff pose for a photo with project engineers at the construction site.

Students and project engineers discussing piling plant at the site.