Wednesday, May 30, 2012

First week of interning

As the other guys have said, we have started our internship this week. I have learned a lot being able to shadow Mike, Craig, and David. since most of the ceilings are still open, they point out things to us such as the BMS wiring and the HVAC control devices. Recently we have been re-assigned to Steve Queen to help out with the Saudi Aviation Flight Academy project in Thumama  we are all looking forward to learning from this unique and challenging project.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

my past three days update

May 27
Today was our first day of interning. Adam and I shadowed David, Mike, and Craig and learned how to do a type of hybrid snag list. It was fun evaluating the progress of the building.  Later after lunch we performed a request of inspection with Mike. Using the electrical plans, our goal was to check if a certain zone of a building had all the wire pulled for the fixtures. After we performed the inspection it was time to call it a day.
May 28
This morning Adam and I helped Mike and Craig (the electrical consultants) check a punch list. We combed through building 26 (the auditorium) and logged everything that was finished and items that still needed to be completed.
I just remembered the pop quiz David (Finish and close out specialist) gave Adam and I this morning. He asked us what we had learned yesterday involving  management, it was fun rattling off things we learned about coordination of tasks, building relationships with foremen and building managers,  and the importance of communicating important items.
We sat in on a commissioning meeting for the second half of the day. It was rather exciting watching all the specialists convey their ideas and problem solve.
May 29
Today we learned some more about field checks and learned that we will be helping out with an airport remodel for FTR the next couple of days. Adam and I went to a great restaurant tonight called Mypie. The guys at work recommended it. It's cheap, good, and we can walk to it... So looks like that will be our typical dinner!!  That's about all I can think of for now.

Start of the Internship

-Tim Here

Today was the third day of our internship, and I have learned more about plumbing in these three days than in my whole life combined! I was very fortunate to have been paired with Trini who is one of the most knowledgeable plumbing inspectors. I have been asking questions non-stop, but Trini has great patience and he does a great job explaining everything to me. Working with FTR International Inc. of Nevada has been a great learning experience so far, and I am excited at the opportunities that will present themselves in the next 5 weeks!

Monday, May 28, 2012

day 14

Yesterday was our first day of the internship.  We were all paired up with an FTR International Inc. nv. employee to shadow; I shadowed Trace.  In the morning we went to building 26, I think, for an inspection request to look for any items that needed to be finished, touched up, or replaced.  In the afternoon we went to building 1 and met with the building manager and discussed the proper installation of a fire dampener.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Day 13

Today Rob show us the Grand Mosque on the KAFD site and than we walked the site and saw all the building and their respective stages of construction. in the afternoon we were given an in depth presentation on the Grand Mosque and the sequence of construction by Khal and Milton.

Our Second Weekend

Tim Here-

This past weekend was pretty laid back. We went in for a half day's work on Thursday, and then had the whole day to ourselves on Friday. We watched a lot of movies and caught up on sleep. Originally we were supposed to go on a desert safari trip, but due to the high winds, the trip was cancelled and we ended up going to the mall instead.

The mall was an experience in itself. In Saudi Arabia, the mall is a popular place and because of that, it is a very controlled environment. As we were approaching the front entrance of the mall, there were three of four patrolmen outside inspecting everyone's attire. All girls must be covered head to toe in their aballah. We were stopped and rejected at the front door because a few of us were wearing shorts. We went back to our apartment to change and we were able to get into the mall. Here are some pictures that we took while inside.




The grand Mosque

Today we toured the grand mosque in the financial district. I was really excited to return since the first tour was so quick; now I could get a second glimpse of its glorious magnitude. I may have forgotten to mention that it is the biggest building project in the world, consisting of 52 buildings. Rob Moulton is FTR's project manager for the Grand mosk site. SBG has contracted them to construct the foundation and steel structure of the mosque. We had a lot of fun with Rob as he toured us around the site. The mosque is centrally located on the site, and Rob gets to watch all the buildings around him progress from day to day. 

Back to KAFD

Today we went back to the King Abdullah Financial District for a tour of The Grand Mosque. Thanks to Rob Moultin, we got to see all of the imbedded items that will comprise the structural components of the mosque. He also took us on a tour of the site. It was almost too much to take in seeing all of these 30 story buildings being put up simultaneously. Following the tour, we got to eat lunch with Jamie Moffat which is always a good time. After that, Milton Ewell and Cal gave us a presentation on the design and development aspect of the mosque. Here are some pictures from today:




   

Friday, May 25, 2012

Rest day

Today has been our first rest day. We were scheduled to see a big mall but the malls are closed on Friday. So we're having fun watching movies been in the T.V. room. Over the past couple of days our tours and lectures have consisted of electrical systems, emergency evacuation codes and regulations, and sound proofing/acoustics for lecture rooms and auditoriums. There has been a lot I have learned already; with that being said I am proud of all the knowledge I have learned prior to coming here to Saudi to intern. Purdue has prepared me well. By next week we will be starting our internship, I am really excited.
Today we all got to sleep in. It was a welcome change of pace from the normal routine. Movies are starting to become a big part of our time off. In the past few days we have all watched 5 movies together. Tonight, we get to head to the desert for a ride on some off-road vehicles and a campfire underneath the starts. Im really looking forward to this because many people have told us that the night sky in the desert is amazing.  A big thanks to Peter Strother for giving us a new perspective on the buildings at KSU in terms of accessibility, life safety, and egress. Im sure that we will all utilize this lesson a multitude of times in the course of our career

Thursday, May 24, 2012

day 11

Peter showed use the life safety in place at KSU. We had a half day so we came home and had a pac man and mappy tournament

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

pictures from may 23

The financial district





The girls campus.  with lots of scafolding



This was inside a lecture room.



A lot of conduit, 6" diameter

This is where the power comes in to the campus from Riyadh

On our electrical tour. Thank you Mike and Craig!

There are 6, 20 cylinder  back up generators
A security entrance, I like the ceiling
We were learning how the backup generators work.

Terry Butler gave us a presentation on medium current systems.

Taking Off the Training Wheels

Professor Benhart has gone back to the states and now we're officially on our own! Yesterday was our first day without Professor Benhart, and we could definitely tell there was something missing. We had gotten used to Professor Benhart keeping us on schedule and giving us directions on what to do next.

For example, for the past week and a half, when Professor Benhart would come into our apartment, it meant that it was time to go. Now that Professor Benhart is gone, we actually have to keep track of our schedule by ourselves! Yesterday, we made poor Sunil (our driver) wait outside for 10 minutes before we realized he was outside. Sorry Sunil...

Also, now we have to arrange our rides by ourselves. Usually Professor Benhart would take care of everything while we just wait for his instructions. Yesterday, after all the lectures were completed, we were sitting in the FTR office waiting for someone to tell us it was time to leave. We sat there and talked for over half an hour before I went out to investigate. I found Sunil conversing with the Tea Boys and apparently nobody had told him we were waiting for a ride. Ooops!

After dinner last night at Outback Steakhouse.
I think we were all caught off guard when Professor Benhart left. We didn't realize how much was doing for us, but we are beginning to appreciate it now. Thanks Professor Benhart for helping us out, but now it's time for us to take care of ourselves.

Day 10

Mike and Crieg showing us the electrical systems at KSU. Later in the day Terry gave us a presentation on the systems in place, and Vidas explained the VA (visual audio) systems to us.

Amazing Couple of Days

These past few days have been unbelievable. A special thanks to Bill Strabble for showing us the labs in the science, dental, and medicine buildings yesterday. His knowledge on this highly specialized and complicated subject was astounding. I cant wait to see what the finished labs look like before we leave (inshalla).

We got to visit the 2nd largest construction project in the world yesterday as well, the King Abdullah Financial District. I will post some photos of this amazing experience tomorrow. I need to make sure that i have a good selection. The size and scope of this project was difficult at best to grasp. This project is the equivalent of building the entirety of Lower Manhattan in 4 years! Here is a video of what the project encompasses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoi-bE09UxY

A special thanks to Mike Suteu and Craig Wessels for showing us some of the electrical infrastructure of KSU today. Seeing a 13kV service line is not something you see everyday.



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Exciting Times

On Monday, we got an opportunity to meet Eng. Nawaf. who runs SBG, one of the largest construction firms in the world! SBG is the contractor responsible for building the entire King Saud campus and most of the King Abdullah Financial District.

We visited the financial district yesterday and I couldn't believe my eyes! The immense size of the project was overwhelming, and it was hard to wrap my head around how one company can do so much. I would imagine that the man power that SBG is deploying in Riyadh right now is comparable to the Egyptians when they built the Pyramids, and the Chinese when they built the Great Wall of China. It is incredible how much this one company is capable of, and it is certainly something that I strive for.

Eng. Nawaf and us.

A few buildings from the financial district.

Day 9

Bill Showing us the dental lab mock up.  We then took a tour of some of the labs as he explain all the intricate parts and pieces that go into them.

pictures from today! May-22

  • This is called the spine at the womens college, it connects the major colleges together. Its purpose is to provide protection from the sun.

  •  We thought this was just a cool picture to take, describing what the workers need to have on site with them.
 a dental chair inside the lab mockup room. There are over 500 labs at on the campus. They do mockups to make sure that the room is to the owners specifications before they make more of them. This can save the contractor the head ake of redoing several labs.

Love this sign!
A Tour of a lab getting the finishing touches.



The entry of one of the research buildings


THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT!

There are 40 or so buildings being built at once! 

An I.T. room


Our dinner tonight

Monday, May 21, 2012

Our First Week!

Tim Here-

Yesterday Trace Gregg gave us a tour of KSU and explained the project from a mechanical perspective. I have to admit, I don't know much about the mechanical systems, but Trace did a great job helping me understand it.

I never realized how much careful planning and detail a building requires, and I am starting to appreciate the amount of expertise there is in the FTR Office. The team that FTR International Inc. of Nevada has put together has an excellent mixture of skills, knowledge, and backgrounds. The opportunity to be here is truly a blessing, and I am very grateful that FTR's personnel have taken time out of their busy days to teach us everything they know.

Here are some pictures from our first week here in Saudi Arabia...