1. Student Name: Masauso Zimba
University of the Witwatersrand (Johanesburg)
VACATION WORK REPORT
INTRODUCTION
Safe mining is one of the key aspects that are very important in the production of copper in
Zambia. This in itself does not only include mining, but all aspects that relate to it. Mopani
Copper Mines is one such mine that takes this as one of its main priorities. This goes as far as
ensuring all works such as work done by civil engineers is safe and the lives of workers
preserved.
COMPANY OVERVIEW
‘Mopani Copper Mines Plc is an integrated copper and cobalt producer that is owned by Carlisa
Investments Corporation, a joint venture company registered in Zambia comprising Glencore
International AG (73.1%), First Quantum Minerals Ltd (16.9%) and ZCCMInvestment Holdings
(10%). Mopani is the largest copper mine in Zambia and one of the largest mines in the world.
Recently, the board of Mopani announced a new $320m shaft and associated infrastructure to
be constructed at its Synclinorium project. The new shaft will significantly boost production and
extend operations well beyond the current depletion dates.’
The engineering department is slightly broad, consisting of mechanical, civil and electrical
engineer sections. In order for these to carry out their works, they are assisted by the drawing
office where my vacation work experience began. The drawing office consists of draughts men
who make the designs for the wide variety of projects.
WORK EXPERIENCE
In the drawing office, the skills and knowledge in how to handle and make autocad designs was
achieved as all drawings are done using the software. A week into learning the software, the
first assignment was handed. As a civil engineer, it is not only important to be able to interpret
a drawing but to be able to draw it as well. This gives the engineer a much clearer picture and
understanding of a drawing presented to them.
The safety department wanted to have a ladies change house constructed. This included a
locker room, two showers, two toilets, two store rooms and a kitchen.
The following was done:
2. The work began by carrying out measurements for the proposed area in which this
building was to be constructed. This would also indicate whether or not it was possible
to build on the area that was proposed.
A rough drawing based on the measurements taken, showing all the buildings that
existed as well as the area where the new building was meant to be constructed was
drawn. This showed exactly how much space was available for the project. This
presented enough data to get to the drawing board and begin drawing a building that
would fit the area and criteria they required.
A plan that showed all important dimensions such as the thickness of the walls, distance
to drains and sewers, distances to existing water pipes and to the fence as well as the
pavements was drawn.
A foundation plan showing dimensions of the footing for both the internal and external
walls was done.
A cross section of the proposed building showing all important dimensions such as
heights to the windows and vents was done.
A plan of the roof was done.
The drawing showed the location plan of the proposed building as well as the window
and door schedule.
A drawing of the elevations was also done.
After this, the full drawing was printed and handed over to the Section Engineer (Design) so it
could be checked and was then sent to the Safety department so that they could indicate
whether they were happy with the design or not.
At this stage, all drawings are then sent to the Section Engineer (Civil) then to the Engineering
Superintendent so the drawing is signed and then sent back to drawing office for necessary
adjustments if there are any and these should satisfy the client which in this case was the
Safety Department.
The second assignment that was handed over was proposed by the Fire Station. They required
a parking lot because the one that existed next to the station was also used by the department
next door so they wanted one for their employees only. The same approach was used;
The area for the proposed project was surveyed.
Necessary and relevant information was gathered such as a variety of measurements
such as width of the existing driveway, width of the drain, distances to the fence and
water pipes as well as the 11kV power line that run close to the fence. In so doing, rough
estimates just to get an overview idea were made.
A drawing was then made and managed to fit 6 parking slots with the hope that this
would satisfy their requirements. The drawing included front, side and plan views. It
3. also included specific details on joints and the connection of the lot to the ground as
well as connections to the roof.
All necessary information was shown and the Design Section Engineer signed off on the drawing
and it was sent to the Fire Station so they could approve the drawing or state where they
required changes and then sent back to the department.
A couple of more designs were done such as mechanical drawings and assistance was rendered
by me where I could.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
The drawings are then sent to the projects section of the department which partly consists of
civil engineers. A Bill of Quantities (BOQ) is done which is a cost estimate of the project and is
then sent to the client for approval. The client then makes adjustments if need be and at the
same time consults the civil engineer(s) that made the BOQ. The project is then tendered out. A
few contractors suitable for the job are selected and then a list is sent to the contracts office
who then send out a scope to the selected contractors. However the scope does not have costs
on it.
The contractors are then invited to a site visit where they are taken to the project site so they
can have a clearer picture of the scope that they were sent.
During the site visits, all contractors must be present at the same time so no favoritism is
shown.
The contractors then go back to the drawing board and come up with the best proposals and
send them to the department where they undergo technical adjudication to pick the best suited
contractor. The contractor that presents a proposal that is within the estimates of the projects
section and one that is most suited for the job is chosen and notified.
When the contractor is selected and before any works begin, there is need to do a risk
assessment of the site. A risk assessment is simply a survey carried out to identify the hazards
that they may encounter on the site and how they will be able to overcome them safely. This is
very important and works cannot begin before this has been done as the mine as a whole works
very hard to ensure maximum safety for all workers is achieved and has invested a lot of money
to ensure that this is achieved. The contractor must abide by all safety regulations highlighted
in the contract signed.
If there is any excavation to be done, there is need to obtain an excavation permit which shows
a plan of all existing features on the site such as water pipes, very high voltage power lines etc.
This way, all these features may be avoided during excavation.
4. Before construction begins, a ‘kick off’ meeting is held which includes the engineers,
contractors, supervisors and all parties involved in the project. All parties agree on how they
will go about doing the work. The contractor presents a program of works that will highlight
durations for different aspects of the work involved. The civil engineers must agree with the
program of works or find a common ground with the contractor on how the work will be done.
A foreman is appointed and will be in charge of the work supervision during the absence of the
engineers in charge of the project. A foreman must at least have a certificate in bricklaying,
carpentry or construction with the necessary experience and recommendations from previous
employers. It is also a new rule now that all foremen must possess a first aid certificate with
them which improves safety in the environment that they work in.
Finally execution of the work begins. The foremen of the contractors must present daily and
weekly reports till the project is done. A meeting is also held every Friday chaired by the
Engineering Superintendent and also consists of the Civil Engineers supervising the work and
the foremen who are on site every working day. The Foremen report on the progress of the
work.
Once the project is done, snagging is done where checks are done to ensure work is done
properly. The performance of the contractor is evaluated and a contractor liability period is
agreed upon. A final inspection is done and the project is then commissioned and is ready for
use.
PROJECTS
I moved to the projects section where I then got a feel and hands on approach of the work of a
civil engineer. I shadowed a couple of engineers and added value to the team.
Sites
Power Plant
The existing foundations are shown in the picture. These are meant to be demolished at the
compression house of the power plant. This is to pave way for the installation of a new
compressor.
5. Refinery Basement
The ground just below the refinery has acid spillages and so as a result the concrete was
damaged. Therefore, there was need to remove the existing slab and replace it. There was also
need to increase the slope from 1% to a 3% slope. The tent material is placed below the
reinforcement of the slab to be constructed so as to prevent acid from slipping below the slab
and bitumen membrane is placed on the top to prevent the acid from eating up the concrete.
6. Spacer blocks are put there to suspend the reinforcement in the concrete when it is cast and
maintain the concrete cover. This also protects the steel reinforcement.
Breaking of concrete
7. Laying of reinforcement on spacer blocks
Refinery Upper ground
A $73m project is taking place here being contracted by well-known companies such as WBHO
and AMSL. A few of the works include;
Pilling foundations
Excavations
Demolitions
8. Construction of a two-story electrical housing room (already done and in use)
Construction of foundations for cathode and anode stripping and washing machines
Tank House 5 shed extension
Construction of foundations for transport system in the refinery (already done)
Tank House 5 foundation for machinery
Cable racks from electrical room to refinery
Refinery transport rails
11. Foundations and steel reinforcement
Sewer Line
Works are taking place to re-route the sewer line due to a blockage that has occurred. In
summary, this includes excavation, constructing new man holes, laying of new sewer pipes and
backfilling.
12.
13. Mine Manager and Staff offices
The project in summary includes;
The existing building to be refurbished
Building height being raised
New ceilings being installed
Tiling of the floor
Construction of partition walls as well as demolition of some existing ones
Painting walls
17. CONCLUSION
Credible experience was really gained working at the mine. There are not only challenging
projects but ones that require you to think like an engineer and test you on the spot. It opens
your mind to think innovatively and be able to solve both serious and not so serious problems.
It was an opportunity for me to think out of the box and get a feel of actual engineering outside
the classroom. A lot of knowledge was gained and will be applied as I carry on with my course.
One of the major lessons I learnt was that with the right attitude and patience, no problem is
too big to be solved. Another was that it is very important to stick to the outlined program and
it is important to leave room for errors that may occur as well as delays and these should be
avoided at all costs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
My main recommendation is that whenever the contractor lags behind due to weak excuses, in
the contract there should be a clause that ensures they pay for the delay. They are paid to get
the job done on time and that is why they have the program of works. I also recommend that
the contractors follow the program of works more strictly as I noticed that this was one of the
main causes for delays. It is important therefore to emphasize the importance of the program
of works. Lastly, competence of the contractors must be evaluated much more strictly.
Reference: http://www.zccm-
ih.com.zm/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78&Itemid=79
