The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ organised field visits for 73 male and female civil and industrial engineering students at Qatar University to introduce them to the Lean Construction principles applied in the Enhanced Contracts projects of the Local Areas Infrastructure Programme under the Roads Projects Department. This is part of the department’s improvement strategy for 2022.
The field visits aimed to expand the knowledge and experience of students and let them explore the practical side of their majors, while also introducing them to the projects of the road projects department. Through these visits, Ashghal provides a real opportunity to witness the live practice of implementing and applying the principles of Lean Construction. The visits also aim to spread a more effective work culture and contribute to preparing future engineers.
Eng. Saoud Al Tamimi, Roads Projects Department Manager at Ashghal, stated: "We are building the nation together, therefore, preparing future generations should be a shared responsibility for all elements of society. Engineering is one of the most important fields that has a positive impact on the economy and future of Qatar. In this sense, Ashghal seeks to establish a link between the theoretical and technical elements, and works to provide all possible opportunities for emerging competencies to develop their skills and provide them the opportunity to work with the best local and international expertise in the field.”
Eng. Saoud Al Tamimi explained that new engineers receive special attention in Ashghal, as the diversity, size of work and number of projects provide them with a great opportunity to obtain practical experience through practical training and field visits that may not be available to them elsewhere. Also, Ashghal seeks through many activities targeting university students to inform them of the latest developments in the construction field, especially the principles of Lean Construction.
The field visits spanned over 6 days, during which 6 projects of the Local Areas Infrastructure Programme were visited in the Western, Northern and Southern areas. Various topics were discussed in each of the projects such as asphalt works, traffic diversions, micro-tunneling technology and poured concrete.
The Lean Construction principles that are applied in the enhanced contracts projects within the Local Areas Infrastructure Programme and the importance of their implementation were explained and defined through a presentation at the work sites of each project, followed by an inspection tour of the developmental works in the project.
The projects that the students visited included the Roads and Infrastructure project in Al Ebb and Leabaib (Package 2), Roads and Infrastructure project in North East of Al Kheesa (Package 2), Roads and Infrastructure project in Al Kharaitiyat and Izghawa (Package 3), Roads and Infrastructure project in West Al Meshaf (Package 9), Roads and Infrastructure project in North of Mall of Qatar and Celebration Road (Package 2), and Roads and Infrastructure project in East Al-Wajba (Package 3).
Eng. Mohammed Yousef Al Subaie, Assistant Instructor at the College of Engineering at Qatar University, who accompanied the first group of students to their field visit on an infrastructure development project, pointed out that this opportunity allowed students to explore the practical side of their majors and how it complements the theoretical side. This is in addition to exploring Ashghal’s application of advanced work techniques, various expertise and the principles of Lean Construction to ensure the delivery of projects with high efficiency and high environmental standards.
Al Dana Al Baker, a student from the College of Engineering at Qatar University, expressed her gratitude to Ashghal’s team for providing the opportunity to visit a project under construction, saying that “the visit represents a wonderful addition to my field of study that enabled me to enhance my understanding and expand my knowledge base.” She continued: "By visiting the Project Performance Monitoring Center I was able to perceive the level of advance planning and the strategies that have been established for implementation, in addition to identifying and studying each step of implementation. I found the planning panel interesting as it was very clear, organised and logical. It was divided into two parts, one with theoretical calculations and hypothetical situations, while the other with actual numbers, statistics and quantities.”
Lean Construction Principles in Enhanced Contracts Projects
The enhanced contracts within the Local Areas Infrastructure Programme of the Roads Projects Department have been approved as part of Ashghal's strategy to adopt advanced work methods, support local manufacturers, and enhance communication with customers and stakeholders, especially in residential areas. Ashghal applies Lean Construction principles through the Enhanced Contracts and relies on this advanced method for project management, especially construction and building projects, which is the first of its kind in this field in Qatar.
By applying Lean Construction principles, each stage of the project is planned for and observed closely, which provides the opportunity to prepare the site and study the most appropriate methods of implementing the developmental works. This contributes to raising efficiency and safety, reducing costs, expedite the delivery time, enhance response time and overcoming challenges that the project may face by detecting them early. In addition, and through holding Collaborative Planning sessions in the Project Performance Center, project performance is monitored in all areas and more accurate timetables are set for the completion of work. The project works are divided into sub-geographic areas to be completed according to a plan that aims to reduce the impact of construction works on the residents of the area.
The principles of Lean Construction also improve the overall appearance of the site and enhance communication with residents through assignment of public relations representatives, who are Qataris or born in Qatar, who have knowledge in implementation works and the culture of the country.