PERFORMING EXCELLENTLY
UNDER PRESSURE
Akash Sethi
Construction Manager (Planning), WET IC
Having chosen to get married during the first pandemic lockdown, young Akash Sethi is no stranger to facing challenges. Joining L&T in 2014 as a GET, immediately after completing his B.Tech. from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, his first project was the Ratangarh Sujangarh Water Supply Project, Package – II project in Rajasthan, his native state. His next project has been the Khatan Water Supply Scheme that won a mention at the annual awards for its quality. “We succeeded by adopting a collaborative approach, closely involving all the stakeholders to address their specific needs and concerns,” he shares. “Additionally, we have established a meticulous monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure that the project stays on track and achieves its intended outcomes.”
He affirms the commitment of the entire project team to complete the project within the allocated budget, timeline, and with utmost quality standards. Taking a higher ground, Akash says, “We firmly believe that this project will significantly transform the lives of the communities in the region and are eagerly anticipating the positive outcomes it will generate.”
The team’s main challenge was to construct the intake well before the onset of flooding for which they opted to use precast construction for the bridge and intake well discharge floor. “We collaborated with EDRC to get the drawings and client’s approvals as quickly as possible and with some smart procurement, were able to deliver as per schedule,” he says proudly. 3D visualization on the BIM 360 platform facilitated better coordination between different design disciplines such as civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation, helped detect and resolve design conflicts between various building systems and components prior to construction. Akash also mentions the use of Rebar CAD to create bar bending schedules that resulted in significant time savings and reduction in reinforcement cutting and bending wastes.
Akash is all praise for his Project Director, V Ajith for equipping the team with the essential resources and fostering a work environment that enabled them to deliver their best. “His extensive experience helped to identify early potential risks to the project timeline and budget and his direction and leadership were crucial in aligning our team towards a common goal.”
Hardly a surprise that Akash’s most memorable moment in life has been his marriage to Varsha, who is an HR professional working with a consulting firm in the education sector. “She’s also pursuing a soft skills trainer’s course,” says Akash proudly, adding that he loves cooking and travelling when not working.
FRESH OFF THE BLOCKS; RARING TO GO
Tushar Jaiswal
Senior Engineer (Civil), WET IC
Young Tushar Jaiswal is fresh off the blocks having joined L&T as a GET in 2021. In fact, he still has some hangover from his days in college pursuing Civil Engineering which are still his life’s most cherished and unforgettable moments. In the tougher world of construction, Tushar is delighted to be part of the Khatan Water Supply project that won a mention at the annual awards for its quality.
“We strove to get things first time right by interacting one-on-one with workers during execution,” he ticks off their best practices. “We noted down the reasons for quality deviations to prevent their recurrence by educating workers, regularly reviewed drawings to ensure adherence to the intended structure, conducted clash detection with MEP drawings to eliminate rework and adopted a proactive approach towards safety and quality,” he mentions, already sounding like a seasoned campaigner. Among their many challenges, one was the remote location of the site that made it difficult to source skilled and experienced workers.
The utilization of BIM has been a great learning experience for Tushar helping them to imagine the appearance of the structure well before construction. “BIM has facilitated smoother execution in alignment with the intended design, detailing and aiding us in communicating and illustrating our construction objectives to achieve precision and accuracy in the very first attempt,” he says insightfully. He mentions Rebar CAD as another valuable digital tool to generate bar bending schedules for complex reinforcement works efficiently.
Being a fresher at his first project, Tushar is thankful to many for helping him find his feet, starting with Project Director, V Ajith, who has entrusted him with considerable responsibilities to oversee the critical structures in the water treatment plant. “He has encouraged me to strive for excellence, adhering to quality and safety standards. I am also grateful to Mr. M A Lobo Sir, the WTP In-charge, for guiding me about all the ongoing activities at the site and imparting his skills to effectively manage manpower, machinery, and material.” Tushar is appreciative about the extensive support from all his project team members, especially flagging off Arun Kumar Kr Sir and Prabhjot Singh Sir for special mention.
Hailing from the holy city of Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, Tushar is still only married to his job. “My hobbies include traveling, listening to music, and reading informative books but due to my busy schedule and workload, it is often challenging for me to pursue these interests,” he says, finally sounding like the young gun he is.
THE KEY TO DELIVERY IS COMPLETION OF DAILY TARGETS
Arun Jesuraj M
Assistant Construction Manager (Civil), WET IC
Young Arun Jesuraj is extremely happy with the space he is in. Working in an organization that are nation builders with good leaders, and part of a team at the Khatan Water Supply project that won a mention at the annual awards for its Quality performance.
“Our success is due to our teamwork, motivation and great coordination between all the departments at the project,” he says with conviction, “but the most important thing is to ensure that your daily targets are achieved.” He is appreciative of Project Director, V Ajith, for his motivation and planning. “He welcomed our ideas and supported us through difficult situations, providing continuous encouragement and treating all the members of our team with kindness and respect.” Arun is grateful to Mahadevan Sir, the Quality Head too, for his guidance during the precasting phase. “He motivated us to deliver precast beams and slabs of exceptional quality. He acknowledged the hard work of our workmen by distributing prizes as a token of his appreciation,” he smiles.
On the execution front, the team opted for a precast arrangement for the first time in WET IC to build the pump floor in the intake well and the approach bridge. “To ensure successful erection and construction, we placed significant emphasis on meticulous planning and precast element quality,” says a focused Arun. “We totally produced 38 precast beams and 44 precast planks for the pump floor and completed the erection in the intake well in time before the monsoon season, which allowed us to initiate commissioning and trial runs.” To construct the approach bridge, they precasted 32 beams and 232 slabs. “With BIM 360, we created 3D visualizations of the structures to identify if any changes were required during the preconstruction phase,” he adds.
Prior to the Khatan project, Arun worked on the Under Ground Sewerage Scheme in Guntur, a 127 MLD STP with 1,080 km of connected sewerage works and 140,000 HSCs. A native of Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, Arun’s better half is Roseline Mary, a homemaker, and the couple are blessed with one son, Melvin Jac. He feels good listening to songs and was delighted when he held his son in his arms for the first time.