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Mr. Fitzpatrick explained about the process of piling for the sub-structure.

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Mr. Fitzpatrick explained about the process of piling for the sub-structure.

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Sea barriers to maintain the level of the water.

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Sea barriers to maintain the level of the water.

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                                                                  MINA AL ARAB (Site Visit Report)

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                                                                  MINA AL ARAB (Site Visit Report)

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Thakur Parajuli – Eloisa Mae Masangkay – Julius Gabriel Lambatin

A site visit was done at Mina Al Arab, a place in Ras Al Khaimah filled with luxury villas, hotels and resorts, beaches and as well as restaurants. Mina Al Arab was developed by RAK Properties, which is one of the leading property development and tourism infrastructure firms in the United Arab Emirates, and is still being under development. RAK Properties is working to expand Mina Al Arab to create more luxury residential units, cafés and restaurants, medical facilities, recreational facilities such as spas, tennis courts, football courts and more. These development projects will help to improve the luxurious and comfortable style of living in the area for the residents and visitors.

The first and second year civil engineering students of the University of Bolton, Ras Al Khaimah were able to visit Mina Al Arab to witness the on-going construction of the new areas that were being developed as well as learn about the plans of RAK Properties, what was currently being done on the construction site and why was it being done.

The site visit was led by Mr. Strachan Fitzpatrick, who was the project director of the Mina Al Arab project. The students were brought to the office where Mr. Fitzpatrick introduced himself as the project director, and gathered everyone to a discussion room where he talked the students through the plans of the project and what it would look like with the help of a map of the project that was hung on the wall. He talked about the areas that the student were going to visit. After the discussion the student went back to the bus to travel to the first destination which was Al Anantara. As the bus reached their destination the sight consisted of an area where workers were working on the piles for the foundation and bodies of water around the area which were being sucked up by pipes underneath the path the students were standing on, which were known as sea barriers to maintain the level of the water. The sight of the area helped the students to see how a construction site looked like on one of its first stages of construction as Mr. Fitzpatrick explained about the process on how concrete was made on sea bay and after a few minutes of explaining the process the students were then led to their second destination which was the Intercontinental Mina Al Arab.

The area of construction of the InterContinental consisted of villas that were already developed around the site. The students were led to an area that was under construction and Mr. Fitzpatrick explained about the process of piling for the sub-structure. He also talked about how the construction process should be done in a way that will not interrupt the daily life of the people living around the area.

The students were then led to another area in Mina Al Arab which was also under construction, where the students was able to see up-close how the sub-structure was being made. The area looked much more developed than the rest of the destinations the students have been to. Mr. Fitzpatrick talked about how the construction process first started in the area where the students were standing and then work on the other areas so they would be able to finish the construction on time.

While walking around the students were able to observe the working conditions and how the workers were working, the usage of machinery and trucks, and the application of health and safety. Everything was also being observed by engineering consultants who were at the site. Mr. Fitzpatrick talked about the roles of an engineering consultant on how they supervise the works being done, making sure it was being done right and within the budget.

Throughout the visitation of the site, the students were able to learn a lot which was all thanks to Mr. Fitzpatrick from RAK Properties who guided and talked the students through the process of construction, the people involved and the other people living around the area. The students went into the construction site prepared with safety helmets and safety shoes and left with knowledge of the construction process, the difficulties that were faced during the construction and the experience of walking around the construction site on a sunny morning like a civil engineer.