BE Civil Engineering (IOE, TU) Communication English (IOE, SH 451b) Question Paper 2078 Nepal

Structure and model answer

A technical investigation report is a formal, impersonal, fact-based document moving from problem to evidence to action. The standard IMRaD-derived order for engineering investigation reports is: front matter → summary → terms of reference → procedure → findings → conclusions → recommendations.

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(a) Title page block

TECHNICAL INVESTIGATION REPORT
Investigation into Recurring Cracking of the RCC Deck Slab
Trishuli Rural Bridge Project (Contract No. TRB/2078/04)

Prepared by : Er. [Name], Assistant Site Engineer
Prepared for: Er. [Name], Project Manager
Date        : 2078-09-15 B.S.
Report Ref. : TRB/IR/07

(b) Transmittal note

Subject: Submission of investigation report on deck-slab cracking.

Dear Sir, In accordance with your instruction dated 2078-09-05, I submit herewith the report investigating the cracks observed in the M25-grade RCC deck slab (span 12 m, slab thickness 200 mm, width 7.5 m). The investigation was carried out between 2078-09-06 and 2078-09-12. I remain available to clarify any point.

(c) Executive summary

Transverse hairline cracks (widths 0.15 mm–0.35 mm) were found over roughly 40 % of the deck soffit, concentrated near mid-span. The dominant cause is early-age plastic shrinkage aggravated by inadequate curing during a spell of low humidity, not structural overload. Cracks are non-structural at present but must be sealed to prevent reinforcement corrosion. Remedial sealing and a revised curing regime are recommended.

(d) Terms of reference

To (i) determine the extent and pattern of cracking, (ii) establish the probable cause(s), and (iii) recommend remedial and preventive measures. Structural redesign was outside the scope.

(e) Procedure / methodology

1. Visual mapping of all cracks on a 0.5 m grid on the soffit.
2. Crack-width measurement using a crack-width gauge (calibrated, least count 0.05 mm).
3. Review of the concrete pour register, curing log, and weather record.
4. Rebound hammer test at 10 locations to estimate in-situ surface strength.

(f) Findings

Key inference: strength is adequate, so the cause is surface/early-age, not load-related.

(g) Conclusions

1. Cracking is plastic-shrinkage cracking caused by rapid surface moisture loss plus delayed curing.
2. The concrete itself meets the M25 strength requirement.
3. The cracks are presently non-structural but constitute a durability risk.

(h) Recommendations

1. Seal cracks > 0.2 mm by low-viscosity epoxy injection; brush-seal finer cracks.
2. Enforce curing within 6 h of finishing; use wet hessian + curing compound.
3. For future pours in dry/windy weather, use evaporation retarders and erect wind screens.
4. Re-inspect the sealed deck after 90 days.

Tone throughout: third-person, objective, no emotive language.

(a) Main idea

BIM turns construction into a collaborative, data-rich process that prevents costly rework, but its benefits remain unrealised in Nepal mainly because of organisational and procurement barriers, not technical ones.

(b) Obstacles to BIM adoption in Nepal

The author identifies organisational/procurement barriers rather than technical ones:

1. Fragmented project teams (disciplines not working together).
2. Absence of national BIM standards.
3. Clients not demanding BIM deliverables.
4. Procurement rules that reward the lowest bid instead of collaboration.

(c) Meaning of the phrase

Because every discipline designs on one combined digital model, the computer can flag physical conflicts—such as a pipe running through a beam—during design, so they are corrected virtually instead of being discovered (expensively) during actual construction.

(d) Summary (within 50 words)

"BIM provides a shared, data-rich digital model that detects design clashes early and reduces rework. Although the technology and trained engineers exist, Nepal's adoption is held back by fragmented teams, missing national standards, low client demand, and lowest-bid procurement. Collaborative procurement is needed before BIM's productivity gains materialise." (49 words)

Model letter (full-block format, all parts left-aligned)

Himalayan Infra Consult Pvt. Ltd.
Pulchowk, Lalitpur-3
Tel: 01-5550123 | Email: procurement@himalayaninfra.com.np

Ref: HIC/PROC/2078/118
Date: 2078-10-04 B.S.

The Sales Manager
Everest Building Materials
Adarshanagar, Birgunj-13

Dear Sir/Madam,

Subject: Enquiry and request for quotation - cement and TMT bars

We are a civil-engineering consultancy currently executing a community
water-supply reservoir at Godawari. We require the following materials and
should be grateful to receive your most competitive quotation.

   1. OPC 53-grade cement (NS/ISI marked)  -  250 bags (50 kg each)
   2. TMT reinforcement bars, Fe 500D       -  12 tonnes (16 mm & 20 mm)

Please include in your quotation:
   (i)   the unit and total price, inclusive of VAT and delivery to site;
   (ii)  the earliest possible delivery period after order confirmation;
   (iii) your payment terms (advance, credit period, mode of payment);
   (iv)  copies of mill test certificates / quality (NS) certification.

As the project schedule is fixed, an early reply, latest by 2078-10-15,
would be appreciated. We look forward to building a long-term association.

Yours faithfully,

(signature)
Er. Sushila Karki
Procurement Officer
Himalayan Infra Consult Pvt. Ltd.

Marking notes

• Layout: full-block (every line flush left), correct sequence — sender address, ref/date, inside address, salutation, subject, body, complimentary close, signature block.
• Content: specifies quantity & grade, and asks all four commercial details (price, delivery, payment, certification).
• Tone: courteous, concise, formal; correct salutation–close pairing ("Dear Sir/Madam" ↔ "Yours faithfully").

Model technical description

Purpose / function. A slow sand filter (SSF) is a passive water-treatment unit that removes suspended particles and pathogens from raw water by passing it slowly downward through a bed of fine sand. It needs no chemicals and little energy, making it well suited to community schemes in hilly Nepal.

Main parts (top to bottom). The unit is a rectangular watertight tank containing, from top down: (1) a supernatant water layer (about 1 m) that maintains head; (2) a biologically active surface skin called the schmutzdecke; (3) the filter sand bed (0.9–1.2 m of fine sand, effective size ≈ 0.2 mm); (4) a graded gravel support layer; and (5) underdrains that collect the treated water.

Process sequence. Raw water enters the inlet and forms the supernatant layer. Under gravity it percolates slowly (filtration rate ≈ 0.1–0.2 m³/m²·h) through the schmutzdecke, where micro-organisms trap and digest pathogens and organic matter. The water then moves through the sand, where remaining fine particles are removed by straining and adhesion. The gravel prevents sand from washing out, and the underdrains carry the clarified water to the clear-water reservoir. When the schmutzdecke clogs and the flow drops, the top 1–2 cm of sand is scraped off and the filter is recharged.

ASCII schematic

   Raw water in
        |
   ====================   <- supernatant water (~1.0 m head)
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   <- schmutzdecke (bio-layer)
   ::::::::::::::::::::
   :::: FINE SAND :::::   <- sand bed (0.9-1.2 m)
   ::::::::::::::::::::
   oooooo GRAVEL oooooo   <- graded gravel support
   [==== underdrains ===]--> Treated water out

(a) Structure of the presentation

Introduction (≈ 1.5 min)

• Greet the audience; state your name and role.
• State the topic, purpose, and the central question ("Is the proposed alignment safe against landslides?").
• Preview the structure ("I will cover the site, the method, the findings, and our recommendation").

Body (≈ 6 min) — logically sequenced main points:

1. Site and problem context.
2. Investigation method (survey, soil tests, factor-of-safety analysis).
3. Key findings (critical sections, computed factor of safety).
4. Implications / risks. Use signposting between points ("Having seen the method, let us look at the results").

Conclusion (≈ 2 min)

• Summarise the main findings in one or two sentences.
• Give a clear recommendation/action.
• Invite questions.

(b) Five delivery techniques

1. Know your audience — pitch the technical depth to municipal officials, not specialists; explain jargon.
2. Maintain eye contact and address the whole room, not the screen.
3. Control pace and pauses — speak clearly, pause after key points so they register.
4. Use the body — purposeful gestures and confident posture; avoid fidgeting.
5. Rehearse and time the talk so it fits 10 minutes and flows without reading verbatim from slides.

(Other acceptable techniques: vary vocal tone, prepare for Q&A, use stories/analogies.)

(c) Two slide-design guidelines

1. Keep slides simple — one idea per slide, large legible fonts, minimal text (the slide supports you; you are not reading it).
2. Favour visuals over words — use the section map, photos and the factor-of-safety chart rather than dense paragraphs; ensure high contrast and readable labels.

(a) Voice transformations

1. Active → Passive: "The concrete was poured (by the contractor) on Sunday."
2. Passive → Active: "The resident engineer inspected the reinforcement."
3. Active → Passive: "The excavation work has been delayed by heavy rainfall." (note the present-perfect passive: has been + past participle).

(b) When each voice is preferred

• Passive preferred: in methodology/procedure sections where the action matters more than the doer, e.g. "The samples were tested for compressive strength" — keeps the writing objective and impersonal.
• Active preferred: in recommendations, instructions, and to assign responsibility clearly, e.g. "The contractor shall submit the test results" — it is direct, shorter, and unambiguous about who must act.

Model memorandum

              SUNKOSHI HYDROPOWER PROJECT - SITE OFFICE
                          MEMORANDUM

TO      : All Field Staff and Sub-contractor Supervisors
FROM    : Bikash Thapa, Site Office Manager
DATE    : 2078-11-02 B.S.
SUBJECT : Mandatory Site-Safety Briefing

Following two minor scaffolding incidents last week, a compulsory
site-safety briefing will be held for all field personnel.

   Date  : Friday, 2078-11-05 B.S.
   Time  : 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
   Venue : Project Canteen Hall, Camp Block B

The briefing will cover safe scaffolding practice, correct use of
personal protective equipment (PPE), and emergency procedures.
Attendance is mandatory; supervisors must ensure their teams report
on time. Work will resume immediately after the session.

For any clarification, contact the Safety Officer (Ext. 214).

                                              - Bikash Thapa

Notes

• Memos are internal, so no inside address or formal salutation/complimentary close is used.
• The four header fields (To, From, Date, Subject) appear at the top; the body is brief, direct, and action-oriented; all required details (date, time, venue, reason) are stated.

(a) Standard sections of a fresh-graduate CV (in order)

1. Personal / contact details — name, phone, email, address.
2. Career objective / professional summary — one or two lines.
3. Education / academic qualifications — most recent first, with institution, year, division/GPA.
4. Technical skills — software (AutoCAD, ETABS), field skills.
5. Projects / internships / training — final-year project, site experience.
6. Work experience (if any).
7. Achievements / certifications / licences (e.g. NEC registration).
8. Extracurricular activities / memberships.
9. References (or "available on request").

(b) Three differences between a CV and a cover letter

(A fourth valid difference: a CV is largely reusable across jobs, whereas a cover letter is tailored to each post.)

Corrections and error names

1. "Neither the engineer nor the workers were present at the site."
   • Error: subject–verb agreement. With neither…nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject ("workers", plural → were).
2. "The survey data shows that the alignment is feasible; however, the cost is high."
   • Error: comma splice / run-on. Two independent clauses joined by the conjunctive adverb however need a semicolon before and a comma after.
3. "Each of the beams has been tested for deflection."
   • Error: subject–verb agreement. Each is singular → has.
4. "The report which was submitted yesterday contains the test results."
   • Error: redundant subject pronoun. The relative clause already has a subject; the extra "it" must be removed.
5. "After completing the inspection, the supervisor must sign the form."
   • Error: dangling/misplaced modifier. The introductory phrase must modify the doer (the supervisor), so the supervisor must be the subject of the main clause.

(a) Data table

(b) Most appropriate graph

A bar chart (column chart) is most appropriate, because the data are discrete daily categories and a bar chart makes it easy to compare the output of each separate day at a glance. (A line graph is acceptable only if the intent is to stress the trend over the week.)

(c) Mean daily output

$$\bar{x} = \frac{42 + 55 + 38 + 60 + 50}{5} = \frac{245}{5} = 49$$

Mean daily output = 49 m³ per day.

(a) The communication process model

The basic model is a linear-with-feedback chain:

 SENDER --encode--> [MESSAGE] --via CHANNEL--> DECODE --> RECEIVER
   ^                                                         |
   |---------------------- FEEDBACK --------------------------|
                  (NOISE acts on every stage)

Key elements: sender (source), encoding, message, channel/medium, decoding, receiver, feedback, and noise, all within a shared context.

(b) Definition of "noise"

Noise is any interference or disturbance—physical, semantic, psychological or technical—that distorts or obstructs the message between sender and receiver, so that the message received differs from the message intended.

(c) Three site communication barriers and remedies

(Other acceptable barriers: information overload, technical jargon, unclear/ambiguous instructions.)