ASCE induction for first year students

First years were  getting "old" from being first years anymore, and their freshers day was long pending. The ASCE crew was waiting for the right time to induct the juniors since the rush hours of NAAC settled in style with an A+ grade.  

The preparations for the event was made in a snap by the organising red tagged civilians since the green tags were out on industrial visit. Finally the event happened on 15th March

Small instant games for interactions were ready and some decorations and gifts too. The venue being the civil department seminar hall, the juniors poured in for the two hour fun interaction with the ASCE cabinet and seniors. The session soon kicked off with the ASCE essentials being spilled in capsule format giving them a glimpse of the kind of work being done within the department.

The listening blue tagged civilians were experiencing heavy inertia to respond and interact. But soon that code was unlocked when the trove of activities and tasks were opened. Slowly the blues started to cheer and gel in with the atmosphere. There were performances from the Reds and soon we had to wind up the session since we had holy celebrations in college the same day. Two blues came forward with their feedbacks and boom the event came to a close.

A  breath of fresh air was inducted into the organisation.

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Albin Wilson, S4 CEA

ASCE - New Cabinet for 2023

This is the time of the year when we elect the new cabinet for ASCE Student Chapter. The voting for the posts were held on 25 March in online mode. This year, the chapter took a new initiative - the candidates had to file in a video clip for campaign to be shared among members before voting. 287 members cast their votes this time, an all time high for the chapter. The results were declared on 26th and the new cabinet members are:

1. President - Sivaraj B, S6 CE
2. Vice President- Sreepriya S, S6 CE
3. Treasurer - Jyotika K, S6 CE
4. Chairperson Publicity - Varsha K, S6 CE
5. Correspondence Secretary - Aravind S K, S4 CE
6. Recording Secretary - Albin Wilson, S4 CE
7. Chairperson Community Service and Membership - Rehan Naushad, S4 CE

Faculty Advisor:

Ms. Neeraja Nair, Asst. Prof.

Congratulations to the office bearers and all the vey best to the new cabinet. We are looking forward for new and exciting initiatives from ASCE FISAT Student Chapter!!!

Builders Association of India (BAI) Student Chapter, MoU & Add on Course

The department took a big step forward today, 22nd March 2023 - Installation of the Students Chapter of Builders Association of India (BAI) , Signing an MoU with BAI Angamaly Center and rolling out the add on course on Green Home Tech Workshop in association with BAI Members. After Seven long years of collaboration with BAI Angamaly Centre as an Institutional Member, the official induction of BAI Student chapter was materialised today.

Er. Jolly Varghese, BAI Kochi Centre Inaugurated the proceedings by lighting the lamp. In his address, Er. Jolly Varghese gave a comprehensive idea about the need for students to have industry interaction and how a Students Chapter would help them achieve the same. The formal installation of the student chapter was done by Er.Siju Jose Paracka, Chairman BAI Angamaly Centre and Er. Charles J Thayyil, Advisor, BAI Student Chapter, FISAT.

 

Er. Biji Stephen, Founder Chairman BAI, Angamaly Centre and State in Charge of Skill Development Programme, Er. Saijan Kuriakose, Founder, Greenhome Tech Workshop, Mr. Manoj Govind, Dean, Sree Satya Sai Academy for Management Excellence, Business Management Institute, Trivandrum spoke during the event. They were very vocal about the need for up-skilling budding civil engineers to make them industry ready in a holistic manner.

The president of the function was Sri. Jenib Kachappilly, Treasurer, Governing Body. Dr. Jiji Antony, Head of the Department, welcomed the gathering. Sri. Rajavarma, Governing body member, Dr. Manoj George, Principal, Dr. C Sheela, Vice Principal, Dr. Mini P R, Dean were also present on the dais.

Another feather in the cap of the department was the MoU signed between Builders Association of India (BAI) and the department for the up-skilling, creation of employment opportunities for students in the construction industry. It would also involve conducting training programs, build expos which will be beneficial for BAI, FISAT and the society. Mr. Jawahar Saud and Mr. Abin Thomas C A, staff in charge of Students Chapter BAI were present while the MoU was inked by the signatories. 

The function was followed by Add on Program “Green Home - Tech Workshop 1.0” on Pre Engineered Building construction for sixth semester students. This one week long program focus on giving a hands-on experience for students in planning, designing and execution of pre-engineered buildings. The objective is to make students industry ready and enhance their employability. 

The program was a grand success and I had the privilege of proposing the the vote of thanks.  A big day for the department as three targets were hit on a single day which warmed up to new hopes and fresh challenges. Hope the day puts the department’s compass further north.

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Jawahar Saud S, Asst. Prof.

Obituary - Er. Suresh S

Er. Suresh S. Not many of you may know him, but, he was a part of FISAT family. Er. Suresh S, Associated Structural Consultants, Kochi is a renowned Structural Engineer, know to everyone as one person who can give simple solutions to all structural engineering problems.  He passed away today, 21 March 2023 at Amrita Hospital, Kochi. He met with an accident, a fall during a site visit and did not survive the injury.

His first association with FISAT was as a structural consultant. All the structural drawings of FISAT came from his office and so for each and every expansion that has happened in the past 20 years. He would meticulously deign the structure, details it to perfection and ensures that the design is executed to his satisfaction with frequent site visits. He makes sure that all the queries pertaining to the design are answered and  conveyed the best possible manner to all the stakeholders - including the owner, contractor, the supervisor and the workers.

Er. Suresh has contributed to the Department of Civil Engineering as the Department Advisory Committee member since its inception in 2011. We still cherish his recommendations about incorporating practical sessions and site visits along with theory courses and how to mould the students when they are doing their undergraduate course. He has also been a part of the International Conference, SECON, as the advisory committee member. I still remember the day he gave an excellent session on Structural Dynamics to the students as part of their course Structural Analysis back in 2018.

 
Someone who has a strong theoretical knowledge in structural design, he was recognised by both industry and academia. He graduated in civil engineering with first rank in 1985 and did his masters in structural engineering from IIT Madras. This paved way for him to start a consulting firm in 1989 at Kochi. Consulting was his passion. His expertise in structural engineering made him very popular and was part of many high rise structures in the state.

He never hesitated to visit campuses and interact with students. He was a part of the academic advisory committee of many colleges across the state. He would make his presence in most of the events organised by professional bodies like Indian Concrete Institute, Indian Geotechnical Society, Association of Piling Engineers and so on. The wide spectrum of people who paid respects to him at his residence was a proof of his acceptability in the Civil Engineering profession. It was evident that he has touched everyone in the Civil Engineering Community - from big contractors to academicians, architects to engineers, supervisors to workers, fresh engineers and even students.

He is survived by his wife Susheela, who is also a structural engineer, son Harishankar, again a structural engineer and daughter Sreelakshmi. Let's bow our head in respect to his great engineer who has made his mark in the minds of many.

We made it!! NAAC A+

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" -Aristotle.

Yes, this day will be written in golden letters in the history of FISAT. We are accredited by NAAC with A+, a score of 3.45 in the second cycle, which is the highest grade for any engineering college in the state as of now. We missed A++ by a whisker - 0.05. In the first cycle, we were accredited with A, which was the best score among all engineering colleges at that time. History repeats!

FISAT will surely achieve it in the next cycle. A big thanks to all the students, staff and alumni who have contributed to this achievement.

Pathway - 7th edition

The 7th edition of our department news letter "Pathway" was released by the chairman Mr. Shimith P R on 10 March 2022. Management committee member and past treasurer of FBOAES, Mr. Raja Varma was also present on the occasion. This is the most colourful edition of Pathway. Take a look.

You can read the news letter here

FISAT bags a double!!

Proud moment for FISAT!! 

FISAT bags a double. The Volleyball and Basketball teams of FISAT emerged winners in the South India Intercollegiate Tournament-2023 conducted at NIT, Calicut. In the finals, the Basketball team defeated MCET, Thiruvananthapuram (61-48) & the Volleyball team defeated the host NIT Calicut. (3-1). 

Tetrapods @ Chellanam

Chellanam is the costal village in the district of Ernakulam. During the past few years, the sea shore near Chlleanam has witnessed erosion. To mitigate this threat, the Kerala state government has come out with a project - construction of seawall using tetrapods along the stretch between Chellanam harbour and Puthanthodu. Tetrapods are being laid on 2.5m foundation of granites and a height of 6.1m from the sea level. 

The aim is to complete the construction of the 7.3m long sea wall before April 2023. The work is progressing very fast and ULCC is engaged in the manufacturing of tetrapods based on the study conducted by NCCR (National Centre for Coastal Research). The project is supervised by Anti Sea Erosion Project Management unit under the irrigation department.

The students of sixth semester B.Tech had a chance to visit Chellanam on 4 March 2023. The visit was organised in association with ICI Kochi Chapter. The visit was amply supported by Er.Ashwin , AE - Irrigation Dept, Er. Sajith J P, Er. Shyju Nair from ICI and the engineering team from ULCC. The team gave a complete walk though of the project and explained the various stages of construction in detail. 

Students got an opportunity to see the moulds used for casting of tetrapods, the process of casting, compaction using needle vibrators and rubber hammer. They could also get to see the process of lifting, transporting and placing the tetrapods in the seawall. The aggressive nature of the marine environment demands special care in the selection of materials, maintaining quality of construction and design of the mix.

 

Transporting and lifting using cranes also requires planning since the tetrapods are un reinforced. Any small ignorance in the process can lead to failure of the section. It was also interesting to understand the reason behind the shape of tetrapod. The visit was a great opportunity for the students to get a first hand experience of a large project, the various aspects of managing it in an aggressive marine environment.

The student team from FISAT was accompanied by Dr. Kavitha P E, Ms. Rinu J Achison,  Ms.Beena B R, Mr. Jawahar Saud S and Mr. Sreerath S.

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Rinu J Achison, Asst. Prof.

ICI Ultratech Awards

Indian Concrete Institute (ICI) Kochi Centre conducted its annual award ceremony this year on 21 February 2023 at Crowne Plaza Kochi. This high profile event was sponsored by Ultratech and attracted the members from Industry as well as academia. This was one of the largest event of ICI this year and saw a long list of professionals from the field of construction industry. Though it was an award ceremony, the violin concert and musical extravaganza at the start set a great mood for the evening.

In addition to announcing the awards, an invited lecture on the topic “Improvements in Concrete Processing Leading to 3D Concrete Printing” by Prof. Kollur V.L.Subramanian, IIT Hyderabad was also organised as a part of the event. The talk was very informative and brought out the significance of Self Compacting Concrete and its applications in the field. The significance of 3D Concrete Printing and its numerous promising applications in the future was also elaborated by the speaker. 

From ICI, the Awards were convened by Dr Anil Joseph (Chairman of ICI Kochi Centre), Dr Job Thomas (Secretary of ICI Kochi Centre), Er. Shyju Nair (Treasurer ICI Kochi Centre), Er. Sajith Bhaskar (Regional Head Technical Services Ultratech Cement Ltd) and Mr Ani George (Regional Head Marketing Ultratech Cement Ltd).

The ICI FISAT Students Chapter was among the five nominations under the category of “Best Students Chapter” in Kerala. AISAT won the award this time. There were also other awards in different categories like Best M.Tech thesis, Outstanding Concrete Engineer, Best Commercial Building, Best Residential Building with sub categories. There was also on display a Virtual Reality walk though which was a unique experience.

Dr. Kavitha P.E., Ms Neeraja Nair, Afrin Mubarack and Catherine Joby of the ICI FISAT student Chapter attended the award ceremony.

The most exciting and a big surprise was to meet out alumni during the event. We had a great time meeting and interacting with them. The sumptuous dinner followed, we had big trouble choosing from the long array of dishes.

It was indeed a day well spent, meeting and interacting with the people from Industry and gave us a great networking opportunity.

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Catherine Joby, S8 CE

Getting ready for NAAC

Everyone in our campus is on toes - making arrangements for the NAAC visit on 9, 10 March 2023. This is the second cycle of NAAC. Last time, in 2016, our campus was accredited with A grade, with one of the highest scores for an engineering college in the state. Our hopes are high this time, FISAT has always put the best of its efforts when it comes for accreditation. We have made all possible arrangements on campus to welcome the NAAC Peer Team on 9th. I am sure some of you alumni were also troubled to get data as well as support during the preparations. Thank you for all the support. 

Join the department in wishing FISAT the best outcome this year too. As always, we have lit up the campus. Get a glimpse here. More to come!!!