CMR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Bangalore – 560037
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

PROJECT REPORT

Submitted by

SRINIVAS PUTTAPPA 1CR17CV063

SHIRISH LAL 1CR17CV061
BV SUMAN 1CR18CV404
BHUVAN V KUMAR 1CR16CV011

CMR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

#132, AECS LAYOUT, IT PARK ROAD, KUNDALAHALLI,
BANGALORE-560037

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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that SRINIVAS PUTTAPPA (1CR17CV063), BV SUMAN
(1CR18CV404) student of CMR Institute of Technology have undergone
internship in partial fulfilment for the award of Bachelor of Engineering in
Civil Engineering of the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum
during the year 2021-2022. It is certified that all corrections/suggestions
indicated for Internal Assessment have been incorporated in the Report. This
Internship Report has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements in
respect of project work prescribed for the said degree.

----------------------- ----------------------

Signature of Guide Signature of HOD

Mrs. Preeti Jacob Dr. Asha M Nair

Assistant Professor Professor & Head of

the

Dept. of Civil, CMRIT Dept. of Civil

CMRIT

External Viva
Name of the examiners
Signature with date

1.
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2.

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT 3-3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4-7
INTRODUCTION 8-8
CONTRACT 9-10
CLASSIFICATION OF BUILDINGS 11-16
COMPONENTS OF A BUILDING 16-56
CONCRETE 57-83
 WORKABILITY OF CONCRETE
 CONCRETE POURING
BAR BENDING SCHEDULE 84-88
CONCLUSION 89-89

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Introduction
Background and Setting
Microgreens are an agricultural product grown and sold as a salad green, similar
to sprouts and baby greens. Microgreens, as the word suggests, are harvested
while very small, after 7 to 28 days of growth from seed. Stems and cotyledons
(young leaves) are harvested and the root is left behind in the growth medium.
The first true leaves may or may not be present, depending on growth rate and
preference. Unlike sprouts, the roots of microgreens are not consumed, making
them a safer product in general (Buck, et al., 2003, Reed, et al., 2018; Xiao, et
al., 2014). Consumers appreciate microgreens for their surprisingly strong
flavours and delicate texture. Chefs typically use them as garnish, toppings and
in salads.
Microgreens are gaining popularity as a super food, since they are high in
vitamins and nutrients. Microgreens contain more nutrients per pound than
mature crops of the same type (Pinto, et al., 2015; Warner, 2012; Weber, 2016;
Xiao, et al., 2012). More than 60% of the world’s population is malnourished,
including developed countries (White & Broadley, 2009). In densely settled
areas, the length of shelf life governs what food is available at affordable prices,
often to the detriment of nutrition and health. Microgreens can be an accessible
source of fresh, nutritious food that can be easily grown in small indoor spaces.
Indoor microgreen farming may also be more sustainable than traditional crop
production (Weber, 2017).
Conventional agricultural practices overall contribute to global pollution levels
(Alley, et al., 2007). Many environmental impacts from farming have been
confirmed by scientists, including pollution caused by soil erosion,
deforestation, runoff from fertilizers, chemicals, livestock waste, and air
pollution (Alley, et al., 2007; Harvey, 2016). The production of microgreens has
a smaller environmental impact when compared to the production of mature
vegetables, because they require much less time, fertilizer, space, and inputs
(Weber, 2016). Environmentalists, farmers and health-conscious individuals are
becoming more aware of the value of this up-and-coming crop.
Despite the excitement around microgreens, there is still a major gap in
published research on how to grow different varieties of microgreens. The term
variety as it relates to microgreens means the different crops used for
microgreens and cultivars of those species, such as red cabbage or yellow frill
mustard. Most of the scientific research focuses on analysing the nutrition

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concentrations or microbial safety of microgreens. The articles that focus on
microgreen yield are often simple, only discuss one.
variety, are anecdotal and/or not peer-reviewed. Most academic publications on
microgreens rely on loose medium or soil to grow them. One scientist compared
burlap production of microgreens with other growth mediums, but it was only
for broccoli microgreens (Di Gioia, et al., 2016). More information and
extended research are needed to learn about the different varieties and the
efficacy of burlap production methods for microgreens.
Microgreens have the ability to influence the world by providing fresh, local,
and nutritious produce to malnourished populations, while also providing an
educational tool to teach about sustainable agriculture and healthy diet choices.
A shift in consumer demand and food culture would be required before this new
food crop becomes widely accepted. This future of attitudes around food is
developing in universities. For example, a recent article lists the top 75 Schools
for Food, showing what matters most to young consumers (The Daily Meal,
2018). A lot of the dining programs featured in the article have fresh, local
ingredients and sustainable features, like composting and campus farms.
On that list of schools, coming in at number 21, was George Mason University
(GMU), a large public university in northern Virginia, U.S.A., right outside of
Washington, D.C. Students at GMU were demanding more fresh and local food
options on campus. Proof came as student clubs forming around the topic and in
student applications for grant projects with the Office of Sustainability to create
more gardens and aquaponics systems. The dining services corporation at
GMU, Sodexo, received feedback repeatedly from students asking for fresher
ingredients and healthier options.
To meet the students’ call for fresher food on campus the staff at GMU decided
to start a project to create a hydroponic greenhouse program that could grow
food on campus to serve in the dining halls. I had just graduated in 2014 when
they hired me to start the project. I had previous horticulture experience from
maintaining the student-led garden for 3 years, and I was a regular volunteer in
the greenhouse alongside its former staff in the College of Science.
I did all the budgeting, planning, and design to retrofit the existing vacant
greenhouse on campus to support a hydroponic food production system. In 2014
and 2016, GMU funded over $35,000 total in grants to build the system and
purchase supplies. The operation was deemed safe for crop production by
Sodexo staff. Since it relies on hydroponics in a protected indoor environment,
it was safer than sourcing food grown under field conditions with compost. A

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food safety protocol, requiring worker health and hygiene, was created to
adhere to Sodexo’s food safety guidelines.
GMU already had a liability contract with Sodexo so the administrative staff
signed an addendum and agreed to cover the cost of taxes to make the project
happen. Sodexo paid an annual sum in return for the produce grown by
sustainability staff and student participants in the greenhouse. GMU’s facilities
department agreed to pay the staff salary to run the greenhouse program year-
round, through the Office of Sustainability. Since then, the project has turned it
into the Greenhouse and Gardens Program, whose mission is to grow food on
campus and educate students.
The managers at Mason Dining are able to source about 10% of all their
ingredients from local farms within a 250-mile radius, and the campus
greenhouse provides a portion of this local food from a quarter mile away.
Since 2015, I have been managing the greenhouse and the hydroponic food
production systems in it, with huge success. We grow hydroponic lettuce, basil,
microgreens, tomatoes and assorted herbs. We planned to grow microgreens
from the beginning, since they are profitable and attractive to chefs. The
microgreens are served in the dining halls on campus as a salad green.

There are plenty of other benefits to growing some of your own food: learning
the basics of plant biology, and putting into practice the basics of the scientific
method to name a few.  This semester we are going to grow a particular kind of
crop called microgreens with the following goals

Microgreen Educational Project Goals

1. Develop awareness of and interest in plants as food
2. Learn how to conduct investigation systematically using scientific
process:
3. Evaluate evidence both from your own crop trials and from published
material

Microgreens Introducing Micro Greens  (Links to an external

site.).
 You may be familiar with sprouts- seeds of certain species such as alfalfa
or mung beans are germinated and eaten when they have just started to

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 grow their embryonic root and embryonic leaves (cotyledons). They tend
to be crunchy with no green or photosynthetic tissue.

Microgreens are one step beyond sprouts: the seed has germinated, growing a
root, but also started to pull the stored nutrients out of the cotyledons
(embryonic leaves) in order to fuel the growth of the first true leaves.  

The microgreen is using the new root to absorb water and maybe some minerals
from the soil, but is primarily living off of the cotyledons. Cotyledons are
generally stock piled with starch, protein and oils from the parent plant. Initially
the seedling doesn’t have any leaves for photosynthesis, so it breaks down the
molecules in the cotyledons to fuel their growth of the new roots, stem and new
leaves.

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Once the seedling has grown some true leaves, it can become self-supporting
through photosynthesis.  Microgreens are small, easy to grow in a small space,
have a fast harvest cycle and are thought to have a high vitamin, mineral and
anti-oxidant content (Xiao, 2016). In addition, many people love the taste and
texture of microgreens and they have become a profitable urban agriculture
product due to their ease of growth and high retail sales value.

Microgreens Project Outline

This semester you will work in groups of three to grow microgreens. The
project will be broken into two parts
I. Maximize Production
In groups you will each have the opportunity to grow microgreens with the goal
of increasing your production (yield) over the course of the semester.  The
assignments are as follows
First Crop: In groups using the materials and methods in the link, you will
sow, grow, harvest and record your first crop’s yield. By observing and
comparing your own crop to other groups', you can learn some of the factors
that help increase yield. 
Research Growing Methods: Individually, you will each find, evaluate and
write up other common materials and methods for growing microgreens. Your
information will be available in the Google Drive so we can all benefit from
each other’s research.
Second through third crop: Back in your group, you will look over the
different growing techniques, as well as your observations from the first crop,
and systematically experiment with different methods with the goal of
increasing your yield from your first crop. You will have the opportunity to
repeat this effort (2nd and 3rd crop).
II. Claims Analysis
Toward the middle and end of the semester, you will turn your attention to the
second half of this project; investigating claims made about microgreens, urban
agriculture, community gardens, school gardens.
This assignment was locked Dec 31, 2018 at 11:59pm.
After you have harvested your 1st crop and entered your yield in the Google
Drive, (Links to an external site.) you will receive 5 points for completing this
assignment. 

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While your first crop is growing, each student, individually, is responsible for
investigating materials and methods for growing microgreens.  You will need to
find sources of information and evaluate them using the following template. 
Assignment Goals 

 Learn more about growing microgreens

 Decide what material or methods changes you would like to
experiment with over the next several crop cycles
 Learn how to evaluate the quality of a source of information (article or
website etc)

Hypothesis:
What factors do you think you could alter to increase your yield/clamshell? 
You will need to narrow down your focus and pick one or two factors that you
think could influence the growth.
Prediction: If you alter your growing system, you predict that the plants will
grow bigger in the same amount of time.
Observation: Obviously you will need to measure the yield at the end of the
growth cycle to determine if your prediction and therefore your hypothesis was
correct.
Experimental Design
We need to refine our ability to distinguish if your hypothesis is correct, by
using our guidelines for creating a good quality experiment.   Remember the
important points
Only one experimental variable at a time: in this case this means that you
should be examining the impact of one growth factor not many (just seed type
and not seed type AND soil type OR just seed density, not seed density AND
seed type)
Control vs. Experimental treatments: You will need a clamshell with the
unaltered growing conditions (control) and a clamshell with the altered
(experimental) growing conditions. In this case, the 1st Crop can serve as your
control and your 2nd crop as your experimental
Reduce bias by increasing sample size: You will need to plant 3-4 of your
2nd Crop so we have a decent sample size. You might want to ‘’buddy’ up with
another Crop Group so that you can increase your sample size by testing the
same variable/factor.
Maximizing Benefit: Nutrition

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There are many claims about the nutritional benefit of microgreens.  If you have
selected this option, you and your partner will need to investigate these claims,
look at the research and present your findings to the class. 
Here are the questions that you will need to ask:
1. What is the nutritional profile of microgreens?
You need to present data on at least 4 different varieties. Include vitamin,
mineral and any phytochemical or antioxidant information that is available. For
each you should have a citation and include that source in your works cited.
2. Are microgreens more nutritious than regular vegetables?
if they are more nutritious per unit (ounce or gram), consider the size and cost
of microgreens. Would they lead to more nutrition overall?
You need to include information from at least 2 peer reviewed sources, cite
them and include them in your works cited.
3. General health benefits from eating microgreens:
Is there any evidence that eating microgreens can benefit people’s health? Are
there any medical conditions in particular that might benefit and what is the
evidence? You must use peer reviewed sources for this information and cite
them in your poster presentation and turn in a bibliography. (Minimum of 2
citations required)
Are there any dangers to eating microgreens? You are going to be looking for
events of bacterial contamination. These sources could be newspaper articles
(minimum of 2 citations)
4. Does growing microgreens increase vegetable consumption, food and/or
health literacy?
If so, does it do so for the grower, their friends and relatives, or the community?
You are going to have to look at the research on growing vegetables, urban
agriculture, school gardens, etc, since microgreens are a more recent addition to
this mix. I think it is fair to say that data regarding the impacts of growing
vegetables applies to the impact of growing microgreens.
You will need to provide at least 2 peer-reviewed sources for this section and
include them in the works cited.
5. Resources

 I’ve put some peer reviewed articles in the Google Drive

 Healthline article (Links to an external site.)with good peer-reviewed
references.

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  UC Davis Urban Agriculture Impacts: Literature Review (Links to an
external site.)is a good place to look for research and articles.

Maximizing Benefit: Community and Education

Since microgreens are a fairly recent development, there won’t be much

information about the educational or community benefits of microgreens. But
there has been research done to examine the effects of school gardens, urban
farming/agriculture and other forms of dispersed food production. I think it is
reasonable to look at that research and see what and how it might apply to
growing microgreens. That means that you will be using the research on one
form of agriculture to hypothesize about the impact of another form. 
Here are the questions you need to answer
1. Health impacts:
You are not answering the question whether there are nutrient benefits of
microgreens for an individual, but rather are their documented improvements in
the health of the community. Just because vegetables are healthy for you,
doesn’t mean that growing them makes you healthier, unless you eat them!
Issues to consider: food access and vegetable consumption.
2. Educational impacts
Does small scale urban agriculture improve educational outcomes of students
involved in these projects? You will need to look at the research on school
gardens primarily and decide if it applies to microgreen growing.
3.Community development impacts:
Does growing microgreens increase food access, healthy eating and social well-
being of the individual growing them or the community in which they are
grown? Remember the research will be from small scale agriculture, urban
farming and community gardens. 
Issues to consider: do these forms of agriculture generate educational programs,
job training? Doe these forms of agriculture help to build community and/or
generate social capital (look this term up). You will then need to analyse
whether the work done to investigate community gardens, urban agriculture etc
applies to microgreens. For example, microgreens are usually grown as a
commercial enterprise not as a community resource. Therefore, there could be
differences in the impacts. 
4.. Economic benefits:

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Are there economic benefits to the community from growing microgreens. You
are looking at the financial effect on the community at large, not whether one
individual can make money. Again, you will need to look at the research on
urban farming, agriculture, etc since microgreens are probably too new a
phenomenon.
Issues to consider: job creation, business incubation and economic savings on
food
 
5. Resources 

 UC Davis Urban Agriculture Impacts: Literature Review (Links to an

external site.). Links to an external site.

HOW TO GROW MICROGREENS

It is hard not to smile when you see your first batch of happy microgreens
reach up to sun, especially in the midst of winter. We all crave sunlight and
nothing is more magical than watching these little guys turn their faces to
the sun. Such a simple thing, but it never fails to lift my spirits.

Microgreens are packed with a tremendous amount of nutrients- so much

more than their full-grown counterparts. I once read somewhere that eating
“living” foods adds years to our life while eating “dead” foods removes
years from our life.

I always think of this when eating them. They are about as living as you can
get! Plus, they are just so cute. Right? They make everything better. Add
them to things you are already making – salads, wraps, sandwiches,  buddha
bowls. Top off your soups or entrees with them, add to juices and smoothies.
Not only are they highly nutritious- they are very flavourful!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF MICROGREENS:

1. Cancer-Fighting  Many microgreens, especially broccoli, contain

high levels of sulforaphane which research shows inhibit the growth
of cancer cells.
2. Prevents chronic disease.  Microgreens have many health-promoting
micronutrients to help stave off major diseases.

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 3. High in Minerals.  Microgreens have larger quantities of
minerals than their vegetable counterpart.
4. High in Antioxidants. 
5. May lower cholesterol 
6. 40 times more nutrients than their mature plant counterpart.
7. Helps with weight management
8. Microgreens are considered a prebiotic which feeds good bacteria in
the gut.
9. Possibly lowers blood pressure
10. High in Vitamins A, Beta Carotene, C, E, K and Lutein.

The Setup
For the setup I used a full ITX size CPU case. As I was having one lying
around and it was quite aesthetic to the décor, it was a great fit. The Power
Supply unit was damaged so I removed the power internals and hooked up
the Arduino Nano, The bolt module, relays and power distribution inside the
Power supply unit. The enclosure was great way to hide all the wonky and
dangling wires reducing the risk of short circuit or Electrostatic discharge
damaging any component. Inside the SATA Drive bay, I fixed a Water bottle
connected to a 5V water pump and placed the saplings in the area where the
motherboard would be.

Working
Getting Humidity and Temperature: The Arduino collects the temperature
and humidity value from DHT11. Then it checks if the humidity is more
than 80% or Temperature is more than 37 C. If true, it powers a relay which
powers an exhaust fan that removes humid air from the enclosure. This
creates negative pressure inside sucking in fresh air reducing indoor
humidity and temperature.

Getting ambient brightness: Then Arduino collects the Ambient light levels.
Here I have used an LDR Module instead of directly using LDR alone. This
module directly gives a digital output in form of HIGH or LOW instead of
analogue value. Based on the input received (HIGH stating Darkness / LOW
stating Bright), a relay is powered which in turn powers an auxiliary LED
lamp. This LED lamp acts as an alternate source of light and accelerated the
growth cycle of the microgreens.

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Getting soil moisture: Thereafter Arduino uses soil moisture to detect
amount of moisture available in soil. If it is less than 70% (as microgreens
use lot of water), the relay is triggered which triggers the pump to send more
water to the plants.

Uploading to Bolt Cloud: Well after 5-minute interval, the bolt sends a serial
message to Arduino to send data. As Arduino gets this message it sends this
all the four values (temperature, humidity, ambient brightness, soil moisture)
to the Bolt as CSV format (values in string separated by commas).

Bolt Cloud: The JavaScript file on the bolt device converts the input string
to separate values and makes four different graphs allowing to view the
trends.

Building

1. Connect all the sensors to the Arduino Nano as per the schematics.
2. Later connect the relay module to the Arduino Nano as per the
schematics.
3. Then connect the Bolt IoT Device to Arduino Nano as per the
schematics
4. Run your 12v wires from the relay to the place where the devices (fan,
LED light, and water pump) will be mounted in the enclosure. Hide
the cables and use zip ties for clean cable management.

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 5. Upload the code to the Arduino Nano using Arduino IDE. After
success uploading of the code, use the Serial Monitor to check if all
the sensors and relays are working properly.

What are microgreens?

Like sprouts, microgreens are a young vegetable. However, sprouts and

microgreens are not the same.

Sprouts are newly germinated seeds that people harvest just as the seed begins
to grow and before their leaves develop. Conversely, microgreens grow from
sprouts, and they have leaves.

When the cotyledon leaves — the embryonic leaves — have fully developed,
and the first true leaves have emerged, the plant becomes a microgreen.

People usually grow sprouts in water and harvest them within 2–3 days.

Microgreens can grow either in soil or hydroponically, but they need sunlight.
People harvest them after 1–3 weeks, depending on the type.

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People can grow microgreens from any herb or vegetable. The flavour will
depend on the plant.

Popular microgreens include:

 amaranth
 basil
 kale
 broccoli
 mustard
 tatsoi
 orach
 borage
 beet
 parsley
 pea
 red pak choi
 kohlrabi
 Swiss chard
 rocket

Possible health benefits

Microgreens might offer several benefits as an addition to the diet.

Rich in nutrients

Many fresh plant products provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

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These nutrients can help with:

 preventing a range of diseases.

 managing weight.
 boosting both mental and physical health and well-being.

Microgreens can offer all of these benefits and possibly more.

Antioxidant content

Many plant-based foods are a good source of vitamins, minerals,

and antioxidants. Vitamins and minerals play hundreds of roles in essential
bodily processes.

Antioxidants help the body eliminate unstable waste molecules known as free
radicals.

Free radicals result from both natural bodily processes and environmental
pressures, such as pollution. As they build up, they can lead to cell damage.
Eventually, this damage may contribute to the development of diseases, such
as cancer.

The body can remove some free radicals, but they can still accumulate.
Antioxidants from foods can help remove more of them. Plant based foods can
provide antioxidants.

There is evidence to suggest that microgreens have a high antioxidant content,

which means that they may help prevent a range of diseases. The exact types of
antioxidant will depend on the plant.

Microgreens from the Brassica family, which include broccoli, contain high

levels of vitamin E, a phenolic antioxidant. Asteraceae microgreens, such as
chicory and lettuce, appear to be high in vitamin A, or carotenoid antioxidants.

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Details about using microgreens to treat or prevent specific diseases are not yet
available, but scientists are looking into their possible benefits.

Sustainability

There is a growing interest in sustainability, and microgreens could be a good

way to provide city dwelling families with locally produced seasonal vegetables
at a low cost.

Microgreens are easy to grow at home in a confined space. A small outlay can
provide a significant return in terms of bulk, variety, and nutrients.

As they take just a few weeks to grow, it is possible to have an ongoing source
of microgreens. By rotating three crops, for example, people could have fresh
microgreens every week. Hydroponically grown microgreens do not even need
soil.

Nutrition

The nutritional value of microgreens varies according to type, as with

conventional vegetables.

However, there is also evidence that some may contain a higher concentration

of many nutrients than their mature, fully grown counterparts.

A 100 g serving Trusted Source of sunflower and basil microgreen mix will
provide:

 28 calories.
 2.2 g of protein.
 4.4 g of carbohydrate.
 2.2 g of fibre.

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  88 milligrams (mg) of calcium.
 15.9 mg of iron.
 66 mg of magnesium.
 66 mg of phosphorus.
 298 mg of potassium.
 11 mg of sodium.
 0.7 mg of zinc.
 6.6 mg of vitamin C.
 79.6 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A.
 66 mcg of folate.

Dietary tips

As well as adding nutritional content, microgreens can boost color, enhance

flavour, and add texture to any dish.

People can add microgreens to meals in the following ways:

 as a garnish for salads, soups, flatbreads, or pizzas

 to add nutritional value to a juice or smoothie
 as a side to any main dish
 to add flavour and colour to an omelette or frittata
 as an alternative to lettuce in tacos or a burger or sandwich

Herb microgreens can also add flavour to sweet dishes. People can sprinkle a
pinch of mint, for example, on a fruit-based mousse or on strawberries with
yogurt.

Risks

Some experts have raised concerns about the risk of contamination of

microgreens, for example, with Escherichia coli. The risk increases with the
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storage time, and it will depend partly on the type and composition of the
microgreen. Some are more susceptible than others.

As with sprouts and other vegetables, sources of contamination can include:

 the soil or other medium in which they grow

 the irrigation waters
 the type of microgreen

Some people who grow sprouts and microgreens commercially use disinfectant
products, such as chlorinated water, to prevent contamination. Others rinse the
plants frequently, up to 50 times before a sprout is ready to harvest, to keep
them clean.

People can also spritz microgreens with chlorinated water from the tap just
before eating them to minimize the risk.

The shelf life of microgreens varies from 10–14 days after harvesting.

People who buy microgreens from the grocery store should:

 ensure that they come from a reputable supplier

 check the sell-by date
 keep them refrigerated at a maximum of 5°C and eat them within 10 days

People who grow microgreens at home will be better able to manage these risks.
Tips for producing microgreens safely at home include:

 using clean soil or hydroponic materials.

 irrigating with clean water.
 harvesting and consuming microgreens as soon as possible when they are
ready.

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  keeping them refrigerated at no more than at 5 °C, if necessary, and
eating them within 10 days.

Takeaway

Microgreens can be a fun and practical way to add fresh, nutritious produce to
meals, even for city dwellers. They can be a tasty addition to sweet and savoury
dishes, and they may have more nutrients than their conventional counterparts.

Parents and caregivers who invite their children to help them plant, water, and
harvest microgreens on a window ledge might find that their children become
more excited about eating greens.

In terms of cost and sustainability, growing microgreens can be a practical and

economical way of putting fresh food on the table.

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