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Critical Reflection

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The learning journey with Professor Brad in the effective communication module has been a remarkable experience. Since the module was started, he asked to write an introduction letter including weakness and goals. At there, I set my goals to have a greater confidence, enjoy public speaking and make new friends by the end of this module. Now it has already been 13 weeks and I realize that I do improve not only my communication but also reading and technical writing skills. During his class, I was urged to cooperate in class activities like rephrasing with citations and presenting ideas to the class. As I'm a silent person, I barely speak out loud and express my thoughts to the class but these activities encouraged me to improve on my articulation of words. One of the assignment was to write a summary and reader response of an article. As it was my first time writing an analysis, I was hesitant in my work. But with the clear feedback from Professor, I was able to carry out the t...
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Summary_Reader Response Draft #4: Coal ash into concrete

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The NaturalBlaze.com article, "Researchers Turn Waste from Coal Power Plants into Concrete" (2019), reports that researchers from Drexel University have discovered a sustainable solution to protect the natural environment and improve the built environment by recycling coal ash. Coal ash, a harmful byproduct of coal-fired power plants, ends up abundantly in landfills each year. Concrete is one of the most popular building materials in the world but one drawback is that it requires the right atmospheric conditions to allow proper mixing and curing. The article states that by turning these waste coal ash into a special additive,  “spherical porous reactive aggregate” (SPoRA)  and adding them into the concrete while curing process, it will improve the durability and quality of the concrete (as cited in the journal “ Cement and Concrete Composites ”). By using this method, it will reduce the number of coal ash in landfills and benefits the industry. While agreeing with the met...
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Annotated Summary

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Solid waste management infrastructure (n.d.). National Environment Agency. https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/waste-management-infrastructure/solid-waste-management-infrastructure This article states that as Singapore is growing population, the amount of solid waste disposed has been increased from 1,260 tonnes a day in 1970 to a peak of 8,559 tonnes a day in 2016. Currently, Singapore's solid waste disposal infrastructure consists of four waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, Tuas, Senoko, Tuas South and Keppel Seghers Tuas Waste-To-Energy Plant (KSTP), as well as the Semakau Landfill. Before collecting the solid waste, the recyclables are sorted and retrieved for processing to prolong the lifespan of recyclable materials. The solid waste that remains is then collected and sent to the various waste-to-energy plants for incineration. The incineration of solid waste reduces its volume by about 90% and produces steam, which runs turbi...
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Technical report Draft 1

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Introduction Background Information This proposal has been initiated in response to the request for proposals on developing engineering solutions for engineering problems. As demands for electricity continue to rise, coal-powered and incineration plants are on double shifts to meet electricity demands and as a result, fly ash have been produced in abundance. This byproduct, which ends up consuming landfill space, has environmental concerns that need to be addressed. These ashes generate leachate, where coal ash and water precipitation react to become harmful solid wastes that contaminate underground water. Turrentine (2019) reported that people suffered from respiratory illness and thyroid problems, just by inhaling these ashes. Also, within the Singapore context, land scarcity is a problem. Our only landfill, Pulau Semakau, will reach its peak come the year 2035. 1,500 tonnes of incinerated fly ash has been actively dumped into this landfill and thus, minimising this action...
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