Sustainable and Economical Open-Ended Project for Materials Technology Course Laboratory Work

摘要

The laboratory work for Materials Technology course is a hands-on laboratory where the students do the actual design and casting of specified strength concrete samples. For the student to attain Civil and Structural Engineering program outcomes (PO) specified for the course, open-ended based project is proposed for students to be solved through laboratory work. The POs specified are: the ability to function effectively as an individual and in a group with the capacity to be a leader as well as an effective team member; and the ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyse and interpret data. This paper proposes new approach in handling hands-on Materials Technology course laboratory work by replacing the conventional concrete components materials with sustainable materials such as recycled aggregate and mineral admixtures as aggregate and cements replacement but still attain the specified concrete strength. The students are divided into groups of four to six and are only given the specified grade of concrete to be designed and cast but selection of materials are up to them to choose. The materials to be used should be sustainable such as waste products and recycled materials. They are also required to identify the necessary apparatus and prepare the methodology. The marks will be given based on their originality and creativity.