READER RESPONSE (DRAFT 2)

The article “The Concrete Advantage” taken from the Green Rooftop website provides readers the advantages and disadvantages of concrete green roof. According to the article, the process of design, construction and maintenance will be shortened in projects using waterproof concrete as membranes are not required for the development . This in turn leads to higher work efficiency and  reduces the overall cost of the project. On the other hand, the main downfall would be  additional construction cost.

The article mentions that the waterproof concrete contains permanent ""built in"" waterproofing elements that cannot be damaged or torn during service.  This will lead to progressed construction schedule by several weeks and improve project feasibility. Cracks can also be repaired quickly with a simple inoculation from the bottom side of the green roof deck, which does not disrupt growing medium or plants. With lesser exposure risk for owners and designers, such green roofs are more economical which boost return on investment and project value. In addition, this hydrophobic technology removes dangerous element for the designer and owner of a green roof, increases financial viability, and enhances owner acceptance. In all, this project has higher sustainability and a lower life-cycle cost. While this may be true, the lack of analysis on the downfall of the product makes the article less reliable and incomplete.

The first reason is because the article only discusses the benefits of waterproof concrete. It does not state the limitations of the product. In addition, although this hydrophobic system may produce many positive results, it may still not be able to outperform under certain circumstances. For example, this product are not applicable to areas subjected to bending movement and vibrations as the materials used are not flexible (Cementitious Waterproofing (1996). Research studies have also discovered that concrete produced with hydrophobic chemical admixtures could theoretically resist some hydrostatic pressure. However, as not all pores are uniformly coated with the waterproof material, such concrete are not classified as permeability-reducing admixture exposed to hydrostatic conditions (Hooker, 2012).

This article is also incomplete as it did not mention the details on the different types of concrete waterproof admixtures. The benefits highlighted in this article could mainly be referring to a particular waterproof system. Research studies have shown that integral concrete hydrophobic systems generally consist of three kinds of admixtures, namely: densifiers, water repellents and crystalline (Yuers, 2011). Although these three waterproof materials might have the same functions, they each have their own limitations. By comparing all three, the article would leave the readers a better understanding of their characteristics respectively. 

Furthermore, the article did not provide any case studies of successful projects involving the use of integral waterproof concrete. Hence, there is no strong evidence to show the effectiveness of the product. Online research has shown that Waterproofing admix was used in the renovation and expansion of the Mark Jefferson Science Complex at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti (Ken, 2012). Concrete containing crystalline admixture was used to build the green roof slab on the building as well as for a tunnel. Since then, there have been no leaks once the initial cracks were sealed by the admixture.

In conclusion, while this article provides the main advantages of waterproof concrete, it lacks of an analysis of the limitations and description of the system. It is important to know a product in detail so as to evaluate its efficiency and to allow for improvements. Generally, this system has more benefits than disadvantages hence, it is widely used worldwide.

References:

Cementitious Waterproofing.(1996). Retrieved September 25, 2016, from http://www.csibaltimore.org/index_files/Cementitious%20Waterproofing%20-%20Mar%201996.pdf

Hooker. (2012).Waterproofing admixtures for concrete. Retrieved September 25, 2016, from http://www.concreteconstruction.net/how-to/materials/waterproofing-admixtures-for-concrete_o

The Concrete Advantages. Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://www.greenrooftops.org/advantage.html

Yuers. (2011).Understanding The Pros & Cons of Crystalline Waterproofing Retrieved September 22, 2016, from http://www.kryton.com/in-the-news/2011/04/05/understanding-the-pros-cons-of-crystalline-waterproofing/

Reader Response (Draft one)

The article “The Concrete Advantage” taken from the Green Rooftop website provides readers the advantages and disadvantages of concrete green roof. According to the article, the process of design, construction and maintenance will be shortened in projects using waterproof concrete as membranes are not required for the development . This in turn leads to higher work efficiency and  reduces the overall cost of the project. On the other hand, the main downfall would be  additional construction cost.

The article mentions that the waterproof concrete contains permanent ""built in"" waterproofing elements that cannot be damaged or torn during service.  This will lead to progressed construction schedule by several weeks and improve project feasibility. Cracks can also be repaired quickly with a simple inoculation from the bottom side of the green roof deck, which does not disrupt growing medium or plants. With lesser exposure risk for owners and designers, such green roofs are more economical which boost return on investment and project value. In addition, this hydrophobic technology removes dangerous element for the designer and owner of a green roof, increases financial viability, and enhances owner acceptance. In all, this project has higher sustainability and a lower life-cycle cost. While this may be true, the lack of analysis on the downfall of the product makes the article less reliable and incomplete.

The first reason is because the article only discusses the benefits of waterproof concrete. It does not state the limitations of the product. In addition, although this hydrophobic system may produce many positive results, it may still not be able to outperform under certain circumstances. For example, this product are not applicable to areas subjected to bending movement and vibrations as the materials used are not flexible (Cementitious Waterproofing, 1996). Research studies have also discovered that concrete produced with hydrophobic chemical admixtures could theoretically resist some hydrostatic pressure. However, as not all pores are uniformly coated with the waterproof material, such concrete are not classified as permeability-reducing admixture exposed to hydrostatic conditions (Ken, 2012).

This article is also incomplete as it did not mention the details on the different types of concrete waterproof admixtures. The benefits highlighted in this article could mainly be referring to a particular waterproof system. Research studies have shown that integral concrete hydrophobic systems generally consist of three kinds of admixtures, namely: densifiers, water repellents and crystalline (Yuers, 2011). Although these three waterproof materials might have the same functions, they each have their own limitations. By comparing all three, the article would leave the readers a better understanding of their characteristics respectively. 

Furthermore, the article did not provide any case studies of successful projects involving the use of integral waterproof concrete. Hence, there is no strong evidence to show the effectiveness of the product. Online research has shown that Waterproofing admix was used in the renovation and expansion of the Mark Jefferson Science Complex at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti (Ken, 2012). Concrete containing crystalline admixture was used to build the green roof slab on the building as well as for a tunnel. Since then, there have been no leaks once the initial cracks were sealed by the admixture.

In conclusion, while this article provides the main advantages of waterproof concrete, it lacks of an analysis of the limitations and description of the system. It is important to know a product in detail so as to evaluate its efficiency and to allow for improvements. Generally, this system has more benefits than disadvantages hence, it is widely used worldwide.

References:

The Concrete Advantages. Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://www.greenrooftops.org/advantage.html

Yuers.Kevin (2011)Understanding The Pros & Cons of Crystalline Waterproofing Retrieved September 22,2016 from http://www.kryton.com/in-the-news/2011/04/05/understanding-the-pros-cons-of-crystalline-waterproofing/

Hooker. Ken (2012)Waterproofing admixtures for concrete. Retrieved September25,2016 from http://www.concreteconstruction.net/how-to/materials/waterproofing-admixtures-for-concrete_o

Cementitious Waterproofing.1996 Retrieved September 25,2016 from http://www.csibaltimore.org/index_files/Cementitious%20Waterproofing%20-%20Mar%201996.pdf

3 Things to improve for the trimester

1) I need to ensure that my verb tense is consistent.

2) I need to improve on my sentence structure.

3) I need to double check on my spelling.

Summary & Thesis

The article “The Concrete Advantage” taken from the Green Rooftop website provides readers the advantages and disadvantages of concrete green roof. According to the article, the process of design, construction and maintenance will be shortened in projects using waterproof concrete as membranes are not required for the development . This in turn leads to higher work efficiency and  reduces the overall cost of the project. On the other hand, the main downfall would be  additional construction cost.

The article mentions that the waterproof concrete contains permanent ""built in"" waterproofing elements that cannot be damaged or torn during service.  This will lead to progressed construction schedule by several weeks and improve project feasibility. Cracks can also be repaired quickly with a simple inoculation from the bottom side of the green roof deck, which does not disrupt growing medium or plants. With lesser exposure risk for owners and designers, such green roofs are more economical which boost return on investment and project value. In addition, this hydrophobic technology removes dangerous element for the designer and owner of a green roof, increases financial viability, and enhances owner acceptance. In all, this project has higher sustainability and a lower life-cycle cost. While this may be true, the lack of analysis on the downfall of the product makes the article less reliable and incomplete.

The Concrete Advantages. Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://www.greenrooftops.org/advantage.html

Formal Email Writing

To: Mr Brad
From: Wong Weijun
Date: September 8, 2016
Subject: Self Introduction

Dear Brad,

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Wong Weijun, currently a first year student in Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering(Land) at Singapore Institute of Technology. I like playing sports and travelling to other countries to learn more about their cultures and lifestyles.
My goal for studying in this SIT programme is to acquire the knowledge and necessary skills to prepare myself in the workforce. In addition, I hoped to make Singapore a more comfortable place to live in by putting what i have learned to use.  My aim in the future is to be a professional engineer.

Yours sincerely,
Wong Weijun




[Commented on Fira's Formal Email Writing]
[Commented on Kaylin's Formal Email Writing]

English Language Learning Journey

It have been many years since I first learned english. However, the learning journey was challenging and tough for me as i was weak in languages. Furthermore, i dislike reading books as i have no interest in it. Whenever i start reading a book, i would end up dozing off. Since young, i have also been constantly nagged at by my parents to read newspaper and to watch the news. Initially, i did as told but after a few weeks, i started to feel bored and was sick of it thus i gave up everything.

During my four years in secondary school, my english grades have always been poor. I often have difficulty writing an essay as i hardly practised writing. The only way is to memorise good phases and put them in use however, that was not a permanent solution. Occasionally, i also could not understand certain phrase or sentences  that i came across in my tests thus making me feel frustrated.  Despite all these, i managed to pass my exams.

Though i dislikes reading, i realised that english language can be learned through other ways. One way is through interaction. By interacting with friends, colleagues, and superiors, i have improved my english and even learned new words. Whenever i made a mistake, my friends or colleagues would correct me and explained the reason behind it. This gave me a better understanding of the word. Another way is through watching movies or shows. From the subtitles, i could tell how certain words are used.

From these experiences, I felt that the key to learning english is through reading and interactions. They allow you to gain knowlege of new words and understand how they are being used. However, every individual has its own method of learning. It depends on their peferences and the way they work. Ultimately, choose something that you like and is suitable for you. Saying that, i will continue my english leaning journey by improving my english.




[Commented on Fira's My English Learning Journey]
[Commented on Edmund's My English Learning Journey]