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[justinamarante]

Week 2 – BrainPhooning!

In a group, having similarities might be better but if all of you are the same, it won’t work well, it might cancel out yourselves together and both your strong and weak points will clash. Having unbalance mix and an overpowering dominance of monotone-ing attitudes leads to a major and epic failure, how? Well several problems won’t be needing only one solution for all, but a single problem can have different solutions. So having different kinds of thinking and point of views will make a fine tuning of a great band of productive and diverse persons towards greater opportunities.

Well, what am I in a group? I can consider myself as ambivert, but my personality test tells me I’m more of an introvert well, true enough. What can I do? How useful can I be in a group? I could also consider I am a moderate computer knowledgeable guy or simply a “techguy”, I know and also I like to edit both pictures and videos, I also ventured graphic arts in photoshop and experimenting stuffs I like, I tend to explore how far can a pc go and try several interesting software and stuffs, so eventually I learned the basic things about pc’s and my classmates always refers to me about computer problems, even though I’m almost self-taught  about what I know and learned through curiosity. I also enjoy playing video games, especially simulation,  role-playing-games and tactical oriented games, where I plan my approach towards a goal. I also like music and I know enough guitar playing and singing, to the point I want to compose but still didn’t work. I like reading interesting stuffs and my fingers are always restless and liked to do something always, like crafting something when I was young, and now, I got interested in machines and I like to learn more about it, and I really love cars and motorcycles, especially the unique ones, both vintage and sport types. I don’t really like being on social media, because I believe, being famous there doesn’t really define who you really are, maybe a little update about myself is enough for I still want my own privacy, I am not really fond of showing off that’s why, I just like to thank and be proud on what I could do. Interacting with other people? I could easily blend with their characters, and adjust accordingly, maybe that’s one of my strong points but can’t always maintain my aura when looked from the outside from a stranger, I maybe too serious looking and very strict vibe, well partly I am but half be-happy, have-fun and go-with-the-flow person. Having conversation with random person maybe a little hard for me yet but I’ll try my best to be more approachable one.

In a group, there should be at least an introvert and an extrovert, and there are also 3 types of person that should be acting as in a group, namely hackers: the techguy, more on computers, hustlers: the noisy one and the over confident in the group, and the hipsters: the guy in charge of designs and more on organization of the group. Well I could be versatile to these 3 types, but more on hackers and hipsters but lesser on hustlers. Our group, we are composed of four guys, namely; Aaron Guimare, I think he is more capable of being the hustler because he is more outgoing that the rest of us. Paulo Entice, I’m still unsure which would be best fit for him, but he’s the sporty guy in our group, maybe he could do the straining stuffs like going out and doing surveys and gathering data’s for he has more energy than us but goal oriented person. Kent Labis, like Paulo, he is also a sporty guy, both of them are in the same team playing volleyball, but he has a competitive attitude which could also his strong point. In our team, I think this would be enough but I think they will be thinking having me as the leader for I could multitask, It could be fine with me but, it might tire me out of all the task so maybe I’ll just divide the task accordingly as the manager of our team, it may not be good, but I’ll fix our places and functions accordingly to work well on our upcoming projects.

Brainphooning? Here in Philippines, typhoons are more well-known storm type, they are strong sometimes and very unpredictable. Aside from that, having a strong, conducive and imaginative approach of idealizations was meant for it. We point out our strong points first and cite and list down possible daily necessity problems. For me, since I drive both motorcycle and car, I cited out the traffic problems I’ve been facing ever since I started driving daily, Aaron then agrees as a co-road user and a vehicle driver, But both Paulo and Kent still trying to figure out possible problem but they only relate as a commuter and as a passenger of a public vehicle going through tough traffic. We cited also the possible causes and lapses on both drivers and the authorized managers of the road, gladly both Paulo and Kent can contribute an idea as a POV of the commuter and me and Aaron as the POV of drivers. We then give random possible solutions and improvements of each ideas, then we arrive to 4 ideas, and could possible combine it to a final solution. We are now getting ready for interviews to know what is really needed from the strangers POV. Hopefully we will get helpful response and information for further restructuring of solution.

[justinamarante]

Blog 9 Mods

We finally settled to a comparable set up and we could innovate our idea from this. The main structure may look like it but it’s stronger but a bit lower weight capacity. We somehow convert the dock into pavers or a pathway for land which can withstand higher stress from top directly to the bottom part. The floating dock normally spreads the stress all over the lower submerged part where it is resisted by the buoyancy.

We modified it with a hole in the middle to add vertical wall structure for the system which will resist the live load. The floating dock has the weight capacity of 360 kg per square meter while the live load on a pathway or lobby is about 460 kg per meter squared, where the maximum number of people is considered. To further increase the strength of it, we added top and bottom plates with cross pattern underneath to add flexural strength to the plastic and to avoid future puncher damage.

After having a design, choosing the suitable materials come next. We searched for possible component, starting with the types of plastics where there are; Polymerizing Vinyl Chloride or known as PVC, this one is more of a rigid type and less flexibility where it will crack up easily, next polyethylene Terephthalate or PET where it is commonly used as containers and plastic bottles, this is more flexible but rather weaker, lastly, Polyethylene PE where it is split into two types, the Low Density and the High Density, LDPE it has high ductility but low tensile strength like plastic bags while HDPE are stiff plastics for robust plastic packaging or construction application. These are the only types we considered because of the pricing and usage of other kind of plastic.

After considering some research, and many Youtube comparison and vlogs, we decided to choose the HDPE among the rest for it has the strength and enough pricing to consider on the design. Although it still a prototype but having the best of it is always better. What comes into consideration is what will it be coming from and how it is processed. There are many stuffs to consider again but we already progressed from zero.

[justinamarante]

Blog 8 Restart Zero

I thought of an interesting one and I already submit it to our past subject as a requirement but only the idea was approved and still no concrete structure of it. It has something to do with the problem here in our city in Cagayan de Oro city, the sudden flooding that really is difficult to deal with. I came up of something not to grand but something to help alleviate the problem or a simple remedy to casual dilemma but could also save lives of the needy. I thought of something out of the ordinary, thinking the possibilities and trying to be sarcastic or ironic of the idea.

When thinking of flood, being wet then getting bacteria/virus from it still too dangerous, also there are possible hazards like floating debris within. I thought of something that could make us at least avoid these dangers and something simple but out of the box thinking. Floating to is simple enough idea I though of to avoid these, and it’s rational enough to be considered. Also, something we usually see and having in contact every time, it has something to do of stepping of something like our path way if indoor, pavement if outdoor, thinking of something smaller than pavement, are pavers, when blocks and puzzle like pieces are installed together in a flat surface and leaving small spaces between enough for water to infiltrate.

It sums up to something unique and ironic somehow, floating device plus pavers. pavers is heavy as a concrete and to make it float? Just sounds so crazy. Well it could be possible if we apply enough buoyancy to carry itself and make it with some spaces, same explanation we had on ships where the cross-sectional volume of air submerged then multiply the unit weight of water equals to the force it give to lift up or to the weight of the whole system/ship to make it float otherwise. So, I’m just going to add space inside enough to float, but the problem is, can it be enough to the weight of human? Approximately about 70kg? for a small paver? I guess not and theoretical not possible yet, unless its big enough but it could cost very high

A downfall again? Nope, still not the end of the world, nothing is impossible to a wise man. I though of it again and thought of something achievable. However, when I was browsing the net I was wondering if my idea was already existing, I did somehow found an interesting discovery, although not completely similar and made me realize I already caught a glimpse of it around the internet also and got me curious way back. I was a floating dock or pontoon, there are different design already made, there is a pathway made of concrete as its shell with wire mesh and Styrofoam as its core of floater, there is also a rafter type where they just attach large plastic barrels underneath a deck or stepping board/frame. So, I searched something different, what if it is made of plastic like the barrels and shape it as paver of a pathway then this would be flexible. I found a floating dock and a modular type where it’s a cube like form and it just go with the flow of the wave and functions a pathway for the sea goers. With this as our foundation of design to innovate it is now achievable.

[justinamarante]

BLOG 7 OVERBOUNDED

Midterm pitching is done, I think we just barely passed. I don’t think that it will be enough, in a way that we still can’t even complete it, it still out of our reach but I really like to challenge myself but maybe all the efforts will just end in vain, or just too exaggerated for this one semester to finish and for us 4th years to do. In a sense, already on the field of thesis making not only for undergraduate, but exaggeratedly for doctor’s degree on civil engineering, we’re not up to this task yet.

With our regular exchange of comments and information or simply chatting on our group. There are mostly arguments to happen about them that they can’t keep up to my level of understanding of this and I will only end up doing it all on my own. I really hate to admit that I prefer doing It alone rather than doing it in a team for I could achieve a result of my standards even though sacrificing time along with it. But I also had the sense of responsibility because it is in my jurisdiction as the team leader to approve on our agreement and discussions. I already did consider their roles and capabilities, but I tend to forget to oversee everything considering their own perspective and only focusing on my own.

In the first place they were already hesitant of the idea of sky way because it is just way to over bounded by our capabilities as of now, but it piqued my interest so much that facing this impossible challenge could is just overwhelming. I did get some great confidence and passion to pursue this, but my team doesn’t show much as I do so one man to be a team is too much. So, up until this midterm confrontation came, they first suggest a change of topic, they are giving me a bit of displease of the possible difficulties when pursuing the sky way and time alone is not enough especially the verification process.

They indeed suggest changing but still no one got the idea to have as a replacement, it could be nonsense to just be a spur of the moment but there is nothing to think as a diversity. I just calmly listen to them because I will be working with them so I should at least match up to them. But still time is closing by and there still no chance of progress and I am also displeased of this situation so reluctantly I suggested my own crazy ideas and it became one sided again. Am I just over bounded to dealt of?

[justinamarante]

Blog 6 DOWNfallen

As we are already done with our pitch deck with its content and ready for pitching. Midterm has come and our 1st pitching or defense also scheduled with it as our midterm exam. We have prepared but not that prepared to defend it in front of the panel, although there is no other choice. We only plan to make do of only the though of it and not having a complete plan of it regarding the structural planning ang with the cost estimate plan of it.

From what we’re searched, we compared it from Luzon’s Metro Manila’s skyway stage 3 where it connects North Luzon Express way (NLEX) to South Luzon Express (SLEX) way, and the budget estimation of this project of the government where Php 37.43 Billion, 17.38 km in span. In our scope of span, from Bulua to Lapasan measuring 4.68 km based from google map. With proportion rounded up to Php 11 bilion was obtained and as a partial estimate and knowing its is still not its concrete or actual computation of estimates regarding the material to used.

We went on our scheduled day and time, it was on a priority number basis, where we are 12th in line, as we wait our long-awaited turn, me finalize and check if there is still something were missing aside from, we are aware that we were lacking in the 1st place. We review and discussed the possible questions and criticism for our project.  As the pass by, the our turn is closely turning, when number 11 group was called, we were requested to prepare and sit near the said room. The one that is assigned to do the pitching was me as a leader and also as the one who knows about the totality of our project but I’m not particularly good with speech but I could still manage on my own but our hustler Aaron Guimare also volunteered to support me and assist on our introduction. Our number was called, and I brought my laptop with me with our presentation on it, although all of us are present inside the room and keeping up my composure and confidence I still felt a little nervous when the time has come, my partner started the speech and until the problem explanation then I explained a little technicalities and ended it even I stuttered once but it was all well so far. The panel started with the question of the computation of costing and partial fee for each vehicle and the scope and limitation of the users. I answered a little and passed it to my teammate as I know he knows some answers of it for them to obtain points. Second question was thrown at us and it was about the validation, we said, we interviewed about 15 – 20 individuals with common answers, and elaborate the classifications of our subjects but they gave a follow up question of

“how about government officials? How about the assigned government departments such as LTO or DPWH? Have you asked why up until now why they still haven’t implemented this project, maybe they planned but still in approval or planning stage?”

We were dumbfounded and only a mere traffic enforcer was interviewed, sadly they were correct on there questions and thought of how hard could it be to be that far up ahead of our inquiries considering the time we were left to make up of it, Lastly the materials is up and we answered, “we only pitched on our though and brought up how it is as an introduction and the final output is still pending” and they ended it with a suggestion of; “why not put the materials and measurement of it, even I’m not an engineer or a specialist of that field but I do still want to know the engineering facts and presentation of it as we are expecting you engineering students to present here in front of us”. In the end, we were defeated in an instant the 2nd question was thrown, I hate to admit that our presentation is just half hearted and still lacking so much but it’s still not up to our level to implement this idea and project.

[justinamarante]

Blog 5 COMPANYon

Gale? “ a very strong wind” - google dictionary

We almost forgot to discuss our team’s name, I tried using our family names but and starting with first letter basis, I tried A.G.E.L. trying to sound like angel but still needs the “N” so i tried switching and shuffling like boogle or wordscape and a word may sound a little awkward but the meaning could best describe us as a team, I thought the word G.A.L.E. and searched for the meaning even though already had the idea of it, and a STRONG wind came up and gave me big impact of it, so I suggested it to them and they agreed. I also said I’ll be the one making our logo because I’m the only one who knows how to use adobe photoshop. I combined hard hat for civil engineer, gear for engineering, and neck tie as a mark of passion and profession, those are drawn by the gales wind lines and thus making this logo.

We discussed on what we will be doing and preparing for the pitch deck, we searched for some data regarding the design and the existence from within the Philippines and to the whole world. We also considered out target market and possible investors of our plan and design. there was a guidelines in making the pitch deck during our class with 10 20 30 rule, not more than 10 slides, not more than 20 words per slide, and minimum of 30 font size. Our pitch deck contained;

BULUA-LAPASAN SKYWAY GUIMARE-AMARANTE-LABIS-ENTICE COMPANY

PROBLEM    •Traffic congestion in intersections of the city proper of Cagayan De Oro City.

SOLUTION    •Skyway connecting from Bulua to Lapasan

PRODUCT    •Making it possible to directly avoid the intersections and lessen the traffic

TARGET MARKET    •Private vehicles not exceeding 10 tons

TRACTION    •46,175 vehicles projected on 2020 (source: Asian Development bank)

ECONOMICS    •Reduce economic losses    •Promote economic development    •Reduce Vehicle Operation Cost (VOC)

COMPARISON    •Php 37.43 Billion, 17.38 km, Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3

TEAM We have the PASSION to be a future Professional Civil Engineers    •Amarante, Justin James – Team Leader    •Guimare, Aaron – Hustler    •Entice, Paulo Nathaniel – Hipster    •Labis, Kent Ivan - Hacker

ASK    •Raising Php 11 billion for the skyway will make this city a METRO CAGAYAN DE ORO.

PARTIAL COMPUTATION    •46,175 vehicles    •Approx 50% users = 23,088    •Php 100 partial toll fee per vehicle

As our partial concept, we still didn’t show the design yet but just the idea and the concept as the selling point of it, although our other reason is that, we’re still on our 4th year and there are still some important subjects which are fundamental to consider when designing the structures where it will be taken during our 5th year. We then prepared for our preliminary defense.

[sarahjanefloresmahinay]

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