Analytical Reflection

Allow me first to congratulate the top three winning teams and thank all the teams for allowing me to observe such a wonderful showcase. In my opinion, every team has their strengths and weaknesses and are unique at their very own way. Team ASTAR and team S.U.N strike me as the most impactful group and they had captured most of my attention while being part of the audience. Although Team ASTAR has a low volume when it comes to speaking, their group has the most fluent delivery while being able to keep the content clear and concise. Team ASTAR’s presentation slides are very professional and has good color contrast making it very pleasant to watch.

Although Team S.U.N does not have an equally fluent speech like the speakers from team ASTAR, their team manages to deliver their content across as the sincerest and intriguing. Their passion on the idea has got me interested and wanting to learn more about it. Their video on the electric buses is very professional and of adequate duration, making it very enjoyable. The speakers of the team are well paced and very consistent with their slides and speaking length. The team is also very well prepared and knowledgeable and can handle the question and answer session very fluently.

Personally, I have learnt several useful tricks from all the teams and will certainly utilize the skills to improving myself and becoming a better presenter. By being part of the audience, it also gave me a chance to know what the audience look for when they are attending a presentation. This will allow me to better cater my voice and slides to the audience in the future.

Critical Reflection

About three years ago, I was unsure about what was expected of me in this module. My only objectives were to make improvements on the writing and communication skills which I have neglected throughout my years of studies. Today, I can proudly say that I have made great improvements and has met my goals after attending a full trimester of the effective communication module. This is made possible with the continual assignments and class exercises to regularly refine my writing and communication skills. Apart from which, kind and informative feedbacks from my professor and classmates has assisted me in identifying and working on my weaknesses. I believe that by applying the skills I have learnt into my daily life, it will help me in further improving my writing and communication skills.  

One key takeaway for me would be my personal oral presentation experience. With the peer review system, it showed me my strengths and weaknesses through a well structured written format. This method gave me the chance to constantly refer to it for my continuous self-improvement. I used to not realize my faults simply because the nervousness of presenting hindered me to seeing my own problems. The peer review and comments from the professor is informative yet impactful, making me realize the importance of changing myself. Both the mock and the actual presentation has made me a better presenter, and I will continue to keep making efforts to constantly surpass myself. This experience not only taught me to be a better presenter, but also the essential of being a better writer and speaker in any sort of situation and condition.

This project experience has taught me to be calm and confident when I speak, and clear and concise when I write.


Read and commented on: Shih Chieh, Jasmine, Wei Ming and Haziq

Reader Response, Final

In the article, “Porous Asphalt Is…,” on the website Pave Green (n.d), it was stated that porous asphalt is beneficial in terms of environment, safety and the cost. Porous asphalt earned its recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency and has been used all around the United States. It was indicated that porous asphalt roads or parking lots exclude small aggregates to allow water to pass through, acting like a filtration system. Superhighways also use porous asphalt because it helps to drain water, improve water quality, removes splashes and significantly reduce accident rates. The article also mentioned that porous pavement is beneficial in wintery climates because it allows snow to melt quicker which saves the cost of anti-icing agents, making it cost-effective and eco-friendly. Although the article states that the cost of porous asphalt is higher than conventional asphalt, the overall cost of construction balances out from the savings made from water pipes and inlets.

While I agree with the environmental aspect of stormwater management mentioned in the article, “Porous Asphalt Is…,” the article lacks any concrete information concerning the constraints and ineffectiveness which has led to the undermining of the article in naming porous asphalt the “king of the road”.

One characteristic contributing to the ineffectiveness of porous asphalt that the article has failed to mention is the critical downside of porous asphalt regarding the risk of skidding. In the research report, “Experiences with Porous Asphalt…,” Isenring, Koster and Scazziga (1990) stated that porous asphalt is not a suitable pavement choice for urban areas because of the low traffic speed. The same authors explained how the coefficient of friction is relative to the speed of vehicles and conclude that at higher speeds where the macro-texture is more important, the pavement will have better skidding properties. However, at lower speeds where the micro-texture is more relevant, the skid properties are much lower in comparison to conventional mix. The article highlighted that porous asphalt has high macro-texture but low micro-texture and is exposed to a higher risk in urban roads because of the decrease in traffic speed due to the densely populated residential areas. When vehicles travel at low speed in urban areas, the inadequate micro-texture will cause more skidding cases in urban areas especially in wintery climates.

Another negative aspect that was not mentioned in the original article is that porous roads require frequent maintenance and is problematic in urban areas due to the high traffic conditions. Isenring, Koster and Scazziga (1990) also mentioned that continual maintenance, it will contribute to a decrease in the permeability and porous asphalt will lose its noise reduction capability. Thus, the noise problem in urban areas generally cannot be solved with the use of porous asphalt. The same authors also mentioned that unlike the conventional mix, the binder coasting of the porous asphalt will have to be worn off before it can achieve its intended efficiency. Furthermore, porous asphalt at its pre-binder coasting state has even poorer micro-texture and normal repairing methods such as spreading of chippings will not be able to improve the situation.

Lastly, GreenBlue (2017) also state that porous asphalts will clog easily if no proper maintenance and regular checks are made. The void spaces in the pavement can be clogged by fine particles and sands and can only be removed using an industrial vacuum. Without fast maintenance, the permeability will decrease causing water and other pollutant to run off the surface which defeats the purpose of having permeable filtering pavement. The article also mentioned that the strength of porous asphalt cannot compete with traditional pavement. With consistent pressure from dynamic loadings such as heavy vehicles, it will cause pores of pavement to collapse. As a result, porous asphalt is not a recommended pavement for highways and airport runways.

In summary, the article by Pave Green (n.d) came across to me as being biased in the favor of porous asphalt as it only addresses the advantages. Porous pavements are not as perfect as it sounds, and like many other sorts of pavement, it has its own limits and restrictions and can only do so much.

References

Green Blue. (2017, January 25). Permeable Pavement: The Pros and Cons You Need to Know. Retrieve from https://www.greenblue.com/na/permeable-pavement-the-pros-and-cons-you-need-to-know/ 

Thomas, I., Harold, K., & Ivan, S. (1990). Experiences with Porous Asphalt in Switzerland. Retrieved from https://trid.trb.org/view/348603

Pave Green. (2018, February 5) Porous Asphalt Is King of Road. Retrieved from http://www.pavegreen.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58:king-of-the-road&catid=35&Itemid=110