How to Work Through Difficulties

This past week was a tough week for Texas, as winter storms kicked out electricity, hot water, and internet. As a result of these storms, there wasn’t much I could do in terms of research and progress on my original work, and I wasn’t able to schedule a meeting with my mentor. However, consistent work is the key to a successful year in ISM and a successful original work, so I took some time to think about my final report and the format I would put it in. I wrote out a basic outline for my final report, including the information I would keep in each section, and included parts of my research where I saw fit. My introduction will be a general overview of sustainability in civil engineering and general trends contributing to a lesser environmental impact in the field. Moving into the body of the report, I’ll start by introducing the three main materials (wood, concrete, and steel) that I’ve researched, and explain why I chose those materials. I’ll then go into detail into each of these materials, introducing the sustainable alternatives I’ve researched, and include economic and environmental impacts. The body of my report will also include impacts of transportation and construction on the environment, and provide alternative solutions to problems caused by conventional transportation and construction methods. I’ll also detail government codes and the process of introducing new materials into codes - I’ll answer the question of why such codes haven’t already been established. The conclusion of my report will include my personal inspiration to solve the issue of sustainability, and will include a big picture view of the issue. I also hope to include action items to bring proposals to government officials in the hopes of implementing these solutions.

I may not have been able to do much research online this past week, but with a more solidified outline for my final report, I hope to stay on track with my research from this point and narrow down the subject area. I’m looking forward to hopefully discussing my plan with my mentor this week.