Foundation Engineering

Post Reply New Topic

I'm doing this at Manukau Institute of Technology in New Zealand (locals call it MIT, but not to be confused with MIT in the US). I started in February.

The Courses are: Physics, Maths, Communication / BiCultural Awareness, and Design.

I will post more information and pictures if I remember and have time.

Interesting! What is foundation engineering exactly? Does it have anything to do with architectural engineering? I had a dream last night that I was walking around while a group of students learned as they built it how to build a building and I was jealous. I'd want to be an architectural engineer if I had the wherewithal to do complete a degree (well really even one class) in it. I really want to learn how to build houses and what will and will not work structurally. Anyway, that may or may not apply to what you're learning about, but any kind of engineering sounds interesting to me!

Foundation Engineering is Pre-Degree, and Pre-University level. It is meant to teach the academic skills and knowledge needed to to Engineering at a Degree level.

Since I am not going to study chemistry or biology, I cannot do degree level engineering fields that require skills in those areas. So I will stick to Civil and Mechanical Engineering.

I want to become a Structural Engineer. I'm not looking to become Professional/Project Management level, I lack the people skills, and with my disabilities I wouldn't be able to handle the stress. I wonder if the Practical / Trade Level would be more suitable for me. I'm not worried about the pay too much, it would make the state benefit I'm currently getting look like crap.

Pardon the delay, been very busy with classes and assignments.

My favourate classes are maths and physics, the exercises and assignments are like logic puzzles which I enjoy.

Design class is challenging but in a way that is enjoyable. I find writing up the technical reports difficult though.

I like communications class the least, because the lateral thinking is difficult to do.

I've completed a technical report on designing and testing a prototype of a Rubber-Band Powered Car:


Photo of my team's car. We got second place in our group marking.

I need to find a free site where I can upload files like my technical report and drawings, so people can see what I am doing. Any Suggestions?

I'll try to keep this updated more often from now on.


Roland

Here is a link to a final draft of the report I handed in for Design class, for the Rubber Band Powered Car (Project A):
Rubber Band Car Report

Here is a link to the Orthographic Drawings: 2D Drawings

Isometric Hand Drawings:

Standard view
Upside down with Wheels Lifted
Cross Sections of the driving wheels

More Pictures (the person is a team-mate, not me):
Preparing to wind the rubber band
Another of winding the rubber band

As well as performance testing and a full Report we had to make a presentation to the class. I just learned I received 4.8 out of 5 for my mark: that's over 90%. Teammates and classmates commented that I seem good at presentations and formally speaking in front of others, which constantly surprises me!

Been very busy especially with physics. Our physics classes are 2 weeks behind, the Tutor had a car accident and was away for a while, and our grades for the first test were atrocious. Now the classes are moving fast and I'm having trouble keeping up. I'm going to go to the disability services to ask for help, including seeing if one-on-one with a helper tutor is possible, extra time and separate (and quiet!)rooms for exams and tests, and other services if necessary. I learned that the workload for a student at Auckland University is higher, so since I plan to apply there for next year I will limit myself to 0.7 EFTS (that is, 70% of the full time material per semester) per year of study, and possibly less, and use their disability services too.

Meanwhile, I've been working on completing the Trebuchet project for Design class. Here are some graphics:


A paper practice model built at the start of the project.


An idea of creating two pyramid-shaped halves for the base of the trebuchet, with the arm pivoting between them.


The base for the first real prototype. quite simple, rigid in 2 dimensions but not strong laterally, and not level. We found our range was poor so we made improvements with a second prototype.

I'll post more when my report is completed.

http://www.algobeautytreb.com/trebmath35.pdf
Describes the mathematics of Trebuchets. the Range formula shown is similar to one we use in class for guessing the efficiency of the design, but it assumes no frictions and a release angle of 45 degrees.

I've almost completed my report for communications (on the Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant). Will post a link after it's submitted.

Very interesting thread. It looks like you're doing some pretty good work so far!

From experience, I can tell you there's plenty of stress at the practical/trade level too, depending on your situation.

One of the reasons I stopped doing that kind of work is because I'm a perfectionist and a "responsibility sponge." When my employers realized this, they would heap work upon me until I reached a breaking point.

I also often felt like I was being asked to do near impossible tasks because I wasn't given access to resources/support necessary to do the job properly.

In the end, stress is unavoidable and it is usually better to be in charge than not...

Anyway, don't let me scare you off. I'm just trying to point out things you need to prepare for.

It is fun to build stuff though, isn't it?

I finished all my work for Semester 1, and conducted exams for Maths and Physics. I believe I achieved at least 80% in each exam. I had been given extra time but I did not need it in the end. My main errors were in calculations and the values assigned to some variables (e.g. acceleration according to gravity, g=9.8 m/s/s when it should be -9.

For second semester, we have more of the usual assignments, 4 smaller design projects, and workshop technology and practice (mainly with hand tools and smaller machines like lathes). The first design project is a moving coil meter, which is commonly used in galvanometers, ammeters, voltmeters, and ohmmeters.

Communications Case Study Report

Design A, Project 1 - Rubber Band Car (Final Version)

Trebuchet Report - Project 2, Design B

My full reports from Semester 1.


Moving Coil Meter Experiment : My first project of semester 2.

Electric Circuits is proving not as difficult as I thought, though remembering all the details and the stuff from Semester 1 at the same time is not easy. Maths is getting into more advanced calculus, and algebra based on functions and logarithms, which is less familiar to me.

I find developing "instruction sets" is the best tact. When we were doing logarithms today I created instructions for the process to finding what a term means, and this keeps me from making mistakes. Knowing the "How" is key.

I have an interview with my (so called) welfare officer tomorrow, I want to convince them to let me study at University. The alternative is finding work now, and considering this is a recession and employers want the most experienced and easiest to employ, and I haven't worked in 7 years, have only experience in casual housekeeping, am not physically fast, and am disabled with autism, anxiety disorder and mild depression... what's the reality of finding sheltered, reasonable employment? I'm extremely nervous, so wish me luck.

Report 2 - Simple Motors


Report 3 - Split Ring Motors

Report 4 - Generators

Due to copyright protection I cannot post my maths and physics tests. Here is a List of subjects:

Maths: Algebra, Graphs, Functions, Coordinate Geometry, Matrices (including Gaussian Elimination), Sequences and Series, Vectors, Logs and Exponentials, Inequalities, Partial Fractions, Trigonometry, Complex Numbers, Differentiation (including Implicit), Integration.

Physics: Base Units, SI Units, prefixes, Standard Notation, Uncertainties and calculation, Vectors with components and resolution and arithmetic, Forces and Equilibrium (Statics), Torque, Centre of Gravity, Tension and Compression, reaction and applied forces, Pressure, Young's Modulus, Material Elasticity / Plasticity, Hookes Law, Kinematics and Motion, Dynamics and Momentum, Energy, Inertia, Newton's Laws, Power and work, Linear and Non-Linear Relationships, DC Circuits and Components, Potential Dividers, Electric Fields and Capacitance, Simple AC, Inductance and Transformers, Magnetic Fields.

I have completed tests and exams for this semester, and all stuff for the year and this qualification.
My average grade for tests and assignments seems to be A to A-, and I am confident I did the same in the exams.

I was unhappy with the workshop component. I had problems with the machines, learning to use them, and the instruction given. I raised issue with this and passed my concerns on to the administrator. I am concerned my marks here will be lower and will drag my overall grade down.

That's it for this thread. Hope this is useful if you are considering Engineering.