Dem Michael Austria Espino

Applying for Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering

Essay 1: A description of the current work or project or undergraduate research

that have been done (for those who have just graduated from BS

degree) or graduate research that have been done (for those applying

for the doctoral program).

My first job after graduating from college was as a project control and

monitoring officer for a firm that specialized in drilling and building subterranean

wire. Documentation, billing, assistance, and providing instructions to be put into

practice on the job site for quick and efficient labor were the things I did there.

Keeping track of this project while managing hundreds of staff and no more than ten

other projects at once requires a lot of patience. Planning beforehand is advised

because this project has several implementation-related issues.

My second job as a Civil engineer was in the government, we oversee jobs to

direct development in a region, manage tasks to direct construction in an area,

regulate buildings according to law, analyze the cost of building a structure, analyze

environmental hazards that may be present, and test building materials that can be

used in a specific project. I also the one who create the plan, design and estimate.
 Working with the government helped me develop as an engineer since I

learned about various fields that I first disapproved of. At first, I found it to be so

difficult that I didn't want to attempt to calculate the loading of the structural

members, but fortunately, as I studied more in this field, it started to grow in me,

helping me comprehend more in this industry.

It is hard to think about the future, I’m still young with less experience in life.

There are many paths that I could take and many opportunities will open after I

finished my Master’s. I do not know what the future my bring to me, but obliviously, I

will have master’s degree and at the same time I will have a stronger confident with

great exposure, ideas, and wide range understanding on working environment and

its management. And one thing is sure that I have a bright and on my way for the

better life.

Once I complete my master's degree, I hope to have a job that pays well and a

company that can recognize the accomplishments I have made over the years of

study and employment. I also hope to apply for a job in the government because I

have experience and knowledge in that field. I also hope to become a professor

because my master's degree gives me the opportunity to pass on the knowledge I

have gained.

If the chance is given, I would also like to start my Doctor of Philosophy in

Construction Technology and Management in line with the Master degree that I would

take in your school. I’ve accomplished so much and made it so far, through this

education.
RESEARCH TITLE: MICROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF PARTICLE DISTRIBUTION OF PULVERIZED

GLASS AS AN ADDITIVE FOR FIRE RETARDANT PAINT

RESEARCHER: DEM MICHAEL AUSTRIA ESPINO

INTRODUCTION:

For a country in which wood or light materials are most commonly used in their houses, it is

preferable to use preventive materials considering wood is flammable. With this, fire

retardant paint coatings are very considerable in this scenario.

Enamel paints are highly functional and have several uses. It may be used on many surfaces

around the house, including wood, concrete, metal, wicker, masonry, wrought iron, glass,

plaster and ceramic. Once the glossier paint has dried it will be more durable and so enamel

paints qualify for coating surfaces that must undergo congestion, humidity, and filthy hands,

such surfaces could be inside or outside the houses. Moreover, it can also be used on

extreme industrial applications. Enamel paints are usually used for simple paint around our

homes in areas including doors, in the kitchen, bathroom, for some types of stairs, flooring,

trims and basements, such that surfaces go through a high degree of dissipation and

temperature.

Glass is an inorganic material that is usually transparent, brittle, cools rapidly, and is fire-

proof. This property of glass is a good additive in a material that is combustible and for that

reason, nowadays, combining glass in construction materials is very popular.

Fire retardation is a way of delaying the incineration of a combustible material. With this,

combustible materials are being coated by fire-retardant paint. This coating is produced by

additives that is with suitable properties. In line with this, fire retardant coating provides

protection against fire, or it might save lives

According to a study entitled "Recycling Borosilicate Glass for a Facade System Assembled of Dry-

Interlocking Cast Glass Components Implemented in Casa da Música" by E. Scholtenz in 2019 large

amount of borosilicate glass are getting rid-off to landfills each year and consuming large space of

valuable land. Inside the existing soda-lime glass recycling industry it is must to use recycled

borosilicate glass because of its high melting temperatures and variance in chemical composition. As

a matter of fact, borosilicate glass causes to delay and interrupt the recycling process of soda-lime

glass, therefore more unused waste occurs. Borosilicate glass is variety of glass that has affirming

properties for application in the built conditions, such as thermal expansion coefficient is low.

Moreover, based on the study by N. Bouras et al. in his Thermal and Mechanical Characterization of

Borosilicate Glass, borosilicate glass is known for its good chemical durability and thermal resistance.

From the dilatometric analyzation experiment had done it shows that the thermal expansion variation

with temperature is essentially nonlinear, increases quickly up to 200°C and decreases down beyond.

The obtained thermal dilatometric curve of the glass is characterized by a sharp increase up to a

temperature of 200°C followed by a much more slower increase rate until 450°C
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 Is the pulverized glass evenly distributed on the wooden surface applied with 3 coats

of enamel paint mixed with pulverized glass under the microscope?

 If not, what will be the effect if the pulverized glass is undistributed to the paint?

 How long it will take for the samples to be totally burned down in the method of

ignition? Are the sample with enamel paint mixed with pulverized glass has higher

fire retardancy than the sample with enamel paint only?

This research shall rely on the experimental approach in gathering data. A uniform testing

procedure shall be made. Each sample with varying treatments shall undergo the said testing

procedure. The results from these testing shall be recorded, analyzed, and compared.

The testing procedure to be implemented shall be mainly the capturing of the microscopic

structure of the applied mixture of enamel paint with pulverized glass in the wood samples.

The right ratio of materials shall be considered, and the researchers must use the mixture

that has been established by the previous researchers. Total time of exposure of the samples

must be controlled, this is to prevent other elements to mess with the mixture and affect the

result. Afterwards, the same sample will undergo ignition inside a temperature-controlled

furnace. The time in which these specimens will be burned completely must be noted.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK