Dr. Stephen Bayne's course on dental materials, including gold alloys, composites, amalgams, glass ionomers, ceramics, waxes, etc. for operative dentistry, fixed and removable prosthodontics.
In this comprehensive unit, titled "From Raw Materials to Concrete: The Science of Portland Cement Manufacturing," students will embark on a fascinating exploration of the entire process of Portland cement production. They will delve into the fundamental aspects of Portland cement, including its definition, constituents, functions, and various types. Students will also explore the processes involved in cement manufacturing, focusing on both the wet and dry methods. They will differentiate between these production processes, analyzing their advantages, and disadvantages.
Students use everyday building materials sand, pea gravel, cement and water to create and test pervious pavement. They learn what materials make up a traditional, impervious concrete mix and how pervious pavement mixes differ. Groups are challenged to create their own pervious pavement mixes, experimenting with material ratios to evaluate how infiltration rates change with different mix combinations.
Students learn about STEM education through an engineering design challenge that focuses on improving building materials used in shantytowns. First, they consider the factors that lead to shantytown development. After researching the implications of living in shantytowns, students design, build and test cement-based concrete block composites made of discarded and/or recycled materials. The aim is to make a material that is resistant to degradation by chemicals or climate, can withstand natural disasters, and endure through human-made conditions (such as urban overcrowding or pollution). The composites must be made of materials that are inexpensive and readily available so that they are viable alternative in shantytown communities. Students assess the results both chemically and physically and then iterate their designs with the materials that proved to be strongest.
Students learn about the variety of materials used by engineers in the design and construction of modern bridges. They also find out about the material properties important to bridge construction and consider the advantages and disadvantages of steel and concrete as common bridge-building materials to handle compressive and tensile forces.