News & Events

As engineers and future engineers, you play a vital role in shaping a sustainable future, and Plastic Free July is an excellent opportunity to step up to that challenge. This global movement encourages millions of people to refuse single-use plastics and as engineering students and faculty, your insights can amplify its impact through research, innovative solutions and conscious consumption.

Plastic pollution is a growing crisis. In 2023, over 89 million participants across more than 190 countries took part in Plastic Free July, leading to a reduction of 240 million kilograms of plastic consumption globally (Plastic Free Foundation, 2023). While this achievement is monumental, the reality is that plastic pollution is projected to triple by 2040, if not urgently addressed (Plastic Free Foundation, 2023). As engineers, your expertise in materials science, waste management and innovative design could be instrumental in this fight.

The Role of Engineers in Reducing Plastic Pollution

Engineering plastics are among the most used materials in high-performance applications such as heat and chemical resistance, mechanical strength and flame retardance (Yildizhan, 2021). However, addressing plastic waste involves reducing both commodity and engineering plastics. Mechanical recycling offers one pathway, yet it requires innovations to improve material quality post-recycling. By finding ways to enhance the recyclability of engineering plastics, you can contribute to more sustainable production methods (Rabiu and Jaeger-Erben, 2023).

Resources at the Alma Jordan Library

The Alma Jordan Library is an invaluable resource for those interested in the science and impact of plastics. You can access the Library's online catalogue UWIlinC to search for research materials on engineering plastics, their impact on the environment and sustainability practices to aid in improving recycling processes.

Selected Books and Journal Articles

 

 

 

Plastics Engineering (4th Edition)

Crawford, R. J.; Martin, P. J.

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plastics and the Environment / edited by R M Harrison, R E Hester

R. M. Harrison editor.; R. E Hester (Ronald E.) editor.; R Khester

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brydson's Plastics Materials (8th Edition)

Gilbert, Marianne

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manufacturing of Nanocomposites with Engineering Plastics

Vikas Mittal

2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closed‐Loop Recyclable Poly(ester‐disulfide)s for Potential Alternatives to Engineering Plastic

Chen, Meng ; Yang, Rulin ; Wu, Huiping ; Wang, Qian ; Shi, Chenyu ; Zhou, Shang‐Wu ; Yang, Ding ; Liu, Fang‐Yu ; Tian, He ; Qu, Da‐Hui

Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2024-08, p.e202409200

 

Sustainable Waste Management of Engineering Plastics Generated from E-Waste: A Critical Evaluation of Mechanical, Thermal and Morphological Properties

Jaidev, K. ; Biswal, Manoranjan ; Mohanty, Smita ; Nayak, Sanjay K.

Journal of polymers and the environment, 2021-06, Vol.29 (6), p.1763-1776

 

By taking part in Plastic Free July, not only can you reduce your own plastic use but you can also be part of the solution through research, innovation and action. To learn more visit https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/ 

  

 

 

References

Plastic Free Foundation. 2023. Plastic Free July Impact Report 2023. Fremantle: Plastic Free Foundation.

Yildizhan, Fatih Selim. 2021. Engineering Plastics: Market Analysis and Recycling Methods.

Rabiu, Mubarik K., and Melanie Jaeger-Erben. 2023. "Reducing Single-use Plastic in Everyday Social Practices: Insights from a Living Lab Experiment." Resources, Conservation & Recycling 200: 107303.

Engineering Week is just around the corner, and it's a fantastic time to celebrate the ingenuity, creativity, and impact of engineers worldwide. Whether you're an aspiring engineer or already deep into your studies, this week is dedicated to recognizing the importance of engineering in shaping our world. Join us in this celebration and make the most of the resources available to you at the Alma Jordan Library.

What is Engineering Week?
Engineering Week is an annual event that highlights the contributions of engineers and promotes engineering as a vital and exciting career path. This year, it coincides with World Engineering Day on March 4th, a global celebration to raise awareness about the role of engineering in modern life and its contributions to sustainable development.

For more information on the schedule and themes, check out the official websites for World Engineering Day and Engineers Week 2024.

Dive into Engineering Literature at the Alma Jordan Library
As you engage with Engineering Week activities, don't miss the opportunity to explore some of the best engineering books available at the Alma Jordan Library. Here's a curated list of must-read titles that can provide both foundational knowledge and advanced insights into various engineering careers:

Engineer to Entrepreneur by Rick De la Guardia

ISBN: 9780784414415

Publication Date: 2016

Starting, managing, and owning an engineering firm can be a daunting experience. Engineer to Entrepreneur: Success Strategies to Manage Your Career and Start Your Own Firm provides practical steps at key career points to reach professional goals in any engineering discipline. Rick De La Guardia leads aspiring entrepreneurs through the process from undergraduate class choices, through first jobs, to opening an office and running a consulting firm. Divided into three main sections for the student, beginning engineer, and company owner, De La Guardia provides background information, suggested activities, and detailed steps to make the most of each stage of one's career. Personal examples from his own career are used to illustrate real-life issues and decisions facing entrepreneurs as they find their niche, expand their contacts, and launch their firms. Engineer to Entrepreneur will help engineers in any discipline rethink their careers and take charge of their futures.

 

Building a Career in Software by Daniel Heller

ISBN: 9781484261460

Publication Date: 2020

Software engineering education has a problem: universities and bootcamps teach aspiring engineers to write code, but they leave graduates to teach themselves the countless supporting tools required to thrive in real software companies. Building a Career in Software is the solution, a comprehensive guide to the essential skills that instructors don't need and professionals never think to teach: landing jobs, choosing teams and projects, asking good questions, running meetings, going on-call, debugging production problems, technical writing, making the most of a mentor, and much more. In over a decade building software at companies such as Apple and Uber, Daniel Heller has mentored and managed tens of engineers from a variety of training backgrounds, and those engineers inspired this book with their hundreds of questions about career issues and day-to-day problems. Designed for either random access or cover-to-cover reading, it offers concise treatments of virtually every non-technical challenge you will face in the first five years of your career--as well as a selection of industry-focused technical topics rarely covered in training. 

 

Engineering in Perspective by Tony Ridley

ISBN: 9781786342270

Publication Date: 2017

Engineering in Perspective provides a unique look into the career of one of Britain's most widely experienced engineers, Professor Tony Ridley. Ridley analyses key moments from his career to identify the real-world skills required for success. Through this, he examines how important it is that a successful engineer has not only traditional engineering skills but also good interpersonal skills coupled with a deep understanding of social, economic and political factors. Ridley's career case-studies include his time as first Director General of the Tyne & Wear Passenger Transport Executive and working on the creation of the Metro; first Managing Director of the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway; Chairman and Managing Director of London Underground; the development of the Docklands Light Railway; and working through the trauma of the Kings Cross fire. 

 

Women in STEM Careers by Diana Bilimoria (Editor); Linley Lord (Editor)

ISBN: 9781781954065

Publication Date: 2014

Adopting an international perspective, this book draws on current research from the United States, Australia and Europe to examine women's participation, advancement and leadership in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The book explores the nature of STEM careers across industry and academia, and presents the latest thinking on successful individual, organizational and educational initiatives related to women in STEM. Along with a select group of international contributors, Diana Bilimoria and Linley Lord provide a fresh perspective, based on success stories and successful initiatives, augmenting contemporary perspectives on the barriers and issues that women in STEM careers continue to face. Women in STEM Careers is a positive and insightful outlook on gender relations, which will be an invaluable resource for scholars, practitioners and policy-makers in organizations, human resources, academia, and government, as well as for women aspiring to or presently working in STEM fields. 

 

Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering by Ömer Aydan

ISBN: 9780367822309

Publication Date: 2019

The two-volume set Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering is concerned with the application of the principles of mechanics to physical, chemical and electro-magnetic processes in the upper-most layers of the earth and the design and construction of the rock structures associated with civil engineering and exploitation or extraction of natural resources in mining and petroleum engineering. Volume 2, Applications of Rock Mechanics - Rock Engineering, discusses the applications of rock mechanics to engineering structures in/on rock, rock excavation techniques and in-situ monitoring techniques, giving some specific examples. The dynamic aspects associated with the science of earthquakes and their effect on rock structures, and the characteristics of vibrations induced by machinery, blasting and impacts as well as measuring techniques are described. Furthermore, the degradation and maintenance processes in rock engineering are explained. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering is intended to be a fundamental resource for younger generations and newcomers and a reference book for experts specialized in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering and associated with the fields of mining, civil and petroleum engineering, engineering geology, and/or specialized in Geophysics and concerned with earthquake science and engineering.

 

Food Engineering Handbook by Theodoros Varzakas (Editor); Constantina Tzia (Editor)

ISBN: 9780429171727

Publication Date: 2014

Food Engineering Handbook: Food Process Engineering addresses the basic and applied principles of food engineering methods used in food processing operations around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Story of Industrial Engineering by Adedeji B. Badiru

ISBN: 9780429461811

Publication Date: 2018

Industrial engineering is the profession dedicated to making collective systems function better with less waste, better quality, and fewer resources, to serve the needs of society more efficiently and more effectively. This book uses a story-telling approach to advocate and elaborate the fundamental principles of industrial engineering in a simple, interesting, and engaging format. It will stimulate interest in industrial engineering by exploring how the tools and techniques of the discipline can be relevant to a broad spectrum of applications in business, industry, engineering, education, government, and the military. Features Covers the origin of industrial engineering Discusses the early pioneers and profiles the evolution of the profession Presents offshoot branches of industrial engineering Illustrates specific areas of performance measurement and human factors Links industrial engineering to the emergence of digital engineering Uses the author's personal experience to illustrate his advocacy and interest in the profession

You can access these books and many more by visiting the Alma Jordan Library or checking their availability through the library's online catalogue; UWIlinC.

Get Involved!
Mark your calendars and get ready to immerse yourself in a week of engineering excellence. Engage in the online events via the World Engineering Day and Engineers Week 2024 websites, expand your knowledge with the recommended books, and connect with the engineering community. The future is engineered by those who dare to innovate, and Engineering Week is your platform to step up and make a difference.

Stay updated with the latest events and resources by visiting the World Engineering Day and Engineers Week 2024 websites, and don’t forget to leverage the vast resources available at the Alma Jordan Library.

Happy Engineering Week!
 

On July 24, 2023, the U.N. General Assembly proclaimed August 11 as World Steelpan Day, acknowledging that Steelpan promotes inclusive societies, sustainable communities and the creative economy and can positively impact mental health and well-being, gender equality and youth empowerment.

In commemoration of World Steelpan Day, the Alma Jordan Library, in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering, invite you to visit the Alma Jordan Library to view an interactive display showcasing the innovative developments in Steelpan by the Faculty of Engineering. This exhibition will run from August 11 to September 15.

Engineering Innovations: G-Pan and the Percussive Harmonic Instrument

• Genesis Pan (G-Pan)

The G-Pan was unveiled in 2007; unlike the traditional pan made from oil drums, the G-Pan is made of durable, high-grade steel sheets (Smith 2012, 141-142). In 2007, under the leadership of Emeritus Professor Brian Copeland, PhD, the Genesis Steelband Project Team was awarded the Chaconia Gold Medal. 

•  Percussive Harmonic Instrument (P.H.I.)

It looks like a steelpan, sounds like a steelpan, and travels like a tenor pan, but the PHI is no steelpan. PHI stands for Percussive Harmonic Instrument and is more akin to an electronic synthesizer, so why does this new instrument have this strong pan character? Click here to learn more about this latest development to emerge from the Steelpan Research Lab of the Faculty of Engineering.

Selected E-Resources

Steel Drums and Steelbands by Angela Smith

ISBN: 9780810883420

Publication Date: 2012

Steel Drums and Steelbands: A History is a vivid account of the events that led to the "accidental" invention of the steel drum: the only acoustic musical instrument invented in the 20th century. Angela Smith walks readers through the evolution of the steel drum from an object of scorn and tool of violence to one of the most studied, performed, and appreciated musical instruments today. Smith explores the development of the modern steelband, from its roots in African slavery in early Trinidad to the vast array of experiments itechnological innovation and to the current explosion of steelbands in American schools.

 

 

TTS 412:2015, Steelpan – Terminology by Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards

Publication Date: 2015

This Standard defines common terms that are unique to the steelpan industry. It includes terms related to: instruments; manufacturing; personnel and performance; and accessories and facilities. 

The Steelpan as a tool to incite interest in Engineering Education by S. E. Maloney

Publication Date: 2021

There is an economic imperative to increase the level of innovative activities in developed and developing countries. Universities have been encouraged to increase the number of science and technology graduates. One of the approaches used by universities is the encouragement of minority students, in particular, Black African- American and African-Caribbean students into undergraduate engineering. However, to realize the potential of these students, programs need to build understanding of engineering principles in a manner that appeal to multiple learning styles. The steelpan, a percussion instrument invented in Trinidad and Tobago, can provide a possible solution. The steelpan also known as the pan or steel drum is produced by creatively deforming metal sheet. The pan is a unique musical device and offers an opportunity to teach engineering concepts using an instrument that is a part of the cultural heritage of some of these students. The technology of the steelpan is multidisciplinary and requires knowledge in the areas of materials science, production processes, acoustics, vibrations and music. By decomposing the production of the instrument into these underlying bodies of knowledge, it provides an ideal opportunity to explain and demonstrate engineering principles at low cost.

The Absence of Standardization of Mid-range Steelpan Instruments and its effects on steelpan players in Trinidad and Tobago by Garcia, Nicholan

Publication Date: 2021

 

Experimental Investigations into Manufacturing Processes Used to Produce Musical Steel Drums by Winston G. Lewis and Aaron O. Ameerali

Publication Date: 2010

This paper explores innovative manufacturing processes, which can be used to manufacture the national musical instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, the Musical Steel Drum or Steelpan. The main manufacturing process used today is the manual or Handforming technique. In order to achieve more consistent and deeper formed components while maintaining the high quality of the instrument, it is proposed that the Marforming process and the Flowforming process, an adaptation of the Spinforming process be used to replace the traditional Handforming method. Experimental investigations using the Flowforming or Spinforming and Marforming processes proved to be promising in achieving the required strain distribution of the formed component. Evaluation took the form of strain analyses of preformed steel drums. It was found that the Marformed components had the smallest range of % strain values while the Spinformed components had the largest range.

References   

Smith, Angela. 2012. Steel Drums and Steelbands. Blue Ridge Summit: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. 

The University of the West Indies. 2009. “Why PHI?: This Latest Synthesizer Is Worth Its Weight.” UWI Today, September 27.  https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/archive/september_2009/article6.asp.

UN (United Nations). n.d. “World Steelpan Day: 11 August.” Accessed August 11, 2023. https://www.un.org/en/observances/steelpan-day.