Today included two significant company visits that brought us insight into two different industries. Titan Cement introduced us to the cement industry, while the Athens Airport visit brought us further insight into the aviation industry. Titan Cement and the Athens Airport are both striving towards vertical integration. This aspect improves workflow and quality of the goods or services provided and reduces production costs. Titan Cement sources a majority of its various cement mixtures from a company-owned limestone quarry next to its processing plant. Its manufacturing line included all of the necessary equipment to roll, bake, and mix the materials, ensuring quality at every step. The Athens Airport demonstrated its vertical integration by exceeding the energy demands of its current infrastructure through company-owned photovoltaic farms. Both companies had their own vehicles and strive to meet sustainability goals focused on emissions.
As an aspiring civil engineer, the Titan Cement visit was captivating. I learned the process of creating cement, from determining certain market demands, to establishing a mixture in the lab, to replicating the product for further testing on large-scale efforts. If I pursue a future in the concrete sector, I will likely perform tests in the cement, concrete, and/or analysis lab, mentioned on our tour. This is where manufacturing processes are replicated, and enhanced testing is carried out, to acquire an initial model of the cement. This work ensures the strength and durability of the concrete, so contemporary and future generations can be assured of the quality of their infrastructure. On our company tour, we learned that there are multiple measures taken to ensure the quality of cement mix, with the most prominent challenge being maintaining proper granularity. This required automated sampling from the final mixture every couple of hours, which is carried out in a laboratory. As a future engineer, this work is appealing to me as I can ensure the safety of society according to contemporary regulations and standards. Sustainable practices of Titan Cement include repurposing excess manufacturing heat from the baking process to generate electricity for their production, and the use of alternative fuel sources to cover some of the remaining energy demands. I could positively impact society by researching and developing the use of alternative energy sources to reduce total emissions and recycle waste, all while reducing production costs.
On our tour of the Athens Airport, I learned that a significant goal and challenge is to ensure clarity for the customers at every step in the airport process. This requires complete coordination between the various teams that comprise the Athens Airport so travelers have a smooth experience and can access help when needed. As an aspiring civil engineer, I may end up as a project manager, which could parallel the complexity of coordination seen at the Athens Airport. In this case, I would likely coordinate the efforts of various contractors focused on different aspects of the project I am managing. When talking with the airport manager, I noticed his personable character and his eagerness to help customers. This example will positively impact my future as an engineer because I will need similar communication skills and motivation to help others achieve their goals. This work will positively impact people by reducing confusion, stress, and disorder through clear solutions to their problems.
Above is a picture of the Titan Cement processing plant. This is only one of the sections required to create a quality cement mixture.
Above is a picture of one of Titan Cement’s raw mills. The large, horizontal cylinder rotates with the materials inside, with metal balls, to create a fine powder used later in the process.
Above is a picture of the Athens Airport photovoltaic farm. The whole system is not captured in this picture. The airport is connected to the electric grid and can sell excess energy when available.