Thursday, December 26, 2019

Organizational Failure And Its Impact On Organizational...

There is great need to learn from failure and this cannot be overemphasized. Few organizations manage to do it well and the ones that manage to do it are few. In the past years, many corporations have failed with very few having attained success. Business and Management research has viewed organizational failure with no great regard to organizational success. Organizational failure is viewed with less significance or, as being complementary to research on the success of organizations. As reported by Ormerod (2005), a key feature to both human, social, and biological systems is failure. In her works, Amy (2011), found that many managers hold the belief that failing is not good. There is the belief that taking the lessons from failure is†¦show more content†¦As reported by (Farazmand et al, 1995) the chaos theory is a great tool used to gain deeper understanding of the complex interaction between small events that may occur outside the organization’s monitoring scope a nd how these interactions impact affect the organization. Seeger (2002) noted that organizations operate in a complex climate and are constantly in a state of near failure where any minor event has the potential to plunge the organization into great catastrophe. Incremental disruptions in the business climate which result in serious failures are likened to the butterfly effect where one minor change or shift happens which leads to another change/shift and in the end, you have this major challenge which will most certainly end up with some sort of failure (Steward’s,1989). Considering the above, certain failures are because of small event or chain of events, within the organization or climate where the organization works in. Due to the negligible nature of the small events managers rarely notice them because they are not easily seen and by chance if they did find them they would ordinarily push them aside or ignore them all together. This view implies, that management is mostl y unable to predict failure and are unable to deal with its causes. On the other hand, the sudden disruption process takes a sudden occurrence to causes theShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Globalization On The Business Environment1356 Words   |  6 Pagescompetitive advantage and creating customers value (Dyer, 2002). Strategic alliances are inter-organizational cooperative structures formed to accomplish strategic objectives of the partnering firms. A number of business literatures and management practitioners have acknowledged the positive outcomes for companies engaged in it, such as higher returns on equity, better returns on investment and higher success rates compared with integration through merger and acquisition (Booz-Allen Hamilton, 2009)Read MoreHow Does Leadership Impact The Success Of A Company?1181 Words   |  5 PagesHow does leadership impact the success of a company? Many leadership theories exists in today’s business world, even more theories are taught. How does leadership impact the success of a company? Reflecting on current trends we will discover if one person truly has the power to positively or negatively affect the success of a company through leadership. Truly effective leaders know the respect of people is not just commanded it is earned. Accomplishing this type of respect is displaying the knowledgeRead MoreOrganizational Culture And Human Behavior1323 Words   |  6 PagesA major factor of a project’s success is the behavior of the employees. Employee behavior is influenced by organizational culture and leadership. This paper will briefly explore the influence organizational culture and human behavior have on the success of projects, in particular projects plagued with conflict. First, this paper will discuss the influences organizational culture has on the success of projects. Secondly, the role project leadership plays in the success of projects and how project managersRead MoreHow Organizational Culture Affects The Success And Failure Of An Organization Essay1134 Words   |  5 Pageswith a golden circle† (Afshar, 2013). Sinek has brought an overview of an essential factor to all organization, which is organizational culture. It is the key to make a success of an organization, as well as the reflection of the company’s manager leadership. In this essay, the definition of organizational culture, how organizational culture can influence both the success and failure of an organization and what managers can do to create an encouraging and effective culture at workplace will be disc ussedRead MoreOrganizational Changes : Risk Management And Organizational Change1412 Words   |  6 PagesWeavetech Organizational Change Strategy Risk Management and Organizational Change: Risks There are many potential risks associated with acquisitions and mergers. According to Allen (2014) risks include â€Å" the miscalculations regarding the scale, scope and change management implications of the integration and the level of assimilation required† to make the transition a success. Another risk is would include the a lack of an adequate or strong communication strategy. Finally, a lack of identificationRead MoreRisk Management And Organizational Change Strategy1451 Words   |  6 PagesWeavetech Risk Management and Organizational Change Strategy Risks. There are many potential risks associated with acquisitions and mergers. According to Allen (2014) risks include â€Å" the miscalculations regarding the scale, scope and change management implications of the integration and the level of assimilation required† to make the transition a success. Another risk is would include the a lack of an adequate or strong communication strategy. Finally, a lack of identification or preparationRead MoreThe Omnipotent View of Management1331 Words   |  6 Pagesresponsible for the success or failure of an organization. This is a dominate view in management theory and society in general. The symbolic view of management takes the view much of an organization’s success or failure is due to external forces outside the manager’ control. The view of managers as omnipotent is consistent with the stereotypical picture of the take-charge executive who can overcome any obstacle in carrying out the organization’s objec tives. The  symbolic view  organizational results as beingRead MoreOrganizational Change and Healthcare Management Essay979 Words   |  4 Pagesefficient and address changes in the industry have altered their strategic business plans. Lee Alexander (1999) researched organizational change in hospitals and their survival, in this paper I hope to discuss their findings and add other examples to validate their conclusions. Core and Peripheral Changes with Regard to Hospital Re-organization Found in the organizational structure and studied in hospital re-organization is the core and periphery both are varied systems that relate to the identityRead MoreThe Demonstration Of Leadership By Craig Johnson Essay1469 Words   |  6 Pagescompany experienced a decline in productivity within a short period after the CEO entered the organization. Actually, Fiorina entered a largely successful firm and introduced significant changes within a short time duration, which had considerable impacts on the firm’s operations. The dramatic changes that were introduced within a short time culminated in the decline of the value of the company’s stock within five years and the eventual unceremonious removal of the CEO. This paper provides a responseRead MoreStrategic Strategy And Risk Assessment1366 Words   |  6 PagesThe business dictionary has defined success as the achievement of an objective or pre-determined goal. For this study, being successful will mean strategic a lliance partners achieving those objectives that necessitated their partnership. Uddin Akhter (2011) argued that strategic alliance success requires cooperative behaviour from all partners. They went further to state that alliance success depends on several factors such as active involvement in problem’s solution, being trustworthy; to create

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Family Aspects Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein

Family aspect in Frankenstein The family aspect in the Frankenstein is a strong theme that has been developed and challenged in the novel. The novel places weight in the role of parents within a family with parents having the role of protecting their children. For instance, Victor’s father is identified to protect him with different scenarios that are causing harm to him in addition to the happy upbringing filled with father’s affection. No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence† (Shelley 23). Meanwhile, his family friends have surrounded the young man as they are in need to see his success. Through the traditional notions of attaining a stronger family, commitment, time, coping ability, spiritual wellness, appreciation, and communication are the most essential aspects (Westheimer and Yogada 24-29). However, Frankenstein has revealed more breaking up of ties between family members and friends charac terized by non-commitment, no time for family members, and lack of unity as well as, poor sexual relations revealed by Victor. Frankenstein has challenged the family concept against the traditional notions as we see; the home has been the place where refuge can be found. I do not feel that Frankenstein Victor has love and care for his family. However, with the beginning of the story it is revealed that the initial Victor’s family has been living a joyful life until the death of hisShow MoreRelatedMary Shelley and Flannery OConnor: Gothic Isolationists1724 Words   |  7 Pagesgenre of literature that combines fiction, horror and Romanticism with a particular focus on the mysterious and supernatural aspects. Gothic fiction originated in England during the latter half of the 18th century. This distinctive genre of literature soon developed into a 19th century phenomenon. The success of this dominant genre in England is frequently attributed to Mary Shelley. Despite its success during this time period, gothic fiction ceased to be a dominant genre by the Victorian Era. HoweverRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein: A Gothic Novel1595 Words   |  7 Pages Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is one of the greatest Gothic novels to come out during the Romantic Period. Frankenstein is a prime example of what a Gothic novel should present to its reader through the genre’s twisted themes. Even though it was written in the Romantic period, Mary Shelley still wrote Frankenstein to be a Gothic work of literature. Many characteristics of Gothic novel can be seen within this novel. Mary Shelley’s outstanding novel Frankenstein is a prime example of a Gothic novelRead MoreMary Shelley s Use Of Point Of View1467 Words   |  6 PagesJoyner English IV Honors 17 December 2015 Mary Shelley’s Use of Point of View Mary Shelley uses point of view in Frankenstein to naturally develop her reader’s opinions and feelings in regards to her characters. Shelley forms her own Chinese Box structure along with a frame narrative stirred together to give the nature of stories within stories in a completely unique way (Narrative Technique in Frankenstein). When Shelley’s readers interpret Frankenstein, they tend to have mixed feelings when viewingRead More Significance of Chapter 5 in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Essay1212 Words   |  5 PagesComment on Chapter 5’s significance in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Famous writer, Mary Shelley was born in London in 1797. She was the daughter of writer William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. Shelley’s mother sadly died while giving birth to her. This was an influence included in the later successful novel ‘Frankenstein’. At 19, she married poet Percy Shelley, who she married in 1816. Together, Mary and Percy had five children, but only one survived past childhood. This tragedy, alongRead MoreFrankenstein Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesCompare Shelley’s Presentation of Women in Frankenstein with that of Brave New World Throughout the novel, Frankenstein, a feminist theme subtly pervades the novel, and is crucial to the characters of the story, the plot line and the setting of the novel. The reasons for the creation of the monster lie within Frankenstein s own familial relationships, especially with the grief he experienced at the loss of his mother. Frankenstein is riddled with passive female characters who suffer throughoutRead MoreMary Shelley ´s Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus, an Analysis of the Subtitle1219 Words   |  5 Pagesof creation.† (Shelley 37). Ab initio Victor Frankenstein, the main protagonist, is being put on a level with Prometheus through the subtitle. An indication that Mary Shelley did indeed have the myth in mind as she wrote the novel, is not only her subtitle, but moreover the parallels between the Prometheus myth and Frankenstein, which are undeniable. The title itself gives a lot away of the story which follows. It links the modern world with the ancient Greek myth. Victor Frankenstein â€Å"steals† theRead MoreMary Shelley s Frankenstein - Romantic Ideology Of A Byronic Hero1270 Words   |  6 Pagesthose authors was Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly. Her novel Frankenstein, which was published in 1818, incorporates different characteristics of Romanticism in many aspects but more d irectly through the characters. With an analysis of Victor Frankenstein, the monster, and Henry Clerval, it is clear that the characters of Frankenstein epitomize ideologies that were embodied during the Romantic Era including the Byronic hero, and emphasis on nature’s significance. Victor Frankenstein s character is an exampleRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein And Caleb Williams 1168 Words   |  5 PagesIn A.D Harvey’s article â€Å"Frankenstein and Caleb Williams,† he explains that Mary Shelley’s famous work, Frankenstein; was not intended to be of any actual scientific evidence, but rather written just only with the intention of a gothic horror piece â€Å"we will each write a ghost story† (Frankenstein Author’s introduction vii). Harvey’s target is to reach out to the science community and to sway them to look past the mechanics of how Frankenstein’s monster is created and focus on other points of interestRead MoreModernism And Its Impact On Society1347 Words   |  6 Pagessociety s norms, perceptions, and beliefs (Pucher, Akbarri and Denecke 78). Modernism touches on different aspects of the society such as class, gender and a quest for knowledge. It also looks into the alienation at the ti me. Most readings produced during the modernism era reflect the thoughts of the authors and the society s position at that time. This paper seeks to look into the spiritual and intellectual crisis of modern life. It will examine how modernism influenced how characters in Mary Shelley’sRead MoreFrankendoodle And Frankenstein1079 Words   |  5 PagesFrankenstein is a classic science fiction novel written by Mary Shelley, through the ages, many adaptations have taken the story through various forms of popular culture. SpongeBob Squarepants, a popular children s television show often alludes to classic literature, and makes it entertaining for all ages. While this example is quite comical, it does hold classical elements associated with Frankenstein, but takes a spin on the classic science fiction novel. In this essay I will consider the similarities

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Growing Up on the Streets Essay Example For Students

Growing Up on the Streets Essay As a young black woman growing up on the hardcore streets of North Philadelphia, you have to strive and fight for everything. The negativity and madness can grab and swallow even the most well-behaved kids. You live under the influence, and just become another stereotype talked about in the newspaper. Throughout my life, witnessing these many types of everyday situations, only made me want to better myself and show others that there is an alternate path to take. With the support of my family, positive thinking was always a factor within my life. Unlike the outside streets of North Philly, I chose to live in a house where love, and support flourished. A home where you was pushed and encouraged to do your best. Both my mother and father were raised on the same disastrous streets and did not finish school. However they were two strong individuals who were not influenced by the norm, but was determined for their children to be something in life. They refuse for us to end up like a stereotypical North Philadelphian. They have provided both my brother, sister and I with some of the best schooling within the Philadelphia area in order for us to have a brighter future. As parents, they showed me to always drive for the best, and being driven is a quality of being a leader. When I was enrolled into Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School, I felt as if I was in a whole new world. It was a very diverse community, in which i was not use to. It was also much more of a positive environment other than my neighborhood. Attending elementary school in such a suitable diverse community and making new friends that i never knew that i could make influenced me even more to retain in affirmative activity and encourage me to be successful in life. When it came to choosing high schools, everyone normally chooses the neighborhood school just to be with the in crowd, not really for the education. Myself on the other hand, decided to attend Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, a predominantly Caucasian all girls catholic school, because i felt that it was something new to experience and somewhere that i felt would increase my education. Looking outside the box and being open minded to new things is an aspect that i feel will help me to becoming successful and as being leader, because when you are a leader having an open mind is a good quality. After receiving my education and spiritual support at CDSSH for two years, my parents could not afford for me to continue to attend anymore while raising my two siblings and I. Still only striving for the best, my parents and I refused that i attend one of my neighborhood schools and surround myself with the unacceptable activity. So from a reference of a friend i found a much cheaper high school where i would be getting a good education and surrounding myself around spiritual people, in which was John W Hallahan, another all girls school to keep focus. Hallahan was in the city , where as though CDSSH was more so in the suburbs. I was use to the city life, but after attending Sacred Heart for 2 years it was still a transition. At sacred Heart it was pretty much all white, i was probably one of twelve African American girls within 2 years of attending there, but at Hallahan i blended in a little more better. Time passed by at Hallahan, and then just as i got comfortable it was time for me to choose another school. It was not that i wanted to choose another school, but i knew that my parents could not afford for my brother and I to both go to catholic school, so i thought that I would give him the chance that i had.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Rolling Stone Essays - Control Characters, DOS Memory Management

The Rolling Stone ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Microsoft Windows 95 README for MS-DOS Device Drivers August 1995 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1995 This document provides complementary or late-breaking information to supplement the Microsoft Windows 95 documentation. ------------------------ How to Use This Document ------------------------ To view Msdosdrv.txt on screen in Notepad, maximize the Notepad window. To print Msdosdrv.txt, open it in Notepad or another word processor, then use the Print command on the File menu. In syntax lines, except where noted, lowercase text signifies replaceable parameters and uppercase text must be typed as it appears. NOTE: The Config.txt file contains more Help for MS-DOS commands. Also you can type the name of the command at the command prompt, followed by a slash and question mark (/?). For example: CHKDSK /? -------- CONTENTS ANSI.SYS DBLBUFF.SYS DISPLAY.SYS DRVSPACE.SYS, DBLSPACE.SYS EGA.SYS EMM386.EXE HIMEM.SYS RAMDRIVE.SYS SETVER.EXE -------- ANSI.SYS ========= Note: In this section, uppercase letters in syntax and ANSI escape sequences indicate text you must type exactly as it appears. Defines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement, and reassign keys. The ANSI.SYS device driver supports ANSI terminal emulation of escape sequences to control your system's screen and keyboard. An ANSI escape sequence is a sequence of ASCII characters, the first two of which are the escape character (1Bh) and the left-bracket character (5Bh). The character or characters following the escape and left-bracket characters specify an alphanumeric code that controls a keyboard or display function. ANSI escape sequences distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters; for example,A and a have completely different meanings. This device driver must be loaded by a DEVICE or DEVICEHIGH command in your CONFIG.SYS file. Syntax DEVICE=[drive:][path]ANSI.SYS [/X] [/K] [/R] Parameter [drive:][path] Specifies the location of the ANSI.SYS file. Switches /X Remaps extended keys independently on 101-key keyboards. /K Causes ANSI.SYS to treat a 101-key keyboard like an 84-key keyboard. This is equivalent to the command SWITCHES=/K. If you usually use the SWITCHES=/K command, you will need to use the /K switch with ANSI.SYS. /R Adjusts line scrolling to improve readability when ANSI.SYS is used with screen-reading programs (which make computers more accessible to people with disabilities). Parameters used in ANSI escape sequences: Pn Numeric parameter. Specifies a decimal number. Ps Selective parameter. Specifies a decimal number that you use to select a function. You can specify more than one function by separating the parameters with semicolons (;). PL Line parameter. Specifies a decimal number that represents one of the lines on your display or on another device. Pc Column parameter. Specifies a decimal number that represents one of the columns on your screen or on another device. ANSI escape sequences for cursor movement, graphics, and keyboard settings: In the following list of ANSI escape sequences, the abbreviation ESC represents the ASCII escape character 27 (1Bh), which appears at the beginning of each escape sequence. ESC[PL;PcH Cursor Position: Moves the cursor to the specified position (coordinates). If you do not specify a position, the cursor moves to the home position--the upper-left corner of the screen (line 0, column 0). This escape sequence works the same way as the following Cursor Position escape sequence. ESC[PL;Pcf Cursor Position: Works the same way as the preceding Cursor Position escape sequence. ESC[PnA Cursor Up: Moves the cursor up by the specified number of lines without changing columns. If the cursor is already on the top line, ANSI.SYS ignores this sequence. ESC[PnB Cursor Down: Moves the cursor down by the specified number of lines without changing columns. If the cursor is already on the bottom line, ANSI.SYS ignores this sequence. ESC[PnC Cursor Forward: Moves the cursor forward by the specified number of columns without changing lines. If the cursor is already in the rightmost column, ANSI.SYS ignores this sequence. ESC[PnD Cursor Backward: Moves the cursor back by the specified number of columns without changing lines. If the cursor is already in the leftmost column, ANSI.SYS ignores this sequence. ESC[s Save Cursor Position: Saves the current cursor position. You can move the cursor to the saved cursor position by using the Restore Cursor Position sequence. ESC[u Restore Cursor Position: Returns the cursor to the position stored by the Save Cursor Position sequence. ESC[2J Erase Display: Clears the screen and moves the cursor to the home position (line 0, column 0). ESC[K Erase Line: Clears all characters from the cursor position to the end of the line (including the character at the cursor position). ESC[Ps;...;Psm Set Graphics Mode: Calls the graphics functions specified by the following values. These specified functions remain active until the next occurrence of this escape sequence. Graphics mode changes the colors and attributes of text (such as bold and underline) displayed on the screen. Text attributes 0 All attributes off 1 Bold on 4 Underscore (on monochrome display adapter only) 5 Blink on 7 Reverse video on 8 Concealed on Foreground colors 30 Black 31 Red 32 Green 33 Yellow 34 Blue 35 Magenta 36 Cyan 37 White Background colors 40 Black 41 Red 42 Green 43 Yellow 44 Blue 45 Magenta 46 Cyan 47 White Parameters 30 through 47

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Road Construction Essays

Road Construction Essays Road Construction Essay Road Construction Essay International Infrastructure Project Cost Estimating Work Breakdown Paul Hewitt, International Project Estimating Limited Introduction Construction Cost Estimating Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The term WBS has become a common term in all fields related to Cost Engineering including Construction Cost Estimating, Scheduling and Project Cost Control. A well defined WBS is the backbone of good Construction Estimating Software and can take several forms including the breakdown of items within an estimate, the layout of groups within a schedule or the rollup of accounts within a cost report. It usually starts with a client’s desire to breakdown a tender into definable pay items, followed by the project manager’s wish to schedule activities of work in a logically and efficient manner and the contract cost control engineer’s goal to track and forecast costs. In each case a properly organized WBS is required. The Phases of a Civil Infrastructure Project The cycle of developing, designing, constructing and maintaining Civil Infrastructure projects includes many phases and participants. The projects usually originate with a developer or government body who formulate a concept design and budget. If the project is approved it then moves on to preliminary design and a more detailed budget is estimated. Depending on the financing options available, the project may go out as a traditional Detailed Design and Bid Build project or proposals may be solicited for Design Build or Design Build and Finance options. Participants within the Project Cycle The life of a major international infrastructure project can involve many participants and span across many years. These projects involve developers, government agencies, engineers, contractors, operators, environmentalists and community stake holders. It is essential for the success of a project that all participants within the project cycle communicate and transfer data efficiently and consistently. Lack of a Standard Industry Wide Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The dilemma that the international construction industry faces today is that there has been no common work breakdown upon which to communicate and transfer data between project participants. Traditional agencies like state and provincial highway authorities have all developed their own tender breakdowns, many of which that have been around long before the creation of electronic data transfer. Construction estimators have tended to follow the layout of the bids as provided by the government agencies. The scheduler commonly ignores the estimate breakdown because it does not logically adapt well to the sequence of work activities. The cost control engineer has to rollup the project costs into a corporate chart of accounts that even creates more inconsistency. Current Standard Work Breakdown Structures Many standard project work breakdown structures have been created over the years. The CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) format in North America and the SMM7 (Standard Method of Measurement) format in Great Britain are the most common and have been in existence for over 40 years. These originated as breakdowns for commercial building construction and quantity survey but both have evolved over the years to include other forms of construction. The State of California USA (DOT) Department of Transportation and the Province of Ontario Canada (MTO) Ministry of Transportation are examples of transportation government agencies whom have standardized tender breakdowns. The CSI (Construction Specifications Institute), the most popular Work Breakdown in North America, recently introduced an expanded version of their MasterFormat â„ ¢ in 2004 [1]. This work breakdown was expanded from the tradition 16 divisions of work covering building construction to include 50 divisions of work covering civil site work as well as process equipment. A Proposed Standard for an International Infrastructure Project Work Breakdown None of the current breakdowns, including CSI, fully cover the complete civil infrastructure project cycle including; development, engineering, construction, operations, maintenance and risk mitigation. The current CSI MasterFormat â„ ¢ 2004 Edition [1] comes closest to covering all the scope of work found in the construction of Building Facilities and Site Work. It falls short in addressing the unique requirements of estimators, schedulers and cost engineers in identifying all phases of work included in major Infrastructure work such as Build Own and Transfer (BOT) projects. This Standard Work Breakdown attempts to format the project into a multi-level WBS suited to estimate, schedule, track cost and measure performance on international infrastructure projects. The breakdown is also designed to facilitate the data transfer of a standard work breakdown between common estimating, scheduling and cost control software applications. The International Infrastructure Project Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The following paragraphs outline the various sub-projects and phases within the Civil Infrastructure WBS. The Sub-Projects within a Civil Infrastructure Project Life Cycle Traditional work breakdown structures in the past have only identified the Construction Divisions within a project. This proposed work breakdown includes all phases within the life span of the project cycle, including Development, Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Transfer and Risk. 1 Project Capital Cost 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 1. 4 1. 5 1. 6 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 3. 1 3. 2 3. 3 3. 4 3. 5 Overhead Construction Equipment Engineering Design Capital Cost Escalation Capital Cost Risk Proposal Financial Close Development Overhead Development Escalation Development Risk Operations Maintenance Transfer O M Escalation OM Risk 2 Project Development 3 Operations Maintenance Project Capital Cost The Project Capital Costs are normally the initial cost of the project, also referred to as the initial investment for the project. It is within this phase that the project is designed and built. Traditional work breakdowns have only included direct construction divisions. This WBS includes Site Head Office Overheads, Construction Equipment as well as Rolling Stock and Engineering. 1. 1 Overhead 1. 1. 1 1. 1. 2 1. 1. 3 1. 1. 4 1. 2. 1 1. 2. 2 1. 2. 3 1. 3. 1 1. 3. 2 1. 3. 3 1. 4. 1 1. 4. 2 1. 4. Site Indirect Costs Head Office Overhead Unallocated Costs Bonding Insurance Facilities Site Work Infrastructure Construction Equipment Operations Vehicles Transit Vehicles Site Investigation Engineering Design Resident Engineering 1. 2 Construction 1. 3 Equipment 1. 4 Engineering Design Project Development With the advent of the Build Own procurement model the activities and costs associated with the financial development of the project also ha ve to be accounted for and tracked. On major Civil Infrastructure projects, separate entities called â€Å"Concessionaires† have evolved to take on this responsibility. The concessionaire is often a joint venture company comprised of the contractors involved with the project or can be a separate entity on their own. The activities performed by the concessionaire have to be defined within the work breakdown structure. These activities are split into 3 distinct phases; the Proposal Phase during which time the proposal and financial models are prepared, the Financial Close phase, where the concessionaire negotiates with banks and financial institutions to procure financing for the project and the Operations phase, where the concessionaire manages or oversees the operation of the facility. On some international projects it may take several years to finalize all the legal agreements in order to get to financial close. 2. 1 Proposal 61. 10. 00 61. 20. 00 61. 30. 00 61. 40. 00 61. 50. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 63. 10. 00 Proposal Preparation Financial Modeling Legal Due Diligence Financial Due Diligence Success Fees Management Salaries General Expenses Office Facilities Office Services Public Relations Travel Subsistence Municipal Taxes 2. 2 Financial Close 2. 3 Concessionaire Overhead Operations and Maintenance In addition to building and owning infrastructure facilities the concessionaire (developer) is normally required to operate and maintain the facility over an extended period of time. The concession period can extend for 20 to 30 years. At the end of the period that facility is then transferred back to the municipality or government agency. The WBS must include the ability to estimate, schedule and track these operations maintenance activities over the concession period. The staff involved with operating infrastructure facilities can include Management, Supervisors, System Controllers, Fare Collectors and Vehicle Operators. Energy Consumption can include electric power consumption for transit vehicles and fuel for buses. Consumables include tickets. Maintenance can include such things as the cost of maintaining and cleaning buildings, repairing highway pavements, cutting and watering grass, replacing bridge bearings and maintaining ticket vending machines. Maintenance can also include the labor and parts required to operate transit vehicles over the concession period. Transferring the facility back to the government includes demobilization costs such as cleanup costs, staff severance as well as audit fees required to transfer the assets. 3. 1 Operations 3. 1. 1 3. 1. 2 3. 1. 3 Staff Salaries Overhead Energy 3. 1. 4 3. 1. 5 3. 2 Maintenance 3. 2. 1 3. 2. 2 3. 2. 3 3. 2. 4 3. 2. 5 3. 3. 1 3. 3. 2 Consumables Insurance Bonding Facility Maintenance Road Site Work Maintenance Infrastructure Maintenance Rolling Stock Maintenance Service Vehicle Maintenance Demobilization Legal Audit 3. 3 Transfer The Construction Phase of Work Breakdown Structure The Construction phase of the Capital Cost portion of the project is still where most of the detailed scheduling and cost control tasks are required. Most current WBS layouts have addressed the direct construction costs in detail. The following paragraphs describe how current breakdown structures have been adapted and revised to form part of the proposed Civil Infrastructure WBS. Summary Levels within the Construction Cost Breakdown The cost of construction has been summarized into definable levels that can be estimated, scheduled and procured. These sections are structured to help the estimator, scheduler or cost control engineer group the project into definable work packages. These work packages can also serve as subcontract procurement packages. The following table lists the main summary levels within the Construction Phase of an Infrastructure Project. 1. 2. 1 Facilities 1. 2. 1. 1 1. 2. 1. 2 1. 2. 2. 1 1. 2. 2. 2 1. 2. 2. 3 1. 2. 2. 4 1. 2. 2. 5 1. 2. 2. 6 1. 2. 2. 7 1. 2. 3. 1 1. 2. 3. 2 1. 2. 3. 3 1. 2. 3. 4 1. 2. 3. 5 1. 2. 3. 6 1. 2. 3. 7 Buildings Building Services Existing Conditions Earthwork Paving Landscaping Site Improvements Utilities Traffic Control Walls Bridges Tunnels Rail Airfield Marine Dams 1. 2. 2 Site Work 1. 2. 3 Infrastructure CSI MasterFormat â„ ¢ 2004 Divisions of Work It is under construction summary levels that the author has followed the basic divisions of work as defined by CSI MasterFormat â„ ¢ 2004 [1]. In the 2004 version, the term â€Å"Building† construction was replaced with â€Å"Facilities† construction. Building Services that used to be classified under division 15 for Mechanical and division 16 for Electrical were shifted to divisions 20 through 29. New divisions were created covering Civil and Infrastructure from divisions 30 through 39. There are over 3,000 lines within this section of the WBS. We have included sample breakdowns of two of the main CSI divisions here for illustrative purposes. The Building divisions, that remained the same from the original CSI breakdown, and a new breakdown for the Earthworks level, included with the new CSI divisions for Site Work. 1. 2. 1. 1 Buildings 02. 00. 00 03. 00. 00 04. 00. 00 05. 00. 00 06. 00. 00 07. 00. 00 08. 00. 00 09. 00. 00 10. 00. 00 11. 00. 00 12. 00. 00 13. 00. 0 14. 00. 00 31. 21. 00 31. 22. 00 31. 23. 00 31. 24. 00 31. 25. 00 31. 26. 00 31. 27. 00 31. 28. 00 31. 33. 00 31. 38. 00 31. 39. 00 31. 40. 00 Building Site Work Building Concrete Masonry Metals Wood Plastics Thermal Moisture Protection Openings Finishes Specialties Permanent Equipment Furnishings Special Construction Conveying Systems Dewatering Grading Earth Earth Excavation Embankment Construction Erosion Contr ol Sub-grade Preparation Structural Excavation Structural Backfill Rock Stabilization Soil Stabilization Rock Excavation Shoring 1. 2. 2. 2 Earthwork New Infrastructure Items and Activities For Infrastructure work, where similar activities can be included in multiple items, the traditional CSI breakdown does not work for estimating and scheduling purposes. For example; if a Retaining Wall and a Bridge are to be constructed on the same project, they have to be estimated and scheduled separately, yet they both include similar CSI divisions of work such as excavation, setting and stripping formwork, and placing concrete. For this reason, the work breakdown structure must include different WBS codes for these similar activities in the various infrastructure summary levels. The proposed Infrastructure Break down includes the following classifications: Walls, Bridges, Tunnels, Rail, Airfield, Marine, Dams The following table illustrates the different breakdown required for a Wall as opposed to a Bridge, although each are performing essentially the same activities. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2 Cast in Place Walls 03. 11. 01 03. 11. 02 03. 11. 03 03. 12. 01 03. 12. 02 03. 12. 03 03. 12. 04 03. 13. 01 03. 13. 03 03. 21. 01 03. 21. 02 03. 21. 03 03. 22. 01 03. 22. 02 03. 22. 03 03. 22. 05 03. 22. 06 03. 22. 07 03. 22. 08 03. 2. 09 03. 23. 01 03. 23. 02 03. 23. 03 03. 23. 04 03. 24. 04 03. 24. 05 Foundation Preparation Footing Excavation Wall Backfill Mud Slab Concrete Mass Concrete Footing Concrete Wall Concrete Reinforcing Steel Dowels Foundation Preparation Footing Excavation Abutment Backfill Mud Slab Concrete Mass Concrete Footing Concrete Substructure Concrete Deck Concrete Approach Slab Concrete Barrier Wall Concrete Concrete Slope Paving Reinforcing Steel Welded Wir e Fabric Dowels Stressing Systems Pre-cast Concrete Girders Structural Grouting . 2. 3. 2. 1 Bridges Conclusion A comprehensive Work Breakdown Structure is essential for the proper communication of construction cost estimating and scheduling data between all participants in an International Infrastructure Project. The Work Breakdown must include all phases of the project life cycle, from conception, through development, engineering, construction, operations, maintenance and transfer. In order to accomplish this task, the WBS must also be available in formats compatible with the common software applications used to manage these projects. References 1. MasterFormat â„ ¢ 2004 Edition Numbers Titles Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) 99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA USA 22314

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Chemical Composition of White Gold

The Chemical Composition of White Gold White gold is a popular alternative to yellow gold, silver, or platinum. Some people prefer the silver color of white gold to the yellow color of normal gold, yet may find silver to be too soft or too easily tarnished or the cost of platinum to be prohibitive. While white gold contains varying amounts of gold, which is always yellow, it also contains one or more white metals to lighten its color and add strength and durability. The most common white metals that form the white gold alloy are nickel, palladium, platinum, and manganese. Sometimes copper, zinc or silver are added. However, copper and silver form undesirable colored oxides in the air or on the skin, so other metals are preferable. The purity of white gold is expressed in karats, the same as with yellow gold. The gold content is typically stamped into the metal (e.g., 10K, 18K). The Color of White Gold The properties of white gold, including its color, depend on its composition. Although most people think white gold is a shiny white metal, that color is actually from the rhodium metal plating that is applied to all white gold jewelry. Without the rhodium coating, white gold might be gray, dull brown, or even pale pink. Another coating that may be applied is a platinum alloy. Typically platinum is alloyed with iridium, ruthenium, or cobalt to increase its hardness. Platinum is naturally white. However, its more expensive than gold, so it may be electroplated onto a white gold ring to improve its appearance without dramatically increasing the price. White gold that contains a high percentage of nickel tends to be closest to a true white color. It has a faint ivory tone but is much whiter than pure gold.  Nickel white gold often does not require plating with rhodium for color, although the coating may be applied to reduce the incidence of skin reactions. Palladium white gold is another strong alloy that may be used without a coating. Palladium white gold has a faint gray tinge. Other gold alloys result in additional colors of gold, including red or rose, blue, and green. Allergies to White Gold White gold jewelry typically is made from a gold-palladium-silver alloy or gold-nickel-copper-zinc alloy. However, about one in eight people experience a reaction to the nickel-containing alloy, usually in the form of a skin rash. Most European jewelry manufacturers and some American jewelry manufacturers avoid nickel white gold since alloys made without nickel are less allergenic. The nickel alloy is most often encountered in older white gold jewelry and in some rings and pins, where the nickel produces a white gold that is strong enough to stand up to the wear and tear these pieces of jewelry experience. Maintaining the Plating on White Gold White gold jewelry that has a platinum or rhodium plating typically cant be resized because doing so would damage the coating. The plating on jewelry will scratch and wear over time. A jeweler can re-plate the item by removing any stones, buffing the metal, plating it, and returning the stones to their settings. Rhodium plating typically needs to be replaced every couple of years. It only takes a couple of hours to perform the process, at a cost of around $50 to $150.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

London Olympics 2012 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

London Olympics 2012 - Essay Example Similarly, there are significant health and safety problems both during and after the event because of a large number of workers that are needed for running the event. The author then talks about the documentary film on which she is working about the London 2012 Olympics. The title of film is ‘Construction in the games’ and it mainly deals with the legacy left by the construction industry in terms of employment and training for the locals. In the end, she points out there is a poor system of training in Britain as mostly the focus of training is on the traditional trades. Since the training from surrounding colleges is inadequate, according to professor, it would be extremely difficult to fulfil the legacy of the London Olympics. Even though it is generally believed that being the host for Olympics bring economic boom for the country, it is not easy to assess the economic impact of the Olympic Games (Cashman, 2002). As expected there is a great surge in the employment of the skilled labor for the construction as well as for different services (Economic and Social Research Council, 2012). However most of these labors are required only in the preparation stage of the game and the rapidly pacing economy suffers a heavy setback once the Olympic Games are over. This is because the labor and the services are no longer required and hence the host country is unable to maintain the momentum it had acquired before the start of the games (Girginov, 2005). Therefore it is not easy to analyze the overall economic impact of the Olympic Games. The Olympics is not merely a sports event but it has evolved into means of urban development and regeneration. It is imperative for the host country to have enough facilities for the participants as well as the spectators therefore a great deal of urban investment is generally required (Winch, 2012). This comes in the form of setting up