Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Electronic Smart Device for Active Learning Essay
The evolution of handheld portable devices and wireless technology has resulted in radical changes in the social and economic lifestyles of modern people. (El-Hussein & Cronje, 2010, p. 12) For international students, electronic smart devices is a kind of appropriate learning resource to assist them in overcoming learning difficulties and improving learning efficiency and initiatives. Thus, Nell Mobile Device Company has authorized Rusty Marketing Company to investigate the feasibility and necessity of â€Å"developing a new electronic smart device product to improve the ability of active learning among international students†. As an international college, QUTIC has a certain number of international students from different parts of the world. Therefore 20 QUTIC students will be referenced as convenience sampling. Everyone of them will be asked to finish a paper-based questionnaire with 1 open search and 9 closed search questions, at P block, Kelvin Grove Campus in 8 April 2013. All responses will be voluntary and anonymous. The primary data will be analyzed and then showed in a graphic form. Scholarly journals and dissertations will be referenced as a kind of mainly secondary data. The report will recommend if or what an ideal mobile device might need to be developed.
Ethics on Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative Essay
Abstract : . Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. The philosophical views from one of the greatest German philosophers to ever live continue to interest and influence scholarly opinions all around the world. Immanuel Kant was one of those brilliant thinkers or philosophers that were able to give valuable insight that surround many different ethical values of morality. Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. Just because one person may will a certain thing does not mean that the majority of people will follow suit. For example a key element of Kant’s theory is the concept of intentions or intent. To him the actual outcome or the consequences of a particular action doesn’t matter at all, it’s the intentional aspects he is concerned with. Imagine that you are a serial killer just walking down the street and you see a defenseless elderly woman walking in front of you. It’s no one else around and it’s very dark on the streets. You also have a knife to ensure a silent job and a very easy kill. Now let’s say you decide not to kill this elderly woman and spare her life, but not because you are worried about acting immorally but you did not want to risk her screaming and alerting anyone else that she was being attacked. In the end u decided not to act on your will then according to Kant you have not acted ethically. That’s where I find flaw in his analysis and theory. So our actions according to Kant’s philosophy doesn’t make us a better person because when you acted or (chose not to act), you weren’t considering action in terms of its morality. You actually abandoned the ideas of moral choice, and merely acted out of a sense of self preservation. However if you did chose not to kill the elderly woman because you suddenly realized that it was wrong to do so, then you would have acted morally according to Kant’s theory on Categorical Imperative. Can the Categorical Imperative even accurate enough and practical to be applied into a personal real life ethical dilemma? I do not believe that it could. My interpretation of Kant’s theory was the he thought that if everyone just used reason when trying to figure out their ethical duties, then everyone would come up with the same rules to follow. This may be true but I would say that it is very unlikely that humans will ever be unbiased enough to do this, and the Categorical Imperative fails to take into account the complexity of human beings and their relationships to one another. The formula that Kant used was the concepts surrounding universal law. By this universal law formula he was able to capture the concept that a maxim will work for everyone who it is applied too. The next formula Kant used was the end in itself which occurs when people try to use maxims, (rules that suit themselves) this formulation states that we must not treat others as if they do not have their own life, and respect their acts regardless of ethical belief. It may be my duty to give a small contribution of my earnings to charity, church, or to the homeless indeed, but a homeless man cannot demand that I do so for him because I am not a means to his end, and he has to respect that concept. The key thing to keep in mind here is that you can’t use people just as a means to an end because people are ends in themselves. For example you couldn’t kill a baby Hitler just because that will save a thousand Jews, according to Kantain perspectives. With the baby Hitler example the maxim would be â€Å"killing babies that will commit genocide when they grow up†. On the contrary what if that was a moral rule; like you must kill any babies that will grow up and commit genocide. If the maxim could function as a rule, then actions based on it will be morally right. These maxims also serve as a way to better understand the rigidly parameters that surround ethical issues. Now as I said earlier on I have a foot-hole in both aspects of this topic. I have done things to receive rewards especially when beautiful women are around. And I have also just given a pure stranger a ride home in the rain after seeing them struggle with groceries. And I never told a soul it was just a mere act of kindness and the ethical thing to do as far as good will goes. That is what makes Kant’s theory in my eyes as secondary to my individuality. I do not agree with him on some aspects of his analysis and some I can relate too. We all are presented with these scenarios and many of us as typical human beings tend to neglect the infrastructure behind morality of ethical issues. I would say that ethical theory must have examples attached to them; otherwise it wouldn’t be a very good ethical theory. These theories can never be applied practically if one could not imagine using them in different circumstances. The Categorical Imperative does sort of show any rational thinking person both how to tell the difference between right and wrong, and the moral necessity to choose to act in accordance with what’s right. Personally I fall right in between when it comes to this as I said I have done a little of both sides, being superior( acting out of principles), and I have acted to gain reward but not as much as I have been considered superior. I try my best to act accordingly with morality, and being a dedicated Christian this isn’t that hard. My main source of morality stems from the Bible. I use the Bibles principles as a guideline to how to act morally. I believe that this is the only true source of ethical acts, and that there is no man made doctrines or philosophies that can properly address this complex issue. As long as I understood Gods Laws and follow a righteous path, morality or acting morally comes like second nature. So to sum it all up about Kant’s perspectives I believe he was a little more concerned with a person’s intentions than a consequentialist with utilitarian views, but Kant did feel that if you didn’t act according to the Categorical Imperative you could be accused of acting unethically. It was clear that Kant like me was not content with the popular moral philosophy of his day. According to Kant, when we act upon a maxim that can’t be universalized or (willed by everyone else) we are contradicting ourselves. Meaning that without a will that everyone else views as objective then any action taken can potentially contradict one’s self. To further understand Kant’s philosophy I will walk you through a series of scenarios that I have experienced in my life. I can recall several occasions where the categorical Imperative aspect of Kant’s philosophy has shed light on my ethical or morally based actions. One afternoon I was riding down the street and I noticed a few guys struggling with groceries trying to get back to their school. I could have kept going and actually I did, but I decided to turn around and offer them a ride to their destination. Now according to Kant’s good will I acted on a matter of principle, and not to gain reward. There was nothing I expected to gain from my actions. Now if I had asked them for gas money or maybe some sort of payment for the ride then at that point I become inferior according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative. There was another instance when I acted morally and ethically in Kant’s eyes and that was the time I acknowledged an older woman attempting to put air in her tire at Kroger grocery store. Actually at the time I was in need of air for my tire too and the clerk had turned on the machine but before I got there to it she came and was experiencing trouble getting the air in her tire. I politely offered her assistance and she was very grateful and she insisted that I take five dollars for my actions. Now I in fact was not expecting to get paid for this, but she insisted that I take it. I made it very clear that I felt that this was a universal duty of mine to assist at a time when my assistance was clearly needed. She was older and having trouble with the air pump so I felt an obligation to assist her so I did so. Now did I act morally according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative and the good will? Was I superior or inferior? Yes I acted morally because Kant was not concerned with outcome or consequences he only focused on the intent of that particular action. Kant also emphasizes the absolute necessity of separating genuine morality from all empirical considerations. I find Kant’s formula to be a valuable tool but it neglects to define moral law as God-given.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Diagrid
DIAGRID : THE LANGUAGE OF MODERN DAY BUILDER ABSTRACT Design and construction of artificial infrastructure on the lines of  biomimicking principles requires the development of highly advanced structural systems which has the qualities of aesthetic expression, structural efficiency and most importantly geometric versatility. Diagrids, the latest mutation of tubular structures, have an optimum combination of the above qualities. In this paper, the peculiarities of the Diagrid, its structural behavior under loading and the design and construction of diagrid nodes are described.A case study of some recent diagrid tall buildings, namely the Swiss Re Building in London, the Hearst Tower in New York, and the West Guangzhou Tower in china is also presented. CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. THE TRIANGULAR DIAGRID MODULE 2. 1         INTRODUCTION 2. 2          MODULE GEOMETRY 3. STRUCTURAL   ACTION OF A DIAGRID MODULE 3. 1       EFFECT OF GRAVITY LOADING 3. 2       EFFECT OF LATERAL LOADING 3. 3       EFFECT OF SHEAR LOADING 3. 4       EFFECT OF NON-APEX LOADING 3. 5 EFFECT OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL CURVATURE UNDER VERTICAL LOADING 3.       EFFECT OF HORIZONTAL CURVATURE UNDER HORIZONTAL LOADING 4. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF DIAGRID NODES 4. 1                MATERIALS  USED FOR DIAGRIDS 4. 2                 DIAGRID NODE DESIGN 4. 3                NODE CONSTRUCTION FOR DIAGRID STRUCTURES 4. 4                ERECTION OF DIAGRID NODES 5. CASE STUDIES 5. 1           SWISS RE BUILDING 5. 2          HEARST TOWER 5. 3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â à ‚   GUANGZHOU WEST TOWER 6. MERITS AND DEMERITS OF DIAGRIDS 6. 1    MERITS OF DIAGRIDS 6. 2                DEMERITS OF DIAGRIDS               7. CONCLUSION CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTIONThe Diagrids are perimeter structural configurations characterized by a narrow grid of diagonal members which are involved both in gravity and in lateral load resistance. Diagonalized applications of structural steel members for providing efficient solutions both in terms of strength and stiffness are not new ,however nowadays a renewed interest in and a widespread application of diagrid is registered with reference to large span and high rise buildings, particularly when they are characterized by complex geometries and curved shapes, sometimes by completely free forms.Compared to conventional orthogonal structures for tall buildings such as framed tubes, diagrid structures carry lateral wind loads much more efficiently by their diagonal members’ axial action. ;               Among the large-span buildings some examples are represented by the Seatlle Library, the London City Hall, the One Shelley Street in Sydney, and more recently by several outstanding Pavilions realized at the Shanghai 2010 Expo, (e. g. France, UAE) as well as by some dazzling projects like the Astana National library.Among tall buildings, noteworthy examples are the Swiss Re building in London, the Hearst tower in New York, the CCTV headquarters building in Beijing, the Mode Gakuen Spiral Tower in Aichi, the Cyclone Tower in Asan, the West tower in Guangzhou, the Lotte super tower in Seoul, the Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi, the Bow project in Calgary, the Building of Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Doha. .           The diagrid systems are the evolution of braced tube structures, since the erimeter configuration sti ll holds for preserving the maximum bending resistance and rigidity, while, with respect to the braced tube, the mega-diagonal members are diffusely spread over the facade, giving rise to closely spaced diagonal elements and allowing for the complete elimination of the conventional vertical columns. Therefore the diagonal members in diagrid structures act both as inclined columns and as bracing elements, and carry gravity loads as well as lateral forces due to their triangulated configuration, mainly internal axial forces arise in the members, thus minimizing shear racking effects.To begin with the behavior of basic Diagrid   module is   discussed, followed by construction process. Then the merits and demerits of Diagrids are listed. CHAPTER-2 THE TRIANGULAR DIAGRID MODULE 2. 1   INTRODUCTION Diagrid structure is modeled as a beam, and subdivided longitudinally into modules according to this repetitive diagonal pattern. Each Diagrid module is defined by a si ngle level of diagonals that extend over ‘n’ stories. | Figure 1: 8 storey Diagrid with 60 degree diagonal angle| 2. 2 MODULE GEOMETRYDiagrid structures, like all the tubular configurations, utilize the overall building plan dimension for counteracting overturning moment and providing flexural rigidity through axial action in the diagonals, which acts as inclined columns; however, this potential bending efficiency of tubular configuration is never fully achievable, due to shear deformations that arise in the building â€Å"webs†; with this regard, diagrid systems, which provide shear resistance and rigidity by means of axial action in the diagonal members, rather than bending moment in beams and columns, allows for a nearly full exploitation of the theoretical bending resistance. Being the diagrid a triangulated configuration of structural members, the geometry of the single module plays a major role in the internal axial force distribution, as well as in conferr ing global shear and bending rigidity to the building structure. While a module angle equal to 35 ° ensures the maximum shear rigidity to the diagrid system, the maximum engagement of diagonal members for bending stiffness corresponds to an angle value of 90 °, i. e. vertical columns.Thus in diagrid systems, where vertical columns are completely eliminated and both shear and bending stiffness must be provided by diagonals, a balance between this two conflicting requirements should be searched for defining the optimal angle of the diagrid module. Usually Isosceles triangular geometry is used. i. OPTIMAL ANGLE: As in the diagrids, diagonals carry both shear and moment. Thus, the optimal angle of diagonals is highly dependent upon the building height. Since the optimal angle of the columns for maximum bending rigidity is 90 degrees and that of the diagonals for maximum shear rigidity is about 35 degrees, it is expected that the optimal angle of diagonal members fo rdiagrid structures will fall between these angles and as the building height increases, the optimal angle also increases. Usually adopted range is 60 -70 degree. i. MODULE DIMENSIONS: ?   Height of the module:  It depends on the number of stories stacked per module. Usually 2 – 6 stories are stacked per diagrid with average floor height varying from 3. 5 -4. 15 m on an average. ?   Base of the module:  It depends on the height and optimal angle (apex angle) of the diagrid. CHAPTER-3 STRUCTURAL  ACTION OF A DIAGRID MODULE 3. 1  EFFECT OF GRAVITY LOADING The diagrid module under gravity loads G is subjected to a downward vertical force, NG,mod, causes the two diagonals being both in compression and the horizontal chord in tension. | Figure 2: Effect of Gravity Loading. | 3. 2    EFFECT OF LATERAL LOADINGUnder horizontal load W, the overturning moment MW causes vertical forces in the apex joint of The diagrid modules, NW,mod, with direction and intensity of this force depending on the position of the Diagrid module, with upward / downward direction and maximum intensity in modules located on the Windward / leeward facades, respectively, and gradually decreasing values in modules located on the Web sides . | Figure 3: Effect of Lateral Loading. | 3. 3  EFFECT OF SHEAR LOADING The global shear VW causes a horizontal force in the apex joint of the diagrid modules, Vw,mod, which intensity depends on the position of the module with respect to the direction of wind load, i. e. the shear force VW is mainly absorbed by the modules located on the web facades, i. e. parallel to the load direction . | Figure 4: Effect of Shear Loading| 3. 4  EFFECT OF NON-APEX LOADINGFor deriving internal forces in the diagrid elements, it has been implicitly assumed that the external load is transferred to the diagrid module only at the apex node of the module itself. However, since the triangle module usua lly expands over a certain number of stories, transfer of loads to the module occurs at every floor level, thus also concentrated loads along the diagonal length are present ; as a consequence, bending moment and shear force are expected due to this load condition. However the introduction of a horizontal member at each floor girder to diagonal intersection allows for the absorption of the force component orthogonal to the diagonal direction, thus preserving the prevailing axial force condition. | Figure 5: Effect of non-apex loading. | 3.  EFFECT OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL CURVATURE UNDER VERTICAL LOADING                                                                                                                        The above simplified analysis of the diagrid module has been carried out implicitly assuming that the plane of the triangular module coincides with the vertical plane; however, recent Applications often concern buildings characterized by curvilinear, non prismatic forms, which require the study of the diagrid curvature effect on the internal force distribution. In particular, by considering that the single module may be inclined of an angle  with respect to the vertical direction, the effect of   both gravity loads and overturning moment gives rise to an additional horizontal force, in the direction Orthogonal to the module plane.Therefore the chords of the diagrid modules, continuously connected Each other along the building perimeter at the diagonal intersections, also act as hopping elements or Ring beams, for absorbing these horizontal forces. | Figure 6: Effect o f vertical and horizontal curvature. | 3. 6  EFFECT OF HORIZONTAL CURVATURE UNDER HORIZONTAL LOADING When the building has a nonrectangular, rounded plans, similar effects due to this horizontal curvature develop under the action of Lateral shear, and the ring beams also collect these outward forces arising in the horizontal plane. | Figure 7: Effect of horizontal curvature. | 4. 1    MATERIALS USED FOR DIAGRIDDS: Material selection for a Diagrid construction is based on the following factors . They are: a)   Unit weight of the material. b)   Availability of the material. )   Lead Time. d)   Erection Time. e)   Flexibility. f)  Durability. g)   Labor cost. h)  Fire resistance. The basic materials used in Diagrid construction are Steel, Concrete and Wood. The relative merits and demerits of using them are discussed below. I. STEEL : Steel is by far the most popular material for Diagrid construc tions. The typical steel sections used are Wide flanges, Rectangular HSS and Round HSS. ? Steel Wide Flanges: Advantages- The weight and Size of wide flanges are optimized to resist the high bending loads many of the members experience. Thus use of wide flanges results in reduced structure weight and flexibility of size.The sections can be prefabricated in multi-panel sections, allowing quick erection by crane, reducing labor costs in the field. Disadvantages- Pre-fabrication of the Diagrid sections takes a longer lead time. ? Rectangular and Round HSS: Advantages- As with wide flanges, HSS sections can be prefabricated in multi-panel sections, allowing quick erection time, also reducing labor costs in the field. Disadvantages- Use of HSS sections will need a change in floor layouts as the beams will need to frame into the node points. This reduces the floor flexibility and efficiency. II. CONCRETE: Concrete is another widespread material for Diagrid constructions.It is used both in Precast and Cast-in-situ forms. ? Precast concrete: Advantages-The flexibility of precast sections allows them to fit to the complex building geometries. Concrete also offers extreme safety against structural fire damage. Disadvantages- The use of Concrete increases the dead load on the foundations, deflections of long spans, etc. Creep in concrete is also an issue. ? Cast-in-situ Concrete: Under an Efficient material management system, cast-in-situ concrete is the best material in terms of material cost. Lead time is virtually nothing as cast-in-situ is available on demand. III. TIMBER: Timber is the least popular material for Diagrid constructions.Advantages- Multi-panel sections can reduce erection time and labor cost. Disadvantages – Timber cost, both for material and connection, are much higher than the traditional structural materials of steel and concrete. Owing to its lesser material strength, the member sizes would be very large and hence is not preferred for major construction works. Durability and weathering of timber are other major issues. 4. 2 DIAGRID NODE DESIGN | Figure 8: Load path at Node| The diagrid segments are planned to minimize onsite butt welding and the welding locations illustrated in Figure 9. The load path can be divided into two main scenarios, vertical load and horizontal shear their combination), as shown in Figure 8.The vertical load will be transferred in the form of an axial load from the diagrid members above the node to the gusset plate and stiffeners, then to the diagrid members below the nodes as shown. The horizontal shear will be in the form of axial loads in the diagrid members above the node with one in compression and one in tension to the gusset plate and stiffeners. The force will then be transferred as shear force in the gusset plate and then to the other pair of tensile and compressive forces on the diagrid members below the node. From this load path, the shear force at the loca tion of bolt connections is high under lateral loads. Because this may create weak points at the node particularly during earthquakes, the strength of the bolts should be designed carefully. | Figure 9: Node Design Plan| 4.    NODE CONSTRUCTION FOR DIAGRID STRUCTURES Constructability is a serious issue in diagrid structures because the joints of diagrid structures are more complicated and tend to be more expensive than those of conventional orthogonal structures. In order to reduce jobsite work, prefabrication of nodal elements is essential. Due to the triangular configuration of the diagrid structural system, rigid connections are not necessary at the nodes, and pin connections using bolts can be made more conveniently at the jobsite. If considerately designed using appropriate prefabrication strategy, constructability will not be such a limiting factor of the diagrid structures.Prefabrication of diagrid nodes for conventional rectangular shape buildings can be done relatively easily and economically because many nodes of the same configuration are required in this case. The Hearst Headquarters in New York is the typical case. | Figure 10: Node detail for the Hearst Tower | The prefabricated nodes are connected to the large built-up diagonal members by bolts at the jobsite. As building form becomes more irregular, generating appropriate construction modules is critical for better constructability. Though it is possible to produce any complex shape construction module using today’s CAD/CAM technology, it is not the most economical solution. Extracting regularity from an irregular building form, and then adjusting the building form following the extracted regularity could be one approach.Another approach could be to make the construction modules relatively regular and design universal connections so that they can accommodate any irregularity. | Figure 11: A Diagrid node after fabrication| 4. 4ERECTION OF DIAGRID NODES During const ruction, the stability in the in-plane direction can be provided by the modules themselves and in the out-of-plane direction can be provided by the tie beams at the node. The temporary restraint to the diagrid and the construction may be minimized. The various steps in the Diagrid erection process include : ? In-place steel shop welding ?  Lifting up piece by piece. ?  Trial shop assembly of parts with high strength bolts. ?   In-place welding. ?   High strength bolts assembly. ?   Setting up perimeter girders |Figure 12: Construction Plan of Diagrid | | Figure 13: Diagrid Erection Process| CHAPTER-5 CASE STUDIES 5. 1  SWISS RE BUILDING | Figure 14: Swiss Re Building, London| 30 St. Mary Axe – also known as the Swiss Re Building – in London, is the first modern application and the most representative example of diagrid structure. Designed by Sir Norman Foster, with 40 stories  and an inter-story height of 4 . 15 m, the tower is 180 meters tall. The building is circular in plan with diameter changing along elevation, equal to 56 m at its widest point, at the 20 story, reducing to 49 m at ground level, and to 30 m at the 38 level, where a steel and glass dome tops off the building.The diagrid structure is generated by a pattern of intersecting diagonals which follow the helical path of the so called light wells, created for enforcing natural light and air circulation. It is formed by a series of steel triangles, two-story high and 9 m wide, with an intermediate tie connecting the two diagonals, which gives to the module the aspect of a â€Å"A-shape frame†. The diagonals are CHS members, with cross section between 508 x 40 mm at the lowest floors and 273 x 12. 5 mm at the top, while the chord members have RHS, 250 x 300 mm with wall thickness of 25mm. The circular central core, which has constant diameter along elevation, does not contribute to the lateral resistance and rigidity, being a simple frame structure. 5. 2 HEARST TOWERThe Hearst Tower in New York was designed by Sir Norman Foster; the building, 46 stories and 183 meters tall, has a prismatic form and a rectangular floor plan, 48 x 37m and is built on an existent 6 storey building. The diagrid structure, creating the characteristic â€Å"diamond effect†in the facade, rises from 12 composite columns, which reach the tenth floor starting from the ground level. The diagrid module is 12. 25 m wide and 16. 54 m high, and covers four stories. The diagonal cross section are I shape, with maximum size W14x370 at the base of the diagrid (tenth level), while the megacolumns between the tenth and the ground level are concrete filled box section 1100 x 1100 x 10m. | Figure 15: The Hearst Tower, New York. | 5. 3 GUANGZHOU WEST TOWERThe Guangzhou West Tower, designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects, London with 103 stories and a height of 440m, is the tallest building in China and one of the tallest in the world. The building has a curvilinear shape along elevation and the floor plate is an equilateral triangle with round-corners, with side 65 m at the base, increasing to a maximum value of 65 m at approximately 1/3 of the way up the building, at which point the side begins to reduce, up to 43. 5 m at the top. It has a composite structure, made by a central concrete core and perimeter diagrid structure, with the diagrid module expanding on six stories, 12. 4 m wide and 24. 8 m high. The diagonals are steel tubular members filled by concrete (CFST), with size ranging between 1080 x 55 mm at the first floor and 700 x 20mm at the top.The concrete core has a triangle shape with chamfered corners and fully participates to the lateral resistance up to the seventh floor, where it is eliminated, leaving place to a central giant atrium for the hotel which occupies the upper floors. | Figure 16: Guangzhou West Tower, China| CHAPTER-6 MERITS AND DEMERITS OF DIAGRIDS 6. 1     MERITS OF DIAGRIDS: Some major benefits of using Diagrids in structures are discussed below. 1)   The Diagrid structures besides the service core have mostly column free exterior and interior, hence  free and clear, unique floor plans are Possible. 2)  The Glass facades and dearth of interior columns allow generous amounts of day lighting into the structure. 3)   The use of Diagrids results in roughly 1/5th(20%) reduction in steel as compared to Braced frame structures. )   The construction techniques involved are simple, yet they need to be perfect. 5)   The Diagrids makes maximum exploitation of the structural Material. 6)  The diagrid Structures are aesthetically dominant and expressive. 7)  Redundancy in the DiaGrid design is obvious. It is this redundancy then that can transfer load from a failed portion of the structure to another. Skyscraper structural failure, as it is such an important/ promi nent topic, can be minimized in a DiaGrid design A DiaGrid has better ability to redistribute load than a Moment Frame skyscraper. Thus creating a deserved appeal for the DiaGrid in today’s landscape of building. 6.       DEMERITS OF DIAGRIDS: Some demerits of using Diagrids are mentioned below: 1)  As of yet, the Diagrid Construction techniques are not  thoroughly explored. 2)  Lack of availability of skilled workers . Construction crews have little or no experience  creating a DiaGrid skyscraper. 3)   The DiaGrid can dominate aesthetically, which can be an issue depending upon design intent. 4)  It is hard to design windows that create a regular language from floor to floor. 5)  The DiaGrid is heavy-handed ( can be clumsy or unstable) if not executed properly. CHAPTER -7 CONCLUSION We are at a time when the global population is inching the 7 billion mark.Around the globe we witness frequent recurrence of natural calamities, depletion and degradation of vital life supporting systems, all presumed to be the impacts of Global warming, making life miserable on earth. It is high time for humanity to switch to sustainable and eco-friendly lines of infrastructure development. The construction industry, the greatest contributor to green house emissions, has the moral obligation to play the lead. The most stable and sustainable of ecosystems is the natural ecosystems. Attainment of sustainability goals would require sound knowledge and understanding of nature’s mechanisms and modeling of all artificial infrastructure in close resemblance to it.Owing to the complexity due to size and geometry of the natural systems, development of artificial infrastructure on the lines of biomimicking principles, is in fact the greatest challenge the modern day builder would have to confront with. Thus a modern day structural system should have extreme efficiency in terms of strength, expression, and geometric versatility. Most of the present structural systems are highly advanced in terms of structural efficiency and aesthetic quality, but lacks the much needed geometric versatility. As we have seen, the diagrids, the latest mutation of tubular structures, has in addition to strength and aesthetics, that extra quality of geometric versatility, making it the most suited structural system to this respect.Thus the diagrid, with an optimal combination of qualities of aesthetic expression, structural efficiency and geometric versatility is indeed the language of the modern day builder. REFERENCES 1. MOON, K. , CONNOR, J. J. and FERNANDEZ, J. E. (2007). Diagrid Structural Systems for Tall Buildings: Characteristics and Methodology for Preliminary Design, The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings, Vol. 16. 2, pp 205-230. 2. MAURIZIO TORENO (2011). An overview on diagrid structures for tall buildings, Structural Engineers World Congress 2011. 3. KIM JONG SOO, KIM YOUNG SIK, LHO SEUNG HEE(2008). Structural Schematic Design of a Tall Building in Asan using the Diagrid System, CTBUH 8th World Congress, 2008. Diagrid DIAGRID : THE LANGUAGE OF MODERN DAY BUILDER ABSTRACT Design and construction of artificial infrastructure on the lines of  biomimicking principles requires the development of highly advanced structural systems which has the qualities of aesthetic expression, structural efficiency and most importantly geometric versatility. Diagrids, the latest mutation of tubular structures, have an optimum combination of the above qualities. In this paper, the peculiarities of the Diagrid, its structural behavior under loading and the design and construction of diagrid nodes are described.A case study of some recent diagrid tall buildings, namely the Swiss Re Building in London, the Hearst Tower in New York, and the West Guangzhou Tower in china is also presented. CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. THE TRIANGULAR DIAGRID MODULE 2. 1         INTRODUCTION 2. 2          MODULE GEOMETRY 3. STRUCTURAL   ACTION OF A DIAGRID MODULE 3. 1       EFFECT OF GRAVITY LOADING 3. 2       EFFECT OF LATERAL LOADING 3. 3       EFFECT OF SHEAR LOADING 3. 4       EFFECT OF NON-APEX LOADING 3. 5 EFFECT OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL CURVATURE UNDER VERTICAL LOADING 3.       EFFECT OF HORIZONTAL CURVATURE UNDER HORIZONTAL LOADING 4. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF DIAGRID NODES 4. 1                MATERIALS  USED FOR DIAGRIDS 4. 2                 DIAGRID NODE DESIGN 4. 3                NODE CONSTRUCTION FOR DIAGRID STRUCTURES 4. 4                ERECTION OF DIAGRID NODES 5. CASE STUDIES 5. 1           SWISS RE BUILDING 5. 2          HEARST TOWER 5. 3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â à ‚   GUANGZHOU WEST TOWER 6. MERITS AND DEMERITS OF DIAGRIDS 6. 1    MERITS OF DIAGRIDS 6. 2                DEMERITS OF DIAGRIDS               7. CONCLUSION CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTIONThe Diagrids are perimeter structural configurations characterized by a narrow grid of diagonal members which are involved both in gravity and in lateral load resistance. Diagonalized applications of structural steel members for providing efficient solutions both in terms of strength and stiffness are not new ,however nowadays a renewed interest in and a widespread application of diagrid is registered with reference to large span and high rise buildings, particularly when they are characterized by complex geometries and curved shapes, sometimes by completely free forms.Compared to conventional orthogonal structures for tall buildings such as framed tubes, diagrid structures carry lateral wind loads much more efficiently by their diagonal members’ axial action. ;               Among the large-span buildings some examples are represented by the Seatlle Library, the London City Hall, the One Shelley Street in Sydney, and more recently by several outstanding Pavilions realized at the Shanghai 2010 Expo, (e. g. France, UAE) as well as by some dazzling projects like the Astana National library.Among tall buildings, noteworthy examples are the Swiss Re building in London, the Hearst tower in New York, the CCTV headquarters building in Beijing, the Mode Gakuen Spiral Tower in Aichi, the Cyclone Tower in Asan, the West tower in Guangzhou, the Lotte super tower in Seoul, the Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi, the Bow project in Calgary, the Building of Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Doha. .           The diagrid systems are the evolution of braced tube structures, since the erimeter configuration sti ll holds for preserving the maximum bending resistance and rigidity, while, with respect to the braced tube, the mega-diagonal members are diffusely spread over the facade, giving rise to closely spaced diagonal elements and allowing for the complete elimination of the conventional vertical columns. Therefore the diagonal members in diagrid structures act both as inclined columns and as bracing elements, and carry gravity loads as well as lateral forces due to their triangulated configuration, mainly internal axial forces arise in the members, thus minimizing shear racking effects.To begin with the behavior of basic Diagrid   module is   discussed, followed by construction process. Then the merits and demerits of Diagrids are listed. CHAPTER-2 THE TRIANGULAR DIAGRID MODULE 2. 1   INTRODUCTION Diagrid structure is modeled as a beam, and subdivided longitudinally into modules according to this repetitive diagonal pattern. Each Diagrid module is defined by a si ngle level of diagonals that extend over ‘n’ stories. | Figure 1: 8 storey Diagrid with 60 degree diagonal angle| 2. 2 MODULE GEOMETRYDiagrid structures, like all the tubular configurations, utilize the overall building plan dimension for counteracting overturning moment and providing flexural rigidity through axial action in the diagonals, which acts as inclined columns; however, this potential bending efficiency of tubular configuration is never fully achievable, due to shear deformations that arise in the building â€Å"webs†; with this regard, diagrid systems, which provide shear resistance and rigidity by means of axial action in the diagonal members, rather than bending moment in beams and columns, allows for a nearly full exploitation of the theoretical bending resistance. Being the diagrid a triangulated configuration of structural members, the geometry of the single module plays a major role in the internal axial force distribution, as well as in conferr ing global shear and bending rigidity to the building structure. While a module angle equal to 35 ° ensures the maximum shear rigidity to the diagrid system, the maximum engagement of diagonal members for bending stiffness corresponds to an angle value of 90 °, i. e. vertical columns.Thus in diagrid systems, where vertical columns are completely eliminated and both shear and bending stiffness must be provided by diagonals, a balance between this two conflicting requirements should be searched for defining the optimal angle of the diagrid module. Usually Isosceles triangular geometry is used. i. OPTIMAL ANGLE: As in the diagrids, diagonals carry both shear and moment. Thus, the optimal angle of diagonals is highly dependent upon the building height. Since the optimal angle of the columns for maximum bending rigidity is 90 degrees and that of the diagonals for maximum shear rigidity is about 35 degrees, it is expected that the optimal angle of diagonal members fo rdiagrid structures will fall between these angles and as the building height increases, the optimal angle also increases. Usually adopted range is 60 -70 degree. i. MODULE DIMENSIONS: ?   Height of the module:  It depends on the number of stories stacked per module. Usually 2 – 6 stories are stacked per diagrid with average floor height varying from 3. 5 -4. 15 m on an average. ?   Base of the module:  It depends on the height and optimal angle (apex angle) of the diagrid. CHAPTER-3 STRUCTURAL  ACTION OF A DIAGRID MODULE 3. 1  EFFECT OF GRAVITY LOADING The diagrid module under gravity loads G is subjected to a downward vertical force, NG,mod, causes the two diagonals being both in compression and the horizontal chord in tension. | Figure 2: Effect of Gravity Loading. | 3. 2    EFFECT OF LATERAL LOADINGUnder horizontal load W, the overturning moment MW causes vertical forces in the apex joint of The diagrid modules, NW,mod, with direction and intensity of this force depending on the position of the Diagrid module, with upward / downward direction and maximum intensity in modules located on the Windward / leeward facades, respectively, and gradually decreasing values in modules located on the Web sides . | Figure 3: Effect of Lateral Loading. | 3. 3  EFFECT OF SHEAR LOADING The global shear VW causes a horizontal force in the apex joint of the diagrid modules, Vw,mod, which intensity depends on the position of the module with respect to the direction of wind load, i. e. the shear force VW is mainly absorbed by the modules located on the web facades, i. e. parallel to the load direction . | Figure 4: Effect of Shear Loading| 3. 4  EFFECT OF NON-APEX LOADINGFor deriving internal forces in the diagrid elements, it has been implicitly assumed that the external load is transferred to the diagrid module only at the apex node of the module itself. However, since the triangle module usua lly expands over a certain number of stories, transfer of loads to the module occurs at every floor level, thus also concentrated loads along the diagonal length are present ; as a consequence, bending moment and shear force are expected due to this load condition. However the introduction of a horizontal member at each floor girder to diagonal intersection allows for the absorption of the force component orthogonal to the diagonal direction, thus preserving the prevailing axial force condition. | Figure 5: Effect of non-apex loading. | 3.  EFFECT OF HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL CURVATURE UNDER VERTICAL LOADING                                                                                                                        The above simplified analysis of the diagrid module has been carried out implicitly assuming that the plane of the triangular module coincides with the vertical plane; however, recent Applications often concern buildings characterized by curvilinear, non prismatic forms, which require the study of the diagrid curvature effect on the internal force distribution. In particular, by considering that the single module may be inclined of an angle  with respect to the vertical direction, the effect of   both gravity loads and overturning moment gives rise to an additional horizontal force, in the direction Orthogonal to the module plane.Therefore the chords of the diagrid modules, continuously connected Each other along the building perimeter at the diagonal intersections, also act as hopping elements or Ring beams, for absorbing these horizontal forces. | Figure 6: Effect o f vertical and horizontal curvature. | 3. 6  EFFECT OF HORIZONTAL CURVATURE UNDER HORIZONTAL LOADING When the building has a nonrectangular, rounded plans, similar effects due to this horizontal curvature develop under the action of Lateral shear, and the ring beams also collect these outward forces arising in the horizontal plane. | Figure 7: Effect of horizontal curvature. | 4. 1    MATERIALS USED FOR DIAGRIDDS: Material selection for a Diagrid construction is based on the following factors . They are: a)   Unit weight of the material. b)   Availability of the material. )   Lead Time. d)   Erection Time. e)   Flexibility. f)  Durability. g)   Labor cost. h)  Fire resistance. The basic materials used in Diagrid construction are Steel, Concrete and Wood. The relative merits and demerits of using them are discussed below. I. STEEL : Steel is by far the most popular material for Diagrid construc tions. The typical steel sections used are Wide flanges, Rectangular HSS and Round HSS. ? Steel Wide Flanges: Advantages- The weight and Size of wide flanges are optimized to resist the high bending loads many of the members experience. Thus use of wide flanges results in reduced structure weight and flexibility of size.The sections can be prefabricated in multi-panel sections, allowing quick erection by crane, reducing labor costs in the field. Disadvantages- Pre-fabrication of the Diagrid sections takes a longer lead time. ? Rectangular and Round HSS: Advantages- As with wide flanges, HSS sections can be prefabricated in multi-panel sections, allowing quick erection time, also reducing labor costs in the field. Disadvantages- Use of HSS sections will need a change in floor layouts as the beams will need to frame into the node points. This reduces the floor flexibility and efficiency. II. CONCRETE: Concrete is another widespread material for Diagrid constructions.It is used both in Precast and Cast-in-situ forms. ? Precast concrete: Advantages-The flexibility of precast sections allows them to fit to the complex building geometries. Concrete also offers extreme safety against structural fire damage. Disadvantages- The use of Concrete increases the dead load on the foundations, deflections of long spans, etc. Creep in concrete is also an issue. ? Cast-in-situ Concrete: Under an Efficient material management system, cast-in-situ concrete is the best material in terms of material cost. Lead time is virtually nothing as cast-in-situ is available on demand. III. TIMBER: Timber is the least popular material for Diagrid constructions.Advantages- Multi-panel sections can reduce erection time and labor cost. Disadvantages – Timber cost, both for material and connection, are much higher than the traditional structural materials of steel and concrete. Owing to its lesser material strength, the member sizes would be very large and hence is not preferred for major construction works. Durability and weathering of timber are other major issues. 4. 2 DIAGRID NODE DESIGN | Figure 8: Load path at Node| The diagrid segments are planned to minimize onsite butt welding and the welding locations illustrated in Figure 9. The load path can be divided into two main scenarios, vertical load and horizontal shear their combination), as shown in Figure 8.The vertical load will be transferred in the form of an axial load from the diagrid members above the node to the gusset plate and stiffeners, then to the diagrid members below the nodes as shown. The horizontal shear will be in the form of axial loads in the diagrid members above the node with one in compression and one in tension to the gusset plate and stiffeners. The force will then be transferred as shear force in the gusset plate and then to the other pair of tensile and compressive forces on the diagrid members below the node. From this load path, the shear force at the loca tion of bolt connections is high under lateral loads. Because this may create weak points at the node particularly during earthquakes, the strength of the bolts should be designed carefully. | Figure 9: Node Design Plan| 4.    NODE CONSTRUCTION FOR DIAGRID STRUCTURES Constructability is a serious issue in diagrid structures because the joints of diagrid structures are more complicated and tend to be more expensive than those of conventional orthogonal structures. In order to reduce jobsite work, prefabrication of nodal elements is essential. Due to the triangular configuration of the diagrid structural system, rigid connections are not necessary at the nodes, and pin connections using bolts can be made more conveniently at the jobsite. If considerately designed using appropriate prefabrication strategy, constructability will not be such a limiting factor of the diagrid structures.Prefabrication of diagrid nodes for conventional rectangular shape buildings can be done relatively easily and economically because many nodes of the same configuration are required in this case. The Hearst Headquarters in New York is the typical case. | Figure 10: Node detail for the Hearst Tower | The prefabricated nodes are connected to the large built-up diagonal members by bolts at the jobsite. As building form becomes more irregular, generating appropriate construction modules is critical for better constructability. Though it is possible to produce any complex shape construction module using today’s CAD/CAM technology, it is not the most economical solution. Extracting regularity from an irregular building form, and then adjusting the building form following the extracted regularity could be one approach.Another approach could be to make the construction modules relatively regular and design universal connections so that they can accommodate any irregularity. | Figure 11: A Diagrid node after fabrication| 4. 4ERECTION OF DIAGRID NODES During const ruction, the stability in the in-plane direction can be provided by the modules themselves and in the out-of-plane direction can be provided by the tie beams at the node. The temporary restraint to the diagrid and the construction may be minimized. The various steps in the Diagrid erection process include : ? In-place steel shop welding ?  Lifting up piece by piece. ?  Trial shop assembly of parts with high strength bolts. ?   In-place welding. ?   High strength bolts assembly. ?   Setting up perimeter girders |Figure 12: Construction Plan of Diagrid | | Figure 13: Diagrid Erection Process| CHAPTER-5 CASE STUDIES 5. 1  SWISS RE BUILDING | Figure 14: Swiss Re Building, London| 30 St. Mary Axe – also known as the Swiss Re Building – in London, is the first modern application and the most representative example of diagrid structure. Designed by Sir Norman Foster, with 40 stories  and an inter-story height of 4 . 15 m, the tower is 180 meters tall. The building is circular in plan with diameter changing along elevation, equal to 56 m at its widest point, at the 20 story, reducing to 49 m at ground level, and to 30 m at the 38 level, where a steel and glass dome tops off the building.The diagrid structure is generated by a pattern of intersecting diagonals which follow the helical path of the so called light wells, created for enforcing natural light and air circulation. It is formed by a series of steel triangles, two-story high and 9 m wide, with an intermediate tie connecting the two diagonals, which gives to the module the aspect of a â€Å"A-shape frame†. The diagonals are CHS members, with cross section between 508 x 40 mm at the lowest floors and 273 x 12. 5 mm at the top, while the chord members have RHS, 250 x 300 mm with wall thickness of 25mm. The circular central core, which has constant diameter along elevation, does not contribute to the lateral resistance and rigidity, being a simple frame structure. 5. 2 HEARST TOWERThe Hearst Tower in New York was designed by Sir Norman Foster; the building, 46 stories and 183 meters tall, has a prismatic form and a rectangular floor plan, 48 x 37m and is built on an existent 6 storey building. The diagrid structure, creating the characteristic â€Å"diamond effect†in the facade, rises from 12 composite columns, which reach the tenth floor starting from the ground level. The diagrid module is 12. 25 m wide and 16. 54 m high, and covers four stories. The diagonal cross section are I shape, with maximum size W14x370 at the base of the diagrid (tenth level), while the megacolumns between the tenth and the ground level are concrete filled box section 1100 x 1100 x 10m. | Figure 15: The Hearst Tower, New York. | 5. 3 GUANGZHOU WEST TOWERThe Guangzhou West Tower, designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects, London with 103 stories and a height of 440m, is the tallest building in China and one of the tallest in the world. The building has a curvilinear shape along elevation and the floor plate is an equilateral triangle with round-corners, with side 65 m at the base, increasing to a maximum value of 65 m at approximately 1/3 of the way up the building, at which point the side begins to reduce, up to 43. 5 m at the top. It has a composite structure, made by a central concrete core and perimeter diagrid structure, with the diagrid module expanding on six stories, 12. 4 m wide and 24. 8 m high. The diagonals are steel tubular members filled by concrete (CFST), with size ranging between 1080 x 55 mm at the first floor and 700 x 20mm at the top.The concrete core has a triangle shape with chamfered corners and fully participates to the lateral resistance up to the seventh floor, where it is eliminated, leaving place to a central giant atrium for the hotel which occupies the upper floors. | Figure 16: Guangzhou West Tower, China| CHAPTER-6 MERITS AND DEMERITS OF DIAGRIDS 6. 1     MERITS OF DIAGRIDS: Some major benefits of using Diagrids in structures are discussed below. 1)   The Diagrid structures besides the service core have mostly column free exterior and interior, hence  free and clear, unique floor plans are Possible. 2)  The Glass facades and dearth of interior columns allow generous amounts of day lighting into the structure. 3)   The use of Diagrids results in roughly 1/5th(20%) reduction in steel as compared to Braced frame structures. )   The construction techniques involved are simple, yet they need to be perfect. 5)   The Diagrids makes maximum exploitation of the structural Material. 6)  The diagrid Structures are aesthetically dominant and expressive. 7)  Redundancy in the DiaGrid design is obvious. It is this redundancy then that can transfer load from a failed portion of the structure to another. Skyscraper structural failure, as it is such an important/ promi nent topic, can be minimized in a DiaGrid design A DiaGrid has better ability to redistribute load than a Moment Frame skyscraper. Thus creating a deserved appeal for the DiaGrid in today’s landscape of building. 6.       DEMERITS OF DIAGRIDS: Some demerits of using Diagrids are mentioned below: 1)  As of yet, the Diagrid Construction techniques are not  thoroughly explored. 2)  Lack of availability of skilled workers . Construction crews have little or no experience  creating a DiaGrid skyscraper. 3)   The DiaGrid can dominate aesthetically, which can be an issue depending upon design intent. 4)  It is hard to design windows that create a regular language from floor to floor. 5)  The DiaGrid is heavy-handed ( can be clumsy or unstable) if not executed properly. CHAPTER -7 CONCLUSION We are at a time when the global population is inching the 7 billion mark.Around the globe we witness frequent recurrence of natural calamities, depletion and degradation of vital life supporting systems, all presumed to be the impacts of Global warming, making life miserable on earth. It is high time for humanity to switch to sustainable and eco-friendly lines of infrastructure development. The construction industry, the greatest contributor to green house emissions, has the moral obligation to play the lead. The most stable and sustainable of ecosystems is the natural ecosystems. Attainment of sustainability goals would require sound knowledge and understanding of nature’s mechanisms and modeling of all artificial infrastructure in close resemblance to it.Owing to the complexity due to size and geometry of the natural systems, development of artificial infrastructure on the lines of biomimicking principles, is in fact the greatest challenge the modern day builder would have to confront with. Thus a modern day structural system should have extreme efficiency in terms of strength, expression, and geometric versatility. Most of the present structural systems are highly advanced in terms of structural efficiency and aesthetic quality, but lacks the much needed geometric versatility. As we have seen, the diagrids, the latest mutation of tubular structures, has in addition to strength and aesthetics, that extra quality of geometric versatility, making it the most suited structural system to this respect.Thus the diagrid, with an optimal combination of qualities of aesthetic expression, structural efficiency and geometric versatility is indeed the language of the modern day builder. REFERENCES 1. MOON, K. , CONNOR, J. J. and FERNANDEZ, J. E. (2007). Diagrid Structural Systems for Tall Buildings: Characteristics and Methodology for Preliminary Design, The Structural Design of Tall and Special Buildings, Vol. 16. 2, pp 205-230. 2. MAURIZIO TORENO (2011). An overview on diagrid structures for tall buildings, Structural Engineers World Congress 2011. 3. KIM JONG SOO, KIM YOUNG SIK, LHO SEUNG HEE(2008). Structural Schematic Design of a Tall Building in Asan using the Diagrid System, CTBUH 8th World Congress, 2008.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Planetarium summary out of class Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Planetarium summary out of class - Assignment Example During the night we were able to witness yellow star – Weero – which is truly a bright star. I only knew it was yellow from class but today I saw it live! We also witnessed a show about a fascinating staff called space mirrors. Many people perceive stars as points of light that are far from the planet Earth. This is not true since stars are actually the reflections of the Sun off space mirrors in universe. Some mirrors are very close while others are far away; some are blue while others are red and so that is the reason why stars have dissimilar colours. The show revealed that some galaxies and stars look older since their light penetrated through the time cube. Later on, after the show, it was now the time to look, through a solar telescope, at the sun. I realized that the Sun appeared like some green ball since the telescope just allow a little of green light rays through it. Other stars also appeared green just as the
Sunday, July 28, 2019
The EMR Use by MS's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
The EMR Use by MS's - Essay Example One can expect HIPAA to require this in the future, which also means that records need to be both accessible and private (Mandi, 2001). Although EMR’s have grown to become easier to adopt into a practice, and more flexible, there is nevertheless a significant learning curve for the medical staff and physicians, and a series of other issues which must be considered in (1) deciding to adopt an EMR system for an up-to-now written/paper-based practice, and (2) to adapt to the requirements of HIPAA and the competitive environment in order to make the changeover (Miller, 2004). The primary benefit of EMR’s is the ability to provide records quickly for a patient, which can speed up both a physician’s access to records (both in terms of time and completeness), and to communicate those records to stakeholders, such as patients and hospitals. (McDonald, 1997). A second key benefit is the ability, once on a digitized record, to enhance the speed and accuracy of billing. Billing carries two key considerations: is the billing accurate (i.e. does it capture the actual procedures performed), is it complete (i.e. are all billable procedures includedâ€â€a big source of potential additional revenue for many practices), is it timely (i.e. how quickly does it get communicated from the physician’s practice to the third-party payer) and how much additional work will be required in order to complete the claim? The last of these four points can sometimes be the most difficult for a paper-based physician’s office practice, as all healthcare professionals know that they can get tied up on the phone and with back-and-forth traffic with the third party insurer on specific claims. In short, the more information available, the more likely that the claim will be accepted. Third-party coding has now become a big business. Those practices that are able to send digital files to onshore or offshore coding facilities generally find a better record of billing (i.e. more
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Sports Club Entity Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Sports Club Entity Model - Essay Example The various functionalities would include scalability of various operations, ease of performing updations and modifications of data, maintaining the integrity of data, security of data is ensured, efficient recovery manager, maintains concurrency control and plan for recovery techniques and many more. All this would promote the functioning of the airline reservation system. Choosing a database model is of greater importance. The relational data model is based on relational data structures, integrity constraints and smooth access to Data Definition Language and Data Manipulation Language statement for creation and retrieval of data. It is based on relational algebra (Navathe, 2004). The database for family budgeting system would include features like atomic values, primary and foreign key relationships, and normalization process to reduce redundancy and anomalies of insertion, modification and deletion errors, row and column structure of the database tables and all kind of relationshi ps are possible, one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one and many-to-many.  Data warehousing is a concept that is used for storing organization’s data and is usually termed as corporate memory. It contains the raw material for an enterprise’s MIS or DSS system. The analyst can perform complex queries which would be used for getting results and further interpretation of the data and the resultant information (William, 2000). The subject-oriented feature of the data warehousing takes into account the various elements that take place in the real world. It is non-volatile and integrated with respect to the data that they are never deleted and contains all the information with regard to business processing by the enterprise for all its operations. Â
Friday, July 26, 2019
Wireless Deployment Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Wireless Deployment Plan - Term Paper Example Both users and administrators have experienced increased value in learning institutions. The efficiency is achieved by proper deployment of the wireless network through a wireless deployment plan. A wireless network provides an ideal and effective connection given the mobility of students and the staff (Cisco, 2010). This requires a wireless deployment solution that will address the wireless network security, management, deployment, and control of deployment aspects. It is important to note that the deployment should combine the best elements of secure wireless networking and wired networking that is capable of delivering scalable secure and efficient wireless networks on low total cost. This report provides a wireless deployment plan for a higher institution of learning with one campus but with several buildings (Cisco, 2010). The wireless deployment plan provides a framework through which the network can be installed and implemented. Additionally it entails the management, maintenance and control procedures for the network. Most importantly, the plan entails the requirements to implement the wireless network. The wireless technologies that can be adopted for such a network include 802.11 Standard (Cisco, 2010). Best wireless networks are delivered through a well-planned deployment strategy. This wireless deployment plan provides the structure for the campus wide wireless network solution that will be used by both the students and the staff. The deployment plan purposely addresses the strategy of implementing the wireless network. It enhances security in the wireless network and provides management and maintenance frameworks (Brocade Communications Systems, Inc., 2010). Wireless networks are highly sensitive to overlapping frequencies therefore; the use of wireless technologies must be planned. The purpose of this deployment plan is to
Genesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Genesis - Essay Example First, man was made in the image of God as a proof that God has the ability to make decisions. This characteristic can also be seen in humans, as they have the ability to make decisions. This is an exceptional characteristic that is evident in humans. On one hand, humans have the freewill to make decisions, without any obligation from other animals. However, all the other creatures on the earth surface do not have such characteristics, as they are bound by nature. Similarly, creation of man in the image of God enhances the creativity of the Supreme Being. Humans have the ability to be creative in a number of aspects. Apparently, this aspect gave humans control over other creatures on the surface of the earth, since they lack such a character. In addition to this, humans have the mental and social capability, which is enhanced through speech. When looking at the book of Genesis, God communicated through speech. Since the word of God was immensely powerful, all the creation was made th rough spoken words. Ultimately, God gave man the ability to speak. This shows common characteristics in man and God. Making man in the image of God redeems human beings from the animal world. According to the story of creation, God is in ultimate control of all creation2. He has control over all activities, animals, plants and any other creation. However, after creating man in his image, God gave man control over the other creatures on the earth’s surface3. In essence, man was instated as the supreme control over all the creation on earth. This shows that God gave man the power to take care of all the creation, which is in resemblance of His character. Man was created in the image of God, which denotes the righteousness and innocence of God. As a fact, God is holy and supreme being with a moral compass. Initially, Adam was created as â€Å"very
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Virtual Training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Virtual Training - Essay Example According to the discussion virtual training emulates a traditional operating theatre, including surgical lighting and a microscope. During training, surgeons receive prompt, realistic and immediate feedback regarding their sense of force and touch in using various instruments. Significant financial resources are required to implement a virtual training program, and this makes it very expensive (Lee 2003, p.268). Apart from this, since technology changes every day, it would be expensive to keep up with such changes. For example, acquisition and implementation of the latest technologies would be very costly. Another disadvantage is that virtual training essentially depends on the character, ability and attitude of the student/trainee to the technology. Students or trainees who have a negative attitude towards technology or are not confident in their technological skills may perform poorly. Through positive and extensive collaboration in areas of information technology and training, vi rtual training may become much more effective in the future. Apart from this, there is the possibility of integrating good learning principles and management support into the virtual training that program; these supplement and complement a particular organization’s infrastructure and technological capabilities. In addition to this, it has been established that needs assessment, evaluation, design and transfer will be very critical in the future of virtual training.
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
WEEK5 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
WEEK5 - Research Paper Example This work will be illuminating the ideal salesmanship. Salespersons make a part of daily life as they often approach us, or they appear almost everywhere around us; be it in the offices, at home, shopping malls or even at commercial eateries. This explains why I have interacted with an uncountable number of them, all portraying different, sometimes contradicting features. However, from this unlimited number, I could rank them all ranging from the most unpleasant to the most pleasant. Though my experience with most sale persons has never been entirely pleasant, I can at least pick the best performer of them. This happened to be a direct sales representative in a bank, who helped me into having my first bank account despite having been totally ignorant in this field. Calm in demeanor and direct in his words, this man was sure of everything he was telling me. He took me through each account type and advised me on the best of them to choose, later leaving me to make my personal decision. A few years after when I needed to change my account type, this same man gave me advice and I have never been regretful to date. I happened to have one most remarkably unpleasant experience with a salesperson in one of the mobile service provider companies in my country. Mobile phone accessories were on sale in this occurrence. The event having been a road show, almost every feature of it had been annoying except for how well persuasive he was that he managed to entice me into his ideas. To participate into their promotion, one had to make a deposit of some cash, and then get assigned a t-shirt to recognize them as a member there-of. One alarming action was how this man pressurized me into giving him this cash into his hand. I view this as inappropriate because a customer should do everything willingly without feeling coerced. I later picked from scattered pieces of paper, only to be told
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Climate Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Climate Change - Essay Example The milankovitch theory implies that over time three cyclic events vary the amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth and eventually it causes climate change. According to Burroughs (2007) eccentricity is a cyclical variation that determines the shape of the earth’s orbit around the sun. The more elliptical the earth’s orbit is, the greater the the greater the variation in solar energy that is received at the top of the atmosphere between the earth’s perihelion and aphelion. As the earth rotates on its axis, it wobbles hence changing the timing of the solstices, and equinoxes a process known as the procession of the equinox. Volcanic eruptions eject large amounts of sulphur dioxide gas which reacts water vapor found in the stratosphere to form a dense layer that reduces atmospheric transmission of sun’s incoming radiation. Sun spots, which are caused by the sun’s magnetic field are dark, planet sized regions that appear on the sun’s su rface. These regions are colder than with an average temperature of 4,000K. Climate change can be explained by these factors although they are only some of those which cause climate change. Since 1979, the summer polar ice cap’s size has shrunk more than 20% and this has not only affected the natives but the globe as a whole. The contraction of the arctic ice cap accelerates global warming since the protective, cooling layer over the arctic is melting and hence the earth absorbs more sunlight (Kininmonth 2004). If the arctic is warmer, this will affect weather patterns since the rest of the world will also warm up and eventually food production will decrease. In contrast, most of the world depends on melted glaciers for fresh water supply through lakes and rivers hence their melting will cause short supply of the same. It will also cause shortage of electricity since a great percentage of the world’s population depends on melting glaciers for hydro electric power. Animals, birds and fish will lose their
Monday, July 22, 2019
Skeletal and Muscular System Relationship Essay Example for Free
Skeletal and Muscular System Relationship Essay Pinak Patel Anatomy and Physiology Professor Jargen December 14, 2011 Skeletal System and Muscular System In anatomy and physiology we study the structure of living things and the function of living systems. In physiology, the scientific method is applied to determine how different organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical or physical function that they have in the living system. Both anatomy and physiology are subcategories of biology. Throughout our class we have discussed many different systems of the body. One system that is very important to the human body is the muscular system, which consists of three different types of muscle tissue. Along with the muscular system is the skeletal system, which consists of the bones and the different types of tissue it contains. Both of these systems have many different functions, and can be interconnected together. These two systems work together and they form the musculoskeletal system. The muscular system consists of three different types of muscle tissue and it has four different functions. The muscular system also encompasses many properties. The three different types of muscle tissues it includes are skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle. The skeletal muscle’s main function is to move the bones of the skeleton. This muscle is voluntary and is also striated, meaning that it is striped, which is due to the muscle fibers that are combined into parallel fibers. Some of these muscles can be controlled unknowningly. For example, the diaphragm of the human body continues to alternately contract and relax while we are asleep, allowing our lungs to expand to breathe. The cardiac muscle tissue is found only in the heart. It is similar to the skeletal muscle in that it is striated, but it is also different in that it is involuntary. The smooth muscle tissue can be found within the walls of the digestive tract, blood vessels, and airways of the respiratory system. This tissue is nonstriated, which means that it is not striped and the fibers are not arranged into parallel orderly bands like the skeletal and cardiac muscle. The smooth muscle tissue is also involuntary. The muscular system has four key functions. It produces body movements, and stabilizes the body positions, for example, it holds contraction of the neck uscles that hold one’s head upright. Another function of the muscle tissue is that it is the storange and transportation of substances within the body: skeletal muscle contractions move lymph throughout the body, and help return blood to the heart. The final function of the muscle tissue is that it helps to maintain one’s posture. Each skeletal tissue is made of hundreds of t housands of cells called muscle fibers. The fascia is a component of connective tissue and it is a broad sheet of fibrous connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles and other organs. The external part is the deep fascia that consists of theee layers of connective tissue. The epimysium is the outermost later that encircles the entire muscle. The perimysium surrounds groups of ten to hundereds or more individual muscle fibers, seperating those into bundles called fasicles. Then there is the endomysium, which seperates each individual muscle fiber. The nerve and blood supply of the muscle tissue consists of arteries, veins, and nerves that run together. There are somatic motor neurons that stimulate the muscles to contract. These neurons begin in the brain or spinal cord and extend by an axon to a group of skeletal muscle fibers. All in all, the skeletal muscle tissue contains many vital things, in order for everything to work properly. The skeletal system has many functions as well, just like the muscular system. The skeletal system has six different functions: support, protection, assistance in movement, mineral homeostasis, blood cell production, and triglyceride storage. Unlike the muscular system, posture is not a function of the skeletal system. There are also four types of cells that are present in bone tissue. The first type of cells is the osteogenic cells, which are unspecialized stem cells that are the only bone cells that divide. Another type of cells is the osteoblasts, which are the bone building cells; known as the immature bone cells. Then, there are the osteocytes, which are the mature bone cells and are the main cells in the bone. They exchange nutrients and wastes with the blood, which help maintain the bone’s normal metabolism. Finally, the osteoclasts, which are the cells that release powerful lysosomal enzymes and acids that break down the matrix (resorption). The bone tissue also has nerve and blood supply that also consists of arteries and veins. Although one can claim that there can’t be much inter-relation with the skeletal and muscular system, there are some relations to be made. First of all, vertebrates move by the actions of muscles on bones. Therefore, tendons attach many skeletal muscles across joints, allowing muscle contration to move the bones across the joint. Muscles generally work in pairs to produce movement: when one muscle flexes or contracts, the other relaxes. Next, the skeleton and muscles function together as the musculoskeletal system. This system is often treated as two separate systems, the muscular, and skeletal plays an important homeostatic role: allowing humans to move to more favorable conditions. Certain cells in the bones produce immune cells as well as important cellular components of the blood. Therefore, bone also helps to regulate blood calcium levels, serving as a calcium sink. Finally, the rapid muscular contraction is important in generating internal heat, which is another important function that can relate to bone tissue as well. There are many important systems that we study in anatomy and physiology. The skeletal system and muscular system are just two of them. Both of these systems have many functions that can be studied in depth. Although there are quite a few systems that aren’t very comparable, these two systems make an exception. In conclusion, both of these systems, bones and muscles, work together in many ways and can be inter-related to a certain degree.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Why is China Called the Sleeping Giant?
Why is China Called the Sleeping Giant? China is a huge nation that has been experiencing unprecedented growth over the past few decades an average annual GDP of well over 10 percent. While Chinas actual per capita income is still classified in the lower-middle category in global statistics, at about $3,200, it is still the third largest economy in the world after the United States and Japan with a nominal DFP of $4.3 trillion (Chinese Government, 2010). Contemporary China now participates in the global private sector. Her companies play a major role in the global economy, and companies in the developed world take Chinese manufacturing trends quite serious. Chinas view of her economy is Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, which is defined variantaely by scholars. Over 1/3 of the economy is state owned and controlled, and there is significant new foreign investment in the country. Key government industries are utilities, heavy industry and energy resources. China is the worlds largest producer of rice, and is among the top producers of cotton, corn, tobacco, soybeans, and peanuts. Industrially, it is also a world producer in cotton products, coal, crude oil, and its mineral resources are among the richest in the world, albeit only partially developed. All this developed has resulted in Chinas populace seeing a gradual improvement in their living standard, even in the rural areas, but it is the cities in which the most vital and burgeoning growth occurs. Like any developing country, though, China has growing pains. It remains more concerned with State economic development that per capita improvement. Chinas growth may not, in fact, remain sustainable unless there is a dramatic change in the infrastructure and a redevelopment of natural resources that matches the needs of the global environment (e.g. human rights, pollution control, trade imbalances, etc.). Even with the new face, china still has severe corruption issues in the government, huge environmental issues, and a rapidly aging population w ith limited capital resources to sustain an older, non-working, population (CIA Factbook, 2010; National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2010). One very telling example is the way China has merged the political with global economic independence, and its ability to negotiate environmental issues. For the past fifty years, the country has spent considerable resource modernizing, coalescing power, investing in other countries, and changing the way it utilizes its greatest resource its population. Indeed, much of Chinas current strategic and tactical foreign policy surrounds its rapid growth over the last several decades and the way it has extended itself in so many directions. China is still dependent upon Middle Eastern oil importing up to 8 million barrels a day. The vulnerability also extends past oil dependence into fears of an energy insecurity peak. The emerging trends in China are that its energy needs are going to continue to exponentially increase, while if something is not done, there will not be the rate worker base to handle this segment of the market. And, to top it off, such rapid development coupled with global warming and pollution issues threatens to damage Chinas agricultural markets some areas must pollinate their trees and fields by hand (Shirk, 2007). Indeed, what seems to be happening with China is understandable the Developed World had their Industrial Revolutions and decades of pollution without control. Now the developing world is trying for rapid industrialization but has the added conundrum of restrictions, issues with global warming, pollution, and world opinion. Citing both qualitative and quantitative governmental data, authors Chung, Fryxell and Lo (2006) maintain that while China is overtly committed to promote programs that have environmental conservation as part of their template, the stark reality is that the country falls quite short of even its own basic standards. This revelation is based on the number of permits authorized for construction versus the number of ISO 14001-4 permits and requirements met (473-6). We must also take into consideration both the vastness of Chinas geography and the complexity of their bureaucracy. Governmental regulations are not always translated into actualities at the local level, largely due to enforcement and logistical issues, all politically based. Chinas Path Towards Modernization China did not experience an Industrial Revolution and modernization in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries as did many European countries and even Japan, to some extent. Instead, throughout even the 19th century, China remained largely rural and controlled by a series of warlord governments. In fact, it was a series of civil wars, internal bureaucratic corruption, and imperialism that damaged the country and economy to the point that China was ripe for dramatic social and political change (China Country Profile, 2010). Once Japan had been defeated in 1945 another civil war erupted, this time between the Nationalists and the Communists. In 1949, the Communist regime, with the assistance of the Soviet Union, garnered victory and established The Peoples Republic of China on the mainland, with the Chinese Nationalist Party relegated to the island of Taiwan. Soviet influence was heavy, as it was in the conflict over the Korean peninsula in the early 1950s. Chinese leadership counted on Soviet aid for, even with a huge population they were in the midst of a serious economic decline. The Soviet political leadership had a vested interest in supporting the Maoist revolutionary group, not simply to export world communism, but to establish a communist state in Asia (Garver, 1988, 1-34). What followed were a series of rather disruptive socioeconomic movements designed to rapidly industrialize, collectivize, and change the landscape of China called The Great Leap Forward. Like the Soviet Union, peasant resistence and economic ineptitude resulted in an estimated 30-36 million deaths (Smil, 1999). Once the so-called old guard of the Communist Revolution died, though, it was time to rethink economic and political progress. By 1978 there was some relaxation of control, but the PRC still had iron-clad control over politics and society. Economic reforms were politicized and put into effect by Den Xiaoping decollectivization of the countryside, some political decentralization of control in the industrial sector and an amazing public pronouncement that the past few decades had been an appalling catastropheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the most severe setback to the socialist cause since 1949 (Poon, 2006). Politically, it was important to quickly develop the consumer and export sectors of the economy, and create and buttress an urban middle class, increase living standards, and deal with such issues as literacy, life expectancy, personal rights, and most especially, agricultural output. Knowing that things move slow politically and socially in China, we can now trace an important step in opening up China to the West both politically and economically. In 1972, while Mao was still alive but Deng controlling most of the upper echelons of political power, U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China, The results of the week long visit, most of it orchestrated by Henry Kissinger, were vast: a political agreement that there was only one China and an agreement to settle the Taiwanese situation; to open trade and commerce between China and the West; and to reduce tensions between the two countries. Nixon himself commented, This was the week that changed the world, as what we have said in that Communiquà © is not nearly as important as what we will do in the years ahead to build a bridge across 16,000 miles and 22 years of hostilities which have divided us in the past. And what we have said today is that we shall build that bridge (1972 in Review, 1973). The Way of the Sleeping Giant- Unlike the West, which had 150-200 years to accomplish the technological and social revolution of transforming from rural to urbanized-industrial economies, China has had less than 50 years. However, a combination of traditional Chinese Values, the Maoist push, and post-Maoist political expertise has positioned the country to become the next global superpower. Since 1949, there have been 3-4 major shifts in overall philosophy within the elite; as globalism continues to develop, China wishes to be part of the global economic push with import/export and fiscal rewards, so small concessions have been made over the past decade to allow greater autonomy in business ownership and purchasing decisions. There is high political, economic, societal, and military cohesion since all are central controlled and there is no evidence of a lapse in the power base. Most recently, China has been under international pressure for its continued censorship program (television, motion pictures, and the Internet) (World Bank, 2010). This paradigm shift can best be understood by looking at a Chinese tradition dating back centuries. However, to understand modern China, we must also understand the basis for Chinese culture Confucianism. It was Confucianism, though, that dominated ancient Chinese history as a socio-religious philosophy. The trend towards philosophical underpinnings, too, was part of Ancient Chinas view of law, order, and state control. Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system based on the teachings of Confucius. It is a system that focuses on social, moral, political, and philosophical through, and stresses the important of education and the actualization of the individual. In combination, individuals then are able to govern the state by morality and virtue, rather than extreme coercion or violence (Sprunger). Unlike many religions, Confucianism expects to be part of the political/legal process and governance is part of the expectations of service by the populace. A basic sense of duty, honor, and bureaucratic hierarchy is part of the philosophy, as was a general view that people were generally good, wanted to exist within an orderly society, and only needed structure to remind them of the way of being good: This legalistic tradition is actually more of a political mindset that has been part of the way of Chinese politics for centuries. If we look at basic Maoism, we see that there are indeed some similarities, albeit with a Marxist bias. Maoism of course emphasizes the revolutionary struggle of the masses against exploiters, or a Peoples War. However, Maoism departs from Marxism because it is based on reforming an agrarian economy as opposed to an urban, industrialized state. The new communist leaders abandoned most Maoist practices by 1978, calling the new China which is a combination of ancient legalism, Maoism, and socialism, as Socialism with Chinese characteristics (Chung-Yueh Hsu, 1990, 168-72). Thus, the character and flavor of Chinese politics is shaped by a number of rubrics, all of which now combine to produce a country that may appear contradictory, but is in fact completely within character. This is illuminated given an overview of Chinas recent national goals and issues as they relate to both internal political stability and growth, and Chinas emerging position within the overall geopolitical landscape of the 21st century. These goals are broken down into three major parts; political, social, and economic, all interrelated to a political culture based on the past and moving forward. Political Harness nationalism in moderate and appropriate ways to retain control over divergent and large population. Political/Military Increase military spending and size of military structure -eventual goal is to field the most sophisticated Army in the world Political Cannot provide enough of its own energy needs, must use geopolitics to ensure development continues Political/Vulnerability Avoid, at all costs, a hostile world in which China is boxed in by USA/Japan/India/South Korea and Australia. Ensure Russian neutrality or support. Social Continue to support large domestic market and rising foreign investment. Social Manage rapid aging issues (32 years median age in 2010 to 45 in 2040) they will have the social burden of a rich country and the income of a poor country. Economic Manage Chinas vulnerability in production of goods to West in line with current economic crisis (e.g. smaller than needed orders for Holidays, etc.) Economic Diversify industry and become more self-sufficient in high-tech and other needed technological and industrial segments Economic/Political Improve infrastructure to ensure safety of population (e.g. earthquake proof buildings, higher building standards, etc.) Economic China shows no sign of slowing, and its overall strategic objectives were clearly stated in the Three Step Development Strategy of 1978: Step 1 -To double the 1980 SNP and ensure that the people had enough food and clothing to meet basic needs (attained prior to 1989). Step 2 To quadruple the 1980 GNP by the end of the 20th century (attained by 1995) Step 3 To increase per-capita GNP to the level of the medium developed countries by 2050, at which time modernization goals will be met (Mengin, 2002; Dahlman and Aubert, 2001). The trend that emerges, then, is a new China with clear ties to the old. With the aggressive nature of China in the global environment, many scholars, in fact, believe it will be China that dominates the 21st century the power base shifting from West to East. With 20 percent of all humanity, and a civilization with thousands of years of history and tradition, the new China is clearly poised to be the next global super-power (Jacques, 2009).
Business Plan For Livestock Fodder Company Marketing Essay
Business Plan For Livestock Fodder Company Marketing Essay The idea of the project was derived from market analysis, its demand and supply of camel fodder in Saudi Arabia. The problems which occurred in late 2007 in camel breed were main initiator of idea to develop and place new camel fodder in Saudi Arabia market. Due to contamination of fodder in 2007 which resulted in outrageous more than 2000 camel deaths the investigation was undertaken and the fodder was found to be stored in bad conditions and due to price efficiency, poor quality ingredients of camel fodder were used. We are aware of substances which were found in contaminated fodder. Designing the new product will consider following factors: Purpose of camel breeding (racing camels, beauty contests, general breed) possible nutrition differentiation Camel nutrition requirements Vitamins added value Storage solutions Packing solutions (vacuum packing) Contamination awareness Camel fodder preferences Price sensitivity Product competitiveness Product shape Quality sensitiveness Due to low labour and semi-products costs, production in Poland will give the competitive advantage based on price. Relatively high supply of ingredients in Poland which are essential to produce the fodder will be also advantageous. Our propositions of character of this project as follows: Establishing new brand which will cater for all kind of camel breeders. Opening site which will cover everything from production through packing and dispatch. Establishing supply chain and finding possible sub contractors. Subcontracting all operations to other companies in Poland. This will be less cost consuming and much faster in executing. Branding the product. Objectives Establishing fully working production line of Livestock fodder, prepared for transport Setting up good distribution channels and supply chain which will lead to cost effective and save transportation to Saudi Arabia We would like to sustain reliable service to our customers In three years from the start we would like to meet 0,377% of total livestock feed demand of Saudi Arabia Which will account on average sales 3459,4 Tones Per month This figure can be achieved when productivity of production line will be set at 70 % In first year of operating, we would like to achieve 60% of all sales contracted for few years ahead Mission Royal Camel seeks to produce the lowest acceptable price and by providing the highest quality product and competitive features as vacuum packaging which affects on much longer storage possibilities. We value our relationships with future customers and hope to communicate our appreciation to them through our outstanding, guaranteed product quality, personal service, and on-time delivery. Our commitment to our customers and the country of Saudi Arabia will be reflected through honest and responsible business. Keys to Success Due to low labour and semi-products costs, production in Poland will give the competitive advantage based on price. Relatively high supply of ingredients in Poland which are essential to produce the fodder will be also advantageous. Reliable and Motivated Hardworking Stuff Reasonably big financial backup will be also key to success as it will secure operational flexibility Well Developed Business network in Saudi Arabia will lead to fast and effective product introduction in the market Long term business relationship with suppliers and clients After establishing company in the market, possible product modification according to customer requirements. Developing good marketing strategy, finding new channels of communication with customers. Potential barriers Critical Paths and areas of Slack Products The Royal Camel company intention is to produce a fodder which is made from hay. Product Description Competitive Comparison Distinction of product in competitive market. The product distinction will be based on price and packaging solutions. Customer in the moment of decision will chose product of a better quality. Our packaging will be main factor which will persuade customer of a great quality of the product. The other reason for customer to choose our product will be price. The mix of price and quality will give competitive advantage we are looking for. Comparing to other products, our will not be as complicated notional wise. It is going to be cheaper and available to all customers. Sales Literature As a part of marketing campaign, we are planning to prepare product brochures which will be presenting our company, supply chain and describing our products. Those brochures will be sent out to core players on the Saudi Arabian Market, to nutrition and big Camel Farms to inform them about new solution. On the other hand, we will be trying to enter on the Saudi Arabian Market by articles in agricultural magazines and local press. We would like also to have also strong support of authorities in Saudi Arabia because at the moment the situation on the livestock feed market is very close to monopolistic practices which are illegal and brings also lack of market balance and safety.  Technology The technology will be based mainly on one Spanish company which is in the market for over 30 years in the market of industrial machinery. The production line will include the newest technology developed for this kind of product. (See Appendix 1) Dryer Bales grinders Fiber cooling line Milling line Pelleting line Control panels Dryers Project Organisation 8.1 Personell Plan 8.1.1 Management team People responsible for financial planning and all organizational issues 8.1.2 Supervisors People responsible for labours productivity during shifts 8.1.3 Secretary Person responsible for appointments, researches, data gathering, communication and other office duties 8.1.4 Technicians People responsible for proper line operation 8.1.5 Security Whole object security 8.1.6 Labours People responsible for production 8.1.7 Project Consultants Group of external specialists responsible for consultacy 8.2 Personell Plan- Finantial Summary According to Polish Standard pay rates, we have chosen satisfactory (but not very high) amounts. Nevertheless, we expect 10% rise every year as a performance bonus PROJECT CONSULTANTS ARE NOT TAKEN UNDER CONCIDERATION AS THEY ARE GOING TO BE HIRED ONLY FOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS Personnel Plan Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Management team à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬33 600 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬36 960 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬40 656 Supervisors à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 200 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬11 220 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬12 342 Secretary à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬6 600 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7 260 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬7 986 Technicians à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬8 400 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬9 240 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 164 Security à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬24 000 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬26 400 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬29 040 Labours à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬24 000 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬26 400 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬29 040 Total People 11 11 11 Total Payroll à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬106 800 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬117 480 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬129 228 Company Locations and Facilities The Location the Royal Camel Production Line is going to be based in Poland in small city called Pyzdry. (52 ° 10 N / 17 ° 41 E). We will need around: 3200 m2The reason why that particular city has been chosen is because of high amount of grass around the whole area. We were looking for compromise between the land price and richness of the green resources surrounding production line. Moreover we were trying to find places with networking. On the other hand, the choice of Poland because of cheap labour and high amount of ingredients available. Facilities We expect following Facilities on the production site: 9.1 Production line: Packaging section Shredding section Dryers Cooling section Grinding Section Pelleting Section Pellet cooling section Structures and platforms Control Panel Electricity dispenser 9.2 Offices and canteens Canteen with kitchen Toilets Managers office Secretarys office Conference office Technician office. 9.3 Car Park for labours and gests Legal and contractual issues Risk Assesment SWOT ANALISYS 12.1 Strengths 12.1.1 The Price Value Correlation The main Strength and advantage of Royal Camel fodder will be based on desired correlation between high quality of the product and low production cost. The price-Value Correlation will be achieved by two advantageous factors: The low production cost will be achieved by low labour and semi-products costs, so production in Poland will give the competitive advantage based on price. Relatively high supply of ingredients in Poland which are essential to produce a reach and high quality fodder 12.1.2 Possibilities of longer Storage Due to contamination of fodder in 2007 which resulted in outrageous more than 2000 camel deaths the investigation was undertaken and the fodder was found to be stored in bad conditions and due to price efficiency, poor quality ingredients of camel fodder were used. The final Products of royal Camel will be pellets and bales. Both of them, just after Pelleting and baling process will be packed in vacuum way. This will affect with longer storage possibilities due to lack of air which impacts on reducing the anaerobic and aerobic bacterias evolution. 12.1.3 High Qualified workforce People responsible for production process will be high skilled and motivated due to innovatory motivation management strategy so we plan that no mistakes and failures will occur within production process. 12.1.4 Best Quality Machines Another very important advantage of business will be cooperation with World class specialists in area of production lines. The Spanish Company will cover whole production line design and engineering. Moreover, they will take care about first two weeks of production period to arrange all improvements in process and train people. 12.1.5 Multipurpose solution The last important Advantage of This production line offer is fact that while planning whole investment, we took under consideration other investments of Saudi Arabian Investors in Poland, so if there was a lack of Horse Fodder For some reasons we will be able to fill the demand extemporaneously at camel fodder expense. 12.2 Weaknesses 12.2.1 Price Limitations The main weakness of Royal Camel base product will be fact that its recipe is limited because of its low price. It means that product will be reach but it wont be a Premium product. However this Problem can be easily overcame by implementing strategy which will allow stretching the brand and preparing the production line of expensive premium product. 12.3 Opportunities The idea of the business opportunity was derived from market analysis, its demand and supply of camel fodder in Saudi Arabia. The problems which occurred in late 2007 in camel breed were main initiator of idea to develop and place new camel fodder in Saudi Arabia market. Due to contamination of fodder in 2007 which resulted in outrageous more than 2000 camel deaths the investigation was undertaken and the fodder was found to be stored in bad conditions and due to price efficiency, poor quality ingredients of camel fodder were used. We are aware of substances which were found in contaminated fodder. Designing the new product will consider following factors: Purpose of camel breeding (racing camels, beauty contests, general breed) possible nutrition differentiation Camel nutrition requirements Vitamins added value Storage solutions Packing solutions (vacuum packing) Contamination awareness Camel fodder preferences Price sensitivity Product competitiveness Product shape Quality sensitiveness As an international company we would like to share the market with competitors based on Saudi Arabia market and Producers from other countries. 12.4 Threths 12.4.1 To strong competition of ARASCO and sssssssss There are two core competitors on the Saudi Arabian Market. Both of them are well established companies which together hold over 60% of the market. Nevertheless Royal Camel will be able to cover 0,377% of the Arabian Livestock Market 12.4.2 Seasonal Fluctuations of Demand It is obvious that demand can change and fluctuate. Nevertheless, we would like to contract orders onwards with customers Seasonal Fluctuations of ingredients Price Occurrence The harvest period is between July and August so contracting will be done whole year onwards, nevertheless because of natural disasters like floods, dry weather, wind, the wheat prices can change but according to last years experience, the changes should not be higher than +, 10% 12.4.3 Technical Machines used in our project will be the best and most reliable on the market, nevertheless, breakdowns are possible and we have to be aware that drops in production fluency are possible. Control of the implementation of the plan Startup Expenses Description Legal issues As a Legal Issues, we understand Lawyers expenses, opening new partnership, advisory etc. Insurance The insurance of the company is very important in case of fire, floods and all other unpredicted threats Building costs of factory The issue of building costs is counted with material (steel) and cost of assembly Building Cost of office In case of savings, we have chosen the cheapest solutions (office containers) this solution mixes low costs with high functionality. Instead of building new offices, we will buy ready mobile premises which can be assembled into office Projects All projects of architects: Factory project, Offices projects land development spatial development Web Design quality sample test Before sales, we will have to send around 20 samples of fodder and check its full specifications Assembly of the Production line The service of assembling, creating and starting up the whole production line by the Spanish Company Production Line Machines: Shredding:                    Drying                            Cooling                        Grinding                        Pelleting                         Pellets cooling              Structures and platforms Packing Land:                              Car park land                  Startup Expenses Summary Requirements Legal Issues à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬28 000 Insurance à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬3000 Building costs of factory (steel construction) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 200 000 Building Cost of office à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬19 000 Projects à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 300 Web Design à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1 000 quality sample test à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬700 Assembly of the Production line à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬232 000 building car park à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 000 Total Start-up Expenses à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 495 000
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)