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Smart Goals Management Essay Sample

Smart Goals Management Essay Sample Smart Goals Management Essay Example Smart Goals Management Essay Example This paper explores the issue of goal-setting and in particular SMART technique. Although there are many interpretations and variations of this acronym, originally it states that any goal should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. This work examines Larrie Rouillard’s, John Lawler’s, Lois J. Zachary’s, Edwin A. Locke’s, Gary P. Latham’s researches in goal-setting and suggests that SMART technique is rather new and actual tool in goal-setting, but it cannot be applied to any situation. That is why it is important to analyze the situation before targeting. SMART Technique Each person in his life should not only have goals, but strive to achieve them. If a person has no clear goals or does not try to achieve them, he loses the meaning of life. So claimed sages in antique times, and now almost all modern psychologists tend to support this judgment. In any job, goals-setting is also very important. Even if the goal is to increase sales efficiency it is important to understand how, what and why it is done. Awareness of company’s or personal needs and desires will enable the choice of a shorter and more efficient way to achieve the desired result. Goals are important because they serve as a roadmap guiding and moving in the direction to desirable way of life. Goals help turn ideas into action and dreams into reality. Having goals does not mean it is impossible to live in the moment. It simply means that there is a developed plan to see beyond it. Thinking beyond today gives greater control over human destiny. Goals should not be limited to careers and education. It is necessary to set goals for every area of life (Mack, 2007, p. 164). It is necessary to specify a goal to know where you want to move and what your direction is. Uncertain goals lead to uncertain results. One of the main tasks of management is to establish objectives for the organization as a whole system to determine the reason of its foundation, operation and development. Targeting is a starting point in the work of the manager, which is very valuable in marketing, management and life. Each management objects’ life cycle begins with the stage of creation, which primarily determines the goals and objectives of the organization, its specialization, size, resources, markets of products or services, etc. Firstly, it is necessary to establish the mission which is the overall objective of the company, expressing the reason for its existence. It usually specifies the status of the company, declares its working principles, the real intentions of its leaders, defines the most important characteristics of the organization. There are many definitions of a goal This term is concerned by many authors from the point of view of psychology or marketing. In most cases, these definitions bear the same meaning but are expressed in different words. According to Rouillard (2003), â€Å"a goal is a specific and measurable accomplishment to be achieved within a specified time and under specific cost constraints† (p. 4). There are two types of goals: long-term goals (from 1 to 10 years or more) and short-term goals (from one month to one year). Short-term goals should comply with long-term ones and help to achieve them. Science of management has not developed any universal rules applied in the formulation of the goal. Thus, researchers define several criteria which make goal-setting easier, more accurate and achievable. SMART Criteria Although it is often attributed to Drucker, the acronym SMART for objectives is not specifically mentioned in The Practice of Management, though the emphasis on specificity in SMART terms is clearly part of the approach (Lawler Bilson, 2010, p. 85). The first known use of the term was mentioned in November 1981 in the Management Review by George T. Doran, who is commonly believed to be the creator of this tool of targeting. This technique can be easily understood. According to the SMART criteria, any goal should meet five criteria that are encrypted in the acronym SMART in order to be easier or more achievable. However, its exact content is rather indefinite. Over thirty years of the technique’s existence dozens variations of it were created; there even appeared additional letters (SMAART, SMARTER). The list below shows the original transcript of the acronym letters and the later variations. S specific (later also: sustainable, stretching, significant, simple, even small) M measurable (later also: meaningful, manageable, motivational) A attainable (later also: appropriate, achievable, acceptable, agreed, assignable, ambitious, attractive) R relevant (later also: resourced, realistic, resonant, rewarding) T – time-bound (later also: timed, time-framed, time-oriented, time-based, timetabled, timely, trackable, time limited, tangible) Any goal should match each SMART criterion. If the goal does not match at least one of them, it is set incorrectly. In this case either it is not possible to reach the goal, or the result will be not the one desired. To set the goal, it is necessary to specify it according to the criteria in a written form. The golden rule of management says, what is not written does not exist. It is highly important to write goals and objectives because it gives the person a chance to read, reread, absorb them, and observe his progress (Wilson Dobson, 2008, p. 4). Poorly written objectives fail to convey any management commitment to achieve particular results, and they provide little guidance for defining meaningful measures to assess performance (Poister, 2008, p. 63). Formulating SMART goals is an iterative process that requires time and good conversation. It usually begins with discussion of a fairly broad statement of intent and moves from the general to the more specific and focused. Ideally, it is necessary to sharpen the focus of the goal and articulate it in a written form (Zachary Fischler, 2009). Specific Goals Setting a goal, it is necessary to ask the question about what you want to get as a result of its implementation? Why is exactly this criterion so important? It is needed to form the view of the intended result in mind. In case of setting a goal for employee, it is necessary to put original image of the result into his mind. During the presentation of the goal, the employee forms his own idea of the result. Finally, it may happen that the manager and the employee imagine the same goal in different ways. To avoid this, feedback is needed; it is necessary to check whether the employee understood his task. That is to achieve a clear understanding from the answer to the question what the result of the goal implementation should be. Strive to leave as few default issues as possible. Otherwise, the risk of not achieving what is planned increases, especially in the new and unusual situations. Measurable Goals Measurability of goals presupposes criteria (meters), which determine whether the goal is achieved and to what extent. If there are no meters, it becomes very difficult to evaluate the results of the work and monitor the process fairly. Examples of the criteria, which can be used to measure the goal: Percentages, ratios (this criterion is applicable to situations in which there is an opportunity to plan and analyze recurring events; for example, if the goal is to increase sales, the increase of sales by 30 percent serves as a meter); External standards (this criterion is applicable in cases when it is necessary to get a feedback; for example, if the goal is to improve service, positive review of the customer serves as a criterion for its implementation) ; Frequency of an event (for example, a sales manager’s job is successful if every second (third, fifth) client comes back to him for service again); Averages (this meter can be used when there is no need for a breakthrough in work performance and the only need is to provide stability and maintain the quality of the work, for example, three (five, ten) sales representative’s visits of stores monthly); Time (for a definite period it is necessary to achieve definite results; for example, the goal is to increase sales by 30 % over 6 months); Prohibitions (some actions are prohibited, and disobedience is followed by punishment; this is a specific criterion, but sometimes it can be used successfully; for example, the goal is to reduce delays when the criterion for each delay is fine) ; Compliance with corporate standards (every organization develops its own standards, the eligibility criteria is to do the job as it is accepted in the company); Approval of the leaders (this means that the manager of the company should approve an employee’s ideas or projects; it can be a subjective opinion, but if the employee at the time of targeting knows that this criterion of evaluation is used in the situation, he will strive to satisfy his manager; for example, if the task is to draft marketing activities not later than January 20, the criterion here is to get the manager’s approval). There is also another approach to measure goals However, it is more applicable for personal goals than company goals (for example, if the person wants to learn a foreign language). Grade from 1 to 10 how close you are now to your goal (what is your level in a foreign language now). Grade from 1 to 10 how much do you aspire to get when the goal is achieved (what level do you want to have). Determine how you will get to know about your achievements (for example, whether you can write in a foreign language without a dictionary or communicate with foreigners). Achievable Goal When setting goals, the manager should consider professional opportunities and personal qualities of the employees. The manager needs to answer the question about how to keep the balance between tiresome work and achievable result. The goals adjustment mechanism is helpful here. It states the necessity to set goals appropriate to the employee’s experience and individual characteristics. At the same time, the employee should not be underestimated, and the intense rhythm of work should be kept. In situations where it is necessary to improve the overall performance of the team, there should be used different approaches to the employee with good results and the employee who barely fulfills existing norms. This strategy is also applicable to new employees and employees who have been working for the company for a long time. A more accurate interpretation of the word â€Å"achievable† in relation to the context of the goal may be â€Å"individually achievable†. This mea ns that goal should always challenge worker, bring him out of the comfort zone and immerse him into the development zone while maintaining his aspire to self-actualization by making some efforts. It is always necessary to challenge workers because such achievements motivate them, but it is also necessary not to make goals too stretching because it demotivates employees (Yemm, 2012). High or hard goals are motivating because they require one to attain more in order to be satisfied with low or easy goals. Feelings of success in the workplace occur to the extent that people see that they are able to grow and meet job challenges by pursuing and attaining goals that are important and meaningful (Locke Latham, 2006, p.265-268). It seems appropriate to distinguish several types of employees in the company: Skilled worker, ambitious â€Å"star†; Skilled worker, enterprising, moderately ambitious; Skilled worker, adherent of stability, routine; Longtime employee, passive, diffident; New employee who has just come into the company. Depending on the type of the employee, it is necessary to use different approaches to make company goals attainable. The second option is setting the goal, which provides the improvement of effectiveness a half closer to the limit of possibilities. Such a problem is pertinent for those team members who have a long experience of successfully coping with their problems, but do not look for novelty and do not tend to stand out. Although, the goal to increase labor productivity may cause some resistance from the employee, it is doable because of his competence. The third option of goals adjustment mechanism application targets to improve performance of the work significantly and get closer to the limit of possibilities. Experienced and enterprising employees who aspire to career development with their desire to achieve more are ready to work harder and achieve better results. Finally, the fourth option is setting the goal above the limit of possibilities. As it is already possible to conclude, such a targeting is applicable to the most ambitious and successful team members. These employees have high results, but in order to remain on the first place they also need to develop, solve more difficult problems in comparison with the ones they have already solved. Thus, given the experience and individual personality traits, it is possible to set goals to the employees, which will stimulate their intensive work and development. Relevant Goal This is the next criterion of setting SMART goals. Reflecting on whether the task is significant, it is necessary to answer the question why the employee must perform this task (why it is important for the goals of the company). In formulating personal goals, it is necessary to determine in advance, what is its purpose. It is necessary simply to know the answer to one question: â€Å"Why?†. Another question to validate and correct formulation of the objectives is â€Å"What for?† Here is an example: a person sets a goal he wants to make X-sum of money. He should immediately ask himself the question â€Å"Why?† The answer is â€Å"Then I buy something!† â€Å"Why?† – â€Å"To do something else† And so on. At the end of the chain, there should be approximately the following answer: â€Å"Because this will make me happy†. If this is what will make you happy, then you are on the right track. Otherwise, if at the end of the chain you have plunged into uncertainty, it was the wrong personal goal. Time-bound Goal Date or the exact period of performance is one of the main components of the goal. It can be either a fixed date or it may cover a certain period of time. Goal works like a train. It must have clearly established departure time, arrival time and duration of the way. This temporary restriction helps to focus on the goal at a given time or even earlier. Goals without deadlines or time schedule which often appear to be vulnerable to everyday crises are possible in any company. Setting deadline is very important for motivation. It defines how much time is available and if there is any flexibility (Richman, 2011, p. 66). Depending on the time of their achievement, goals can be divided into long-term goals and short-term goals: Long-term goals are the objectives that person sets for the end of the year, for four or five years from now, or even for a lifetime. However, there are times when long term goals can seem awfully far in the future. Short-term goals also known as proximal goals, can be set for an hour from now, or for the end of the day, week, month. By accomplishing daily, weekly, and monthly goals, person moves closer to long-range academic, career and personal goals (Van Blerkom, 2011, p. 36). SMART Technique Application Even though SMART technique is very useful tool in targeting, it is important to understand that this is not the universal tool, and it cannot be applied to any situation and any company. The following criteria determine whether the SMART technique is useful in the situation: Dates of goals achievement should be actual. Long-term planning for SMART technique does not make sense in a rapidly changing situation where the goals lose their actuality before they are achieved. There are some situations when not a particular result, but a movement in a particular direction is important. In this case, the SMART technique cannot be fully applied. The technique involves making efforts to achieve the goal. If any actions are not planned, the effectiveness of the methodology is low. Spontaneous planning is pertinent to some people. After clarifying the meaning of the acronym SMART, it should be noted that in 1996 Edwin Locke from the University of Maryland published the results of his research on goal setting and motivation. This study involved more than 40,000 people from eight countries from children to scientists. Some of the results of this study are the following: The more difficult the goal is, the greater pleasure the person achieving it gets. The more specific the goal is, the easier it is to regulate activities. Objectives which are both specific and difficult determine the best efforts used to achieve them. The person makes better progress when he is convinced that the goal is important and achievable. Goal-setting is most useful when there is feedback indicating progress toward goals. Goal-setting mediates the impact of previous experience on subsequent action. Targets stimulate planning. People have more difficulties in achieving the goals if they have no experience or training, or if they are under extreme pressure, especially time limitation. Targets influence personality. Targets are the standards to measure the feeling of satisfaction. In order to gain a complete understanding of SMART goals, it is necessary to use them in practice. This includes setting both personal and company goals, which will help to determine efficiency or inefficiency of the technique.

Pathways to Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Pathways to Education - Essay Example The workforce sets off large and diverse; in one way or another, practically the whole society is connected with several form of institutionalized education. Education generally has been colored by the improved consideration that has been given to its financial and its wider social efficacy. However of particular interest is distinguishing movement of ideas, strategies and practices which has appeared during the last quarter of the twentieth century. Recognized variously as the new vocational grounding for working life, evolution from school to work or basically as vocational or technical education and training, this association has, in Britain and numerous other countries, been the basis of considerable and often controversial innovations in educational structures, content, methods and funding. "A main challenge is to recognize the education system, and it has engendered a growing volume of investigation and research, public policy plans, action in both the public and private areas of education, training and employment and sharp divisions amongst supporters and opponents" (Skilbeck, 1990). Pathways from education to working life are a generally defined vocationalisation that has been a common thread which runs across the education and, the employment policies of all country, whatever its level of growth, political system or geological location. The human capital theory in some form or other certainly long had extensive support across political and ideological boundaries: among them Adam Smith and Karl Marx theories are universal. The idea of education and training for creative work has played for long a considerable part in the Central European countries as it has worked in other parts of the world. Given the inevitability and the widely declared aim of reforming their economies, it is to be estimated that the development of education and training in these countries will keep a very strong vocational flavor, although on somewhat diverse ideological grounds. Today in typical industrialized countries education and training are fundamental to any programme of structural modification for the very obvious, reason that it is upon the educated and trained capability of the actors the people that the capability to redistribute and to put on from its benefits depends (Lauglo and Lillis, 1988; O'Dell, 1988). Bruce Raup and his co-workers long ago put it; 'the development of practical intelligence' is coming to be renowned as a main policy goal (Raup et al, 1943). In this respect, we have certainly pierced a new era. Whether conservative, full-time, paid employment for all or virtually all youth and young adults will persist to be conveyed by the advanced economies is a debatable point. It does not, though, vitiate the claims being made for ever higher levels of education and training, with grounding for work as one of the primary policy objectives. This new 'education era' is characterized not simply by a recognition of the need for what the OECD Ministers of Education referred to as "an excellence of education and training for all" (OECD, 1992a, 1992b 1992c). Comparability and precision of credentialed knowledge and skills across national limitations assume greater significance than ever before in the new Europe (Commission of the

Neurontin lawsuit against Pfizer Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Neurontin lawsuit against Pfizer - Term Paper Example One of the major drawbacks of American healthcare system is that doctors are free to prescribe drugs for uses not approved by the FDA. But manufacturers are prohibited from marketing the drugs for such uses that they have not established are safe and effective (Neurontin Lawsuit Results in $142M in Damages Against Pfizer). Pfizer exploited this law very well. They canvassed the doctors with the help of lavish briberies and forced them to prescribe this medicine for uses other than the one prescribed by FDA. Pfizer with their immense monopoly in the drug manufacturing department, used every mean to sell this drug for uses other than the one approved by FDA. It is difficult for the people to analyse each and every medicine prescribed by the doctors against the FDA regulations. People put 100% confidence in the abilities of the doctors whom they are consulting and what ever the medicines prescribed by them will be used by the people without further evaluation. Pfizer knows this fact very well and they tried to canvas reputed doctors in order to sell their medicines. Doctors on the other hand, have forgotten the medical ethics and the basic responsibilities of their profession. Changing life styles and increasing family expenses forced them to accept bribes from all corners. Pfizer mainly focussed on recruiting sales personnel who was able to canvas the doctors for executing their mission. The relationships between a patient and a doctor were a divine one earlier. It was a common belief that a doctor always try to save the life of a patient. The first priority of the medical profession is to save the life of patients at any cost.

Solid and Hazardous Waste Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Solid and Hazardous Waste Assignment - Essay Example Agricultural waste comprises mainly slurry and farmyard manure with significant quantities of straw, silage effluent, and vegetable and cereal residues. Most of this is spread on land. Certain types of waste are defined as hazardous because of the inherent characteristics (e.g. toxic, explosive). The three largest waste streams in this category are oils and oily wastes, construction and demolition waste and asbestos, and wastes from organic chemical processes. Non-controlled waste includes waste generated from agriculture, mines and quarries and from dredging operations. In 1998–99 over 470 million tons of wastes were generated in the UK. The mean production of daily household and commercial waste in EU Member States in 1993–96 was approximately 370 kg/capita/annum, ranging from 350 to 430 kg (Waste Statistics). Most people lack of understanding on â€Å"hazardous waste†; it doesn’t always mean that when waste is hazardous it is harmful, though most can be . Hazardous waste defines that a waste has a property which might make it harmful to human health and the environment. Most, but not all, wastes produced by humans can be classified as hazardous. That is why, authorities and government agencies concerning environmental issues are stepping forward to the control and proper disposal of hazardous waste. Domestic wastes that are, may be, hazardous are the following: asbestos, pesticides and garden chemicals and medicine, fluorescent tubes and lamps, oils and oil filters, plastics, paints and coatings, household batteries and car batteries, discarded electrical equipment like TVs and radios, and computers, computer monitors and CRTs, fridges and freezers, discarded energy saving light bulbs (CFLs), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), HCFCs, Cathode ray tubes, and tires and rubber. Environmental impact on the disposal of municipal solid wastes (MSWs) Many options may be taken by management of environmental agencies to dispose hazardous wastes, pa rticularly incineration and landfills. However, several potential health risk

Objectives And The Functional Requirements Of Cladding System Construction Essay

Objectives And The Functional Requirements Of Cladding System Construction Essay There are some elementary objectives of the cladding system. These objectives are the reasons for the invention and adoption of cladding system due to our increasing construction technology and demands of clients. There are many types of clients, some are emphasize more on aesthetic value, some are emphasize more on functional value, some are emphasize on time of erection and even some are emphasize on construction cost. So, the primary objectives of cladding system can be concluded as below: Supply of enclosure to the structure with the function of essential protection against the natural elements such as wind, rain, storm and etc. Invention and adoption of dry construction method which is more advanced such as off-site prefabrication, off-site manufacturing and etc. Minimize the additional dead load onto the frame. Improve the aesthetic value of the structure or the architectural concept. Control internal environment. Thus, in order to accomplish these elementary objectives of cladding system, the cladding system must perform these functional requirements: Strength and Stability It should have sufficient strength to support its own weight between the points of support or fixings to the structure. It must provide adequate stability against lateral wind pressure. It is essential to allow the differential movement in material expansion and contraction between the cladding system, the structural frame and the adjacent building elements. Exclusion of Wind and Rain Generally, the method is to construct solid cladding systems with an outer leaf as a rain screen and inner leaf of light weight block for insulation. In order to accommodate movement and resist weather deterioration, the material that used to seal joints and claddings must be resilient enough. Durability and Freedom of Maintenance The frequency and extent of work necessary to maintain minimum functional requirements acceptable appearance must be minimized to save cost. There are some problems and requirements of maintenance of several types of material. These are some examples. For masonry, a little maintenance is needed only. Glass requires frequent cleaning and renewal of seal. Besides that, sheet materials such as bronze, aluminium and stainless steel will be oxidized easily and faded faster as compare to masonry and glass. Control of Internal Temperatures As we know, the solar is gained through glass panel. Thus, we must control the proportion of glazed to solid areas. Besides that, thermal control can also be achieved by some methods. For example, deep recessed window used in conjunction with external vertical fins and used of non-transparent external louvres. By the way, used of special solar control glass is encouraged also. Thermal Properties Additional insulation need to be provided by lining of the cladding materials. It must achieve the U-values that laid down in the building regulations It must avoid the problems that would arise from cold bridging and from surface and interstitial condensation. The problem of air leakage should be minimized. Environmental and Sustainability Issues It is defined as how much the cladding system can contribute to the overall energy efficiency of the building. Environmental friendliness of cladding materials also plays a very important role in these issues. Fire Requirements Due to the proximity of other buildings and the use class of the building, fire resistance may be required. In order to restrict the fire from spread over the internal and external surfaces and within voids, the lining material that used for insulation is made up of non-combustible materials. Sound Insulation The resilient pad is used to prevent sound originating within the structure to be transferred vertically through the cladding members. Airborne sound originating from external source can be prevented by utilizing double glazing panel to window area. Aesthetic Issues The context within which the building is situated will determine the level of aesthetic of that building. Necessary to satisfy the aesthetic aspiration of the clients. General Function of the Building There are some functions of building that need to be stated and established such as day lighting and natural ventilation requirements, degree of privacy required, exploitation of pleasant views or exclusion of undesirable views and etc. A CLIENT REQUIRES A ROAD THAT REQUIRES LITTLE MAINTENANCE WITH REASONABLE NON-SKID PROPERTIES. WITH THE AID OF DIAGRAMME, SUGGEST A TYPE OF ROAD AND THE CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY FOR THE PROPOSED ROAD. The road that I will proposed which meets the demand of client is rigid pavement. Rigid pavement is made up of concrete road slab. These are some functions of pavement. Pavement provides a flat surface that makes the journey comfort. Pavement helps to transfer and distribute the transportation load onto the ground evenly. Besides that, pavement protects ground surface against weather effects such rain and wind. These are the characteristics of rigid pavement. Characteristics Rigid pavement Subsidence damage Considerable with expansion joints Initial cost High and require low skill labour Maintenance Low Appearance Glare from sun Non skid properties Reasonable Resistance to wear Good if the quality of concrete is controlled Ease of reinstatement Costly, difficult, require curing time Weakness The requirement of relatively frequently spaced temperature expansion and contraction joints, which also provides a less comfortable surface for riding. Construction Methodology The construction methodology of rigid pavement can be classified into several procedures which are placement, screeding, consolidation, finishing, curing and joints. Placement Truck or truck attachment is used to place the precast concrete directly to the desired position. Otherwise, placement machine is used for more accurate and even placement. Once the precast concrete has been unloaded from the truck, it tends to become less homogenous. Figure 1 Figure 2 Screeding During this process, the excess part of the roughly placed precast concrete is cut off to the desired elevation of slab. Generally, this is done by dragging a straightedge across the slab at the required elevation. Consolidation In this process, the freshly placed precast concrete is making to form a more uniform and compact mass. This can be done by eliminating unwanted air voids and causing it to move around potential obstruction such as reinforcement bar. Generally, consolidation is done by using vibrators which are formed by long and slender vibration rods. Vibrators can be drive by rotating an eccentric weight which causes the whole vibrator to move back and forth. Vibrators are used to excite particles within precast concrete mass. This will cause the particles attach each other closer and better flow around obstructions. Proper consolidation is very important to the performance of rigid pavement. It must possess adequate vibrations to enhance the durability. Too much or too little vibration will lower the performance of rigid pavement. Vibrator static head also influences the efficiency. Figure 3 Finishing In this process, the task is to create the final surface finish and texture of fresh precast concrete. In general, finishing can be categorized into 2 types which are floating and texturing. In floating, a flat surface is run across the precast concrete in number of times and may involve many different tools. This process is used to remove high spots, low spots and imperfections, embed larger aggregate particles beneath the surface and to prepare the surface of mortar for texturing with compaction. After floating, fresh precast concrete is quite smooth. A rough pattern is usually formed by dragging a broom, rough-textured item, or tinted instrument across the surface to enhance the non-skip property of rigid pavement. In general, texturing can be divided into 2 types which are Microtexture and Macrotexture. Microtexture is more common than Macrotexture. Microtexture is accomplished by dragging a section of burlap or artificial turf behind the paver. Curing The task of this process refers to the maintenance of adequate moisture and temperature within a precast concrete mass as it sets and hardens in order to develop the desired properties of strength, durability and density. Curing can be done by 2 different methods which are water curing and sealed curing. Water curing is method that prevents moisture loss and supply additional water to precast concrete surface. This method is labour intensive and generally not practices in rigid pavement anymore. Sealed method is method that prevents moisture loss but do not supply any additional water. This can be done by putting a waterproof covering over a slab such as plastic or using a liquid membrane-forming chemical compound. Figure 4 (Finishing) Figure 5 (Curing) Joints There are many types of joints used in rigid pavement. The basics of transverse contraction joint construction should include joint location, saw cutting timing, saw cutting depth and joint sealing. Joint locations are necessary to indicate on the construction plans and should be planned in advance. The timing of contraction joint sawing is determined by 2 main factors which are shrinkage cracking and precast concrete support strength and joint raveling. In the aspect of saw cutting depth, transverse contraction joints are usually cut to a depth of 1/4 to 1/3 of the total slab depth in order to make sure cracking only occurs at the joints. After the previous procedure has been done, it requires to be sealed to reduce the water and incompressible material entry. Figure 6 (Joint Layout) Figure 7 (Shrinkage Crack) Figure 8 (Sawcut Depth) DESCRIBE THE PERFORMANCE AND SPECIFY THE MATERIAL THAT CAN BE USED TO FILL THE VOID OF DISUSED STRUCTURES, EG: CULVERTS, REDUNDANT SEWERS, CELLARS AND BASEMENTS AND ALSO FOR SOIL STRUCTURAL STABILIZATION, EG: BRIDGE ABUTMENTS, TUNNEL STABILIZATION AND EMBANKMENTS. In our construction technology, there are many materials that can be used and performed very well in construction process such as concrete, plastic, stone, ceramic and timber. All of these materials possess advantages and disadvantages. In this question, the material that will be chosen is aerated concrete. There are a lot of reasons why I choose this material, aerated concrete. Aerated concrete is a highly workable and low density material which incorporating entrained air up to 50 percents. In general, it has the characteristics of self-levelling, self-compacting and may be pumped. Besides that, the risk of plastic shrinkage or settlement cracking of aerated concrete is significantly lower as compared to normal concrete. This foamed concrete is ideal for filling up the redundant or unnecessary voids such as disused fuel tanks, sewer systems, pipelines and culverts. Other than that, aerated concrete also has a good thermal insulation property. The aerated concrete can be fully utilized in several applications such as: Unwanted voids Pipelines Service ducts and shafts Bridge arches or subways Disused structures Culverts Redundant sewers Cellars and basements Higher structural stabilization Bridge abutments Tunnel stabilization enbankments Insulating fill Low density insulating sub-screed Insulating fill to house over-sites By the way, there are several highlighted final concrete performances of aerated concrete that can said to be the advantages of this kind of concrete. Aerated concrete contains high entrained air content. With this property, the aerated concrete is able to resist the damage that formed from freeze and thaw. Besides that, entrained air can acts as a good thermal and acoustic insulator. The aerated concrete has good cohesion ability. It can form a stable foam structure that reduces settlement and reduces bleeding and segregation. Other than that, aerated concrete possess controlled density and strength. For example, low strength of concrete enables the removal for subsequent access to services and maintenance. The range of densities and strengths available depends on the types of foamed concrete. Structure that formed by aerated concrete is very stable. It can generally be surfaced after 24 hours. Besides that, other materials can be combined together and included in the mix. Combination of different materials depends on the applications and requirements. There are some combinations such as polypropylene fiber, fibersteel, quarry fines, vermiculite, flyash and volcanic ash. Autoclaved aerated concrete is one common type of aerated concrete. It is a material like wood but without the disadvantages of combustibility, decay and termite damage. The initial cost of autoclaved aerated concrete is very high but it can be compensated by lower cost of labour, finish, maintenance, and energy. In terms of manufacturing issue, construction issue and etc, it is a good ecological choice. The autoclaved aerated concrete is very versatile because the mixture proportions can be modify to setup different insulation values and compressive strength. Due to the reason of autoclaved aerated concrete is light in weight and workable, thus it can reduce the construction time, waste and energy by faste r speed of construction. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE ACTIVITES INVOLVED IN EXTERNAL WORKS AT THE START OF THE CONTRACT. In general, external works is defined as the construction works that done externally from the main building. The external works can be divided into several main parts which are drainage requirements, temporary constructions, public utilities, special industries services, minor external buildings, security and lighting. In construction industry, most of the activities are spanned within the entire project period but some of the external works are involved at the start of the contract. These external works are drainage main runs, access arrangement, storage facilities, car parks, hard areas for plants and machineries for construction of foundation and service mains to building entry. Firstly, drainage will be explained in detail. Drainage can be divided into 2 main types which are surface drainage and sub-surface drainage. Surface drainage is defined as the removal and disposal of water from the surface of a pavement. Sub-surface drainage is the type of drainage that uses the underground pipes and other fittings to direct the flow of water from where it is not wanted to some other places. Sub-surface drainage might include land drainage. Land drainage can be defined as removing and disposing of surplus groundwater gardens, fields and other plots of open land. Surface drainage system often refers as channels that direct the surface water to a drainage outlet. These channels are made up of stone or precast concrete. This system usually discharges all the relatively clean water into a local watercourse such as ditch, stream or river. This system can reduce the demand on the effluent treatment plant. The relatively clean water usually consists of water from the roof and the paving. The channels are slope down towards the public footpath and highway. After that, the water will be directed into gullies or linear drain which will flow to the storm water sewers later. In surface drainage system, the gully and access point is function to collect and discharge the collected water into local watercourse. Generally, there are three types of gully and access point used to perform this function. They are individual trapped gully, continuous grating over precast channels and combined kerb and drainage system. In the aspect of individual trapped gully, there are many types of gully that have been used. P-trap and hopper is commonly used with rainwater pick-ups rather than use in large areas drainage of paving. Yard gully also know as a bottle gully, compact gully or an universal gully. Other than that, road gully is much larger than P-trap and yard gully but they work in the same way. The specifications of road gully are it has a fixed 150mm diameter outlet but come in a variety of diameters and depths. For example, road gully the used within the carriage ways is commonly used to drain an area less than 250m2. In the aspect of continuous grating over precast channels, it can be various sizes, from 50mm deep units for roof drainage to 250mm deep for motorway drains. These channels can made up of various materials such as polymer concrete, wet-press concrete, HDPE and stainless steel. In a specific application, the type of channels used will depends on the end use of the drain. There are two main types which are built-in fall units and regular depth units. Built-in fall units are channels that maintain a fixed depth along their whole length and compulsory laid to a fall. It is suitable to use in large drainage for flat areas such as car parks, freight yards, airports and etc. The regular depth units are suitable to use in short length drainage which has a natural gradient. Lastly, the combined kerb and drainage system have 2 main functions. It can acts as road isolator. Besides that, it is also a discharge point of collected surface water. Generally, sub-surface drainage system deals with foul water such as kitchen waste, toilet or soil and vent pipes, bath or shower or bidet and any industrial process. Besides that, this system can deals with both foul water and surface water such as rain water pick-ups, yard or road gullies and linear drains. Sub-surface drainage system consists of underground pipe line, manhole or inspection chamber and culvert. In underground pipe line, various materials can be used to make pipes such as vitrified clay, uPVC, concrete, ductile and cast iron (CI), glassfibre reinforced plastics (GRP), high density polyethylene (HDPE), pitch fibre and asbestos. In general, there are 3 main types of pipes which are socketed clayware, plain-end clay and plastic 100/150mm. There are 2 main types of jointing of pipes. Plain ended pipes are a type of pipes that have identical ends. They can be joined by means of a coupling. Other than that, socketed pipes have identifiable male and female ends. The method of laid must be in the way of female end pointing upstream. Next, access chambers are commonly not more than 600mm deep which provides an easy access for cursory inspection and access of maintenance equipments. Inspection chamber possess the same function as the access chamber but inspection chamber is larger than access chamber with a minimum 450mm diameter. Besides that, inspection chamber tend to have more branches or spurs feeding into them. Normally, the inspection chamber can be up to 1000mm deep. Manhole is the largest chamber that provides the same function. Manhole can be any depth with the minimum internal dimension of 600x900mm. There are two main types of manhole which are brick manhole and precast concrete manhole. After that, culvert can be defined as a structure which provides a waterway or other opening under a road. In general, the type of pipe culvert chosen should be class Z spun reinforced concrete with spun concrete collars or spigot and socket type. At the start of the contract, there are some external works that need to be done in order to proceed to start the construction works. The external works that need to be done 1st is to prepare and provide hard access to all parts of the site, hard storage for materials, site facilities and car parks. Generally, in order to reduce the cost of temporary road and access, the contractor will lay the base course of the future permanent road as the temporary road and access. There is a way to keep the site temporary road dry for the convenience of construction works which is laying the drainage system as soon as possible. Public utilities services are very important to a building. Thus, all the public utilities need to be planned carefully before any major structures are built. Any constructions of service mains and ducts should be constructed concurrently with the foundation construction works in order to make the entire construction works faster and avoid any inconveniences.

Free Essay - Nora in Act 1 in Ibsens A Dolls House :: Dolls House essays

The Character of Nora in Act 1 of A Doll's House The character of Nora, of Isben's A Doll's House, is particularly difficult to interpret. Her character is constructed by the combination of a number of varying traits.  Ã‚   Throughout Act 1 her ambiguity is particularly prominent. Her frivolous, playful moments are readily followed by moments of practicality and astuteness. It is not surprising that Nora is such a changeable character for she is constantly interchanging between three main roles: a supporting wife, fundamental mother and sexual being. Ibsen uses the metaphor of a doll inside a doll house to portray Nora's attempt to become an individual while confined inside a male dominated world. Her wish to become self motivated is obstructed by Torvald's power over her.   Nora's home is the realization of domestic bliss, preserved and presented like "A Doll's House." Lacking experience of life in the real world and oblivious to the outdoor hardships, Nora is vulnerable. She enters muffled in protection from the outside, portrayed symbolically through her coat, scarf etc. Immediately, Nora appears childlike and coquettish. She orders Helene in an excitable tone to hide the Christmas tree as the children "mustn't see it till tonight." Nora's secretiveness   in wanting to hide the tree, extends further, and is a constant theme. Following Torvald's light- hearted interrogation with regard to whether she has had any macaroons, she becomes nervous and lies, "No Torvald, I promise...No No...Torvald I swear." Of course, this is particularly important as the entire play rotates around Nora's "big secret."   With the entrance of Krogstad, Nora's sense of fun abandons her. Her attempt to enforce her social superiority over him is genuinely intimidated. In her ambitious attempt to be superior she states "one isn't without influence". However, within moments she is forced into pleading "Mr. Krogstad, I don't have any influence." Nora's stereotyped roll as a doll confined to a doll's house constantly being fathered by Torvald encourages her childlike manner. However an entirely different contradicting side to Nora's character is revealed when Nora explains exactly what she did "for Helmer".   Although Nora is a woman who shirks or is probably unaware of her responsibilities (particularly with regard to her children who are under permanent care of Ann- Marie) here she has, apparently, fulfilled something of her duty as a wife.   Her personal attitude to her action, which in her mind saved "Torvald's life" is very childlike.