Teaching Vocabulary Using Original Video and Sound Effects to Young Learner Essay Example for Free

Teaching Vocabulary Using Original Video and Sound Effects to Young Learner Essay Putu Darma Putra (2013) in his seminar says that â€Å"World is words, how nice and influence they are; appears in a dictionary. † Words are really powerful for good and evil. They can transform in the hands of someone who knows how to choose and combine them. As we know, English as an international language has an important role in dealing with the world. For dealing with the world we need to deliver our thought by using words or vocabularies. We can imagine how powerful vocabulary is. As well known, vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings. It is very necessary to teach vocabulary during English lesson. The reason why vocabulary is taught at school is because students need to improve their vocabulary to use in the real life. Students speak English in their daily life; they are speaking with other person vocabularies. If students have a small stock of vocabularies, this would be obstacles when they are talking to someone else or reading English textbook. So, it is really important to teach vocabulary intensively. There are many ways of teaching and learning vocabulary. The rules and strategies of teaching vocabulary items in the classroom should be innovative and proficient. Research shows that the key strategy to teach vocabulary effectively is by using a media that can make students are interested in the lesson. Using teaching media in teaching and learning process can motivate and develop student’s vocabulary mastery. According to Shahla Yassael (2012), teaching language skills through mechanical exercises and traditional fill-in-the-blank, true/ false, and multiple-choice assessments does not interest students as much as we expect. Almost of students get bored when they just read text book and more of them just read the words without know what the meaning of it is. Poor readers usually read less, because reading is difficult and frustrating for them. It means that their vocabularies are limited. Teachers have to know how to help and facilitate students to learn about vocabulary knowledge using useful words or vocabulary that will help them achieve or figure out meaning of the words by them selves. This means that the words frequently appear in their daily life. Teacher also should find the best strategies that useful both in the classroom and out-side of the classroom. Teaching strategies can use a media as supporting items. Teaching vocabulary using media can create a meaningful context, which can be delivering and introduce any key vocabulary that may be unfamiliar. The media that can use to teach vocabulary is using poems and favorite song. It is supported by Caroline Linse (2006) that songs and poems are an excellent way to begin or end a lesson. Teachers usually use poems and songs in the beginning of lesson to warm up students. It is better to choose an appropriate poems or songs that related to the content of the lesson. At the end of lesson, the better way to cooling down the situation after giving lesson is singing song and repeat it in different verse. It can be doing while the students are waiting the bell to ring. Songs and poems are usually use for early children education, or we call it young learner. They are easily to imagine nouns, and don’t have literacy skills. So, they only can recognize nouns. Young learners also need concrete vocabulary. It means the vocabulary that they learn should be definite and specific. They also need to repeat the words again and again in new context. Young learners are easily to feel bored during lesson, because they love to move as they sing the song. By using poems and song, they can learn the lesson in a fun way. In this case, teacher can use props or action that can make them remember the words and meaning. The props and actions are also making them know and remember the context that shows in each verse. Teacher also can change some words in the poem and favorite song lyric into a picture, so young learner can understand the meaning of the vocabulary. Here, the writer offers poems and favorite songs as a great tool in the teaching vocabulary, especially when the teacher wants to introduce new vocabulary items to the students. Teachers can use this strategy to help learners acquire vocabulary items that they see and hear. This paper is focused on the effort to solve the problems about young learners’ vocabulary mastery. One of the way to improve their vocabulary mastery effectively, actively, and creatively is by using poems and favorite songs. By using poems and favorite songs, students are able to improve their vocabularies mastery while enjoy the lesson using a fun way of learning. Using poems and favorite songs, the teacher can deliver the vocabulary knowledge using an interesting media to the students. It is expected to improve their vocabulary more easily, so they can understand the meaning of a reading text easily.

Review of Resisted Sled Towing for Sprint Training

Review of Resisted Sled Towing for Sprint Training Sprinting consists of three phases: acceleration phase, transition phase and a maximal velocity phase (Cronin Hansen, 2006). Acceleration is a major component in making a successful performance in many different sports and it can also be seen as potentially pivotal in determining the outcome of a sports game. Therefore training for acceleration is an essential component of many athletes’ strength and conditioning programme (Kraemer et al. 2000). When choosing methods to improve sprinting certain parameters need to be considered. The acceleration phase includes a longer stance time, increased trunk and knee flexion and greater propulsive forces (Kraemer et al. 2000). The muscular structure of the lower leg needs to have the necessary capacity to contribute to the acceleration performance and this is done through specific strength training activities. When an athlete improves strength, it produces greater force and decreased ground contact time which increases stride frequency (Spinks et al. 2007). Various training modalities including sprint loading improve the elastic energy during the support sage of the sprint cycle, increasing stride length. Resisted sprint training is a basic conditioning method used by coaches to lengthen running stride (Makarur et al. 2013). It is carried out by adding an external load to the athlete, such as pulling a tyre, a loaded sled, running up hill or using parachutes. Hunter et al. (2005) observed that running velocity and increasing strength are greatly increased by resisted sprint training due to the increased strength and power of the leg extensor muscles in the acceleration phase. This critical review will analyse previous studies and their findings when using resisted sprint training using weighted sleds on athletes. Lockie (2003) and Letzelter et al. (1995) stated that towing causes acute changes in sprint kinematics of acceleration phase. Certain loads may be more appropriate for sprints performed from a block start compared to a standing start. Mero and Komi (1990) found mean contact time of foot to floor in the acceleration phase after a block start to range from 0.15s to 0.22s. This coincides with Spinks et al. (2007) findings of decreased contact time of first step of acceleration phase in the resisted sprint group of 11.8% and recording 0.15s to 0.19s contact time. Spinks et al. (2007) also found that the biggest increase in overall velocity was achieved in the 0-5m interval. Rimmer and Sleivert (2000) found that carrying out 8 weeks of sprint and plyometric training improves the velocity over the first 10m of the sprint. However Kafer et al. (1993) studied resisted sled training and found that there was a significant improvement of 0.35 seconds (P Harridge et al. (1998) found that resisted sled towing can alter myosin heavy chain expression of muscle fibres. Increases in speed occur due to a shift in fibre type distribution and speed of shortening cycle which might contribute to increased power generation. 8.4% significant increases were found on resisted sprint trained athletes when compared to a control group (Spinks et al. 2007). If power output of knee extensors are increased, improved ground contact time results in greater propulsive acceleration efforts. However Maclean () disproved this as he found that after testing this hypothesis across 6 weeks of training increase in muscle performance occurred without any significant change in myosin heavy chain or fibre type distribution. Letzelter et al. (1995) after studying 16 female sprint performances found that performance was decreased by 8% and 22% respectively for the loads of 2.5 kg and 10 kg. Results showed that this was predominantly due to the reduced stride length in athletes. Decreases in stride length by 5.3% and 13.5%, stride frequency 2.4% with 2.5 kg load and 6.2% with a 10 kg load. Across all loads were found to be an increased stance time to lean and hip flexion angle. Lockie et al. (2003) reported similar findings when testing 20 males’ field sport athletes. Athletes performed 15m sprints using no resistance, 12.6% or 32.2% of body mass load. These were chosen as previous findings show a decrease in 10/20% of max velocity. Decrease in stride length of 10% +24% were documented. Stride frequency was only found to decrease by 6% in each load. In agreement with Leztler et al. (1995). Makurak et al. (2013) found running stride length increased in their resisted sled training group when compared to the standard training group. Findings were also supported by Delecluse (1997). Increasing stride length is said to be the result of performing fuller extension at the knee found by the increased knee angle at toe off. This change could be directly due to the strength between hip and knee extensors. Bhowmick and Bhattacharyya (1988) suggest the horizontal acceleration of the arm swing increases stride length and during ground contact time the vertical element enhances the leg drive. Ropret et al. (1988) tested adding load to the athlete’s arms however no significant reduction in initial acceleration over 30 m was found. Lockie et al. (2003) state that 32.2% body mass was better for the development of upper body action. As the load increases shoulder range of motion increases. However Spinks et al. (2007) in terms of their study of upper-body kinematics found that it had little impact on acceleration performance. The critical analysis of various studies showed that results were contradictory. More investigations into optimal load, changes in strength shortening cycle and training distances should be undertaken to find ideal training focus. References Bhowmick, S., Bhattacharyya, A. (1988) ‘Kinematicanalysis of arm movements in sprint start.’ Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness; Vol: 28: pp315–323. Cronin, J., Hansen, K. (2006) ‘Resisted sprint training for the acceleration phase of sprinting’ Journal of Strength and Conditioning; Vol: 28 (4), pp.42-51 Delecluse, G. (1997) ‘Influence of strength training on sprint running performance: Current findings and implications for training’ Journal of Sports Medicine; Vol. 24 (3), pp.147-156, Harridge, S.., Bottinelli, R., Canepari, M., Pellegrino, M., Reggiani, C., Esbjornsson, M., Balsom, P.,Saltin, B. (1998) ‘Sprint Training, In Vitro and In Vivo Muscle Function, and Myosin Heavy Chain Expression’. Journal of Applied Physiology; Vol 84: pp.442-449. Hunter, J., Marshall, R., McNair, P. (2005) ‘Relationships between ground reaction force impulse and kinematics of sprint-running acceleration.’ Journal of Applied Biomechanics; Vol: 21(1), pp.31-34 Kafer, R. Adamson, G., O’Conner, M., Faccioni, A.(1993) ‘Methods of maximising speed development’ Strength and Conditioning Coach; Vol. 1, pp.9-11 Kraemer, W., Ratamess, N., Volek, J., Mazzettil, S., Gomez, A. (2000) ‘The effect of the Meridian Shoe on vertical jump and sprint performances following short-term combined plyometric/sprint and resistance training.’ Journal Strength Conditioning Research. Vol; 14: pp.228–238 Lockie, R., Murphy, A., Spinks, C. (2003) ‘Effects of resisted sled towing on sprint kinematics in field sport athletes;. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research; Vol 17: pp760-767 Mero, A., Komi, P. (1990) ‘Reaction time and electromyographic activity during a sprint start.’ European. Journal of Applied. Physiology and Occupational. Physiology; Vol: 61:pp. 73–80. Rimmer, E., Sleivert, G. (2000) ‘Effects of a plyometrics intervention program on sprint performance.’ Journal of Strength and Conditioning. Research; Vol. 14: pp. 295–301. ROPRET, R., M. KUKOLJ, D. UGARKOVIC, D.MATAVULJ, AND S. JARIC. ‘Effect of arm and leg loading on sprint performance.’ European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology; Vol: 77: pp.547–550. Spinks, C., Murphy, A., Spinks, W., Lockie, R. (2007) ‘The effects of resisted sprint training on acceleration performance and kinematics in soccer, rugby union and Australian football players’ Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research; Vol: 21 (1), pp.77-85

How Off Site Construction Construction Essay

How Off Site Construction Construction Essay This dissertation will discuss the effect of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and particularly the Off-Site Construction (OSC), on the building sector today, and how these methods will contribute to help and resolve social, financial, and environmental difficulties that facing the UK. Off-site construction is an application of modern methods of construction MMC where building sector meets the industrial sector, or by other word, a fusion between building and manufacturing. Off-site construction is where any of building components, or even a whole building, manufactured in factories away from the actual site where the building will be sited, or simply is where the construction site is different from the building site. Off-site construction has different terms, terms like (prefabrication, off-site assembly, factory assembly, pre-assembly, off-site manufacture, etc.). The term off-site construction is generally used nowadays to any part of the construction process that takes place in factories. Off-site construction is not new, in the 20th century specifically in the post wartime, off-site construction (that time the term used probably was factory assembly or prefabrication construction) were needed to replace rapidly buildings which were destroyed or damaged during the war, But due to the lack of technology and modern production techniques, development in lightweights, high-strength materials, and new modern methods of construction that today is available, it gained unfortunately negative significance. The time of the wheelbarrow is finished, announced Jean Prouvà © in 1947, echoing Le Corbusier.We need usinà ©es maisons, homes produced in the factories Since then, a further sixty years have passed: the manufacturing industry has come with story of success of the mechanization, has enhanced electronics and grafting. Today industrial automation and manufactures from shoes to personal computers, and from planes to crackers, all now machine-made, in Seattle as a small village in China. The building construction is still the same. With very few exceptions, the building remains largely an object made by hand with traditional techniques. And the only construction industry still relies to logical and largely pre-industrial processes. With known effects: low productivity, forecast time and cost much more random, exposed to all levels of quality and possibilities and approximations of production conditions are vary widely, backward technologies and unskilled work. Why choose off-site construction now? What is so different from the traditional way of construction? Why is sustainability constantly being brought up? Before I examine these points, I have to mention some important facts that have already occurred. Since the beginning of the century, it is increasingly being talked about and discussed, the world and its climate changing. United Nations ask for action on it. The world met in a summit in Copenhagen to discuss how they can resolve the raising temperature that might cause damages and risks to the global, and how to reduce energy and CO2 emission. Why I mentioned climate change and we are talking about off-site construction? The answer is surprisingly, buildings are responsible for about one third of global energy consumption and if we add the energy used for construction the amount can easily be increased to the half. All of this means that we need to build very efficient houses and in an efficient way, and thats can be achievable only by off-site construction. There is a severe accommodation shortage in the UK. The Government has announced plans for the construction of 200,000 new houses per year, but that target has never achieved yet. Off-site construction can help the accommodation industry to achieve that target where fast delivery is needed. Speedier delivery in construction is one of the potential advantages of off-site construction and research showed that it can reduce the time of construction process to the half because it takes place in a desirable condition away from the unpredictable weather that can affect and delay the process on-site. And research showed that it can reduce the time of construction process to the half because it takes place in a desirable condition away from the unpredictable weather, factory built accommodation. Offsite construction already features in the production of social accommodation.elderly.jpg Skill shortages in the UK construction industry are a severe problem. In 2001 the UK construction industry estimated it needed to train an extra 74,000 skilled workers every year for five years just to make up for the shortages of bricklayers, plumbers and electricians (Verbus System, 2006). In 2009, the chartered institute of building (CIOB) concluded a third research on skill shortages, and the result again showed that the construction industry is still suffering a skills shortage, which is likely to continue to be a challenge for the building sector. Off-site construction can play an important role to resolve this issue. The research showed, compared to more traditional techniques, off-site construction can reduce on-site labour requirements to less than a quarter. This result achieved from some work took place off-site. Off-site work involves different labour that is not under pressure as the on-site workforce. Off-site construction and modern methods of construction (MMC) can therefore make better use of scarce labour. 1.5 DISSERTATION STRUCTURE The dissertation consists of an introduction chapter, three main chapters and conclusion chapter; Chapter two discuss the advantages of off-site construction for the building sector, society, and the environment. The chapter also will discuss the conditions in order to gain the full advantages of off-site construction. Chapter three explain the types and forms of off-site construction, and where off-site construction takes place in the building and in the construction process. Off-site construction takes place in different areas of the building, so how off-site construction will incorporate with the mainstream construction process. Chapter four show and examine some of off-site construction case studies and in which type of building it takes place. CHAPTER TWO: ADVANTAGES OF OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION 2.1 INTRODUCTION Off-site construction, as I mentioned, is part of modern methods of construction (MMC) and is referred to as any of the components of the building built in a high quality controlled factories where they use advanced techniques to manufacture highly specialised doors, windows, stairs, wall panels, frame structure, and complete volumetric pods and then transport them to the location where it will be used and to be assembled on-site. Off-site construction has many advantages that are why nowadays there are more companies and contractors using this method rather than the traditional way of construction, even governments make more pressure to use this method to speed up housing delivery. Modern methods of construction can provide good quality homes with less on-site labour, in a shorter time, with at least the same building performance and at similar cost when compared to more established techniques. Off-site manufacturing and partnering processes increasingly play a part in solving todays problem of moving towards a sustainable housing industry. The advantages of off-site construction can be classified into two types; Business advantages, social environmental advantages Modern construction methods can produce important benefits for housing authorities and developers, not the least of which is the reduced emphasis on on-site activity. This is particularly important in a time of increasing demands on an already stretched labour force. As with any new way of doing things there are risks, but these can be mitigated through good project planning and management (Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, 2005). 2.2 ADVANTAGES Less time in construction process, cost predictability, higher quality,helping the society and the environment, resolving skilled labour shortage, reduce health safety risks,and helping the business the economy. These are key advantages of off-site construction. 2.2.1 Reduced construction time Business advantages give a huge encouragement to the contractors and designers to use more off-site construction components with their design and building processes. The greater speed of manufacturing and on-site assembling is an important factor for business gain. Earlier the delivery of the building means earlier the return of the investment. Modular construction for example, that is an off-site construction, is up to 40-60% quicker than traditional building methods. The predictability of the delivery also is very important for the financial calculation of the business in terms of cost and revenue. The manufacturing process of the components in quality controlled factories is nearly accurately estimated as well as the delivery to the site and the assembly operation. 2.2.2 Cost Predictability Cost-effectiveness is an important factor to show the difference between the off-site construction method and the conventional one. Approximately, around 80% of the construction costs are fixed within the first 20% of the design process. The graph below highlights the potential for cost reduction and alternatively the resistance to the cost of change during the project life. As the project progresses, the opportunities for implementing variation or change reduce and the consequent costs associated with these variations rise substantially, Where off-site production techniques are to be used, these should be introduced early in the process. While off-site construction has tended in the past to be more expensive than brick block, now is being reduced to the same level due to the innovation of more techniques and to the variety of the components, and these bringing even greater economies. 2.2.3 Superior Quality Off-site manufacture for building components significantly improves the quality and the efficiency of the building due to high standard of quality control and test. Buildings exceed requirements on sound and thermal insulation levels, so this means that are more sustainable. 2.2.4 Help the society and the environment Off-site construction has also can help the society and the environment. Millions of affordable homes are required to meet growing demand, and there is increasing pressure to further improve efficiency and sustainability performance during construction and throughout the lifetime of the buildings. Off-site construction is environmentally friendly if it is planned well from the early stages of design and by integrating all the supply chain together. Less energy is generally required to develop the modules or off-site manufactured components. With improved process control ,buildings are pre-engineered each exactly the same and so can be adapted for ease of tiling and this should lead to reduced levels of waste on site of up to 70% and subsequent costs. In addition, with improved control of materials flow, raw materials can be recycled rather than skipped as often happens on site. The advantage of using OSC methods related to the reduction of waste to landfill are that the material usage in the factory is reduced up to 90% by the  careful design and procurement of materials, reducing the  amount of waste generated  both on-site and off-site. Offsite manufacturing was identified as a key potential method for promoting sustainability within the construction industry. Sustainability is increased as sound and thermal insulation are improved. Reduced time on site means less disruption to neighbouring residents or businesses. 2.2.5Reducing reliance on skilled labour While there is a significant shortage of housing in the UK, and the government plans to build more accommodation houses, there is another problem facing to achieve these plans as well the building industry a whole which is the skills shortages bricklayers, plumbers and electricians. Off-site construction helps to build more houses by reducing reliance on increasingly scarce skilled labour by reducing the number of labour where semi-skilled factory labour can be used during the construction of modules. 2.2.6 Improve Health and safety Health and safety issue also give off-site construction an advantage, it has been proven to be a safer method of construction because there are fewer components involved than traditional methods and there is no need for high quantity of labour on-site for the assembly process. 2.2.7 Business integration and economy development Off-site construction helps to integrate the supply chain. When executed effectively, the off-site construction process involves key manufacturers and suppliers early in the feasibility and design stages of the project. This ensures that the specialist skills and knowledge of these key suppliers are embedded within the project and can influence the design and construction phases of the project. Where appropriate these key suppliers should be given ownership of the design and involved fully in the execution of delivery, storage and movements of materials and components. CHAPTER THREE: OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION! WHERE IT TAKES PLACE? 3.1Forms of off-site construction Off-site construction can take a number of forms. The form and extent of acceptance within the projects will depend on:the type of project: Is there a large proportion of duplication or replication? for example; in hotels and hostels, the type of client: Is the client a one-off or repeat client?, and the relationships and the arrangements between the project members. Off-site buildings and components systems range from small bolt-together sections to virtually complete buildings. Systems can be categorised as: Sub-assemblies Frames Panels (open or closed) Volumetric system Hybrids system 3.1.1 Sub-assemblies Sub-assemblies are the most traditional and widely used system in off-site manufacturing which is being used for many generations. Thistype of off-site construction can include elements using different type of materials such as concrete beams, block floors, and foundations. Prefabricated foundation systems can consist of precast, post-tensioned, concrete beams. Prefabricated beam installation in progress on piles. The beams can be omittedand modular structures can be installed to span directly onto piles and pile caps Photograph courtesy of Van Elle An additional examples for sub- assemblies systems are the glass reinforced plastic for chimneys, steel for curtain walling, and timber stairs. 3.1.2 Frames Framed structures, which are pre-assembled in factories, supply the structural support to buildings and are not something new feature in construction. Lightweight pre-assembled frames which can be delivered promptly to the site, speeding up the construction times for the main structural elements. The benefit of pre-assembled framed structures, that can help of reducing site cutting and the inaccuracies that can arise from it.Untitled-1.jpg Insulated steel frame building system Photograph courtesy of Fusion An example of framed structure is the steel frame module. Steel works in off-site construction are taking the most important part of the factory controlled construction due to the characteristics of the steel itself that can be shaped and moulded in any form; the result is light strong steel modules structures. The UK construction market is one of the most steel intensive in the world, with steel proving to be the material of choice for UK architects and structural engineers in the multi-storey building market. The 2007 Market Shares Survey figures show steel construction consistently takes in excess of 70 per cent over double the market share compared to when the survey was first carried out in the early 1980s.(Housebuilder Developer. 2008). The Steel Construction Institute has carried out a study of different construction projects using various levels of off-site steel construction technologies in busy urban sites. The goal of the study was to recognize the benefits of off-site construction relating to the reduction of the disruption caused to local residents by the construction operations. The study also aimed to quantify these benefits in terms of the reduction in dust, noise, vehicle circulation and the impact of site-generated waste on the environment. 3.1.3 Panels Panels are two dimensional frame that consist both the structural and the infill element, are sealed together on site. Example of panels are pre-assembled floor, wall, and roof panels. Using the right sealants are very important to gain the benefit of off-site manufactured panels in order to stand up the frames rapidly. The simplest form of off-site manufactured panel system is lightweight infill panels that are fixed to the structural frame, where the most complex form are the prefabricated sandwich panels which consist of both, the structural element, internal and external finishes. 3.1.4 Volumetric System Volumetric system is the frame and panel systems, and when the building is assembled and built from a series of volumetric steel or timber modules, connected together to form a room or groups of rooms to form complete structure. Modular construction is also a term used to refer the volumetric assemblies. While the foundations are being prepared under factory conditions, the modules are manufactured and finished (or partially finished) off-site, under factory conditions, then transported to the building site and assembled and connected to the foundations, then added the exterior cladding and the roof. Modular construction is more sustainable than traditional techniques because of the minimum foundations that required and because it is built under factory conditions, the modules are in better quality and defects are minimized. Modular construction uses the same techniques from the industrial sector but the result does not look like mass production product. Sophisticated modules and panels can be produced and can be easily customised by the clients requirements, and with new advanced techniques finishes: cladding and roofing, give the building its natural skin that suites the surrounding. 3.1.5 Hybrids System Plant rooms Plant room is a room or space in a building dedicated to the mechanical and electrical equipments and then they need an intensive labour. If plant rooms built off-site where there is cheaper labour, this can be more economically. Other advantage of plant rooms built in factory is if a project in time difficulties, always the installation of the services is squeezed, so using modular plant rooms certainly will help to avoid this problem. Using system-engineering principles, the resulting prototype has been developed principally for use in the construction of two and seven storey residential developments. It is a hybrid of frame and infill panels, the prototype enables construction in stick form, panels or 3D volumetric units, and works on the principle of a frame and infill system. The mainframe is hot-rolled steel and typically uses regular or square hollow sections with a width of 100mm for both columns and beams to provide a standard interface that can be in filled with floor and non-load bearing wall panels to complete the building. The prototype is based on currently available main components, which can be connected in a variety of ways to suit the individual project to allow flexibility in the level of work carried out off-site. Connections include innovative bolt connections to allow complete demountability, location systems and welded connections, all of which can be used in isolation or as part of a combined system. Bathrooms Pods Bathroom construction process can use Off-site construction technology, which in compare to the traditional way, would normally be carried out on-site. If we remove the construction process of the bathrooms to a controlled factory environment, bathrooms will become more ecological, functional, and with lower building costs. Bathrooms that we call them smart will also become more common with highly environmentally toilets and showers systems and with more advanced technology like tapes with sensors. The quality of bathrooms pods is far superior to the traditional on-site construction, more stylish, with high quality materials, and better for the environment in terms of a lower carbon footprint, lower levels of waste and reduced transportation of components. Bathroom pods are a very economically solution when it integrate with the whole construction process in large quantities such as; student accommodations, hotels, hostels, hospitals, and prisons.3.jpg Walker Modular CHAPTER FOUR: CASE STUDIES 4.1 British Land Ropemaker site, London Ropemaker is a commercial building for British Land, one of the UKs largest Real Estate Investment Trust. It is built in an eminent site in London. The 21 storey and three basement levels has 55,000 square metres net lettable space. The high profile building has impressive green certifications achievement including a BREEAM excellent rating. The development has been realised using off-site construction technologies in a large number of parts in the building. This study aimed to evaluate two products manufactured off-site; a modular walling system Podwall from Swift Horseman, and Technik flooring system supplied by Grants LTD. The research aimed to compare in deep analysis off-site construction techniques products to the traditional way of construction in terms of; waste on-site and off-site, resources needed on site, efficiency and productivity, cost, environmental impact analysis and end of life assessment, health and safety, and installation time. Features of the Podwall system (Swift Horsman. 2010) A flexible modular walling system incorporating finishes and services. All elements manufactured off site in a controlled environment. Innovative fit out solution providing high quality female, male, and disabled toilet units throughout the development. PODWALL research results Performance breakdown (man hours on site) Podwall saved approximately 40% to programme. Each floor at Ropemaker had an 11 week programme to install the Podwall (3 blocks per floor one ladies, one gentlemen and one disabled toilet), which would be equivalent to 15 ½ weeks for traditional fit out. Podwall waste Because the Podwall is manufactured off-site the waste on site is reduced. The largest proportion of waste generated is in the packaging, which ensures the product is protected between factory and site. Across the Ropemaker site a total of approximately 213m3 of waste was produced for all Podwall washrooms. Given the low levels of waste observed during the monitoring of the Podwall, traditional waste would considerably exceed the Podwall waste volumes. The percentage of materials recycled from Ropemaker frequently exceeds 85%. At Ropemaker the Podwall washroom package has a value of approximately  £6m, with 54 toilet blocks being delivered across 1969m2 The main differences in cost between the Podwall and the traditional system are in services installation and cubicles. This is because services are integrated off site into the walls and cubicles for the Podwall which explains the greater cost of these elements, whereas with traditional build the cost of installing services on site is higher. The traditional costs do not account for indirect costs such as the increased cost of waste and removal thereof and the increased programme time to install the traditional product. 4.2 Case Study: Bewdley High School and Sixth Form, Worcestershire This case study involves a school and sixth form building based in Bewdley, Worcestershire. A new building which can meet the needs and expectations of this school is to be proposed, designed and implemented. The requirements are said to be a building which offers flexibility for the school and its occupiers as well as being a low-energy solution. The changing needs of the school means space needs to be provided to accommodate the new influx of around 360 pupils. Yorkon manufacturers, who are based in the city of York, have created a two-storey high building at their off-site location. Due to the nature of the build taking place away at York as an off-site project, the building only took a mere 22 weeks to put together compared to an on-site project which would take longer. This new building has become a project now boasting a title as not only one of the most sustainable modular buildings within the UK, but offers heating via biomass fuel and holds a complex passive and low energy ventilation system. The building comprises of 60 steel-framed modules and has clear internal spans measuring up to 12m for space planning flexibility within. The parts were brought in using cranes and windows and partitions were put into place. The effectiveness of pre-installing the windows and partitions off-site show the efficiency and speed of this new phenomenon. It is a desired and sought after concept to still incorporate off-site construction into the regular and more traditional building techniques. The fact the building has integrated off-site technology into its production whilst still being themed around a conventional and traditional design for a drama and dance studio, ultimately shows the two somewhat diverse approaches to construction working in harmony together. The building comprises a 12 classroom facility which may accommodate the schools Modern Languages, Humanities as well as English Departments. Furthermore, a designated creative-area is also catered for within the design concept as well as an area for an administrative centre. Its design features boast central-heating fuelled by biomass fuel thus being environmentally friendly by minimising harmful carbon emissions. Not only this, but the new building can offer all timber cladding from sources that are confirmed sustainable, a highly-glazed activity studio offering a plentiful amount of natural light and an appealing bespoke roof structure thats pleasing to the eye. Looking further into the buildings design concept in offering a complex passive ventilation system, we can see that the clever idea of well-ventilated rooms provide a more comforting area for study and teaching. This additional air-flow is thus providing better concentration and performance for all those working within the new building. This is achieved through something recognised as passive air-stacking. The sensors installed are there to monitor levels of both carbon dioxide as well as temperature. This enables fresher air to be drawn in accordingly when detected as too low. This is fed diagonally over radiators which prevent the possibility of unwelcome cold draughts. Any stale air from the room is passed out from the room via high capacity discharge terminals found on the roof. This ultimately creates a continuous regulation of new air flow replacing older air providing optimum air composition levels in each room. Professionals working at Yorkon have expressed their views in using off-site construction in this project amongst others. They voiced that the main decision to go for off-site production was speed in completing the project which was highly important in making sure the facility would be ready on time for the new quantity of pupils to be joining the school. Furthermore, Yorkon is keen to be recognised as a reputable name in supplying superior quality along with an eye for sophisticated and precise detail in the designs and bringing revolutionary new techniques to building which can change attitudes towards regular modular construction. This is all despite any challenging timescale. Yorkonis adamant their team has provided the required building which can boast quality, bespoke elements and flexibility along with highly favoured low energy, environmentally friendly and speedy results. (The new building has provided us with spacious accommodation and room sizes that are appropriate for our learning and teaching needs. It is visually pleasing from the outside and fits in well with the locality. Our students have been impressed with the design of the building and it has helped to develop a strong sense of pride in our school and working environment. The modular approach is a very good method of construction for schools as it limits the disruption to learning because of the speed of assembly. The building will be easy to expand and the design is sufficiently flexible to meet the changing needs of our students and curriculum development.-Julie Reilly, Head Teacher and Sixth Form centre.) 4.3 Case Study-Emergency Assessment Unit, University Hospital of North Tees. In this case study we are looking at the new revolutionary building which was designed to fulfil the needs of Interserve Project Services/North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. The building will be located at the University Hospital of North Tees. The purpose-designed and built Emergency Assessment Unit has been required in order to reduce waiting times for much demanded emergency treatment. This is something the Government has planned as to drive down waiting times for patients. The amount of beds are needed to be increased at the Stockton site as well as the site needing to be able to provide a service to those needing emergency surgical care, based centrally on location rather than some distance away. The unit has promised to feature up-to-date emergency care and include specialist staff who can deal quickly and efficiently with a high number of patients thus increasing patient turnover. The solution to these needs was met through a  £2.8m Procure 21 project which was awarded to Yorkon manufacturers, based in York, by Interserve Project Services. Off-site construction and the installing of a 42-bed Emergency Assessment Unit was the aim for the new building as its production. The building included 42 steel-framed modules manufactured off-site at York and installed on-site in as little as a few days. Disruption was therefore limited and patients could rest unaware of any commotion. The 1,710m square single storey extension to the pre-existing department was astonishingly and impressively erected in just over six months from beginning to end. The building also can boast a full range of modern well-equipped facilities for any acute medical emergencies. Features are listed as including four-bed wards, single en-suite bedrooms, an isolation ward, high-dependency beds, consulting rooms, ward managers office, waiting area, Quiet room, staff changing facilities and rest room and also an interview room. Incorporated into the design were roof lights to increase any natural light in the centre of the unit and furthermore holds latest technology equipment. The installation of workstations are readily available and can be used at a patients bedside. This building proudly boasts to be one of the first units in the country to offer an electronic information board too. Looking to the comments of professionals working within the construction of this new high-tech building, we can see the positive influence of off-site technology in providing rapid, quality solutions to much needy clients

Professional Athletes and Steriod Use Essay -- Professional Sports

Steroid is a name given to drugs that are manufactured from testosterone, a reproductive hormone found in men. Some athletes normally use anabolic steroids because these drugs improve one’s capacity to compete and train, yielding high results. Steroids work by reducing exhaustion during training, and also reduce the length of time an athlete needs to recover from exhaustion. In addition, steroids enable the growth of tissues and muscles in an athlete’s body by instructing the body to produce extra proteins. During the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin, the first rumors of athletes using steroids emerged. The problem of athletes using steroids was again reported in 1954 during weight lifting championships. The Soviet athletes recorded a very impressive performance at all levels of weight lifting. Later on, the team’s physician admitted that the Soviet athletes were being injected with testosterone in order to increase their muscle mass and strength after being question ed about how they achieved their success. WHO (World Health Organization) in 1968 was the first party to complain about incidents of athletes using steroids, these sentiments were later backed by IOC (International Olympic Committee). This paper is going to give reasons why professional athletes should not be allowed to use steroids (Yesalis 25). Professional Athletes Should Not be allowed to Use Steroids Winstrol and Dianabol are the most frequently used anabolic steroids by professional athletes. The main disadvantage of using steroids in sports is that the use of these substances amounts to cheating. This is because steroids give unfair advantage to athletes that use them. Use of steroids has made some prominent athletes to rise and fall during their careers. In all ... ... Beamish, Rob. Steroids: A New Look At Performance-Enhancing Drugs. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2011. Print. Canseco, Jose. Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, And How Baseball Got Big. New York, NY: Harper, 2005. Print. Goldman, Bob, Patricia J. Bush, and Ronald Klatz. Death in the Locker Room: Steroids & Sports. South Bend, IN: Icarus Press, 2004. Print. Mohun, Janet and Aziz Khan. Drugs, Steroids, and Sports. New York, NY: F. Watts, 2008. Print. Lau, Doretta. Steroids. New York, NY: Rosen Central, 2008. Print. Sterngass, Jon. Steroids. New York, NY: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2011. Print. Stevens, Sarah. Steroids. New York, NY: Crestwood House, 2001. Print. Yesalis, Charles E. Anabolic Steroids in Sport and Exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2000. Print.

War as Transformation Essay -- Warfare Violence Essays

War as Transformation Many people look for reason in warfare. The reasons humans decide to kill each other are varied. Many wars start over land, difference of religion and culture, or economic stress. While there have been many wars over the years that man has inhabited this planet, World War I sticks out because of one incident that took place during the war. On December 25th, 1916 the Waring factions took essentially a "Christmas break" from their fighting, and went into enemy territory. They shared food and drink, and exchanged pictures of loved ones. They laughed and sang and tried to cross language barriers that the day before seemed insurmountable. The following day, they returned to their trenches, reinstated the boundaries of the war and began to fight anew. Even to this day, war is sometimes suspended for religious reasons, and no one finds this absurd or shocking. Recently, many Serbians were mad at President Clinton because he did not suspend bombing of Croatia during a holiday. As if war has a scheduled time and place. World War 1 was significant to this century because it was a war that involved peoples from practically every continent for the first time in history. It is ironic to think that the destructive force of war was something that , in a sense, brought many peoples of the world together for a common cause whether it w as the Allied cause, or the German or Russian cause. Looking at this war as an example of most wars, the causes of warfare stem from some sort of disagreement. Many of these disagreements derive from human insecurities about change. Fear of change drives people to hold tighter to their traditions and customs. When change is slow and progressive people may mutter under their breath, di... ...rks successfully. That is why people are so dependent on it. It is much easier to break someone's spirit with brute force than to use intellect and reason. War as a transformation process will continue unless people see that the same evolutionary processes of change in society can be implemented through negotiation. But these types of processes are slow and involve a willingness to be open to change. People have to get the idea in their head that change is inevitable, it is what life is based on. The status quo can not remain forever. It is only through this realization and openness to new ideas that war as a machine of progress can ever be stopped . Skilled leaders need to motivate people to negotiation, and to acting without aggression. To lose the 'us against them mentality' should be the ultimate goal of all societies and peoples. Every day should be Christmas.

1831: Year of Eclipse Essay

On February 12, 1831, a full eclipse of the sun darkened America’s skies. Newspapers nationwide heralded its arrival, and commentators congratulated themselves that the â€Å"idle fears and gloomy forebodings†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthe past superstitions attached to such events–had been replaced by â€Å"pleasing admiration† of the wonders of nature and society’s progress in scientific understanding. However, says Masur (Rites of Execution), professor of history at the City University of New York, what unfolded in 1831 belies this chauvinistic claim of America’s advancement. Rather, he builds a case that America’s future faced inevitable upheaval directly linked to the failure of the founders to resolve two fundamental conflicts: the contradiction between a country founded on the â€Å"inalienable rights of man† embracing the cruelty and inhumanity of slavery, and the tension between a federal government intent on preserving the Union and the states’ claims of uncontestable sovereignty. Masur draws upon an exceptionally rich array of voices, quoting generously from figures as divergent as slave rebellion leader Nat Turner, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Andrew Jackson. Masur vividly chronicles the plight of the Cherokee, who despite their willingness to cooperate with the U.S. government, were forced from their homeland and marched west on the infamous Trail of Tears. Tocqueville traveled to the U.S. in 1831, prompting him to write Democracy in America, and as Masur notes, Tocqueville’s prescient observations illuminated not only the intractable problems of slavery and race in America but also the extraordinary uniqueness and energy of America’s citizens. Masur’s accessible and intriguing work, which appeals to a wide and diverse audience interested in American history, raises the year 1831, not necessarily one that stands out in most Americans’ minds, above insignificance. Passing in and out of Favor Although single-year studies fell out of favor amid the social-history boom of the 1970’s and 1980’s, they have a place in history circles. Among Mr. Masur’s favorite histories, and a work that influenced his own, is The Year of Decision: 1846, a study published in 1943 by the historian Bernard DeVoto, who went on to win the Pulitzer and Bancroft Prizes in his field. A huge best seller in its time, the volume is now seldom read or studied even by professional historians. Now and then, other historians have made similar forays, usually concentrating on a year marked by war, bloodshed, or political upheaval, like Kenneth Milton Stampp’s America in 1857: A Nation on the Brink. Lately, though, such experiments seem to be flourishing–and the more obscure the year, the better. Hence titles like American Nervousness, 1903: An Anecdotal History, by Tom Lutz, a study of the physical and psychological illnesses that plagued elite Americans at the turn of the century. Or 1910: The Emancipation of Dissonance, by Thomas Harrison, a look at how and why harmony came to be replaced by dissonance in painting, music, and other art forms. â€Å"We’ve shifted away from causal and exemplary history, back toward epochal history, which constructs microcosms and tells you what the whole universe is like from the standpoint of one year, or in some cases, one grand age,† says Douglas Mitchell, the veteran humanities editor at the University of Chicago Press. Part of the reason is historians’ renewed interest in narratives as a way to create synthesis. A single year is a manageable way to narrow the scope, deal in specifics, yet still work with a beginning, middle, and end. â€Å"An annualized history is a way to bridge the gap between conventional narratives, which tend to be driven by political events, and newer histories, which have no clear linear narrative,† says Alan Brinkley, a professor of history at Columbia University. â€Å"Focusing on a year allows one to combine a narrative of sorts with explorations of many areas of life as developed by newer histories.† Mr. Masur’s book, as well as John E. Wills Jr.’s upcoming 1688: A Global History, are colorfully written and rely on dramatic scene-setting. (1688 even does without footnotes.) Though bound by time, they range widely across place, focusing on what happens when people travel and make contact, and how similar ideas can echo in very different settings. â€Å"Historians have long called for some kind of creative synthesis, but the problem has been how to incorporate the voices of elites and workers, men and women, Indians and slaves, celebrators and detractors, and weave them together in a coherent story,† says Mr. Masur. Instead of talking yet again about whether to use narrative techniques in writing history, scholars will show how it’s done at a â€Å"reading slam† at this month’s American Historical Association conference. There Mr. Masur will read from his new book. Digging Deep into a Single Year If nothing else, digging deep into a single year can lead to nifty juxtapositions. The portentous eclipse that gives Mr. Masur his title turned up in Nat Turner’s confession, New England sermons, and newspaper editorials opposed to the reelection of President Andrew Jackson. In 1688, as the English seaman William Dampier was sending vivid descriptions home about the â€Å"miserablest people in the world†Ã¢â‚¬â€œAustralian aborigines–two Jesuit missionaries joined a thousand Chinese cavalrymen on a sophisticated expedition to survey northern China. For a world historian, looking at a year like 1688 is a way to avoid Eurocentrism while still capturing the flow of people and commodities, contends Mr. Wills, a professor of history at the University of Southern California. â€Å"The making of the modern world is the result of worldwide processes in which the Europeans are not the only active originators,† he says. Of course, Mr. Wills admits in his introduction that many of the people he describes wouldn’t have known the year as 1688 at all, given their varied calendars. Even so, â€Å"signs of the basic shifts that created our own very different world† are there: â€Å"The rise of science; the growth of cities and commerce; government policies to promote economic growth; an immense variety of writing and publishing, some of it for broad urban audiences; some very individual and idiosyncratic acceptances and reinterpretations of the great religions; protests against slavery and the subordination of women.† â€Å"This is all part of one world in a strong, simultaneous sense,† the professor says. Text and Context English professors, too, have been bitten by the one-year bug. While historians try to write with more literary flair, literature scholars have returned to history, doing archival research to put novels and poems in political and cultural context. Yet many scholars believe that move has gone too far; literature simply gets reduced to historical evidence, and the particular qualities of certain literary genres get lost in the shuffle. Studying a single year helps to keep both text and context in focus, says Michael North, a professor of English at the University of California at Los Angeles. â€Å"It’s a way of compromising between the demands of history and the demands of structure,† says Mr. North, the author of Reading 1922: A Return to the Scene of the Modern. â€Å"There is an element of trying to define a zeitgeist,† adds Marshall Brown, a professor of English and comparative literature at the University of Washington, and the editor of Modern Language Quarterly. â€Å"Methodologically it’s a kind of gamble, a provocation to do interdisciplinary work.† Often such writing projects begin as classroom experiments. James Chandler, a professor of English language and literature at the University of Chicago, found that his graduate courses in Romantic poetry tended to be clustered around works published in two years, 1789 and 1819. Yet 1819 stood out for the remarkable poetry produced in a single year. Over time, Mr. Chandler decided to concentrate on that year, teaching the leading poets alongside historical novels and political texts important in their day. The result is England in 1819: The Politics of Literary Culture and the Case of Romantic Historicism, an ambitious volume that Mr. Brown calls the most-cited recent book in the field. 1819 is well known to Romanticists as the year that Shelley and Keats wrote much of their greatest poetry. But that’s not all. Byron began his most important poem, â€Å"Don Juan,† Coleridge delivered a series of philosophical lectures, and Hazlitt published two volumes of essays. Why so much good stuff? According to Mr. Chandler, writers for the first time were self-consciously speaking to and about their historical moment. 1819 was an extremely volatile year, marked by the Peterloo Massacre that nearly toppled the English government, leading to restrictions in freedom of the press and the right to assemble. People training for other work began to put words to paper. â€Å"People of extraordinary talent were drawn to the literary field because so much could happen there,† says Mr. Chandler, whose book takes its title from a pro-radical Shelley sonnet of the same name. The idea that you could sum up the spirit of the age in a single year, instead of, say, by citing the reign of a king or queen, was new to England. â€Å"You didn’t have year-end reviews in the 14th century. You didn’t really have them in the early 18th century,† the professor explains. By building the Romantic canon around poets, scholars have tended to ignore the historical novels that were popular at the time. Mr. Chandler gives them their due, featuring a chapter on Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe and The Bride of Lammermoor. â€Å"You do cultural history in this period and you realize that the entire country was obsessed with Scott,† says Mr. Chandler. For modernism, 1922 was the year to remember. James Joyce published Ulysses that year, and T. S. Eliot The Waste Land. The world of literature was never the same. â€Å"The world broke in two in 1922 or thereabouts,† wrote Willa Cather, who found her own brand of realism falling out of favor in the wake of the self-consciousness of high modernism. Works Cited Masur, Louis P., 1831: Year of Eclipse. Hill & Wang, 2001

Effects of John Brown’s Raid On Northern-southern Relations

John Brown’s raid of the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia involved only a few abolitionists, freed no slaves, and ended after only two short days. Brown’s initial idea was that after raiding the federal armory slaves would rise up and rebel against their owners, not only in the north but eventually in the south. This was a radical idea, and although his raid was primarily condemned in the north, Brown became a hero. Southerners became offended when in the years following Brown’s raid northerners felt compassion and even regarded him as a hero. The southerners however felt that he wanted to cause upheaval in the south. The issue however united the north for the cause of abolishing slavery. †Congress can contribute much to avert [southern withdrawal from the Union] by proposing†¦ an explanatory amendment of the Constitution on the subject of slavery†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Doc G) The Northern view of John Brown had changed drastically in the years leading up to the civil war. Initially John Brown was viewed as an irrational for his actions in Pottawatomie, Kansas. It was in Pottawatomie where Brown and a few colleagues took violent measures of vengeance against five pro-slavery southerners in Response to the Bleeding Kansas crisis. The northern view of Brown changed however after his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The northern people did not immediately view him as a hero however. Many northerners viewed his raid as â€Å"utterly mistaken and, in its direct consequences, pernicious†. (Doc A) Southern people viewed Brown’s raid as a commotion and an appeal to rebellion. The previous Bleeding Kansas crisis also pushed the south more towards succession. It was by delegates chosen by the several states†¦ that the Constitution of the United States was framed in 1787 and submitted to the several states for ratification†¦ that of a compact between independent states. † (Doc H) President Lincoln responded â€Å"Having never been States, either in substance, or in name, outside of the Union, whence this magical omnipotence of ‘States Rights’, asserting a claim of power to lawfully destroy the Union itself? † (Doc I). Both of these statements were made in 1861, and clearly represent the division that sent our nation to war. While the years progressed the northern view of John Brown became increasingly more positive, people began to view Brown as a hero, as well as a martyr. Many believed while what he did was irrational and fanatical at the time, he paved the way for many northerners to become decided on the topic of abolition. John Brown’s raid ultimately made the Northern-southern relations even more strained, but caused the north to band together and fight against slavery and succession. In conclusion, the raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia pushed the North and the south farther apart, but was a small step to becoming the free country that America is today.