How Feasible Is Long Term Sustainability Environmental Sciences Essay

It seems improbable that it will of all time be possible to build a fixed set of societal and economic agreements that would be for good sustainable in environmental and other footings, given that the universe itself alterations and evolves. Speciess develop, flourish and perish, the composing of the ambiance alterations, and the dynamically-interrelated web of relationships that constitutes the planetary ecology bit by bit transforms over clip, thereby altering the ecological parametric quantities within which the homo species has to run. The development of biological and ecological systems on this planet was and is a contingent and heuristic procedure. Literature Review The Earth is about four and a half billion old ages old, someplace between one one-fourth and one half of the age of the existence. It is the lone planet in the universe presently known to back up life. Life began on this planet about four billion old ages ago, so the narrative of life on Earth is merely a small shorter than that of the planet itself. ( Silvertown, 1990 ) The human species is of comparatively recent beginning. Worlds have existed for some 0.005 per cent of the clip during which there has been biological activity on the planet, a ratio about tantamount to one twenty-four hours in a 55 twelvemonth lifetime. The initial divergency from other apes occurred some 7 million old ages ago. The precursor Australopithecus lived from 7 to 2 million old ages ago. Homo Erectus evolved, via Homo Habilis, some 1.7 million old ages ago. Our immediate ascendants, Homo Sapiens, evolved from Homo Erectus perchance every bit small as 200,000 old ages ago. From about 100,000 old ages ago Homo Sapiens occupied parts of Africa, and the heater parts of Europe and Asia. It is non clear at what phase we became a cultural species. It has been suggested that there is grounds for cultural behavior from as far back as 60,000 or even 100,000 old ages ago. However, the earliest unambiguous grounds for sophisticated cultural behavior, including a engineering of tools and arms, entombment of the dead, birthrate worship, pictures, sculptures and so on day of the months from some 40,000 old ages ago, as modern adult male, Homo Sapiens Sapiens, spread across Europe and replaced Neanderthal Man ( now by and large considered to be a member of the species Homo Sapiens ) . Humans reached Australia some 35,000 old ages ago, North America possibly 20,000 old ages ago, and had spread across most of the ice-free universe by the terminal of the last ice age, some 15,000 to 12,000 old ages ago. The first domestication of workss and animate beings happened some 12,000 old ages ago, and there were farming communities in assorted parts of the universe by some 8,000 old ages ago ( Moore, 1992 ) . Some of these small towns grew into the first little metropoliss some 6,000 old ages ago. In comparing to the continuance of life on Earth, hence, modern-day human civilization is of really recent beginning. Human existences are destructing the biological diverseness of the planet with the heedlessly expansive moving ridges of a sovereign or a lunatic. The current extinction crisis is determining up as the worst in 65 million old ages. Unless ecological sustainability is valued along with economic development, the effects will be ruinous. More than 99 per cent of all species that of all time lived are nonextant. Speciess have really varied lifetimes, and while the bluish green algae have been here for approximately 3 billion old ages, the typical lifetime is really much shorter. The possible lifetime of the human species is unknown, but non infinite. However, premature extinction would be too bad. The alterations in the planetary ecology indicate that we need to go more cognizant of the effects of our actions, and to get down to pull off our personal businesss more consciously than has by and large been the instance in the yesteryear. This may intend that it will be necessary to germinate new political and economic constructions and decision-making mechanisms in order to react to these emerging planetary environmental demands. However, as indicated earlier, we may hold to make so from a place of comparative political and economic instability. This is likely to be a ambitious procedure. Many bing organizational, political, and economic constructs and constructions are likely now inappropriate and unhelpful. It is improbable that the necessary constructions for international coordination, for illustration, will be evolved without some grade of organizational and political transmutation. This in bend is improbable to go on without a parallel development of the cultural and psychological constructs on which political and economic constructions are finally based. This is why any analysis, to be equal, must include the relevant environmental, political, economic and socio-cultural factors. The sustainability of the human species can merely be defined, finally, at the degree of the interaction between the full composite of human systems and all straight implicated environmental systems. To understand sustainability therefore requires some apprehension of the behavior of systems in general and of homo and environmental systems in peculiar. There are a figure of definitions of sustainability presently in usage. There is some consensus that a passage to a sustainable manner of life agencies taking stairss to seek to cut down the hazard that environmental and related jobs will earnestly impact or endanger the human species at some future clip, and thereby to guarantee that future coevalss have a sensible chance of a worthwhile being. The inquiry of sustainability is, hence, one of enlightened opportunism. It requires happening ways in which the human species can populate on this planet indefinitely, without compromising its hereafter. All species interact, alteration, and co-evolve with their environment. The human species is no exclusion. We are sole, nevertheless, in our ability to modify consciously some elements of the form of our interaction with the environment. It is no longer possible, given the current extent of human activity, to avoid doing these direction determinations as to how we wish to interact with the planet. For illustration, a determination non to cull the Scots ruddy cervid, given that of import natural marauders no longer be, is now a direction determination, merely every bit much as a determination to cull the cervid. Every substitution of all determinations of this type has ecological effects. Similarly, a determination to ignore information on current planetary ecological tendencies is a direction determination, every bit much as is the determination to try to accomplish some peculiar human-ecological balance. While many would now hold that there is a demand to happen ways of life that are sustainable, the treatment to day of the month has yet to bring forth a cardinal account that spans the issues and provides a consistent ground and way for societal alteration. The writers believe that the best chance for an effectual response to the planetary crisis lies in developing an analysis that can offer both ; one that can both warrant and inform a long-run, incorporate and consistent scheme for alteration. Such an attack is somewhat unfamiliar in the UK. This is because Britain has a general philosophical ethos that is more empirical and musician than the mainland European rational tradition. Pragmatism and practicality are valued, abstract analysis is distrusted. This ethos underlies a state of affairs in which specific and concrete responses to jobs are valued ( as bespeaking pragmatism and practicality ) while more abstract assessments ( which might take to more cardinal and comprehensive solutions ) are frequently seen as being less utile. ( Spash and Clayton, 1995 ) The interaction between worlds and their environment can be thought of as traveling the planetal system along assorted axes at the same time. If this happens at a rate that exceeds the rate at which other systems can accommodate, that is, at a rate that exceeds the hold factor with which the stage infinite part that defines sustainability can travel to follow the point at which the planet is positioned in stage infinite, so these other systems will go nonextant. The species extinction rate therefore provides a partial step of the rate of motion through stage infinite. Global heating is likely to supply a figure of illustrations of this consequence. Vegetation distribution typically shifts some 200 kilometers towards the poles with each 1 & A ; deg ; C rise in temperature. The forest migration rates at the terminal of the last glacial period were some 20 to 100 kilometers per century. However, the jutting rate of planetary heating will be possibly 100 times faster than the rate of warming at that clip. Many tree species will be unable to migrate at the necessary velocity, which will in bend affect a big figure of dependent species. Multi-dimensionality is present in the construct of ‘primary environmental attention ‘ ( PEC ) , which is obviously related to sustainable enlargement and has become far and broad bing among development administrations in their attempts to set sustainable development into public presentation. PEC is classified as ‘the diversified for development promotions in the synergistic part between economic, environmental and societal systems ‘ ( Holmberg and Sandbrook 1992:31 ) . Its ‘essential components ‘ are: Associating and fulfilling of indispensable needs-the economic end ; Safety and best usage of the environment-the environmental end ; And authorizing of groups and communities-the societal end. Environmental sustainability needs the saving of imperative maps. Each of these rules has related with it a sustainability theoretical account ( e.g. stable clime, sustainable crop, critical burden of pollution for an ecosystem, criterions of air or H2O quality to support human wellness ) and a figure of likely markers of environmental force per unit area ( e.g. discharges ) or environmental province ( e.g. concentration of pollutant ) to demo whether the criterion is at present being acted in conformity with with. Economic sustainability depends on the care of the capital stock. ( Daly, 1990, 1-6 ) Decision It seems improbable that it will of all time be possible to build a fixed set of societal and economic agreements that would be for good sustainable in environmental and other footings, given that the universe itself alterations and evolves. Speciess develop, flourish and perish, the composing of the ambiance alterations, and the dynamically-interrelated web of relationships that constitutes the planetary ecology bit by bit transforms over clip, thereby altering the ecological parametric quantities within which the homo species has to run. The development of biological and ecological systems on this planet was and is a contingent and heuristic procedure. It is improbable that the visual aspect of the human species, for illustration, was an inevitable result of the procedure of development, merely as the continued endurance of the human species is in no sense guaranteed. There have been a figure of points in the history of this planet at which events could likely hold taken a differen t bend, and at that place will likely be many more such points in future. It is impossible to extinguish all hazard in such a contingent procedure. It is likely more accurate, hence, to believe in footings of cut downing instead than extinguishing the overall hazard to which the human species might be exposed, and of cut downing the figure and impact of activities agreed to be unsustainable instead than taking for a definable province called sustainability. In order to make this, it will likely be necessary to command peculiar activities, by curtailing actions, for illustration, that place undue force per unit area on peculiarly sensitive or critical ecological maps. The key to accomplishing sustainable development, hence, is to understand and determine the interaction between complex adaptative natural systems and soft socio-economic systems in order to guarantee that we ever remain within our survival part at the intersection of the survival parts of all the systems on which we are dependent ( Bergstrom, 1990, 215-228 ) . Of class, the nature of this interaction between natural and socio-economic systems is itself invariably germinating, as species regenerate or become nonextant, resources are exhausted or new militias discovered, societal and economic systems expand and prostration and new engineerings are developed, disseminated and superseded. Thus both jobs and solutions are dynamic.

Children in Competitive Sports Essay

As more parents enroll their children into competitive sports like football, gymnastics, and swimming to name a few, the controversy whether this type of competitive participation is beneficial or not continue to grow. Supporters for competitive sports propose arguments like it encourages physical activity and teaches good character while opponents claim that sports are no longer fun for the children and promote an inappropriate win-at-all cost mentality. [ The best compromise would be to offer a low-pressure fun environment from the coaches and parents that emphasize that children have an enjoyable time.] The main supporting argument to allow children to play sports is because it offers a healthy avenue for physical activity. A study had linked a sedentary lifestyle with â€Å"the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and obesity† in adults with their origins rooted in their childhood (Massin ). Even more, many of today’s children do not get enough physical activity, spending nearly 20 hours a week in front of a television, making it the most time spent on any one activity besides sleeping (Boyse and Song â€Å"Television†). As a result, nearly a quarter of all children in America are considered obese according to Boyse (Obesity and Overweight). One reason is probably due to the lack of physical activity today’s children engage in. An easy way to prevent children from becoming obese is to encourage them to play a sport which requires them to stay physically active. Also, according to the results of a research done by a group on the cardiorespiratory system of children, they recommended â€Å"controlled physical competitive activity in children because of its benefits on cardiorespiratory function and the absence of adverse effects† (Caballero 371). Children also learn many good values from participating in sports and from winning and losing games. Sheehy learned the value of working hard and persevering through difficult times. Many times he wanted to quit because he wasn’t good enough for the team, but he was encouraged by his father to continue practicing and as an end result of his hard work, he made his high school varsity basketball team (Sheehy 19-21). In addition, Sheehy believes losing is a great way to teach many important lessons to children like controlling their emotions and finding positive aspects in a bad situation. Furthermore, Sheehy believes that a team has much more room for improvement after experiencing a loss than a win (70-73). Finally, winning is a good thing too. It gives children a goal to work hard towards and the feeling of victory is a great reward for an entire season’s worth of hard work and practice (Sundberg 71). In addition, participation in competitive sports is a great way to teach children many important lessons that can be applied later in life. A study found that children who participated in sports generally scored higher for competitiveness. However, in the same study, they found that children who didn’t play sports exhibited higher signs of impatience and aggression ( Kanda). This was probably because the children who participated in sports had developed a better character through playing sports. Furthermore, according to Heckler, some form of competition in young children is a good thing because it is one of the main motivational factors behind success in the real world beyond sports. If a person lacks a competitive drive to succeed and puts no effort into anything they do, then they will never get anywhere in life (Heckler). Also, most sports require some degree of teamwork and cooperation in order to be successful. Therefore, teamwork can teach children from an early age that it is necessary to work together and relate with one another in order to succeed (Sundberg 72). In addition, it is possible for children to know who they truly are and their own physical and mental limits through sports. They will be able to find out what their strengths and weaknesses are and can improve their own character by participating in sports (Sundberg 71) However, there are many reasons why children quit competitive sports; the number one being because it was no longer fun (Engh 132). According to the National Alliance for Sports, 70 percent of children quit competitive sports by the age of 13 and never return to play competitively again (Kendrick). Most of the time, these children quit because their coaches and parents began to emphasize other things like winning instead of having fun. The coach might not give everyone equal playing time, only putting out his best players for games and not giving some of the lesser skilled players any time at all (Engh 85). Furthermore, according to a poll of 26,000 children, the number one reason why they played sports was â€Å"for fun† (Team Sports). Children usually have fun in sports because there is little pressure to excel and they enjoy learning the basic skills and fundamentals of a game. However, â€Å"making kids concentrate on one sport often takes the fun out of it† (Senay 239). When parents start forcing their children to attend practice against their will, the children begin to perceive it as work and not as fun and that is when they want to quit. The number two reason why children quit competitive sports was that there was too much pressure on winning (Engh 132). Many children’s enthusiasm for the sport declines as the coach begins to emphasize winning. In the same poll asking 26,000 children why they played sports, winning came in tenth after improving skills and staying in shape (Team Sports). Obviously, winning means much more to the parents and coaches than to the actual participants themselves. It is important to remember that these games are supposed to be for the children and not a way for parents to live their hopes and dreams or past regrets and failures through their children. Parents and coaches should keep in mind that the participants of these competitive sports are children who are looking for a fun time, not professional athletes whose only job is to win. Another argument that opponents cite is that it is not safe for the children. An overwhelming majority of volunteer coaches are not properly trained for safely teaching children how to play sports (Engh 81). Many of these volunteer coaches are usually fathers who have volunteered for the position because no one else was willing to do it. Therefore, many of them have not gone through basic training to give lessons properly and safely. Even worse, sometimes even the properly trained coaches may disregard warning symptoms of exhaustion, heatstroke, or pain by forcing the children to â€Å"tough it out† and have a macho attitude during practice and ignore any discomfort they might experience. However this â€Å"no pain, no gain† mentality may have unforeseen consequences by causing serious sport injuries instead of making the children stronger and tougher athletes (Senay 242). Also, some coaches may utilize unsafe practices so they can have an advantage over the competition. One story went like this. A mother came to practice early to pick up her son and found him in the coach’s car with the heat turned on high while wrapped in plastic bags. The coach’s plan was to force the boy to sweat out 7 pounds so he could make the 98 pound weight limit. Unfortunately, the coach’s ignorance and negligence put a child’s life at risk just so his team could have an advantage in the upcoming season. Even worse, stories like these can be seen in newspapers across the country on a daily basis (Engh 91). Finally, children may not develop good character because they are surrounded by and learning from poor examples. The idea that children learn by example and not words is even more applicable in competitive sports. Children are surprisingly observant about an adult’s actions. A study which interviewed youth sports participants for moral issues they encountered in sports found that there were three main problems they had experienced which were fairness of adult’s actions, negative game behaviors, and negative team behaviors (Stuart). Also, the activities of unruly parents during sporting events are probably the farthest thing from teaching good character to their children. Some parents can become overly enthusiastic especially when their children are playing and may cause disruptive scenes if they believe that there was an unfair ruling against their children. Furthermore, these disruptive scenes may escalate into actual physical fights among parents. In one news story, one hockey player’s father started a fight with another player’s father on the opposing team over a small disagreement. It ended with one man killed and the other charged with manslaughter. As the story goes, while one dad was beating on the other man, his son begged for him to stop and tried to pull his dad off while he continued to assault the other man (Hegedus, â€Å"Sports Rage†). Another story made headlines when a brawl started in Los Angeles involving more than 30 adults while they were watching a football game of 14 year olds (Parents Fight. ). Even though these are extreme examples, they are starting to become common occurrences in the bleachers. Finally, I have to ask, is this really the kind of character that parents want to exhibit and teach to their children? In summary, there are strong reasons on both sides why competitive sports should be prohibited or allowed. Research shows and recommends that playing sports is a great way for children to stay healthy. Also, by playing sports, children can learn how to deal with the realities of life and experience the rewards of hard work. On the contrary though, many children enroll in competitive sports because they originally perceived it to be fun. However, as children grow older and competition becomes more intense, sports may start being seen as work and not play. Furthermore, competitive sports may not be as safe for children as it is currently perceived. Untrained coach volunteers and unsafe practices may lead to permanent injury to children. Finally, because children can be exposed to poor role models like unruly parents and coaches, they may not be able to develop a good moral character if they are to learn from them by example. I think that the best compromise between the two sides would be to offer a low pressure environment that emphasizes having fun in sports. The main reason children participate in sports is so they can have fun so it would be in the children’s best interest to offer them just that. One way to create a low pressure environment is to not keep scores or statistics like points made or batting averages. In fact, it may also be beneficial if the scores were not displayed during games too. Instead, points would be marked secretly and quietly so that the parents would not become unruly especially if the game becomes intense. In addition, there should be a requirement by all family members of players to sign a code of conduct that they will â€Å"uphold a certain standard of behavior and exhibit good sportsmanship† as some leagues have already implemented (Hegedus, â€Å"Silent Saturdays and Oaths†). Finally, it may be a good idea to assign people to constantly monitor the parents and stop any disruptive behavior before it can get out of control (Engh 158). In addition, all coaches should be properly trained in teaching children and monitoring their health. They should stress maintaining a healthy practice environment like ensuring that their players get adequate water and take necessary breaks if the day is extremely hot or if they experience any sort of bad pain. Furthermore, volunteers should be required to take some basic classes and have some type of certification so that they are properly trained in teaching children safely. Also, contrary to belief, a certification requirement would not deter volunteers. A study done by Northern Kentucky University found that people would rather volunteer for a team that required certified volunteers and that a training requirement and fee â€Å"would not discourage them from volunteering to coach† (Engh 160). Finally, coaches should be well aware that every single one of their actions can have an impact, whether positive or negative, on their team. The children are looking up to the coaches as a leader and it is the coach’s job to be a good role model for them. In addition to coaches, parents should be well educated about how their actions can impact their children. Coaches should hold regular mandatory meetings with only parents and explain in detail what the season will entail, how the children are expected to behave, and most importantly, what the role of the parents should be. Also, if the parents are not able to attend these meetings, then the child should not be able to play. According to Engh, he has found this method of forced participation to be very effective in convincing the parents to attend these types of meetings (154). Children should also be informed that it is appropriate if they complain about a certain practice the coach is doing. The children should be encouraged and feel safe to talk about anything and everything with their parents who should in turn listen carefully for any signs of bad practice or abuse. Also, I think that implementing a confidential hotline to report abusive practices for each region could help reduce bad coaching practices. In conclusion, I think that competitive sports are a great way for kids to just have fun and enjoy their youth. However, it is important that sports stays fun for the children and not have overly enthusiastic parents or coaches who are willing to win at all costs ruin their fun. Even though there are many good reasons why competitive sports should be banned, there are equally valid reasons why competitive sports should be allowed. Finally, children originally started playing sports because they wanted a fun and enjoyable time with other kids. It is time that we returned the fun to the children playing sports and stop trying to impose adult standards on them. Cited Sources Boyse, Kyla. â€Å"Obesity and Overweight. † November 2004. University of Michigan Health Systems. 9 June 2005. Boyse, Kyla and Ellen Song. â€Å"Television. † July 2004. University of Michigan health Systems. 9 June 2005. Caballero, Jaraba, et al. â€Å"Effects of Physical Exercise on the Cardio Respiratory System of Children. † An Esp Pediatr April 1999:367-372. PubMed. Bellevue Community College Library Media Center. 9 June 2005. Engh, Fred. Why Johhny Hates Sports. New York: Avery. 1999 Heckler, Tim. â€Å"Competition Prepares Players for Life Beyond Sports. † February 1999. United States Professional Tennis Organization. 3 June 2005.

Belief And Faith In Organisations Cultural Studies Essay

Belief And Faith In Organisations Cultural Studies Essay Religion and think of an organization is tradition. It's a term which is not unusual and is understood to nearly every person on earth. It outlined and could be equally discussed freely or it may be simply comprehended mutually, in other words, without stating anything-but could be represented in the only functions of even a company, team or a person. It's something not absent in all facets of our own lives. To put it differently, it's the real reason for an individual's behavior. But tradition may emerge in a variety of circumstances including cultural tradition and culture. It's worthy and a development of praise. You will find five measurements of the tradition: Masculity, Uncertainty prevention, Personal Group and Power Space Ferminity. Culture may be understood to be the organized manner to do things within an company where principles and beliefs which can be created inside the company is discussed. Therefore, the tradition direct the behavior of the people in the business. Additionally it is referred to as business lifestyle and is an integral facet of any workplace or business environment. Several occasionally we notice people make claims like: "Here Is just how is done points here". They may be the truth is that revealing or speaking in regards to the tradition. For varieties of Business civilizations are Bureaucratic, Flexible and Corperative. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_culture Records from Pitch Hand-Outs Some Notes from Company Conduite. Cultural lifestyle is how individuals act according from what they've realized out of society or their family. This can be usually according to the competition anyone lives in or the state that she or he is from. It includes emphasizing ways that are specific that the items are complete and do-ing specific things. Distinct civilizations 've gotten distinct understandings of issues that were seeing. Something which could possibly be dismissed or as standard in one single tradition that was cultural might be considered to not be as low overlook in another. For instance,for instance, the notion of relationship in the tradition that is Oriental as well as the American tradition and each additional differ. It's an average matter to get a few to call home together without marriage in the lifestyle that is American. Yet, in the Oriental lifestyle (primarily Indian) it's really an excellent failure to do such factor plus in addition, it exhibits contempt for the ideals organized in their opi nion. Discovering the huge difference between both of these civilizations is this in Organisational tradition CHANGE usually takes spot frequently and readily. Say in case a kiwi supervisor of the business modifications, it is not unlikely the way points are complete because business may furthermore alter in accordance with the supervisor that is newest. Organisational lifestyle is generated from whoever owns the organisation/firm it self as well as the individuals who work with him. Organisational lifestyle period is dependent upon the operating as well as the equilibrium of their direction and such specific company. Organisational tradition h-AS boundation that is regular /connection by means of the people dealing together. Although the change in the tradition that is Racial just isn't a typical stuff that will occur often. Actually when there is an alteration, it could consider under consideration in to quite a few additional matters prior to the real selection is manufactured. Number of individuals creates racial culture /society discussing thoughts and sam-e opinions from previous period of time. Tradition period that is cultural typically are from wonderful earlier of forefathers. Ethnic lifestyle have really near heartedly connection by means of the people of this society. Racial tradition functions from spiritual and the tradition about the notion. Cultural lifestyle h AS less versatility because it's just adjustable lifestyle that is low and static. Cultural lifestyle h-AS host of diversity and selection when it comes to food, considering, clothing. Cultural traditions assistance is restricted for the individuals who make an effort to alter themselves in accordance with the scenario. Schein, E.H. (1985-2005) Business Tradition and Management, 3rd Ed., Josseybass ISBN 0-787-9-7597-4 Pitch hand-outs by Mona Some Notes from Company Conduite. (2) Direction Lifestyle - Describe how social understandings might affect behavior as well as the direction design of business or the person The direction instance that I've selected for the 2 concerns that are following, is the fact that of my Supervisor. He lately transferred to Nz and stems in the Sydney. COMPONENT A It's an extremely frequent consideration to listen to some one state: "No person is exactly the same". Lots of that time period this term can be used to generate folks realise that every person h AS diverse skills which it would unwise to examine yourself by means of another person only to be deterred by particular things one particular can-not execute while another may. Therefore, also an individual's understanding and each additional differ. Understanding means the method whereby individuals arrange, obtain and inter-Pret details in the surroundings. Numerous variables bring about individuals having intelligent that is various. As an example from, the household ideals which they obtained, the culture or the surroundings they was raised in etc. Since tradition is related to the conduct of somebody, it's quite probably that there's a large sway of the way in which issues are viewed by a person and execute things which could change from your additional man. It-no question performs an important part in the specialist area because lifestyle is apparent in all facets of our lifestyles. His ethnic heritage is greatly depicted by the authority fashion of my Mgr.. He comes from Sydney as cited before, as well as the tradition there's not rather same from my own, personal lifestyle. It's quite obvious in my experience that his authority design displays extremely on such a after having an exchange with him about his breeding and tradition. As a person, he aims to carry through his purpose as a supervisor and takes his career critically. Yet, he doesn't offer large respect to his standing on a regular basis. Usually, he and his workers joke, whether it is about a few other subjects or perform. He considers that employed within an company is in the manner of a household According to his tradition, offering because of the demands of his family is hardly unimportant which simply will not me-an purchasing them the necessary however in once getting quality moment away to invest together. So when work hrs are finished he requests every one depart the leftover employment for 24 hours later and to abandon the premises. It may be figured, his ethnic understanding is reflected by his management job. ( Address hand-outs by Mona ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_culture Some Records and Information from Company Conduite. COMPONENT B Me definitely does impress, particularly just how he applies to the fact along with his employees that he's quite friendly. On the other hand, being from a culture that is totally diverse, my strategy could not be rather same. While I 'd enjoy to get the easiness between my employees and me, I might at once anticipate they understand and value the place whom I got in the business. This greatly demonstrates from my ethnic heritage from my facet of the household, where we occur after every person and the predominantly organization values and values their regulators that are higher. On the other hand, that doesn't me-an that acknowledgement is required on a regular basis by this strategy but frequently on when more than a few of these have a tendency to overlook their independence being easygoing by means of the personnel causes some trouble later. Like the majority of the civilizations, for the households needs offering is crucial within my lifestyle. In a somewhat dissimilar circumstance from the lifestyle of my supervisor, our perception is not and to get the perform done when possible to depart the benefit to-morrow of today's. So, work that was hard is established during his or her mindset towards his work, earning a method for promotional material or their evaluation. Obligation is some thing of esteem that is large and is valued at facets and all amounts of the area that is operating. As an Indian, I realized that Foreign tend to be mo-Re sensitive and painful plus they welcome the strategy which comes directly to them-which signifies they connect you in the standing of equivalence in the place of standing of ethnic brilliance While having a dialogue that was friendly with the personnel is beneficial to develop their regard and admiration, it's urged to not allow it to be a custom wherein one forgets to cover regard to those they've been afflicted by. For instance,for instance, frequently and fully being a supervisor concerning your-self in gags during work-hours would unethical. The motives behind this are warranted from my understanding. There could make sure individuals who could easily get offended at this reality plus reason which they don't fit in the company and they might begin to distance themselves from the others. So, my strategy and that of my supervisor as a result of our distinct ethnic understandings might surely vary. As I will be an indian ( Address hand-outs by Mona ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_culture Some Records and Information from Company Conduite. COMPONENT III - Multi-Cultural company Every organisation consists of individuals. Individuals, that are people that are exceptional, also have various understandings for things that are different and come from other ethnic backdrops. An expression which is popular in describing companies is "multi-cultural organisation". The phrase variety is frequently connected to the expression. Variety is a phrase utilized to refer to the big difference among individuals on the job , which might be according to expertise, age, sex, the competition etc. Business that is Multi-cultural identifies the existence of distinct ethnicities in a business. A number of the features of a multicultural company are: Pluralism- People of civilizations, whether bulk or fraction get the capacity to affect the environment of procedures and essential beliefs. Architectural integration- associates from your fraction-tradition are reasonably re-presented in most occupations in any way amounts as well as in most practical duties. Casual community integration- fraction-lifestyle members get help in the profession improvement in types of support and coaching groups. Lack of splendour and bias - the demand to remove the lifestyle- through the use of various coaching and taskforce actions team prejudices. Minimal intergroup discord- variety will not encourage harmful clashes between members of fraction and bulk ethnicities. You'll find lots of advantages as well as drawbacks of being a true innovator in a cultural business that is multi. Edges Embracing lifestyle, practices and custom - It can help someone to manage the struggles between residence lifestyle/conventions and lifestyle that is fresh /conventions. In case that one discovers fresh vocabulary it really is a masterkey for the tradition that is second. C-Reative problemsolving - It can help anyone to generate alternative to your difficulty. In case that issue is being solved by one for whom the position enhances the option should both have worth, certainly resolve the mentioned difficulty or valued by some body. Minuses Battle increases - Really Being A innovator and battle can be created by functioning with individuals from varied places. Scenario appears are prepared with sights and several thoughts or were the other folks will not be ready to acknowledge the orders and attempts. Social issue - Social difficulties have been all seen by us in the course of our existence associations that are extended may not be easy to handle. Our self-esteem trust and is influenced this way, it are able to make li Fe that is handling change hard and give rise to conversation abilities that are previously lousy. Direction managing problems - Really Being A head its among the job that is difficult since you've got therefore a lot of people functioning from characteristics, behaviours, distinct ethnicities and age alongside you. S O at the same period one seems to function until it is often worst or the recommendations are prepared by him which the others must follow along with should they must live for the reason that firm. Thing that is certain like preparation and prediction, evaluation of aggressive and hazards, doubt tendering must be handled. Pitch giveaways by Mona http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_culture Some Notes from Company Conduite.

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Book Review - Essay Example Even in today's market, every term of economy is more or less associated with the value of gold. Lewis also discusses the role of governments and banks in controlling the market with the help of gold price. The way Lewis says everything in Gold is fascinating and his use of language is quite comprehensible to a layman. The writer is quite well known in the world of major economic journals and here in this book, too, he leaves a mark of his writing dexterity and crystal clear understanding of the subject. "Good Money is Stable Money" is the title of the first chapter of this book. Gold begins with very interesting lines where Nathan Lewis explains why human beings are actually the weakest creatures on the earth. Creating tools, discovering techniques and establishing organizations are all that the human beings can do. Human beings do not have efficiency like the animals to hunt for food, but they are very good at calculations. Calculating the effort and productivity, they have gone to the top of the world and ruling over all the other species alive on earth. Then Lewis turns to the subject of capital investment, which is one of the main sources that have been used for the development of individual economy and productivity. Taking risk is undoubtedly a part of this investment and this cannot be avoided by any means. Lewis compares the risk factor with the endangerment that is involved in the act of hunting. The risk factor present a constant threat and the human beings have always fou ght with that. The author explains how the human beings have always searched for a method to develop their productivity. This characteristic, according to him, is quite natural for the most rational creature on this planet. He draws the reference of Charles Darwin in order to prove his theory. Hardship is an integral part of any financial establishment in a human being's life. To draw a comparison Nathan Lewis beautifully draws the picture of a pregnant mother who suffers from pain during feeding herself. Then he also draws the reference of a family structure to show how the whole system operates. Food and shelter of the family are the elements that are ensured by the husband, while, on the other hand, the wife nurtures the new-born baby and takes preparations for the upcoming future days. Through a series of examples Lewis wants to establish an idea in the readers' mind that some of the very basic steps are required for human beings' existence, whether be at the level of families o r in business. These steps include building knowledge (which, in case of business, can be taken as capital investment), specializing in some subject, productive efforts (or in commercial terms, 'equity investment'), and maintaining promises as well as other bonds. The relationship between children and their parents is also drawn into observation regarding this topic. Lewis says that in business, too, the children or the establishment should look after their parents or founders at some point of time. (Page: 5-6) Explaining the market economy, Lewis contradicts the theory of competition in the market. According to him, the system involves more of a cooperation rather than competition among the companies. This cooperation has expanded with the spread of the market horizon and dependability on people of different strata. As

Discuss Hamlet's relationship with Gertrude Research Paper

Discuss Hamlet's relationship with Gertrude - Research Paper Example She does not consider her mother to be weak in the physical state but in the emotional state (In Leavenworth, 1960, 34).   Hamlet developed a different opinion of romance and love after her mother accepted to marry his uncle shortly, â€Å"two months dead† (138). Gertrude makes Hamlet change his earlier belief that those in love need to hang on one another despite the prevailing challenges. He therefore believes that the action of Gertrude was a betrayal not just to his father but to the whole institution of marriage and love in general (Crowl, 2014, 138-139).   She had shown a lot of affection towards his late father which is evident in the statement, "Why, she would hang on him As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on" but she seems to have quickly forgotten that and was now deeply in love with Claudius. He regards her mother’s action as sign of poor judgment and an act of sheer cowardice (Howard, 2007, 67). The fact that she quickly gives in to the advances if Claudius is an indication that she never loved Hamlet’s father after all which angers Hamlet and increase her hatred towards her. Her action seems to confirm his suspicion that Gertrude and Claudius were having an affair before the death of his father and he suspects that they might have contributed to his untimely death. Hamlet makes a comparison of his mother moving from his late father to Claudius as one moving from the loving arms of the gods to the animals, "So excellent a king; that was, to this, Hyperion to a satyr" (Shakespeare, Act 1, scene 2). He is quick to judge his mother as being very foolish and uncaring. On her part, Gertrude considers her action as being innocent and not based on any form of malice or insincere motive and wonders how she has been misunderstood by her son. The story shows some evidence that Gertrude got into a

Security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Security - Assignment Example With these features, users of the 2014 MS SQL server will be able to form a database in an SQL Server operating in on-premises or in a computer-generated device in Windows Azure with a developing storage site the users’ information in Windows Azure Blob Storage. Evidently, each of these features work well in contrast to the former SQL Server by Microsoft (Natan, p. 74). 2. I can ensure that the DBMS operating in a consistent overall secure environment by first checking whether DBMS setting on which it is operating is at maximum capacity and output. Assuring optimal capacity enables me to store the file and its sensitivity degree in the database (Natan, p. 223). As a result, the DBMS makes sure that only authorized users can read or edit the file. Second, I can make the DBMS multi-level so that it can with similar authorization ranges. Afterwards, I can store the file at any location because it is presumed that the location can process the information that agree. Third, the DBMS is at multi-level, I can make it handle the authorization ranges differently. This way, the file stored at a given location can be authorized to read or edit the degree of the file (Natan, p. 223). 3. An example of how buffer overflows can make databases susceptible is a program composed in a language that tolerates or even facilitates buffer overflows (Natan, p. 24). Occasionally, such a program can depend on another program composed in a language that facilitates buffer overflows. Such a program will replicate information from a single stream on the stack to another without initially testing their sizes (Natan, p. 24). This program does not employ methods like canary values or non-applicable stacks to stop buffer overflows. At this point, is very possible that the database accommodating this program is susceptible to external intrusion. Programs regularly distribute memory

Goverment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Goverment - Essay Example How some areas of the US foreign policy are applied and how they affect Iran needs some improvement. The US alleges that Iran is in the process of developing nuclear weapons. The country’s policy has been that Iran armed with nuclear weapons is unacceptable. The US foreign policy is bound by an inappropriate vision which handicaps the sacrifice and efforts of citizens. The policy is based on the historical relationships of the US with other powerful nations hence there is need to focus on the current and the future relations as suggested by (Torbat 87) For a long time past, there has been lack of understanding of the world community and standing by it by the US. This led to the isolation of the US and its distrust by some of the nations in the world. In the world where there are rising powers, many nations are not interested in being pressured or threatened by others like the US seems to be doing to Iran (Sullivan 187). This is indeed a dangerous path for the United States. Propaganda and media exploitation are the main threats to America’s goal of regaining its position in the international arena according to (Sullivan 187). However America is almost achieving this goal. In order to achieve this, the citizens of the United States will have to demand responsible journalism and ensure its leaders are accountable. The reconciliation between Iran and America may take years to achieve unless the leaders of both countries change their foreign policies, the US especially. It is important for the United States to recognize that armed conflict does not solve a problem completely but only postpones it for a period of time - until a new generation comes up (Wise 53). In respect of the above, there is need for America to understand Iran’s perspectives on nuclear power generation in order to improve its international relations hence build its global image as a friendly

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

History - Essay Example a).When were these documents written? Who were the authors and who were the intended audience? The first document that is being explored in this study involves a documentary history of the United States which was written in the year 1952 by Richard. D. Heffner and was published by the New American Library London in the city of New York City. The intended audience for this document entails all the intelligent leaders including those people who may want to learn about the history of the United States. On the other hand, is document concerning the â€Å"Great Issue in American History† and was written in the year 1958 by Richard Hofstadter, the ,third edition for this document was later released in the year 1976. This document was published by Alfred.A.Knot.F.Inc and Random House, Inc. Whereby, the authors intended audiences are mostly the undergraduates’ student who may have interest to use this document and connect it with other sources for better understanding of the Am erican history. b). Why were the documents written -- what did each author want to accomplish by writing this document? What kind of a mindset did the author bring to his/her subject? The two documents were written to explain to the audience about the issues and events that were taking place during this period in that American History. Whereby, the author in the first document labeled as a â€Å"documentary history of the United States† wanted to accomplish the aims of providing insight to the audience social, political and economic pattern in the United States by combining varicose events that were taking place during this period. The author has discussed two issues namely. The veto powers of the bank and the liberty across the United States during this period. The author of the second document labeled as â€Å"Great Issue in American History† was aiming to provide an insight of the major controversies ranging from political social and economic controversies that were taking place America during this period. Therefore, based on the two documents, it can be observed that the authors wanted to place some mind sets to the audience that, during 1776 to 1861 the government had neglected the interest of its majority citizens by giving too much social and economic powers to the foreigners and the rich people. In addition, the authors had tried to indicate the cause of a long term developed conflict between the southern and northern regions (Richard, pp.296-300). c). what do the document reveal about what was happening in the society in which it was produced? What events were taking place to which the document refers, either directly or indirectly? The first document involves a â€Å"documentary history of the United States† by Richard .D. Heffner written in the year 1952.This source provides an insight of American social, political and economic events that were taking place from 1976 to1861.Whereby, argument made by various major actors such as; judges, private individual, legislative bodies to mention just but a few. The emphasis on this document has been placed on two major issues namely; Veto of the bank renewal bill of 1982 and the Liberty or Union. The writer has criticized the Veto power of the bank and the government because the ownership and stock purchases have been monopolized. Whereby, the congress posses all the powers to create 28 million stocks while at the same time incorporating the powers to sell those stocks. For example, almost half of the stocks have been

Arts education interpretation activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Arts education interpretation activity - Essay Example ging from English proficiency to mathematics, however this fails to address the psychological and sociological problems that often serve as the catalyst for re-offending. In order to get to the root of what actually drives prisoner desire to continue a life of criminal behaviour, there needs to be more focus on establishing relationships with habitual offenders to alter these behaviours that pose risk and danger to the whole of society. This serves as the appropriate rationale for the development and launch of an arts education program. Art education, at is foundations, delivers on social justice by promoting social inclusion, establishing emotional intelligence for cultural diversity, and also promotes a desire within arts-educated individuals to continue pursuing life-long learning. Why is this? Arts education inspires a sense of social inclusion for those in the prison system who currently feel alienated and shunned from the rest of society (Kotler Trust 2013). Prisoners can be taught the fundamentals of higher education routinely, which would certainly build their competencies in mastering knowledge. However, only arts education maintains the potential to alter social attitudes and create important psychological connections between culture and the self, thereby inspiring an individual within the prison system to explore maximising their own potential. This proposed arts education pack is designed to build psych o-social strengths within conflicted and frustrated prison populations for long-term rehabilitative outcomes and removing risks from society from those prisoners unable to find appropriate cultural connections that motivate compliance with the social order. The term arts can be interpreted in many ways, including tangible renditions of sculpture, paintings, and music. For this arts education program, however, the intangibles of arts as it pertains to cultural awareness and cultural inclusion make up the foundation of how this education program will be

Self-Evaluation and Learning Needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self-Evaluation and Learning Needs - Essay Example I was able to detect my learning needs through the novice to expert theory. I found out my weaknesses through consultation with fellow employees and patients. In addition, the self-analysis in my profession helped me in detecting my professional faults that need tightening. After the evaluation, I have learnt that knowledge and experiences are all around us; it takes a good deep look into our selves to tap it. Self-Evaluation and Learning Needs Assessment Learning needs assessment is the identification of gaps in knowledge, attributes and skills of a specific discipline that need improvement for proper delivery of services. This usually involves change of performance in order to improve quality. Learning needs assessment has been seen as a vital point for personal and professional development of all individual and organisations of all disciples. As a nurse who is a graduate of an associate degree program with a 20 years experience in medical-surgical nursing, I have felt a necessity to evaluate and identify my learning needs in order to become a better nurse. I developed an urge to evaluate myself during my experience as a nurse to level up with the best nursing services offered. With the evaluation of over 20 years, my pedigree of learning needs has been established for continuous professional development. ... This was normal for just from university or college student because, like Benner (2001) says in her book, being novice, like I was, meant I had no experience, the rules to nursing were context-free and were applied universally. Over the years though, I started gaining experience as an advanced beginner. I was then able to recognise recurring meaningful care components and started formulating principles because of the experiences I had gained in the short time and was able to demonstrate acceptable performance. Practising as a medical-surgical nurse requires one to be clean, neat, responsible and organised at all times. I had learnt this in school but had no experience to actualise the theoretical information until I started working as the main nurse for all surgical operations. This is when I understood why surgical tools should be sterilised and not just because the books say so. I had advanced as a beginner. After a 3 year experience working as a nurse, I became very analytical in terms of my thinking and choice of the best action to be taken based on experience and also became much aware of my long-term goals. According to Wakley and Steve (2000), I became a competent nurse with proper organisation and greater efficiency. Being a clinical nurse specialist entails educating patients and staff on proper care giving, identification of patients’ needs that require referral for more specialized care and attention, providing primary care to patients. Changing my practice and improving quality meant that I had to diagnose the individual problems that I had observed in myself and training on them to ensure continuity of professional development as a

Education Essay Example for Free

Education Essay Curriculum is defined as â€Å"a program of courses to be taken in pursuit of a degree or other objective† (Harvey, 2004). Meanwhile, the tests may impact the local curriculum in such a way that it becomes â€Å"strengthened and enriched† (Seattle Public Schools, 2007). Let us take for instance, the â€Å"Washington Assessment of Student Learning†, which is actually a series of tests that assists ensure that student will grasp the â€Å"foundational skills and knowledge that educator, parents, nd community leaders say are important to their success in life† (Bergeson, n. d. ). Since the â€Å"Washington Assessment of Student Learning† helps determine the performance of each student, as well as, the school, this is then utilized to â€Å"improve teaching and to do a better job of meeting every student’s academic needs† (Bergeson, n. d. ). Another proof that tests impact on curriculum is the fact that the â€Å"Washington Assessment of Student Learning† is established â€Å"to create a set of common learning standards† (Bergeson, n. . ). This means that the test indeed helpful in the curriculum, for without the existence of common learning standards, nothing will be improved on the part of curriculum (Bergeson, n. d. ). Last but not least, if a certain student fails in the â€Å"Washington Assessment of Student Learning†, the performance of the student will be tackled with the teacher along with an authorized employee from the â€Å"Advanced Learning Office† (Bergeson, n. d. ). They will then try to come up with â€Å"an individualized action plan† which â€Å"outlines what interventions will be put into place and what types of assessments will be administered to monitor student academic growth† (Seattle Public Schools, 2007). This now serves as the individual curriculum of the student which may turn into the school’s curriculum if the students have the same case as the aforementioned (Seattle Public Schools, 2007). On a final note, as backed up in the aforementioned, tests then greatly impact local curriculum.

Economic Situation in Bulgaria after EU Accession Essay Example for Free

Economic Situation in Bulgaria after EU Accession Essay Bulgaria has passed a long way between the fall of communism, transition to market economy, and up to EU accession that has become the culmination of Bulgarian economic transformation. Undoubtedly, Bulgarian economy has substantially benefited of becoming a full member of European Union. Despite the fact that Bulgaria does not have sufficient experience in managing various marketing processes, the whole process of transition from Central European priorities to European integration has been smooth and mostly positive. In this work, we will critically examine the impact of EU accession on Bulgarian product and labor markets, agriculture, and FDI. We expect that profound multifaceted analysis of Bulgarian economy will help determining the major economic benefits and problems of Bulgarias accession to EU. Historical background Before the end of the 1980s – the beginning of the 1990s, Bulgaria has been one of the largest communist states in Europe. After the general collapse of socialism and communism in Europe at the edge of 1990s, Bulgaria faced a choice between integration with other Eastern European countries or the developed Western Europe. In distinction from Romania and Hungary, Bulgaria was not characterized by high income per capita or its economic openness to foreign trade relations. However, Bulgaria was well known for its excellently trained workforce and well developed labor markets (Bevan, Estrin Grabbe 23). Bulgaria was characterized by high level of government involvement into economic affairs, and Bulgarian authorities had to develop new strategies for eliminating government intrusion into the newly formed free markets. In general, Bulgaria has experienced relatively smooth transition from dissolution of communism to the development of well-organized market oriented structures. At that time, most of the initiated processes, such as privatization, were postponed, and a series of new problems arose including the substantial damages to infrastructure and housing, a rapidly growing number of refugees, and a breakdown of trade and capital flows (Anusic Rohatinski 48). By the end of the 1990s, after the deep economic crisis of 1997, Bulgaria managed to resolve all economic issues, and to become prepared to further accession into European economic structures. Economic profile Since 2002, the European Commission has considered Bulgaria as one of the best performing market economies in Central Eastern Europe. Since 2006, useful steps were taken to contain the external deficit. The privatization process and the liberalization and restructuring notably of utilities have well advanced. Some additional progress has been made in improving the business environment and reducing non-wage labor costs (Baldwin Portes 127). Currently, Bulgarian GDP per capita equals to â‚ ¬7500 (32. 1% of the EU-25); economic growth: 6. 7% in 2007; inflation rate: 4. 9%; unemployment: 11%; government budget surplus: 2. 7%; exports to EU countries: 68% of total exports; imports from EU countries: 59% of total imports (Davidova, Gorton Ratinger 303). It is expected, that by the end of 2008, the total economic output of Bulgarian markets will further increase 0. 4% (Davidova, Gorton Ratinger 303). EU Accession and Product Markets After accession to EU at the beginning of 2007, Bulgaria has acquired additional opportunities and resources for further trade liberalization with European partners. Bulgaria has ultimately entered the Single Market; the administrative barriers to trade with the rest of Europe have been eliminated or reduced to levels that were acceptable among other EU members. Bulgaria had to re-consider the system of its external tariffs and to adopt it to the new European requirements; as a result, the tariffs have been liberalized compared to those exercised by Western European towards other third tier countries. The discussed tariff liberalization has seriously contributed into trade diversification and the growing portion of more expensive EU suppliers in the trade structure of Bulgarian economy. Bulgarian product markets have not only acquired free access to European trade potential; they have also been involved into European Structural Funds. This participation has reduced the risk of default for Bulgarian economy by almost 33%; consequentially, numerous political risks have also been reduced (Lejour 22). EU membership has greatly constrained arbitrary trade policy and indirect tax changes. It has locked in well-defined property rights, has codified competition policy, state-aids policies, and has secured open capital markets and right of establishment, assuring investors that they could put in and take our their money (Bevan, Estrin Grabbe 87). Here, we should pay more attention to the economic affects of Bulgarian accession to the EU internal markets and its trade effects. Lejour has developed a mathematical model for calculating the specific trade effects of EU accession onto various sectors of Eastern European economies. In terms of Bulgaria, Lejour has revealed the most promising trends within agriculture, food processions, textiles and apparel. Similar economic emphases have been made for Romania, Poland, and Hungary (Basci, Togan Hagen 54). Furthermore, Hungary and Poland have promising perspectives in Transport equipment and transport services with the rest of EU members. However, at the edge of Bulgarian accession to EU, the country has already experienced substantial liberalization of trade relations with Europe; 62% of Bulgarian exports were already distributed among other EU member countries (Basci, Togan Hagen 32). As a result of such preliminary trade liberalization, the net effect of accessing the EU market for Bulgaria has almost equaled zero. In distinction from Bulgaria, Hungarian GDP growth has been additionally increased by trade effects of EU membership. The abolition of trade barriers with old EU members has boosted Hungary trade. The countrys trade performance was impressive given the increased competition posed by its EU membership (Baldwin Portes 134). This is not the case with Bulgaria: the country has not experienced any trade boost, and there can be several reasons for that. First, we have already mentioned the effects of pre-accession trade liberalization with EU (exports from the European Union was increasing 6. 4% annually, to finally achieve 68% of total Bulgarian exports). Second, Bulgaria has spent only 18 months as a full EU member, and many positive long-term economic effects have not yet become visible. However, Bulgaria faced a challenge in the form of intensified import competition that has somewhat lowered inflation and has weakened European-directed domestic macroeconomic policies. It is expected that with further integration to Common Agricultural Policy and Single European markets Bulgaria will acquire additional opportunities for expanding its trade. In terms of agriculture, EU accession is anticipated to triple the total amount of trade, and to increase exports to other European and non-European countries by more than a third (Davidova, Gorton Ratinger 307). In general, EU accession has developed stable confidence among the major Bulgarian trade partners towards Bulgarian economic environment and economic relations with the country. As with the other EU members, EU accession has and will result in further GDP growth within Bulgaria, with the subsequent impact on general EUs GDP. EU Accession and FDI Foreign Direct Investment has played special role in Bulgarian economy. For Bulgaria, FDI growth was critical to further promote restructuring processes within all sectors of Bulgarian economy. FDI has been particularly important for privatization and developing the confidence of investors towards Bulgarian economic environment. In this context, Bulgarias accession to EU has become the turning point towards further liberalization of all economic areas. It has been important to finance the acquisition of plants and equipment and the transfer of technology (Fiala 189). Before Bulgaria entered EU, the country could not boast high FDI inflows. Compared to other European countries, Bulgaria was lagging behind its major Eastern European partners – Croatia and Hungary. In Croatia, FDI inflows accounted for â‚ ¬2,800 per capita, while Hungarian FDI inflows equaled to â‚ ¬3. 7 billion in 2004 immediately after including Hungary into the list of full EU members (Lejour, Mooij Nahuis 223). Although Bulgaria did not experience FDI growth equal to that in Hungary and Croatia, the level of FDI increase after EU accession has been substantial. In 2007 following EU accession, Bulgaria marked a record of FDI for the last decade. Since EU accession implies secure environment for investors, it is not surprising that an estimated â‚ ¬1,790 per capita entered the country in 2007 (Lejour 49). Surprisingly or not, but Bulgaria and Romania have been among the states the least likely to be included into EU before 2015. This is why in this research numbers are less important than the quality of the emerging investor relations within Bulgarian financial structures: EU accession has significantly increased transparence of the financial and investor relations between Bulgaria and member (non-member) states. Similar situation has also been reported in relation to Hungary and Romania (Fiala 192). EU Accession and Labor Markets â€Å"While FDI, GDP growth, exports and inflation have developed evident positive tendencies since EU accession, unemployment has had ambiguous development† (Feldman 218). Currently, Bulgaria has one of the highest unemployment rates among EU state-members. For example, Hungary has been experiencing the rising rates of unemployment that have later reached 7. 2% in 2006 (Anusic Rohatinski 90). At that time, Hungarys unemployment rates were average for Europe, but the highest in the region. After EU accession of Bulgaria, its unemployment rates have gone up to 11% (Kolev 30). As a result, thousands of workers have set up their minds to reach other more developed labor markets. Simultaneously, â€Å"following EU accession Bulgarian perennial low labor participation and long-term unemployment showed positive signs† (Kolev 31). It is expected that by the end of 2008, Bulgaria will be able to decrease long-term unemployment to 9% (Kolev 34). EU accession has resulted in the emergence of new open labor markets which Bulgarian workers could easily reach. Migration is characteristic of all newly accepted EU members, and with unfavorable employment prospects for Bulgaria, other European states had to adopt a set of restrictive measures, to decrease the growing inflow of Bulgarian (and Romanian) workers into more developed EU states. â€Å"Member States do, however, have discretion to restrict migration of workers for up to seven years. The UK government chose to impose restrictions for an initial two-year period, to be reviewed on an annual basis. Low-skilled Bulgarian and Romanian nationals may only apply to work as seasonal agricultural workers or on sector-based schemes. † (Feldman 221) Bulgaria’s accession to EU has causes the two significant impacts on Bulgarian labor markets. On the one hand, immigrants have already created a â€Å"small net gain in terms of per capita income to Bulgaria† (Feldman 218). On the other hand, EU accession and the comparatively slower rates of Bulgarian economic development have already distracted large labor flows from Bulgarian towards other international labor markets. Although the net impact of Bulgarian migration has not been fully analyzed, the examples of other EU countries suggest that migration can undermine the stability of Bulgarian economy after EU accession: for Hungary, migration of local workers has resulted in 2% productivity decrease; in Poland and Czech Republic, productivity has fallen 3% (Basci, Togan Hagen 138). Researchers estimate that in the nearest 3 years current migration patterns will decrease Bulgarian economic productivity 3-5% (Feldman 222). Certainly, Bulgarian workers are willing to work for lower wages compared to those European countries pay to their citizens. As a result, accession of Bulgaria to EU creates serious pressures on other domestic labor markets. Here, Bulgaria should address its economic and labor misbalances, to promote equal labor opportunities for its workers, and to prevent the negative impacts of Bulgarian migration on other European economies. EU Accession and Agriculture Bulgarian agriculture has perceived the biggest and the brightest impact of Bulgaria’s accession to EU. EU accession has â€Å"significantly impacted the agricultural and food sectors because of its integration into the Single Market and its adoption of the Common Agricultural Policy† (Davidova, Gorton Ratinger 304). Since the beginning of 2007, Bulgarian agricultural sectors have faced a challenge due to the absence of appropriate state support of livestock business. The first payments from the common European budget funds have reached farmers by the end of 2007; before that, Bulgarian farmers had to deal with the growing financial uncertainty and restrictions put on payments from national budget funds (Davidova, Gorton Ratinger 305). However, Bulgarian economy and EU have been able to resolve all agricultural market issues. Between 2008 and 2010, Bulgaria will receive total â‚ ¬4. 3 billion to support its internal agricultural policies, to create cohesion funds, and to further promote effective agricultural policies within and outside Bulgarian economy (Davidova, Gorton Ratinger 309). Conclusion During the first 18 months of Bulgarias membership in EU, the countrys economy has not been able to fully perceive long-term benefits and failures of its accession to the Single European market. However, EU accession has already created multifaceted impacts on all economic sectors, among which labor and agricultural markets have been influenced the most. It is expected that in the two-three years Bulgaria will be able to stabilize its economic relations with Western Europe, and to benefit of opportunities which EU market opens to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Works Cited Anusic, Z. Z. Rohatinski, Z. A Road to Low Inflation: 2003-2006. Zagreb: Government of Republic of Croatia, 2007. Baldwin, R. E. Portes, R. â€Å"The Costs and Benefits of Eastern Enlargement: The Impact on the EU and Central Europe†. Economic Policy, vol. 24 (2007): 125-70. Basci, E. , Togan, S. Hagen, J. Macroeconomics Policies for EU Accession. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2007.

Approaches to Flat Slab Design

Approaches to Flat Slab Design Abstract This dissertation aims at the flexure behaviour of reinforced concrete flat slabs in the elastic range and at the ultimate load. As such, it endeavours to give readers a thorough knowledge of the fundamentals of slab behaves in flexure. Such a background is essential for a complete and proper understanding of building code requirements and design procedures for flexure behaviour of slabs. The dissertation commences with a general history background and the advantages of using flat slab as the type of floor construction. After that, an introduction of various slabs analysis method as well as the determination of the distribution of moments using elastic theory will be discussed. The building code based methods like ACI direct design method, Simplified coefficient method for BS8110 and EC2 and Equivalent frame method will be explained in details. After that follows a detailed of limit procedures for the ultimate analysis and design of flat slab using general lower bound theory for strip method and upper bound theory for yield line analysis. Besides, the fundamental of the finite element method will be discussed as well. Then, analysis will be carried out on a typical flat slab panel base on each design approach available such as yield line method, simplified coefficient method, direct design method, finite element method as well as Hillerborg strip method. The flexure resistant obtained from the analysis result will then be compared among each others and highlighting the possible pros and cons of the different analysis. Eventually, the analysis results will then be discussed in order to conclude a rational approach to flat slab design and further recommendation will be given to the future improvement of this research. 1. Introduction Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world compare to steel as concrete is well known as the most versatile and durable construction materials. In fact, concrete is also one of the most consumed substances on Earth after water [1]. Concrete has played a major role in the shaping of our civilization since 7,000 BC, and it can be seen everywhere in our built environment, being used in hospitals, residential buildings, schools, offices, industrial buildings and others [2]. Nowadays, construction should not just be about achieving the cheapest building possible, but providing best value for the client. The best value may be about costs, but also includes speed of construction, robustness, durability, sustainability, spacious environment, etc. In fact, many type of concrete floor construction can easily fulfilled the above requirements. In the past, forming the concrete floor construction into shape was potentially the most costly and labour intensive part of the process. Nowadays, with the help of modern high efficiency modular formwork has speed up the concrete floor construction process. Alternatively, floor slab elements may be factory precast, requiring only assembly, or stitching together with in-situ elements. The result is an economic and swift process, capable of excellent quality and finishes to suit the buildings needs. 1.1 Types of concrete slab construction Concrete slab floor is one of the key structural elements of any building. Concrete floor choice and design can have a surprisingly influential role in the performance of the final structure of the building, and importantly will also influence people using the building. In general, cost alone should not dictate slab floor choice in the construction. However, many issues should be considered when choosing the optimum structural solution and slab floor type that give best value for the construction and operational stages. The optimum slab floor option should inherit benefits such as fabric energy storage, fire resistance and sound insulation between floors and others as achieving these requirements will eventually help the concrete building to lower the operation costs and maintenance requirement in long term. In general, reinforced concrete slab floors can be divided into three categories as detailed below: Flat slab Flat slab is also referred to as beamless slab or flat plate. The slab systems are a subset of two-way slab family, meaning that the system transfer the load path and deforms in two directions. It is an extremely simple structure in concept and construction, consisting of a slab of uniform thickness supported directly by the columns with no intermediate beams, as shown in Figure 1.1. The choice of flat slab as building floor system is usually a matter of the magnitude of the design loading and of the spans. The capacity of the slab is usually restricted by the strength in punching shear at the sections around the columns. Generally, column capitals and drop panels will be used within the flat slab system to avoid shear failure at the column section when larger loads and span are present, as shown in Figure 1.2. Figure 1.1: Solid flat slab Figure 1.2: Solid flat slab with drop panel Flat slab is a highly versatile element widely used in construction due to its capability of providing minimum depth, fast construction and allowing a flexible column grid system. Slabs supported on beams One-way spanning slabs are generally rectangular slabs supported by two beams at the opposite edges and the loads are transferring in one direction only. Figure 1.3 shows the type of one-way slabs. Deep beam and slab Band beam and slab Figure 1.3: Type of one-way slabs However, slab supported on beams on all sides of each panel are generally termed two-way slabs, and a typical floor is shown in Figure 1.4. Figure 1.4: Two-way slab The beams supporting the slabs can generally be wide and flat or narrow and deep beam, depending on the structures requirements. Beams supporting the slabs in one or two way spanning slabs tend to span between columns or walls and can be simply supported or continuous. In this beam-slabs system, it is quite easy to visualize the path from the load point to column as being transferred from slab to beam to column, and from this visualization then to compute realistic moments and shears for design of all members. This form of construction is commonly used for irregular grids and long spans, where flat slabs are unsuitable. It is also good for transferring columns, walls or heavy point loads to columns or walls below. This method is time consuming during the construction stage as formwork tends to be labour intensive [3]. Ribbed and Coffered slabs Ribbed slabs are made up of wide band or deep beams running between columns with equal depth narrow ribs spanning the orthogonal direction. Loads are transferring in one direction and a thin topping slab completes the system, see Figure 1.5. Ribbed with deep beam Ribbed with wide beam Figure 1.5: Types of ribbed slabs Coffered slab may be visualized as a set of crossing joists, set at small spacing relative to the span, which support a thin slab on top. The recesses in the slab usually cast using either removable or expendable forms in order to reduce the weight of the slab and allow the use of a large effective depth without associated with slab self weight. The large depth also helps to stiffer the structure. Coffered slabs are generally used in situations demanding spans larger than perhaps about 10m. Coffered slabs may be designed as either flat slabs or two-way slabs, depending on just which recesses are omitted to give larger solid areas. Figure 1.6 shows the types of waffle slabs. Coffered slab with wide beam Coffered slab without beam Figure 1.6: Type of coffered slabs Ribbed and coffered slabs construction method provides a lighter and stiffer slab, reducing the extent of foundations. They provide a very good form where slab vibration is an issue, such as electronic laboratories and hospitals. On the other hand, ribbed and coffered slabs are very consuming during the construction stage as formwork tends to be labour intensive [3]. 1.2 Flat slab design as the choice of research The choice of type of slab for a particular floor depends on many factors. Cost of construction is one of the important considerations, but this is a qualitative argument until specific cases are discussed. The design loads, serviceability requirements, required spans, and strength requirement are all important. Recently, solid flat slab is getting popular in the construction industry in Europe and UK due to the advantages as below: Faster construction Construction of flat slabs is one of the quickest methods among the other type of floors in construction. The advantages of using flat slab construction are becoming increasingly recognised. Flat slabs without drops (thickened areas of slab around the columns to resist punching shear) can be built faster because formwork is simplified and minimised, and rapid turn-around can be achieved using a combination of early striking and flying systems. The overall speed of construction will then be limited by the rate at which vertical elements can be cast [4]. Reduced services and cladding costs Flat slab construction places no restrictions on the positioning of horizontal services (eg. mechanical and electrical services which mostly running across the ceiling) and partitions and can minimise floor-to-floor heights when there is no requirement for a deep false ceiling. In other words, this helps to lower building height as well as reduced cladding costs and prefabricated services [4]. Flexibility for the occupier Flat slab construction offers considerable flexibility to the occupier who can easily alter internal layouts to accommodate changes in the use of the structure. This flexibility results from the use of a square or near-square grid and the absence of beams, downstands or drops that complicate the routing of services and location of partitions [4]. Undoubtedly, flat slab construction method is getting popular but there are still many different views about what constitutes the best way of reinforcing concrete in order to get the most economic construction. In addition, a range of methods is available for designing the flat slab and analysing them in flexure at ultimate state. Different analysis and design methods can easily result in variety of different reinforcement arrangements within a single slab, with consequent of making the different assumptions in each analysis and design method. Therefore, this research project will concentrate in examining the various analysis methods for the design of flexural reinforcement of reinforce flat slabs in terms of the code provisions, yield line analysis as well as finite element analysis method. 1.3 Research objectives Reinforced concrete slabs are among the most common structural elements, but despite the large number of slabs designed and built, the details of elastic and plastic behaviour of slabs are not always appreciated or properly taken into account especially for flat slab system. This happens at least partially because of the complexities of mathematic when dealing with elastic plate equations, especially for support conditions which realistically approximate those in multi-panel building floor slabs. Because the theoretical analysis of slabs or plates is much less widely known and practiced than is the analysis of elements such as beams, the provisions in building codes generally provide both design criteria and methods of analysis for slabs, whereas only criteria are provided for most other elements. For example, Chapter 13 of the 1995 edition of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, one of the most widely used Codes for concrete design, is devoted largely to the determination of moments in slab structure. Once moments, shear, and torques are found, sections are proportioned to resist them using the criteria specified in other sections of the same code [5]. The purpose of this research project is to examine the analysis methods such as Hillerborgs strip, yield line analysis, equivalent frame method, finite element method and etc. particularly for the design flexural reinforcement of reinforced flat slabs, and meanwhile to gain full understanding of the theories. The different analysis methods will then be analysed and compared with the flexural capacity method calculated using general codes of ACI 318 [5], Eurocode 2 [6] and BS8110 [7]. The outcomes of the comparison will lead to highlight the pros and cons of different approaches and codes paving the way to find out a rational approach for the flat slab design in flexure. The main objectives of the proposed research are: To examine the different methods and codes use to handle the flexural capacity of the slab. To outlined the different positive and negative aspect in a specific code or method of design To gain full understanding of the flexural design theories and code requirements. To highlight the most economical design solution to overcome the flexure in a flat slab while maintaining the safety as code requirements. 1.4 Research dissertation methodology The following will be the proposed methodology of the research dissertation: Background of flat slab in construction industry Research of the evolution of flat slabs in the past decades and the major contributions made for the construction industry. Difficulties faced during the flexure design of flat slabs in the past and the possible solution for the problems will be discussed. This part of research process result in closer to the background history and the revolution of flat slab in construction. Overview of flat slab design methods Examine each design approaches used to design for flexure in flat slab such as yield line analysis, Hillerborgs strip method, the simplified coefficient method for BS8110 or Eurocode 2 and direct design method for ACI. An insight into different methods and codes will help to establish and revise the general code provisions and also gain the full understanding of theory and design of flat slab. Analysis of flat slab with different approaches Different analysis and design approaches for flexural reinforcement of RC flat slabs will be performed based on the same model slab. For instance, finite element computer software packages will be used to perform the finite element analysis. This part will eventually provide a deep understanding of various design methods as well as the ability to use finite element software in analysis and design. Research the flexural pros and cons in a flat slab among each design methods to get the rational design approach. Discussion The numerical analysis results obtain from different design methods and the codes will be discussed and compare among each others and also to the experimental results obtain in the previous research papers such as Engineering journals and other relevant engineering sources. This process will ultimately lead to a proper and systematic comparison of the codes and methods used, and highlighting their pros and cons. Conclusion This part will conclude the discussion on advantages and disadvantages of all the examined design methods trying to establish which design method may result in a more economic and rational solution. Furthermore recommendations if required and the possible future areas of research will be brought up. 1.5 Dissertation layout Chapter 2 Overview of Design This section will cover the brief of the evolution of flat slabs history. Brief introduction to the current codes for flat slab design such as American Concrete Institute ACI-318, British Standard BS8110 and Eurocode 2. In addition, the fundamental of analysis and flexure strength requirement of each code will be briefly described. Brief introduction to design methods and history of yield line analysis, Hillerborgs strip method and finite element analysis in the slab flexure design. Chapter 3, Analysis Introduction of the analysis process and assumption made for each analysis methods. Focusing on different numerical aspects of the design under different codes and approaches. This section will provide deep understanding of various design methods and how the methods deal with the flat slab flexure problem. Chapter 4, Discussion Comparison between different code equations and theories. Various numerical result from different approaches will be compared and discussed based on the experimental results from past research papers. Pros and cons of different methods for design codes (eg. ACI, EC2 and BS8110), Hillerborg strip method, yield line analysis Graphs and tables will be available to show the summary of the results from different methods. Chapter 5, Conclusion Summarise the economic and rational flexural design approach for flat slab Further recommendations 2. Overview of Design Method The aim of chapter 2 is to provide an overview of the current practice of the design of reinforced concrete flat slab systems. General code of practice of ACI 318, EC2 and BS 8110 requirements are presented, along with the brief of the ACI direct design method, EC2/BS8110 simplified coefficient method, equivalent frame method, yield line, Hillerborgs strip method as well as finite element method. Each procedure and the limitations are discussed within. The following discussion is limited to flat slab systems. That is, the design methodologies presented below relate only to slabs of constant thickness without drop panels, column capitals, or edge beams. In addition, prestressed concrete is not considered. 2.1 Approaches to the analysis and design of flat slab There are a number of possible approaches to the analysis and design of reinforced concrete flat slab systems. The various approaches available are elastic theory, plastic analysis theory, and modifications to elastic theory and plastic analysis theory as in the codes (eg. ACI Code [5]). All these methods can be used to analyse the flat slab system to determine either the stresses in the slabs and the supporting system or load-carrying capacity. Alternatively, these methods can be used to determine the distribution of moments to allow the reinforcing steel and concrete sections to be designed. 2.1.1 Elastic theory analysis Conventional elastic theory analysis applies to isotropic slabs that are sufficiently thin for shear deformations to be insignificant and sufficiently thick for in-plane forces to be unimportant. The majority floor slabs fall into the range in which conventional elastic theory is applicable. The distribution moments forces found by elastic theory is such that: Satisfied the equilibrium conditions at every point in the slab Compliance with the boundary conditions Stress is proportional to strain; also, bending moments are proportional to curvature The governing equation is a fourth-order partial differential equation in terms of the slab deflection of the slab at general point on the slab, the loading on the slab, and the flexural rigidity of the slab section. This equation is complicated to solve in many realistic cases, when considering the effects of deformations of the supporting system. However, numerous analytical techniques have been developed to obtain the solution. In particular, the use of finite difference or finite element (FE) methods enables elastic theory solutions to be obtained for slab systems with any loading or boundary conditions [8]. Nowadays, with the advancement of computer technology software, designer can easily obtained the bending and torsional moments and shear forces throughout the slab easily with any finite element software packages such as ANSYS, LUSAS, STAAD PRO, SAP2000 and others. 2.1.2 Plastic analysis The plasticity, redistribution of moments and shears away from elastic theory distribution can occur before the ultimate load is reached. This redistribution occur because for typical reinforced concrete section there is little change in moment with curvature once tension steel has reached the yield strength. Therefore, when the most highly stressed sections of slab reach the yield moment they tend to maintain a moment capacity that is close to the flexural strength with further increase in curvature, while yielding of the slab reinforcement spreads to other section of the slab with further increase in load. To determine the load carrying capacity of rigid-plastic members, two principles are used as below: Lower Bound Theorem states that if for any load a stress distribution can be found which both satisfies all equilibrium conditions and nowhere violates yield conditions, then the load cannot cause collapse. The most commonly used approach is Hillerborgs Strip method [9]. Upper Bound Theorem states that if a load is found which corresponds to any assumed collapse mechanism, then the load must be equal to or greater than the true collapse. Finding a load which may be greater than the collapse load may be considered to be an unsafe method; however, because of membrane action in the slab and the strain hardening of the reinforcement after yielding, the actual collapse load tends to be much higher. The commonly used approach of this method is yield line theory [9]. 2.2 Early History and Design Philosophies Credit for inventing the flat slab system is given to C.A.P. Turner for a system describe in the Engineering News in October 1905. However, the first practical flat slabs structure, Johnson-Bovey Building was built in 1906 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by C.A.P. Turner. It was a completely new form of construction, and in addition there was no acceptable method of analysis available at that time. The structure was built at Turners risk and load-tested before hand in to the owner. The structure met its load test requirements hence the flat slab system was an instant commercial success and many were built in the United States later on [10]. Robert Maillart was also one of the founding fathers of flat slab from Europe, a design-and-built contractor who was perhaps better known for his work on the design of Reinforced Concrete Bridge. In 1908 Malliart carried out a series of full-scale tests on his flat slab system, see Figure 2.1. About the same time, Arthur Lord, a research fellow at the University of Illinois, also became interested in understanding how flat slabs behaved. In 1911, Lord obtained approval to instrument and test load a seven-storey flat slab building in Chicago. The view and work by them paves the way for the development of flat slabs. Their work evolved into a codified method of design and in 1930 became the London Building Act [11]. Then, Robert Malliarts dimensioning method is reviewed and compared with methods of elastic plate theory and plastic analysis. When compared the results with as elastic analysis, Malliart method considerably underestimate the bending moments acting for the flat slabs. However, the comparison made on limit analysis procedures, Malliarts design is still within the reasonable safety margins [12]. Figure 2.1: First test on flat slabs carried out in 1908 at Maillart Co. works in Zurich [11] In 1878, Grashoff have tried to use polynomial approximation deflection function to work out the flat slab design but was unsuccessful to satisfy certain boundary conditions. At that time, concrete flat slab was emerged in the use as boiler cover plates for steam engines. Due to this problem, in 1872, Lavoinne was forced to work out the flat slab using the Fourier series. Lavoinne assumed a uniformely load is loaded on an infinite large plate and the plate is under simply supported conditions. In this assumption, Lavoinne neglected the poissons effect but Grashoff did consider [12]. Maillart was aware of Grashoffs approach but he thought that it was useless for his purpose because it was restricted to uniformly distributed loads and did not account for the stiffening effect of columns. Based on simple equilibrium considerations, Nicholas managed to prove that all these systems resulted insufficient reinforcement [12]. In the year of 1921, Westergaard and Slater managed to develop a new flat slab theory by comparing the theory results to the available experimental results at that time. In the theory, the stiffening effects due to the presence of columns under different load condition were discussed. Marcus had considered this theory later on by applying finite differences approach; Marcus assumed few different boundary conditions and loads. During the past, due to the absence of a proper theory for flat slab design in Germany hence flat slab construction was almost impossible to be carried out. After sometime later, requirements for the flat slab design theory were established. This theory again mentioned that the design moment must follow Lewes theory (1920, 1922) or theory developed by Marcus (1924). [12]. 2.2.1 Robert Maillarts Contribution In 1902, Maillart has successfully developed dimensioning procedure to design a flat slab. This method was used and succeeds in building few numbers of large flat slabs structure. Due to the absence of strict construction rules in Switzerland, Maillart managed to design flat slab by considering the principle of superposition and successfully performed several arbitrary loads testing on flat slabs. Maillart derived the flexure moments at intermediate points by multiplying the flexural stiffness of the slab with the respective curvatures. The curvatures were derived using the double differentiation of the eight-order polynomial functions meanwhile the flexural stiffness of the slab was analysed using simple one way flexure test on respective slab strips [12]. Maillarts reinforcement pattern for flat slab was very close to the current design approaches. Maillarts method required to reinforce the slab in only two directions. However, C.A.P. Turner insisted to reinforce the slab in four directions (see section 2.2.2 for details). Maillart dimensioning procedure emphasised in designing for positive moments at three different locations labeled as O, Q, and C in Figure 2.2 (where O at the midspan, Q at the quarter point of transverse span l2, and C in the column axis). Negative moments were not checked in Maillart dimensioning procedure and all the bottom bars were simply bent up in the columns strips. In this method, the span ratios, size of column capital and the minimum height of the column capital were restricted to certain values, limiting the nominal shear stress at the circumference of the column to a permissible value [12]. Figure 2.2: Robert Maillarts system and notation for plan view [12] Later, Maillarts results were found underestimated with elastic analysis method. In addition, Maillarts method predicts a reduction in average moment value corresponding to span ratio while elastic plate theory remaining constant. Maillarts method underestimated elastic moments especially for a very large slab structure. In other words, Maillarts dimensioning method has significant differences with elastic analysis procedure in the flexure result of slab [12]. Since Maillarts dimensioning method ignored the negative moments hence this worries the designer when came to the safety of the slab design. In conclusion, Maillart underestimated the moments compared to the elastic analysis on the other hand similar approach to the limit analysis [12]. 2.2.2 C.A.P. Turners Concept Turner never published complete details of his design methods in order to maintain a competitive advantage in the design industry. However, some insights of Turners conceptual design of his flat slabs are available in his patent applications (C.A.P. Turner, Steel Skeleton and Concrete Construction and Elasticity, structure and strength of materials used in engineering.) [10]. In fact, Turners principle design was more concerned about shear in flat slabs as stated by him, Beside the unreliability of concrete in tension, it is unreliable in shear in its partially cured condition. This renders desirable use of reinforcement near the columns or supports to take care of shear [10]. In Turners principle, a so called Mushroom heads or cantilever caps were designed to provide shear resistance in flat slabs. As quoted by Turner, heads may be constructed in accordance with the shearing strain. The diameter of cantilever head was about one-half of the span length. Turner presumed the reinforcement cage acted as part of cantilever support to the slab [10]. Figure 2.3 is an example of the cantilever support mentioned by Turner. Figure 2.3: C.A.P. Turner, mushroom or cantilever shear head [10] Besides shear, Turner also focused on moments and used a four way reinforcement which also known as reinforcement belts, see Figure 2.4. These belts have the same width as that of the cantilever shear head. Turner believed that the positive moments were small due to the cantilever support which is stated as, Referring to flat central plate, or the suspended slab portion, there is practically no bending moment at the center [10]. Figure 2.4: C.A.P. Turners four belt floor reinforcement system [10] Also, Turner believed reinforced the slab in four directions (four belt floor reinforcement system) would provide the moment resistance to counter the negative moments at supports. With these conceptions, Turner considered a very small total design moment to proportion the flexural steel in the four belts. Turner simplified the equation as following: (1) where, W = total dead and live load in one bay L = nominal dimensions in one bay As = total flexural steel, distributed among the four belts fs = allowable steel stress d = distance to tension reinforcement Turner used the co-efficient of 1/50 for equation (1) above reference to Grashoff (1878) and to Prof. Henry T. Eddy (1899) from University of Minnesota. In fact, Turner decided to use such a small coefficient due to the consideration of shorter effective span between cantilever heads. Moreover Turner also considered the slab spanning continuously instead of simply supported design. Numerous experiments data performed by Turner proved that such a coefficient was sufficient for flexure resistant. Besides, the use of cantilever head lead to the unnecessary of drop panels in Turners concept. Turners design concept has successfully built many buildings and bridges from year 1905 to 1909 [10]. 2.3 Current Methods of Flat Slab Design 2.3.1 American Concrete Institute (ACI) American Concrete Institute (ACI) is one of the oldest codes and widely been used to design for reinforced concrete structures. The code covers a number of methods to design a flat slab system. The design of structural concrete is dictated by Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-05) and Commentary (ACI 318R-05). The ACI code contains procedure for the design of uniformly loaded reinforced concrete flat slab floors. These methods are direct design techniques and equivalent frame method. All these methods are based on analytical studies of the distribution of moments using elastic theory and strength using yield line theory, the results of tests on