Shouldice hospital Essay Example for Free

Shouldice hospital Essay Executive Summary: The Shouldice Hospital, Ontario, Canada is a pioneer in the field of treating patients suffering from external abdominal hernia. The speedy ambulation coupled with its reasonable price rates leads to satisfied patients publicizing the hospital by word of mouth. The issues that confront the hospital management are:  ·Deciding on ways to meet the backlog of operations, by expanding the hospitals capacity, while still maintaining control over the overall quality of service delivered.  ·Handling piracy and bad mouthing due to piracy.  ·Selection of the next chief surgeon after Dr.Obney. After analyzing various plans of actions, it is proposed that the capacity of the hospital be increased by scheduling the operations on Saturdays also. At the same time a successor to Dr. Obney must also be selected. This solution seems like the most feasible in terms of cost and time and also leverages the existing strength of the hospital in providing quality services to the patients. To implement the solution discussed above, first of all, awareness must be created among all the employees by means of workshops etc., about the urgent need for such a step to expand capacity. The selection of the new chief surgeon must be done by carefully scrutinizing all the surgeons in the hospital as well as interviewing new candidates for the same. The administrative processes in the hospital must be made computerized to improve their efficiency. Proper training for using them must also be imparted to the employees. If it is not possible to increase capacity beyond a certain limit due to the above plan and the backlog list continues to expand, then opening an additional facility in some other geographical location, such as the US of A may be considered. Situational Analysis and Problem Definition: The Shouldice Hospital, Ontario, Canada is a pioneer in the field of treating patients suffering from external abdominal hernia. With its current capacity, it can treat 6850 patients annually. The patients are treated using the operated upon using the Shouldice Method, and on an average each patient has to spend four days in the hospital recuperating. The USP of the Shouldice Hospital is its distinct surgical procedure. The speedy ambulation coupled with its reasonable price rates leads to satisfied patients publicizing the hospital by word of mouth. The hospital is having a successful run as a niche player catering to the demand for treatment of hernia patients. In spite of this, there is a huge backlog that the hospital needs to meet. Because of an increasing backlog, patients tend to go to other doctors for operations. The issues that confront the hospital management can be primarily listed as follows:  ·Deciding on ways to meet the backlog of operations, by expanding the hospitals capacity, while still maintaining control over the overall quality of service delivered. The primary issue here is deciding on the manner in which the capacity should be increased without diluting the quality of service rendered.  ·The issue of piracy and bad mouthing due to piracy are also important concerns for the hospital. Many clinics or doctors claim to use the Shouldice technique or the Canadian method and in the eventuality of the operation performed by them being unsuccessful it brings a bad name to the  Shouldice Hospital.  ·The next chief surgeon after Dr.Obney, who is due to retire soon, has to be selected. At the same time, retaining the existing talent pool of doctors and attracting newer doctors willing to learn the specialized hernia operations skill is also a primary issue. Long Term and Short Term Objectives: Short term: -To clear the backlog by increasing capacity of the hospital services. -To select a successor for Dr. Obney, the chief surgeon who is to retire soon. Long term: -To sustain quality in their services, ensuring good patient experience. -To remain the leader in the medical field of hernia operations. -To maintain the brand equity associated with the specialized technique of Shouldice Method for performing hernia operations. -To ensure working towards goal of profitability while at the same time serving the society by passing on the proper knowledge of the Shouldice technique to other surgeons. Evaluation Criteria: -Whatever step is taken, it must ensure that there is no dilution in the quality of the services rendered by the hospital. -The action plan implemented must adhere to the government regulations regarding the profitability of hospitals. -The solution implemented must be economically viable. Hence any step taken must be cost effective. -There is an atmosphere of concern for the employees in the hospital. The decision with regard to the issues at hand must ensure that the employees are receptive in accepting that decision. -The existing strengths of the hospital setup must be leveraged in any decision taken. -Also because of the increasing wait lists of patients to be attended to, it must be ensured that the plans be implemented as swiftly as possible. Alternatives: 1.Capacity of the hospital could be expanded by scheduling operations on Saturdays also, leading to a 20% increase in existing capacity. 2.An additional floor of rooms could be added to the hospital, with an investment of $2 million and permission from the provincial government. This would expand the number of beds by 50% and result in scheduling the operation rooms more heavily. 3.Expansion into other geographical locations such as the United States could be undertaken. For having a quality level in the new facility equivalent to that as in the current Hospital facility at Canada, one option maybe to transfer 6 of the 12 specialized surgeons to the new facility. Also diversification into other related medical fields of surgery such as eye surgery, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids is possible. 4.Another alternative could be scheduling operations at other times during the day too, by utilizing the capacity of the operation theatres to the optimum level. This can be implemented by having doctors and other medical staff to work in shifts. 5.The successor to Dr. Obney as Chief Surgeon has to be selected. The selection of such a candidate should preferably be done among the existing doctors in the hospital. In case a specialized doctor from outside is appointed, proper induction to acquaint the existing surgeons must be carried out. 6.Currently the hospitals services are not being marketed. Plans to adequately market them in order to create awareness of the genuine Shouldice method of surgery should be undertaken. This would also aid in protecting against privacy to an extent. Evaluation of alternatives: 1.Increasing the capacity by scheduling Saturday operations is a swift and cost effective solution (See exhibit 2 and 3). No additional capital expenditures need to be incurred to carry out this plan. It does not violate any government regulations and at the same time also leverages the existing strength of the hospital in rendering high quality services to the patients. However, some employees seem to have some reservations about operations on Saturday. 2.This plan involves an additional capital expenditure of $ 2 million. While this would lead to an increase in capacity of the number of beds by 50%, but it would also require additional well qualified surgeons who will be able to carry on the quality tradition at the Shouldice Hospital. Also this solution would take some time to implement. 3.The plan of expanding the capacity by moving into another geographical segment such as the United States, involves extensive capital expenditure in setting up a new facility. Also by dividing half of the specialized staff into the two respective facilities, the quality levels may not remain same for the initial span of time. Since we are looking at the United States as an alternate the government regulations of Canada would not be applicable. This plan would be beneficial in meeting the demand in the US of A of the  42% American patients of the Shouldice Hospital. By diversifying into other medical fields of surgery, the low cost and high quality advantage, which the Shouldice Hospital currently enjoys, will be diluted. Currently the patients are made to become self sufficient soon after the operation. 4.By implementing the shift system, the existing strengths of the hospital will be leveraged. This is similar to the plan 1 in terms of the expenditure involved and the time frame being talked of. However, under the given case facts, the employees might resent this move of working in extra shifts during the day. 5.The selection of a successor to Dr. Obney is a step that must be taken soon, in conjunction with any of the above plans chosen. 6.Marketing the services of the hospital, though would lead to an increased awareness of the authenticity of the Shouldice method, while exposing the piracy in the method, but at the same time it will also lead to an increased number of patients wanting to come to the hospital. The backlog list would continue to increase. Recommended Solution: After analyzing all the alternatives I would propose a combination of plans 1 and 5 to be implemented. The operations should be scheduled on Saturdays also (see Exhibit 1). At the same time a successor to Dr. Obney must also be selected. This solution seems like the most feasible in terms of cost (see Exhibit 2 and 3) and time and also leverages the existing strength of the hospital in providing quality services to the patients. Plan of Action: To implement the solution discussed above, first of all, awareness must be created among all the employees about the urgent need for such a step to expand capacity. Workshops for the same will help dispel any fears in the minds of the existing staff. The selection of the new chief surgeon must be  done by carefully scrutinizing all the surgeons in the hospital as well as interviewing new candidates for the same. The administrative processes in the hospital must be made computerized to improve their efficiency. Proper training for using them must also be imparted to the employees. Contingency Plan: If it is not possible to increase capacity beyond a certain limit due to the above plan and the backlog list continues to expand, then plan 3 may be considered. This would need some capital expenditure but at the same time will help us expand our capacity into another geographical location, i.e., the USA. Information Adequacy Issues: There is insufficient amount of information given in the case about the internal dynamics of the hospital vis a vis the issue of the successor to Dr. Obney. Also no information is forthcoming about the market status of other hospitals, that is whether they are open on Saturdays or not. This bit of information is likely to hasten our decision making process.

Mix Design Procedure And Principles Engineering Essay

Mix Design Procedure And Principles Engineering Essay 1. Introduction In the following coursework we are going to take look at the steps that must be taken into account for performing a concrete mix design. When we talk about mix design, we are going to deal with two categories of property requirements: one category specific for fresh concrete (fresh properties of concrete); and another category specific for hardened concrete (Neville 1995). The aim of this coursework is also to analyze the properties of the freshly formed concrete due to the design performed, and not of the hardened concrete. As outlined in Lecture 2, the two types of property categories are not independent from one another, more likely they are directly linked, and failure in compliance with fresh properties will lead to poor concrete quality in hardened state. Basically, concrete mix design is performed by a careful selection of quantities for concrete ingredients with the aim at producing cost effective concrete having a minimum set of properties such as: workability, compressive strength and durability (Neville 1995). For the purpose of this coursework, we are going to design concretes which will contain mixes of classic ingredients like ordinary Portland cement as a bonding material and, either 100% Gravel or 100% Recycled Aggregates, as a filler material. Also, we are going to design mixes by replacing a part of the Portland cement with cementitious materials such as Silica Fume (10% SF) or Fly Ash (30% FA) and the reason of using these fine materials is that they will limit the amount of energy consumed in the mixing process, which ordinary Portland cement is not capable of doing. Having 4 types of concrete mixes, we are going to deal with different properties between these mixes, each set of concrete properties being governed by the properties of the materials used. For example, recycled aggregate presents an increase in porosity compared with gravel, so it is no surprise that concretes with recycled aggregates will demand more water content than ordinary, natural aggregates. Eventually the workability will be affected by the higher water demand (Dhir et al. 1998). Also, as comparison between the effects on concrete determined by SF or FA we must state that concretes with FA will experience a decrease in water demand, reduced bleeding and good cohesiveness, while concrete with SF will bring an increase in water quantity. Because they were 4 different types of mixes to be designed and tested in the lab, 4 groups, each designing their own mix, were created. Our group had the task of performing the mix design for the 10% SF mix and this was done according to BS 1881: Part 125: 1983 Testing concrete Methods for mixing and sampling fresh concrete in the laboratory. Silica fume has certain characteristics that make the handling, when we make the mixing of components, to be a difficult task. This is due to the small particle size and high fineness of the silica fume, so slurry is going to be prepared, by combining silica fume with water, when performing the mixing and also we should make sure that the slurry will be fully dispersed into the mix. By having a high fineness, the SF particles will demand a large surface to be covered with water, bringing an increase in water demand as stated above. Mixes having silica fume as ingredient will give us high performance concretes., and the presence of SF in the mix design process will not only affect the quantities of the mix proportions to be used as ingredients of concrete, but also will lead to an improvement in the fresh properties of the concrete like: high cohesiveness, little to none bleeding, suitable for pumping (Neville et al. 1995). In the lab, after we performed the mix, we made some tests in order to have quality control over the product: Slump Test, according to BS EN 12350-2:2000 Testing fresh concrete Part 2: Slump test, to determine the workability of the concrete and the Plastic Density Test, according to BS 12350-6, 2000 Testing concrete Method for determination of density of compacted fresh concrete, to determine the actual plastic density of the concrete. 2. Mix Design Procedure and worksheets. 2.1. Procedure principles. It should be stated that this method is not an exact method of quantity assessment mainly, because of the variability of the parameters affecting the constituents of this procedure. Trial mixes are made with the purpose of guessing which combinations of ingredients will be suitable for the desired concrete properties and we can modify these mixes to correspond to our requirements (Neville 1995). 2.2. Description for performing concrete mix design. Mix design follows several steps according to BRE Report 331, in which the flow chart of steps takes into consideration all parameters of the mix constituents and also shows us how they are linked together. The results of the computation are going to be written on a Concrete Mix Design Form. For performing this procedure a number of initial specifications must be given, specifications which include: Cement type 52.5 N; Aggregate type Gravel; Maximum aggregate size 20 mm; Fine aggregate grading 44%; Aggregate relative densities 2600 kg/m3; 10% Silica Fume 0.45, 0.6 and 0.75 w/c, 180l/m ³ water content, Slump of 30-60 mm (achieving S3 with SP) The stages which govern this procedure, as specified in BRE Report 331 are: Stage 1 water/cement ratio Stage 2 water content Stage 3 cement content Stage 4 total aggregate content Stage 5 fine aggregate proportion Stage 6 trial mixing Having the 3 free-water cement ratios, the slump and the maximum size of the aggregates given, we can skip the first stage and the amount of water needed can easily be determined. As we can see, 3 mixes will be prepared for which we can determine the amount of bonding material needed if the quantity of water is known. In this total amount of bonding material, 10% is Silica Fume, while 90% is ordinary Portland cement. In stage 4 we shall determine the total quantity of aggregate present in the mix. Because we have the grading of the fine aggregate, we can determine the quantity of the coarse aggregates by subtracting from the total quantity of aggregate the fine aggregate quantity. From the total quantity of coarse aggregate we know that 1/3 is for 10 mm Gravel and 2/3 for 20 mm Gravel. After we have determined all the mix proportions, we have to make specimens from the resulted concrete mix, specimens which will be subjected to different tests and conditions in order to determine the suitability of hardened concrete. These concrete specimens result from trial mixes for which batch weights are computed for a batch size of 0.02 m3. One aspect hasnt been discussed so far: the use of admixtures in the concrete mix design. Admixtures are regarded as secondary ingredients of concrete, and not in the same class of importance like water or cement. There are different types of admixtures, depending on their effect on concrete, and, also their use is regarded from an economical and an increase in concrete quality point of view. For the purpose of our assignment, the admixture type which we are going to use is Superplasticizer (Glenium 51) and the British standard that regulates and controls their use is BS 5075: Part 3: 1985. Superplasticizers are water reducing admixtures, and their effect on concrete is related to an improvement in fresh properties, mainly an increase in workability. 4. Batch quantities allowing for absorption. 4.1. Porosity, Absorption and their link. Porosity and absorption are aspects concerning the aggregates, so the following discussion will take into account the way in which the presence of pores will affect the concrete. There are 2 types of pores: internal and external pores, which vary in size- the external pores, can even be seen sometimes with the naked eye. Because of its viscosity, cement paste cannot fully cover the pores of the aggregates, but water is able to do that, which eventually will lead in an increase of water demand (Neville 1995). It might seem that because its only related to aggregate, porosity and absorption will not affect concrete, but lets not forget that the weight of aggregates represents approximately 75% of the weight of concrete. Also, by doing the mixing of concrete in the lab, the moisture content of the aggregates decreases, so an adjustment for absorption of aggregates must be done: we fully dry the aggregates in an oven, after which we put the aggregates in water, for 24 hours. An increase in weight occurs, meaning that all the pores are fully saturated (Neville 1995). The absorption is expressed as a ratio between the moisture content increase observed in the dried aggregates to the mass of the dried aggregates. The following absorption values for aggregates are used for our designed concretes: Gravel 5/20 1.0% Sand 0/5 0.5% RA 5/10 3% RA 10/20 4% 4.2. Adjustments for absorption. The adjustments for absorption, determined in accordance with BS 812: Part 2, are performed on the aggregate types which are going to be used in the mixture. The aggregates which we are going to use for the 10% SF mix concrete are: sand 0/5 and gravel 5/20. The method allows computing the additional quantity of water required for absorption by the following formula: Material batch weight (kg) x absorption value (%) = additional water required Having found the additional water quantity, the adjustment for absorption of aggregates can be performed by: Aggregate batch weight (kg) absorbed water (kg) = adjusted aggregate batch weight 5. Mixing procedure and tests carried out in Lab 1. 5.1. Mixing procedure. Relevant Standards: BS 1881: Part 125: 1983 Testing concrete methods for mixing and sampling fresh concrete in the laboratory. The mixing procedure is the combining of all concrete ingredients, with the purpose so that the aggregates surface is covered by cement paste, and it follows 2 steps: a) Sample preparation; b) mixing. At the previous topic, the adjustment of aggregates for absorption was explained. Its one of the requirements for the sample preparation step, and was the last one that needed to be carried out before the proper mixing of all concrete ingredients can be performed. When discussing about sample preparation, we also must take into account that we should produce at least 10% more quantity of concrete than the required quantity for the tests that have to be done; Follows a series of tasks: initially, the aggregates should be added in the following order: coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, sand after which we mix for 30 seconds. 1/2 of the water quantity must be added next, mix for another minute, after which we thoroughly mix by hand. Water absorption by the aggregates takes place when we leave covered the mixer for 8 minutes. Silica fume is mixed with water for 1 minute before adding it to the mix, after which we add the cement and mix it for 1 minute. We clean the paddles; we add the remaining water and superplasticizer and mix for other 4-5 minutes, after which we ensure homogeneity by mixing the sample by hand. 5.2. Tests carried out in Lab 1. Before starting the discussion about what tests must be done, we should note that all these tests on fresh concrete should be carried out within 15 minutes of mixing. Two tests will be done: slump test and plastic density. After the tests are carried out, we must put the used concrete in the mixer and mix for other 30 seconds. The Slump test has the aim of analysis of the workability of the fresh concrete, and it regulated by BS EN 12350-2:2000 Testing fresh concrete Part 2: slump test standard. When performing this test we must have some basic equipment: a slump cone with foot rests and a metal rod (16 mm diameter, 600 mm long). First, we must moisten the slump cone, after which we pour the concrete in the cone, while it is hold firmly into position. The pouring of the concrete must be done in 3 equal layers which are tamped 25 times with the steel road. The excess of concrete at the top and around the slump cone is removed, after which the cone is removed, inverted and placed next to the slumped concrete in order to enable us to measure the vertical distance from the top of the cone to the highest point of the slumped concrete. The measured vertical distance has to be reported for the nearest 5 mm, and shows us the nature of the slump that we deal with: true, collapse and shear slump. Fig. 5.2: True, shear and collapse slump (Neville et al. 1987) If the shear or collapse of the sample concrete occurs, we must perform the slump test once again. Plastic Density is determined on a compacted concrete sample in the lab, and is regulated by BS 12350-6, 2000 Testing concrete Method for determination of density of compacted fresh concrete standard. When performing this test we must have some basic equipment: 10 liter steel container (200 mm internal diameter, 320 mm internal height, and 4 mm wall thickness), vibrating table and 300 mm steel rule. The test is carried out as follows: we measure the mass of the empty container after which we measure the mass of the container filled with 10 liter of water. The concrete is poured in the empty container, in six equal layers which will be compacted on the vibrating table and the excess concrete at the top will be removed. We record the mass of the container with the concrete in it; we return the concrete to the mixer and clean the equipment. The computation can now be performed with the following formula: Plastic density, D = m / V Where, m = mass of concrete in container (To the nearest 10 g) V = volume of container = mass of water in container (from calibration) /1000. During the mix design we have found a plastic density for each water-cement ratio. Having found that plastic density, the new lab computed plastic density must not differ by more than  ±20 kg/m ³ then the actual plastic density (mix design). 7. Yield: corrected mix proportions and differences between design/plastic and volumetric method. Because in the mix design we have taken into account only those parameters that have a major impact on concrete characteristics, and we disregarded those that have a minor role, some errors might occur during the mix design. Such errors might include: faulty maneuvering of concrete ingredients, errors in performing the mixing procedure. These errors are visible when the total weight of the concrete ingredients is different than the lab computed wet concrete density (plastic density). Having computed in the lab the actual plastic density of the mix, we can make corrections to the mix proportion weights so that some of the residual errors might be able to be corrected. One of the ways by which this can be done is adjusting for yield. Yield is the ratio between the actual density and the total density, and the adjustment is performed by multiplying this ratio with the weight of each constituent, giving us corrected mix proportions. As an example we shall perform the correction of the mix proportions for the 0.45 w/c ratio mix: During the mix design we have found that the wet density of concrete (plastic density) is 2380 kg/m3. Cement+10% SF 360+40 kg/m ³ Water 180 kg/m ³ Sand 650 kg/m ³ 10mm Agg 385 kg/m ³ 20mm Agg 770 kg/m ³ TOTAL DENSITY 2385 kg/m ³ ACTUAL PLASTIC DENSITY 2410 kg/m ³ (tested in labs) The correction is done with the following formula: Corrected = (Actual density/ Total Density) x each constituent = 2410/2385=1.0105 Cement+10% SF (365+40) kg/m ³ Water 180 kg/m ³ Sand 655 kg/m ³ 10mm Agg 390 kg/m ³ 20mm Agg 780 kg/m ³ CORRECTED DENSITY 2410 kg/m ³ Another method by which we can adjust the mix proportions is the volumetric method. The main feature of this method is that, when performing the adjustment, we will take into consideration the particle density of each constituent taking part in the mix design. We shall also make an example for the volumetric method of correction of mix proportions. Cement 360 kg/m ³ / 3150 kg/m ³ = 0.114 SF 40 kg/m ³ / 2000 kg/m ³ = 0.02 Water 180 kg/m ³ / 1000 kg/m ³ = 0.18 Sand 650 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.25 10mm Agg 385 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.148 20mm Agg 770 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.296 ACTUAL 1.008 THEORETICAL 1.0000 The correction formula: Correction factor = (Theoretical/Actual) x each constituent = 0.992 Cement 355 kg/m ³ / 3150 kg/m ³ = 0.1133 SF 40 kg/m ³ / 2000 kg/m ³ = 0.020 Water 180 kg/m ³ / 1000 kg/m ³ = 0.180 Sand 645 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.2474 10mm Agg 380 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.1461 20mm Agg 765 kg/m ³ / 2600 kg/m ³ = 0.2932 ACTUAL 1.0000 THEORETICAL 1.0000 The main difference between the two methods which we have shown is that the yield method requires computing the lab plastic density, and comparing it to the plastic density taken into account in the design phase of the mix, while for the volumetric method is not necessary to make that extra effort in order to make the adjustment. As far as to which method is more appropriate to be used, from a first look at our example, we can consider that the volumetric method is more appropriate, at least from an economic point of view, because the adjustments made gave us smaller weights of materials than the adjustment for yield weights. But my opinion is that the plastic density method is much more appropriate to be used, because its more reliable, and you have a superior certainty about the elimination of the errors that appear in the mixing phase and also a better control of quality of the concrete. 8. Comments on fresh properties. The discussion about the fresh properties of concrete might seem to be not as important as the hardened concrete properties from a structural point of view, but as we have previously noted, there is a direct link between the two types of properties: for example the strength of hardened concrete is greatly improved when a sufficient compaction of the fresh concrete was established (Neville 1995).The objective of this discussion is to see the degree by which different concrete components affect the fresh properties of concrete, and we shall do this by comparing the mixes presenting silica fume, fly ash and recycled aggregate with the ordinary Portland cement mix (100% Gravel). The influence of aggregate type: by comparing the fresh properties of the 100% Gravel mix and 100% RA mix. Due to the fact RA have a higher porosity, a larger amount of water is needed in the mix which will eventually affect the workability of the fresh concrete. Because we have considered an absorption value for RA which was too high (RA density was larger than 2400kg/m3), the RA mix presented collapse slump, thus poor workability, also a slight bleeding, and segregation of the concrete constituents is present, leading to a poor cohesiveness. In the 30% FA and 10% SF mixes we have used as aggregate, gravel, so the influence of aggregate type on fresh concrete is the same in all 3 mixes, the only differences occur from the influence of other parameters. The cement type that we have used was either ordinary Portland cement (CEM I 52.5 N) or composite Portland cement, by combining the Portland cement with a cementitious material like silica fume or fly ash. As we can see from the comparison of the composite Portland cement mixes with those having only Portland cement, the 30% FA mix presents no bleeding or segregation of materials, a good cohesiveness and finishability. Fly ash reduces the amount of water to be used in the mix, having a similar effect as a superplasticizer, so at larger water cement ratios we have collapsed slump, poor cohesiveness, and a slight bleeding and segregation is present but the compactibility and finishability is still good, making it suitable for pumping . That is not the case with silica fume. Silica fume increases the water demand, and generally the mixes with silica fume present good cohesiveness, no bleeding and segregation, true slump giving us a good workability. The usage of both silica fume and sup erplasticizers has a good effect on concrete. The amount of fine material is directly linked to the cost of both silica fume and fly ash. The cost of production is quite large, so the use of silica fume and fly ash is no longer a cheap, viable solution for Portland cement replacement. As far as their consequences on fresh properties, for the 100% Gravel mix, at lower water-cement ratios we deal with a stiff mix, having less finishability and compactibility than when the amount of Portland cement is decreased, while the cohesiveness, lack of bleeding and segregation is kept the same on all mixes. We could use higher amounts of SF and FA but after a certain amount they cease to have any effect on the fresh properties of concrete. The water-cement ratio is one of the main factors affecting the concrete fresh properties, simply because water and cement are two of the main constituents of concrete. In the 100% RA mix, because of the use of RA, it was necessary to have a higher amount of water than in the other 3 mixes, which in return gave us a poor cohesiveness, a collapsible slump resulting in a poor workability. Also some segregation and bleeding was observed, which was not present in the other mixes. As a general rule, when the w/c ratio is decreased, the ratio between the other concrete constituents is kept constant, so the workability increases (Neville 1995). The SP amount required for workability. Superplasticizers greatly affect the slump of a mix. For the 100% Gravel mix we used approximately 0.12% amount of superplasticizers for all w/c ratios, which gave us a true slump. When we look at the 30% FA and 10% SF mix we can see that we have increased the amount to about 0.31% which gave us a collapse in slump when we used FA, so too much SP, and a true slump for SF, because SF works much better with SP compared to FA. 9. Conclusions This coursework has to be looked at as being divided in two parts: a part about the concrete mix design and establishing all the mix proportions of the concrete constituents and another part relating to the fresh properties of the resulted concrete. During this coursework we have successfully designed 4 types of concrete, and as a result the fresh properties of the 4 concretes were individually established and assessed. The mix of concrete ingredients, the determination of slump and the computation of plastic density were all done in the lab according to the relevant standard governing each task. The designed concrete types were: 100% Gravel, 100% RA, 30% FA and 10% SF. By assessing the concrete fresh properties we have seen which mixes had problems and were not suitable for using on site, but excluding some problems found (a high amount of superplasticizer than the one needed in the 30% FA), in general the mixes presented good workability without segregation or bleeding, were suitable for pumping so they could be used on site, in real conditions.

Those Winter Sundays Analysis

Those Winter Sundays Analysis The poem, which I selected for analyzing and interpreting, is Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden. The question raised by the author has been attracting the readers for a long time, since it deals with a situation which most of people have experienced at least once in their lives. The authors language and artistic devices by which he transmits the idea that people often pay little attention to good deeds and kind attitude especially when they has become a part of somebodys routine leave a really strong impression, often making the reader stop and re-think his attitude towards some events in his or her life. In this poem the author recollects memories from his childhood, when his father rose before dawn to kindle the fire in order to warm their hose on winter morning. Hayden skillfully uses deep and powerful imagery to convey his emotions, not giving direct statements but letting the reader to surmise what was implied in the lines therefore making a bright and living picture of that event in his or her mind. Those Winter Sundays honors a much-criticized figure in American culture of the 1990s the withdrawn, emotionally inexpressive and distant (and probably unhappy and angry) father. The poem makes its way towards perceiving the emotional life of such a man. The poem realizes love as it lived in such a man (Goldstein and Chrisman 254). Beginning with the phrase Sundays too my father got up early the author indicates that his father got up early not only on Sundays, but during the whole week also, thus giving the image of a hard-working man, who though having a day off gives up his opportunity to have a rest for the sake of his family. Hayden also emphasizes that the man has got cracked hands that ached from labour in the weekday, making the reader to feel a little more drama and sympathy for his father. Te author sums up the first stanza with a simple literal line No one ever thanked him, therefore accomplishing splendidly his image of a caring man who shows a real regard for his family every day, but no one appreciates that. In the second stanza the speaker describes what he did, while his father performed his morning routine. The reader sees a little boy lying in his bed, reluctant to get up and waiting for the cold to stand away. The second line here also gives an important detail: When the rooms were warm hed call, one more time showing the fathers regard for the boy. However, the last line of this stanza may seem a bit puzzling: Fearing the chronic angers of that house. Such a phrase may imply various meanings. Without knowing the background of this verse it is hard to judge about what the author meant by these words. Of course there is a possibility that chronic angers relate to the house itself and living in poverty the boy does not love his home. But knowing the authors biography, especially the facts about his living in the atmosphere of fights and quarrels in the foster family, one can rather incline to the thought that the boy neither liked his house nor his father, therefore never noticing goo d qualities of his foster parent and care towards him even when they were displayed. In the third stanza Hayden refers to one more sign of regard from his father and polished my good shoes as well. Along with that he gives his own respond to such situation: Speaking indifferently to him, thus admitting ungrateful ignorance from his own side. In the final lines of the third stanza the speaker asks a rhetorical question: What did I know, what did I know/of loves austere and lonely offices? Hayden indicates that being a child he did not understand love often rather expresses itself indirectly, through help and care hidden in actions rather than through any kind of demonstrative expression such as words or embraces, which are commonly considered to be a real sign of love and care. One may suppose, that in his childhood, being a bit more selfish than now, like all children do and having little experience the speaker felt only negative energy that belonged to the house and paid no attention to his fathers effort to warm the house and polish the boys shoes. What is more the last two lines of the poem may also explain that the boys childhood was rather unhappy anyway, that is why he did not know much about love and was not able to appreciate it discerning it in his fathers routine. Containing traditional fourteen lines, this verse is an example of a sonnet, though the lines lack a reliable rhythm. There still are some rhymes and near-rhymes but no rhyme scheme. Though one should not omit that fact that the sonnet was written at the time when free verse was really popular in the Anglo-American literature. A kind of hidden alliteration is also implied by Hayden, such as the k sounds in the words ached,cracked, blueback and so on. In some way it adds elements of pain to the general atmosphere of the verse, especially if one takes the phrase cracked hands that ached. Gradually, the k sounds are replaced by the o sounds, like in the words good, shoes, know, love, offices etc. These drawling sounds evoke associations with love and loneliness. Therefore, along with the impression which the reader gained from the poem by reading the speakers narration of the event, the reader also perceives the same story by sonic means. The noise of this poem moves us through its emot ional journey from discomfort to lonely life (Goldstein and Chrisman 252). The author establishes a pensive and regretful tone almost from the very beginning. Even the heading Those Winter Sundays evokes an image of cold and often cloudy days, therefore producing a feeling of sadness and melancholy. Hayden introduces cold and uncomfortable images, like blueback cold to strengthen the picture of undesirable conditions of the unheated house. Hayden aids the initial tone of regret by sharing with the reader an image of the fathers cracked hands. All these means help the reader to realize clearly the main idea of the poem. The poems thesis is that the office of love can be relentless, thankless, and more than a little mysterious (Goldstein and Chrisman 252). All in all, this sonnet leaves a deep impression and induces to re-think the way in which we treat sometimes people who care for us. Therefore, one can learn a good lesson from it: there are times when a person simply does not see the love expressed indirectly, thus staying indifferent and ungrateful towards the person who does have a regard for him or her.

The Nature of Evil in Shakespeares Macbeth Essay -- GCSE English Lite

Macbeth:   The Nature Of Evil   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Macbeth, the character of Macbeth has a. firm and correct grasp of self-knowledge, and a well developed concept of the universe and his place in it. He willfully disregards his own moral thoughts and institutions. According to Bernard McElroy, "more than any other Shakespearean hero, he [Macbeth] has a perfectly clear concept of who he is and where he stands --- and it is exactly this perception that torments and spiritually destroys him"(330). Macbeth is strongly impelled to evil but he also abhors evil. It is this that causes Macbeth to abhor himself. The play explores the tensions between Macbeth's proneness to evil and his abhorrence to evil. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he becomes caught in tensions between his criminal actions and the reaction of his conscience. Had Macbeth committed the deeds without any remorse, he would have been simply an evil monster, without any hope. But it is his conscience about evil that makes him tragic. Through Ma cbeth's actions, Shakespeare is able to depict the nature of evil as being: lusftul, deceptive, tyrannical, and disruptive to family. To begin, Macbeth himself stands as a symbol for Satan's sin of ambition. Like Satan, Macbeth's insatiable lust for power and ambition drives him to commit evil. Although Macbeth's ambitiousness is not in itself evil: "His very strong social sense, worldly but valuable, together with that gift of imaginative expression whereby he far outshines all the others, makes him naturally and rightly desirous of winning `Golden Opinions from all sorts of people' [I.vii.33]" (Elliot, 288). However, Shakespeare asserts that Macbeth knows his place in nature, and is overly ambitious according to Calvinist doctrine ... ...d devoured by it. Works Cited Bethell, S.L. "Shakespeare's Imagery: The Diabolic Images in Othello" in Shakespeare Survey: Volume 5. Edited by Allardyce Nicoll (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1952) Elliot, G.R. "Introduction: On `Macbeth' as Apex of Shakspearean Tragedy" in Shakespearean Criticism, Volume 3. Edited by Laurie Harris (Gale: 1984) McElroy, Bernard, "`Macbeth': The torture of the Mind" in Shakespearean Criticism, Volume 3. Edited by Laurie Harris (Gale:1984) Ribner, Irving. "Macbeth: The Pattern of Idea and Action," in Shakespearean Criticism, Volume 3. Edited by Laurie Harris (Gale:1984) Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by Norman Sanders. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984) ----, Macbeth, World Literary Heritage, Volume 1.0 (California: Softbit, Inc. MS- DOS / MS - Windows 3.1, CD ROM)      

Essay example --

WGSS 514 Final: Conference paper Ching Chih Tseng Vanishing voice: The culture of indigenous people in Taiwan Today, I am going to tell a story, the story of indigenous people in Taiwan. First, I would like to introduce the background of Taiwan. In 1590, the Portuguese explored Taiwan and named ‘Formosa’ which means beautiful island. Now, people called Taiwan, or the officially name the Republic of China is my country. Taiwan has total area around fourteen thousand square miles. We have twenty three million three hundred forty thousand population. Who live in the beautiful island? Today, 98% of Taiwanese are descendants of a mixture of Han Chinese people which includes 70% Hoklo people, 14% Hakka people, and 14% Mainlanders. While 2% are indigenous people. Taiwan indigenous people have lived on this island for perhaps 8,000 years. They are Austronesian-speaking people. Some anthropologists even believe the Austronesian people originated in Taiwan. After the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, the Nationalist government instituted the National Language Movement (NLM); a mass effort to standardize and propagate the National was selected as the supra-dialectal norm. In 1916 the Ministry of Education authorized a system for transcribing alphabets which was renamed the National Phonetic Symbols (NSP) in 1930. Moreover, Taiwan government arbitrary classified the indigenous people as savage people for over fifty years. Finally, the indigenous people lunched the aboriginal movement in 1984 was aimed at fighting for identity and the protection of rights. After almost a decade of the fighting movement, Taiwanese indigenous people finally changed their identity from savage people to the official name ‘indigenous’ people. Now, Tai... ...ginal indigenous name is Abi. Amis people also called each other ‘Pangcah’, in our language, ‘Pangcah’ means people or same tribe. Amis has another meaning which is north, because Amis people live on the northern part of my country. I wish and hope that our voice, our unique culture can be heard and be seen by my country and the rest of the world. Where is the social justice for the indigenous who live in Taiwan? We have fourteen different indigenous tribes in Taiwan; each tribe has their own language and traditional culture which is unique and beautiful. It is sad to consider that one day the indigenous cultures may disappear from Taiwan society. The lift of martial law in 1987 marked a new era for a multi-culture and multi-lingual society in Taiwan. with this political change and worldwide multiculturalism, people stared to view dialects from a new perspective. Essay example -- WGSS 514 Final: Conference paper Ching Chih Tseng Vanishing voice: The culture of indigenous people in Taiwan Today, I am going to tell a story, the story of indigenous people in Taiwan. First, I would like to introduce the background of Taiwan. In 1590, the Portuguese explored Taiwan and named ‘Formosa’ which means beautiful island. Now, people called Taiwan, or the officially name the Republic of China is my country. Taiwan has total area around fourteen thousand square miles. We have twenty three million three hundred forty thousand population. Who live in the beautiful island? Today, 98% of Taiwanese are descendants of a mixture of Han Chinese people which includes 70% Hoklo people, 14% Hakka people, and 14% Mainlanders. While 2% are indigenous people. Taiwan indigenous people have lived on this island for perhaps 8,000 years. They are Austronesian-speaking people. Some anthropologists even believe the Austronesian people originated in Taiwan. After the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, the Nationalist government instituted the National Language Movement (NLM); a mass effort to standardize and propagate the National was selected as the supra-dialectal norm. In 1916 the Ministry of Education authorized a system for transcribing alphabets which was renamed the National Phonetic Symbols (NSP) in 1930. Moreover, Taiwan government arbitrary classified the indigenous people as savage people for over fifty years. Finally, the indigenous people lunched the aboriginal movement in 1984 was aimed at fighting for identity and the protection of rights. After almost a decade of the fighting movement, Taiwanese indigenous people finally changed their identity from savage people to the official name ‘indigenous’ people. Now, Tai... ...ginal indigenous name is Abi. Amis people also called each other ‘Pangcah’, in our language, ‘Pangcah’ means people or same tribe. Amis has another meaning which is north, because Amis people live on the northern part of my country. I wish and hope that our voice, our unique culture can be heard and be seen by my country and the rest of the world. Where is the social justice for the indigenous who live in Taiwan? We have fourteen different indigenous tribes in Taiwan; each tribe has their own language and traditional culture which is unique and beautiful. It is sad to consider that one day the indigenous cultures may disappear from Taiwan society. The lift of martial law in 1987 marked a new era for a multi-culture and multi-lingual society in Taiwan. with this political change and worldwide multiculturalism, people stared to view dialects from a new perspective.

Comparison Pygmalion & Pretty Woman Essay

The comparative study of Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw and Pretty Woman by Gary Marshall has enhanced my perception of the shared concerns of the two texts. The representation however, is altered by the differing political, historical and social context of the time period of production. Both composers have illuminated the central concerns of the transformations of their female protagonists; Eliza and Vivian from rags to riches while also exploring and criticising the social class division within society. Both composers convey their protagonists as working class citizens who are far from living their dream. Eliza in Pygmalion, a young flower girl who sells flowers in Covent Garden (a place where all social classes come together) is portrayed as a vulnerable, illiterate girl who reassures herself of being worthy of achieving her goals. This is represented when she states â€Å"Im a good girl, I am† as it shows that she has faith in herself and that she will do whatever it takes, for one day she may work in a shop of her own. In contrast with Eliza, Gary Marshall characterizes Vivian as a typical American prostitute. The scene introducing Vivian is set in her cluttered house illustrating her ‘trashy’ and unorganised lifestyle. Marshall uses dark lighting in the nightclub which gives us an overshadowing idea about Vivian’s life being dark and cynical and like Eliza, very vulnerable. Transformation is slowly taking place upon the two girls as Higgins and Edward are introduced into girls’ lives. Higgins helps with Eliza’s phonetics and pronunciation of speech. Eliza is determined to become a ‘lady’ after Higgins is dared to turn her into a duchess and gradually she learns the basics to becoming a lady. The first representation of her progress is at the ‘at home afternoon’ with Higgins’ mother. Here we notice that Eliza has learnt the basic traits of a woman but her vocabulary is not wide enough to keep a conversation. She gets rather carried away and starts to say inappropriate things, for example telling Mrs Higgins â€Å"My aunt d ied of influenza: so they said†. The concept of transformation also occurs through Vivian in Pretty Woman when Edward hires her for the week and she slowly retains a higher self esteem because he treats her with respect. He buys her clothes to improve her physical appearance and the first real test of her transformation occurs at dinner. She learns how to speak when spoken to and her manners but she still isn’t of high social standing despite whether she looks it or not. This is displayed when she tries to pick up her snail and it slips out of her tongs and she quite confidently but embarrassingly states â€Å"slippery little suckers†. We see eventually a great change in both women in the two texts from where they started off from. The end of the transformation for Eliza is in the last scene when she is at Mrs Higgins’ house after not accepting the way Higgins treated her. She now is strong enough to stand up for herself against Higgins and states â€Å"And I should like Professor Higgins to call me Miss Doolittle†. For Vivian, it is when Edward has to go back to New York and they have to end their ‘relationship’ and Edward says â€Å"I would really like to see you again† and then Vivian says â€Å"What else? You’ll leave some money by the bed when you pass through town?† It completes her transformation as she no longer will let anyone boss her around. Although both women transformed, there was still many aspects of them that would never change. Vivian still speaks her mind, as does Eliza because that’s how the girls were taught and brought up. Bernard Shaw uses language features in Pygmalion to highlight the journey and transformation of Eliza. Set in the Victorian Era, there is a large gap between working and high social classes and Eliza’s goal is to speak, walk, and look like a lady from the Up per class. The difference in the way the two classes speak is outstanding, with Eliza’s vocabulary reaching a maximum of a few words, Shaw conveys her as being very improper. This is established when she says â€Å"Ow, eez, yÅ“-ooa san, is e?† as it becomes clear that she does not speak very good English. Whereas Higgins, a member of the high class uses such vocabulary as â€Å"Not me Governor, thank you kindly† The main ideas and themes include the clear distinction between the social classes and how they respond and react when in the presence of another. The Victorian Era influenced modern society in how people were placed in a hierarchy. In comparison to Pygmalion, Pretty Woman was set in the 1980s America, which is a lot more modern than Victorian Era. Pretty Woman’s main themes consist of being highly sexualised, corporate greed and wealth. Like Pygmalion, there is an outstanding overarching hierarchy which separates the classes. Vivian is a prostitute in Hollywood which displays the sense of insecurities in herself and also the people around her. Edward helps her transform into a lady without her even realizing it. She speaks of very low concern and thought of others, using lines such as â€Å"I can do anything I want, I’m not lost† and â€Å"I can’t believe you bought drugs with our rent, what is wrong with you?† The transformation of the two girls is completed by the end of the text but it also shows that as much as they try to become members of the higher class, they will always still have the traits of the lower class. Overall, the two texts enhanced my perception of the social, historical and political values by comparing the two Eras and will always get good reviews because they contain a wide variety or circumstances.

Media Policy

The issue of coming out versus staying in the closet is one that has the potential to provide a news media organization with a large amount of readership or viewer-ship because of the still novel aspect of the situation. America is quickly becoming a more liberal society, yet the conservatism within the country is still high. While many people have pushed the envelope of conservatism, still a lot struggle with the idea of challenging traditions because of the many consequences that attend such a decision.The idea of being homosexual (gay or lesbian) within American society still carries with it a stigma that many try to avoid. The main reasons for the avoidance of this stigma are the attention that such a lifestyle will bring to those who live it and the possibility of overt protest against such a lifestyle by activist or religious groups. Therefore, the â€Å"coming out† of a homosexual provides news that the public is highly interested in, and the developments that often fol low such a declaration are also highly news worthy. Since it is the business of this media house to provide information to the public that it finds interesting and seminal, it is therefore the policy of this organization to aim to be the first at announcing the â€Å"coming out† of individual homosexuals.The information regarding the lifestyles in which people choose to engage is often considered by critics of the media as personal and not as the business of the public. However, the American public has consistently identified what it considers its own business through its attention to the details of the lives of many individuals. In fact, the public has demonstrated its commitment to learning such news through its active awareness of televised news programs, feature stories on the internet, and its paid subscription to print media of varying levels of credibility.Unlike some media houses of lower credibility status, this media house is dedicated to providing the truth about t he lives of any individual labeled as coming out of the homosexual closet. This media house takes this type of claim very seriously and is held to a high level of integrity in providing proofs of any claims made to such effect. In this way, the curiosity and concern of the public regarding such matters will be satisfied not with lies and fabrications, but with factual accounts of very real and troubling issues.The media as an industry is not just a group of organizations that provide an update or commentary on the things that take place in our society. Rather, its role encompasses that of creating cultural artifacts and historical records of the socio-cultural metamorphosis of a particular society over time (Gauntlett 115-6).Without this record, anthropologists who study a given era are at a loss when trying to compile an accurate account of the cultural practices within a given society. Homosexuality is an integral part of the social practices of many Americans today, and fear or a n inordinate level of concern for privacy often pushes people into a mode of overprotection of such lifestyles. The role of the media is to effectively uncover such practices by aiding these persons in making their lifestyles and sexual preferences known to the public and therefore to posterity.Statistical considerations also prompt the media to engage in practices that â€Å"out† homosexuals who would otherwise remain hidden. Many reasons exist why statistical bodies seek out demographical data that will give the percentage of homosexuals within a given district or in the country itself. Such measures as the creative capital level of a town use data concerning the gay population as integral factors for calculation (Florida, 41).Such measures help gauge the tolerance level of certain regions, cities, or towns. In fact, it is often in the interest of even the homosexuals themselves to come out, as it increases the confidence level of others like themselves who want to live the ir lives out in the open and refrain from hiding. Yet, homosexuals who decide to keep their lifestyles in the closet succeed only in skewing the statistical data, resulting in the underestimation of the level of homosexual practice in a given region. This media house is committed to playing a role in this by encouraging, prompting, or otherwise effecting the open acknowledgement of the true level of homosexuality within a given area.The role of the media as an announcer of the coming out of certain homosexuals is one that succeeds also in helping such persons to liberate themselves from a confining public image that, in effect, adversely affects their lifestyle. Homosexuals who remain in the closet tend to have unnecessary burdens placed upon them, which the media should consider its humanitarian duty to remove. Such persons are unable to proclaim their love in the open.They are unable publicly to perform simple actions, such as holding hands or kissing, which demonstrate their feel ings toward their significant other. It is often the case that such persons want desperately to rid themselves of these confinements and reveal their sexual preferences to the world. However, they lack the courage or the nerve to stand up and make the declaration themselves. The media therefore provides a service to many of these persons by performing the unsavory act of â€Å"coming out† for them, so that they may begin their enjoyment of life openly professing and living what they indeed are in private.The media also plays a role that publicizes the lifestyle of homosexuals far beyond the borders of influence than they themselves would have been able to proclaim it. Public knowledge of the true proportion of the population that desires such a lifestyle provides in turn an impetus for changes in the legal structure of society that would facilitate such lifestyles. In other words, if enough homosexuals step forward and â€Å"come out,† they may even get the legal recog nition they desire.The media therefore facilitates not just the open lifestyle of such persons, but also justification and recognition of such a lifestyle so that they may be more able to live fulfilling life that contains all the accessories that make life fulfilling for heterosexuals. The role of the media in helping these persons come out will broadcast the view that such a lifestyle is legitimate. This is likely to prompt legislation that will allow such persons to marry, adopt children, and perform other partnership roles once available only to heterosexuals (Vargo, 114).Critics of the media are likely to cite the observation that the publicizing of lifestyle practices of homosexual should be left to their discretion. However, it is often the discretion of these persons that lead to the media finding out about their lifestyles in the first place. Furthermore, the media is also involved in publicizing romantic details about the lives of heterosexuals—mainly those persons such as public servants and entertainment personalities who live a large portion of their lives in the limelight.Since such stories are the domain of the media, then other very similar stories involving the coming out of homosexuals are also considered to lie within the jurisdiction of the media. It is often the case that people are opposed to things only when they affect them personally, and this double standard ought to be avoided. Since a large proportion of Americans show themselves interested enough in this type of material to purchase magazines, then the media should consider it a duty to provide that material.It should be considered the perpetual policy of the media to continue to provide information to the public regarding the sexual status of the individuals who live within its domain. The efforts made by the media to out these personalities are beneficial not only to the individuals themselves, but to anthropologists and sociologists of posterity who may seek to understand the socio-cultural practices of persons of this era.The actions of the media concerning the state of homosexuality in a given area are also beneficial to historians, who are likely to consult the media as cultural artifacts that give insight into the synchronic and diachronic development of certain occurrences of note in a given time. The media should be active in publicizing the coming out of homosexuals because of its role in informing the public and in legitimizing the homosexual lifestyle in a manner that is likely to lead up to the legalization of activities that occur in connection with it.Work CitedFlorida, Richard. The Rise of the Creative Class: and How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Community and Everyday Life. Cambridge: Basic Books, 2002.Gauntlett, David. Media, Gender and Identity: An Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2002.Vargo, Marc E. Acts of Disclosure: The Coming Out Process of Contemporary Gay Men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Birmingham: Haworth Press, 1998.