Cost Effective Construction for Low Income Earners with MRTB and MFS

India is a developing country having 14% (Pew Research Centre) population of low income group. The desire to own a house especially for low income and middle class families has become a virtual reality. Hence it is required to go in for an innovative, eco-friendly and cost efficient technology for raising of houses enabling the ordinary persons to build houses at owing to their financial status. The materials and techniques which are adopted have to be durable, economical and accepted by users. This study of low cost housing focuses mostly on personal satisfaction levels and the need of quality, particularly with regard to the place of abode. Hence, to provide the basic needs to the low income earners, this economical housing concept with minimum financial statement/investment has been suggested. The reduced construction cost through suitable management plans is obtained by appropriate use of locally available materials, labour and technology without compromising on the strength and life of the structure. In this study, it has been found that about 12% of total bricks and 22% of materials can be saved by using Modified Rat Trap Bond for walls and Modified Filler Slab for roofs respectively, which may be applied practically for government low cost dwellings.

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Prefab Materials for Self Build Housing System in Malaysia

Applied Mechanics and Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.747.250 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 747 ◽

pp. 250-253

Author(s):

Wan Srihani Wan Mohamed ◽

Yahaya Ahmad ◽

Nik Fazlysham Nik Mat ◽

Aznida Azlan

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Low Cost ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Income Group ◽

Housing System ◽

Housing Provision ◽

Skill Levels ◽

Self Help ◽

House Construction ◽

Low Cost Housing

Prefabricated system has been used extensively in many developed and developing countries to provide low cost housing. There are many case studies that took the advantage of prefabricated system as part of self help approach in house construction. Prefabricated system in self help housing proved to be cost effective, provide employment opportunities, utilise low skill levels and maximise local natural resources. Malaysia is also promoting prefabricated system to be used in low cost housing provision. There are obstacles to implement such technology into the conventional construction industry. This paper investigates the possibility of adapting local resources, such as timber, into prefabricated components as a mean to promote not only modular coordination concept but also promote self build approach in the community at a lower skill labour. It is not an immediate solution to housing issues yet it provides alternatives to house the low income group and contribute to increase the supply of housing.

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A Novel Adaptive Pixels Segmentation Algorithm for Pavement Crack Detection

10.31124/advance.13601339.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nima Safaei ◽

Omar Smadi ◽

Babak Safaei ◽

Arezoo Masoud

Keyword(s):

Crack Detection ◽

Low Cost ◽

Local Level ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Segmentation Algorithm ◽

Pavement Maintenance ◽

Detection Systems ◽

Wide Range ◽

Cost Efficient ◽

Pavement Crack Detection

Cracks considerably reduce the life span of pavement surfaces. Currently, there is a need for the development of robust automated distress evaluation systems that comprise a low-cost crack detection method for performing fast and cost-effective roadway health monitoring practices. Most of the current methods are costly and have labor-intensive learning processes, so they are not suitable for small local-level projects with limited resources or are only usable for specific pavement types. This paper proposes a new method that uses an improved version of the weighted neighborhood pixels segmentation algorithm to detect cracks in 2-D pavement images. This method uses the Gaussian cumulative density function as the adaptive threshold to overcome the drawback of fixed thresholds in noisy environments. The proposed algorithm was tested on 300 images containing a wide range of noise representative of different noise conditions. This method proved to be time and cost-efficient as it took less than 3.15 seconds per 320 × 480 pixels image for a Xeon (R) 3.70 GHz CPU processor to determine the detection results. This makes the model a perfect choice for county-level pavement maintenance projects requiring cost-effective pavement crack detection systems. The validation results were promising for the detection of low to severe-level cracks (Accuracy = 97.3%, Precision = 79.21%, Recall= 89.18% and F1 score = 83.9%).

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Women Employment Opportunity on SMEs Sector: Bangladesh Perspective

International Journal of Management and Accounting ◽

10.34104/ijma.020.01050118 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 105-118

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Low Income ◽

Capital Accumulation ◽

Low Cost ◽

Study Finding ◽

Income Group ◽

Small Scale ◽

Female Entrepreneurs ◽

Job Opportunities ◽

Savings Rate

This study explores women's work prospects in the SME sector of Bangladesh. The researcher has identified two different reasons to conduct this study separately. Number one is that in the last few decades, have played a very active and important role, and the second is that by empowering women, female entrepreneurs build new job opportunities and solve the different problems of society. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which play an important role as engines of economic growth in many countries, provide growth opportunities for low-cost jobs. The results of the study illustrate the correlation between job opportunities for SMEs and women. Women's entrepreneurship is seen as a crucial instrument of women's empowerment and emancipation. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which play an important role in many countries as engines of economic growth, provide opportunities for low-cost employment with growth. The study finding shows the relationship between employment opportunities for SMEs and Women. Women entrepreneurship is seen as a key tool for empowering and liberating women. Developing countries such as Bangladesh are better off starting a small and medium-sized company because Bangladesh belongs to the low-income group facing problems of unemployment, poverty, low savings rate, low capital accumulation. Business on the micro and small scale did not require huge investment, it begins with limited capital. Developing nations such as Bangladesh are better off starting a small and medium-sized business because Bangladesh is part of the low-income community facing unemployment, poverty, low savings rate, low accumulation of capital problems. Micro and small-scale companies did not need tremendous investment but began with minimal resources.

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Technical Innovation in Light Aircraft Aerial Dispersant Application Systems

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2003-1-269 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 2003 (1) ◽

pp. 269-272

Author(s):

David Salt ◽

Roger Stockham ◽

Stuart Byers

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Low Cost ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Innovative Technology ◽

Response Strategies ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Application Systems ◽

Significant Step ◽

Cost Efficient ◽

The Uk

ABSTRACT Recent changes in legislation within the United Kingdom created pressure for change in the response strategies applicable in the UK offshore environment. To meet the new requirements, innovative technology was required which was capable of speedily delivering a payload of approximately one ton of dispersant. To provide a cost efficient solution, a system was developed capable of being mounted on a non-dedicated aircraft, which can be rapidly adapted to meet the response requirements. This paper describes the design criteria for the system and goes on to detail the development, construction and flight testing programme for the dispersant pods. It then goes on to briefly describe the operational response system which has been established to provide a response for the offshore operators in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). The development represents a significant step forward in providing a low cost, effective solution to changing response requirements using innovative engineering solutions, allowing for potential application in other parts of the world.

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Questioning the regressivity of tobacco taxes: a distributional accounting impact model of increased tobacco taxation

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055315 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. tobaccocontrol-2019-055315 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Stéphane Verguet ◽

Patrick K A Kearns ◽

Vaughan W Rees

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Income Group ◽

Cigarette Consumption ◽

Tax Burden ◽

Income Share ◽

Tobacco Taxes ◽

Tobacco Tax ◽

Definition Of ◽

Tobacco Taxation

BackgroundTobacco taxes, as with other ‘sin taxes’, are generally regarded as a highly cost-effective mechanism to reduce consumption but are often considered by policymakers to be regressive, undermining efforts to fully implement them at levels recommended by the WHO due to concerns of fairness. We aim to demonstrate whether there are circumstances in which the impacts of additional tobacco taxes are not regressive, using a standard income-share accounting definition of tax burden.Methods and findingsWe apply mathematical modelling and explore the hypothetical distributions in the net change in tobacco taxes and cigarette expenditures by income group, following an increase in tobacco taxation. The hypothetical distribution per income group of additional taxes and cigarette expenditures borne by individuals following tobacco tax hikes was calculated with respect to a selection of parameters including: the change in the retail price of cigarettes, the price elasticity of demand for tobacco, smoking prevalence, cigarette consumption and individual income. We determine the range of hypothetical parameter values for which increased tobacco taxation should not be considered to penalise the poorest income groups when examining marginal cigarette consumption expenditures and using an accounting definition of tax burden.ConclusionsOur findings question the doctrine that tobacco taxes are uniformly regressive from a standard income-share accounting view and point to the importance of the specific features of tax policy to shape a progressive approach to tobacco taxation: tobacco tax increases are less likely to be regressive when accompanied by a broad framework of demand-side measures that enhance the capacity of low-income smokers to quit tobacco use.

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Compact, Low-cost GNSS Modules for Precise Point Positioning

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202131003001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 310 ◽

pp. 03001

Author(s):

Anindya Bose ◽

Somnath Mahato ◽

Sukabya Dan ◽

Atanu Santra

Keyword(s):

Precise Point Positioning ◽

Low Cost ◽

Real Life ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Satellite System ◽

Vertical Coordinate ◽

Point Positioning ◽

Cost Efficient ◽

Global Navigation Satellite ◽

Solution Accuracy

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) uses Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique to find out accurate geolocation information of any point. Generally, costly, geodetic GNSS receivers are used for PPP. This manuscript presents the results of studies on the usability of commercial, compact, cost-effective GNSS modules with commercial antennas for PPP in comparison to commonly used geodetic, costly receivers from India, which is a excellent location for GNSS use. Compact GNSS modules from two manufacturers are used in the study, and the encouraging results show the clear advantage of cost, size, and power requirements of such modules. The modules provide sub-cm horizontal solution accuracy which is very similar to those obtained using geodetic receivers, and around 20 cm accuracy in the vertical coordinate, which is slightly inferior to the results provided by the geodetic reveivers. Results of this novel study would be useful for implementing cost-efficient GNSS PPP in real life, in highly demanding geodetic applications including CORS establishment and PPP.

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A Novel Adaptive Pixels Segmentation Algorithm for Pavement Crack Detection

10.31224/osf.io/cyqes ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nima Safaei ◽

Omar Smadi ◽

Babak Safaei ◽

Arezoo Masoud

Keyword(s):

Crack Detection ◽

Low Cost ◽

Local Level ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Segmentation Algorithm ◽

Pavement Maintenance ◽

Detection Systems ◽

Wide Range ◽

Cost Efficient ◽

Pavement Crack Detection

Cracks considerably reduce the life span of pavement surfaces. Currently, there is a need for the development of robust automated distress evaluation systems that comprise a low-cost crack detection method for performing fast and cost-effective roadway health monitoring practices. Most of the current methods are costly and have labor-intensive learning processes, so they are not suitable for small local-level projects with limited resources or are only usable for specific pavement types.This paper proposes a new method that uses an improved version of the weighted neighborhood pixels segmentation algorithm to detect cracks in 2-D pavement images. This method uses the Gaussian cumulative density function as the adaptive threshold to overcome the drawback of fixed thresholds in noisy environments. The proposed algorithm was tested on 300 images containing a wide range of noise representative of different noise conditions. This method proved to be time and cost-efficient as it took less than 3.15 seconds per 320 × 480 pixels image for a Xeon (R) 3.70 GHz CPU processor to determine the detection results. This makes the model a perfect choice for county-level pavement maintenance projects requiring cost-effective pavement crack detection systems. The validation results were promising for the detection of low to severe-level cracks (Accuracy = 97.3%, Precision = 79.21%, Recall= 89.18% and F1 score = 83.9%).

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Anti-Democratic Spaces and Impoverishment: Role of Roads in Low-Income Residential Areas

Nakhara : Journal of Environmental Design and Planning ◽

10.54028/nj2019161532 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 15-32

Author(s):

Allison John ◽

Mabel Allison ◽

Dennis Ejike Amadi ◽

Crispin Allison

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Urban Poor ◽

Low Cost ◽

Income Group ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Environmental Leadership ◽

Transit Systems ◽

Urban City ◽

Central Business Districts ◽

Democratic Spaces

This article identifies the low-income group as eco-friendly in terms of their favoured transit systems. Despite the group’s eco-friendly and sustainable attributes, they suffer the most in their use of urban spaces, in low-cost housings and in transportation planning, in particular the roads. There is corruption among others who push for road dominance in the infrastructure. There is a call for action in developing the following: greater transparency, democratic approaches, and compact developments with a rich juxtaposition of greenery enhancing pedestrian corridors. Community spaces connecting working areas with the Central Business Districts (CBD) and high densities residencies to be developed are popular and more sustainable options. A pragmatic contextual sensitive approach is demanded. Downsizing road networks within low-income neighbourhoods can empower the poor and their community, while simultaneously mitigating the risk of corruption generated by the development of roads. The problem is global; operational, managerial and strategic in scope with the capacities of enterprising urban poor being wasted in urban-city governance. The recommendations target stopping the conversation of critical government policies into mere rhetoric. Flooding, housing, education, and public health were identified areas for strategic intervention. The Rand study and a review of the DG SANCO EU report was adapted as the approach to this research. ‘Co-petition’ and collaboration among government authorities, built-up professionals, and inclusiveness of targeted population remains imperative; even so, the review of academic curricular and methods towards environmental leadership for sustainability shifts from planning for cities and cars to planning for humans.

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Manual Borehole Drilling as a Cost-Effective Solution for Drinking Water Access in Low-Income Contexts

Water ◽

10.3390/w12071981 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 1981

Author(s):

Pedro Martínez-Santos ◽

Miguel Martín-Loeches ◽

Silvia Díaz-Alcaide ◽

Kerstin Danert

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Low Income ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Low Cost ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Unconsolidated Sediments ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Water Access ◽

Middle Income ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages

Water access remains a challenge in rural areas of low-income countries. Manual drilling technologies have the potential to enhance water access by providing a low cost drinking water alternative for communities in low and middle income countries. This paper provides an overview of the main successes and challenges experienced by manual boreholes in the last two decades. A review of the existing methods is provided, discussing their advantages and disadvantages and comparing their potential against alternatives such as excavated wells and mechanized boreholes. Manual boreholes are found to be a competitive solution in relatively soft rocks, such as unconsolidated sediments and weathered materials, as well as and in hydrogeological settings characterized by moderately shallow water tables. Ensuring professional workmanship, the development of regulatory frameworks, protection against groundwater pollution and standards for quality assurance rank among the main challenges for the future.

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Application of TiO2-based Photocatalysts to Antibiotics Degradation: Cases of Sulfamethoxazole, Trimethoprim and Ciprofloxacin

Catalysts ◽

10.3390/catal11060728 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 728

Author(s):

Anastasiya Kutuzova ◽

Tetiana Dontsova ◽

Witold Kwapinski

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Inorganic Ions ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Heterogeneous Photocatalysis ◽

Efficient Technology ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Highly Efficient ◽

Fast Development ◽

Promising Solution ◽

Cost Efficient

The extensive application of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine has led to their widespread occurrence in a natural aquatic environment. Global health crisis is associated with the fast development of antimicrobial resistance, as more and more infectious diseases cannot be treated more than once. Sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin are the most commonly detected antibiotics in water systems worldwide. The persistent and toxic nature of these antibiotics makes their elimination by conventional treatment methods at wastewater treatment plants almost impossible. The application of advanced oxidation processes and heterogeneous photocatalysis over TiO2-based materials is a promising solution. This highly efficient technology has the potential to be sustainable, cost-efficient and energy-efficient. A comprehensive review on the application of various TiO2-based photocatalysts for the degradation of sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin is focused on highlighting their photocatalytic performance under various reaction conditions (different amounts of pollutant and photocatalyst, pH, light source, reaction media, presence of inorganic ions, natural organic matter, oxidants). Mineralization efficiency and ecotoxicity of final products have been also considered. Further research needs have been presented based on the literature findings. Among them, design and development of highly efficient under sunlight, stable, recyclable and cost-effective TiO2-based materials; usage of real wastewaters for photocatalytic tests; and compulsory assessment of products ecotoxicity are the most important research tasks in order to meet requirements for industrial application.

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