scholarly journals Organizational factors: a case study of the cost-benefit of implementing control measures in precast structure constructions

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e33711124981
Author(s):  
Roberto Revoredo de Almeida Filho ◽  
Felipe Mendes da Cruz
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Check List ◽  
The Cost

O presente artigo tem como objetivo demonstrar a implantação de sistemas de inspeção sistemáticas em obras como estratégia de gestão de riscos da empresa na identificação de desvios, bem como propor soluções organizacionais de baixo custo de implantação. A metodologia foi dividida em 5 partes. A primeira etapa consistiu na revisão da literatura, cujo objetivo era encontrar documentos e produções científicas relevantes ao tema discutido neste artigo. Em seguida, foi elaborado um check-list fundamentado na Norma Regulamentadora 18 (NR 18) - Condições e Meio Ambiente de Trabalho na Indústria da Construção e outras. Com a parte documental (check-list) finalizada, foram realizados os procedimentos de campo na obra. Após finalizada a obra e os relatórios entregues, foi realizado levantamento das não conformidades encontradas para que os dados fossem analisados. Por fim, foi realizada a análise de custo-benefício das medidas de controle implementadas. As irregularidades que mais ocorreram durante a execução do projeto foram: pontas verticais de vergalhões desprotegidas; funcionários sem usar o EPI e número insuficiente de instalações sanitárias. Os indicadores de segurança mostraram que os ciclos onde eram realizadas simultaneamente atividades de Estrutura, Alvenaria e Vedação Interna, Instalações Prediais e Acabamento, foram os com maior índice de irregularidades. Por fim, foi verificado que para cada valor unitário investido em medidas de controle de segurança, a proteção com passivos financeiros de multas é 16 vezes maior. Desta forma, todo custo voltado para adequar as condições de trabalho dos colaboradores reflete positivamente para a gestão contábil das obras da construção civil.

What's it Worth? Improving Surface Water Quality

1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 153-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Newsome ◽  
C. D. Stephen
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
The Cost

Many countries are investing in measures to improve surface water quality, but the investment programmes for so doing are increasingly becoming subject to cost-benefit analysis. Whilst the cost of control measures can usually be determined for individual improvement schemes, there are currently no established procedures for valuing the benefits attributable to improved surface water quality. The paper describes a methodology that has been derived that now makes this possible.

scholarly journals The ALARP Principle in the Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Acceptability of Investment Risk

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Nesticò ◽  
Shuquan He ◽  
Gianluigi De Mare ◽  
Renato Benintendi ◽  
Gabriella Maselli
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Investment Risk ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Mitigation Design ◽  
The Cost

The process of allocating financial resources is extremely complex—both because the selection of investments depends on multiple, and interrelated, variables, and constraints that limit the eligibility domain of the solutions, and because the feasibility of projects is influenced by risk factors. In this sense, it is essential to develop economic evaluations on a probabilistic basis. Nevertheless, for the civil engineering sector, the literature emphasizes the centrality of risk management, in order to establish interventions for risk mitigation. On the other hand, few methodologies are available to systematically compare ante and post mitigation design risk, along with the verification of the economic convenience of these actions. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate how these limits can be at least partially overcome by integrating, in the traditional Cost-Benefit Analysis schemes, the As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) logic. According to it, the risk is tolerable only if it is impossible to reduce it further or if the costs to mitigate it are disproportionate to the benefits obtainable. The research outlines the phases of an innovative protocol for managing investment risks. On the basis of a case study dealing with a project for the recovery and transformation of an ancient medieval village into a widespread-hotel, the novelty of the model consists of the characterization of acceptability and tolerability thresholds of the investment risk, as well as its ability to guarantee the triangular balance between risks, costs and benefits deriving from mitigation options.

scholarly journals Religious Regulation and Churches’ Responses—A Case Study on the Anti-Demolition Actions of Christians in Wenzhou

Religions ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianzhong Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Central Government ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Market Operation ◽  
Government Planning ◽  
The Cost

This article focuses on the characteristics, causes, and patterns of the anti-demolition actions by churches in Wenzhou. Based on my six field studies from July 2014 to February 2016, I discovered that: (1) these actions are more explicit in Wenzhou churches due to their regional distinctiveness; (2) a wide range of differences can be observed among Wenzhou churches due to their doctrinal diversity; and (3) ‘poor pastors’ have taken the leadership roles in the anti-demolition activities instead of the ‘boss Christians’. Considering the ongoing tension in the Chinese religious environment between central government planning and free market operation, the author points out that the pastoral district system in Wenzhou plays a very important role in anti-demolition and offers the ‘cost–benefit’ exchange theory to explain the pattern of the anti-demolition activities by Wenzhou churches.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Cost of Failure Risk: A Case Study of the Kang-Wei-Kou Stream Diversion Project

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 2881
Author(s):  
Chung-Yuan Liang ◽  
Yuan-Heng Wang ◽  
Gene Jiing-Yun You ◽  
Po-Chun Chen ◽  
Emilie Lo
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Type I ◽  
Original Design ◽  
The Monte Carlo Method ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
The Cost

For water resource engineering projects, some potential risks that are unclear and difficult to investigate are the most crucial problem for engineers. This study presents a unique case of unknown risks, the Kang-Wei-Kou (KWK) Diversion project, which collapsed due to an unexpected hydraulic jump resulting from uneven regional rainfall. We used HEC-RAS incorporating Monte Carlo simulations for analyzing the potential risks to the original design of the KWK Diversion, concerning boundary conditions. An extreme value type I distribution was selected as the form of probability density function (PDF) to upstream discharge, whereas a normal distribution was selected as the form of PDF to downstream water depth, as boundary conditions. Applying the Monte Carlo method, the analysis revealed that the probability of failure was 7.5%, which was non-negligible and should have been considered in the design plan. This case study indicates that overlooking downstream conditions can lead a major facility to fail, and a stochastic analysis could be a way to find out potential risks. We also applied the cost–benefit analysis to review whether the design plans were appropriately estimated with careful risk based consideration.

scholarly journals Silvicultural Management System Applied to Logged Forests in the Brazilian Amazon: A Case Study of Adaptation of Techniques to Increase the Yield and Diversity of Species Forestry

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 509
Author(s):  
Agust Sales ◽  
Marco Antonio Siviero ◽  
Sabrina Benmuyal Vieira ◽  
Jorge Alberto Gazel Yared ◽  
Ademir Roberto Ruschel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management System ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Silvicultural Management ◽  
The Cost

The existence of degraded forests is common in the Eastern Amazon. The maintenance of these forests standing and the recovery of their productivity play an important role in the conservation of biodiversity, storage and carbon sequestration. However, the management techniques currently employed are designed for natural forests in the first harvest cycle or lightly explored and do not apply adequately to forests that have gone through several harvest cycles. Therefore, adaptations and the establishment of new management criteria that take into account other characteristics of these types of forests are necessary to ensure their sustainability. The objective of this study was to propose a silvicultural management system that has the potential to recover and perpetuate the productivity of an intensively logged tropical forest. A forest census was carried out on 535.6 ha for trees with dbh ≥ 25 cm. With these data, the following two treatments were designed: (1) criteria: the BDq method was applied from B = 9.8 m2 ha−1, D = 100 cm and q = 2. The criteria for standing wood commercialization were, in this order, first, Health; second, Tree Stem; third, Tree Density and fourth, dbh ≥ 105 cm. (2) Control: the planning was in accordance with Brazilian regulations. For the cost–benefit and sensitivity analysis, the Net Present Value (NPV) was used and a projection of ±20% was made in the commercial price of standing wood. In the criteria treatment, a higher number of trees and species destined for the commercialization of standing wood was verified in relation to the control treatment, showing a greater diversity of species. In the criteria treatment, NPV was positive and superior to the control treatment in all scenarios. The proposed silvicultural management system with an object of an explored and enriched forest, with criteria for harvesting trees with a minimum cut diameter of 25 cm, proved to be viable to generate economic returns and with conservationist potential for the continuous supply of forest products and maintaining biodiversity.

scholarly journals Climate-Smart Agriculture in the Northeast of Brazil: An Integrated Assessment of the Aquaponics Technology

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maíra Finizola e Silva ◽  
Steven Van Passel
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
The Social ◽  
Smart Agriculture ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Positive Results ◽  
Semi Arid

The purpose of this study is to determine if aquaponic systems can reduce food insecurity in the semi-arid regions of Brazil and generate income for the beneficiaries. Aquaponics is a potentially sustainable way to produce food based on gardening, hydroponics and aquaculture. A case study, based on a project called Aquaponova, was developed. The aquaponic systems currently used in the project are non-commercial and designed for households with limited resources. The data based on six existing systems within this project were used to compare the costs and the benefits. The cost–benefit analysis covers four scenarios and three financing options. The results show that aquaponic systems have a large potential and can reduce food insecurity in semi-arid regions while generating income for the beneficiaries. Even if the system only produces 40% of the total estimated production, the system will still be feasible. However, the low opportunity cost of labour is an essential factor for obtaining these positive results. Moreover, the social benefits, such as a community spirit and the health benefits of the system, should not be underestimated.

scholarly journals Cost–benefit analysis of a staff recreation centre project: build or lease? – A Case Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Monica Singhania
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
Employee Morale ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Community Centre

This case study aims at comprehensively assessing a decision by XYZ Ltd (name withheld due to confidentiality), New Delhi, on whether to build or to lease a recreation centre for its rank-and-file employees. Based on a cost–benefit analysis, we concluded that the centre should be built since the company would recover its investment within 11 years. Apart from the financial considerations, the recreation centre could be considered a long-term investment in employee morale, as it would lead to a better quality of life for the staff and their families, and is likely to enhance their sense of belonging and improve productivity. To date, what little space there is available for hosting family functions is reserved for the use of the officers, and only officers and their families are invited to most company functions. Thus, the other employees feel neglected by the management. Hiring a community centre external to the organisation for a function would involve spending a lot of money as the company is located in a prime real estate area where the cost of land and rentals is huge, and sometimes even availability is an issue. Most of the staff cannot afford such places and are generally under a lot of stress whenever they have a family function. This, in turn, tends to affect their productivity. 

The cost benefit of near‐surface geophysics: A case study

1996 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 1029-1031
Author(s):  
Mustafa Saribudak
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Near Surface Geophysics ◽  
The Cost

scholarly journals Reliability and Maintenance Management Analysis on OffShore Wind Turbines (OWTs)

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7662
Author(s):  
Jose V. Taboada ◽  
Vicente Diaz-Casas ◽  
Xi Yu
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Cost ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Outcome Analysis ◽  
The Cost

Due to the extreme marine operating environment, the remoteness from the maintenance base, and the expensive specialized accessibility and overhaul equipment needed (e.g., barges, boats, ships, and vessels), offshore O&M costs are greater than those for onshore-based installations. In the operation of wind farms, the main challenges are related to sudden and unexpected failures and downtimes. This paper has three main objectives. The first is to compare and optimize implementation techniques for maintenance strategies. The second is to analyze the cost-benefit of each maintenance strategy model. The third objective is to demonstrate the optimization and effectiveness of maintenance procedures and strategies recreated with stochastic and probabilistic life cycle cost (LCC) models, depending upon the degree of reliability and the maintenance process for offshore wind farms. The cost of operation and maintenance is directly dependent on failure rates, spare parts costs, and the time required by technicians to perform each task in the maintenance program. Calculations for each case study, with either light vessel/transfer boats (Alternative 1) or oilfield support vessels (Alternative 2), focused on the operational costs for transportation. In addition, each case study demonstrated which maintenance conditions and strategies are operational and optimal, and their corresponding cost–risk impacts. Results from this paper suggest that O&M costs are highly correlated with maintenance round frequency (offshore trips) and the operating costs for transportation by light vessel/transfer boat (CTV) and oil-field support vessel (FSV). The paper analyzes cumulative lifecycle costs and finds that for long-term life cycles (25 years), the implement of light vessels (Alternative 1) is more suitable and cost-effective. In contrast, oilfield support vessels (Alternative 2) are more expensive to operate, but they guarantee major capabilities, as well as the advantage of achieving the access levels need to efficiently operate. According to the results obtained by the outcome analysis, it can be concluded that the implementation of light vessels (Alternative 1) shows a lower overall LCC (<million $), which is mainly due to the fact that corrective maintenance and minor repairs are less costly. It should be noted that the cost of major repair operations with light vessels in Alternative 1 is still less than the high costs for minor repairs in Alternative 2 (with FSV).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document