scholarly journals Edifice Complex: Managing Risk During Construction

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. e26119
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Hirsch ◽  
Roger Rudy ◽  
Taylor Wright
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Critical Path ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Preventive Conservation ◽  
Museum Professionals ◽  
Managing Risk

As the museum building serves a critical role in preventive conservation, its maintenance and repair represent important measures to ensure the safekeeping of cultural heritage. Construction projects can be key to the long-term preservation of the building, and in turn advance the need for collection care, but the construction process itself introduces risk from a variety of sources. Moreover, safety concerns related to building projects often restrict access to portions of the building, complicating the work of museum professionals who have a responsibility for preserving collection material but may not be directly involved in day-to-day construction activities. What are the problems of most potential destruction to building contents, and where can planning make a world of difference in reducing risk? This presentation presents an overview of the construction process, using a critical path schedule as an introduction for people who’ve not participated in a capital project. Discussion will identify how risk changes according to the phase of construction, where work increases the vulnerability of collection material and what measures can be taken early in a project to manage these factors. The presenters will focus on fire protection during construction, referencing published reports about incidents of damage and their causes, then connecting this data to challenges unique to museum projects. Budgets and museum professionals’ time should be directed toward mitigating damage based on a risk assessment built upon data that exists from multiple sources within the construction industry.

COMPARISION OF ALTERNATIVE CONSTRUCTION DISPUTE RESOLUTION MEASURES

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Quapp ◽  
Klaus Holschemacher
Keyword(s):  
Dispute Resolution ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Alternative Dispute Resolution ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Legal Proceedings ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Industry Practice

Construction projects often are particularly susceptible to conflicts due to their long-term character and complexity. In Germany, courts must deal with around 100,000 construction dispute litigations per year. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) can be an alternative to expensive as well as time-consuming litigation and can help to relieve the judicial system. Furthermore, ADR may contribute to the satisfying settlement of a dispute between parties involved in the construction process and thus help to reach construction projects’ completion on time and within budget. Often, ADR mechanisms such as adjudication, mediation, and conciliation will be used. The paper analyzes the development of ADR in Germany in conjunction with European legal aspects. With special reference to the construction industry practice in Germany, various ADR measures and their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the current situation, will be explained. The authors conclude that, although ADR in Germany has experienced an upswing since the 1990s, it is used only to a small extent for settling disputes in construction projects. An increased knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of different ADR measures in the construction industry would lead to more frequent uses of ADR. That, and a clever and detailed contract design, which helps to avoid conflicts basing on unclear contract contents, could save money and relieve the courts from time-consuming legal proceedings.

scholarly journals TIME REDUCTION EFFECT OF THE ENHANCED TACT METHOD FOR HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 944-953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donghoon LEE ◽  
Dong-Sub KIM ◽  
Gwang-Hee KIM ◽  
Sunkuk KIM
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Critical Path ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Schedule Management ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Time Reduction ◽  
Reduction Effect ◽  
Line Of Balance

The finish work on high-rise residential buildings is performed simultaneously with mechanical and electrical construction work, which results in frequent work interference and delay. This significantly hinders efficient schedule management. Critical Path Method (CPM) is inefficient when applied to high-rise residential building projects in which work is repeatedly carried out for each floor. Line-of-Balance (LOB) is widely used for its effectiveness in managing repetitive work. LOB was developed into TACT and eTACT (enhanced-TACT) to combine heterogeneous works con­tinuously. In particular, the eTACT schedule management method has an advantage in that it is capable of systemati­cally connecting detailed construction, mechanical and electrical construction projects using a work planning template. This study evaluates the time reduction effect of the eTACT method for a high-rise residential building. A comparative analysis of data on 102 cases of non-applied projects and 44 cases of projects using the eTACT method over a period of 10 years is presented to verify its effectiveness. The result shows that finish work time was reduced by 25% or about 53 days on average.

Astronomical collections in Observatories: promoting preventive conservation

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S367) ◽  
pp. 505-507
Author(s):  
Maria Rosalia Carotenuto ◽  
Ileana Chinnici ◽  
Donatella Randazzo
Keyword(s):  
Degradation Process ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Scientific Heritage ◽  
Preventive Conservation ◽  
Historical Collections ◽  
Historical Objects ◽  
Conservation Plan ◽  
Conservation Projects ◽  
Managing Risk

AbstractThe practice of preventive conservation of cultural heritage consists of “all measures and actions aimed at avoiding and minimizing future deterioration or loss” of it (ICOM-CC, 2008). Unlike conservation treatments, preventive conservation deals with entire collections and their surrounding environment. It is known that exposing historical objects to the environment has a significant impact on their degradation process. Studying and managing risk factors is an indispensable practice within the management policies of any cultural institution. The National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) holds some valuable historical collections, heritage derived from the Italian contribution to astronomy over the centuries. The management and protection of these collections faces many challenges. A preventive conservation plan, aimed at assessing and managing risks that threaten the collections, may offer many long-term benefits, allowing us to use available resources in the best possible way. In the past few years INAF-Astronomical Observatory “G.S.Vaiana” of Palermo has been working on the development of preventive conservation projects for its archival, bibliographic and scientific heritage. The present contribution reports on these ongoing experiences and intends to stimulate a discussion within the scientific community in order to individuate the problems we are called to respond to in Astronomical Observatories.

Formation Of An Estimate For A State Contract With A Firm Price In The Construction Sector

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-57
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Cost Of Capital ◽  
Federal Budget ◽  
The State ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Capital Construction

The issues of determining the estimated cost of capital construction projects with the involvement of Federal budget funds at the stage of development of project documentation, during verification of the accuracy of determining the estimated cost and the initial (maximum) contract price are considered. On the basis of the assessment of amendments to urban planning legislation for the purpose of implementing a state contract by the contractor ( based on the results of competitive procedures or without competitive procedures by decision of state authorities), the procedure for forming the estimate as part of a state (municipal) contract, the price of which is firm, is presented. For the purpose of mutual settlements between the customer and the contractor for the work performed, the formation of primary accounting documentation, as well as for checking the work performed by regulatory authorities, an example of drawing up an estimate of the state (municipal) contract on the basis of grouping costs according to structural elements and complexes of work is given. The result of the research conducted was the development of regulations and the formation of criteria for their practical application by state bodies, institutions, organizations and other participants in the investment-construction process, as well as recipients of budget funds, who perform the functions of the state (municipal) customer, developer and technical customer.

Configurations to Superior Environmental Innovation Strategy: A Both–And Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 108602662110316
Author(s):  
Tiziana Russo-Spena ◽  
Nadia Di Paola ◽  
Aidan O’Driscoll
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Environmental Innovation ◽  
Data Set

An effective climate change action involves the critical role that companies must play in assuring the long-term human and social well-being of future generations. In our study, we offer a more holistic, inclusive, both–and approach to the challenge of environmental innovation (EI) that uses a novel methodology to identify relevant configurations for firms engaging in a superior EI strategy. A conceptual framework is proposed that identifies six sets of driving characteristics of EI and two sets of beneficial outcomes, all inherently tensional. Our analysis utilizes a complementary rather than an oppositional point of view. A data set of 65 companies in the ICT value chain is analyzed via fuzzy-set comparative analysis (fsQCA) and a post-QCA procedure. The results reveal that achieving a superior EI strategy is possible in several scenarios. Specifically, after close examination, two main configuration groups emerge, referred to as technological environmental innovators and organizational environmental innovators.

scholarly journals Overexpression of MdATG8i improves water use efficiency in transgenic apple by modulating photosynthesis, osmotic balance, and autophagic activity under moderate water deficit

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Jia ◽  
Ke Mao ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Xumei Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Photosynthetic Capacity ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Moderate Drought ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Autophagic Activity

AbstractWater deficit is one of the major limiting factors for apple (Malus domestica) production on the Loess Plateau, a major apple cultivation area in China. The identification of genes related to the regulation of water use efficiency (WUE) is a crucial aspect of crop breeding programs. As a conserved degradation and recycling mechanism in eukaryotes, autophagy has been reported to participate in various stress responses. However, the relationship between autophagy and WUE regulation has not been explored. We have shown that a crucial autophagy protein in apple, MdATG8i, plays a role in improving salt tolerance. Here, we explored its biological function in response to long-term moderate drought stress. The results showed that MdATG8i-overexpressing (MdATG8i-OE) apple plants exhibited higher WUE than wild-type (WT) plants under long-term moderate drought conditions. Plant WUE can be increased by improving photosynthetic efficiency. Osmoregulation plays a critical role in plant stress resistance and adaptation. Under long-term drought conditions, the photosynthetic capacity and accumulation of sugar and amino acids were higher in MdATG8i-OE plants than in WT plants. The increased photosynthetic capacity in the OE plants could be attributed to their ability to maintain optimal stomatal aperture, organized chloroplasts, and strong antioxidant activity. MdATG8i overexpression also promoted autophagic activity, which was likely related to the changes described above. In summary, our results demonstrate that MdATG8i-OE apple lines exhibited higher WUE than WT under long-term moderate drought conditions because they maintained robust photosynthesis, effective osmotic adjustment processes, and strong autophagic activity.

scholarly journals Wire-in-Wire TiO2/C Nanofibers Free-Standing Anodes for Li-Ion and K-Ion Batteries with Long Cycling Stability and High Capacity

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Die Su ◽  
Yi Pei ◽  
Li Liu ◽  
Zhixiao Liu ◽  
Junfang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Electronic Conductivity ◽  
Specific Capacity ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Cycling Stability ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
High Specific Capacity ◽  
Tetracarboxylic Dianhydride ◽  
Carbon Network

AbstractWearable and portable mobile phones play a critical role in the market, and one of the key technologies is the flexible electrode with high specific capacity and excellent mechanical flexibility. Herein, a wire-in-wire TiO2/C nanofibers (TiO2 ww/CN) film is synthesized via electrospinning with selenium as a structural inducer. The interconnected carbon network and unique wire-in-wire nanostructure cannot only improve electronic conductivity and induce effective charge transports, but also bring a superior mechanic flexibility. Ultimately, TiO2 ww/CN film shows outstanding electrochemical performance as free-standing electrodes in Li/K ion batteries. It shows a discharge capacity as high as 303 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 after 6000 cycles in Li half-cells, and the unique structure is well-reserved after long-term cycling. Moreover, even TiO2 has a large diffusion barrier of K+, TiO2 ww/CN film demonstrates excellent performance (259 mAh g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 after 1000 cycles) in K half-cells owing to extraordinary pseudocapacitive contribution. The Li/K full cells consisted of TiO2 ww/CN film anode and LiFePO4/Perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride cathode possess outstanding cycling stability and demonstrate practical application from lighting at least 19 LEDs. It is, therefore, expected that this material will find broad applications in portable and wearable Li/K-ion batteries.

scholarly journals A Mixed-Methods Investigation into Barriers for Sharing Geospatial and Resilience Flood Data in the UK

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1235
Author(s):  
Luke Waterman ◽  
Mónica Rivas Casado ◽  
Emma Bergin ◽  
Gary McInally
Keyword(s):  
Data Sharing ◽  
Local Politics ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Third Sector Organisations ◽  
Data Points ◽  
The Uk

With increases in average temperature and rainfall predicted, more households are expected to be at risk of flooding in the UK by 2050. Data and technologies are increasingly playing a critical role across public-, private- and third-sector organisations. However, barriers and constraints exist across organisations and industries that limit the sharing of data. We examine the international context for data sharing and variations between data-rich and data-sparse countries. We find that local politics and organisational structures influence data sharing. We focus on the case study of the UK, and on geospatial and flood resilience data in particular. We use a series of semi-structured interviews to evaluate data sharing limitations, with particular reference to geospatial and flood resilience data. We identify barriers and constraints when sharing data between organisations. We find technological, security, privacy, cultural and commercial barriers across different use cases and data points. Finally, we provide three long-term recommendations to improve the overall accessibility to flood data and enhance outcomes for organisations and communities.

scholarly journals Identification of geodetic risk factors occurring at the construction project preparation stage

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Kowacka ◽  
Dariusz Skorupka ◽  
Artur Duchaczek ◽  
Paweł Zagrodnik
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
The Road ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Preparation Stage

AbstractThe work contains information on the implementation of surveying works in the road construction process. The aim of the research was to identify geodetic risk factors occurring at the stage of preparation of a construction project, the presence of which can greatly disrupt the undertaking such as the road construction. The research was carried out on the basis of expert knowledge, documentation obtained from various road construction projects and the analysis of disturbances at the initial stage of works.

scholarly journals Radiation Necrosis of the Lateral Skull Base and Temporal Bone

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (04) ◽  
pp. 265-271
Author(s):  
Marc W. Herr ◽  
Aurora G. Vincent ◽  
Meghan A. Skotnicki ◽  
Yadranko Ducic ◽  
Spiros Manolidis
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Temporal Bone ◽  
Radiation Necrosis ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Normal Tissues ◽  
Lateral Skull Base ◽  
The Many ◽  
Work Up

AbstractRadiation therapy plays a critical role in the treatment of malignancies involving the head and neck. Although the therapeutic effects of ionizing radiation are achieved, normal tissues are also susceptible to injury and significant long-term sequelae. Osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone (ORNTB) is among the many complications that can arise after therapy. ORNTB is a debilitating and potentially lethal condition that continues to challenge patients and treating physicians. Herein, we review the pathophysiology, presentation, work-up, and management of ORNTB.

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