A Project Over Constructing A Bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Project Over Constructing A Bridge - Essay Example Concrete and steel were the most popular choice on constructing a bridge. Other materials to use include iron, stones, wood, and plastics. The stones are useful in handling the compression forces. Wood, iron, and plastics were only to be used to support the bridge when the construction took over. Steel is more like an iron but has high strength in both tension and compression. Steel is a ductile material where it can be shaped or bent into different forms, unlike an iron that is brittle, meaning it can break suddenly. Steel also deflects or yields before failure. That was why they preferred using steel rather iron, though it is expensive.Concrete was the second relevant material that was to be used. Cement is made of limestone and clay. Cement is a component required in making the concrete. Cement was mixed with water, and the aggregate comprising coarse and fine aggregates and hardened to a mass called concrete. The concrete is a versatile material and was easily shaped into differe nt forms of the bridge setup. The concrete was not made very strong in compression because it would very weak in tension; instead, the steel was embedded into the concrete to handle the tensile forces. The mixture of concrete with embedded steel was referred to as the reinforced concrete. Typical material properties that were usedThe structural engineers used material properties when they were designing bridge members. They considered the stress, strain, Young’s modulus and compressive strength of the material.

King Henry VIII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

King Henry VIII - Essay Example In 1503, Henry became the Prince of Wales and in that very year his mother and grandmother were gathered unto their forefathers. In the year 1509, his father passed away and he ascended the throne as Henry the VIII (HENRY VIII (r. 1509-1547)). At that time England was an isolated kingdom in Europe. It had limited natural resources. England was surrounded by the sea on three sides. Scotland was to its north. The Scots were inimical to the English they joined forces with France, which was also an enemy of England. His father Henry VII had strived hard to restore independence to England and to enrich it in all respects. In order to achieve these goals, Henry VII had executed his opponents and enemies and annexed their properties in England. He had increased the amount of taxes to enrich the crown. He was disinterested in wars as they depleted the wealth of the nation. His son had totally different ideas in this respect and after his coronation; he adopted novel means to expand the power of England and to make it the greatest power in Europe (Kishlansky). Henry VIII was inimical of France and in the year 1513, he mounted a successful campaign against the French. This infuriated the Scots who waged a war against England. This engagement was famous as the Battle of Flodden Field. In that battle, the armies of Henry established their supremacy over that of the Scots. James IV, the king of Scotland was killed in that battle (Kishlansky). Henry VIII played the role of an arbitrator between France and Spain. He provoked these countries to wage war against each other, in order to assume a superior position in Europe. His subsequent military operations were failures. In the year 1520, Henry met with the king of France, Francis I, in France. Their meeting was a spectacular event in Europe. Despite, the existence of diplomatic relations with each other, they were unable to stop the

Strategic Analysis Of Crh Plc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Analysis Of Crh Plc - Case Study Example It now utilises a unique strategy for corporate management, strategy and competitive drives. The report will first identify the strategy that CRH pursues. This will involve the critical analysis of the strategic approach used by the company to attain success over its history. The second section of the essay will examine the nature of parenting advantages that CRH has attained. It will examine the extent to which CRH has created value over the years by vertical integration and entrance into other markets. The third segment of the paper will critique the corporate-level management of the company and how this has been used to attain optimal results. This strategic analysis will involve the critique of secondary sources to ascertain important ideas and concepts. This will be applied in the analysis and eventually culminate in the final portion which will involve the development of a programme for future action by the corporate management team of CRH. Strategy of CRH Strategy is defined a s â€Å"the way a company creates value through the configuration and coordination of its multimarketing activities† (Furrer, 2011 p2). This means strategy is about the ways a means a company makes the best of its activities to provide optimum results from its affairs. Johnson and Scholes state that strategy has three main features: 1. It is a long-term plan 2. It affects the entire organisation and 3. It involves top level management Strategy is therefore the plan and pattern of an organisation which is used to streamline its affairs in order to deal with competition and thrive in an industry (Langeer and Hapiewocki, 2011). It is formulated by careful examination of the business environment and the formulation of an appropriate strategy (LaForge et al, 2010). The strategy of CRH plc revolves around three things, vertical integration/internationalisation, product development and niche-market leadership. This enables CRH to maintain a robust and strong system of managing acros s a wide frame of activities and products to retain competitive advantage and maintain leverage. Vertical Integration & Internationalisation Vertical integration is the combination in one firm of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate firms (Johnson and Scholes, 2012). This means a firm acquires another entity that operates within its industry and merges the different businesses to operate and attain results. Since the 1970s, CRH has sought to expand and acquire new entities around the world in order to expand into different markets. They used the expertise of the local markets and this allowed them to control different markets and gain advantage in those foreign markets. Through this, CRH, an Irish entity has 50% of its revenue from North America and 35% from Europe and is growing in the emerging markets with 15% of its revenue from this part of the world. Clearly, the process of vertical integration is helping them to control strategic outlets. Product Deve lopment The consequence of globalisation and internationalisation has caused CRH to adapt to the local environments within which they operate. To this end, CRH has become a major entity in product development to fit the exact needs of various global segments they operate within. CRH produces various products and services that are in demand in a given environment and they learn about it through their federal system of management which allows various units to remain autonomous. This enables the various regional leaders to come up with strategies and develop products that are relevant to their unique markets and their unique needs and expectations in the region. Product development is aided by a proactive system where the market research is conducted and revenue generation is examined to attain a

Implemente an creative idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Implemente an creative idea - Essay Example To me that was a total waste of time. After watching the activity in the document room I noticed that those currently used documents and incomplete files are returned as all the other files. However, since these incomplete files are needed on a daily basis in order to save time, it is better to put them at a special location instead of placing them with the others. While I watched and analyzed this method of arranging files I remember a scientific method of arrangement for warehouses which I learned in a supply chain management course. Arrange the location of goods according to the frequency. This method saved lots of time walking and searching files in the document room. Based on my observation and analysis of the situation I suggested to the document room manager to place incomplete files and frequently used files in a position near the door, so that time spent walking locating files could be saved. The result of this new method was quite hard to judge. No one was actually timing and calculating it. According to my co-workers the new method seemed more convenient. To me saying that it was more convenient was a simplification of the issue. The idea that I implemented required the application of the scientific method. We could treat more issues and solve more problems using the user friendly scientific methodology. This is my opinion behind this little creative

Planning an Educational Program Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Planning an Educational Program - Article Example The early educational practitioners realized the significant differences between adult education and the education of younger people. Consequently, adult educations programs were theoretically scrutinized and redesigned to meet the needs of the adult population. Currently, most of the educational programs that are targeting adults are increasingly being planned to ensure quality education for this particular social group (Merriam and Caffarella, 1999, p.47). The history of the contemporary adult educational program models dates back to the periods when the Veteran administration public schools were formed in the 1930s during the great depression. Throughout the 20th century, adult educational programs continued to develop along various disciplinary lines and, therefore, affected the larger organizations (Knowles, 1980, p.70). Some of the notable disciplines that contributed to the growth of these programs included psychology, philosophy, and sociology. For example, the early philosophers attempted to synchronize the theories of adult learning with the learning models through experimental learning. One of the most significant practitioners who championed the use of learning philosophy as a basis of adult learning programs was John Dewey. Dewey particularly pioneered the sub-field of reflective learning which eventually brought a number of new experiences to adult educational theories and perspectives. According to Dewey (1963), â€Å"lea rning is a lifelong process and individuals continue to learn new things and grow throughout their life times† (p.19). This view, however, contradicted the previous view that both growth and learning processes are finite and diminish once an individual has reached adulthood. Dewey also proposed that learning can only take place best within an institutional setting which does not obstruct any experience, and, therefore, learning environments should be designed to create new experiences and develop personality of the learners. The current workshop model of adult education programs is largely built on Dewey’s ideas. The modern models of adult educational programs have also been significantly shaped by developmental psychology, particularly through the use of social psychological theories of adult learning and development. According to these theories, adults are psychologically different from the normal young college students who are often in their adolescence ages. Consequ ently, the adult educational program models should demand a relatively different learning structure. For example, the theory of psychological development suggests that personality development occurs throughout the life span of an individual. As a person grows and matures, there is often a desire for new meanings which naturally is absent in childhood. On the other hand, Havinghurst (1971, p17) believed that the learning processes of adults are largely shaped by their subconscious social developmental tasks such as their need to find a mate, quest of how to live with a partner, how to develop their career goals, and how to establish their civic responsibilities. According to this perspective, adults can only learn best when they use learning programs that motivate and allow them to learn new behaviors that will enable them to achieve these task demands. Similarly, other moral development model of adult education programs were developed on the basis of the demands of cognitive develop ment in adults.

History of education Essay Example for Free

History of education Essay Tamil Nadu is regarded to be one of India’s star performers in the sector of elementary education. The results of the 2001 Census show that Tamil Nadu has attained third position behind Kerala and Maharashtra both in terms of overall and female literacy. It recorded close to 100 per cent gross enrolment ratio (GER) at primary and upper primary levels based on 2007 estimates. A major legislative effort for the universalisation of education in line with the constitutional mandate has been the introduction of the Tamil Nadu Compulsory Education Act, 1994. Under this Act it is the duty of the government to provide the necessary infrastructure (schools and teachers) for ensuring universalisation of elementary education. Parents are also liable to be fined if they do not send their wards to school, though this rule is not very strictly enforced as most of the children not going to school come from poor backgrounds. Tamil Nadu’s high enrolment statistics are also the result of the number of welfare schemes that the State government has introduced in the elementary education sector. The large number of missionary and private schools are also playing a role in the spread of education. The government provides textbooks, uniforms and noon meals to the pupils making it a State where the per child spending is much higher than in educationally backward States such as Bihar, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and others and is higher than the all-India average. The State is making an endeavor to provide primary schools within a one km radius of human habitations with a population of 300 and above to increase their accessibility. It is also a State that has actually spent most of the funds allocated to it by the Centre under the SSA scheme, in contrast to States like UP, Bihar and Assam that have huge unspent amounts. Tamil Nadu students stood first in the country in mathematics, language and reading comprehension skills according to the national mid-term achievement survey of Class III children commissioned by the NCERT in collaboration with the MHRD and the SCERT and SSA wings of the States recently. But it has come to light that local bodies like corporations and municipalities are not fully utilizing money collected as education tax as a percentage of property tax under the Tamil Nadu Elementary Education Act and this is affecting the quality and quantity of formal education provision at the grassroots level. While the general literacy rate in Tamil Nadu as per 2001 data is 73. 5%, wide disparities exist across districts, gender, and area of residence as well as social grouping. The literacy rate of the SC and ST populations are consistently lower in all the districts. The retention rate within and after the primary school level is also not very impressive and there is a high percentage of repeaters. This is particularly so in the case of the STs and SCs. It is to overcome this discrepancy between education offered in different kinds of schools, between rural and urban schools and to overcome other numerous ills that have crept into the education system—such as arbitrary collection of fees, induction of daily waged, inadequately qualified para teachers, rote learning, examination stress, problems related to the medium of instruction and so on—that the State government constituted the Muthukumaran Committee, which submitted its report in 2007. This committee had the mandate to work out a framework of a uniform pattern of education in Tamil Nadu and to make recommendations for improving its quality. The report of the Committee recommends only one autonomous board, The Tamil Nadu State Secondary School Education Board, instead of the existing four State level boards—Matriculation, Anglo-Indian, Oriental and State Board. Schools coming under this integrated Board would follow a common syllabus ensuring an equitable school education in the State not conferring any undue advantages with regard to admission into higher educational institutions for students completing their school education from one particular Board. Equitable standard education is to be provided by a Common School or Neighbourhood School system, which with uniform syllabi would help to ‘decommercialise’ educational institutions and put an end to many a private management that does not feel sufficiently accountable to society in this crucial sector. The spiraling cost of education starting at the nursery level is cementing caste-class and rural-urban divisions. A common school system using the mother tongue as a medium of instruction would make equal education accessible to all without discrimination. A common school system also means a common examination pattern. The report of the Committee advocates a reasonable teacher-student ratio of not more than 1:30 and doing away with faulty textbooks and a system of rote learning. It emphasizes the promotion of analytical and rational skills that would equip the students to learn by themselves; a testing and evaluation pattern that involves the application of concepts learnt rather than mere reproduction of facts. The school syllabus should not overload students with information but instead kindle their interest in the subject and teach them how to search for more information and conceptualize it. Traditional knowledge should be incorporated and made part of school education. Evaluation should be comprehensive and not just of academic achievements, and that too only marks based. Evaluation should include an assessment of student abilities and performance in academics, the arts, sports and games, values, reading habits, character, conduct and other extra-curricular activities. Schools should not only lay emphasis on academic subjects but also on moral education. Here the Committee suggests that it may be better to have a progress book with entries made from time to time and also periodically sent to the parents so that they may be made aware of their child’s progress. Regular consultation with parents about their wards’ progress and achievements and educational goals is a must. A sheet of paper containing marks obtained in public exams is not enough to understand a student’s development and potential. If the marks obtained in only one exam are going to decide the person’s admission into an institute of higher learning then all stress is on preparing for this exam neglecting other exams and activities. The chance or temptation to indulge in malpractices is also high. Marks obtained in a one-time exam also are no accurate reflection of the student’s actual knowledge and achievement level and potential. Treating exams and marks as more important than life itself has meant the death of many a student. Finally, children belonging to linguistic minorities should be allowed to gain instruction in their respective mother tongue, while all students in standards 5 or 8 ought to have a specific level of knowledge in Tamil and English so that these languages can be used for communication. No student should be dropped and he/she should be allowed to grow in the chosen field of interest and in accordance with their individual capability. A simple pass or fail should certainly not be a deciding factor in a person’s life. While the government has accepted the notion of one board for school education other major recommendations of the Muthukumaran Committee on education reforms are being sidelined by the State government. In fact, some government run schools are changing the medium of instruction to English and not all schools teach Tamil, though this is compulsory as per current State education law. Moreover, schools with an eye on the results in board exams and aiming at future lucrative career possibilities for their students are introducing modern European languages like French (German is waiting to be introduced on a larger scale on the school level) that are supposedly high scoring subjects in comparison to Tamil, which is seen to be difficult even by those whose mother tongue it is. There is almost everywhere an exodus from government run schools to aided or private schools because of the perceived better quality and the lure of an English medium education, which is regarded by parents to be necessary in today’s world. It is to remain viable and not lose out in this competition for students that government run schools are increasingly offering English medium instruction also, although the English medium sections are permitted only on a self-financing basis. The non-acceptance of important recommendations by the Muthukumaran committee is thus in line with the general pro-globalisation trend in the Tamil Nadu economy as a whole. Current education system Why is India still a developing country and what is stopping it from being a developed country? India’s education system as a stumbling block towards its objectives of achieving inclusive growth. India is going to experience a paradox of nearly 90 million people joining the workforce but most of them will lack requiste skills and the mindset for productiveemployment according to a report in DNA. India has about 550 million people under the age of 25 years out of which only 11% are enrolled in tertiary institutions compared to the world average of 23%. . I will be focussing on how the education system’s failure is leading to another social issue of income inequality and hence, suggest certain policies to improve India’s education system and reduce inequality. Problems and drawbacks The really critical aspect of Indian public education system is its low quality. The actual quantity of schooling that children experience and the quality of teaching they receive are extremely insufficient ingovernment schools. A common feature in all government schools is the poor quality of education, with weak infrastructure and inadequate pedagogic attention. What the government is not realising right now is that education which is a source of human capital can create wide income inequalities. It will be surprising to see how income inequalities are created within the same group of educated peopleSo if the government does not improve education system particularly in rural areas the rich will become richer and the poor will get poorer. Hence, it is imperative for the government to correct the blemishes in India’s education system which will also be a step towards reducing income inequality. Another reason for poor quality of education is the poor quality of teachers in government schools . Government schools are unable to attract good quality teachers due to inadequate teaching facilities and low salaries. The government currently spends only 3% of its GDP on education which is inadequate and insufficient. To improve the quality of education , the government needs to spend more money from its coffers on education. Most economists feel that the only panacea to the ills of the public schooling system is the voucher scheme. Under the voucher system, parents are allowed to choose a school for their children and they get full or partial reimbursement for the expenses from the government. But however, the voucher system will further aggravate the problem of poor quality of education in government schools. Such a system will shift resources from government schools to private schools. This will worsen the situation of government schools which are already under-funded. Moreover, if the same amount given as vouchers can be used to build infrastructure in schools then the government can realize economies of scale. For example- The centre for civil society is providing vouchers worth Rs 4000 per annum to 308 girls. This means that the total amount of money given as vouchers is Rs 1232000. If the same amount can be used to construct a school and employ high quality teachers who are paid well then a larger section of the society will enjoy the benefit of education. A school can definitely accommodate a minimum of 1000 students. I hope government takes certain appropriate policy measures to improve the education system otherwise inequalities are going to be widespread and India’s basic capabilities will remain stunted. Let us strengthen the case for a stronger education system. Conclusion Certain policy measures need to be taken by the government. The basic thrust of government education spending today must surely be to ensure that all children have access to government schools and to raise the quality of education in those schools. One of the ways in which the problem of poor quality of education can be tackled is through common schooling. This essentially means sharing of resources between private and public schools. Shift system is one of the ways through which common schooling can be achieved. The private school can use the resources during the first half of the day and the government school can use it during the second half. It is important to remember that the quality of education is directly linked to the resources available and it is important for the government to improve resource allocation to bring about qualitative changes in the field of education. Common schooling is one of the ways in which government can use limited resources in an efficient way and thus improve resource allocation.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Essay Example for Free

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Essay 1. PURPOSE: This Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) defines how to conduct clearing, disassembling, cleaning, inspection for serviceability, and lubricating and reassembling of the M4 and/or the M4A1 carbine on a weekly basis. 2. APPLICABILITY: 3rd Platoon, HHC, 5th Signal Command 3. REFERENCES: Lubricate order (LO); Soldier Training Publication 21-1-Soldier Manual of Common Task; TM 9–1005–319–10; and DA Form 2404, Equipment Inspection and Maintenance Worksheet. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES: a. All Soldiers will be responsible for properly clearing, disassembling, cleaning, inspecting for serviceability, lubricating, and reassembling of their M4 or M4A1. b. All Soldiers will be responsible for their assigned weapon and make sure weekly maintenance is conducted and inform the unit armorer of any deficiencies found during training or weapon maintenance. c. Complete three copies of DA Form 2404 for each M4 or M4A1 carbine. Turn in one copy to the armorer, Keep one copy for individual records, and give a copy to the platoon sergeant. 5. PROCEDURES: a. Weapons will be checked and cleared prior to disassembly of your weapon. When clearing your weapon, put your weapon on safe if not done so already, and have your battle buddy ensure that the firing chamber is clear. b. When disassembling your weapon, follow procedures IAW TM 9-1005-319-10 for proper instructions. When disassembly is completed, keep all components in a centralized location so as to prevent misplacing weapon parts. c. Clean each part with the required weapons cleaning kit provided to you by the arms room. Ensure that all parts are free of dirt, grime, dust, and carbon. d. Upon cleaning, inspect your weapon to ensure that there are no missing  components, cracks, dents, or other discrepancies that would interfere with the weapon’s operation. Any and all discrepancies will be annotated on DA From 2404, Equipment Inspection, and Maintenance Worksheet. 6. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS: The arms room is open daily from 0900 hrs to 1630 hrs.