Construction Process

INTRODUCTION Construction is a vast process where a lot of obstacles are faced. It can be because of the conditions of the terrain where a construction is on-going or because of the nature of the construction itself which causes the difficulties. So to overcome some of these or most of it there is always surveys done before a construction is started. Therefore a survey is a part of the construction process.And these surveys can be of different types depending on the situation of the construction process for example the surveys done before the start of the construction and at the surveys during the construction and after finishing the construction varies hence the purpose of these surveys as well as the instruments and the procedures for the surveys varies. Since then it is important to know some of the obstacles which we face at the different faces of constructions and how we deal with them to bring a solution to make the process of construction easier and safer.This assignment is a partial fulfilment of the Geomatic Engineering (ECV 3213) coursework, this will cover an explanatory report on how to overcome the obstructions to horizontal distance measurement using tape, permanent tests and adjustments for accuracy in theodolite, digital terrain modelling and verticality check / control for multi-story building works during construction. The report will discuss three examples of obstructions to horizontal distance measurement while using tape and how it is dealt to overcome this or solutions for these obstructions.For the permanent tests and adjustments for accuracy in theodolite, the collimation in azimuth, the spire and plate level tests will be taken as consideration and deliberated. Also more explanations on the remaining two items will be discussed. In the report purpose of the instruments or methods used, the procedures, the advantages and disadvantages, some practical applications with examples will be discussed. Further more relevant illustrations and sk etches will be included.The aim of the assignment is to carry out a literature search and read about the above mentioned four important items in the field of surveying and learn and understand the significance of these for the construction process hence for the surveying. The objective is to give the readers a clear cut Image of the topics and how it is practically applied in the field and provide the readers with relevant and understandable information.

How Has Physical Theatre Changed Over Time Essay

Physical theatre is a form of performance where movement and physicality of the body has the main part within a performance. There are several quite distinct traditions of performance which all describe themselves using the term â€Å"physical theatre†, which has led to a lot of confusion as to what the definition of physical theatre actually is. The term physical theatre has been applied to performances consisting mainly of mime, contemporary dance, theatrical clowning and other physical comedy (such as slapstick), puppetry and mask work and theatrical acrobatics and lifts. One of the early practitioners of physical theatre was Artaud. His ideas included total theatre, wherein actors appeal to all of the audience’s senses; he rejected the idea of the proscenium arch and directed his actors to use the space in different ways. It was also his view that in performance, all expression was physical expression. Whereas Steven Berkoff’s style incorporates actors using their whole bodies, including facial expressions to tell the audience the story, and actors using their bodies to create sound effects. He is also a great believer in Le Coq’s seven states of tension, in this exercise the actor will move through seven different body states, starting off as exhausted and lazy and finishing in an the highest state of tension. The style of physical theatre can differ widely, but generally in a performance of physical theatre the audience would expect to see: elements of contemporary dance (fluid, graceful movements), detailed mime, as there are often limited props in physical theatre performances, complex lifts sometimes with several people, acrobatics and gymnastics and many fast-paced moments where actors will be stretching the limits of their bodies. One of the first instances of physicality being used within theatres was by the Greeks, as they used a lot of mime and pantomime acts within their performances. The performance of pantomime originates from Ancient Greece, the first recorded pantomime actor being TelestÄ“s in the play Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus. Mime is u sed to give actors a way of portraying feelings, emotions, and entire stories through movement and expression, which helps in telling the overall story. It gives a focus on expression and movement, and it takes away speech, which makes performers use their bodies and their faces to show to the audience what is happening, therefore making it physical theatre as the body is used rather than the voice. Around the  16th century, Italian theatre developed, what they called, Commedia dell’arte, which is a form of theatre characterized by masked â€Å"types† which began in Italy in the 16th century. The Commedia dell’art characters first began to appear in English plays around 1660. This style of theatre has three important aspects to it; mask, music and costumes. The audience was able to pick up from each character’s dress the type of person he was representing. For example, loose–fitting garments alternated with very tight, and jarring color contrasts opposed monochrome outfits. Males would identify themselves with character-specific costumes and half masks and all the fixed character types, the figure s of fun or satire, wore colored leather masks. Today in Italy handcrafted theatre masks are still created in the ancient tradition of carnacialesca (carnival). Commedia dell’arte is classed as physical theatre as masks forced actors to project their characters’ emotions through the body. Leaps, tumbles, stock gags, obscene gestures and slapstick antics were incorporated into their acts. Pantomime (informally panto), is a type of musical comedy stage production, designed for family entertainment. The origins of pantomime go back to ancient Rome, and was developed in England to generally be performed during the Christmas and New Year season. Modern pantomime includes songs, slapstick comedy and dancing, employs gender-crossing actors, and combines topical humour with a story loosely based on a well-known fairy tale. It is a participatory form of theatre, in which the audience is expected to sing along with certain parts of the music and shout out phrases to the performers. The development of English pantomime was strongly influenced by commedia dell’arte. This was a â€Å"comedy of professional artists† travelling from province to province in Italy and then France, who improvised and told comic stories that held lessons for the crowd, changing the main character depending on where they were performing. Pantomime mainly incorperated song, dance, buffoonery, slapstick, cross-dressing, in-jokes, topical references, audience participation, and mild sexual innuendo. The general movement within Pantomime creates physical theatre as the storyline is presented to the audience mainly through lifts, dance and slapstick, although performers also use their voice throughout. The Theatre of the Absurd is the name for particular plays of absurdist fiction written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the late 1950s, as well as one  for the style of theatre which has evolved from their work. Their work expressed what happens when human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down, alerting their audiences to pursue the opposite. The Absurd in these plays takes the form of man’s reaction to a world apparently without meaning, and/or man as a puppet controlled or menaced by invisible outside forces. Theatre of the Absurd consisted of horrific or tragic images; characters caught in hopeless situations forced to do repetitive or meaningless actions; dialogue full of clichà ©s, wordplay, and nonsense; plots that are cyclical or absurdly expansive. The term â€Å"Theatre of the Absurd† was coined by the critic Martin Esslin, who made it the title of a book on the subject first published in 1961. The â€Å"Absurd† or â€Å"New Theater† movement was originally a Paris-based form of theatre, tied to extremely small theatres. There are many conventions of â€Å"absurd† theatre, such as words often appearring to have lost their denotative function, thus creating misunderstanding among the characters. Instead, language gains a certain rhythmical, almost musical quality; no plot, minimal staging, babbling; abstract setting, â€Å"It is sometimes said to express the ‘human condition’ in a basic or ‘existential’ way† (Worthen 1639 ). Pirandello, one of the first experimentalists, wanted to bring down the fourth wall that was created by Realism, thus creating more physicality and a deeper connection with the audience. Modern physical theatre has grown from a variety of origins. Mime and theatrical clowning schools, such as L’Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, have had a big influence on many modern expressions of physical theatre. Practitioners such as Steven Berkoff and John Wright received their initial training at theatre schools just like this. Contemporary Dance has also had a strong influence on what is regarded as physical theatre, partly because most physical theatre requires the performers to have a level of physical control and flexibility. This is rarely found in those who do not have some sort of movement background. Modern physical theatre also has strong roots in more ancient traditions such as Commedia dell’arte and some people suggest this links to the ancient greek theatre. Eastern Theatre traditions have influenced a number of practitioners who have then influenced physical theatre. A number of Oriental traditions have a high level of physical t raining, and are visual masterpieces. Antonin Artaud was fascinated with the energy and  visual nature of Balinese theatre and wrote extensively on it. He admired Eastern theatre because of the highly ritualized and precise physicality of Balinese dance performance, and advocated what he called a â€Å"Theatre of Cruelty†, which he used to create physical theatre within performances and to describe a form of theatre that he hoped would unleash unconscious responses in audiences and performers that were normally inaccessible. Another physical theatre practioner, Steven Berkoff, used techniques such as background movement, repetitive actions, and mime to explore further the ways in which he approaches exchanges between two characters. Berkoff said that it was important â€Å"to see how I could bring mime together with the spoken word as its opposite partner, creating the form and structure of the piece†. Berkoff also used a theory he called Total Theatre, which is key to him and stemmed from Artaud’s theatre style. Total Theatre maintains that every aspect of theatre must have purpose: every movement, that is chor eographed; to each line, that is learned perfectly; to each lighting effect, that is used to convey a mood or message; to each sound effect, that enhances the audience’s experience; to each prop that has a use. The aim of Total Theatre is to create extreme moods to give the audience an overwhelming experience and to shock, amuse, scare, or amaze them. As a result of Total Theatre, performances are often minimalist, with bare stages and little language so that the focus remains on the physical movement and not on all the effects or the creation of a scene. This serves to detach the audience from the play and make them think about what was being said. However, from 1911 to 1916 Stanislavski, proposed that actors study and experience subjective emotions and feelings and perform these experiences to audiences by physical and vocal means. While in the early stages his ‘system’ focused on creating truthful emotions and embodying them, even though he later worked on the Method of Physical Actions. Its focus was on physical actions as a means to access truthful emotion, and involved improvisation. The focus remained on reaching the subconscious through the conscious. In other words, he wanted the performer to focus internally to portray a character’s emotions onstage. Later, between 1934 and 1938, this technique evolved to a method of physical actions in which emotions are produced through the use of actions. From Greek theatre to modern day, physical theatre has been used by many different practitioners and theatre  groups for one sole purpose; to impact the audience. On one hand, the mime and Commedia dell’arte that the Greeks first developed is still used widely today; mime is still an extremely popular form expression within plays, and commedia dell’arte is still extremely popular in creating humorous performances using masks, and over-exaggerated costumes. Similarly, pantomime is still one of the most popular forms of theatrical entertainment used across the world, achieving physical theatricality by including slapstick, lifts and dances, occasional mask work and costumes. This is effective as it provides the audience with the storyline in a less conventional and, arguably, more interesting way. It intrigues the audience, and makes them feel more emotionally connected with the characters involved in the performance, especially when the performers break the fourth wall, which frequently happens during pantomimes. However it can also be argued that many things have changed as time passed in regards to physical theatre. As technology advanced, the use of lighting and special fx have made creating a dramatic and intense atmosphere easier. Breaking the fourth wall is also a new idea, as the Greeks and Romans believed that the audience should not be included in the performance, and should purely be onlookers, whereas Artaud and Stanislavski believed that by bringing the audience into the performance, it would not only make it more intense and engaging, it would also achieve the â€Å"attacking the senses† criteria that Artaud believed in, by using â€Å"in yer face† theatre to scream and shout in the audience’s face. Physical theatre as it is used today, is st ill very popular with both performers and audiences, as it is both entertaining to watch and perform.

Barilla Spa – Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Barilla SpA, world’s largest manufacturer of pasta based in Italy is experiencing extreme demand variability resulting to operational inefficiency and increased cost. To combat the key issues stated my decision is to implement the Just In Time Distribution (JITD). This new system, contrary to current system Barilla has will eliminate Bullwhip effect and stock outs by having centralized information, there will be data transparency between Barilla and distributors.Distributors will provide actual sales data which will be the basis of forecasting and production thus increasing in efficiency in operation and alleviating stock out among distributors. JITD will lead to improved supplier-customer relationship which in the long run can be perceived as a win-win situation. Internal resistance coming from Sales and Marketing will be resolved by involving the top management and by presenting the benefits of the JITD in figures and by emphasizing that role of Sales team in JITD is of paramount to the implementation.External resistance will be combated by thorough discussion presenting the long term benefits of all parties involved. Implementation of JITD as soon as possible will position Barilla on even stronger pasta producer and will potentially increase growth rate of the company resulting from increased business efficiencies and reduced cost. Barilla can have a pilot run on the DO (Distribuzione Organizzata) where sales representatives functions are dominant, sales representatives are one of the key factors on the success of JITD implementation.Weekly meeting between Barilla and DO will have to take place for couple of months upon implementation to monitor its status. ISSUE IDENTIFICATION A. Immediate Issue Because Barilla is facing extreme variability in demand week by week which causes operational inefficiencies, high inventory and stock outs, Maggiali is fighting for the implementation of Just In Time Distribution (JITD) system despite of th e internal objection from Sales and Marketing team and external resistance from distributors. B.Systemic Issues †¢Poor Forecasting system Nature: StrategicTiming: Short term & Long term Most distributors like GDs and DOs check inventory levels and place orders with Barilla once per week using simple periodic review. They do not follow any forecasting model; they just do replenishment ordering without minimum/maximum quantity. Barilla has no visibility on actual data, their basis of production is per distributors’ information per week and this causes pressure on manufacturing & distribution team of Barilla. Too many SKUs & High level of inventory Nature: StrategicTiming: Long term & Short term On dry products alone, Barilla offers 800 SKU. Pasta is made in 200 different shapes and sizes and has more than 470 packaged SKUs. Typically distributors carry 150SKU out of 800 SKUs Barilla leaving high inventory on the CDC. There is high level of inventory across the chain; overa ll there is about 2 months of inventory on the entire supply chain at any given time. †¢Frequent Trade Promotion leads to Bulk Ordering Nature: Tactical Timing: Short termBarilla has 10-12 canvass period which each corresponding to a promotional program. During the canvass distributor can buy as much as he wants in order to avail the promotion and this is welcomed by sales representatives because their incentive is dependent on achieving sales goal for that canvass period. Barilla also offers volume discount and transportation discount in full truck load order quantities. The situation leads to bulk ordering which causes demand fluctuation. †¢Long Lead time Nature: StrategicTiming: Long term and Short termDistributors place order to Barilla once per week only using simple periodic review system and lead time is eight to fourteen days, due to long lead time distributors either order high inventory or it results to stock out at distributor’s customer. ENVIRONMENTAL & ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS Barilla is the largest manufacturer of pasta in the world, making 35% of all pasta sold in Italy and 22% of all pasta sold in Europe. However, Barilla suffers from Bullwhip effect due to huge variability in demand that resulted to operational inefficiencies such as increased cost on transportation, distribution & inventory. stock out (see exhibit 1). On the production itself the set up are very specific, the company is incapable of meeting fluctuating demand because they consider sequential production to avoid huge set up cost. When demand fluctuates manufacturing and distribution team experience too much pressure. Barilla has complex distribution; presence of multiple intermediaries slows down the delivery lead time to ultimate customer. Carrying too much variety on dry products, 800 SKUs also leads to long production lead-time because they maintain sequence of production based on size and shape of pasta to reduce set up cost.Stock out occurs due to the fact tha t distributors maintain only 2 weeks inventory and delivery lead time from CDC is 8-14days. On table below it is evident that stock can happen in DC/DO level because 2 weeks delivery lead-time and maintaining 2 weeks inventory on the shelf. Price changes due to promotions and incentives cause demand fluctuation as well. Barilla has no visibility on what is happening in reality with the flow of their products in the market. Barilla lacks centralized information and sophisticated forecasting capability and because of this bullwhip effect occurs ( see exhibit 2).Due to severe fluctuation in demand Barilla is pushed to increase the buffer of finished goods to avoid stock out and this only means increase in raw materials inventory, carrying cost, transportation cost and production cost which is detrimental to the growth of the company. Since Barilla’s production is based on input of distributors, Barilla in the long run may lose the market share if distributors find that other bra nds are selling more and decide to carry competitor’s product instead.Lack of knowledge on the actual sales data on the market will have a negative effect on Barilla; it has to establish smooth business relationship with all the supply chain channels and not only with the distributors. . RECOMMENDATION From my overall analyses given the facts presented I strongly recommend to proceed with option number 1- to implement JITD. Reason is because thru JITD Barilla will have the centralized information and will have access to actual sales information which they will be using to plan procurement of raw materials, production, logistics , safety stock , inventory accordingly .Also, thru JITD Barilla will have a chance to establish good supplier-customer relationship with the distributors and even with the supermarkets, this is very critical in running successful business. Barilla will have the control of production and not based on the order of distributor. Ultimately Bullwhip effect will be managed. First phase would be to implement with the DO because of the presence of sales representatives on the area. It would be so much easier to implement the plan since sales representatives of Barilla often spends 90% of the time in DO.

Outline and evaluate behavioural therapies to treat mental disorders Essay

Because of the nature of the behavioural model which measure specific behaviours in precise terms such as how many times a negative behaviour is performed, improvements can be accurately measured. Which in turn means therapies effectiveness can also be measured. The classical conditioning therapies have been proved to be effective by Wolpe who found an 80-90% success rate with these therapies. Barlow and Lehmen also found a success rate of 77% following treatment. However medication can interfere with systematic desensitization because medication suppresses anxiety. Operant conditioning is also based on scientific principals proven to be effective by Azrin who examined female patients in a mental hospital who were incapable of doing everyday tasks. Using token economies, positive behaviour in these women increased. However studies looking at children and students by Lepper and Deci also found that rewarding intrinsic interests actually reduces behaviour. A strength of the classical conditioning therapies is that the patients have a high level of control. In token economies however patients have very little control over their therapies. This raises ethical issues as informed consent is not achieved for token economies, instead they are enforced with or without the patients consent. Token economies are also open to abuse and can be deemed as a form of social control. Classical conditioning therapies also raise ethical issues in terms of putting their patients at risk of emotional harm. Other problems with classical conditioning therapies include the fact that some patients may not have a vivid enough imagination for flooding, and social desensitization may be difficult to arrange and control, whereas token economies are practical as they can be done anywhere. A problem with token economies though, is that changes are due to external rewards and not an innate desire to change and so if the rewards are removed the positive behaviour may cease. Finally debate will also continue whether the treatments provided by the behavioural model only treat the symptoms and not the causes, and if only the symptoms are treated, does it matter?

UK Retail Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

UK Retail - Case Study Example Appendix A illustrates the state of the international retail industry: Tesco's international expansion programs is not limited by its consumer businesses, they are aiming to launch extensive services and related markets into new markets because of two major motivations: establishing their leadership in these developing markets and maximizing existing capacities (Corporate Watch UK, 2004). Tesco, is a global leader in retailing that is based in Britain. Recent vertical and horizontal expansion of the company have now included in its portfolio agriculture, packing, merchandising and information technology (Tesco, 2006a). Next to only to Carrefour, it Europe's supermarket industry and is ranked eight in the global industry. Aside from its supermarket operations to has recently its retail interest expanded its retail interest to the convenience store industry. Among its outlets are Tesco Extra, Tesco superstores, Tesco Metro, Tesco Express and T&S (Corporate Watch UK, 2004). ... Table 1 details existing stores and projected openings for 2006-2007. It also is aiming to strengthen its market presence in the countries it is already in by increasing the number of stores in operation as well as increasing the volume of its products in the market (Johansson, 2001). . Tesco's overseas expansion is one of the major factors that have led to present growth trends. It has maintained its strategy of buying existing grocery chains instead of starting from scratch in new markets. This has allowed them to secure key locations and ease to the new market more easily (Corporate Watch UK, 2004). From current targets of Tesco, it expects to have to increase its stores by 26%, increasing its total number of stores to around 3,700 stores. Size and Formats Size of Stores is defined by the store format. The different categories of the store is part of the effort to capture various market segments and they may be located near each other and be considered as indirect competition of other category stores. Table 2 details the different store format and their respective sizing and selling areas. Tesco Extra stores first opened to the public in 1997 and carry the full range of products found in all Tesco stores. They are classified as hypermarkets. The first floor carries food products while the second floor caries non-food items. They are comparative in size and format with Wal-Mart Supercenters. An average of twenty Tesco Extra stores are opened annually (Tesco, 2006d). Tesco stores follow the traditional size and format of supermarkets and are the oldest format used by the company. It also the usual type of store opened overseas (Tesco, 2006a). Tesco Metro stores are less than

Organizational Culture as a Tool to Enhance Performance Essay

Organizational Culture as a Tool to Enhance Performance - Essay Example It indicates extend to, which an organization has freedom of making decisions concerning an organization, expression of new and personal ideas. Organizational culture controls how organization information flows among leaders, employees and clients. Finally, it empowers the organizations’ employees towards attaining the set objectives (Rosen, 1985, p. 33 & Rosen, 1988, p. 467). Organizational culture theory has become a major issue in most organizations. This theory proclaims that life in every organization varies; therefore, advocating for more research in the field of organizational theory. Organizational culture theory campaigns for research in organizations with Muslim employees, pregnant employees and low enforcement employees. Organizational culture theory is of benefit to an organization as it shows how dissimilar businesses perform their tasks in line with their culture. In addition, it explains how customs affects production in an organization and the conflicts that re sult from dissimilar organizational cultures (Schein, 2011, p.40). According to conducted empirical study, there is a sturdy link amid the existing organizational values and the arrangement of an organization. In the previous years, many businesspersons lacked information regarding how organizational culture nurtures business performance, and instead, they believed that dissimilar cultures in an organization are difficult to handle. On contrary, most of the current business individuals have realized that organizational culture is imperative as it fosters organizations competition level hence making them to survive during tough competitions. Therefore, to apply culture according, it is important that an organization defines and understands its culture well (Schein, 2004, p. 112). In organizations, culture tend to be complex because it entails various assemblages of people possessing dissimilar values, attitudes, behaviors, assumptions, artifacts and beliefs. Culture describes an indi vidual’s inner and external relationship as well as guiding someone’s actions unwillingly. According to dissimilar conducted research, organizational culture is an interesting issue to many researchers, which include the academic plus educational researchers, management practices and applicable in organizational theory (Solomon, 2004, p.53). In organizations, people should respect every culture in order to realize critical company matters such as how people in the company reason, to enhance how people value each other, think and act. This is important because encountered reactions from dissimilar employees in an organization originate from cultural beliefs and sharing of ideas among employees (Van Maanen & Barley, 1984, p.294). It is intricate to get two organizations possessing the same customs. The cultural differences that exist among organizations can turn out to cause major impacts to the performance of an organization together with improving the employees working experiences (Parker & Clegg 2006 P. 651). Organizational culture affects theory and rehearsal educational reform. The culture of a society within, which dissimilar organizations operatelargely, affects the culture of that organization (Smircich, 1983, p. 340 & Schein, 2009, p. 14) Organizational cu

Four books Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Four books - Essay Example As Shakespeare’s most famous novels, Hamlet manifests the various negative natures of man that includes neglect, betrayal, murder, and revenge. A son who witnessed the murder of his father by his own relative is too much a tragedy one could handle. Fury could further constrict the thin line that divides sanity and insanity caused Hamlet to delay his plans of avenging his father’s death. Although criticized for the vulgarity of some languages used, it cannot be denied that every word in the novel speaks of real emotions that every man feels especially when exposed to the same given situation. Another one of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Othello depicts the appalling consequences of jealousy and resentment. The characters in the novel held their own grudge against one another, which led them to develop schemes that destroyed every one of them. Allegiance, marriage, credibility and competencies are ruined when people allow themselves to be consumed by the compelling desire for attention and power. The weak, who easily succumb to such fancy and the manipulation of others, are kept captives that lead them nowhere else but towards failure whilst the strong triumphs over their fall. Similar to the pilgrims in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, people are divided by social classes and religions. Represented by the different characters in the story, who sees the world differently as dictated by their social and religious beliefs, each person has their own prejudices towards each other. However, Chaucer was able to justify in the stories that no matter how huge the differences of every individual in the society are, they have their own story to tell, which are different from what the community assumed of them that are worth listening to for they say who they really