Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Should the U.S. Increase Spending on the Space Program Free Essays
Should the U. S. Government Increase Spending On The Space Program A group of children lie in the tall grass on a moonless night, staring in wonder up at the hundreds of diamond pinpoints glittering across the heavens. We will write a custom essay sample on Should the U.S. Increase Spending on the Space Program or any similar topic only for you Order Now This peaceful scene could have taken place at any point in history, from the cave dwelling Neanderthal, to a family celebrating a warm summer evening together at a local park. The Heavens have always been a source of passionate fascination and wonderment for intelligent beings. Nearly every culture throughout known time has had legends about the heavens or the stars. In fact, to many cultures, Greek and Roman for example, the night skies were so magical that the heavens were the focal point of their creation myths. In more recent times, we have begun to be less superstitious about the star studded expanse above us, astrology aside, and begun to apply scientific fact and mathematical certainties to that very mysterious beyond. We began to have the technological advancements that would make it possible to actually begin decoding the mysteries of, and then amazingly, foraying into that last frontier which culminated in the U. S. eing the only country to have ever put a man on the moon. So why did it essentially end there? Think about this, every time you use your smart phone, you are holding in the palm of your hand more technology than was used to navigate the first moon landing. Yet, despite our marked leaps forward in the applied sciences in the last fifteen years, which have the potential to make frequent, smaller scale, passenger accompanied sp ace travel plausible and much safer, the space program in the United States seems to merit less and less government funding every passing year. So with all of space waiting to be discovered, decoded, and explored, why do we as a country, seem to be turning our backs on the space program? Arguments abound as to why the space program is a waste of our precious time, government resources and technology. Those opposed to the space program argue that the funds used to put equipment into orbit around the earth and used to build space shuttles and design rocket fuel powerful enough to launch hundreds of thousands of pounds of metal tens of thousands of miles, hould instead be used to revitalize a sluggish economy, fix our severely inadequate public education system or be used to fund research geared toward helping to reverse some of the damage mankind has done to the planet we already inhabit. Proponents of shutting down space programs completely and diverting funds elsewhere also make points that if we had these brilliant minds working on projects like the U. S. Infrastructure or clean energy instead of frittering away their talen ts on useless space projects, that we could quickly solve some very large problems facing our country. Most of these arguments are well thought out and make very valid points however, they seem to miss the fact that our way of life would be very different if NASA had never existed. Take for example during the early Apollo missions. NASA scientists realized that they needed better, clearer pictures of the moons surface in order to determine if landing a man on the moon was even a feasible idea. They put their heads together and in the 1960ââ¬â¢s they came up with digital image processing. A revolutionary step in technology that would allow the scientists to use computers to enhance pictures of the moons surface. Soon after the discovery this technology exploded on the scene in the medical industry as medical researchers discovered that they could modify NASAââ¬â¢s technology to better see organs in the human body without surgery. These breakthroughs are still used today. We know them as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scans which save millions of lives every single year. Speaking of lives, another lifesaving device came from modified NASA technology, though not in the medical field. An engineer saw the massive rocket launchers that propel massive spacecrafts into deep space and it gave him an idea. He approached the government with the idea and was granted permission to partner with and research his vision. In a few short years they has modified the rocket propulsion system, minimized it and it is now used across the united states to fight fires. It propels the water at such a high pressure that it has revolutionized putting out fires. Itââ¬â¢s quicker, safer and it also wastes no precious water. Even our comfort levels have been raised due to NASAââ¬â¢s research. They needed something to reduce the bone jarring impact of spacecrafts landing. So they created a polyurethane, silicone, plastic blend to help protect astronauts and cargo. We know this today as memory foam and it is in everything from car seats to protect the most innocent among us to mattresses, motorcycle helmets, recliners and even Fidoââ¬â¢s bed. There are dozens, if not hundreds of examples of how space exploration technology vastly improved daily life in America. Even if you choose not to look at the way NASA launched the American people into a safer, more comfortable America you would have to be wearing blinders to not recognize how NASA launched the U. S. Into the lead politically. The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union had itââ¬â¢s origins in the missile based Arms Race that occurred at the end of World War II. The Space Race marked unprecedented spending on education and pure research which accelerated scientific advancement at a rate previously unheard of. In other words, most of the technology we have today in the United States as well as the comfortable way that we live is due to NASA and to our govenrment investing well in the future of its future generations. Spending on both programs has been cut steeply in the last fifteen years and we have had little new technology advance and also we are generating graduates that are unskilled for the hightech jobs and positions that need to be filled in order to keep the U. S. Advancing forward. Take a look at the numbers. In 1012 NASA was allocated 18. 7 Billion from the Federal Government. I know that sounds huge but itââ¬â¢s actually less then 1% of the entire U. S. Budget. 69. 8 billion went to education and thatââ¬â¢s obviously a lot more than NASAââ¬â¢s funding but if you look at the bigger picture the Defense got 670 billion. To put it another way, science, advancement and technology received less than one percent of the nations budget. Education is doing a bit better at nearly five percent but Defense? Thatââ¬â¢s almost twenty seven percent of our nations budget. I think we as a society need to come together and ask our government to help us launch America forward again by investing in out space programs. After all, as The President of the United States himself said ââ¬Å"For pennies on the dollar, the space program has improved our lives, advanced our society, strengthened our economy, and inspired generations of Americans. â⬠I would ask him to ensure that that never stops. How to cite Should the U.S. Increase Spending on the Space Program, Papers
Friday, May 1, 2020
Psychological explanations of Schizophrenia free essay sample
The characteristics of Schizophrenia (SZ) can be categorised into two different types: Type 1 symptoms (Positive Symptoms) and Type 2 (Negative symptoms). Type 1 characteristics include things such as delusions, hallucinations and paranoia. Patients may experience things such as hearing voices, which are often said to be from God or the Devil. Type 2 symptoms however show more catatonic behaviour, for example a loss of drive, a lack of emotion or catatonic stupor. On the other hand, there are some patients who experience both type 1 and type 2 symptoms, these are therefore categorised as Disorganised as they will have disorganised behaviour and speech. There is a 1% chance of developing SZ if neither of your parents is carrying the gene, however this increases to 20% if one parent is diagnosed, and to 46% if both parents are. It is said to occur within men when they are 25 or younger, however it occurs at an older age of 25-45 for women. Discuss psychological explanations of Schizophrenia In the 1950ââ¬â¢s and 60ââ¬â¢s it was believed that if you belonged to a dysfunctional family that you were more likely to suffer from SZ due to the dysfunction of communication within the family. According to the different psychological explanations of SZ this is because of the high emotional tension and the many secrets and close alliances that are kept in the family. One psychological explanation of SZ was put forward by Bateson et al (1956) who looked at childhood as a base for developing SZ, for example the interactions children have with their mothers. His explanation, the Double Bind theory, states that SZ can occur due to conflicting messages given from parents to their children, for example when a parent expresses care but does so in a critical way. This means that the child will become confused as the message they are given is conflicting, as one message effectively invalidates the other. As a result, the child is left with self doubt and eventual withdrawal. Experiences such as these are said to cause SZ as theyà prevent the development of an internally coherent construction of reality, in the end they are likely to experience SZ type symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, and in some cases, paranoia. This theory therefore suggests that the home environment and the relationships a child has with their parents through messages plays a role in the development of SZ. This is because there is no clear template of a loving relationship; instead the child is always unsure if they have done something wrong due to the confli cting messages they are given. A strength of this theory is the supporting evidence from Berger. He found that SZ patients reported a higher recall of double bind statements (conflicting messages) by their mothers than non SZ patients. However this reliability of this study was criticised as patients recall may be affected by their SZ. There are said to be problems as it is called a retrospective recall, as the data is unreliable. For example, delusions may occur meaning that the patients are recalling things that didnââ¬â¢t happen. Another criticism of the Double Bind theory is the inability to replicate the findings across studies. This is because of individual differences, and the fact that as most of the memories were from childhood, you cannot go back in time to assess the validity of the recollections. An additional criticism is the fact that the Hawthorne Effect may have occurred. As it was an observation of the families, there is no proof that the parents will act as they normally do around their families, therefore the validity of the results reduces as the results will not show a true picture of how they really are as a parent. Also, the families are studied retrospectively, meaning they are studied long after the mental disorder may have affected the family system. This means that various family routines will have been disrupted so you will be unable to see how the family acted before a child developed SZ. This is because living with someone with SZ is difficult and distressing for all the family as it has an impact on everyone, not just the patient of SZ. A final criticism is that it is said to be an unconstructive theory as the theory blames the parents and families for a child developing SZ. By suggesting that a parent has caused SZ is at least unhelpful and at most highly destructive, as they not only have to cope with living with someone with SZ, but they are then told that it is their fault, which will lead them to feel guilty and hurt as they are blamed for a poor upbringing. A second psychological explanation of SZ is Expressed Emotion. This was developed in the late 1970ââ¬â¢s when psychologists were more interested in how the family might play a part in the course, rather than the cause of SZ. For example, Brown found that patients who returned to homes where there was a high level of expressed emotion, for example lots of hostility, criticism and over involvement, they showed a greater tendency to relapse in comparison to those who returned to homes where there was a lower level of expressed emotion. This was supported by Linszen who found this to be four times more likely. This study suggests that a high level of emotion in the family environment plays a role in the SZ patientsââ¬â¢ disorder becoming worse. There is also support for this explanation from Vaughn and Leff who also found that the level of expressed emotion had an affect on relapse rates amongst discharged patients. However they also studied the amount of face to face contact patients spent with relatives after discharge, and they found an increase in relapse rates as face to face contact increased, and even more so with higher levels of expressed emotion. This study suggests that the more time a SZ patient spends with a family with high levels of EE means that they are more likely to relapse. On the other hand, this study has not been replicated therefore the validity of their results is questioned. There is a lot of supporting research for this explanation, for example from Kalafi and Torabi (1996) who studied expressed emotion within families in an Iranian Culture, where mothers are extremely over protective and submissive, and fathers are more rejecting as they are not able to comfort their child as it is seen as weak in their culture. They found a higher prevalence of expressed emotion was one of the main causes of relapse, as there is a lot of negativity in the families which in the end leads to high levels of stress which they find it very difficult to cope with. This suggests that a mixture of emotion from parents in the Iranian culture plays a role in the SZ patient relapsing. However this theory was criticised as it is not clear whether EE intervention was the key element of the therapy or whether aspects of the family intervention might have helped. Therefore this leads to confusion and eventual withdrawal. Therefore there are other aspects of intervention that could be useful as it is unclear as to whether EE is helping the family as a unit. A second criticism is that many patients with SZ are either estranged from their families or have minimal contact, and yet there is no evidence that such people are less prone to relapse. Therefore it is unclear whether there is an impact. On the other hand, there are several strengths to this theory. For example, there is a lot of supporting research conducted to make the theory more valid. The EE is a well established ââ¬Å"maintenanceâ⬠model of SZ and many prospective studies have been conducted which support the EE hypothesis across many cultures, therefore the theory is also applicable cross culturally. This is also because negative emotion will most likely be found in many different cultures. There has also been an argument as to whether the EE model is a cause or an effect of SZ. The EE model has becoming widely accepted that research is now focussing on relatives of those with SZ in order to understand better which aspects of high and low EE relate to relapse. There is evidence to support that the family members are not held responsible for a person developing SZ, for example they tend to attribute positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions to the personââ¬â¢s mental illness. But on the other hand, there is also evidence that some attribute negative symptoms, for example social withdrawal, to the personââ¬â¢s personality characteristics and in the end they are said to become over critical in an attempt to change those behaviours. Overall, it was concluded by Lopez that families characterised by negative affect (criticism) has much higher relapse rates in comparison to those with positive affect (warmth). Overall, an excellent piece of work as always, X. You have thoroughly mentioned all relevant research and remembered to elaborate after each study.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
When The Legends Die Essays - English-language Films,
When The Legends Die When The Legends Die Novel/Movie Contrast Joe McNew June 8, 2000 The book, When the Legends Die, was pretty good. Then some idiot had to go and make a movie out of it. In contrasting the two, I found alot more differences than similarities. The first similarity came when Blue Elk came and took Thomas Black Bull to the reservation. Tom had trouble with the kids as in the book. Brother Bear was chained up and eventually Tom took him back to the woods and left him just as Tom did in part I of the book. Of course, Red Dillion was a jerk in both the movie and the book, although the book illustrated a better image in the readers mind. There were quite a few things the two had in common but the differences outnumber the similarities. I am not going to attempt to represent every difference but I wil give a few examples. For instance, we first see Tom, or any characters for that matter, after George and his mom dies. The movie represents Tom as older, during his rodeo days. In the book, during Red and Toms 2 fight, he only knocks him down but in the movie he beats him up really bad. He goes home with the nurse but in the book he does nothing of that sort. So far he hasnt gone for the bear yet but were not finished yet. The book had alot going for it and I thought that it was much better than the movie. The movie was a horrible experience and is probably the only time I wished my teacher wouldnt have shown it. Usually, I like the movie better than the book but this was the exception. Whoever made this movie should be charged with murder (of the book). The movie missed alot of the key points. The movie was interesting and did illustrate some things better than the book. It did an excellent job of show Toms transitiion from rags to riches. In addition, the movie moved alittle faster which made it more exciting. I believe that it did a better job when Tom actually ditched Red and got into the big tournament. Both had their strong points. The book was better...way better. This is a good example of why a movie shouldnt be made from a book or at least a person may want to consider skipping the movie if they really liked the book. Although, the movie was better in some areas overall I would definitely recommend the book over the movie. In conclusion, movie = F book = A.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Terrorism September 11, 2001 essays
Terrorism September 11, 2001 essays Reflection on the Terrorism of September 11th, 2001 When they first told us over the announcements that two planes had flew into the Twin Towers and that another one had flew into the Pentagon, it didn't register in my head right away because I haven't heard anything like this before. I thought that the U.S. was under war. Everyone was talking about World War III. I saw the second plane hitting the tower many times, but what really disturbed me was when I saw people jumping out of the 92nd floor still alive and their arms and legs wailing around. If I was in their place, I don't know what I would've done. It's a catch 22, you either burn inside the building and suffer a slow and painful death or jump out the window and fall many floors to the street below and die anyway. I can't believe anyone can have the heart and no conscience to kill so many people as well as themselves. I think that as soon as the United States finds out who is harbouring these terrorists, they should bomb them. However, I don't think they should bomb during the day or bomb any building. I think they should bomb at night that way there would be less innocent casualties because not as many people are out at night and they should bomb buildings that are important to the country. If they let who ever is responsible for this live, this will happen again. I didn't have any family or friends that died in this mass murder but if I had had any I don't think it would've changed my opinion. I would still feel very strong about the U.S. bringing justice to the terrorists. These events change my perspective on air travelling very much because before I was worried about the plane crashing, now I have to worry about terrorists also. They said that flying was the safest way to travel and that it was also the fastest. I don't think many people will believe the safest part anymore. I wouldn't feel comfortable flying to major U.S. cities. Also since we are very close a ...
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Foundations of Scholarship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Foundations of Scholarship - Assignment Example A corporation may have a low or high level of employee involvement in the daily processes that require decision making. Corporations that have a greater degree of employee participation in various functions allow their workers to be able to make decisions about different planning processes. Employees also feel that their opinions are treasured by the company executives, and feel that the company seriously considers their interests. On the other hand, a low level of employee involvement in functions such as decision making is indicative of the existence of a restricted planning process in which only the companyââ¬â¢s executives are involved. Advantages of Including Workers in Corporate Decision Making There are many reasons why it is important for company heads to foster a corporate culture in which the opinions of workers are taken seriously (Williamson 2008). While this type of structure has not been popular in the past, it is more considerate of workers and makes them feel appre ciated by the corporations they work for. It also encourages loyalty from the workers. Additional reasons why encouraging employee participation in a corporationââ¬â¢s decision-making processes is important are: It improves the employeesââ¬â¢ morale: Engaging the staff in the decision-making procedures increases the general morale. Many corporations have a distinctive separation of power between the employees and the management. The implementation of employee participation can successfully reduce this gap; thus encouraging more constructive communication between employees and their supervisors. Once employees are allowed to contribute during decision-making, workers will believe that their ideas are a significant contribution to the company they work for. This empowers them to have the confidence to influence the result of their efforts; thus bringing about increased job satisfaction (Singh 2009). Involving employees in making decisions is also likely to make them more product ive. This is because the employees will feel that they have a personal stake in running of the corporation, and thus wish to see their personal contributions bring about the successful realisation of the companyââ¬â¢s objectives. The increase in trust that is demonstrated by a corporationââ¬â¢s executives can also inspire employees to expand or advance their skills in order to prove that they are deserving of that trust. Such efforts mean that there will be more effort in production processes which results in more profitability (Scott- Ladd, Travaglione, and Marshall 2006). Improvement in Teamwork- When workers are allowed to contribute towards decision-making, they have the opportunity to state their views while also listening to those of their colleagues. In this way, the workers gain knowledge from each other and thus develop a sense of comradeship that positively affects any joint exercises that may be conducted. Saving Internal Resources- When employees are used in the pr ocess of decision making, the company in question has the chance to save on time as well as money that might have been used to hire specialists or consultants. The company will also benefit because it saves money by taking the advice of people who work closely with the machinery and so are in a better position to understand what may be needed. The Practice of
Monday, February 3, 2020
Personal and Profesional Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Personal and Profesional Development - Essay Example Research has always been key in my learning journey. I use all means at my disposal to research about any subject of concern that might impact on my career. The internet has always been invaluable. I gather all necessary information about almost any learning need I intend to meet. My selling skills techniques were bolstered by thorough research on the relevant issue. Various renowned newspapers are online thus I get to acquaint myself with information that will give me valuable knowledge in my field of career. Also, I read good books. Most of them contain information relevant to my career and wholeness of life in general. People are great source of information. I listen to people and their grievances or happiness with a particular product or service. This gives me insight on the consumer behavior and how they can be well addressed and over time I get to know the general trend with time. I have found this useful since many changes occur within a span of few years and old techniques ce ase to apply. Technology is always evolving at a surprising speed. Since the advent of Twitter and Facebook among other social websites, learning has been made simpler. I always ensure I follow or like all relevant companies, individuals and any useful party. This way I am able to keep up to date with advancements, the conditions of the global and local market and most importantly learn from industry giants and individuals who are specialists and experts in the field. It takes discipline to conform to only useful information and communication in the entertainment laden segment of the internet catering to social media. Reading technology related information magazines and newspapers helps in coping up with technology based acumen. Another useful self-learning technique that has proved indispensable is the power of networking. It dawned to me from an early time that building networks and using any chance to talk and share ideas with
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Modern Methods of Construction Industry
Modern Methods of Construction Industry MODERN METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLGY Definition: MMC is a term used to describe a number of construction methods which differ from traditional construction. Other terms that are commonly used include off-site construction, factory-built, industrialised or system building and pre-fabrication. History: Construction history is thus key to understanding and datingà structures. If you can show that a particular technique was used in a certain period, then you can use that information to date a building or construction or subsequent additions to a building. As most buildings are added to over time, being able to show when changes were made is fundamental to understanding how old and how significant theyà are. Allied to our understanding of the role and conditions of those who worked on building sites, construction history seeks to understand how people in the past thought about building technology itself. How did they calculate whether something would stand up? How did they set out buildings on the ground? Here there is a clear overlap with the history of engineering and the building professionals, including the roles of overseers, designers, architects and engineers in every period. Construction History encompasses all periods from the various earliest signs of human activity to the very recent past, from cave dwellings to nuclear power stations. Obviously the techniques used to study these periods vary. Early buildings lack written records, so the descriptions tend to depend entirely on archaeological recording and interpretation. Later, written records can be used along with archaeological recording. In more recent periods very details accounts may survive, with drawings, models and photographs to show how building were put together and oral histories can be compiled from those who worked on them Prefabricated housing has been used in the UK duringperiods of high demand, such as after the World Warsand during the slum clearances of the 1960s. In totalabout 1 million prefabricated homes were built duringthe 20th century, many of which were designed to betemporary. However, problems arose over the quality ofbuilding materials and poor workmanship, leading to negative public attitudes towards prefabrication. Nevertheless it has continued to be used in the UK forhospitals, hotels and schools, as well as for housing inother countries. MMC is a new term intended to reflect technical improvements in prefabrication, encompassinga range of on and off-site construction method Research involved: 1.nhbcfoundation:to examine current attitudes ,policies ansd use of mmc and its prospects for future,the NHBC foundation commissioned research amongst large and medium sized hose builders and large and medium size housing association in private and social residential sectors The research set out to answer the following question The extent to which organisationareembracinfg or considering mmc Factors which are driving their interest Reason for usinfg or rejecting mmc Benefits and drawbacks experirnced I use 2.the research undertaken by BRE shows the houses to be more energy efficient , on the contrary there was no evidence of transport and waste reduction Types of mmc: 1: volumetric construction: three dimensional units produced in factory fully fitted out and dropped onto foundation to form a structure e.g bathroom or kitchen 2: panelised construction: unit produced in factory and than assembled into three dimensional in field e.g concrete wall panels,curtain walling etc. 3: hybrid construction: volumetric construction integrated with panelised construction ADVANTAGES OF MMC: â⬠¢ Economic MMC houses typically have fewer defectsand can be built more quickly. â⬠¢ Environmental the houses can be more energyefficient, may involve less transport of materials, andà produce less waste. â⬠¢ Social there may be fewer accidents and less impacton local residents during construction. Current use of MMC The majority of homes in the UK are still constructedusing traditional brick and block masonry. However,within the last few years there has been increased use ofMMC for housing, driven by a range of factors includingdemands for faster construction and skills shortages.There is uncertainty about the amount of MMC housing2being built. A few large private house builders haverecently invested in MMC factories so production willincrease. It is estimated by the National House BuildingCouncil that about 10% of new UK homes are built usingtimber frames, and 5% using other MMC; equivalent toabout 25,000 MMC homes per year. There aredifferences within the UK, most notably in Scotland,à where timber frames have long been preferred, International use of MMC: In Japan 40% of new housing uses MMC. In other Europeancountries there is also much greater use of MMC,particularly in Scandinavia and Germany. Indeed, somehouse building companies in Europe have started to exporttheir houses to the UK; for example, one UK HousingAssociation is importing modules from Poland.The reasons for greater use of MMC in these countries areà uncertain, but suggestions have included: â⬠¢ in colder climates the building season is short due tobad weather use of MMC allows quick construction. â⬠¢ MMC building materials, such as timber, are morereadily available. â⬠¢ there is a greater tradition of self build housing. MMCappeals because faster construction reduces disruptionto neighbours and allows earlier occupancy. â⬠¢ there are cultural preferences for certain house styles,e.g. timber frame in Scandinavia. Issues While the Government is keen to encourage use of MMCfor house building, research is still ongoing to assess itsbenefits. Issues arise over the cost of MMC; the industrycapacity; its environmental benefits; the quality of suchhousing; public acceptance; and planning and buildingregulations. These questions are considered below. Cost Although some house builders argue that MMC is lessexpensive than traditional methods, industry sourcesindicate increased costs of around 7-10%. Reasons forthe higher costs are difficult to discern because mostproject financial information is commercially confidential, and traditional masonry building costs vary widely too. Itmay be that the costs appear high because some benefitsà of using MMC, such as better quality housing and feweraccidents, are not obviously reflected in project accounts.MMC housing is faster to build, reducing on-siteconstruction time by up to 50%, and thus reducinglabour costs. Quicker construction is an extra benefit forbuilders of apartments (because viewing often starts onlyonce all flats are finished), and for Housing Associations, who receive rent earlier. However, it is less important forprivate house builders as they rarely sell all the propertiesà on a new development at once.An additional consideration is that the majority of factoryoverhead costs , e.g. labour, are fixed regardless ofoutput. In contrast, site-based construction costs are onlyà incurred if building is taking place. It is therefore lesseasy with MMC to respond to fluctuating demand. Industry capacity Industry capacity may be a barrier to increasing thenumber of houses built using MMC. Difficulties fall intotwo categories: a shortage of skills, and the factory Skills: There is a shortage of skilled labour in the UKconstruction industry, with over 80% of house buildersà reporting difficulties with recruitment. Using MMC tobuild house parts in factories, and faster on-siteà construction, means that fewer labourers are required.Factory workers with previous experience in othersectors, such as the car industry, can also be used.However, there is uncertainty about the level of skillsneeded for MMC compared with masonry construction.MMC can require highly skilled labour for precise on-siteassembly of factory-made house parts. Some of theproblems with prefabricated housing built during the 20thcentury stemmed from poor skills, rather than defectswith the housing materials. The Construction IndustryTraining Board (known as CITB ConstructionSkills),funded by industry and Government, is developing MMCtraining courses for the estimated 2,000 workers erecting MMC housing with no formal qualifications. Governmenthas also suggested a need for training for other industry professionals, including surveyors, mortgage lenders, and planners, to ensure they are fully aware of MMC. Factories: There are currently over 30 house building factories in the UK. A recent survey found there iscurrent industry capacity to produce over 30,000 MMChomes per year.5 Therefore existing factory capacityà should be sufficient to produce about 17% of new UKhousing, based on a current building rate of 175,000homes per year. Production could be increased byimplementing more factory shifts. Environmental benefits: The Government is promoting the environmental benefits of MMC, as are many of the manufacturers. Research conducted by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) found MMC homes to be more energy efficient, but there was no significant evidence of waste and transportreductions. Evaluating the environmental benefits of a new MMC housing development is complex because it is difficult to attribute outcomes solely to the use of MMC Energy savings: Houses built using MMC typically require less energy toheat because of increased levels of insulation fitted in thewalls and roof, and also less air leakage from thebuilding. One of the reasons house builders are interestedin MMC is because they anticipate that the energyrequirements of the UK building regulations will soonbecome more stringent. The 2003 Energy White Paper committed the Government to implementing new energy related building regulations by 2005. Waste: Construction and demolition waste comprises 25% of UK waste. The amount of waste produced using MMC islikely to be reduced because factory materials can beordered to exact specifications, and there is a lower riskof on-site spoilage, e.g. through wet weather. However,there is little research confirming such reductions. Transport: Building homes in factories may reduce the total numberof trips to a building site. This is of growing importanceas more house building takes place on brownfield sitesin inner-city areas. Little detailed analysis has beenconducted to date on transport benefits, but they arelikely to vary considerably depending on the distancebetween the building site and the factory. Quality and accreditation: The number of defects in traditionally built homes in theUK is considerable, with house builders allocating up toà £2,000 per house to rectify problems. Greater use offactory production can reduce defects because there isless risk of weather damage during construction, andmaterials can more easily be standardised and tested.However, if there is belatedly found to be a problem with a particular MMC then this would have been replicated inmany homes, because they are mass produced. Housingis built to last a minimum of 60 years, so problems couldgo unnoticed for some time. For this reason buildinginsurers, mortgage lenders, and surveyors are cautious about greater use of MMC. For example, some insurersare worried about the resilience of MMC to flooding. Incontrast, the risks of traditional site-based masonryconstruction are well known because the method has been used for a long time.Accreditation systems to test the performance of housingproducts are operated by the British Board of Agrà ©ment7and BRE Certification. But the process can take over a year and cost up to à £100,000, meaning that not allcompanies apply. Six housing MMC have been grantedaccreditation so far, with three more in the pipeline. Ifhouses are built using unaccredited methods then it canbe difficult to gain buildings insurance, and hence amortgage. Some manufacturers argue that Governmentshould offer grants to assist with accreditation.The Council of Mortgage Lenders suggests that theHousing Corporation should make it mandatory to useaccredited methods when building social housing. TheHousing Corporation is reluctant to do so because itbelieves the decision about which MMC to use should betaken by individual Housing Associations. Also, with the 25% MMC target commencing in 2004, there areconcerns that there would be insufficient industryà capacity if Housing Associations were limited to usingaccredited manufacturers. Government and industrybodies are in preliminary discussions about options for afast-track accreditation scheme. Public attitudes: There are industry concerns about the publicacceptability of MMC housing. A survey of MMCmanufacturers identified lack of market demand andpublic perception as the two most important limitationson expansion.5 Industry concerns reflect public opinion:in a 2001 MORI poll, 69% of respondents felt a brickbuilt home would fetch a better price.8 Negative attitudestowards MMC may stem from highly publicised problemswith historical use of prefabricated housing. There arealso concerns that if more innovative MMC is usedexclusively for social housing the distinctive design mayà mean residents are stigmatised. However, all but onetenant of a new social housing MMC development inLondon said they would be willing to buy a similar home.Also, because most UK MMC developments are made tolook like traditional brick houses, potential occupant may be unaware of the construction method. Planning: The planning system has an important indirect influenceon the MMC market because of its role in determiningthe supply of land for house building. Governmentplanning policy is laid down in Planning Policy Guidance(PPG), one of which (PPG3) is about housing. PPG3covers issues such as housing density, but use of MMC isnot currently mentioned, and planning guidance wouldnot generally cover such details about construction type. Building Regulations: The UK building regulations do not specify buildingmaterials or construction method, but instead setà minimum performance standards. Proposed changes tothe building regulations covering energy efficiency,broadband access and structural integrity areforthcoming. These changes may make it cheaper andeasier for MMC to meet the regulations compared withtraditional masonry construction. Health and safety: The construction industry is one of the most dangerousfor workers, with about 100 deaths per year in the UK.MMC could improve safety because there is a reducedrisk of accidents in a controlled factory environment, andless time is spent on the construction site. The Healthand Safety Executive, who regulate construction safety,are encouraging the use of MMC. EXAMPLES OF MMC: Zurich Municipals definition is: A construction process that can encompass the use of composite new and traditional materials and components often with extensive factory produced sub-assembly sections. This may be in combination with accelerated on-site assembly methods and often to the exclusion of many of the construction industry traditional trades. The process includes new buildings and retrofitting, repair and extension of existing buildings. Identified below are examples of more common types of MMC: 1. Super-structure Modular Construction Pod Construction Open panel Timber frame and Steel frame Structural Insulated Panels Solid Cross Laminated Timber Panels 2. On-site technologies Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) External Finishing Systems Timber Cladding Externalà Finishing Systems (EIFS) Brick Slip System Green Wall and Roofs For new build developments using Modern Methods of Construction evaluating the following areas and implementing controls will help ensure a successful build: Build quality control e.g. adequacy of inspection regimes during the build Selection and competency criteria for contractors Standards for construction site fire safety Standards for construction site security Compliance with published safety guidance e.g. trade associations, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or insurer recommendations Emergency procedures Design Considerations Reducing risk at the design phase is an important component in the delivery of a successful build. Ensuring all stakeholders are engaged in reducing risk ultimately adds value by ensuring potential losses can be minimised as well as more subtle benefits through reduced maintenance costs, improved occupier satisfaction and well-being. An example of reducing risk for wall construction is given below but the principle of reducing risk should be applied across all elements of the design. The wall or facade of the building can have a material impact upon the arson or accidental fire risk. It can also affect the fire spread risk should a fire occur and ultimately the extent of any loss. Within the social housing sector there continues to be a demand for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). MMC can offer advantages such as improved build time, environmental benefits and reduced on-site labour costs. The extent of these benefits often depends upon the size of development and design employ Pros and Cons of Modular Construction Pros: Thanks to the ability for the project to run simultaneously on-site and in-factory, modular construction can be up to 50% quicker than traditional construction. As major parts of construction are handled within a factory, weather conditions are often irrelevant during the majority of the project. The factory-based manufacturing process allows not only for greater quality control during the manufacturing process but for many health and safety risks to be considerably reduced, if not eliminated, The process aims to minimise waste and reduce the projects carbon footprint, as fewer people are travelling to the site and modules are produced directly to spec using Computer Aided Manufacturing. The impact on the community surrounding the construction site can be significantly reduced, due to much lower levels of noise and traffic during the project period The methods employed in modular construction can often benefit the energy efficiency and airtightness of the final construction Cons: Access to the site must be considered from the very beginning, as it will need to allow for the delivery of large modules. Traditional construction allows for later design changes, while modular construction is unlikely to be able to factor these in, so early complete design sign off is crucial with clients. The logistics and planning of individual module assembly will need rigorous planning to ensure a smooth project. WHY MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION OUTPERFORMS TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION AT EVERY LEVEL: following are the reasons: 1) they are manufactured in less time. 2) they are well designed in a control environment. 3) as they are designed in a controlled environment, there are very low chances of errors and quality compromise. 4) they are cheap as compared to traditional methods. 5) due to rapid demand of infratructure.it is the future of construction industry. 6) less labour is required. 7) it is easily assembled and can be easily re-assembled. 8) it offers greator choice and adaptability. 9) it is very economical and efficient method Conclusion: In short mmc is very goodà to be adopted because it reduces times and save energy secondly the structure is very efficient rather by adopting old cultural techniques.In most of developing country is mmc is adopted like in England,china,japan,America etc. In modern method of construction structure can easily be placed and removed when new changes are required but skilled labour is needed for operation.
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