Strategic Assets Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Assets - Case Study Example According to Rupert Murdoch News Corporation are blessed with many things: dedicated employees; a consistent vision; compelling products and services; loyal customers throughout the world; and boundless opportunity as the global thirst for entertainment and news explodes. It is true there are all kinds f opportunities for News Corporation. However in the unstable world environment we probably will experience economic downturn for a period f time. I would say that there are risk and threats in every aspect. The news media is very sensitive to most countries in the world. It is even worse in this moment when America is attacking Afghanistan. The economy is suffering a downturn as a whole. Technology is growing very fast. The cross-border globalization f communication still remains a difficult issue for news companies. Local government plays n very important role in the industry. Country like China they control news media tightly and there are heaps f regulations and restriction in the country. Never before has this industry seen such turmoil both in terms f changes in technology and challenges posed us and our competitors by regulatory authorities around the world. Global competition is becoming more and more intense. There are high development costs for news companies. The industry is in a mature stage f PLC. News companies are fighting hard to maintain market share. It is time to emphasis efficiency and low cost. As for the five forces, it is difficult for new entrants to come. However the buyers have stronger bargaining power as they have more choice and better knowledge about the industry. There are no specific substitutes for News Coporation as they cover almost all aspects f news media. The competitive rivalry is very strong in the news industry. The News Corporation has a vast range f products like * filmed entertainment; * television; * cable network programming; * magazines and inserts; * newspapers; and * book publishing. The principal activities f associated entities include: * satellite, television and cable broadcasting; * newspaper publishing; and * print and electronic television guidance applications. It covers all over the world and products serves every segment f market. It is said to be the most integrated news company at the moment. The Resource. News Corporation had total assets as f June 30, 2001 f approximately US$43 billion and total annual revenues f approximately US$14 billion. News Corporation's diversified global operations in the United States, Canada, continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Latin America and the Pacific Basin include the production f motion pictures and television programming; television, satellite and cable broadcasting; the publication f newspapers, magazines and books; the production and distribution f promotional and advertising products and services; the development f digital broadcasting; the development f conditional access and subscriber management systems, and

Film Studies (C) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film Studies (C) - Essay Example It is not difficult to discover that hidden evils inside of humans are exposed during these ideological issues. People are born with personality traits such as selfishness, jealousy, and brutality. In spite of themselves or instinctively, people express these characteristics in self defense. The films Machuca and Malena describe these human evils in severe situations like war and political conflicts. In addition, these films have a common theme in that they show them through the child’s point of view. The following essay focuses on how people act in an unstable society such as in war or coups and how the children feel and regard such situations. This is shown by the directors as they reveal the story through these two movies. Both of the films, Machuca and Malena, have the common background of war. Andres Wood, the director of Machuca, and Giuseppe Tornatore, the director of Malena, chose the historical background of war to express the evil side of humankind. In the films, human evil is expressed instinctively in difficulties or severe situations and portrayed through the backdrop of Chile in 1973 and World Warâ… ¡. In 1973, Allende’s government in Chile won the general election, but was soon collapsed by the coup d’Ã ©tat of Pinochet and capitalism. (Encyclopedia) Capitalism and socialism were head to head against each other. The conflict between people who had vested rights and those who did not was accelerating; the gap between the rich and poor was growing larger. Therefore, the conflict between these two classes was naturally increasing. Wood shows the reality of Chile through Gonzalo and Machuca. Gonzalo represents the wealth of capitalism, while Machuca from the shanty town repre sents the failure of the realization of socialism. On the other hand, Tornatore depicts Italy in World War â… ¡. The town is extremely unsettled because of the German military

The Properties And Uses Of Bricks Construction Essay

The Properties And Uses Of Bricks Construction Essay Brick is a core material that is commonly used to build the wall of a building. Clay bricks are the most common brick type. It is made from sand and clay and uniformly burnt at temperatures between 800 °C and 1200 °C. Surface finishes are sometimes applied, e.g. glazed bricks. Glazed bricks are still being produced in large quantity and can be obtained from major English brick manufacturers and suppliers. Calcium Silicate bricks is manufactured from sand-lime (calcium silicate). The bricks are pressed under great pressure and steamed in an autoclave. The bricks are smooth, fine textured and light in colour. The colour of the brick is produced from material source, composition and firing temperature. The size of bricks over time has changed considerably. Some early medieval bricks were 13 inches by 6 inches by 2 inches. By the late 15th century a brick 9.5 inches by 4.5 inches by 2 inches became the norm and a charter in 1571 stipulated bricks by the measurement of 9 inches by 4.5 inches by 2.25 inches. By the 18th century, 8.25 inches by 4 inches by 2.5 inches brick was introduced. Modern bricks are 8.5 inches by 4 inches by 2.5 inches which is following metrication translated to 215mm by 102.5mm by 65mm. Modern bricks are the bricks that are most used in buildings nowadays. 2.1.2 Defect of Size Poor material selection and preparation or underfiring is the main problem of oversized bricks. Undersized bricks are caused mainly by poor material preparation, faulty moulds and overfiring. 2.1.3 Defect of Shape There are many grounds which contribute to defects in shape. These are including poor preparation of moulds or moulding technique, faults in stacking, rough handling and uneven drying. If the bricks are considerably over burnt, incipient fusion takes place and the bricks, called burrs, will come out of the kiln or clamp and get stuck together. Burrs are suitable only for hardcore purposes. 2.1.4 Defects of Body Faults in the raw material can give rise to defects such as cracking, bloating and laminations. Cracking and warping of bricks, causing incipient weakness, may be due to exposure of green bricks to direct sunlight or rapid drying winds. Similar effects will be produced by putting green bricks into the kiln too soon. Large cracks maybe caused by rain getting onto hot bricks. 2.1.5 Defect of Appearance These defects are caused primarily by faulty wires in the case of wire-cut bricks. Dark spots are caused by the presence of unevenly distributed iron sulphide in the clay. 2.2 Types of Brickwork Defects 2.2.1 Introduction Most parts of a building are built using bricks. Nowadays, brickwork defects are commonly found in buildings. This problem is getting more serious as days go by. Brickwork defects may cause a lot of problems to the occupants. The main problem encountered in building with traditional outside bearing wall of brickwork and concrete inside bearing structure is caused by differences in the temperature and moisture-induced movement. Cracks may be discovered in walls and solutions have to be found to alleviate this problem. (Verhoef, 2001) Brickwork defect which occurs in buildings has a variety of reasons. This is perhaps not surprising when one considers the wide range of different bricks and techniques in the construction of building, differences in the construction sites and the varied occupational or owner usage of the completed building. Brickwork will deteriorate and decay if not properly maintained. Such deterioration can be caused by a number of factors and can take various forms. The main signs that the brickwork is afflicted are surface growth and staining, efflorescence, loosed brick becoming dislodged, cracks appear through the bricks or mortar and etc. (Moses Jenkins, 2007) In this sub chapter, the different types of the brickwork defect will be determined. This chapter gives an overview of various types of brickwork defects and understanding the brickwork defects. By identifying the different types of the brickwork defects, it will be easy for the occupants or owners to find out the causes of the defects and subsequently take the suitable remedy methods to address the problem. 2.2.2 Brick Wall Settlement Any movement in a structural  brick wall will risk having the bond courses in the wall broken. Any movement in a  brick veneer wall which has broken or loosened the connections between the veneers to the underlying structure is potentially dangerous and risk collapsing the masonry. 2.2.3 Bulging Brick Wall This is likely to be a bond-brick or bond-course failure. This defect is potentially extremely dangerous and immediate action must be taken. If not, it will cause the building to suddenly collapse. 2.2.4 Cracks and Bulges in Brick Walls Frost and earth loading can push a below-grade brick foundation wall inwards. The wall is often bulged inwards as well as showing horizontal and step cracking and loose bricks will surface over the bulged area. The damage occurs from slightly above ground level to roughly the frost line. 2.2.5 Cracks and Loose Bricks Normally, crack and loose bricks are caused by frost, settlement, expansion, diagonal and stair-stepped. These defects often happen at building corners where the roof spillage is concentrated. 2.2.6 Loose Bricks and Missing or Lost Mortar This is the movement where the mortar is severely washed-out by roof spillage or other water movement against the foundation. Loose and lost bricks may also occur where wood blocks, originally set into a wall to permit nailing of interior components, is damaged by insects or decay. Similarly, if the wood joists are damaged and bent excessively or collapsed (insect damage, rot, fire), the collapsing joist can, as its in-wall end moves, damage the foundation or building wall. Fire cuts on wood joists in brick walls were intended to minimize this damage source by angling the end of the joist where it was set into the wall pocket. 2.2.7 Spalling Bricks Spalling is caused by water and frost, such as water leaking into a brick structure at any entry point: a crack, a brick which has lost its hard surface, or at openings by window and door penetrations. It is best to also beware of caulking bricks. 2.2.8 Exfoliating-Rust Damage to Bricks Masonry wall will have these defects when brick walls have been improperly caulked where caulking should have been omitted. The most common example of this defect is the damage that occurs to a brick wall when a steel lintel over a window or door is caulked tightly between the brick and the steel. Moisture penetrating the brick wall through cracks or mortar joints is trapped around the steel lintel. Rust developing on steel lintels has tremendous lifting power as the rusting exfoliating metal expands, sufficient to crack and damage bricks around the lintel. Improper Repair Mortar  on Brickwork During repair works, tuck pointing or re-pointing bricks can cause surface spalling of bricks if the mason uses a too hard mortar with high portland content or mortar on soft bricks in a climate exposed to freezing weather. The high portland content means that the mortar will be not only harder, but more waterproof than the surrounding bricks. Water trapped around the hard mortar can freeze leading to surface spalling of the bricks. This is particularly likely to be seen when a wall has been tuck pointed using hard high-portland mortar where originally a soft high-lime mortar was used and where the original bricks were soft. Salts on Brickwork Salts are a major cause of deterioration. Salt can enter bricks through contaminated water ingress. In coastal areas, salt can come from the sea and, in winter, the nearby application of road salt is a constant threat. Salt is damaging because it creates a steady expansion of crystals within the bricks. This can eventually force the structure of the brick apart. The source of salt can occur from within the bricks themselves or from the application of contaminated mortars or renders. Brick lined chimney flues are also vulnerable as sulphates can be introduced when flu gasses condense. This is a common defect where a chimney has been sealed without adequate ventilation. 2.2.11 Efflorescence on brickwork Efflorescence appears as a white powdery deposit on the brick. It is a phenomenon that soluble salt dissolved in water are carried, deposited and gradually accumulated on brick surfaces to form an unsightly scum. Without water, efflorescence cannot occur. The soluble salts may be originated from the raw material of bricks. But in most cases, efflorescence is caused by salts from the external sources such as ground water, contaminated atmosphere, mortar ingredients and other materials in contacts with the bricks. To minimize the risk, (it can never be completely avoided in brickwork exposed to weathering) the building detail should be designed, as far as is possible, to avoid saturation. In other words, good overhangs, copings and sills with drips, need to be considered. Efflorescence can be helped on its way by sponging down the wall with clean water (avoiding substantial wetting) or dry brushing with soft brushes. Any other treatment should be avoided as it may disfigure the bricks.    2.2.12 Thermal Movement on Brickwork Every materials expand or contracts as the temperature of the material changes, typically expanding as its temperature increases and contracting as its temperature decreases. Different materials expand and contract at different rates when they undergo similar changes in their temperatures. Brick veneer can expand and contract approximately. When determining the expansion or contraction of a brick veneer, it is important to remember the effects of the sun on materials. The energy from the suns rays raises the temperature of a material well above the air temperature. On a day when the air temperature is 32 ° F, the energy from the sun can raise a walls temperature to above 100 ° F. 2.2.12.1 Thermal expansion failures in Structural or Veneer Brick Walls A separate factor that can cause very large movements and extensive damage to brick structures or brick veneer walls is the thermal expansion which occurs across a long or tall brick wall when that wall is heated by intense sun exposure. The photographs show significant thermal expansion damage in a long brick structure. Significant breaks and gaps  at vertical brick mortar joints due to thermal expansion and perhaps some frost and water damage. Figure1: Significant breaks in mortar Horizontal sliding breaks  in brick mortar joints,  exposing reinforcing wire to rust, exfoliation, and additional damage from those forces as the exfoliating wire produced still more pressure on the mortar joint. Figure2: Horizontal breaks in mortar Step cracking  following mortar joints near the building corners and where the wall movement was resisted by first story intersecting brick walls abutting at right angles the middle section of the long brick wall. Figure3: Step cracking in mortar Cracks and broken bricks at the intersections of brick walls and openings. Figure 4: Cracks and broken bricks (InspectApedia, 2007) 2.2.13 Moisture Movement on Brickwork Moisture affects all porous masonry materials, including bricks, mortars and concrete masonry units but in very different ways. These effects must be considered when a combination of these materials is used, such as when bricks rest on a concrete foundation, brick veneer units are used with block back up, and when brick and architectural concrete products are used in the same Wythe bands of precast concrete or architectural concrete block in a brick veneer. After their initial mixing or casting, mortar, poured-in-place concrete and concrete masonry units shrink as the curing of the Portland cement proceeds. This is an unavoidable consequence of the curing of concrete products and is accommodated in design. 2.2.14 Sulphate Attack on Brickwork Most ordinary clay bricks contain sulphates of sodium, magnesium or calcium. These salts are soluble in water, calcium sulphate being less soluble than the other two. Normally, these sulphates are seen as the harmless efflorescence which affect appearance only and need simply to be brushed away. In theory, most brick walls with mortars based on OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) are liable to sulphate attack. The most vulnerable walls are earth-retaining walls and parapet walls but sulphate attack is a problem also on rendered, and facing brickwork. On rendered brickwork, sulphate attack is manifested by cracking of the rendering, the cracks being mainly horizontal and corresponding to the mortar joints below. The rendering may adhere quite well to the bricks early in the attack but areas are likely to become detached as the expansion of the underlying brickwork causes severance of the bond between the two materials. (Eldridge, 1976) 2.2.15 Lime Staining on Brickwork Lime staining occurs when calcium hydroxide is deposited on the face of brickwork. Lime staining will quickly absorb carbon dioxide from the air and becomes calcium carbonate. It is virtually insoluble and can only be removed by expert which is a costly treatment. The calcium hydroxide can come from three main sources: calcium hydroxide caused by the hydration of Portland cement from hydrated lime added to mortar from brickwork in contact with wet concrete 2.2.16 Porosity on Brick Porosity is an important characteristic of bricks. In contrast to other moulded or pre-cast building materials, the porosity of bricks is attributed to its fine capillaries. By virtue of the capillary effect, the rate of moisture transport in the brick is ten times faster than in other building materials. Moisture is released during day-time and re-absorbed during night-time. The ability to release and re-absorb moisture by capillary effect is one of the most useful properties of brick that helps to regulate the temperature and humidity of atmosphere in a building. This distinctive property makes bricks an admirable building material, particularly suitable for buildings in the tropics. On the other hand, all porous materials are susceptible to chemical attacks and liable to contamination from weathering agents like rain, running water and polluted air. 2.2.17 Crack in Brick Faces / Firecracks The finished appearance of clay brick can vary greatly; this is because it is dependent on clay and the manufacturing process. Some products contain cracks of varying degree (sometimes referred to as firecracks) as an inherent feature. Firecracks are usually visible on the product as delivered. However, firecracks can be masked by the texture and surface sands used in the manufacturing process which becomes visible after the bricks are laid as a result of natural weathering of exposed brickwork. 2.2.18 Dampness of the Brick Wall More or less permanent dampness showing more clearly on the internal wall surface from ground level up to a height of about 750mm, but may be higher in severe cases or if the outer face is covered with a non-porous finish. The decorations may be damp, blistered or discoloured, or, if dry, may have been pushed off the wall by a film or salts which will often be seen as a fluffy crystalline growth. The possible causes of dampness in the brick wall are lack of DPC (damp proof course), by-passing of the DPC, and failure of the DPC material. 2.2.19 Brick Growth and Expansion Gaps in Brickwork Bricks undergo long-term permanent expansion over time. This expansion continues for the life of the brick, but the majority of the growth occurs early in its life. Most general purpose bricks have a coefficient of expansion in the range of 0.5-1.5mm/m (millimeters per meter) over fifteen years. Designers can use the values of the coefficient of expansion to accommodate for the growth of bricks by the size and spacing of the control joints. The provision of control gaps or articulation joints between parts of the structure during construction will accommodate movements within the structure over time. Numerous sources of movement exist and include: The change in size of building materials with temperature, loading conditions and moisture content The differential change in size of building materials (for example, cement products shrink over time, whilst clay bricks expand slowly over time) Foundation and footings movement Frame movement Frame shortening Temperature movement Internal horizontal and vertical movement 2.3 Causes of the brickwork defects 2.3.1 Introduction Brickworks are used primarily in the construction of walls. To construct the brick wall required many skills, design, experience, selection of material, and technique. Lack of all expertise may cause the brickwork defects or failure of the building. The defects that occur in brickwork maybe the result of inherent faults, deficiencies in production, design, materials or workmanship, and attack by environmental agents. After the brickwork has been constructed, it maybe meets of various requirements, climate, loading, and occupational in use. It is not surprising that defects happened or occurs frequently. In this sub chapter, the causes of the brickwork defects will be list out. To find out the actual causes of the brickwork defects will be easily for the occupational to take the right remedies immediately and reduces the brickwork defects happen. 2.3.2 Selection of bricks The choice of bricks is often influenced by the price but the quality required must also be carefully considered in order to avoid defects developing during the service life of the material. Therefore, the selection of suitable bricks for any particular purpose has often to be a trade-off between appearance and durability requirements on the one hand, and cost on the other. This is not always possible to assess the quality of bricks by the colour, variability of colour of bricks of the same source and method of production can often be an indication of strength and durability variations. 2.3.3 Storage of bricks Bricks on site are rarely kept under adequate cover. Defects in the bricks resulting from the lack of adequate protection on the site are rarely apparent before use. However, bad weather conditions can be detrimental to bricks in that saturation by rain can be responsible for both subsequent efflorescence and decoration defects. 2.3.4 Soluble Salts in Bricks Under burnt bricks contain a high salt content. The salts come from the raw clay from which the bricks are made, or are formed in the burning process. Most clay bricks contain some soluble salts, but the types and amounts vary appreciably. The effect of the soluble salts on both efflorescence and the more serious problem of disintegration of bricks themselves are largely governed by the strength and pores structure of the bricks. 2.3.5 Sulphate attack Sulphates are salts which are naturally present in industrial waste, gypsum product, clay bricks, flue condensates and in some ground waters. In persistently damp conditions, sulphate will react slowly with tricalcium aluminate forming a compound called calcium sulphoaluminate. This reaction causes the cement mortar or render of the brickwork to expend and eventually disintegrate. 2.3.6 Solar Radiation While drying out of soil by trees is the most common reason for cracking in brickwork, some clay are also very susceptible to drying out by direct solar radiation. The northern facing wall is the most likely to be affected and stepped diagonal cracking is the most common symptom, usually occurring at the north east and north west corner of the building. (Loveder, 2000) 2.3.7 Migration of moisture The movement of moisture beneath a building can produce the phenomenon known as long term dome and saucer effect. The dome effect is a slow heaving of the soil caused by movement of moisture from the perimeter of the house to its centre, and the saucer effect is moisture moving in the opposite direction, from the centre towards the perimeter. The dome effect causes the walls to tilt outwards and the restraining influence of the roof produces horizontal cracks on the outside wall. These will be wider on the outside surface rather than the inner. 2.3.8 Planting of tree Some of the brickwork defects may cause by big trees roots that plant nearby the building area. When planning to plant trees, the idea to be considering is the strength of the footings under the house. If lack of strength, the roots of the trees maybe grow into the ground under the building and cause the brick wall settlement and cracking. 2.3.9 Uneven settlement of foundations Where a particular heavy load is placed on the foundation such as a large column, movement may occur as moisture is squeezed out of the soil or the soil readjusts itself. This consolidation will stop when the soil has finally compacted enough to support the load. Brick wall or masonry wall may crack which may result from movement during compaction. 2.3.10 Excessive vibration Damage caused by vibration from earth tremors, heavy traffic or pile driving is fairly rare, however if the vibration is great enough to actually cause the foundation to move, brickwork cracking or defect can occur. The crack will show up irregularly if the sources of the vibration cannot be removed. (Loveder, 2000) 2.3.11 Additional building Building an addition building onto a house or add more storey of houses can impose a load intensity on the soil different that which is there already and so cause differential settlement. Even if the loading intensities are similar, the difference in time between when the two settlements occurred can be enough to create the brick wall cracks. 2.3.12 Approach of design Design of brick wall is very important. The designer must have the knowledge about the brick experience in chosen the types of brick to be used. The designer must be fully aware of the clients needs. Defects often occur because of a lack of understanding of the different types of bricks and the method of construct the brick wall. 2.3.13 Lack experience of worker Workers in the masonry construction is not in strict accordance with the construction and standards, masonry mortar is not full, especially in vertical mortar joints are not full, and even produce dense seam, seam permeability. In addition, the dry brick on the wall, mortar in the brick water was absorbed, causing low strength of mortar, brick and mortar separation, so that the overall stiffness of masonry fell, gray mortar joints crack. 2.3.14 Overloading Cracks of brickwork may result from overloading of the ground on which the building rests, or of the building itself or parts of it. Releasing the load does not necessary allow the masonry wall to revert to its original state since the overloading may have been partially accommodated by a permanent compaction of the bricks. The forces responsible for the overloading may be of external origin, such as excessive wind, or may be internal, such as those arising from the installation of excessively heavy equipment for which the masonry wall was not designed. A change of occupational may have same results. 2.3.15 Lack of maintenance Maintenance must be taken for all the building to minimize the cost of repair work for seriously defects happen. Lack of maintenance will make a small cracks or defects on brickwork change to more serious and serious. 2.3.16 Improper soil analysis and preparation When a builder chooses an area of land to build on, it is important to do some sort of soil analysis and preparation. The analysis will provide the developer and/or builder with enough information to choose the adequate soil preparation and construction strategy that should be used to develop the land. Improper soil analysis and preparations can be very damaging to a housing development. For example, a builder can discover that the land soil is made up of expansive soil. If this is the case, houses need to have a foundation that will be able to support the changing pressure and consistency of the soil. This is because expansive soil will swell when wet and then shrink once it dries. If one builds on this type of soil and is not aware of it, there will inevitably be issues to handle. There will be crack in the brick wall or masonry wall. The repair of this is very costly and very intrusive. Unfortunately, the reality is improper soil analysis and preparations happen all the time. 2.3.17 Negligence of construction Negligent construction is an unfortunately common occurrence. A builder has to be very careful when choosing a contractor or subcontractor. A builder will sometimes use one contactor for various projects. A contractor may have skills to install floor tiles but not the know how to build a brick wall. The responsibility can fall on several parties when there is a defect, and thats up to your attorney to determine. 2.3.18 Movement of the ground Mining subsidence, landslips, earthquakes, or moisture changes of shrinkable clay soil may cause the movement of the ground. The brick wall of the building will be crack because the wall of building has become displaced from the rest without any change in actual size of the materials. In theory, this is possible to reconnect the displace parts to bring the building back to its original condition but in practice this seldom can be done. 2.3.19 Acid rain Acid rain is precipitation that is much more acidic than normal rainfall, and the acid rain is usually caused by pollution such as sulfur and nitrogen emissions. Several different mechanisms are operant in the deterioration of brick masonry through the action of acid rain. The bricks are susceptible to acid rain through the selective dissolution of their glassy phase. The mortar is affected mainly by the reaction of the calcareous components. The soluble salts resulting from these reactions, in solution with rain water or condensed moisture, will migrate through the porous matrix of the masonry. In the places where the water evaporates the salts will be deposited. Repeated dissolution and re-crystallization of these salts leads to the mechanical disruption of the masonry structure. Since the salts will concentrate in the more porous material, either the brick or the mortar will be more seriously affected, depending on their relative porosity. 2.3.20 Environment Two aspects of the environment have been considerably which is wind and temperature. This is because they cause loading to be applied to the structure. The strong wind may cause the brick wall or the whole building move, this may cause cracking to the part of the building. The high temperature applied to the brickwork may cause spalling and brick prolong to high temperature can lead to surface vitrification. (Swoden, 1990) Table 1: Causes of the brickwork defect and the preventive method to avoid it happen No. Causes of brickwork defects Preventive method 1. Selection of bricks Use the bricks that are strength and durability 2 Storage of bricks Keep the bricks under dry place 3. Soluble Salts in Bricks Use the bricks that are less contain of soluble salts 4. Sulphate attack Ensuring the wall does not get and stay in unduly wetted. Use cement low in tricalcium aluminate 5. Solar radiation Make sure trees plant far away from the brick wall 6. Migration of moisture Use of damp proof course below the brick wall 7. Planting of tree Make sure there have no big tree nearby the brick wall 8. Uneven settlement of foundations Make sure the foundation is strong enough 9. Excessive vibration Make sure the foundation is strong enough 10. Additional building Do not build additional building of brick wall after a long period finish of brick wall 11. Approach of design Designer must be experienced and knowledgeable 12. Unskilled worker Make sure the brick wall is built by skilled worker 13. Overloading Brick wall must be design according to building use 14. Lack of maintenance Must me maintenance the brickwork annually 15. Improper soil analysis and preparation Check the soil properly and make sure the design of brick wall is strong enough 16. Negligence of construction Careful when choose the contractor 17. Movement of the ground Make sure the foundation is strong enough 18. Acid rain Wash or clean the brickwork before it decay or surface treatment 19. Environment Use the brick that are strength and durability 2.4 Remedies method of the brickwork defects in building 2.4.1 Introduction As known early, brickwork is one of the largest parts of most of the building. The strength, stability, and durability of brickwork are very important. If lack of all those factor, the brick wall or masonry wall maybe fall down or collapse suddenly. If the brickwork occurs any cracking or defects, the right method of remedies must be taken immediately. This is to ensure that the occupational or owner use the building under safety and healthy purposes. Brickwork will deteriorate and decay if not properly maintained. Such deterioration can be caused by a number of factors and can take various forms. The main signs that brickwork is suffering are surface growth and staining, efflorescence, loosed brick becoming dislodged, crack appears throw the bricks or mortar and etc. So, the right remedy must be taken to ensure the brickwork do not decay and deteriorate. (Moses Jenkins, 2007) In this sub chapter, the remedies method for various types of defects will be list out. This is to avoid the brickwork defect getting serious in building in construction industry. The defects of brickwork must be repair immediately, if not the defects will be more serious. For example, cracking can be due to expansion or shrinkage the clay brickwork itself. 2.4.2 Remedies of efflorescence Efflorescence can be minimized by laying dry bricks and by speeding up the drying process after the bricks have been laid by providing good ventilation. The salts that cause efflorescence are soluble in water. Hosing with water will cause the salts to dissolve and be re-absorbed into the brickwork, and then reappear when the brick wall dries out again. Acid or alkaline treatments are not recommended as they increase the salt content of the wall. The best method is simply brush off the deposit with a stiff dry bristle brush after the wall has dried out. Then sponge the surface with a damp synthetic chamois or high suction sponge. Use very little water and rinse sponge frequently in fresh water. 2.4.3 Sand-Blasted Bricks   Which have been cleaned of old paint, algae, or stains using high pressure sand blasting or possibly even v

Pop Cultural Elements of Military Cadences Essay -- Military Cadences

Pop Cultural Elements of Military Cadences "HUT, TWO, THREE, FOUR...HUT, TWO, THREE, FOUR...† What do a bunch of grunts calling out raunchy marching cadences have to do with pop culture? There’s more to the cadence then just keeping soldiers in step, there is a deep sense of pride, patriotism, unity, motivation, and nostalgia, which can be found within these songs. The Military cadence is used to motivate, inspire, and foster company cohesiveness while keeping soldiers steps in time and hands down the rich oral traditions of the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air force. The cadence is a song sung when marching or running and the songs require a caller, who normally sets the pace and leads the formation. Like robots, the soldiers echoed their leader's sing-song" Jody Call" in beat to their pounding footsteps. The way a unit sounds while running or marching tends to reflect on that unit's morale and leadership. This paper will illustrate the similarities that cadences share with pop culture music through lyrical examples . As you will see, the lyrics of these cadences are expressions of individual feelings, goals, and fears, and are quite similar to the themes of other popular culture musical genres. The theories of subculture, appropriation and improvisation that have been proposed in lecture will be reviewed and illustrated within cadences. The military cadence as a subcultures oral tradition will be examined, through analyzing the theories of popular music which can be applied to the genres’ history, structure, and socio-political influences. History & Earlier Music The cadence in America can be traced as far back as the American Revolution with Yankee Doodle. Historically it finds its roots in ancient armies marching to battles across foreign lands. The most significant song in this genra was created in May, 1944, by Pvt. Willie Duckworth, an African American soldier. This chant that we know today as the "Duckworth Chant" or "Sound Off†, 1-2 sound off 3-4 is the most recognizable to the average person from its usages in movies and P.E. classes. The cadence has historical links to the field holler and work songs. Slaves sang about their oppressive environment while working tirelessly in the cotton fields. Similarly, the majority of cadences are reflective to the environment and training, which soldiers endure. These cadences share the themes of phys... ...re of music has many similarities with pop culture music such as Blues, Rock, and Hip-Hop through its historical influences, content, and tone. Cadences demonstrate social political views, sexist and homophonic slurs, elements of nostalgia, and subculture symbolism. The cultural theories of appropriation and improvising are essential to the creation of the military cadence, making this subculture’s music a dynamic and appreciated genre. What is critical to the livelihood of the cadence and other forms of pop cultural music is that it borrows form something that came before within a specific social and cultural context. The cadence is very unique compared to the popular music heard in class particularly because it is hidden within a subculture. The Military cadence’s place is not on mainstream radio waves or on MTV. The cadence is alive on the training grounds of military instillations and in the hearts and minds of soldiers as they run, march, and become future warr iors, carrying the legacy and oral traditions of the US Military in to the 21st century. All Cadence Examples Courtesy of US ARMY Marching and RUNING CADENCES http://cadence.armystudyguide.com/list/index.html

Invisible Saviour Siblings Essay

The philosopher Immanuel Kant said â€Å"Treat others as an end and not as means to an end. † People need to value others for themselves rather than for what they can achieve by the means of them. The idea of selecting an embryo, conceived by IVF, which will become a child that can donate for an older sibling suffering from a genetic disease, has created a difficult moral dilemma. Concerns over the creation of what are called â€Å"savoir siblings† are specifically created to help an existing child. In the novel â€Å"My Sister’s Keeper† by Jodi Picoult there is a girl named Anna who was brought in to this world for the purpose to save her sister Kate. Anna suggests that while her method of coming into the world is not conventional, since most babies born are unwanted; she at least was a wanted child. But she is wanted as a product, as a medical treatment, as a donor. Anna came to a decision that she wanted to stop donating to her sister, so she starts a lawsuit for medical emancipation; the right to control her own body. The child is used as something instrumental and has a welcome that is far from being unconditional. Even the label â€Å"savoir† is a misnomer. When we speak of a savoir we refer to someone who has made an active choice to donate. The child never has a choice. When a donation occurs it will have lifelong effects on the body. The possible psychological problem the child will have from being a savior sibling. The parents do not think about the saviour child in the terms of an individual. The parents need to realize that there is a line that separates the value of preserving life and the costs of the quality of life. When a child is born it is up to the parents to make the decisions for them, but what if the parents are not focus on that child? It is their zeal to make things better for their sick child, but the parents have forgotten that their donor child is a person with feelings, not a something just to pick at when needed. In the case of babies who are selected as a source of cells, the â€Å"savior † is passive and is treated as a product. The choices being made about donation is not even being discussed about. Anna is not even being asked about what she wants to do, â€Å"You make it sound like there’s some process involved. Like there’s actually a choice. † (192) the parents are deciding what is for the best. They do not even consult with Anna about how she feels about everything. Anna had to quit hockey because she was missing two many games, but the only reason why she was missing games was that she had to be there when Kate might need something. Her choice to play hockey was taken away from her and no one in her family even cared. They did not even notice when she started to play hockey, so why would they notice when she stopped. There is a big chance that the family would not even listen to Anna if she would have said that she does not want to continue being the donor. The doctors do not ever consult with Anna about what she wanted to do; they only talked to the parents. They never let Anna make her choice. She was brought in this world as a savior sibling, but it did not mean to make her sacrifice her whole life. The use of savior siblings have raised the issue of the possibility of psychological trauma that the created sibling may suffer from knowing that they was created partly for reasons of imposed selflessness. The child could feel as if they had been used. The donor sibling would feel that they were around to provide â€Å"spare parts†, and were not valued for who they are. Remember the adolescent cry â€Å"I did not ask to be born† and add to it the accusation that the parents only had them to save their siblings life. The moment the child is brought in to this world they have a job to perform. How the parents treat Anna makes her feel like her only purpose in life is to help heal Kate. With these feelings it makes her think about what if Kate was not sick, â€Å"It made me wonder, though, what would have happened if Kate had been healthy. Chances are, I’d still be floating up in Heaven or wherever, waiting to be attached to a body to spend some time on Earth† (08). If Kate was healthy would the parents ever thought about having a third child. The parents once said that their family was complete with two children; each child favored a parent. Anna has matured faster than any child her age, because from the start of her life she was not fully allowed to be a child. She learnt early on that Kate was the main focus and everything else became second. Growing up is hard enough, but when there is question on ones existence it can have serious emotional effects. The child becomes lost in their quest for their own identity. Furthermore, if the treatment of the sick child is unsuccessful, their death can be much harder for the savior sibling, as they may feel as if they have failed. The child would have to go through the rest of their life feeling guiltily about not saving their sibling life. Donating an organ is not as simple as it sounds. The donor of the organ has to deal with limitations on their life. In the novel Anna is being pressured by her mother to donate her kidney to her sister Kate. Her mother does not think about the after effects of the surgery. Anna loves to play hockey, but donating her kidney will stop here from playing. Kidney organ donors should not participate in physical activity that could damage their other kidney. Anna’s mother Sara only concern is Kate, so when Anna wanted to go to Hockey camp her mother said no. Her mother is not caring for what Anna wants â€Å"Not because I am afraid of what might to Anna there, but because I am afraid of what might happen to Kate while her sister is gone. If Kate survives this latest relapse†¦.. we will need Anna-her blood, her stem cells, her tissue-right here. (269), she wanted Anna to be where she needed her. If Anna did go through with the surgery something could go wrong, but does her parents ever does comprehend it. If there were no complications with any of these procedures, the savior sibling would still stay in the hospital with stress and pain which they are not gaining any type of personal benefit. The mother will be so worried about Kate after the surgery; she will be by her side and not by Anna’s. The parents should not make an organ donation decision. It has to be Anna’s choice. Going through with a kidney donation, she would lose some quality of her life. While there is potential harm, it is not without potential benefits to the saviour sibling. The donor child might derive pleasure from knowing that he or she has saved his or her sibling’s life and would benefit from the saved child’s company. In this respect, it is appropriate to consider the welfare of the donor child within the context of the family since his or her social, emotional and psychological interests depend on the welfare of the child’s family. Saving the life of the existing sibling is also in his or her best interests. This will ensure a happier family (e. g. no grieving parents) from which the donor child would benefit. There are benefits to the child, but if the child is born and the transplant is made but is unsuccessful, what comes of the family at that point? The donor child would feel that they have fail in their job in helping to keep their sibling alive. If the transplant was successful, there is no time frame for a savior sibling to stop providing transplants for their older sibling. The donor sibling could chose not to donate later in life or chose to no longer accept the role of â€Å"saviour† for which they were originally conceived. The parents might not like that they brought this child in to this world for a certain purpose, but now the child does not want to donate anymore. The savior child would have no support from their family. They would feel that they had only one purpose; to save their sibling. Parents have more choices than ever before and they need to use every resource available to protect the health of their children, but there is a line that should not be crossed. There are potential harmful psychological effects on a child born not for itself, but to save another. If conception of saviour siblings for the donation of cord blood stem cells is permitted, what is to stop donation ending there. There may be an inevitable situation where the donor child will be expected to â€Å"donate† bone marrow in the event that the umbilical cord stem cell transplant fails or the sick sibling relapses and requires further treatment. If the child is under age, then the parents decide the choice for them and of course they would have the savior child donate whatever the sick child needs. Parents are blinded from seeing what is in the best interest for both of their children. The only thing that is on their mind is to save their sick child. If there is no benefit at all to the created saviour child, it appears hard to justify that it is humane and proper to use them to save the life of a sibling. Every parent has to seriously decide the point at which they will halt their efforts to save their sick child regardless of the potential outcome. There comes a point when people have to realize there is nothing they can do. The parents get so consumed in the entire process and the emotions involved in saving your sick child that they may lose the ability to know when to stop. Despite how gut-wrenching it may be, they have to stop, not only for the sake of their other children, but for the sake of their sick child. They should have to realize that there comes a point when vigilance becomes obsession and good intentions get warped and bastardized to the point that they do more harm than good. People should to write to President to have him put regulations on the use of Genetic technology for creation of savoir siblings. A savior sibling cannot lose their quality of life just because they were conceived with the weight of the family on their shoulders. The child should not go through life suffering, for the reason that she was conceived to help heal their sick sibling.

Diversity: Individual Rights and Social Care Settings Essay

Diversity recognises, respect and people’s differences to have a say and to realise the full potential by promoting different cultures to all members of staff and students within a school. Within schools diversity is promoted from an early age because of mixed classes of boys and girls and children from different cultures. Children will learn from being in school that every body’s different but we treat them equally. An example of this is another religion could be in the criteria so the children learn about another religion other than theirs. While they learn about another religion they begin to respect it. Diversity is very important when relating to the health and social care settings depending on the care setting because people are taking care of other peoples needs and this shows the cares will show respect towards others difference which they might encounter in every day working life. Equality Equality is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals are treated fairly and equally. An example of this could be within a work place where an employer doesn’t employ a certain person because they are a different race, nationality, age or sex. Within a hospital the members of staff have different ranking orders depending on their job title, even though a surgeon has a higher ranking to a nurse it doesn’t mean they can treat them differently because their job titles. For example a surgeon might look down on the nurse because he/she is lower in the ranking table than them but everyone is equal and should be treated equally. In everyday life within a health and social care setting it is important for all members of staff working within them to ensure they treat everyone is treated fairly even if they are not the same as the other person next to them because everyone is different but should be treated with equal rights. Individual rights An individual right is a legal term referring to what one person’s principles do and what can be done to/for an individual. Within a residential care home there might be some people who cannot look after themselves and some that may not be able to talk. Just because they cannot communicate they still have their individual right to their basic needs and what they want to do. Even if the client has a medical problem they are still entitled to their ndividual rights unless they are not mentally capable to look after themselves. Individual rights are equally important to the health and social care settings when refereeing to the individual’s needs because the carers need to take into account the patients and clients individual needs and if they cannot do it for themselves the carers will and will also have to take into account the individual rights of that person when working with them on a daily basis in some cases.