Success and Failures of Low-Cost (Rdp) Housing Post- Apatheid.South Africa

Introduction According to Tonkin (2008), low –cost housing is dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed affordable to a group of people within a specified income range, low cost housing includes social housing and low income housing. In South Africa these houses have been provided through the Reconstruction Development Program (RDP). Since 1994, the government has been implementing this program to address the housing backlog which is continuously increasing. The post-Apartheid has era has been enlightened by different successes and failures of low cost housing.Some of the successes include provision of housing to the poor at affordable rates and failures include that it promotes continuous segregation of people in accordance with economic class and race (Tonkin, 2008). The main purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the successes and failures of low cost housing (RDP). The Successes of Low-Cost housing in Post-Apartheid Low cost housing has brought attentio n of excellence to South Africa by different countries in the world. South Africa has been classified as the world‘s leading country in relation to the provision of houses and its inspiration to eliminate informal settlements.Researchers have suggested that South Africa by 2011 had build-up 2 million houses for the poor. South Africa has been identified on the international arena as a country leading by example in relation to the initiatives it takes to provide low cost housing (Tonkin, 2008). Furthermore, Tonkin (2008) suggests that low-cost housing has managed to provide housing to the poor who could not afford housing on the market. The market forces could not provide for choice and selection for these people to have housing of their preferred choices. Low cost housing has played a role of making equitable selection for those who cannot afford housing.This has helped in improving the living conditions for these poor households. In addition, jobs have been created due to the low cost housing provision process. Low cost housing has played the role of job creation strategy. South Africa has been hit by massive unemployment rates since 1994, which has made most to survive on nothing, due to no shortage of employment opportunities (Tonkin, 2008). Moreover, Tonkin (2008) indicates that the historically black population, which has been supressed by the apartheid system, have been catered for, by low cost housing.Back under the apartheid blacks were not allowed to have accommodation especially in towns. Exclusionary zoning was the ordinance which dominated the housing allocation, favouring those with money and those who are racially deemed acceptable. Low cost housing has been a catalyst in addressing this issue. Lastly, low cost housing has made availability of cheap labour especially in areas, where low cost housing is located near heavy industries. The availability of the labour has made industries to operate on low cost strategies and help them utilize th eir resources more efficiently and effectively.In addition expenses for these industries reduce especially in relation to wage expenses (Tonkin, 2008). Failures of Low-Cost housing in Post-Apartheid On the other hand, Low cost housing has had its failures . One of the failures of low cost housing is that a small number of the population have benefited from the program. In South Africa a larger share of the total population lives in informal self-built houses. In reality low cost housing has failed to benefit large groups of people (Zhang, 2008).To add more, Zhang (2008) clarifies that low cost housing has even made lives of the poor to become more difficult, this is because the (RDP)s have been characterised by the issue of being of low quality. Reports have made variously about their lack of quality by occupiers. Some of the issues raised include that the roofs in some instances are always leaking when it rains, another issue has been of the material used which can be easily get da maged by wind or other elements of nature. Furthermore, low cost housing has been responsible for the failure to link efficiently and effectively people to employment areas (Zhang, 2008).Land near the central business district is mainly expensive, therefore cheaper land is found in the outskirts of towns and that’s where low cost housing is built. This has made people to travel longer distances to their employment areas, eventually people will be forced to fork out large sums of money. Tonkin (2008) has highlighted that most (RDP) houses have become residential dormitories because most beneficiaries choose to rent their homes and move back to informal settlements or other housing closer to work. In addition, Tonkin (2008) suggests that low cost hosing has een unable to create or provide integrated development. Segregation of the poor households still exists and in some racial segregation is also present. Therefore this perpetuates marginalisation of the poor and does not cont ribute to the compaction, integration and restructuring of the apartheid city (Zhang ,2008) This segregation has made South African cities to be identified as some of the least dense cities in the world and eventually in the end low cost housing does not allow mixed housing as an alternative solution.According to Zhang (2008), (RDP) housing in some instances has promoted violent clashes amongst different groups of low cost housing recipients, the main reason is that housing has not been adequately distributed effectively enough to cover the whole section of those who cannot afford it. Housing delivery process has been poor. It is estimated that the 2million+ houses which were built by the government, only offered accommodation to 5 million people out of the total of the total 12million people who have been identified to have no proper housing (Tonkin, 2008).In addition, the major part of the land where the houses for RDP are built was once used as mainly farm land (Zhang, 2008). Pro duction in the agriculture sector has been affected because land as a factor of production has been reduced. Food production has been affected by this move. The country has been forced to go through a lot of expenses to balance this situation. The use of genetically modified technologies which promote quick growth of food crops, in the same time being harmful to the human body have been adopted as options by the government (Tonkin, 2008).Low cost housing has been responsible for this effect in agriculture production. Moreover, low-cost housing has failed to leverage growth in the economy. The main reason is that government has been the main actor alone in the delivery and the private sector has only put in little effort. The Gross Domestic Product has not benefited much from the low cost housing, because of lack of investments and clarifications of the benefits of low cost housing entrepreneurship (Tonkin, 2008).Lastly, low cost housing has not been able to combat crime but rather h as promoted the rate of crime to increase (Zhang 2008). The main reason is that the services within the vicinity of the housing have not been distributed efficiently and effectively . Another cause of crime is that most people are overcrowded and do not have ways to sustain their lives. Statistics in South Africa suggest that areas associated with low cost housing are prone to crime and that’s were the highest crime rates are situated in the country (Tonkin, 2008). ConclusionIn a nutshell, low cost housing has been a controversial issue where it has been characterised by successes and failures. The main drawback which makes RDP housing to be a failure is the legacies of the post-apartheid system which hinder success. RDP housing has been helpful in providing accommodation for the poor and at the same time it has been of low quality making lives even difficult for the users. Reference page Guy, A 2000, The New South Africa, Macmillan Press, London. Tonkin, A 2008, Sustainable Medium Density Housing: A Resource Book, Development Action Group, Cape Town.Tonkin, A & Muthambi, L 2012, ‘’ Challenges for interest groups and their advocacy campaigns: The case of sustainable medium density housing† , in Thuynsma H A (ed. ), Public Opinion and Interest Groups Politics: South Africa’s Missing Links? , Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria. Watson, V 2002, Change and Community in Spatial Planning: Metropolitan planning in Cape Town under political transition, Routledge, London. Zhang, X Q 2008, Housing Finance System in South Africa, UN-HABITAT, Nairobi. Success and Failures of Low-Cost (Rdp) Housing Post- Apatheid.South Africa Introduction According to Tonkin (2008), low –cost housing is dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed affordable to a group of people within a specified income range, low cost housing includes social housing and low income housing. In South Africa these houses have been provided through the Reconstruction Development Program (RDP). Since 1994, the government has been implementing this program to address the housing backlog which is continuously increasing. The post-Apartheid has era has been enlightened by different successes and failures of low cost housing.Some of the successes include provision of housing to the poor at affordable rates and failures include that it promotes continuous segregation of people in accordance with economic class and race (Tonkin, 2008). The main purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the successes and failures of low cost housing (RDP). The Successes of Low-Cost housing in Post-Apartheid Low cost housing has brought attentio n of excellence to South Africa by different countries in the world. South Africa has been classified as the world‘s leading country in relation to the provision of houses and its inspiration to eliminate informal settlements.Researchers have suggested that South Africa by 2011 had build-up 2 million houses for the poor. South Africa has been identified on the international arena as a country leading by example in relation to the initiatives it takes to provide low cost housing (Tonkin, 2008). Furthermore, Tonkin (2008) suggests that low-cost housing has managed to provide housing to the poor who could not afford housing on the market. The market forces could not provide for choice and selection for these people to have housing of their preferred choices. Low cost housing has played a role of making equitable selection for those who cannot afford housing.This has helped in improving the living conditions for these poor households. In addition, jobs have been created due to the low cost housing provision process. Low cost housing has played the role of job creation strategy. South Africa has been hit by massive unemployment rates since 1994, which has made most to survive on nothing, due to no shortage of employment opportunities (Tonkin, 2008). Moreover, Tonkin (2008) indicates that the historically black population, which has been supressed by the apartheid system, have been catered for, by low cost housing.Back under the apartheid blacks were not allowed to have accommodation especially in towns. Exclusionary zoning was the ordinance which dominated the housing allocation, favouring those with money and those who are racially deemed acceptable. Low cost housing has been a catalyst in addressing this issue. Lastly, low cost housing has made availability of cheap labour especially in areas, where low cost housing is located near heavy industries. The availability of the labour has made industries to operate on low cost strategies and help them utilize th eir resources more efficiently and effectively.In addition expenses for these industries reduce especially in relation to wage expenses (Tonkin, 2008). Failures of Low-Cost housing in Post-Apartheid On the other hand, Low cost housing has had its failures . One of the failures of low cost housing is that a small number of the population have benefited from the program. In South Africa a larger share of the total population lives in informal self-built houses. In reality low cost housing has failed to benefit large groups of people (Zhang, 2008).To add more, Zhang (2008) clarifies that low cost housing has even made lives of the poor to become more difficult, this is because the (RDP)s have been characterised by the issue of being of low quality. Reports have made variously about their lack of quality by occupiers. Some of the issues raised include that the roofs in some instances are always leaking when it rains, another issue has been of the material used which can be easily get da maged by wind or other elements of nature. Furthermore, low cost housing has been responsible for the failure to link efficiently and effectively people to employment areas (Zhang, 2008).Land near the central business district is mainly expensive, therefore cheaper land is found in the outskirts of towns and that’s where low cost housing is built. This has made people to travel longer distances to their employment areas, eventually people will be forced to fork out large sums of money. Tonkin (2008) has highlighted that most (RDP) houses have become residential dormitories because most beneficiaries choose to rent their homes and move back to informal settlements or other housing closer to work. In addition, Tonkin (2008) suggests that low cost hosing has een unable to create or provide integrated development. Segregation of the poor households still exists and in some racial segregation is also present. Therefore this perpetuates marginalisation of the poor and does not cont ribute to the compaction, integration and restructuring of the apartheid city (Zhang ,2008) This segregation has made South African cities to be identified as some of the least dense cities in the world and eventually in the end low cost housing does not allow mixed housing as an alternative solution.According to Zhang (2008), (RDP) housing in some instances has promoted violent clashes amongst different groups of low cost housing recipients, the main reason is that housing has not been adequately distributed effectively enough to cover the whole section of those who cannot afford it. Housing delivery process has been poor. It is estimated that the 2million+ houses which were built by the government, only offered accommodation to 5 million people out of the total of the total 12million people who have been identified to have no proper housing (Tonkin, 2008).In addition, the major part of the land where the houses for RDP are built was once used as mainly farm land (Zhang, 2008). Pro duction in the agriculture sector has been affected because land as a factor of production has been reduced. Food production has been affected by this move. The country has been forced to go through a lot of expenses to balance this situation. The use of genetically modified technologies which promote quick growth of food crops, in the same time being harmful to the human body have been adopted as options by the government (Tonkin, 2008).Low cost housing has been responsible for this effect in agriculture production. Moreover, low-cost housing has failed to leverage growth in the economy. The main reason is that government has been the main actor alone in the delivery and the private sector has only put in little effort. The Gross Domestic Product has not benefited much from the low cost housing, because of lack of investments and clarifications of the benefits of low cost housing entrepreneurship (Tonkin, 2008).Lastly, low cost housing has not been able to combat crime but rather h as promoted the rate of crime to increase (Zhang 2008). The main reason is that the services within the vicinity of the housing have not been distributed efficiently and effectively . Another cause of crime is that most people are overcrowded and do not have ways to sustain their lives. Statistics in South Africa suggest that areas associated with low cost housing are prone to crime and that’s were the highest crime rates are situated in the country (Tonkin, 2008). ConclusionIn a nutshell, low cost housing has been a controversial issue where it has been characterised by successes and failures. The main drawback which makes RDP housing to be a failure is the legacies of the post-apartheid system which hinder success. RDP housing has been helpful in providing accommodation for the poor and at the same time it has been of low quality making lives even difficult for the users. Reference page Guy, A 2000, The New South Africa, Macmillan Press, London. Tonkin, A 2008, Sustainable Medium Density Housing: A Resource Book, Development Action Group, Cape Town.Tonkin, A & Muthambi, L 2012, ‘’ Challenges for interest groups and their advocacy campaigns: The case of sustainable medium density housing† , in Thuynsma H A (ed. ), Public Opinion and Interest Groups Politics: South Africa’s Missing Links? , Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria. Watson, V 2002, Change and Community in Spatial Planning: Metropolitan planning in Cape Town under political transition, Routledge, London. Zhang, X Q 2008, Housing Finance System in South Africa, UN-HABITAT, Nairobi.

Macbeth’s path to evil Essay

In â€Å"Macbeth†, it is clear that Macbeth at the start of the play is a different person to Macbeth at the end of the play. During the course of the play, he changes a great deal, most obviously from a good and faithful thane of Scotland to a cruel and ruthless king. At the beginning of the play, he is at his noblest. He has shown great courage and loyalty: â€Å"brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name†, and is considered a hero by Duncan, the king, for ending the rebellion in Scotland, and is thought trustworthy: â€Å"O valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!† He is a great warrior and one of the leaders of the Scottish army: â€Å"like valour’s minion carv’d out his passage.† Yet he is ambitious, and this leads him to become a terrible king, moving from one act of violence to another, seeing one threat after another, so killing conscience and pity. As he is king of Scotland, his evil floods Scotland, making it horribly unnatural and filled with fear: â€Å"A falcon†¦/Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d.† However, at the end of the play he still shows that he has not lost his courage as he dies fighting: â€Å"Exeunt, fighting†, but it is somewhat diminished and his fear has grown as earlier in the play he is scared of the apparitions: â€Å"But no more sights!† Yet at the beginning of the play he fought a bloody and gruesome battle in which a single, detached, armoured head (the appearance of the first apparition) would not have been an uncommon sight. It could be said that at the end of the play Macbeth is a villain, as Malcolm does: â€Å"this dead butcher†, or that he is a tragic hero, as he fought, knowing that Macduff would kill him: â€Å"And thou oppos’d, being of no woman born, /Yet I will try the last.† In order to be a tragic hero however, he needs a tragic flaw. This could either be his ambition, which causes him to be willingly swayed by the witches and risk everything, or it could be his courage, as he does not realise that courage is sometimes the ability to say ‘no’. But Shakespeare’s audience would more than likely consider him bound for Hell, as he at no point in the play asks for forgiveness. One of the beliefs on which Christianity is built is that no matter what people do on Earth, if they ask for forgiveness they will be forgiven by God, and Shakespeare’s audience would mostly have been made up of faithful Christians. No matter what people do to redeem themselves, God does not forgive them unless they ask to be. But this change from good to evil does not happen overnight. It is triggered at the beginning by the witches, who open the play in the most unnatural of ways for a Shakespearian tragedy. The scene is very short, only 12 lines long, and it is unnatural in every way possible. The three witches are supernatural beings: â€Å"you should be women, /And yet your beards forbid me to interpret/That you are so,† the weather is unnatural and violent, even the incantatory poetry that Shakespeare gives them is unnatural, as no one else in the play ever speaks in the same way as they do. It is a prologue to the evil events that will occur throughout the play. They have planned out everything and know exactly what will happen when they tell Macbeth that he will be king one day: â€Å"There to meet with Macbeth†, â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be King hereafter.† Throughout the play, Macbeth tries to control the witches, yet he never can: â€Å"Speak, I charge you. Witches vanish†, and he tries the same with the apparitions, and is scolded by the witches: â€Å"He knows thy thought: /Hear his speech, but say thou nought.† He does not realize that he cannot control either Fate or such unearthly creatures as the witches. Also throughout the play, the witches treat Macbeth as one of their own, and he does not realise that he finds them only because they want him to: â€Å"Something wicked this way comes. /Open locks, /Whoever knocks.† Shakespeare makes this comparison between them in Macbeth’s very first line, by giving him almost the exact same words as he gave the witches: â€Å"So foul and fair a day I have not seen.† The witches are also significant to Shakespeare’s audience because there are three of them. There has always been an ancient superstition that the number three is a magical number, yet most of the Shakespearian audience would immediately associate it with the Holy Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. In â€Å"Macbeth† this has been inverted, as so many other things are. Instead, there is an Infernal Trinity; the three witches or a more elaborate one, made up of the witches, Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth. Still, there could also be an incarnation of the Holy Trinity in â€Å"Macbeth†, represented by Macduff, Malcolm, and Banquo. Macbeth’s progression to evil is chiefly marked out by his soliloquies and the murders that he performs, or orders. He starts as a mighty and noble warrior, killing rebels for his King and country. Then, once his ambition has started to take over, he goes on to kill Duncan, an innocent, defenceless, old man: â€Å"Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope/the Lord’s anointed temple†. He puts much thought into this before performing the deed, debating with himself whether to do it or not: â€Å"He’s here in double trust/†¦his host, /Who should against his murderer shut the door/Not bear the knife myself.† And once he has performed the horrific deed, he regrets it bitterly: â€Å"Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst!† His hesitation however, is not the hesitation of fear, as he has a terrible courage, but of an intimate, buried knowledge between right and wrong. Then he goes on to kill Banquo, though not personally. He gives less thought to this deed: â€Å"There is none but he/Whose being I do fear;† and he does not regret the deed at all, yet is petrified of Banquo’s ghost at the coronation banquet. Banquo, when he is killed, knows what has transpired: â€Å"I fear, /Thou play’dst most foully for ‘t.† He knows how Macbeth became king and that he killed Duncan, and also knows that he is behind his own murder: â€Å"O treachery!† Macbeth finally orders the murders of Lady Macduff and her children: â€Å"give to the edge of the sword/His wife, his babes†. While killing men was considered a great crime, killing a woman and her children was considered a much worse crime. This is done without second thought and never regrets it at all; he never mentions it to himself after it has occurred: â€Å"The very firstlings of my heart shall be/The firstlings of my hand.† As he becomes increasingly evil, so Scotland becomes increasingly unnatural. This is most obviously shown when Banquo dies to save Fleance, a parent sacrificing himself for his child’s life, which is natural: â€Å"Fly, good Fleance, fly, fly, fly!† Later in the play however, it is clear that Scotland has become more unnatural as the Son dies in an attempt to save Lady Macduff, a child sacrificing himself for his parent’s life: â€Å"He has kill’d me, mother: /Run away; I pray you!† This is unnatural and fails, as both Lady Macduff and her Son die. Finally, another sign of Macbeth’s descent to evil is that he becomes more and more secluded. This is mainly shown by the increasing amount of soliloquies that Shakespeare gives him, but is also shown by his relationship with Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the play they are a happy couple, who love each other intensely: â€Å"my dearest partner of greatness,† yet as the play progresses, especially after Duncan’s murder, Macbeth separates himself from his wife, and once he is king, she must ask to see him: â€Å"Say to the king, I would attend his leisure†. All Macbeth’s deeds are consequently thought out by himself, unlike the murder of Duncan, in which Lady Macbeth did most of the thinking and planning: â€Å"Leave all the rest to me†, and Macbeth keeps Lady Macbeth out of the murder of Banquo even when she asks him what he is planning: â€Å"Be innocent of the knowledge†¦/Till thou applaud the deed.† All of these points show how Macbeth becomes increasingly evil throughout the play, eventually becoming a much feared villain, or a tragic hero.

Classical Management Theorists Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol

Management approaches Andrew Vasylenko Scientific advisor – Senior teacher Hvan A. V. Poltava University of Economics and Trade Management in all business areas and organizational activities are the acts of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives efficiently and effectively. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Resourcing encompasses the deployment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources, and natural resources.Because organizations can be viewed as systems, management can also be defined as human action, including design, to facilitate the production of useful outcomes from a system. There are 6 management approaches, such as: The classical approach The human resource approach The quantitative approach The process approach The contingency approach The system approach 1. Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol were both theorists of the classical management movement. The classical approach was the framework to what management is all about. Therefore it can be said that they laid the foundation for many theorists.Frederick Taylor was an important theorist of the early 20th century and he made many important contributions to management. He proposed the principles of scientific management which he believed would improve industrial efficiency. He believed management could be formulated as a discipline. Taylor’s principles of scientific management focused on cooperation between management and the workers as well as improving the technical skills of the workers. His approach is often referred to scientific management, Taylorism or Taylor’s principles. Fayol’s uggested that there were five main roles of managers, these being planning, organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling. 2. The Human Resources Manageme nt function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations.Activities also include managing your approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies. 3. Quantitative Management (also known as Operations Research) offers a systematic and scientific approach to problem solving and decision making in complex environments and situations of uncertainty and conflict. The discipline is characterised by a search for an optimal (best) answer for a problem by using quantitative (numerical) models. The use of mathematical models enables a decision maker to bett er understand the problems facing him/her and provides a tool for making inform ed and reasoned judgements.It can be applied in many areas: manufacturing, businesses management, banking, environmental planning, mining, housing and engineering projects, management consultancy – in fact, in every situation where numerical data are available and management or decision making takes place. 4. The process approach is a management strategy. When managers use a process approach, it means that they manage the processes that make up their organization, the interaction between these processes, and the inputs and outputs that glue these processes together. There are 12 typrs of processes: 1.Quality Management Process 2. Resource Management Process 3. Training and Awareness Process 4. Product Purchasing Process 5. Design and Development Process 6. Production Management Process 7. Service Provision Process 8. Product Management Process 9. Customer Relationship Management Process 10. Internal Quality Management Audit Process 11. Monitoring and Measuring Process 12. Man agement Review Process 5. The contingency approach believes that it is impossible to select one way of managing that works best in all situations like promoted by Taylor.Their approach is to identify the conditions of a task (scientific management school), managerial job (administrative management school) and person (human relations school) as parts of a complete management situation and attempt to integrate them all into a solution which is most appropriate for a specific circumstance. Contingency refers to the immediate (contingent or touching) circumstances. The manager has to systematically try to identify which technique or approach will be the best solution for a problem which exists in a particular circumstance or context.An example of this is the never ending problem of increasing productivity. The different experts would offer the following solutions: Behavioral scientist: create a climate which is psychologically motivating; Classical management approach: create a new ince ntive scheme; Contingency approach: both ideas are viable and it depends on the possible fit of each solution with the goals, structure and resources of the organization. 6. Applying the principle of system approach to management typically leads to: – Structuring a system to achieve the organization's objectives in the most effective and efficient way. Understanding the interdependencies between the processes of the system. – Structured approaches that harmonize and integrate processes. – Providing a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities necessary for achieving common objectives and thereby reducing cross-functional barriers. – Understanding organizational capabilities and establishing resource constraints prior to action. – Targeting and defining how specific activities within a system should operate. – Continually improving the system through measurement and evaluation.

Islamic and christian perspective on computer science Essay

Islamic and christian perspective on computer science - Essay Example It is from such beliefs that people various perspectives emerge, all shaped by the specific dogmas of the time. As such, one would expect that at any particular time, it is highly likely that various perspectives will root out from various religious beliefs. For the purposes of this paper, the paper shall research and analyze Islamic and Christian perspectives on computer science. My major is computer science. It encompasses the study of software and hardware development and management to meet societal needs. While studying computer science, we also study contemporary issues around computer science such as religious perspectives on computer science. Under religion, a unit in computer science, we also study philosophy, critical theory and psychology. Given the interdisciplinary approach my university adopts, the course on religion is also designed to teach on various religious beliefs held by various societies that practice such religions. This assists one to be able to interact cordi ally with others as a computer scientist in a dynamic world. The goals of the major are to prepare one to be in a position understand the dynamism that exists in the society. Apart from instilling skills and technical know-how, the course also prepares one to embrace the concept of diversity and be prepared to accept others without any discrimination based on their religious beliefs. It is also apparent that the course prepares one to function properly in the current global village where various cultures, values and practices are increasingly becoming evidenced in the work place. Islamic Perspective on Computer Science One may observe that Islamic perspective on computer science is one that

Should the government continue repatriating (i.e., returning) Research Paper

Should the government continue repatriating (i.e., returning) Guantnamo detainees to other countries - Research Paper Example Since they were arrested without trial, this ruined their lives. 4. The cost of maintaining Guantanamo bay detainees is costly and repatriating them would assist American government save on costs. 5. Repatriation of Guantanamo bay detainees would help in restoring the broken relations between US and the Middle East nations whose citizens were seen as targets of Guantanamo. CON: No, the US government should not repatriate Guantanamo bay detainees because†¦ 1. Repatriation of Guantanamo bay detainees would put their lives at risk. 2. Repatriating Guantanamo bay detainees will create a new security risk to American citizens. 3. Since Guantanamo bay detainees are prisoners of war, they have to face international charges on the crimes they undertook. 4. Repatriating Guantanamo bay detainees would seem unfair to victims of acts of terrorism who feel that these detainees deserve justice. 5. Repatriating Guantanamo bay detainees would amount to giving freedom to unlawful combatants. As a result, it would deal a blow to war on terrorism. The handling of Guantanamo bay detainees was not done in a proper manner since they were arrested and detained without trial. As a result, the US government has suffered a lot in terms of its image being soiled as a human rights violator. Therefore, the repatriations of Guantanamo bay detainees will help US to put behind the problems concerning human rights violations. Moreover, it will also assist the United States in giving justice to the detainees since they were first illegally and denied trial.1 In most case, Guantanamo bay detainees were not found at fault and therefore they will be released as a way of serving justice unto them. Guantanamo bay detainees should be treated as human beings and thus their release and eventual repatriation would guarantee them freedom. For instance, the case of Latif who committed suicide in Guantanamo tends to tarnish the human rights record of the United States.2 The US government will also sav e on costs of handling Guantanamo bay detainees if they were to be repatriated. The American government will save a lot if they repatriate Guantanamo bay detainees and it also well also help in reducing costs on people who are neither guilty nor innocent of war crimes. Guantanamo bay detainees have suffered a lot under the US administration since their incarceration was done against international laws. The detainees were not treated humanely and therefore man people criticised the move by President Bush’s government in detaining prisoners. For instance, the repatriation of Guantanamo bay detainees has been applauded as a good move by Elisa Massimino who said that the release of the prisoners by President Obama would help the US reclaim its role as a nation committed to human rights and the rule of law.3 The detention of people in Guantanamo bay was illegal and it lead to the ruin of the lives of many people from different locations. As a result, the repatriation of Guantanamo bay detainees would

Food Safety, Security in Arizona and the U.S Border Essay

Food Safety, Security in Arizona and the U.S Border - Essay Example However, it does not terminate there. Inclusive are the product’s marketing aspect and its supply and retail channels (Bagwell, Kyle, and Staiger 112). It will be appropriate then to term agribusiness a system. Since the system is a consolidation of various entities to form a working unit, similarly, agribusiness is a network of objects such as its input, processing, manufacturing, supply and retail entities. Currently, this sector is market-centered and is evolving on this basis. The consumer also wants to dictate the forces of demand and supply in this industry. Agribusiness can be attributed to various traits that clearly distinguish it from family farming. A farm operated and owned by a family is a family farm. This is not the idea propagated by the concept o agribusiness. This brings us to the first characteristic of agribusiness that is the scale. The scale of agribusiness is large. This disqualifies it as a type of family farming that is most commonly than not small scale farming. The second trait is the considerable horizontal and vertical integration. This can be best explained by an instance where a company might own an industry that produces canned fish, along with a myriad of fish farms that produce the fish as well as an enterprise that provides employees. It may be even in possession of another company whose task is to supply and retail the finished products to the consumers (Bagwell, Kyle, and Staiger 112). Of the consideration under the traits of agribusiness is how operations take place, is that Administrators are responsible for activities in an agribusiness who are preferable to having farmers running the organization. This clearly informs us that agribusiness is out to maximize profits like any other business. This gives it an extremely proficient system which is organized and streamlined which allows agribusiness to keep the costs of food low. This is achievable by minimizing the costs

Motivation and Job Satisfaction Among healthcar employees In Hospitals Research Paper

Motivation and Job Satisfaction Among healthcar employees In Hospitals In Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example Therefore, it can be concluded that nurses are crucial to the success of any healthcare system, which in terms ensure high quality services are delivered to patients. Working is a requirement for most people and most people will spend the majority of their adult lives at work; therefore, employers should have a moral obligation to make the experience personally rewarding and be able to motivate employees to provide superior output and as a result gain competitive advantage (Kovach, 1987). JS as a topic concerns both those working in the organisation and those studying them. It is also important because of its effect on the physical and emotional well-being of employees i.e. JS has relevance for human health (Rose, 2005). Chopra (1991) stated that numerous studies at various medical centres have agreed on the fact that people live longer, healthier lives, if they are satisfied with their jobs.. A vast body of knowledge exists globally regarding the factors influencing nurses’ satisfaction. However, not many studies have been conducted about these factors in Saudi Arabia (S.A). Therefore, this study will address nurses’ JS in S.A. In this research the question to be answered is: What are the factors influencing JS of nurses in a university hospital in S.A.? After reviewing comprehensively the relevant literature for the purpose of this research, it has been revealed that several factors are associated with nurses’ JS. Although the factors influencing nurses JS have been extensively studied worldwide, limited evidence exists about the factors affecting nurses’ JS in S.A. In this research the question to be answered is: The purpose of the study must be clear in order to make it easy for the reader to understand; according to Locke et al (1987) the purpose statement should provide â€Å"a specific and accurate synopsis of the overall purpose of the study†. The aim of this study is to measure nurses’ JS in S.A.

Personal experience at a community healthcare facility Essay

Personal experience at a community healthcare facility - Essay Example It is at St. Cecilia Nursing Home that I got to internalize the concept of Gibbs Model in a practical way and in accordance with the tenets of the NMC guidelines (NMC 2008). Thus, the following essay is a reflective chronology of my practical experience at St. Cecilia with respect to ethical issues of informed consent, confidentiality, professional conduct, and empathy as well as respect and dignity for patients (see Appendix 1). Reflective Practice When I joined St. Cecilia as a student and assigned to Ward X (fictitious for purposes of confidentiality), I thought I knew everything ranging from protocol adherence to professional conduct. It seemed to me that I could work on my own and deliver the best services to the elderly patients afflicted with dementia. I wanted to exude confidence in my nursing skills and for the first time my attitude was a little rigid. What I did not actually think of was the fact that I was outside an ordinary classroom and that my work at St. Cecilia requ ired a great deal of teamwork, patience and commitment as postulated by Miranda and Best (2005, p.51) and Suzie (2001, p.1209). With time, the interaction with my patient (let us call him Uncle Richard) helped me develop the right momentum for doing the right thing through reflective nursing practice in accordance with the Gibbs Model of reflective practice as disused hereafter. My assignment in Ward X was to feed an elderly patient herein referred to as Uncle Richard (fictitious name). The patient was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease dementia. Clinically, this dementia is characterized by declining memory and inability to make sound judgment or concentration (Cormac et al. 2004). This type of dementia resulting from the Parkinson’s disease also affects the cognition ability of patients resulting in delusion, depression, irritability, sleep disturbances and anxiety. While my patient could hardly interpret visual information, his condition was also accompanied by muff le speech. To make it worse, the patient had a hearing problem, his right arm amputated and he was a poor eater. It was important to explain some nursing issues to the patient almost daily and at times it forced me to pester the patient for several minutes before he could accept to eat. In terms of describing my feelings in of the experiences in Ward X, it would be prudent to uphold honesty as highlighted in the Gibbs Model (Gibbs 1988). Initially, it was difficult feeding the patient and staying with him was a little boring because of his memory problems, muffled speech and irritability. The patient was troublesome when it comes to eating, and occasionally I felt pissed off. At some point, empathic seeing that the patient could not even interpret a picture of his favourite dish. Once in a while, the routines made felt inadequate and out of place having to deal with a patient that seemed so difficult. Forcing my patient to eat was not a viable option especially that he still reserve d the ethical right of patient autonomy (Cormac et al 2004, p.108; Guido 2006). It was however imperative to exercise some patience and understanding so as to cope with his condition and anxieties as required by NMC 2008. Learning to communicate with my patient was a breakthrough as time passed. Somehow, we became friends and the daily encounters with the patient became a normal practice after all. In his light moods, he would tell me a few things he could remember including a bit of his family life. Of course the stories were juggled up and some did not even make much sense. In some way, a few of his narrations were emotional and quite informative. For instance, one afternoon I felt remorseful when Uncle Richard told me how his wife abandoned him with a ten-year-old daughter

See below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

See below - Essay Example This is the reason why their poetry are instructive and moralistic. It is not art for art’s sake alone but art as a social tool to teach and reach people, moving them to act and do something for the society and the nation as a whole. The following three poems from Robin Skelton’s Poetry in the Thirties will prove or disprove what Virginia Woolf says about the poetry produced during the 1930s. These are September 1, 1939 by W. H. Auden; Different by Clere Parsons; and Light Breaks Where No Sun Shines by Dylan Thomas. This nine-stanza poem of W.H. Auden is an example of what Virginia Woolf calls a poem of the 1930s that contains â€Å"the pedagogic, the didactic† and â€Å"the loud-speaker strain† calling for â€Å"the creation of a society in which everyone is equal and everyone is free.† The first stanza critiques the system as â€Å"low dishonest decade† where â€Å"The unmentionable odour of death/ Offends the September night.† Feelings of uncertainty, fear, hopelessness and anger dominate this stanza. It is a prologue to the situation that the state or society is at the moment of writing. According to the second stanza, the cause of the dilemma can be explained and be traced back to history. Evil has been committed thus the people reap what they sow: â€Å"Those to whom evil is done/ Do evil in return.† This can also be interpreted as a call to act and fight against the â€Å"evil† and the ones causing this evil. Then in stanza three, the poet/persona plunges right into the main issue: democracy; â€Å"About Democracy,/ And what dictators do.† There has been a neglect and abuse of their duty: â€Å"Analysed all in his book,/ The enlightenment driven away,/ The habit-forming pain,/ Mismanagement and grief:/ We must suffer them all again.† The past is repeated because they have not been good stewards of the freedom they had possessed. They have allowed the dictators to reign over them. Then the

Advertising and its affects on children Research Paper

Advertising and its affects on children - Research Paper Example ising is an important tool for making the organisation successful as advertising creates awareness to the consumers that a certain product and service exists in the market. The effects of advertising can be both positive and negative. It basically depends on the individual as to what extent has the advertising message been interpreted. The old generation may know how to perceive the messages of advertising but some young people, especially children may have affects of advertising in a negative way. Children are immature and they don’t know what is right or wrong for them. Some advertisements may have highly negative impacts on the children. The advertising company focuses on making the advertisements attractive so the people become attracted towards the products or service but children may be affected negatively. It is difficult for parents to avoid their children from viewing the advertisements that are run on television. Parents may have to work upon monitoring their children very carefully while the watch TV and this can be a very difficult thing to do as to take out time for this is also difficult for parents. The advertising process allows the children to gain knowledge about the different types of products that are available in the market especially the various technological innovations taking place in the products. Play stations, X-Box and other such types of games are of high concern to children and they get to know more about this through the advertising channels. Also the different types of products, that is for children come into their knowledge through advertising. Chocolates, and other such food products, children tooth pastes and shampoos etc are all of high interest to the children. These products are used by the children on a daily basis and their importance and positive effects are usually demonstrated in the advertisements. The other positive affect of advertising is that the advertisements are made so attractive that it convinces the

How people survive the work place political jungle Essay Example for Free

How people survive the work place political jungle Essay Distinguish between positive and negative corporate politics and explain how these can influence employment engagement. The essay will seek to distinguish between positive and negative corporate politics. The writer will start by defining corporate politics in trying to have an understanding of corporate politics and how it influence employee engagement Kakabadse (1983) cited by Armstrong defines politics as ‘a process, that of influencing individuals and groups of people to your point of view, where you cannot rely on authority’. Organizations consist of individuals who, while they are ostensibly there to achieve a common purpose, are, at the same time, driven by their own needs to achieve their own goals (Armstrong, 2009). There is significant difference between corporate politics and negative corporate politics. This can seen from the effect the two have on employee engagement and the purpose of the individual that is to say positive corporate politics is done as tool mainly by management and supervisors to try and influence other staff so as to meet organisational goals. Positive corporate politics is normal done to the benefit of the organisation as a whole. On the other hand negative corporate politics is self fulfilling it is aimed achieving self interests and in most cases it is against organisational goals Positive corporate politics include the process of influencing individual endeavour and ambition to the common good. Some individuals genuinely believe that using political means to achieve their goals will benefit the organization as well as themselves. Positive corporate politics can thus illustrated in the following case; Mrs Takuta is the Personnel at ZTRD Development Bank and is deputised by Taurai who she went to the same University and the two were in the same class. Taurai was more intelligent than his supervisor and because of the relation between the two, Mrs Takuta always find it difficult to give Taurai orders and in extreme situations taurai will challenge his boss. In the quest to have work done through her junior, Mrs Takuta wi ll use the following statement â€Å"the HR Manager wants the report done by the end of the day†. Mrs Takuta would use the HR Manager’s authority to influence Taurai to perform his duties. To the same effect, Positive corporate politics can increase efficiency, form interpersonal relationships, expedite change, and profit the organization and its members simultaneously. This can be achieved if those in power are able to use their power to influence members of staff to this effect. Thus  positive corporate politics would also include the different powers vested in them to influence positive employee engagement and increase in productivity. Management can give their employees the power to make decisions about their jobs – flexible autonomy, reward for good performance among others. Positive corporate politics involves action by individuals or groups to acquire develop and use power and other resources in order to obtain preferred outcomes (Hellriegel, Slocum and Woodman, 1995) Armstrong (2009) defines power as the capacity to secure the dominance of one’s goa ls or value over others. Individuals and managers can thus influence directly and indirectly using the various types of powers. French and Raven (1959) cited by Armstrong identified the four different types of powers that can be used to influence other employees and the power are; reward power, coercive power, expert power and legitimate power. Reward power is when individuals and managers use the reward power to influence or obtain compliance from subordinates by promising or granting rewards that includes salary increase, bonuses or even promotions. It is the management who normal use this power positively to achieve company goals. Coercive power is used to obtain compliance through threats of punishment and actual punishment. For example promising to fire an employee if they use company vehicles for personal use. The ability to influence others with the power anchored in one’s formal position of authority thus the legitimate power. Individuals can use their legitimate positions of authority to get things done through others. Legitimate power focuses constructively on job performance. Expert power is when individuals have influence because of the valueable information or knowledge they posses. The supervisor’s power is enhanced because they know about work schedules and assignments before their subordinates. Corporate politics involves struggles between social entities for resources, personal conflict and a variety of influence tactics executed by individuals and groups to obtain benefits and goals in different ways (Molm 1997) cited by Vigoda, (2000). Molm’s view of corporate politics would to a greater extent reflect negative corporate politics. Ferris, Russ, and Fundt, (1989) cited by Vigoda (2000) defines negative corporate politics as behaviour strategically designed to maximise self interests. Corporate politics can contradict the collective organisational goals or the interests of other people. Medison etal 1980) cited by Vigoda, (2000) observed that when  individuals were asked to describe work place politics they would list self serving and manipulative activities. It can then be understood that negative corporate benefits individuals at the expense of the entire organisation or a work unit. The behaviour is thus associated with manipulation, defamation, subversiveness and illegitimate use of power to attain one’s objectives. Corporate politics can then lead to job anxiety, decrease job satisfaction, and withdrawal from the organisation. Dorory (1993) cited by Vigoda, (2000) found that corporate politics has a potential demaging effect especially on lower status employees. He speculated that employees who lacked a stable power base and effective means of influencing perceived organisational politics as a source of frastiration and react by showing negative attitude towards the organisation. Employees can feel isolated and unhappy if they are not part of a cohesive team or if they are bedevilled by disruptive power politics. In conclusion, one can therefore generalise that positive corporate politics reinforces employee engagement. Employees tend to put more effort either because they expect a reward or have been promised reward for such performance. That is to say employees can be influenced by the reward power. Employees work hard or do not do unwanted behaviours to avoid punishment. in most cases, employees will also give respect to those in authority thus the legitimate power. However, on the other hand, employee will not perform as expected thats negative engagement which can be caused by negative corporate politics. Using case studies, discuss how people within an organisation can use political tactics to survive the corporate political jungle? Individuals within an organisation which can be likened to a political jungle act out roles in efforts to establish identities they wish to convey, and which can result in personal gain. It should also be noted that people alter the image they choose to present, and the strategy used to present this image, based on the situation they are in and the outcomes they hope to achieve that is how they intend to survive (Chad etal 2003). To this effect, it is important to note that individuals do not necessarily use the same tactic in every situation. Likewise, different individuals may choose different tactics when faced with similar situations. For example, whereas one individual may use self-promotion to obtain a job offer, that same individual may use  ingratiation or rationality in an attempt to obtain a promotion or pay raise. On the other hand, another individual, when faced with the same situation, may use ingratiation to obtain a job offer and assertiveness or self-promotion to win a pay raise. Different individuals may use a number of contextual factors which influence tactics an individual chooses to use, under what circumstances he or she chooses to use them, and how effective the tactic of choice will be. Such factors include the relative power of the parties, the direction of the influence attempt, the objective of the influence attempt, and the political skill of the influencer (Falbe Yukl, 1992; Ferris, Perrewe, Anthony, Gilmore, 2000) cited by Chad etal (2003). Buelens etal (2011) also subscribe to the same tactics as identified by Appelbaum and Brent (1998). He pointed out that individuals would use different tactics to get influence within an organisation or rather to get favours and promotions from their bosses. It is however believed that political behaviour is far less common and less intense among employees in lower-level positions than among employees in higher-level positions. There are a variety of political tactics used by employees at almost every organizational level that include forming coalitions and networks, impression management, information management, pursue line responsibility , ingratiation , rational persuasion, consultation and exchange Appelbaum and Brent (1998) . Forming coalitions and networks best known as networking, is a political tactic which consists of befriending important people. These people may not be in positions of any obvious political value but their jobs may provide them with information that could be useful to have. Some people ï ¬ nd that forming friendships with people in upper-level management can help them gain access to important information (Appelbaum and Brent (1998). The above can be illustrated in the following case: Zikanda was a messenger a t RIT Energy. Despite the fact that Zikanda was just a messenger, other senior employees would always give him respect and at most times conform to his needs and favours. For many years in the same organisation, I never realised why even middle level managers would actually conform to unreasonable demands of a mere messenger. Zikanda would take the pool car home as and when he feel like and no one would question that and worse of other senior employee would commute or even ask for transport from him. I later realised that his power or influence was because of his relationship with the General  Manager. Zikanda was no relative with the boss but has managed to form a network with the General Manager they were friends. Zikanda every lunch time would go to the General Manager’s office ask him what he want for lunch. It was Zikanda’s job to be sent to buy him lunch however it was the way the whole thing was done, he would at times buy him lunch with his own monies. The General Manager and Zikanda were just friends they were just too close. Other employees were not comfortable with this relation there were not sure what information the two buddies share. Zikanda has managed to make a network with the General Manager. Impression management is a simple tactic that most people uses from time to time is the management of their outward appearance and style in the quest of trying to impress those in authority. Generally, most organizations prefer a particular image that consists of being loyal, attentive, honest, neatly groomed and sociable. By deliberately trying to exhibit this preferred image, an individual can make a positive impression on inï ¬â€šuential members of the organization. As illustrated in the case of Transport officer who has turned himself to driver. Nhetuka is a transport officer at ZBM Company. Mr Nhetuka has turned himself into a driver in trying to impress management. Nhetuka is always driving managers when he is supposed to delegate drivers to drive managers around. Not only that he takes the Area Manager’s son to and from school a job which is supposed to be done by company driver. Information management is a tactic consisting of managing the information that is shared with others. The nature, as well as the timing, of information given out can have strong effects on others’ conduct (Appelbaum and Brent (1998). People who play the information management game are not likely to lie or spread misinformation, but they rely on the carefully planned release of valid information to obtain their ends (Vecchio and Appelbaum, 1995, p. 323) cited by Appelbaum and Brent (1998). An example can be given of a personnel Clerk who by virtue of his job has access to very important information to include how people can get access to loans among others. The person having such a position can sort respect and influence to the extent that he is able to make people lower themselves to get that information. In a political jungle despite the fact that this information should be given to all employees, one can choose to with hold the information for his own benefit. Pursuing core business within an organization, some positions are more closely tied to the primary  mission of the organization thus the line positions. They are at the very heart of the organization. While staff people may come to wield great power within their own territories, it is the people who do core business who usually â€Å"call the shots† on major issues. Core staff not only makes the more important decisions within the organization, they are also more likely to be promoted to top-level exe cutive positions. In many organizations, there is a preferred department of origin and career path for top- level managers. Therefore, one way to gain inï ¬â€šuence within an organization is to be assigned to a core position. It will often provide more visibility, inï ¬â€šuence, and upward mobility. A case to support the effect of core position for influence in the in an organisation; Takunda was an administration clerk ZETDC an organisation whose core business is to transmit and distribute electricity. He worked very hard for ten years furthering his qualification hoping that one day he will be promoted and be given a higher grade but nothing cane his way. ZETDC would on get people with 5 ‘O’ Level train them as electricians and give them good grades despite that they only posses a Certificate in Electrical power engineering. Takunda then decided to change the career and started a programme at the Polytechnic were he attained a Certificate in Electrical Power Engineering. And it was only then Takunda was recognised and promoted. ‘Ingratiation tactic involves giving compliments or doing favours for superiors or co-workers. Most people have a difficult time rejecting the positive advances of others. Ingratiation usually works as a tactic insofar as the target often feels positive toward the source even if the ingratiation attempt is fairly blatant and transparent. In the behavioural sciences, the notion of â€Å"social reciprocity† has been offered to help explain the process of ingratiation. In social reciprocity, there is a feeling of a social obligation to repay the positive actions of others with similar actions’ Appelbaum and Brent (1998). Appelbaum and Brent, (1998) defines ingratiation as an attempt by individuals to increase their attractiveness in the eyes of others. Ingratiation tends to be used more as an upward inï ¬â€šuence process than as a downward inï ¬â€šuence process. This tactic can best be observed when especial when one has a female boss how often do we pass complements to our female bosses, â€Å"nice hair style†, â€Å"nice dress† even if we don’t mean it. It is a political game most of us play to survive hash judgement from our bosses. In case of a Human resources clerk who  was left acting as Human Resources Officer. During the absence of his boss, Sipiwe was supposed to employ a Customer Care Clerk on a contract basis. Sipiwe knew that his boss’s daughter was unemployed and Sipiwe took this opportunity to employee the boss’s daughter without even consulting the boss. It was later discovered that Sipiwe did this because she had a boyfriend who was out of employment. Sipiwe calculated and realised that it would be easy for her to convince the boss to employ her boyfriend since she has employed the boss’s daughter. In a game of politics one has to be clever and calculative and be able to use politic al tactics to your best advantage. The case above illustrates a tactic called exchange. REFERENCE LIST Appelbaum, S..H. and Hughes, B. (1998) Ingratiation as a political tactic: Effects within the organisation; Journal of Management Decision Vol 36/2 Armstrong, M. (2009) Armstrong’s handbook of human resources management Practice; London, Kogan Pages. Buelens, M. etal (2011) Organisational Behaviour; Berkshire,McGrall- Hill Chad, A. etal (2003) Influence tactics and work outcomes; Journal of Organisational Behaviour Vol 24 No 1. Hellriegal, D. , Slocum, W. J. Jr. and Woodman, R. W. (1995), Organisational Behaviour;New York, West Publishing Company. Vigoda, E. (2000), Organisational Politics, Job attitudes and work outcomes: Exploration and implications for the Public Sector, Journal of Vocational Behaviour Vol 57. MIDLANDS STATE UNIVERSITY FACULT OF SOCIAL SCIENCES BSC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT HONOURS DEGRE ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR [HRM 202] Assignment Cover Page Surname : NcubeName: Innocent Taurai Reg. Number: R135973GMode of Entry: VISITING Level 2.1 Lecturer: Mrs. Masitara Topic/Question: Distinguish between positive and negative corporate politics and explain how these can influence employment engagement. Using case studies, discuss how people within an organisation can use political tactics to survive the corporate political jungle?

Bachelor of Arts Community development Essay Example for Free

Bachelor of Arts Community development Essay The unit explores the power of ideas to change the world and ourselves, focusing on their birth, transmission, evolution, and personal and global impact. Through the study of selected themes, students are introduced to the knowledge and approaches central to the arts, social sciences and humanities, and are invited to reflect on competing moral and social arguments. The development of writing and critical thinking skills are a core focus of the unit. The unit is arranged around four different topics, each of which is allocated five or six lectures and three tutorials. Each topic consists of an organising theme which is used to focus a set of contrasting disciplinary perspectives from within the arts, social sciences and humanities. For 2014, the four organising themes are: ââ€" ¦The individual and the community. ââ€" ¦Violence ââ€" ¦Truth and representation ââ€" ¦The good life The key aims of this unit are as follows: ââ€" ¦To introduce students to a range of methodological, conceptual and theoretical appraoches to the main discipline areas covered in the Bachelor of Arts degree. ââ€" ¦To show how social and moral issues may be examined from diverse perspectives, so as to result in differing evaluations, each offering potentially valuable illuminations. ââ€" ¦To provide students with the conceptual tools to become more articulate and reflective in their examination of social and moral issues. The majors which comprise the Bachelor of Arts in 2014 are: ââ€" ¦Asian Studies ââ€" ¦Australian Indigenous Studies ââ€" ¦Communication and Media Studies ââ€" ¦Community Development ââ€" ¦Criminology ââ€" ¦Education Studies ââ€" ¦English and Creative Writing ââ€" ¦Games Art and Design ââ€" ¦History ââ€" ¦Indonesian ââ€" ¦Interactive Digital Design ââ€" ¦International Aid and Development ââ€" ¦Japanese ââ€" ¦Journalism ââ€" ¦Legal Studies ââ€" ¦Philosophy ââ€" ¦Photography ââ€" ¦Public Relations ââ€" ¦Politics and International Studies ââ€" ¦Radio ââ€" ¦Religion ââ€" ¦Security, Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies ââ€" ¦Social and Developmental Psychology ââ€" ¦Sociology ââ€" ¦Sound ââ€" ¦Sustainable Development ââ€" ¦Theatre and Drama ââ€" ¦Tourism and Events ââ€" ¦Web Communication

Popularity of Timber Frame Construction

Popularity of Timber Frame Construction 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report will look at the increasing popularity surrounding timber frame construction in the construction industry. It will look at why this trend is continuing across the UK and how this form of construction can be applied to various building types. Timber frame construction is most notably used in parts of the world such as USA, Canada and Australia but it is being used more frequently throughout the UK in more recent times as well. Year on year the market share for timber frame construction has increased. Scotland is leading the way in this field by using timber frame construction much more than their neighbours. The timber sourced for this type of construction can readily be found in Scotland and this may go some way to explaining why it is indeed so popular in Scotland. 1.1 FACTS AND FIGURES; For the tenth consecutive year; the market share for timber frame construction has increased, 25% of all new houses in the UK are timber frame, As previously stated, Scotland is the most popular country for timber frame construction in the UK but even considering this; 75% of all new houses in Scotland are timber frame and that percentage continues to rise. Also, even during a recession when the construction industry has possibly been hit as hard as any other industry; timber frame construction only dropped by 26% while other construction methods dropped almost 38% in 2008. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 5 (www.timber-frame.org) The trend is also growing outside of the UK, in Ireland for example. This is endorsed by the following quote. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber frame homes currently account for 25% of new build homes in Irelandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.ramstowndevelopments.com) 2.0 METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION Timber frame construction means that the weight-bearing walls are indeed timber panels. In other buildings this could be steel or blocks for example. These timber panels are made off site to an exact size and when they are required, they are simply transported by truck from the factory to the site. They can then be installed by men using pulleys and ropes or if the panels are too large and heavy- a small crane can be used to carry out this task. The panel itself is usually made up of solid timber- to take the load of the structure and this is sheathed usually by plywood or OSB- Oriented Strand Board, which is usually sourced from Scotland. These members ensure that the panel has suitable strength and is also rigid. Once the timber frame installation is complete, the external leaf of the building can then be installed. This can be brickwork or any form of cladding or a rendered finish. There are in fact two types of panels available- namely the Open Panel meaning the panel will be dry-lined after the insulation, vapour layer and services have been installed on site. The other panel is the Closed Panel and is this case this is all done in the factory. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 11 (www.timber-frame.org) There have also been advances in the design of I-Joists in timber frame systems. There are now lighter I-Joists available but they have the greater strength and durability because the flanges are wider and the joist itself is not solid wood as has been the case in previous years- it can simply be plywood or OSB. PLATE 1; Image showing lightweight I-Joists, which are easier to handle but still strong enough to withstand the load being rested on it; due to the wide flanges. (www.framewiseltd.co.uk) 2.1 BALLOON FRAME There are actually two forms of timber frame construction. These are called Balloon Frame and Platform Frame. Balloon Frame has been superseded nowadays by Platform Frame but a brief outline is explained on both. The Balloon Frame form of construction simply means that the studs that make up the exterior wall are one long section which spans from the ground to the ceiling height of the top floor. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A balloon frame consists of two-storey height panels with an intermediate floor suspended from the formwork.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Chudley and Greeno (2008, p.386) Problems are obvious with this form of construction; Fire can spread easier because of the large panels Large panels may be more difficult to find Large panels will also be more difficult to handle Heating bills could be higher because there is no insulation between a room and the exterior walls Drawbacks such as these mean that the Platform Frame is more popular and is used today in preference to the Balloon Frame. 2.2 PLATFORM FRAME As previously mentioned, this is the form of timber frame construction favoured today in the UK. It differs from the Balloon Frame, as the structure is built up floor by floor. Basic sequence of events would include; Engineer calculates out sizes required by looking at the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s drawings Materials ordered and prefabricated in factory Materials arrive on site- only as required Base of the structure is marked out Timber floor joists are lifted into place using a small crane Walls are erected and positioned on top of floor joists- again using a small crane Prefabricated roof is also positioned in by a crane on top of the wall panels Cavity barriers/fire stops are installed Felt and battens are applied to roof- structure is now watertight External layer can now be can applied as well as tiles or slates on the roof Internal services can now be installed   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   PLATE 2; Image showing a floor being lifted into position by crane (www.ramstowndevelopments.com) (sketch 2 drawings from page 171 of chudley greeno) 3.0 ADVANTAGES OF TIMBER FRAME Timber frame construction holds quite a few advantages over brick and block or steel frame construction; Quick to erect- can be completed faster than using brick and blocks as there is no need to wait for mortar to dry. Also, timber can still be installed in the rain; when brick or blocks canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t and is also not affected by the frost like mortar is. Easy to transport- panels, trussed roofs, timber floors etc are easily loaded on to a lorry and delivered on site as needed also ensuring the site isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t cluttered up with materials that are not yet needed. Easy for the Contractor to forecast the completion date of the project- the job will run on time easier and will not be delayed due to weather as wintry conditions can delay progress on site. Cleaner site- as everything is measured to specification; there will be very little material waste on site meaning more profits, less money spent on dumping waste in landfills and less chance of an injury also. Smooth and dry- the surface is easy to decorate and also easy to render. Better quality- as the frame is fabricated off site to meet Building Regulations; there is less chance of human error. Can be installed by small crane to meet a tight deadline or by workmen as a cheaper option. Extensions can easily be incorporated, as timber and plasterboard are easier to remove than blocks. Also easier to design a building to suit the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s exact taste and possibly make a building unique form others. (www.trada.co.uk) Once the shell of the building is complete- this means it is watertight and the internal works can begin. It only takes around 5 days to achieve a watertight house. 3.1 THERMAL PERFORMANCE Timber is an excellent insulator and this in turn means that timber framed buildings store heat very well. This therefore leads heating bills being reduced, which in turn also means less fossil fuels are being used- be it oil for central heating or coal for a fire. How much money can be saved on heating bills varies and bold claims are made about this. It is hard to calculate because other factors need to be considered such as the specification of the building, the occupants of that building and so on. One timber frame company called Ramstown Developments claim that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber framing is an energy saving system that cuts an average of 33% off the annual cost of heating your home.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.ramstowndevelopments.com/) How accurate these figures are will be open to debate but there is little doubt that timber frame construction does have an advantage when it comes down to thermal performance. Many different timber frame companies exist and because of this they will specify the materials and construction and installation of the components slightly differently, thus giving slightly different results. However, the UK Timber Fame Association, who represents over 85% of UK timber frame manufacture states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Using a standard timber frame system achieves U-values between 0.30 and 0.27 using readily available and standard insulation- and using higher performance insulation and insulating breather membranes can boost these figures even more.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.timber-frame.org) The keyword in the aforementioned statement is standard- meaning this is the minimum level of thermal performance that can be expected, so obviously this can be improved upon by having a higher specification. One such company is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Scotframeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? who have designed a timber frame system which has a U-value of 0.11 which is very impressive when the U-value limit for walls in 1965 was actually 1.7. The system is a closed timber-framed panel, usually includes140mm  studs sheathed both sides with Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and factory filled with Polyurethane foam insulation. The internal side of the panel has a vapour control heat reflective membrane  and an air gap is created between this and the internal wall cladding to make a service zone.  The exterior side has a breathable waterproof membrane and 50mm of  polyurethane foam cavity insulation. To prove that these panels are indeed extremely thermally efficient- they have been tested by the National Physical Laboratory who confirmed a U-value of 0.11 W/m2K; when the external cladding is taken into account. This system can be installed without the cavity insulation- but as can be expected, the U-value results will not be as good. This system from Scotframe actually meets the meets the C02 targets which have been set at intervals of 2010, 2013 and 2016- at this stage. (www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) PLATE 5; Image showing what the Scotframe system compromises of. (www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) 3.2 ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE Since timber frame performs so well in thermal performance, it isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t very surprising to gather that it also performs well in the acoustic aspect also. This could be largely down to the fact that so many layers can absorb sound just like curtains and carpet absorbs sound better than an empty room with hard surfaces. In fact à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“BREs Case study TF2000 found that even a multi-storey project would out perform building regulations for acoustic insulation.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.framewiseltd.co.uk) This statement therefore echoes these thoughts and actually emphasises that it more than satisfies Building Regulations. What is even more interesting is that this is not for a small cosy dwelling- it is actually in terms of a multi-storey structure. 3.3 FIRE PERFORMANCE Timber is more susceptible to fire than materials such as concrete, bricks, blocks or steel. This however, does not mean that timber frame structures are more of a fire hazard. Timber frame structures are more likely to be burnt down during the actually construction phase, when the installation is not complete. This could be due to an accidental fire starting on site or probably the more likely case of vandalism. The HSEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s figures of 11 fires each day in the construction industry advocates this theory. Fire Safety on Timber Frame Construction Sites, page 5 highlights this, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s annual UK fire statistics show that two thirds of fires in construction industry premises are started deliberately.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.timber-frame.org/) Fires that do start accidentally will not spread as easily once the installation has been complete, because the fire resistant plasterboard will see to this and also the external cladding will prove a difficult surface for the fire to engulf. There are of course ways in which the threat of fire can be minimised; Design out the need for hot-works, i.e. working with a blowtorch. If hot-works are required then that area should be monitored for 1 hour and again 2 ours later as a precaution. Keep the site tidy with no timber shavings or pieces of paper lying around, as these could start a fire easily (this of course would be good practice on any construction site) Ensure good site security to keep potential thieves and vandals at bay- again just like on any construction site. Fire Safety On Timber Frame Construction Sites page 10 (www.timber-frame.org) At this stage it should be stressed that timber frame construction is quick to install and because of this it is easy to reach a point when fire resistant materials are in place and the risk of fire is therefore greatly reduced. Also, cavity fire barriers will reduce the spread of fire. They are placed at openings in external walls, at corners, at each floor level, at eaves level, around pipes, cables etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It is also worthy to mention that timber frame buildings do of course have to pass the relevant Building Regulations; as fire is a very serious matter. So if they satisfy these needs; they are as safe as any other form of construction in that aspect. 4.0 ENVIRONMENT Terms such as C02 emissions, global warming, carbon footprint and greenhouse gases are often the topic of conversation in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s world. Everyone is being urged to think about the environment and the construction industry is probably under the microscope as much as any other sector. As mentioned previously one of the advantages of timber frame construction is that it reduces the effects of burning fossil fuels- such as oil or coal. This therefore means it also minimises the greenhouse effect as well. Unlike steel or concrete- there is no need for any manufacturing, refining or extracting as timber is natural. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Strength for strength, concrete uses 5 times (and steel uses 6 times) more energy to produce than timberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.timber-frame.org) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Overall C02 emissions for timber construction (the em-bodied carbon are up to six times lower than the emissions associated with masonry construction materialsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 19 (www.timber-frame.org) That statement may not hold much relevance until the Governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s stance on this subject is made clear- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Come October 2010, the Government will slash the level of permissible CO2 emissions generated by new builds by 30%. There is a further reduction of 30% planned for 2013 and yet another of the same amount due to come in to force in 2016à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) This further proves just how big of a concern this matter is and that the Government are acting quickly and have very clear targets in mind for the future. Some timber frame companies are also trying to convey this message to the public, as advocated by Deeside timber frame- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Raise awareness of environmental issues with our customers, suppliers and staffà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is listed as one of their objectives regarding environmental matters. (www.deesidetimberframe.co.uk) Also, since timber is being sourced locally; in Europe and frequently in Scotland- it means there is no long journeys to transport the material overseas as can often be the case with steel when it is in short supply. 4.1 SUSTAINABILITY Timber is a very sustainable material. This is simply due to the fact that the timber comes from managed forests and for every tree that is cut down- two are planted to replace it. As well as this; the Government also introduced a scheme titled the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2006. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 7 (www.timber-frame.org) To summarise, this basically states that the Government wants homes to be more energy efficient and that Level 3 is the basic standard expected in the average housing scheme, with this rising to a Level 6 for all new homes by 2016. Issues which affect what level the structure will be credited with depend on two things- how energy efficient the buildings fabric is and also how the material itself was sourced. Timber can achieve a good rating on both fronts because as previously mentioned; it is easy to source and doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to be transported long distances and also timber frame buildings have a very good thermal performance and can reduce heating bills. 5.0 NON-DOMESTIC BUILDINGS AND OTHER PROJECTS It would be fair to say that when most people think of timber frame construction, they think of low rise buildings like domestic dwellings. However, timber frame buildings are not just bungalows and two storey houses. Timber frame buildings include hotels, student accommodation and such like. With Building Regulations always being updated and changed; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber frame can currently go up to 18 metres within the current regulations. This has already allowed the construction of a 7 storey building in Bedminster in Bristol.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.timber-frame.org) Further examples of surprising projects include a primary school which has over 400 children in attendance. St Lukeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Primary School in the Wolverhampton area was actually completed in 16 weeks- which was 2 weeks ahead of schedule! It cost  £5.9m to construct and was given a rating of Excellent by BREEAM. This rating was of such a high standard that it is actually the first time it has been awarded to a building in Britain. (BREEAM is the BRE Environmental Assessment Method.) PATE 6; Image of St Lukeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s CE Primary School, Blakenhall Gardens UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 26 (www.timber-frame.org) Other such projects include a NHS Adolescent Unit in Wales, where in this instance timber frame was ideal due to the fact that it was manufactured offsite and this meant less time onsite, making noise and disrupting the patients. A further example includes the theatre that was built on the Isle of Mull. Since this structure would be subject to winds and rain- it would be anticipated that steel or concrete would be the material of choice. However, cost of transporting these materials proved to be a huge factor, coupled with the fact that once again timber frame could be installed much quicker. PLATE 7; Image of the new timber frame theatre on Isle of Mull UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 26 (www.timber-frame.org) As well as these structures, timber frame prototypes have also been erected to improve our knowledge and findings on the performance of timber frame. One such prototype is the Kingspan Lighthouse which was designed and built to show how well timber frame would or would not perform when the structure was going to be an unorthodox shape. As with all buildings, small faults were found and good feedback was received on how improvements could be made. However, a Level 6 rating under the Code of Sustainable Homes was reached- even though this target doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t need to be achieved until 2016. PLATE 8; Image of Kingspan Lighthouse which achieved a Level 6 rating. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 9 (www.timber-frame.org) 6.0 MOISTURE CONTENT All timber that is to be used for construction purposes will have a certain moisture content. Different timbers will have different moisture content depending on their use. For example, timber that is going to be used at junctions in the building where dampness could form will need to have a low moisture content. Kilns are used to dry timber out to a certain specification. Moisture content can be calculated by completing the following calculation; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Moisture Content %= (wet weight)-(dry weight)/ dry weight x 100%à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Chudley and Greeno (2007, p.175) 6.1 THREAT OF ROT Rot spreading throughout a building is the nightmare of every client and builder, as it can cause unlimited damage and mean that in the extreme cases the building cannot be repaired. However, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Dry timberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, which is a timber with a moisture content of under 20%, is not at risk of decay. Lyons (2007, p.105) noted that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the reduction in water content to below 20% will arrest any incipient fungal decay, which can only commence above this critical level.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? This should dispel any doubts that timber is very exposed to rot. Furthermore, the timber is also sprayed with necessary preservatives before installation to satisfy Building Regulation requirements. 7.0 CONCLUSION This report has briefly looked at how timber frame structures perform in numerous fields. It has also outlined how timber frame can be used in a variety of different structures- some of which many people would not associate timber frame construction with. It is therefore clear to see that this market will continue to grow, with the market possibly accelerating more so in Ireland in the near future. This is because Ireland is possibly the country which has the most room for growth in this sector, coupled with the fact that Scotland is nearby and would prove to be a very good source for timber. This report has also addressed concerns relating to timber and the perception many people still have about using timber in construction- such as fire hazards, risk of rot, unable to be used in multi-storey buildings; to name just a few. Once people are better educated and made more aware about using timber as the structure for buildings- then these myths will soon be dispersed. After all, as mentioned in the introduction; this form of construction is used in countries such as USA, Canada and Australia. It is of course the most popular form of construction used in the developed world- meaning it can handle the hot summers in Australia and also the windy wets nights and wintry conditions in Scotland. It has taken Britain and Ireland many years to adopt this practice and some will no doubt wish to never embrace timber frame construction. However, the old adage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the times are changingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? certainly springs to mind at this point. With the Government endorsing the use of timber frame and with environmental and sustainability concerns the topic of conversation on a regular basis- this definitely seems like the route to take. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber Frame is probably the biggest single advance in building methods in recent yearsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.walkertimbergroup.com) The above quote certainly is a bold one but with the facts in figures produced in this report; it is hard to argue against such a statement. 8.0 REFERENCES- Websites Source- UK timber frame association preview 2010 (pdf file) (www.timber-frame.org) [accessed 4th February] Source-Fire Safety on Timber Frame Construction Sites (pdf file) (www.timber-frame.org) http://www.ramstowndevelopments.com/index.php?id=47 [accessed 4th February] http://www.framewiseltd.co.uk/Systems/i-joists-the-simple-framing-system.html [accessed 4th February] http://www.trada.co.uk/techinfo/library/view/6BA4B8A2-79A8-451B-AB6F-474D37137B4F/Timber+frame+construction+-+an+outline/ar01s02.html [accessed 5th February] http://www.timber-frame.org/html/Building_And_Construction/Benefits_of_Timber_Frame/ [accessed 5th February] http://www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/ [accessed 5th February] http://www.deesidetimberframe.co.uk/environmental.htm [accessed 5th February] http://www.walkertimbergroup.com/walkertimber/products/products/timberframe1 [accessed 5th February] Books Chudley, R., Greeno, R. (2008) Building Construction Handbook. 7th ed. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd Chudley, R., Greeno, R. (2007) Construction Technology. 4th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited Lyons, A., (2007) Materials for Architects Builders. 3rd ed. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd. Popularity of Timber Frame Construction Popularity of Timber Frame Construction 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report will look at the increasing popularity surrounding timber frame construction in the construction industry. It will look at why this trend is continuing across the UK and how this form of construction can be applied to various building types. Timber frame construction is most notably used in parts of the world such as USA, Canada and Australia but it is being used more frequently throughout the UK in more recent times as well. Year on year the market share for timber frame construction has increased. Scotland is leading the way in this field by using timber frame construction much more than their neighbours. The timber sourced for this type of construction can readily be found in Scotland and this may go some way to explaining why it is indeed so popular in Scotland. 1.1 FACTS AND FIGURES; For the tenth consecutive year; the market share for timber frame construction has increased, 25% of all new houses in the UK are timber frame, As previously stated, Scotland is the most popular country for timber frame construction in the UK but even considering this; 75% of all new houses in Scotland are timber frame and that percentage continues to rise. Also, even during a recession when the construction industry has possibly been hit as hard as any other industry; timber frame construction only dropped by 26% while other construction methods dropped almost 38% in 2008. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 5 (www.timber-frame.org) The trend is also growing outside of the UK, in Ireland for example. This is endorsed by the following quote. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber frame homes currently account for 25% of new build homes in Irelandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.ramstowndevelopments.com) 2.0 METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION Timber frame construction means that the weight-bearing walls are indeed timber panels. In other buildings this could be steel or blocks for example. These timber panels are made off site to an exact size and when they are required, they are simply transported by truck from the factory to the site. They can then be installed by men using pulleys and ropes or if the panels are too large and heavy- a small crane can be used to carry out this task. The panel itself is usually made up of solid timber- to take the load of the structure and this is sheathed usually by plywood or OSB- Oriented Strand Board, which is usually sourced from Scotland. These members ensure that the panel has suitable strength and is also rigid. Once the timber frame installation is complete, the external leaf of the building can then be installed. This can be brickwork or any form of cladding or a rendered finish. There are in fact two types of panels available- namely the Open Panel meaning the panel will be dry-lined after the insulation, vapour layer and services have been installed on site. The other panel is the Closed Panel and is this case this is all done in the factory. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 11 (www.timber-frame.org) There have also been advances in the design of I-Joists in timber frame systems. There are now lighter I-Joists available but they have the greater strength and durability because the flanges are wider and the joist itself is not solid wood as has been the case in previous years- it can simply be plywood or OSB. PLATE 1; Image showing lightweight I-Joists, which are easier to handle but still strong enough to withstand the load being rested on it; due to the wide flanges. (www.framewiseltd.co.uk) 2.1 BALLOON FRAME There are actually two forms of timber frame construction. These are called Balloon Frame and Platform Frame. Balloon Frame has been superseded nowadays by Platform Frame but a brief outline is explained on both. The Balloon Frame form of construction simply means that the studs that make up the exterior wall are one long section which spans from the ground to the ceiling height of the top floor. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A balloon frame consists of two-storey height panels with an intermediate floor suspended from the formwork.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Chudley and Greeno (2008, p.386) Problems are obvious with this form of construction; Fire can spread easier because of the large panels Large panels may be more difficult to find Large panels will also be more difficult to handle Heating bills could be higher because there is no insulation between a room and the exterior walls Drawbacks such as these mean that the Platform Frame is more popular and is used today in preference to the Balloon Frame. 2.2 PLATFORM FRAME As previously mentioned, this is the form of timber frame construction favoured today in the UK. It differs from the Balloon Frame, as the structure is built up floor by floor. Basic sequence of events would include; Engineer calculates out sizes required by looking at the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s drawings Materials ordered and prefabricated in factory Materials arrive on site- only as required Base of the structure is marked out Timber floor joists are lifted into place using a small crane Walls are erected and positioned on top of floor joists- again using a small crane Prefabricated roof is also positioned in by a crane on top of the wall panels Cavity barriers/fire stops are installed Felt and battens are applied to roof- structure is now watertight External layer can now be can applied as well as tiles or slates on the roof Internal services can now be installed   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   PLATE 2; Image showing a floor being lifted into position by crane (www.ramstowndevelopments.com) (sketch 2 drawings from page 171 of chudley greeno) 3.0 ADVANTAGES OF TIMBER FRAME Timber frame construction holds quite a few advantages over brick and block or steel frame construction; Quick to erect- can be completed faster than using brick and blocks as there is no need to wait for mortar to dry. Also, timber can still be installed in the rain; when brick or blocks canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t and is also not affected by the frost like mortar is. Easy to transport- panels, trussed roofs, timber floors etc are easily loaded on to a lorry and delivered on site as needed also ensuring the site isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t cluttered up with materials that are not yet needed. Easy for the Contractor to forecast the completion date of the project- the job will run on time easier and will not be delayed due to weather as wintry conditions can delay progress on site. Cleaner site- as everything is measured to specification; there will be very little material waste on site meaning more profits, less money spent on dumping waste in landfills and less chance of an injury also. Smooth and dry- the surface is easy to decorate and also easy to render. Better quality- as the frame is fabricated off site to meet Building Regulations; there is less chance of human error. Can be installed by small crane to meet a tight deadline or by workmen as a cheaper option. Extensions can easily be incorporated, as timber and plasterboard are easier to remove than blocks. Also easier to design a building to suit the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s exact taste and possibly make a building unique form others. (www.trada.co.uk) Once the shell of the building is complete- this means it is watertight and the internal works can begin. It only takes around 5 days to achieve a watertight house. 3.1 THERMAL PERFORMANCE Timber is an excellent insulator and this in turn means that timber framed buildings store heat very well. This therefore leads heating bills being reduced, which in turn also means less fossil fuels are being used- be it oil for central heating or coal for a fire. How much money can be saved on heating bills varies and bold claims are made about this. It is hard to calculate because other factors need to be considered such as the specification of the building, the occupants of that building and so on. One timber frame company called Ramstown Developments claim that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber framing is an energy saving system that cuts an average of 33% off the annual cost of heating your home.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.ramstowndevelopments.com/) How accurate these figures are will be open to debate but there is little doubt that timber frame construction does have an advantage when it comes down to thermal performance. Many different timber frame companies exist and because of this they will specify the materials and construction and installation of the components slightly differently, thus giving slightly different results. However, the UK Timber Fame Association, who represents over 85% of UK timber frame manufacture states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Using a standard timber frame system achieves U-values between 0.30 and 0.27 using readily available and standard insulation- and using higher performance insulation and insulating breather membranes can boost these figures even more.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.timber-frame.org) The keyword in the aforementioned statement is standard- meaning this is the minimum level of thermal performance that can be expected, so obviously this can be improved upon by having a higher specification. One such company is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Scotframeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? who have designed a timber frame system which has a U-value of 0.11 which is very impressive when the U-value limit for walls in 1965 was actually 1.7. The system is a closed timber-framed panel, usually includes140mm  studs sheathed both sides with Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and factory filled with Polyurethane foam insulation. The internal side of the panel has a vapour control heat reflective membrane  and an air gap is created between this and the internal wall cladding to make a service zone.  The exterior side has a breathable waterproof membrane and 50mm of  polyurethane foam cavity insulation. To prove that these panels are indeed extremely thermally efficient- they have been tested by the National Physical Laboratory who confirmed a U-value of 0.11 W/m2K; when the external cladding is taken into account. This system can be installed without the cavity insulation- but as can be expected, the U-value results will not be as good. This system from Scotframe actually meets the meets the C02 targets which have been set at intervals of 2010, 2013 and 2016- at this stage. (www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) PLATE 5; Image showing what the Scotframe system compromises of. (www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) 3.2 ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE Since timber frame performs so well in thermal performance, it isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t very surprising to gather that it also performs well in the acoustic aspect also. This could be largely down to the fact that so many layers can absorb sound just like curtains and carpet absorbs sound better than an empty room with hard surfaces. In fact à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“BREs Case study TF2000 found that even a multi-storey project would out perform building regulations for acoustic insulation.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.framewiseltd.co.uk) This statement therefore echoes these thoughts and actually emphasises that it more than satisfies Building Regulations. What is even more interesting is that this is not for a small cosy dwelling- it is actually in terms of a multi-storey structure. 3.3 FIRE PERFORMANCE Timber is more susceptible to fire than materials such as concrete, bricks, blocks or steel. This however, does not mean that timber frame structures are more of a fire hazard. Timber frame structures are more likely to be burnt down during the actually construction phase, when the installation is not complete. This could be due to an accidental fire starting on site or probably the more likely case of vandalism. The HSEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s figures of 11 fires each day in the construction industry advocates this theory. Fire Safety on Timber Frame Construction Sites, page 5 highlights this, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s annual UK fire statistics show that two thirds of fires in construction industry premises are started deliberately.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.timber-frame.org/) Fires that do start accidentally will not spread as easily once the installation has been complete, because the fire resistant plasterboard will see to this and also the external cladding will prove a difficult surface for the fire to engulf. There are of course ways in which the threat of fire can be minimised; Design out the need for hot-works, i.e. working with a blowtorch. If hot-works are required then that area should be monitored for 1 hour and again 2 ours later as a precaution. Keep the site tidy with no timber shavings or pieces of paper lying around, as these could start a fire easily (this of course would be good practice on any construction site) Ensure good site security to keep potential thieves and vandals at bay- again just like on any construction site. Fire Safety On Timber Frame Construction Sites page 10 (www.timber-frame.org) At this stage it should be stressed that timber frame construction is quick to install and because of this it is easy to reach a point when fire resistant materials are in place and the risk of fire is therefore greatly reduced. Also, cavity fire barriers will reduce the spread of fire. They are placed at openings in external walls, at corners, at each floor level, at eaves level, around pipes, cables etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It is also worthy to mention that timber frame buildings do of course have to pass the relevant Building Regulations; as fire is a very serious matter. So if they satisfy these needs; they are as safe as any other form of construction in that aspect. 4.0 ENVIRONMENT Terms such as C02 emissions, global warming, carbon footprint and greenhouse gases are often the topic of conversation in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s world. Everyone is being urged to think about the environment and the construction industry is probably under the microscope as much as any other sector. As mentioned previously one of the advantages of timber frame construction is that it reduces the effects of burning fossil fuels- such as oil or coal. This therefore means it also minimises the greenhouse effect as well. Unlike steel or concrete- there is no need for any manufacturing, refining or extracting as timber is natural. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Strength for strength, concrete uses 5 times (and steel uses 6 times) more energy to produce than timberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.timber-frame.org) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Overall C02 emissions for timber construction (the em-bodied carbon are up to six times lower than the emissions associated with masonry construction materialsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 19 (www.timber-frame.org) That statement may not hold much relevance until the Governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s stance on this subject is made clear- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Come October 2010, the Government will slash the level of permissible CO2 emissions generated by new builds by 30%. There is a further reduction of 30% planned for 2013 and yet another of the same amount due to come in to force in 2016à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) This further proves just how big of a concern this matter is and that the Government are acting quickly and have very clear targets in mind for the future. Some timber frame companies are also trying to convey this message to the public, as advocated by Deeside timber frame- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Raise awareness of environmental issues with our customers, suppliers and staffà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is listed as one of their objectives regarding environmental matters. (www.deesidetimberframe.co.uk) Also, since timber is being sourced locally; in Europe and frequently in Scotland- it means there is no long journeys to transport the material overseas as can often be the case with steel when it is in short supply. 4.1 SUSTAINABILITY Timber is a very sustainable material. This is simply due to the fact that the timber comes from managed forests and for every tree that is cut down- two are planted to replace it. As well as this; the Government also introduced a scheme titled the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2006. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 7 (www.timber-frame.org) To summarise, this basically states that the Government wants homes to be more energy efficient and that Level 3 is the basic standard expected in the average housing scheme, with this rising to a Level 6 for all new homes by 2016. Issues which affect what level the structure will be credited with depend on two things- how energy efficient the buildings fabric is and also how the material itself was sourced. Timber can achieve a good rating on both fronts because as previously mentioned; it is easy to source and doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to be transported long distances and also timber frame buildings have a very good thermal performance and can reduce heating bills. 5.0 NON-DOMESTIC BUILDINGS AND OTHER PROJECTS It would be fair to say that when most people think of timber frame construction, they think of low rise buildings like domestic dwellings. However, timber frame buildings are not just bungalows and two storey houses. Timber frame buildings include hotels, student accommodation and such like. With Building Regulations always being updated and changed; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber frame can currently go up to 18 metres within the current regulations. This has already allowed the construction of a 7 storey building in Bedminster in Bristol.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.timber-frame.org) Further examples of surprising projects include a primary school which has over 400 children in attendance. St Lukeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Primary School in the Wolverhampton area was actually completed in 16 weeks- which was 2 weeks ahead of schedule! It cost  £5.9m to construct and was given a rating of Excellent by BREEAM. This rating was of such a high standard that it is actually the first time it has been awarded to a building in Britain. (BREEAM is the BRE Environmental Assessment Method.) PATE 6; Image of St Lukeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s CE Primary School, Blakenhall Gardens UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 26 (www.timber-frame.org) Other such projects include a NHS Adolescent Unit in Wales, where in this instance timber frame was ideal due to the fact that it was manufactured offsite and this meant less time onsite, making noise and disrupting the patients. A further example includes the theatre that was built on the Isle of Mull. Since this structure would be subject to winds and rain- it would be anticipated that steel or concrete would be the material of choice. However, cost of transporting these materials proved to be a huge factor, coupled with the fact that once again timber frame could be installed much quicker. PLATE 7; Image of the new timber frame theatre on Isle of Mull UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 26 (www.timber-frame.org) As well as these structures, timber frame prototypes have also been erected to improve our knowledge and findings on the performance of timber frame. One such prototype is the Kingspan Lighthouse which was designed and built to show how well timber frame would or would not perform when the structure was going to be an unorthodox shape. As with all buildings, small faults were found and good feedback was received on how improvements could be made. However, a Level 6 rating under the Code of Sustainable Homes was reached- even though this target doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t need to be achieved until 2016. PLATE 8; Image of Kingspan Lighthouse which achieved a Level 6 rating. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 9 (www.timber-frame.org) 6.0 MOISTURE CONTENT All timber that is to be used for construction purposes will have a certain moisture content. Different timbers will have different moisture content depending on their use. For example, timber that is going to be used at junctions in the building where dampness could form will need to have a low moisture content. Kilns are used to dry timber out to a certain specification. Moisture content can be calculated by completing the following calculation; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Moisture Content %= (wet weight)-(dry weight)/ dry weight x 100%à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Chudley and Greeno (2007, p.175) 6.1 THREAT OF ROT Rot spreading throughout a building is the nightmare of every client and builder, as it can cause unlimited damage and mean that in the extreme cases the building cannot be repaired. However, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Dry timberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, which is a timber with a moisture content of under 20%, is not at risk of decay. Lyons (2007, p.105) noted that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the reduction in water content to below 20% will arrest any incipient fungal decay, which can only commence above this critical level.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? This should dispel any doubts that timber is very exposed to rot. Furthermore, the timber is also sprayed with necessary preservatives before installation to satisfy Building Regulation requirements. 7.0 CONCLUSION This report has briefly looked at how timber frame structures perform in numerous fields. It has also outlined how timber frame can be used in a variety of different structures- some of which many people would not associate timber frame construction with. It is therefore clear to see that this market will continue to grow, with the market possibly accelerating more so in Ireland in the near future. This is because Ireland is possibly the country which has the most room for growth in this sector, coupled with the fact that Scotland is nearby and would prove to be a very good source for timber. This report has also addressed concerns relating to timber and the perception many people still have about using timber in construction- such as fire hazards, risk of rot, unable to be used in multi-storey buildings; to name just a few. Once people are better educated and made more aware about using timber as the structure for buildings- then these myths will soon be dispersed. After all, as mentioned in the introduction; this form of construction is used in countries such as USA, Canada and Australia. It is of course the most popular form of construction used in the developed world- meaning it can handle the hot summers in Australia and also the windy wets nights and wintry conditions in Scotland. It has taken Britain and Ireland many years to adopt this practice and some will no doubt wish to never embrace timber frame construction. However, the old adage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the times are changingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? certainly springs to mind at this point. With the Government endorsing the use of timber frame and with environmental and sustainability concerns the topic of conversation on a regular basis- this definitely seems like the route to take. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber Frame is probably the biggest single advance in building methods in recent yearsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.walkertimbergroup.com) The above quote certainly is a bold one but with the facts in figures produced in this report; it is hard to argue against such a statement. 8.0 REFERENCES- Websites Source- UK timber frame association preview 2010 (pdf file) (www.timber-frame.org) [accessed 4th February] Source-Fire Safety on Timber Frame Construction Sites (pdf file) (www.timber-frame.org) http://www.ramstowndevelopments.com/index.php?id=47 [accessed 4th February] http://www.framewiseltd.co.uk/Systems/i-joists-the-simple-framing-system.html [accessed 4th February] http://www.trada.co.uk/techinfo/library/view/6BA4B8A2-79A8-451B-AB6F-474D37137B4F/Timber+frame+construction+-+an+outline/ar01s02.html [accessed 5th February] http://www.timber-frame.org/html/Building_And_Construction/Benefits_of_Timber_Frame/ [accessed 5th February] http://www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/ [accessed 5th February] http://www.deesidetimberframe.co.uk/environmental.htm [accessed 5th February] http://www.walkertimbergroup.com/walkertimber/products/products/timberframe1 [accessed 5th February] Books Chudley, R., Greeno, R. (2008) Building Construction Handbook. 7th ed. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd Chudley, R., Greeno, R. (2007) Construction Technology. 4th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited Lyons, A., (2007) Materials for Architects Builders. 3rd ed. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd.