Business environment facing lafarge cement of UK

Business environment facing lafarge cement of UK Introduction Lafarge has been a major player in the UK construction sector since entering the British market in 1987 acquiring Redland in 1997 and Blue Circle in 2001. Today, Lafarge is the market-leader in cement and holds top-ranking positions in aggregates, concrete and plasterboard. Lafarge has three sister companies in Britain Lafarge Cement UK, Lafarge Aggregates Concrete UK and Lafarge Plasterboard UK. Lafarge is passionate about customer care and proud of its active approach to sustainability and safety (Lafarge.co.uk 2009). This piece of work will explore the business environment facing Lafarge and establish a few strategic priorities going into the future. A Summary Statement of Findings This summary statement of findings analyses the UK construction industry, which is a major sector in the UK economy. The industry has a high political and social profile due to it key role in providing housing, its impact on the environment and its part as a major employer. It accounts for approximately 10% of the UK GDP and provides for over half its fixed capital investment. The industry experienced rapid growth in the 1980s but a recession in the early 1990s had severe repercussions resulting in its output plummeting, as show is Appendix . However, the volume of work already in progress cushioned the impact. The output of the UK construction industry increased from 55 million in the mid 1980s to an excess of  £110 million by 2007; a remarkable increase in real terms when considering the relative low levels of inflation. However, this increase all changed in 2008 as problems in the US sub-prime mortgage market triggered a catastrophic crash in the US banking sector, which in turn created problems in UK financial markets. This triggered a huge recession in the UK which sent the output of the UK Construction industry to fall 1.1% in 2008. The downside of the economic recession hit construction industry the hardest. This is as this industry runs on credit, more than others, and a credit squeeze affected it badly. Moreover, from the other side customers we re trying to spend as little as possible, squeezing the margins that construction companies were working on. Lafarges performance within the UK business environment during 2008 saw a decline as discussed in Appendix ?. This decline was caused by the recession that hit the UK market in early 2008; the construction sector shrank at its fastest pace since records began. This reduced government and public spending which had a major impact on Lafarge as less government spending meant less money went on the new infrastructure schemes which reduced Lafarge Contracting sales which in turn reduced material sales This had a big effect on Lafarge UK figures as they seen an immense slump in 2008 figures compared to what they were in 2007. A Review and Analysis into the Business Environment of the UK Construction Industry Business environment at Lafarge UK The best method to discover the happenings of a business environment around a company is to undertake a PESTEL analysis. By undertaking a PESTEL analysis it will help one to understand the environment within which Lafarge works better. Looking at the construction industry in general, some of the political issues surrounding them are: Political factors * The UK government is clearly pushing for more affordable housing within the country and this includes both public sector and private sector housing. So it can be said that good or decent housing needs to the people of the country is quite an important political issue. * The Government is involved with housing projects through private finance initiatives and public private partnerships, as these tend to be key aspects of housing projects involving financing, building and operating for these projects. This level of government involvement does mean that it has political implications like selecting projects or choosing partners as well as financial implications. * The UK construction industry is very large in terms of employment, revenue generation and importance to the economy. This high profile nature of the company means the Government usually takes its concerns very seriously and cannot afford to not be empathetic towards the industry. * The constantly spiralling prices of housing within the country points to the need of having affordable housing. Affordable housing schemes means more houses will be built and thus definitely have an impact on all parts of the construction industry including that of Lafarge. * The problem with a high profile industry is that it brings about a lot of regulations with it, thus needs like planning permission and so cause a lot of delay in projects involving a lot of debate and to some extent bureaucracy. Economic Factors  · The construction industry has a more than  £100 bn turnover and this making it one of the largest sectors of the country. This clearly specifies scope for Lafarge, especially as it has the reach and resources to be a big player within the industry.  · The downside of the economic recession has hit construction industry the hardest. This is as this industry runs on credit, more than others, and a credit squeeze affected it badly. Moreover, from the other side customers were trying to spend as little as possible, squeezing the margins that construction companies were working on. Although the economy is recovering but coming out of a long recession, the industry will take time to reach its pre recession levels.  · One of the implications of being part of the construction industrys that the Government is tightening the environmental norms all the time thus it adds to the financial burden of the company as they have to deal with directives, clauses and other pieces of legislation. Social Factors  · There is some skill shortage within the construction industry hence an effort is being made by all companies to hire young, talented people. This can affect Lafarge as they will need to invest time and money into the training of these individuals but as a long-term investment it is good for the company.  · The changes in society have been bringing about a change in the housing needs for people and fast. As more people are living alone, marrying later and old people living longer, distinct changes in housing pattern can be seen. This will increase the need for single occupancy housing thus this needs to be thought of by all constituents of the construction industry.  · With the ever increasing need for sustainable development, housing projects are affecting nearby retail, commercial and public buildings too. This again changes the way the industry functions or will do in the future. Technological Factors  · Regulations regarding buildings continue to add towards bettering energy efficiency and putting demand on other such technological factors in relation to buildings. This again adds to the financial burden of the companies like Lafarge and a major investment in RD results due to this.  · New and improved building materials are also a major research within the industry. The need of the hour is to come up with materials that are sustainable, good for the environment but still functional. Hence work is being carried out to satisfy the next generation of demands.  · Methods that are being used within the industry to build houses are giving rise to new methods of assembly and modulation. New improvements include developing structured insulated panels that provide thermally insulated sheet materials. For further information, Appendix offers a further review and analysis into the business environment of the UK construction industry. Lafarge does operate within the larger construction industry sector; however this section will explore the building materials sector, which is Lafarges core operating territory. This section will look at the environment for that particular sector. Sector overview As hinted in the last section that construction industry is undergoing a lot many changes and the building materials sector is no different. As emerging markets become urbanized and their demand for materials grows, so does the need to align to these markets. Within the more developed economies, environment and sustainability have become major points and as people gain awareness, companies like Lafarge will need to take those demands into consideration. Some of the key strategic directions taken by Lafarge are: Expansion of emerging markets There has been a thorough realignment in favour of emerging economies both in Europe and abroad. Around the world, cement production is growing at 5% each year which means that every year 100 million tones of cement is being consumed. Reports show that 70% of world demand is going to come from these sectors hence Lafarge will need to make itself a leading player in these markets. Lafarges current strategy in this regard is quite good, as it has acquired a lot of Cement companies in every region around the world. In fact including Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, this region contributes to 37% of its turnover and nearly half of its cement turnover. Lafarge is without doubt moving towards a strategy of more value creation. To elaborate, its programs are creating nearly 50 million tonnes of additional cement capacity by 2012. This is in addition to the aggregates and gypsum business. Reducing costs There are a lot of general costs associated with the manufacture of building products and can be broken down as follows: Energy accounts for 33% of the cost of producing cement, Raw materials (more than 50% of which are cement) represent 75% of the cost of ready-mix concrete Delivery expenses account for approximately 20% of the cost, raw materials (primarily gypsum and paper) represent 40% of the cost of plasterboard, energy, raw materials and labour represent 50% of the cost of producing aggregates. Lafarge will need to reduce all costs associated with material manufacture, especially considering the economic crisis in general. It has already started a program that reduces costs by à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬200 million by the start of 2010 and over a period of three years, a cost cutting of nearly à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬400 million. (see appendix ?) This is in addition to the cost cutting exercise over 2006-08 of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬400 million. It has also put a cap on expenditure at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 2 billion for 2009. These new financial initiatives have completely set Lafarge in a new strategic direction. Cost cutting will definitely improving the companys financial health and enable it to operate on better margins. Reducing environmental footprint of Lafarge operations If one looks at the industry in general there is a lot of waste production along with pollution, dust and other harmful ingredients in the atmosphere. Those materials that are waste derived are actively needed by the cement industry. These are used as replacement for fossil fuel and other raw materials. This measure is only taken forward if the materials can be safe to use and are of high technical quality. Along with all of this if the regulatory norms are met then these materials can be used and are a boon for the industry. The entire industry is now using over 1.4 million tonnes of waste this way and a major contributor in helping the UK government to meet its environmental targets. Coming back to Lafarge, it has been trying to reduce CO2 it produces and emits in accordance to the regulations set by governments all around the world. The current strategy of Lafarge is to improving its material making processes including modernizing plants. It also is rapidly propagating the use of alternative fuels for its production. Another important step taken by the company is moving towards sustainable construction. Building or construction of any sort does lead to consumption of huge swathes of energy and nearly 40% of all CO2 can be attributed to it. Lafarge is working hard at making better buildings using better materials and processes. Lafarge is looking at changing the lifecycle of making building products and incorporating using recyclable materials and renewable energy in order to reduce pollution. Evaluating the future impact of the UK business environment on Lafarge Some important themes have emerged from the previous sections of this piece of work that will help one to recommend future strategies to Lafarge. As far as strategic direction goes Lafarge has to align the company in two directions: First, it needs to keep investing in the emerging markets by strategically acquiring cement companies or starting Greenfield projects if needed. Its taking over of Orascom cement clearly shows that organic growth is important for the company and needs to continue in the same vein. (see appendix ?) Second, innovation via investment in RD is crucial for its long-term benefit. As companies and people grow more aware of the issues surrounding the environment, recyclable and sustainable practices, including materials processes, production needs to be incorporated. This will require a lot of effort and investment as well as a new way of thinking. Other than these main priorities the company can look at other strategic priorities for its operations. These include reducing costs further to enhance the value of the company. Lean operations within this sector will it streamline its operations. In addition, Health safety remains a big area to improve on and such activities will definitely strengthen its position in the market. Conclusion This piece of work looked at the construction industry in the UK and Lafarge materials in particular, to understand the way in which its business environment affects its operations. The work conducted a PESTEL analysis to understand the main challenges facing the construction industry in general. It then went on to conduct a sector overview of the building materials industry, where Lafarge truly operates. One also explored the strategic initiatives started by Lafarge. Finally, based on the current and future trends recommendations were made on Lafarges future strategy. REFERENCES: * Accountancy Ireland (2006), February, Vol. 38, No.1 * Anonymous Contract Journal (2006), September, ABI/INFORM Trade Industry Contract Journal, February, Vol. 442, No. 6664 * Druker, J. and White, G. (1995), Misunderstood and undervalued? Personnel management in construction, Human Resource Management Journal, 5:3, pp. 77-91. * Hollinshead, G., Nicholls, P. and Tailby, S. (1999), Employee Relations, Financial Times/Pitman, London. * Lafarge (2009). www.lafarge..co.uk [Online].[Accessed 12th Januray 2010]. * Mineral Products Association(2008). Performance 2008: A sector plan report from the cement industry. * Oxley R., Poskitt J. (1996), Management Techniques Applied to Construction Industry, Blackwell Publishing, Fifth Edition. Identifying and applying suitable business performance measures to Lafarge Lafarge had an average current ratio in 2007 in relation to its market but this decreased in 2008. Lafarges low current ratio indicates that it barely has sufficient assets available to pay its liabilities. There are many things Lafarge could do to raise there current ratio which are increasing its current assets from loans or other borrowings with a maturity of more than one year, convert non-current assets into current assets or putting profits back into the business could help. Lafarges debtor ratio represents a longer then average duration in obtaining payment for its debts owed compared to that of rival company Aggregate Industries Ltd. This indicates a struggle to obtain payment for work completed, or highlights a need to offer costly credit terms to compete with its rivals. Imposing stricter credit controls can help reduce Lafarges debtor days and improve cash flow. Alternatively, creditor ratio suggests Lafarge are paying there creditors to promptly the creditor ratio is below the market average and Lafarge are not taking advantage of the free cash flow the creditors offer. This could cause working capital issues. Lafarges weak working capital results over the past two year indicate they do not have the liquidity to meet outstanding obligations. Lafarges cash outflow is quicker than its cash inflow. However the debt to equity ratio suggests otherwise. Lafarge has no long term debt indicating strong financial strength as they can always take up debt in future to fund potential projects. A strong interest cover over 2007/2008 indicate that Lafarge has enough equity to pay its loan interest and meet its legal obligations. A zero dividend yield indicates that Lafarges shares have not matured over the past two years. Potential share holders may be discouraged by this. Its strong acid test ratio proves that current assets are not dependable on inventory-which shows strong financial integrity. A negative return on capitally employed questions Lafarges performance, although they have a strong equity base they are still making a loss. Its declining trading profit margin solidifies this by suggesting a potential loss of competitive advantage. A healthy year on year performance in return on equity indicates a strong level of profitability, high market valuation and utilization of its invested capital. A steady low dividend figure along with stable profit levels indicate a good record of using its retained earnings to generate future growth and profits. For further information, Appendix offer a complete evaluation, as well as the subsequent results of Lafarges business performance.

Welfare Essay -- essays papers

Welfare1 The United States or The United Welfare States - A Cost Benefit Analysis The role of welfare within our society has always been controversial. This problem emphasizes the need to understand the roles of variable factors when pertaining to the subject of welfare within our society. The proposed analysis will address the phenomenon of welfare assistance and several factors which may contribute to the increase or decrease of welfare assistance to the poor in 4 ways: (1) by defining major concepts and any other concepts about which there is likely to be misunderstanding, (2) by further examining the past history pertaining to the subject of welfare assistance within the United States, (3) by developing the formulation of a hypothesis which will provide for an explanation of welfare, and finally (4) determining whether or not the benefits of welfare assistance outweigh the cost. Ultimately, the purpose of this research analysis is to investigate variable factors that may contribute to the increase or decrease of welfare assistance. This cost benefit analy sis is an attempt to explain the tentative assumptions of others pertaining to the subject of welfare, in order to determine and explain the relationship of welfare to the economic cost and benefits. Cost-Benefit Analysis before welfare assistance can be analyzed there is a need to define the terms that will be used. Policies like welfare assistance are worthwhile only if the benefits to society are greater than the costs. When choosing among a set of policies, the policy with the greatest net benefit (benefit over cost) should be chosen. Hence, this is where the term cost-benefit analysis comes from. Cost-benefit analysis is a technique for determining the optimal level of an economic activity such as welfare. In general, an activity such as welfare assistance should be expanded as long as it leads to greater benefits than costs. In purely economic terms, does the benefit of welfare assistance justify the costs of welfare assistance? (Mishan 13) Why Use Cost-benefit Analysis? Sin ce 1981, government agencies have been required to perform cost-benefit analyses called Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIA's) for all major regulations within the United States. Many statutes require that cost-benefit analysis be undertaken and the results be reported to Congress (Mishan 2). Cost-benefit analysis can... ...ning have proven to help alleviate and shrink the welfare rolls. Do the benefits of endorsing welfare assistance programs outweigh the cost? Cost benefit analysis shows that as long as the government can stay on track with the new social welfare reform measures that have taken place over the past few years, then yes it is beneficial. However, when the day comes that it is no longer beneficial to support such programs should society follow economic indicators or follow its moral obligations? Work Cited Schiller, Bradley R. The Economy Today. 7th Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 1997. Mishan, Edward J. Cost-Benefit Analysis. New York: Praegor Publishers, 1976. Sharp, Ansel, Charles, Register, and Paul, Grimes. Economics of Social Issues. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 1998. Rowley, Charles, and Alan Peacock. Welfare Economics. London: Martin Robertson & Co. Ltd., 1975. Smith, Russell, and Dorothy, Zietz. American Social Welfare Institutions. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990. Myles, John, and Paul Pierson. Friedman's revenge: the reform of "liberal" welfare in Canada and the United States. Politics & Society, Dec 1997 v25 n4 p443 (30). Welfare Essay -- essays papers Welfare1 The United States or The United Welfare States - A Cost Benefit Analysis The role of welfare within our society has always been controversial. This problem emphasizes the need to understand the roles of variable factors when pertaining to the subject of welfare within our society. The proposed analysis will address the phenomenon of welfare assistance and several factors which may contribute to the increase or decrease of welfare assistance to the poor in 4 ways: (1) by defining major concepts and any other concepts about which there is likely to be misunderstanding, (2) by further examining the past history pertaining to the subject of welfare assistance within the United States, (3) by developing the formulation of a hypothesis which will provide for an explanation of welfare, and finally (4) determining whether or not the benefits of welfare assistance outweigh the cost. Ultimately, the purpose of this research analysis is to investigate variable factors that may contribute to the increase or decrease of welfare assistance. This cost benefit analy sis is an attempt to explain the tentative assumptions of others pertaining to the subject of welfare, in order to determine and explain the relationship of welfare to the economic cost and benefits. Cost-Benefit Analysis before welfare assistance can be analyzed there is a need to define the terms that will be used. Policies like welfare assistance are worthwhile only if the benefits to society are greater than the costs. When choosing among a set of policies, the policy with the greatest net benefit (benefit over cost) should be chosen. Hence, this is where the term cost-benefit analysis comes from. Cost-benefit analysis is a technique for determining the optimal level of an economic activity such as welfare. In general, an activity such as welfare assistance should be expanded as long as it leads to greater benefits than costs. In purely economic terms, does the benefit of welfare assistance justify the costs of welfare assistance? (Mishan 13) Why Use Cost-benefit Analysis? Sin ce 1981, government agencies have been required to perform cost-benefit analyses called Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIA's) for all major regulations within the United States. Many statutes require that cost-benefit analysis be undertaken and the results be reported to Congress (Mishan 2). Cost-benefit analysis can... ...ning have proven to help alleviate and shrink the welfare rolls. Do the benefits of endorsing welfare assistance programs outweigh the cost? Cost benefit analysis shows that as long as the government can stay on track with the new social welfare reform measures that have taken place over the past few years, then yes it is beneficial. However, when the day comes that it is no longer beneficial to support such programs should society follow economic indicators or follow its moral obligations? Work Cited Schiller, Bradley R. The Economy Today. 7th Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 1997. Mishan, Edward J. Cost-Benefit Analysis. New York: Praegor Publishers, 1976. Sharp, Ansel, Charles, Register, and Paul, Grimes. Economics of Social Issues. Boston: Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 1998. Rowley, Charles, and Alan Peacock. Welfare Economics. London: Martin Robertson & Co. Ltd., 1975. Smith, Russell, and Dorothy, Zietz. American Social Welfare Institutions. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990. Myles, John, and Paul Pierson. Friedman's revenge: the reform of "liberal" welfare in Canada and the United States. Politics & Society, Dec 1997 v25 n4 p443 (30).

Strategic Plan

Using what you have identified in DQ 1 as a base, what elements are important when attempting to change an ingrained behavior in a company (e. g. improve customer service). (Hint: Insert the strategic planning process in your answer). How does identifying the best plan for this involve aspects of scientific and human management? Improving customer service is the one of the keys to success in healthcare facility. Ingrained behaviors of the healthcare professionals can hinder success. If the patients, families, community, and the list goes on are not happy with a healthcare facility it can cause some real problems for the facility. Any facility that has problems with ongoing ingrained behaviors need to revise their strategic plan and fix the problem. The key elements to strategic planning is the mission, objectives, plan of action, resources needed, plan how to measure the performance, and evaluation plan. The mission statement needs focus on the expectations of how the employees will act when working in the organization. The objective should be produced by the staff that will be monitoring it. The objective needs be attainable and clear on the focus of behaviors. The action plan is coming up with steps on how to reach goal of the objectives. This is good place for coming up with ideas on how to change the ingrained behaviors and throw out the old plans that are not working. The resources is a big part of the strategic plan because this where the facility comes up with resources they may need to complete the action plan. The resources for changing ingrained behavior could be education, money needed for the changes, and so forth. The evaluation system is where the strategic plan is being monitor for effectiveness. Ways to evaluate if the strategic plan is successful for changing ingrained behaviors is through random audits in the facility watching employees, doing a survey, talking with the stakeholders of the facility to see if they have noticed a change (Liebler & McConnell, 2008 5th ed. ). The scientific management examines improving work place performance with using easy elements and systems. This type of plan should be used when it comes to changing work place behaviors because one of its focuses is on performances in work place (â€Å"Scientific Management Progression in Hr†, 2008). Strategic Plan Using what you have identified in DQ 1 as a base, what elements are important when attempting to change an ingrained behavior in a company (e. g. improve customer service). (Hint: Insert the strategic planning process in your answer). How does identifying the best plan for this involve aspects of scientific and human management? Improving customer service is the one of the keys to success in healthcare facility. Ingrained behaviors of the healthcare professionals can hinder success. If the patients, families, community, and the list goes on are not happy with a healthcare facility it can cause some real problems for the facility. Any facility that has problems with ongoing ingrained behaviors need to revise their strategic plan and fix the problem. The key elements to strategic planning is the mission, objectives, plan of action, resources needed, plan how to measure the performance, and evaluation plan. The mission statement needs focus on the expectations of how the employees will act when working in the organization. The objective should be produced by the staff that will be monitoring it. The objective needs be attainable and clear on the focus of behaviors. The action plan is coming up with steps on how to reach goal of the objectives. This is good place for coming up with ideas on how to change the ingrained behaviors and throw out the old plans that are not working. The resources is a big part of the strategic plan because this where the facility comes up with resources they may need to complete the action plan. The resources for changing ingrained behavior could be education, money needed for the changes, and so forth. The evaluation system is where the strategic plan is being monitor for effectiveness. Ways to evaluate if the strategic plan is successful for changing ingrained behaviors is through random audits in the facility watching employees, doing a survey, talking with the stakeholders of the facility to see if they have noticed a change (Liebler & McConnell, 2008 5th ed. ). The scientific management examines improving work place performance with using easy elements and systems. This type of plan should be used when it comes to changing work place behaviors because one of its focuses is on performances in work place (â€Å"Scientific Management Progression in Hr†, 2008).

Building Acts and Contracts

TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN COLLEGE SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY DIPLOMA IN TECHNOLOGY (QUANTITY SURVEYING) YEAR 2 ACADEMIC YEAR 2012/2013 ATGB3663 BUILDING ACTS AND CONTRACTS PROGRAMME : DQS2 GROUP : A LECTURER/ TUTOR : MR IVAN KWAY EU WAN Team Member| Student ID| Alaster Ang Han Wun| 11wtd01029| Chan Siang Leen| 11wtd04062| Chan Sze Haw| 11wtd05409| Chan Yew Jia| 11wtd01905| Chong Hong Seng| 11wtd05935| Table of Contents A) Clause 39 (1), (3), (4)3 B) Clause 42. 17 C) Clause 43 (a), (b), (c), (d)11 D) Clause 106 (1)16 E) Clause 107(1), (2), (3) and (4)16F) Explain the UBBL : part IV temporary works in connection with building operations22 References24 A) Clause 39 (1), (3), (4) Clause 39(1) * â€Å"Every room designed, adapted or used for residential, business or other purposes except hospitals and schools shall be provided with natural lighting and natural ventilation by means of one or more windows having a total area of not less than 10% of clear floor area of such room and shall have openings capable of allowing a free uninterrupted passage of air of not less than 5% of such floor area. * Date : November 28, 2012 * Location: Residential house at Taman Bunga Raya. * Site photos: * Discussion: – The room must be provided with natural lighting and ventilation with the area of window must be more than 10% of the floor area and the openings must not less than 5% of the floor area. – For this room, the floor area = 2. 62m x 3. 52m = 9. 22 m2 The window area = 1. 78m x 1. 195m = 2. 13 m2 Natural lighting = (2. 13 m2 / 9. 22m2) x 100% = 23. 1 % 23. 1 % > 10% (comply with UBBL) Natural ventilation = 23. 1% > 5% (comply with UBBL) Hence this room in Taman Bunga Raya is complying with Uniform Building By Law. Clause 39(3) * † Every room used for purpose of conducting classes in a school shall be provided with natural lighting and natural ventilation by means of one or more windows having a total area of not less than 20% of clear floor area of such rooms and sha ll have openings capable of allowing a free uninterrupted passage of air of not less than 10% of such floor area. † * Date: November 26, 2012 * Location: TARC Block M305 * Site photos: * Discussion: The classroom must be provided with natural lighting and ventilation with the area of window must be more than 20% of the floor area and the openings must not less than 10% of the floor area. * For this classroom, the floor area = 9. 08m x 7. 465m = 67. 78m2 The window area = 1. 785m x 1. 45m = 2. 59m2 6 windows = 6 x 2. 59m2 = 15. 54m2 Natural lighting = (15. 54m2/ 67. 78m2) x 100% = 22. 93% 22. 93% > 20% (comply with UBBL) Natural ventilation = 22. 93% > 10% (comply with UBBL) * So this classroom is complying with UBBL. Clause 39(4) â€Å"Every water- closet, latrine, urinal or bathroom shall be provided with natural lighting and natural ventilation by means of one or more openings having a total area of not less than 0. 2 square meters per water-closet, urinal latrine or bathro om and such openings shall be capable of allowing a free uninterrupted passage of air. † * Date: November 26, 2012 * Location: Toilet at residential house of Taman Bunga Raya. * Site photos: * Discussion: * There are one water-closet and one bathroom inside. * 2 x 0. 2 = 0. 4 * Area of window = 0. 625m x 0. 635m = 0. 40m2 Since the opening has a total area of 0. 40m2 which is equal, hence it complies with the UBBL. B) Clause 42. 1 * The area of first habitable room in a residential building shall be not less than 11 square meters, * Date : 30/11/12 * Location : Residential house at Kepong Baru * Site photos: * Discussion: -the area of room shall be not less than 11 square meters For this room, the area is = 10m x 13m =130m2 130m2 > 11m2 (comply with UBBL) -Hence this room area is comply with Uniform Building By Law * The area of second habitable room in a residential building shall be not less than 9. square meters, * Date : 30/11/12 * Location : Residential house at Kepong Ba ru * Site photo : * Discussion : -The area of room must be more than 9. 3 square meters; -Area of this room is 3. 5m2x 4m2 =14m2 14m2 > 9. 3m2 (Comply with UBBL) -Hence the second room area is comply with Uniform Building By Law * All the other rooms shall be not less than 6. 5 square meters in area * Date : 30/11/12 * Location : Residential house at Kepong Baru * Site photo : * Discussion : -The room area must be more than 6. 5 square meters -Area of the room is 2. 75m2 x 3. m2 = 8. 525m2 8. 525m2 > 6. 5m2 (Comply with UBBL) -The area of room is more than 6. 5m2 so it is comply with Uniform Building By Law Clause 42. 2 The width of every habitable room in a residential building shall be not less than 2 meters * The width of every room in a residential building must be more than 2 meters * Date : 30/11/12 * Location : Residential house at Kepong Baru * Site photo : * Discussion : -Refer to the photo above the width of room is 2. 75m -2. 75m > 2m (Comply with UBBL) -Hence this room i s comply with Uniform Building By Law Clause 42. 3The area and width of a kitchen in a residential building shall be not less than 4. 5 square meters and 1. 5 meters respectively * Area of a kitchen must be more than 4. 5 square meters and width must be more than 1. 5 meters * Date : 30/11/12 * Location : Residential house at Kepong Baru * Site photo : * Discussion : -The area of a kitchen is 7. 28m2 and width of kitchen is 2. 8m2 -Area 7. 28m2> 4. 5m2 (Comply with UBBL) -Width 2. 8m2> 1. 5m2 (Comply with UBBL) -Hence the area and width of kitchen is comply with Uniform Building By Law C) Clause 43 (a), (b), (c), (d)Clause 43 (a) * â€Å"†¦in the case of latrines or water-closets with pedestal-type close fittings, not less than 1. 5 metres by 0. 75 metre. † * Date: November 28, 2012 * Location: TARC Hostel Block J * Site photo: * Discussion: * Dimension of water closet : 1. 53m by 0. 85m * 1. 53m > 1. 5m and 0. 85m > 0. 75m, hence it complies with UBBL. Clause 43(b) * â €Å"†¦ in the case of water-closets with fittings other than pedestal-type close fittings, not less than 1. 25 metres by 0. 75 metre. † * Date: November 28, 2012 * Location: TARC Hostel Block J * Site photo: * Discussion: Dimension of water-closet: 1. 53m by 0. 85m * 1. 53m > 1. 25m and 0. 85m > 0. 75m, it complies with UBBL. Clause 43(c) * â€Å"†¦in the case of bathrooms, not less than 1. 5 square metres with a width of not less than 0. 75 metre. † * Date: November 28, 2012 * Location: TARC Hostel Block J * Site photo: * Discussion: * Area of bathroom = 1. 37m x 0. 86m = 1. 18m2 1. 18m2< 1. 5m2 (not comply with UBBL) Width = 0. 86m > 0. 75m (comply with UBBL) * Although the width of the bathroom in TARC Hostel is 0. 86m which comply with UBBL, but the area of the bathroom is too small which is 1. 8m2 and it did not meet the minimum requirement stated in UBBL which is 1. 5m2. Hence, this bathroom is not complying with UBBL. * Recommendation – we can i ncrease the area of the bathroom by increasing the length of the bathroom to at least 1. 75m. Clause 43(d) * â€Å"†¦in the case the bathrooms with close fittings, not less than 2 square metres with a width of not less than 0. 75 metre. † * Date: November 28, 2012 * Location: Bathroom in residential house at Taman Bunga Raya. * Site photo: * Discussion * Area of the bathroom = 1. 5m x 1. 5m =2. 25m2 2. 25m2> 2m2 (comply with UBBL)Width = 1. 5m > 0. 75m (comply with UBBL) * Since the area of the bathroom is bigger than 2m2 and the width is more than 0. 75m, they all met the minimum dimensions required by UBBL. Hence, the bathroom with closet fittings in Taman Bunga Raya complies with UBBL. D) Clause 106 (1) 106(1)-In any staircase, the rise of any staircase shall be not more than 180mm and the tread shall not less than 255mm and the dimensions of the rise and the tread of the staircase so chosen shall be uniform and consistent throughout. * Date: November 28, 2012 * Locat ion: TARC Bangunan Tan Siew Sin * Site photo: Discussion: * Dimension of staircases: 312mm x 133mm * 180mm > 133mm and 312mm > 255, it complies with UBBL. E) Clause 107(1), (2), (3) and (4) 107(1)-Except for staircase of less than 4 risers, all staircases shall be provided with at least one handrail. * Date: November 28, 2012 * Location: TARC Block A * Site photo: * Discussion: 4 risers< /= 4 risers, so no need handrail and it complies with UBBL. 107(2)-Staircases exceeding 2225mm in width shall be provided with intermediate handrail for each 2225mm of required width spaced approximately. * Date: November 28, 2012 Location: TARC Bangunan Tan Siew Sin * Site photo: * Discussion: * Dimension of staircases: 5420mm * 5420mm > 2225mm, it complies with UBBL. Clause 107(3)-In building other than residential buildings, a handrail shall be provided on each side of the staircase when the width of the staircase is 1100 mm or more. In these clause state that all the buildings except residential building, if the width of the staircase is equal or more than 1100mm, which is 1. 1m, handrail should be provided on each side of the staircase. * Date : 28th November 2012 * Venue : Staircase beside DK A, TAR College Site Photo: * Discussion : Width of staircase = 2. 53m, 2530mm – 2530mm > 1100mm (stated in UBBL) so this staircase needed handrail on both sides. – This staircase is installed with both sides handrail, hence this staircase is comply with UBBL. Clause 107(4)-All handrails shall project not more than 100mmfrom the face of the finished wall†¦(†¦) This is the first part of Clause 107. (4) in UBBL, which means that if there is a handrail attached to the wall, the handrail should be projected out from the wall with a length of not more than 100 mm * Date : 28th November 2012 Venue : TAR College Cyber Centre * Site Photo : * Discussion : Total length projected out = 9. 3cm, 93mm – 93mm 840mm >825mm (stated in UBBL) -Since the height of handrai l is in the range of 825mm to 900mm, so it is comply with the UBBL. Clause 107 (4)-(†¦)†¦provided that handrails to landings shall not be less than 900mm from the level of the landing. This is the last part of Clause 107. (4) in UBBL. From this sentence show that the handrail at landing area should have the height of not less than 900mm measured from the landing. * Date : 28 November 2012 * Venue : TAR College Cyber Centre * Site Photo : Discussion : Height of handrail= 86. 5cm,865mm -865mm

Free Essays on Galileo

Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei was born at Pisa on the 18th of February in 1564. His father, Vincenzo Galilei, belonged to a noble family and had gained some distinction as a musician and a mathematician. At an early age, Galileo manifested his ability to learn both mathematical and mechanical types of things, but his parents, wishing to turn him aside from studies which promised no substantial return, steered him toward some sort of medical profession. But this had no effect on Galileo. During his youth he was allowed to follow the path that he wished to. Although in the popular mind Galileo is remembered chiefly as an astronomer, however, the science of mechanics and dynamics pretty much owe their existence to his findings. Before he was twenty, observation of the oscillations of a swinging lamp in the cathedral of Pisa led him to the discovery of the isochronism of the pendulum, which theory he utilized fifty years later in the construction of an astronomical clock. In 1588, an essay on the center of gravity in solids obtained for him the title of the Archimedes of his time, and secured him a teaching spot in the University of Pisa. During the years immediately following, taking advantage of the celebrated leaning tower, he laid the foundation experimentally of the theory of falling bodies and demonstrated the falsity of the peripatetic maxim, which is that an objects rate of descent is proportional to its weight. When he challenged this it made all of the followers of Aristotle extremely angry, they would not except the fact that their leader could have been wrong. Galileo, in result of this and other troubles, found it prudent to quit Pisa and move to Florence, the original home of his family. In Florence he was nominated by the Venetian Senate in 1592 to the chair of mathematics in the University of Padua, which he occupied for eighteen years, with ever-increasing fame. After that he was ap... Free Essays on Galileo Free Essays on Galileo The Life and Times of Galileo Galileio Galileo Galilei was born at Pisa on the 18th of February in 1564. His father, Vincenzo Galilei, belonged to a noble family and had gained some distinction as a musician and a mathematician. At an early age, Galileo manifested his ability to learn both mathematical and mechanical types of things, but his parents, wishing to turn him aside from studies, which promised no substantial return, steered him toward some sort of medical profession. But this had no effect on Galileo. During his youth he was allowed to follow the path that he wished to. Although in the popular mind Galileo is remembered chiefly as an astronomer, however, the science of mechanics and dynamics pretty much owe their existence to his findings. Before he was twenty, observation of the oscillations of a swinging lamp in the cathedral of Pisa led him to the discovery of the isochronisms of the pendulum, which theory he utilized fifty years later in the construction of an astronomical clock. In 1588, an essay on the center of gravity in solids obtained for him the title of the Archimedes of his time, and secured him a teaching spot in the University of Pisa. During the years immediately following, taking advantage of the celebrated leaning tower, he laid the foundation experimentally of the theory of falling bodies and demonstrated the falsity of the peripatetic maxim, which is that an objects rate of descent is proportional to its weight. When he challenged this it made all of the followers of Aristotle extremely angry, they would not accept the fact that their leader could have been wrong. Galileo, in result of this and other troubles, found it prudent to quit Pisa and move to Florence, the original home of his family. In Florence the Venetian Senate nominated him in 1592 to the chair of mathematics in the University of Padua, which he occupied for eighteen years, with ever-increasing fame. After that he was appointed philoso... Free Essays on Galileo Galileo Galilei Galileo Galilei was born at Pisa on the 18th of February in 1564. His father, Vincenzo Galilei, belonged to a noble family and had gained some distinction as a musician and a mathematician. At an early age, Galileo manifested his ability to learn both mathematical and mechanical types of things, but his parents, wishing to turn him aside from studies which promised no substantial return, steered him toward some sort of medical profession. But this had no effect on Galileo. During his youth he was allowed to follow the path that he wished to. Although in the popular mind Galileo is remembered chiefly as an astronomer, however, the science of mechanics and dynamics pretty much owe their existence to his findings. Before he was twenty, observation of the oscillations of a swinging lamp in the cathedral of Pisa led him to the discovery of the isochronism of the pendulum, which theory he utilized fifty years later in the construction of an astronomical clock. In 1588, an essay on the center of gravity in solids obtained for him the title of the Archimedes of his time, and secured him a teaching spot in the University of Pisa. During the years immediately following, taking advantage of the celebrated leaning tower, he laid the foundation experimentally of the theory of falling bodies and demonstrated the falsity of the peripatetic maxim, which is that an objects rate of descent is proportional to its weight. When he challenged this it made all of the followers of Aristotle extremely angry, they would not except the fact that their leader could have been wrong. Galileo, in result of this and other troubles, found it prudent to quit Pisa and move to Florence, the original home of his family. In Florence he was nominated by the Venetian Senate in 1592 to the chair of mathematics in the University of Padua, which he occupied for eighteen years, with ever-increasing fame. After that he was ap...

Earth's Magnetic Field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Earth's Magnetic Field - Research Paper Example The research paper "Earth's Magnetic Field" talks about the magnetic field which is the area which is under the influence of magnetic force and is a vector quantity, i.e. it is denoted in terms of a direction and magnitude, and is measured in Teslas in SI units which are equivalent to (Newton x second)/(coulomb x meter). The magnetic field allows human beings to produce many important devices. The relationship between magnetic field and electric current has enabled humans to produce electric currents in all electric devices such as blenders and power turbines. The magnetic field of Earth is similar to that produced by a bar magnet. The circulating electric currents surrounding the Earth’s surface and in the metallic core of Earth are the source of Earth’s magnetic force. The dynamo effect of these circulating electric charges helps in creating a magnetic field. The rotation is known to be the cause of the production of electric charges and dynamo effect. The area under the influence of Earth’s magnetic force is known as Magnetosphere. A scientist Mariner 2 discovered that the magnetic field of Venus is not as strong as that of Earth. Though the iron content of these two planets is almost same, yet the strength of magnetic field is different. The reason for the difference is the s peed of movement of these two planets. Earth takes 235 days to complete a rotation whereas Venus takes 243 days. The rotation period of Venus is too slow to result in dynamo effect. The evidence of this was found on rocks.

Aristotle and Kant on Ethical Theory and Practice Essay

Aristotle and Kant on Ethical Theory and Practice - Essay Example On the other hand, relativists believe that ethics is a human invention and that â€Å"all ethical standards are relative† hence there are â€Å"no permanent, universal, objective values or standards† (Mizzoni 11, 191). LeBar asserts that individual people create own moral standards and that these standards change from society to society throughout time and the world (185). This is what is often referred as cultural relativism. Kant is strong objectivists as he emphasises that ethical duties are absolute and categorical while Aristotle insists that human beings are rational and moral virtue is developed through habit. He is thus a relativist. I would argue in favour of Aristotle that ethical standards vary with contexts, individuals and societies. Consider such practices as polygamy, homosexuality, and female genital mutilation. Are these practices right or wrong? If we look at polygamy it is a norm in some communities especially African communities but not acceptable in western communities. Some individuals view homosexuality as right while others consider it wrong depending on their religious inclinations and personal values. For genital mutilation, it was often practiced by early communities but in modern communities it is considered wrong even though some communities still practice it. How are these actions to be judged? By which ethical standards? If we argue that ethical standards are universal and applicable to all regardless of their opinion or beliefs then it would mean all these practices are wrong but this is not the case; they are right in some societies and wrong in others. This supports Aristotle’s view that moral virtue is developed by habits (Moral Philosophy n.p). In this case, good habits form the bui lding blocks of good moral character and that man has power to control his own actions since he is rational. They then reflect on these actions and perfect them if they are good but in the process, they must have a good role model