The Supply Chain Management at Durham International Manufacturing Research Paper

The Supply Chain Management at Durham International Manufacturing Company (Dimco) - Research Paper Example A successful integration effort requires collective effort between suppliers and distribution. Teaming up will facilitate immense relationship among them. The effort starts with the two parties teaming up on sharing information related to the activities that they do. This will enhance communication between the two since they will have the chance to explore more on the development of new products, and developing extraordinary systems that will facilitate production. Good relationship based on communication will facilitate stream of information continually to work on a successful integrated supply chain. Ways that Dimco Could Benefit from Leveraging B2B E-commerce B2B e-commerce is the electronic swap of business documents among businesses for the principle of conducting business. B2B information switch is a system-to-system swap of data with little or no physical involvement. Dimco can benefit from leveraging B2B e-commerce through various ways. An effective e-commerce solution will e nable Dimco to grow and scale easily to meet market demand and customer requirements by opening new sales channels and constantly reaching new market segment. A B2B e-commerce site will improve Dimco’s sales teams’ visibility into customer orders, and pricing.... B2B e-commerce enables exceptional customer service. E-commerce provides an exceptional opportunity for the B2B organization to improve its customer service initiatives. E-commerce sites can offer access to self-serve account and order information after a customer completes the secure login process. Through integration with an organization’s enterprise resource planning, an e-commerce site can display only the products, services and pricing based on client log in qualifications (Sinha, 2009). Steps Dimco Could Take to Improve its Relationship with Suppliers For Dimco to improve its relationship with suppliers, a variety of steps have to be followed. This will enable good relationship between Dimco and suppliers. Acknowledging past mistakes that were made between Dimco and suppliers and decide whether the relationship is worth saving then hunt for an open and honest communication with the supplier. This will enable Dimco and suppliers to connect and discover more concerning the errors and remedies to prevent future mistakes. Identifying the cause of the mistake is the second step Dimco will take. This will enable Dimco and supplies to find out the real cause of the mistakes that were made in the earlier period. This will allow them to know if there were warning signs before the mistake happened. Ineffectiveness to the origin of a crisis, only the sign will be resolved, and another one that is more destructive to the relationship will unavoidably appear. Dimco will then spot and apply corrective actions to the past mistakes made. These actions can include technical changes, changes in security stocks, increased communication, and changes in personnel. Dimco will finally monitor and maintain the relationship with the suppliers. This will be effective

Native Son Theme Analysis Essay Example for Free

Native Son Theme Analysis Essay In his novel, Native Son, Richard Wright reveals his major theme of the Black population in America in the 1930’s. In the opening scene of the novel, Wright introduces his condemning message towards the ugliness of American racism and the social oppression of Blacks in his time. The opening scene of Native Son functions by foreshadowing future events that occur throughout the novel involving major symbols that are introduced in the scene to represent other elements in the novel. The scene also establishes an atmosphere of hopelessness and despair as it presents the Thomas apartment setting and its contrasting image of the Dalton mansion. The function of the scene is established by three major elements which is the alarm clock, the rat-catching, and the apartment setting. The first element that is introduced is the ambiguous alarm clock. The alarm clock that awakens Bigger Thomas and his family at the opening of the novel is a major symbol that Wright uses to attack American racism. The loud ring the alarm clock gives off serves as a wake-up call Wright wants his audience to hear. Wright uses the alarm to represent his assertive message to the American public of the destructive effects of racism and oppression American society has accepted. His call for change is like a prophetic warning such as Elisha gives, in Biblical context, demanding the need for social change before it is too late for the nation of ancient Israel. Similar to Elisha’s warning, Wright predicts revolutionary violence and social upheaval if racism and oppression is not stopped in American society. Another function of the alarm clock is its foreshadowing of Bigger’s symbolic awakening in the course of the novel. The clock in the opening scene represents Bigger as a powder keg, both of which are waiting to go off at any moment. Bigger’s climactic point of his explosive act of killing Mary serves the same function as the alarm given off from the clock whereas both wake and opens the eyes of those who hear it or see it. The alarm clock symbolizes Bigger’s new realization that he should not feel guilty for the killing of Mary because of the living conditions White society forced him to live into, which made him into what he is. Another important element in the opening scene that Wright uses to attack racism and oppression is the rat-catching. In the commencement of the novel, Bigger discovers a huge black rat and his mother and sister jump in hysteria. Bigger then corners the rat, and as the rat attacks back, he strikes it with a skillet; then smashes it superfluously until it became a bloody pulp and showed it to Vera. The rat-catching scene is significant because it foreshadows Bigger being tracked down and caught in the course of the novel. In the scene, Wright portrays the black rat as Bigger Thomas. Wright makes them resemble like each other because of their color and their unwanted presence. Like rats, the Black population are viewed as vermin and unwanted pests by White society. With this perspective, the public oppresses and controls the Black population to prevent them from getting near towards Whites in American society. Both Vera and Mother Thomas’ hysteria towards the rat resembles White society’s hysteria toward Bigger’s murder and assumed rape of a White woman. Vera and Mother Thomas’ reaction towards the huge black rat is that of disgust and fear of what it may do. In comparison, when the public found the truth behind the killing of Mary, they panicked and feared of what a Black murderer and rapist is capable of doing. Wright uses this episode to reveal the intense hate the racist American society has towards the Black population. He also uses it to call attention to the excessive paranoia the public exhibits which is a link to the intensity and depth of American racism. Another foreshadowing in the novel would be the representation of Bigger’s capture through Bigger’s cornering of the rat. In the beginning of the novel, Bigger blocks the exit of the rat such as how the police block the exit on Bigger later on in the novel. The foreshadowing extends also at how the rat attacks viciously at Bigger’s pant leg such as how Bigger shoots back at his capturers to prevent being caught. These aggressive scenes between survival and fear points out the result and effects of American society’s strong racist views as Wright describes the capturers drive to capture what seems dangerous and fearsome to them. The last and final foreshadowing in the opening scene would be Bigger’s superfluous bashing of the rat and his act of showing the bloody rat to Vera. The scene is used to portray Bigger’s excessive beating at the time of capture and Buckley’s exhibition of Bigger’s capture and death. The excessive beating of both the rat and Bigger relate the abuser’s need for their thirst witnessing pain being inflicted upon their subject. They are also similar because their unnecessary abuse is a signal of the intense hate the abuser had towards them. Also, the exhibition of Bigger by Buckley presents the similar racist connotations as the beating does. In the novel, Buckley holds Bigger as a political advantage, stressing a racist message to Blacks to show them what happens to the unwanted Blacks when they break the law in Richard Wright’s time which consists of strict and racist laws. One last important element of the opening scene is the setting of the dilapidated Thomas apartment. One function of this apartment setting is to set the atmosphere for the novel as a whole. The run-down and squalid apartment gives a sense of hopelessness and despair. The gloomy aspect of the setting describes the victimization of the Thomas family done by the society in which they are living in. Another function of the apartment setting is that it is a microcosm for how Blacks live throughout the city of Chicago. The apartment is a small, congested room fixed with a kitchen and no walls to separate the men from the women. The inappropriateness of their apartment is exemplified when both Buddy and Bigger have to turn their heads away while Mother Thomas and Vera dress. These unacceptable living conditions are created by an oppressive society and creates an unstable Black society which produces people such as Bigger who turn out to be exactly what White society believes they are like. The apartment setting is also part of a geographical contrast with the Dalton mansion. The apartment shows the unfair distribution of wealth as the Dalton mansion exhibits aristocratic characteristics with its multiple rooms and white columned porch; while the Thomas apartment has a mere single room, which occupies an entire family, and consists of a rat infestation. The contrast helps enforce the sense of the inequality and injustice while it also presents a divided Black and White society made possible by a racist country. Altogether, the opening scene functions to attack American society and its oppressive standpoint towards Blacks in Richard Wrights time. Wright establishes the scene’s function by using these three major elements: the alarm clock, the rat-catching, and the apartment setting. Richard Wright central theme of change is produced by the opening scene to correspond with the rest of the novel as it stresses the warning of a possible revolution and social upheaval if conditions do not change in American society.

Delegate thru Management Essay -- essays research papers

Hours in a Day Sometimes I think my boss wished there were 48hrs in a day, he’d be able to get a lot more work done. He may not get those extra hours in a day but he can get the equivalent through delegation. He effectively plugs into expertise of his people to assist him in completing the task on hand, thus multiplying his efforts. There is more to delegation than just giving members of a staff tasking, delegation is a subpart of the four functions of management. Delegation thru Planning Begin in the military I know a quite a bit about delegation. It starts from the first day you begin basic training. Most of the times, delegation is done in a professional way. Because of shortages in the Coast Guard sometimes managers are forced to do the jobs of junior people, until they get a junior person. Although it’s a relief to receive the assistance lots of managers find them selves holding on to work that should be passed to a subordinate. For many managers, the path to more effective delegation begins with reexamining two basic assumptions about their roles. First, many managers continue to assume that it's faster and more efficient to take on employees' work vs. teaching them how to handle it on their own. This can become frustrating for both manager, and employee. In a case like this an effective manger will plan specific times in order to incorporate needed skills with present skills, so that employee will become an asset to the unit. Delegate thru Organization Letting go o...

Francis Scott Fitzgerald Essay examples -- essays papers

Francis Scott Fitzgerald Thesis: Francis S. Fitzgerald was a talented writer; his only flaw was that he liked the combination of alcohol and the night life. One of the most widely recognized writers of the 1920’s and 1930’s was Francis Scott Fitzgerald (Beebe 339). He followed his dreams of being a writer, until he finally succeeded. Francis Scott Fitzgerald was a talented writer; his only flaw was that he liked the combination of alcohol and the nightlife (Coale 190). He spent his life writing and trying to be happy with his wife, Zelda Sayre. His life served as a resource for his novels. Perhaps writing about his life helped him deal with his grief. Francis Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on September 24, 1896. (Coale 190). Francis Scott was the only child of Edward Fitzgerald and Mary Mollie McQuillan (Beebe 339). Fitzgerald was named after a distant member of his father’s family (Beebe 339), who happened to be the author of â€Å"The Star Spangled Banner† (Bruccoli xix). Edward Fitzgerald was the father of Francis S. Fitzgerald. Edward’s business, the production of wicker furniture in St. Paul, Minnesota, failed. (Bruccoli xix). Due to this, his family moved to Buffalo, New York, in 1908 (Bruccoli xix). In New York he became a salesman for Procter & Gamble; in 1908 he was dismissed (Bruccoli xix). After his dismissal they returned to St. Paul and moved in with Mary Mollie McQuillan’s mother (Bruccoli xix). Her mother was an Irish immigrant who became wealthy as a wholesaler grocer in St. Paul, Minnesota (Bruccoli xix). When the family finally decided to stay in St. Paul, Minnesota, was when Fitzgerald was encouraged to study at the St. Paul Academy (Beebe 339). From 1911 to 191... ... characters of Dick Diver and Nicole Diver somehow resemble Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre. Dick Diver resembles Fitzgerald by being young and talented. Nicole Diver resembles Zelda Sayre by both being the force that held them back. Bibliography: Works Cited Beebe, Maurice. â€Å"Francis Scott Fitzgerald†. Encyclopedia Americana. Deluxe Library Ed. 1996. Bruccoli, Matthew J., and Judith Baughman. A Life in Letters: F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York. Simon & Schuster Inc. 1994. Coale, Samuel Chase. â€Å"Francis Scott Fitzgerald†. The World Book Encyclopedia. Scott Fetzer Company, 1996. Eble, Kenneth. F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York. Twayne Publishers Inc, 1963. Meyers, Jeffrey. Scott Fitzgerald: A Biography. New York. Harper Collins Publishers Inc, 1994.

Compare and Contrast, from Cholos to Surfers and My Latino Heart

The connections in these two stories is that in Mr. Lopez story is that a young boy is troubled because he is not sure on what being a â€Å"Mexican† is all about, and that ties in with what is California image really trying to say. The next story â€Å"Of Cholos and Surfers† is a depiction of a young boy also, but he is having trouble trying to break out of the tradition of being a normal â€Å"Mexican† and do what he is more comfortable doing. In the story of â€Å"My Latino Heart† it is about a young teenager who is having trouble finding what the Mexican culture is all about.He is not sure on how to fit in with his Mexican culture. The identity of his culture is hard for him to comprehend. He asked his mother â€Å" What am I†. His mother answered â€Å" You’re a Mexican American† He replied â€Å" But what does that mean†. He couldn’t didn’t know what his parents were trying to tell him. He did not think he wa s Mexican because he couldn’t speak the Spanish. He wanted to have a answer to his question. He went to his Aunt and asked her what it meant to be a Mexican American. His Aunt replied â€Å" You’re you†.Again he was not sure of what this meant? He didn’t get another opportunity to ask his Aunt again because she had died of alcoholism. When the family had a gathering he shied away from the younger parts of his family, and went to the adults to see what his Aunt was really like when she was alive and didn’t drink. He could get a sense of what being a Mexican meant. Remembering the people that had died and to never forget them. To think of the good things about the person and to credit them for their influence they had in his life.Also in the lives that she had contact with long enough to make a difference in their lives. In the story â€Å"Of Cholos and Surfers† this teenage boy depicted by the author Jack Lopez, was a boy who lived in a Mexic an family in the Los Angeles area. His family was a family who kept their roots, and never forgot where they came from. Also there were two sides of the neighborhood were they grew up. You were either a cholo or a surfer. This young teenage boy had more of a interest in the surfer lifestyle. He wanted to be a surfer so bad that he wore clothes that the surfers would wear.His family would not allow to him to have his hair down to his ears. His friends in junior high where Sheldon Cohen and Tom Gheridelli. They were both surfers. He naturally became good friends with them because they had the same interest. He wanted to buy a surfer magazine that cost forty-five dollars. He would read Surfer Quarterly, and other surfer magazines with his friends at Sportsman Park under the bleachers. Him and his dad made an agreement that his dad would take him to get a magazine in Vermont.When he and his dad arrived in Vermont they got the magazine his father looked at him and said â€Å" Is that it ? †. He didn’t believe that his son was serious about getting the magazine. When his father got to the counter to pay for the magazine, the clerk and his dad were poking fun at the magazine in Spanish. In these stories starting with â€Å"My Latino Heart† and the California myth of a glamorous life is this; in this story, this young boy wants to know what it means to be a Latino/Mexican. He asks’ his Aunt, his father, and his mother on what it means to be Mexican.He has to go to through a journey and figure out on what this Mexican culture is all about. n the story â€Å" Of Cholos and Surfers† the similarities of this story to that of the California dream is this. This young boy wanted something more out of his life. He did not think that the life of a cholo was the right life for him. He wanted to do something that he thought would have purpose and that made sense to him, and something that would make him succeed. Even though his parents did not l ike the idea. He was willing to make that dream come true.

The eNotes Blog Obama Bans Homework in PublicSchools

Obama Bans Homework in PublicSchools Washington D.C. In a ruling that shocked educators this morning, United States President Barack Obama released a statement mandating the dismissal of all after school assignments, in essence eliminating homework from the U.S. public education system. President Obama stated on Wednesday, â€Å"our students have enough pressures in their lives, with many working jobs and maintaining a strong, heavily-filtered presence on social media. This mandate will allow students the freedom to pursue their personal dreams of achieving upwards of one thousand followers on Instagram or crafting a viral tweet, an achievement that a traditional education could never grant them.† Students have already taken this announcement as an opportunity to re-introduce the hashtag #ThanksObama. Teachers have also praised Obama for his attention to their own interests. Jeb Smith, a social studies teacher in Pawnee, Indiana, called in for comment on a local radio program, stating, â€Å"this is the best thing Obama has done to improve American lives. I now have time to actually read to my ferret Hamlet.† However, not all citizens have positive words for this bold political move. â€Å"This was a rash o’bummer move that throws us decades behind in terms of our rate of education. Students might as well stay in school until they’ve racked up at least one million dollars in debt to ensure proper education,† stated an outraged, unnamed source in New Jersey. An intern for , Inc, a world-renowned homework help website, responded to the mandate on Facebook, saying, â€Å"I honestly don’t know what to think. This means my job helping students all over the world complete their homework is obsolete.† There’s no way to be certain what this law will mean in the long run, except that might have to shut its doors to become a Cat Cafe/Hipster Speakeasy. Which, actually, would be pretty rad. For more information, read the full report by the  Student Allegiance of Homework Doers  here.

Free Essays on A Comparison Of Special Relationships

A Comparison of Special Relationships Many would be surprised, perhaps even appalled, if a man’s relationship with his girlfriend was compared to a relationship with his dog. There are, however, many similarities in these two special relationships. Such similarities would include the true love and deep affection felt towards both a man’s girlfriend and his dog. There are also fundamental differences in how a man relates to his girlfriend and his dog. An example would be the difference in what a man does to please his girlfriend and what he does to please his dog. Another example would be the differences in the degree of loyalty a man’s girlfriend and his dog feels for him. These differences affect the way a man thinks and feels about both his girlfriend and his dog. What a man does to please his girlfriend and what a man does to please his dog are two entirely different things. It is quite difficult to please your girlfriend. You may try by taking her out for a night on the town. You might take her shopping at the new mall. You might go with her through all the trendy stores in the new shopping mall. You might even buy that pricey sweater in one of the trendy stores. That same night you might take her to the movie she has been hoping to see. Any girl will tell you that a movie isn't a movie unless you have popcorn! Quite naturally you will need to get her something to drink with that popcorn. To go that extra mile you should probably bring back her favorite candy bar, in case she gets a sweet tooth. You must also please your girlfriend emotionally. You might ask her about her day, talk about where the relationship is headed or work through a particular problem. In the process you must remain honest and forthright yet sensitive and kind. When it's all said and done you have for at least the next few days made your girlfriend relatively happy. To please your dog with an activity of some sort you can take ... Free Essays on A Comparison Of Special Relationships Free Essays on A Comparison Of Special Relationships A Comparison of Special Relationships Many would be surprised, perhaps even appalled, if a man’s relationship with his girlfriend was compared to a relationship with his dog. There are, however, many similarities in these two special relationships. Such similarities would include the true love and deep affection felt towards both a man’s girlfriend and his dog. There are also fundamental differences in how a man relates to his girlfriend and his dog. An example would be the difference in what a man does to please his girlfriend and what he does to please his dog. Another example would be the differences in the degree of loyalty a man’s girlfriend and his dog feels for him. These differences affect the way a man thinks and feels about both his girlfriend and his dog. What a man does to please his girlfriend and what a man does to please his dog are two entirely different things. It is quite difficult to please your girlfriend. You may try by taking her out for a night on the town. You might take her shopping at the new mall. You might go with her through all the trendy stores in the new shopping mall. You might even buy that pricey sweater in one of the trendy stores. That same night you might take her to the movie she has been hoping to see. Any girl will tell you that a movie isn't a movie unless you have popcorn! Quite naturally you will need to get her something to drink with that popcorn. To go that extra mile you should probably bring back her favorite candy bar, in case she gets a sweet tooth. You must also please your girlfriend emotionally. You might ask her about her day, talk about where the relationship is headed or work through a particular problem. In the process you must remain honest and forthright yet sensitive and kind. When it's all said and done you have for at least the next few days made your girlfriend relatively happy. To please your dog with an activity of some sort you can take ...

Why Obama Won the 08 Presidential Election

Why Obama Won the 08 Presidential Election Barack Obama decisively won the presidential election, for many solid reasons and due to many factors, including weaknesses of his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain. This article enumerates and explains the five top reasons why Obama won win the 2008 race to become the 44th President of the United States. Reasons Why Barack Obama Won the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election Reason #1 - Empathy and Genuine Help for Middle-Class Americans Barack Obama gets what it means for a family to worry financially, to work hard simply to make it, and to do without essentials. Obama was born to a teenage mother, abandoned by his father at age two, and raised largely in a small apartment by his middle-class grandparents. At one point, Obama, his mother, and younger sister relied on food stamps to put meals on the family table. Michelle Obama, close counselor and best friend to her husband, and her brother were similarly raised in modest circumstances in a one-bedroom apartment on the south side of Chicago. Both Barack and Michelle Obama speak frequently about what it means for middle-class Americans to be at a disadvantage financially and otherwise. Because they get it, both Obamas refer with heartfelt eloquence to middle-class fears, including to: the climbing unemployment ratethe staggering home foreclosure rate gripping the nationcrashing 401(k) and pension plans, leaving retirements in limbo48 million Americans without healthcare insurancehigh percentages of public schools failing our childrenthe continuing struggle of middle-class families to balance work and parenting demands In vivid contrast, John and particularly Cindy McCain exude an aura of financial insularity and well-heeled elegance. Both were born wealthy, and have been quite wealthy for their entire lives. When cornered by Pastor Rick Warren several months ago, John McCain defined rich as I think if youre just talking about income, how about 5 million. Middle-class anger is palpable about economic fairness in these unusually tough financial times, and subsequent to what many viewed as President Bushs $700 billion bailout of rich Wall Streeters. Obama offered actual, understandable policy solutions to help middle-class Americans, including: a detailed 12-point program to repair the economy for middle-class families, including a $1,000 tax cut, creation of 5 million new jobs, protection of family homes from foreclosure, and reform of unfair bankruptcy laws.a Small Business Emergency Rescue Plan which includes emergency lending for small and family-owned businesses, special tax incentives, and tax cuts, and expansion of Small Business Administration support and services.a specific plan to reform Wall Street practices, including new regulation of the financial markets, to blunt the greedy influence of special interests, crackdown on manipulation of financial markets, and more. John McCains tin ear on middle-class financial woes were evident in his prescription for the economy: more tax-cuts for major corporations, and continuation of the Bush tax cuts for U.S. millionaires. And this McCain stance is consistent with his stated desires to slash Medicare and privatize Social Security. The American public is fed-up with failed Bush/McCain economics, which claim that prosperity will eventually trickle down to everyone else. Obama won the presidential race largely because voters correctly perceive that he, and not John McCain, care about and will address middle-class economic struggles and inequities. Reason #2 - Steady Leadership and Calm Temperament As of October 21, 2008, Barack Obama earned more than 120 newspaper endorsements, versus 33 for John McCain. Without exception, every Obama endorsement referred to his presidential-like personal and leadership qualities. And all echo the same basics about Obamas calm, steady, thoughtful nature, versus McCains impetuousness and unpredictability. Explained  The Salt Lake Tribune, which has rarely endorsed a Democrat for president: Under the most intense scrutiny and attacks from both parties, Obama has shown the temperament, judgment, intellect and political acumen that are essential in a president that would lead the United States out of the crises created by President Bush, a complicit Congress and our own apathy. Summed  The Los Angeles Times: We need a leader who demonstrates thoughtful calm and grace under pressure, one not prone to volatile gesture or capricious pronouncement... as the presidential race draws to its conclusion, it is Obamas character and temperament that come to the fore. It is his steadiness. His maturity. And from  The Chicago Tribune, founded in 1847, which has never before endorsed a Democrat for the presidency: We have tremendous confidence in his intellectual rigor, his moral compass and his ability to make sound, thoughtful, careful decisions. He is ready... Obama is deeply grounded in the best aspirations of this country, and we need to return to those aspirations.... He has risen with his honor, grace and civility intact. He has the intelligence to understand the grave economic and national security risks that face us, to listen to good advice and make careful decisions. In contrast, during the past two months of the 08 presidential campaign, John McCain acted (and overreacted) inconsistently, unpredictably, and without forethought. Two examples of McCains unsteady leadership were his erratic behavior during the financial markets meltdown, and in his poorly-vetted pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate. John McCain served as the perfect foil to highlight Obamas solidly grounded leadership skills. Obamas even-keel temperament made him seem well-suited to be President for these troubled, turbulent times. And the mere image of ultra-volatile, careless John McCain in the White House was enough to scare the majority of the electorate into supporting Obama. Reason #3 - Fair, Cost-Effective Health Care Insurance Americans were finally fed-up enough with the unfairness of health care delivery in this country, to be ready to make the issue a priority in selecting a president. The U.S. is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not have a universal health care system. As a result, in 2008, more than 48 million U.S. men, women, and children have no healthcare insurance. Despite being ranked #1 in health care spending by the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. was ranked  72nd among 191 nations  in 2000 in overall level of health of its citizens. And the state of U.S. healthcare deteriorated further under the Bush administration. Barack Obamas health care plan and policies will fairly ensure that every American will have access to good quality medical care services. John McCains health care plan was a stunningly radical scheme that will: still exclude millions of the uninsured,raise income taxes for most American families and,in the opinion of most experts, causes millions of employers to drop health care policies for their employees. And unbelievably, McCain wanted to deregulate the healthcare insurance industry, much as Republicans disastrously deregulated U.S. financial markets under President George Bush. Obamas Health Care Plan Briefly, Obama will make available a new plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. The new plan will include: Guaranteed eligibilityNo one will be turned away from any insurance plan because of illness or pre-existing conditionsComprehensive benefitsAffordable premiums, co-pays, and deductiblesEasy enrollmentPortability and choice Employers that do not offer or make a significant contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of this plan. Most small businesses will be exempt from this mandate. The Obama plan requires only that all children have health care coverage. McCains Health Care Plan John McCains health care plan was designed to control health care costs and to deregulate, and thus enrich, the healthcare industry, and is not necessarily designed to offer health care coverage to the uninsured. For consumers, the McCain plan: required that insurance policies from employers be included in employees taxable income, along with salary and bonuses, thereby causing employees income taxes to increase;then provided a $5,000 tax credit to partially offset increased income taxes;deleted the employee health care insurance income tax deduction for all employers. Innumerable experts predicted that these massive McCain changes would: cause the taxable income of the average family of four to rise by about $7,000;cause employers to drop health care insurance for employees;would cause an increase, not decrease, in Americans without health care coverage. McCains plan was intended to push millions of Americans into the market to buy their own individual health care policies, which will be offered by a newly deregulated healthcare insurance industry. Newsweek reported, The Tax Policy Center estimates that 20 million workers will leave the employer-based system, not always voluntarily. Midsize and smaller companies are likely to drop their plans... CNN/Money added, McCain sorely lacks a plan for people in their 50s without corporate benefits, and Americans with pre-existing conditions, who would be brutally stripped of coverage if insurance crosses state lines. Observed blogger Jim MacDonald, The result... won’t be healthy competition that will lower costs for everyone. It’ll be higher costs and fewer options for the poor, the old, and the sick. That is, the people who need health care. Young, healthy, rich people won’t be affected... Obamas Plan: The Only Viable Choice In summary, Obamas plan, in which long-time health care advocate Hillary Clinton will be deeply involved, will fairly and inexpensively ensure that all Americans have access to quality health care services, but without the government providing those services. McCains so-called health care plan was intended to free the business community from providing for its employees, to enrich the healthcare insurance industry, and increase income taxes for all Americans. But not to provide health care services for the uninsured. For anyone who valued their health care insurance, Barack Obama was the only viable choice for president. Reason #4 - Withdrawal of Combat Troops from Iraq Barack Obama bested Hillary Clinton by a small margin for the 08 Democratic presidential nomination due mainly to their differing positions on the Iraq War, especially at the wars inception in 2002. Sen. Hillary Clinton  voted YES in 2002  to give the Bush administration authorization to attack and invade Iraq. Sen. Clinton rightfully believes that Congress was misled by Bush, and after a while, she admitted her regret for her vote. But Clintons 2002 support for the unpopular war was brutal fact. In contrast, Barack Obama famously  spoke out in late 2002 against the Iraq War  before Congress voted, declaring: I dont oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt... to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne. What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income, to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. Obama on the Iraq War Obamas stance on the Iraq War  is unambiguous: he plans to immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Under an Obama administration, the U.S. will not build or maintain any permanent bases in Iraq. He, of course, plans to temporarily maintain some non-combat troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats, and to complete the training of Iraq troops and police forces, as necessary. Also, Obama plans to launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors, including Iran and Syria. McCain on the Iraq War McCain, a third generation Naval officer, voted in 2002 to give President Bush full authority to attack and invade Iraq. And hes continually served as supporter and cheerleader for the U.S. War in Iraq, albeit with occasional objections to strategies. At the 08 Republican Convention and on the campaign trail, McCain and running mate Gov. Palin frequently proclaimed a goal of victory in Iraq and scoff at withdrawal timetables as foolish and premature. McCains website proclaimed ... it is strategically and morally essential for the U.S. to support the Government of Iraq to become capable of governing itself and safeguarding its people. He strongly disagrees with those who advocate withdrawing American troops before that has occurred. McCain took this stance: despite the  $12 billion monthly pricetag  to U.S. taxpayers;despite the fact that the Iraqi government has a substantial budgetary surplus;despite mounting deaths and permanent maimings of U.S. soldiers;despite exhaustion of U.S armed forces;despite the crippling effect the Iraq War has on U.S. armed forces abilities to address other conflicts and emergencies. General Colin Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former Secretary of State, disagreed with McCain, as did General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, and as do dozens of other retired generals, admirals and other top brass. Heres the really odd part: the Bush administration also disagreed with John McCain. Per various international  sources on October 20, 2008, the U.S. is finalizing negotiations on a security agreement with Iraq: The agreement also contains a timetable for the withdrawal of the U.S. military from Iraqi cities and towns by June 30, 2009 and from Iraqi territory by Dec. 31, 2011. Even General David Petraeus, often referred to with great reverence by McCain,  recently told the British press  that he would never use the word victory to describe U.S. involvement in Iraq and  commented: This is not the sort of struggle where you take a hill, plant the flag and go home to a victory parade... its not war with a simple slogan. The hard truth is that John McCain, Vietnam War POW, was obsessed with the Iraq War. And he couldnt seem to shake his angry, unhealthy obsession despite either reality or exorbitant cost. U.S. Voters Want Out of Iraq Per  CNN/Opinion Research Corp. polling  from October 17 to 19, 2008, 66% of all Americans disapprove of the Iraq war. Barack Obama was on the correct side of this issue, per the entire voting public, especially per the centrist, swing voters who decide most election outcomes. Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election in part because he consistently exhibited wise judgment on the Iraq War, and because he insists on the obviously correct course of action. Reason #5 - Joe Biden as Running Mate Sen. Barack Obama won the presidency in part because of his wise selection of highly experienced, well-liked Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice-presidential running mate. The first job of the vice president is to assume the presidency should the president become incapacitated. No one doubts that Joe Biden is fully prepared to become President of the United States, should that terrible occasion arise. The second job of the vice president is to be of constant counsel to the president. In his 36 years in the U.S. Senate, Biden is one of the  most respected American leaders on foreign policy, the U.S. judiciary, crime, civil liberties, and many other vital areas. With his gregarious, warm personality, Biden is suited to offer direct, smart counsel to the 44th president, as he has done for many other U.S. presidents. As an added bonus, the working chemistry and mutual respect between Obama and Biden is excellent. For Americans concerned about Barack Obamas level of experience, Joe Bidens presence on the ticket added a large dose of gravitas. Had he selected one of the able, but far less experienced candidates on this short list (Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, to name two top contenders), Barack Obama may have been less likely to reassure a majority of voters that the Democratic ticket was experienced enough to tackle todays tough issues. Joe Biden vs. Sarah Palin Joe Bidens deep grasp of the issues, appreciation of U.S. history and laws, and steady, experienced leadership were in jarring contrast to that of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate. Republican nominee, 72-year-old John McCain, has wrestled with three episodes of melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, and gets an in-depth skin cancer check every few months. Mr. McCains serious health challenges greatly increased the risk that he could become incapacitated and/or pass away in office, which would require his vice president to become President of the United States. It was widely recognized, even by a plethora of conservative pundits, that Sarah Palin was wholly unprepared to assume the presidency. In contrast, Joe Biden was widely regarded as well prepared to assume the presidency. Due to these five important political factors, Barack Obama won the November 4, 2008 election to become the 44th President of the United States.

Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Coursework - Essay Example With the introduction of retiring age, employers are now refrained from discriminating on the grounds of age, even at the time of recruitment, training, redundancy and other policies that deals with the employer and the employee’s relationship (Harris, et al 56). Harassment There is no specific law, which deals with the issue of harassment at workplace. However, an affected person can knock at the door of competent court of law to get his or her grievances redressed under the criminal law known as "Protection from Harassment Act†. In refined term, harassment in the workplace can be described as "any unwanted attention that causes offence, embarrassment, humiliation, upset". However, if it is based on sex, race or disability, the concerned discriminatory law can be invoked to get protection. Further, in serious cases, some compensation can be had inclusive of damages to hurt someone’s feelings. Offensive remarks, personal comments, jokes based on racism and sex, to uching, vulgar displays, abusive language come under the purview of harassment (Harris, et al 59). In order to make his case strong against discriminatory attitude by the employer and the harassment at work premise, William may adopt the following course a) keep a diary of the incidents that took place b) witnesses of co workers c) confront harassment d) have a word with HR and e) discuss the matter with Union Representative (Harris, et al 61). It is the responsibility of the employer to protect his workers from harassment irrespective of their backgrounds. William has the option to claim compensation by registering his complain with the employment tribunal on the specified form ETI since it is a mandatory requirement. Mentioned form contains a lot of information e.g. name of the complainant, postal address, reasons for complaint, whether the complainant would like to re-instate or to lodge claim for compensation. William has the option to invoke the jurisdiction of competent Tribun al without bothering grievance procedure. By passing the grievance, procedure may lead to reduction up to 25% in any award granted by the Tribunal (Harris, et al 63). At this point of time, the said victim will send a copy of ETI form to be responded on form ET3 within 28 days. If he fails to respond within the specified period of time, there is apprehension that the Tribunal may issue impugn judgment in favour of the complainant. Before filing the complaint with the Tribunal, employee may exercise his or her option of conciliation. If conciliation fails to materialize, the compelling option for remedy is Tribunal (Harris, et al 63-64). The legal process is cumbersome with reference to calling witnesses, cross examine the witnesses by other side, engage a lawyer and to bear legal expenses. Keeping in mind the time consuming legal process, we advise William to confine himself to the process of conciliation. Q. 2. Where should William go to take action on his personal injury claim? Fr om whom should he seek advice and what formal and informal mechanisms might he use to resolve the dispute? To analyse the claim of William with regard to personal injury, we have to have a look on the law of tort and its provisions, which provide relief to the victim of personal injury besides emotional injury. In accordance with English law,  tort falls under the common law

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and Customer Satisfaction Essay

Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and Customer Satisfaction Strategy - Essay Example However, with the incorporation of IMC, the marketers have perceived that an effective strategy relies on the integration of messages into various media. Nowadays, online marketing has been widely used by marketing teams due to the consumers’ demand for technology. Traditional media such as newspaper and magazine have low market share and audience reach when compared to interactive media. Thus, the advertisers rely mostly in online advertisements to reach diversified users as part of the company’s marketing goals. This paper analyzes the advertising strategy of Nike Incorporated in the IMC perspective. It examines the alignment of marketing goals to the marketing strategies of the company that aim to satisfy the consumers with their products and services. Furthermore, this will entail the method of measuring the effectiveness of advertising and the level of customer’s satisfaction. Organizational Background Nike is a Greek goddess that signifies victory. Indeed, the brand name is known for its high quality products in the area of sports. Before Nike originated, the business name was Blue Ribbon Sports which was established by American manufacturers in January 25, 1964. Nike is focused on marketing the sports categories including apparel, equipment, footwear, and accessory products. It has been associated with different trademarks such as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, and Nike Skateboarding, plus the brand extensions like Converse and Cole Haan. Moreover, Nike is known for the swoosh sign or the wing of Greek goddess where its name derived. The â€Å"Just do it† advertising slogan adds to the popularity of Nike in the sports section (Deng, 2009, p. 102). Media Plan Advertising Strategy Nike is known globally due to its marketing strategies in broadcast and print, and the recent innovation that enables to reach wide audience is the internet. Nike aims to â€Å"sell a global brand through marketing that appeals to local taste (Goldman & Papson, 1998, p. 4). That’s why, they have unified slogan, themes, and advertising message. Furthermore, to become the leading manufacturer of sports products, Nike envisions itself to carry the legacy of innovative thinking through creative modification of the message and services (Nike, 2011). For an instance, Nike has recognized of the male superiority imposed by the brand image of Nike; hence, they reach women’s athletes to erase the negative identification by creating fashionable footwear and using advertising to convey their message. Due to the successful assimilation of Nike’s slogan, it aims to continue the â€Å"Just Do It† principle into â€Å"Just Done It† which signifies the purpose of this company to persuade consumers. To sustain its brand image as the leading sportswear manufacturer, Nike advertises its products through partnership with the sports icons such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, and Lebron Jame s that represent strength and determination. Nike communicates their message in TV commercials by using humor that appeals to consumers. In addition, sports magazines are ideal tools for Nike, since they have a specific target audience. Few examples are Runners World, Backpacker, and Midwest living. The low cost advertising strategy is outdoor advertising where Nike utilizes billboards located in a traffic area and bus stops. Moreover, the most innovative approach to consumers is interactive marketing wherein Nike

Quality Management in MNC - Organisation Research Paper

Quality Management in MNC - Organisation - Research Paper Example Therefore, the quality of the product is variable and could not be confined to one single definition and the standard of quality fluctuates according to the customer needs and expectation. For that reason, the organization should grasp the customer’s need by evaluating the level of quality by the customer’s desires and expectations meet total quality management (Schneiderman, 2002). What is known about the quality Management in the organization? An organization identifies the total quality management as an approach to enhance the efficiency, credibility and flexibility of an organization. It assumes great importance in managing the organization with compatibility and allows the organization to discard those efforts and unwanted diligence which is unable to contribute in the development of an organization. Leaders are getting enlightened and providing an effective strategy towards the improvement of managing department and its related sources. It provides the way by whic h problems are not only detected but prevented too. People are also getting successful by the involvement of TQM which is first set up by the leaders of the organization. All senior managers are keen to adopt the efficiency and principles of total management quality for providing their customers best quality over products and services. However, middle managers are also obliged to demonstrate their task under the course of TQM and promote the strategies within the principle to get their people benefited. An organization could not relish the fundamental benefits of TQM without above prime responsibilities of managing department. Organizations are determined that an astounding quality policy can only be possible by the systematic plan and approach and therefore contemplates excessively for the desired result. Leaders are coming to the front and examining all the policies that whether they would meet the company objectives and console customer’s aim (Porter & Parker, 2006). To ma ke total management quality accessible in an organization, effective leaderships are required which first established the customer’s desire oriented objective, pursued by a strategy and finally the implementations of the policy is the key to the organization’s success. An organization also understands the importance of reviewing and improving of the management system. A TQM approach ultimately drags the organization to a credible position which tightens the customers and the organization relationship for a very long term (Bank, 1992). What are the principles of quality management? The TQM offers a procedure through which all the management members and employees contribute in the continuous improvements of the production process and the offerings of the business. The tools of total quality management are aimed at increasing business and reducing losses and to cut the extra cost of production. TQM is a management term that integrates all the functions of the business lik e marketing, design, engineering, production, customer services etc. to meet the organizational goals and objectives. There are eight major principles reinforce the quality management system in any organization. The senior members in management very often exploit these principles in order to have sound management. Following are the major principles with its reach to improve the management (Joiner, 2006).

The feasibility of climate change negotiation Coursework

The feasibility of climate change negotiation - Coursework Example There is an increasing unanimity among the scientific and the global community at large that the earth’s climate is changing. Human activities have been the number suspects contributing to climate change. Climate change cognizance has been followed by increasing awareness and concern among the public. The earth’s climatic conditions are at an advanced stage of making the world inhabitable. Unless organizations employ the correct mitigation efforts, irreparable changes may be inflicted on natural habitats that are used to feed humans, plants and animals. Climate change problems are shared, and they require a shared, unified and cooperative response. The world community needs to establish climate change mitigation that encompasses radical restructuring of the way the world’s economies function. The developed world is the main contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the consumption and unattainable means of production. The efforts put in place to mitigate climate change by the developed nations are not enough. Nations need to congregate and develop an action plan that can ensure effective climate change preventive measures work. Various climate change negotiations that have been by the United Nations have taken place. The Copenhagen Conference of the Parties (COP15) in 2009 deliberated on climate change as one of its main agendas (Batalha & Reynolds, 2012). The parties demonstrated widespread expectations of commitment for action.

Make for me....plz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Make for me....plz - Essay Example Archilde, who has just returned, is his father's last hope as an heir to the land and fortune he developed over the years. Max Leon is portrayed as the authoritarian father figure in The Surrounded. He is the ever rigid Spaniard who fails completely to communicate with his own sons. Max's problem is that he has never tried to understand his half-Indian sons. He only demands that they obey him and that they should become "Americanized" ranchers. When they fail to become fully acculturated, Max becomes bitter. The family as can be seen is quite dysfunctional. All the relationships, as it were, have collapsed. Max's sons are all estranged from him, and he cannot figure out why. Max's neighbor, rancher Emile Pariseau, has come looking for the son named Louis because he has stolen horses from Pariseau. In disgust with Louis's behavior as well as the unnamed problems with his other sons, Max angrily says that they could all be sent to the penitentiary for all he cares and he damns them all except Archilde. This is the uncaring attitude that the father figure adopts towards his children in the novel. All Max w ants is that at least one of his sons would turn out well and be worthy and able to take over his extensive ranching and farming operations.

The feasibility of climate change negotiation Coursework

The feasibility of climate change negotiation - Coursework Example There is an increasing unanimity among the scientific and the global community at large that the earth’s climate is changing. Human activities have been the number suspects contributing to climate change. Climate change cognizance has been followed by increasing awareness and concern among the public. The earth’s climatic conditions are at an advanced stage of making the world inhabitable. Unless organizations employ the correct mitigation efforts, irreparable changes may be inflicted on natural habitats that are used to feed humans, plants and animals. Climate change problems are shared, and they require a shared, unified and cooperative response. The world community needs to establish climate change mitigation that encompasses radical restructuring of the way the world’s economies function. The developed world is the main contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the consumption and unattainable means of production. The efforts put in place to mitigate climate change by the developed nations are not enough. Nations need to congregate and develop an action plan that can ensure effective climate change preventive measures work. Various climate change negotiations that have been by the United Nations have taken place. The Copenhagen Conference of the Parties (COP15) in 2009 deliberated on climate change as one of its main agendas (Batalha & Reynolds, 2012). The parties demonstrated widespread expectations of commitment for action.

Apply the SPSS in the department of academic accreditation of graduate Assignment

Apply the SPSS in the department of academic accreditation of graduate certificates from the International Schools, Colleges and Universities - Assignment Example Over time, the definition of quality has transformed with changing perceptions among customers. Presently, in many organizations quality is defined as understanding, meeting, and surpassing customer needs and expectations (Besterfield, 2009). According to Montgomery (2005), quality is now one of the most important factors in selection of goods and services. Statistical tools are very important in quality management, they allow measurement and evaluation of performance in an organization and they are therefore regularly applied in decision support (Karuppusami and Gandhinathan, 2006). Total Quality Management tools and techniques are categorized into quantitative and non-quantitative, the quantitative tools generally consist of what is called statistical process control (SPC). SPC comprises of a number of statistical tools, usually seven, including Histograms, Pareto Charts, Process Flow Diagrams, Control Charts, Scatter Diagrams, Check Sheets and Effect Diagrams (Karuppusami and Gandhinathan, 2006). This report applies basic statistical tools of quality control in assessing the benefits of academic accreditation of graduate certificates from international schools, colleges and universities by the ministry of higher education in the Sultanate of Oman. Four main SPC tools are utilized including histograms, Pareto diagrams, scatter diagra ms, and control charts. The main objective of the report is to utilize SPC tools in assessing the efficiency of the accreditation process with the aim of improving it to meet or exceed customer needs. Histograms are special bar charts that are used to measure the frequency of occurrences (Goestch, 2005). The only difference between a bar chart and histogram is that the X-axis in a bar chart lists categories while in a Histogram it consists of a measurement scale with no gaps between the adjacent bars. Pareto diagrams

Public Meeting Paper Essay Example for Free

Public Meeting Paper Essay The public meeting I went to was at the City Hall chambers building located in downtown El Paso at two civic center plaza drive. It was a regular City Hall Council meeting where voting sessions were conducted. City Council members and mayors of El Paso do these meetings to resolve problems and improve their city through funding, spreading awareness, and implementing laws. City Hall Council meetings are from Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm. City Hall Council meetings allow and encourage public attendance and participation. The City Hall Council meeting I went to was Tuesday March 15th. It was three hours long, but I attended the first hour of the meeting from 8:30am to 9:30 am. At the beginning of the meeting there was a Spanish interpreter provided for Spanish speaking El Pasoans. There was also a sign language interpreter provided for people with special needs. Then there was a prayer thanking God’s grace for safety and prosperity and mentioning the devastating natural disaster in Japan, and asking God to have mercy on Japan and protect the U.S. from similar disasters. After that people were asked to stand in respect for the Pledge of Allegiance which was read by City Council members. Mayor Ann Morgan Lilly announced Mayor’s proclamations. First guest was Miss Shanaya Fastje Day who is an 11 year old girl. She spoke to kids about bullying and its impact and effect on kids. She discussed ways to prevent or at least reduce the cases of bullying. She also mentioned the ways on how kids should deal with bullying and who to reach to incase of such incidents. Mayors thanked her efforts especially Mayor Beto O’Rouke. Her father spoke about his daughter’s efforts and asked the city of El Paso to assist and help her to make her cause and efforts influential and effective. Mayor Pro Tempore Emma Acosta thanked her and asked to applause her. The second mayor proclamation was Franklin Mountain Poppies Preservation Day. Jody spoke about it and asked people to attend a celebration in the Northeast area of El Paso. The celebration was open to the public and is done every year near the Museum of Archaeology of El Paso. From what I understood it’s to preserve and breed poppies. Then a group kids identified as girl scouts but had no recognition. They greeted the City Council members as everyone does. The reason they came is in the hope to be inspired and to become City Council members or mayors themselves one day. Kids identified themselves by saying their names and then were thanked and left. Mayor’s proclamations continued and the following was National Brain Injury Awareness Month. This awareness month was March 2011 as approved by Mayor John Cook. The speaker was Nancy Peters who is the director of marketing for Mentis Neuro Rehab center for Brain Injury, and she is also the facilitator of El Paso Brain Injury Support Group. She spoke in general about brain injuries and mentioned statistics and the common ages for brain injuries which were kids from birth to four and from nine to fifteen. Then she allowed some of their patients to share their stories and testimonies. Most of the survivors stories were soldiers of Fort Bliss and veterans of the Iraq war and one of them was a victim of a car accident. They shared their stories and thanked Mentis for their efforts and help for them. Afterwards there was a call to the public where six members signed to talk. Their names are William Hart, Jerry Fade, Lisa Turner, Jorge Artalejo, Lynn Fitzgerald, and Manny Hinojosa. First was William Hart who spoke about anti immigration laws and how unjust they are. He compared anti immigration laws to slavery and segregation laws who were unjust, cruel, and inhumane. He also mentioned that being laws doesn’t make them good, because there are unjust laws being supported by lobbyists who pay money to law makers in the United States. He asked to get rid of such laws and to emphasize justice and compassion. He also mentioned that the United States is an immigrant country and that the founding fathers had values of freedom, equality, and justice. Also mentioned that most the immigrants come at a young age and know nothing and love nothing but the United States. The next speaker Jerry Fade was absent, so the third speaker was called. The third speaker was Lisa Turner who spoke about rolling blackouts of electricity and water. She blamed El Paso Electric Company and PSP. She said that they failed to do their jobs and that there was no excuse not to operate in cold weather as the generators and machines are made to operate in all climates. She complained about them not paying attention to their equipment and generators that are supposed to pump water and air to generate electricity. She questioned them spending enough money on maintenance and renewing their equipment and generators. She also said that an Ice storm in New Mexico affects El Paso because of no generator capacity. The fourth speaker was Jorge Artalejo and his topic was â€Å"the wind of change blows through the desert of El Paso†. He spoke about utilities are supposed to operate in different conditions. He also spoke about the city of El Paso elections. The fifth speaker was Lynn Fitzgerald and his topic was â€Å"Frank Buckles buried in Arlington National Semetary†. He complained about not having enough memorials in the United States to honor World War 1 veterans. He asked for a memorial in El Paso for all female soldiers who fought in The United States wars. He thanked all service men who fought for the United States and asked to honor them. Before he left he wanted to a share with everybody a picture that depicted the disastrous effect of the natural disaster in Japan. Final speaker was Manny Hinojosa and his topic was â€Å"Transparency†. He requested more transparency from the city of El Paso in matters such as money spending, electric company to be accountable, city’s help for the elderly, and computers ships planted in trash cans and their cost and benefit. He also asked them to improve their web site to be ahead of newspapers on what’s going on in El Paso. He also asked them to answer their emails, be clear or transparent, and to post issues or news on their web site as soon as possible. After the call to the public ended, there was the Consent Agenda where members of the audience can vote, and items that are not called are approved. Representative Robertson corrected things and asked questions. He also asked to delete incorrect postings and postpone discussions. Introductions for voting sessions began with item numbers and codes about specific cases. Most of the motions passed unanimously, some of which were about city elections, construction, and health. This was my first City Hall public meeting and it was a new experience to me. I liked the fact that I had the chance to witness how governments operate even if it was on a small scale such as cities. I think that the meeting was productive and positive and continued as expected without disturbances or shortcomings. The most important issue to be questioned during this meeting was about questioning El Paso Electric Company reliability and professionalism. I was there for the first hour of the three hours meeting, which I think is enough time to discuss and get things done.

In-place Pile Foundation for a Tower-building Project

In-place Pile Foundation for a Tower-building Project CHAPTER 1 1 Introduction Pile foundations are used to carry a load and transfer the load of a given structure to the ground bearing, which is found below the ground at a considerable depth. The foundation consists of several piles and pile-caps. Pile foundations are generally long and lean, that transfers the structure load to the underlying soil (at a greater depth) or any rock having a great load-bearing ability. â€Å"The main types of materials used for piles are Wood, steel and concrete. Piles made from these materials are driven, drilled or jacked into the ground and connected to pile caps. Depending upon type of soil, pile material and load transmitting characteristic piles are classified accordingly.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith). The objective of this project is to identify the design use of a cast-in-place pile foundation, for the tower-building project. The tower building project is called the Gemini Towers. The purpose of this construction (building) is to facilitate office spaces. This also resides on a rocky area. The building has been designed as per state-of-the-art designing concepts which are basically to attract foreign investors to invest in Oman. The Gemini Building has 1 basement, 1 ground and 19 floors. Cast-in-place concrete piles are shafts of concrete cast in thin shell pipes, top driven in the soil, and usually closed end. Such piles can provide up to a 200-kip capacity. The chief advantage over precast piles is the ease of changing lengths by cutting or splicing the shell. The material cost of cast-in-place piles is relatively low. They are not feasible when driving through hard soils or rock. 1.1 Aim The aim of this project is to design and propose cast in-place pile foundation for a tower-building project and study the efficiency for the same. To achieve this aim the following objective has to be achieved. 1.2 Objectives The objectives of this project are as following: To study the field soil condition, suitability of pile and investigate the soil. To study the advantages and efficiency of using cast-in-place pile for the building. To study the guidelines for the design of cast in-place structure according to BS 8004, 8110, 8002, etc. To design the pile foundation as per the guidelines and the soil conditions (analyse the load, calculate the moment and determine the length and diameter and reinforcement). To use computer structural designing program for performing design (CAD and STAD). 1.3 Methods The methods followed in preparing this project is by collecting the project plan and the soil investigation report. Then after that, research has been done on in-situ pile foundation type, to identify its characteristics. The next step is to study the pile designing criteria by referring to BS 8004, 8110 8002 codes to understand the guidelines, which shall be followed to accomplish the pile design. For this, the structural loads have to be analysed and identified using ultimate state design method. Then the design is processed depending on the data gathered on soil conditions, design loads and BS code guidelines. Thus, a proposal for the suitable pile will be prepared by identifying the reasons over the proposal. The commonest function of piles is to transfer a load that cannot be adequately supported at shallow depths to a depth where adequate support becomes available, also against uplift forces which cause cracks and other damages on superstructure. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2 Pile Foundation â€Å"Pile foundations are used extensively in bridges, high-rise buildings, towers and special structures. In practice, piles are generally used in groups to transmit a column load to a deeper and stronger soil stratum. Pile may respond to loading individually or as a group. In the latter case, the group and the surrounding soil will formulate a block to resist the column load. This may lead to a group capacity that is different from the total capacity of individual piles making up the group.† (Adel M. Hanna et al, 2004). â€Å"Pile foundations are the part of a structure used to carry and transfer the load of the structure to the bearing ground located at some depth below ground surface. The main components of the foundation are the pile cap and the piles. Piles are long and slender members which transfer the load to deeper soil or rock of high bearing capacity avoiding shallow soil of low bearing capacity. The main types of materials used for piles are Wood, steel and concrete. Piles made from these materials are driven, drilled or jacked into the ground and connected to pile caps. Depending upon type of soil, pile material and load transmitting characteristic piles are classified accordingly.† (Ascalew Abebe et al, 2005) 2.1 Functions of Piles The purposes of pile foundations are: to transmit a foundation load to a solid ground. to resist vertical, lateral and uplift load. â€Å"A structure can be founded on piles if the soil immediately beneath its base does not have adequate bearing capacity. If the results of site investigation show that the shallow soil is unstable and weak or if the magnitude of the estimated settlement is not acceptable a pile foundation may become considered. Further, a cost estimate may indicate that a pile foundation may be cheaper than any other compared ground improvement costs. Piles can also be used in normal ground conditions to resist horizontal loads. Piles are a convenient method of foundation for works over water, such as jetties or bridge piers.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide, by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith, 2003). 2.2 Classification of Piles 2.2.1 Classification of pile with respect to load transmission End-bearing. Friction-piles. Mixture of cohesion piles friction piles. 2.2.1.1 End bearing piles This type of piles is designed to transfer the structural load to a stable soil layer which is found at a greater depth below the ground. The load bearing capacity of this stratum is found by the soil penetration resistance from the pile-toe (as in figure 1.2.1.1). The pile normally has attributes of a normal column, and should be designed as per the guidelines. The pile will not collapse in a weak soil, and this should be studied only if a part of the given pile is unsupported. (Eg: If it is erected on water / air). Load transmission occurs through cohesion / friction, into the soil. At times, the soil around the pile may stick to the pile surface and starts â€Å"negative skin friction†. This phenomenon may have an inverse effect on the pile capacity. This is mainly caused due to the soil consolidation and ground water drainage. The pile depth is determined after reviewing the results from the soil tests and site investigation reports. 2.2.1.2 Friction piles (cohesion) The bearing capacity is calculated from the soil friction in contact with the pile shaft. (as in Figure 1.2.1.2). 2.2.1.3 Mixture of cohesion piles friction piles. This is an extended end-bearing pile, when the soil underneath it is not hard, which bears the load. The pile is driven deep into the soil to create efficient frictional resistance. A modified version of the end-bearing pile is to have enlarged bearing base on the piles. This can be achieved by immediately pushing a large portion of concrete into the soft soil layer right above the firm soil layer, to have an enlarged base. Similar result is made with bored-piles by creating a bell / cone at the bottom by the means of reaming tools. Bored piles are used as tension piles as they are provided with a bell which has a high tensile-strength. (as in figure 1.2.1.3) 2.3 Cast-in-Place Pile Foundation Cast-in-place piles are installed by driving to the desired penetration a heavy-section steel tube with its end temporarily closed. A reinforcing cage is next placed in a tube which is filled with concrete. The tube is withdrawn while placing the concrete or after it has been placed. In other types of pile, thin steel shells or precast concrete shells are driven by means of an internal mandrel, and concrete, with or without reinforcement, is placed in the permanent shells after withdrawing the mandrel. 2.3.1 Advantages Length of the pile can be freely altered to cater varying ground conditions. Soil removed during the boring process can be verified and further tests can be made on it. Large diameter installations are possible. End enlargements up to two or three diameters are possible in clays. Pile materials are independent during driving / handling. Can be installed to greater depths in the soil. Vibration-free and noise-free while installation. Can be installed in conditions of very low headroom. Ground shocks are completely nil. 2.3.2 Disadvantages Susceptible to necking or wasting in pressing ground. Concrete is not pumped under suitable conditions and cannot be inspected. The cement on the pile shaft will be washed up, if there is a sudden surge of waster from any pressure caused underground. Special techniques need to be used to ensure enlarged pile ends. Cannot be easily prolonged above ground-level especially in river and marine structures. Sandy soils may loosen due to boring methods and base grouting may be required for gravely soils to improve base resistance. Sinking piles may result in ground-loss, leading to settlement of nearby structures. CHAPTER 3 3 Load Distribution To a great extent the design and calculation (load analysis) of pile foundations is carried out using computer software. The following calculations are also performed, assuming the following conditions are met: The pile is rigid. The pile is pinned at the top and at the bottom. Each pile receives the load only vertically (i.e. axially applied). The force P acting on the pile is proportional to the displacement U due to compression. Therefore, P = k U Since P = E A E A = k U k = (E A ) / U Where: P = vertical load component k = material constant U = displacement E = elastic module of pile material A = cross-sectional area of pile (Figure 3 load on single pile) The length L should not necessarily be equal to the actual length of the pile. In a group of piles. If all piles are of the same material, have same cross-sectional area and equal length L, then the value of k is the same for all piles in the group 3.1 Pile foundations: vertical piles only 3.1.1 Neutral axis load The pile cap is causing the vertical compression U, whose magnitude is equal for all members of the group. If Q (the vertical force acting on the pile group) is applied at the neutral axis of the pile group, then the force on a single pile will be as follows: Pv = Q / n Where Pv = vertical component of the load on any pile from the resultant load Q n = number of vertical piles in the group (see figure 3.1.2) Q = total vertical load on pile group 3.1.2 Eccentric Load If the same group of piles are subjected to an eccentric load Q which is causing rotation around axis z (see fig 3.1b); then for the pile i at distance rxi from axis z: Ui = rxi . tanÃŽ ¸ ∠´ Ui = rxi ÃŽ ¸ => Pi = k . r xi . ÃŽ ¸ ÃŽ ¸ is a small angle ∠´ tanÃŽ ¸ ≈ ÃŽ ¸ (see figure 3.1.2). Pi = force (load on a single pile i). Ui = displacement caused by the eccentric force (load) Q. rxi = distance between pile and neutral axis of pile group. rxi positive measured the same direction as e and negative when in the opposite direction. e = distance between point of intersection of resultant of vertical and horizontal loading with underside of pile. (Figure 3.1.2 – Example of a pile foundation – vertical piles) The sum of all the forces acting on the piles should be zero ⇔ ⇔ Mxi = Pi . rxi = k . rxi . ÃŽ ¸ rxi = k . ÃŽ ¸ r2xi => => Mxi = From previous equation, Mz = ÃŽ £Mz Applying the same principle, in the x direction we get equivalent equation. If we assume that the moment MX and MZ generated by the force Q are acting on a group of pile, then the sum of forces acting on a single pile will be as follows: If we dividing each term by the cross-sectional area of the pile, A, we can establish the working stream ÏÆ': CHAPTER 4 4 Load on Pile 4.1 Introduction â€Å"Piles can be arranged in a number of ways so that they can support load imposed on them. Vertical piles can be designed to carry vertical loads as well as lateral loads. If required, vertical piles can be combined with raking piles to support horizontal and vertical forces.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith) â€Å"Often, if a pile group is subjected to vertical force, then the calculation of load distribution on single pile that is member of the group is assumed to be the total load divided by the number of piles in the group.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith) However, if a given pile group is subjected to eccentric vertical load or combination of lateral vertical load that can start moment force. Proper attention should be given during load distribution calculation. 4.2 Pile Arrangement â€Å"Normally, pile foundations consist of pile cap and a group of piles. The pile cap distributes the applied load to the individual piles which, in turn, transfer the load to the bearing ground. The individual piles are spaced and connected to the pile cap. Or tie beams and trimmed in order to connect the pile to the structure at cut-off level, and depending on the type of structure and eccentricity of the load, they can be arranged in different patterns.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith) (Figure 2.2 Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith)) In this section, considering pile/soil interaction, calculations on the bearing capacity of single piles subjected to compressive axial load has been described. During pile design, the following factors should be taken into consideration: Pile material compression and tension capacity. Deformation area of pile, bending moment capacity. Condition of the pile at the top and the end of the pile. Eccentricity of the load applied on the pile. Soil characteristics. Ground water level. 4.3 The behaviour of piles under load Piles are designed in line with the calculations based on load bearing capacity. It is based on the application of final axial-load, as per the given soil conditions at the site, within hours after the installation. This ultimate load capacity can be determined by either: The use of empirical formula to predict capacity from soil properties determined by testing. or Load test on piles at the site. When increasing compressive load is applied on the pile, the pile soil system reacts in a linear elastic way to point A on the above figure (load settlement). The pile head rebounds to the original level if the load realises above this point. â€Å"When the load is increase beyond point A there is yielding at, or close to, the pile-soil interface and slippage occurs until point B is reached, when the maximum skin friction on the pile shaft will have been mobilised. If the load is realised at this stage the pile head will rebound to point C, the amount of permanent settlement being the distance OC. When the stage of full mobilisation of the base resistance is reached (point D), the pile plunges downwards without any farther increase of load, or small increases in load producing large settlements.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide). 4.4 Geotechnical design methods In order to separate their behavioural responses to applied pile load, soils are classified as either granular / noncohesive or clays/cohesive. The generic formulae used to predict soil resistance to pile load include empirical modifying factors which can be adjusted according to previous engineering experience of the influence on the accuracy of predictions of changes in soil type and other factors such as the time delay before load testing. From figure 4.1b, the load settlement response is composed of two separate components, the linear elastic shaft friction Rs and non-linear base resistance Rb. The concept of the separate evaluation of shaft friction and base resistance forms the bases of static or soil mechanics calculation of pile carrying capacity. The basic equations to be used for this are written as: Q = Qb + Qs Wp Rc = Rb + Rs Wp Rt = Rs + Wp Where: Q = Rc = the ultimate compression resistance of the pile. Qb = Rb = base resistance. Qs = Rs = shaft resistance. Wp = weight of the pile. Rt = tensile resistance of pile. In terms of soil mechanics theory, the ultimate skin friction on the pile shaft is related to the horizontal effective stress acting on the shaft and the effective remoulded angle of friction between the pile and the clay and the ultimate shaft resistance Rs can be evaluated by integration of the pile-soil shear strength Ï€a over the surface area of the shaft. Ï„a = Ca + ÏÆ' n tanφ a Where: ÏÆ'n = Ks ÏÆ'v ∠´ Ï„a = Ca + KS ÏÆ'v tanφa where: p = pile perimeter L = pile length φ = angle of friction between pile and soil Ks = coefficient of lateral pressure The ultimate bearing capacity, Rb, of the base is evaluated from the bearing capacity theory: Ab = area of pile base. C = undrained strength of soil at base of pile. NC = bearing capacity factor. CHAPTER 5 5 Calculating the resistance of piles to compressive loads 5.1 Cast in Place Piles – Shaft resistance These piles are installed by drilling through soft overburden onto a strong rock the piles can be regarded as end-bearing elements and their working load is determined by the safe working stress on the pile shaft at the point of minimum cross-section, or by code of practice requirements. Bored piles drilled down for some depth into weak or weathered rocks and terminated within these rocks act partly as friction and partly as end-bearing piles. The author Duncan C. Wyllie, gives a detailed account of the factors governing the development of shaft friction over the depth of the rock socket. The factors which govern the bearing capacity and settlement of the pile are summarized as the following: The length to diameter ratio of the socket. The strength and elastic modulus of the rock around and beneath the socket. The condition of the side walls, that is, roughness and the presence of drill cuttings or bentonite slurry. Condition of the base of the drilled hole with respect to removal of drill cuttings and other loose debris. Layering of the rock with seams of differing strength and moduli. Settlement of the pile in relation to the elastic limit of the side-wall strength. Creep of the material at the rock/concrete interface resulting in increasing settlement with time. The effect of the length/diameter ratio of the socket is shown in Figure 5.1a, for the condition of the rock having a higher elastic modulus than the concrete. It will be seen that if it is desired to utilize base resistance as well as socket friction the socket length should be less than four pile diameters. The high interface stress over the upper part of the socket will be noted. The condition of the side walls is an important factor. In a weak rock such as chalk, clayey shale, or clayey weathered marl, the action of the drilling tools is to cause softening and slurrying of the walls of the borehole and, in the most adverse case, the shaft friction corresponds to that typical of a smooth-bore hole in soft clay. In stronger and fragmented rocks the slurrying does not take place to the same extent, and there is a tendency towards the enlargement of the drill hole, resulting in better keying of the concrete to the rock. If the pile borehole is drilled through soft clay this soil may be carried down by the drilling tools to fill the cavities and smear the sides of the rock socket. This behaviour can be avoided to some extent by inserting a casing and sealing it into the rock-head before continuing the drilling to form the rock socket, but the interior of the casing is likely to be heavily smeared with clay which will be carried down by the drilling tools into the rock socket. As mentioned in Duncan C. Wyllie, suggests that if bentonite is used as a drilling fluid the rock socket shaft friction should be reduced to 25% of that of a clean socket unless tests can be made to verify the actual friction which is developed. It is evident that the keying of the shaft concrete to the rock and hence the strength of the concrete to rock bond is dependent on the strength of the rock. Correlations between the unconfined compression strength of the rock and rock socket bond stress have been established by Horvarth(4.50), Rosenberg and Journeaux(4.51), and Williams and Pells(4.52). The ultimate bond stress, fs, is related to the average unconfined compression strength, quc, by the equation: Where ÃŽ ± = reduction factor relating to, quc as shown in Figure 5.1b ÃŽ ² = correction factor associated with cut-off spacing in the mass of rock as shown in Figure 5.1c. The curve of Williams and Pells in Figure 5.1b is higher than the other two, but the ÃŽ ² factor is unity in all cases for the Horvarth and the Rosenberg and Journeaux curves. It should also be noted that the ÃŽ ± factors for all three curves do not allow for smearing of the rock socket caused by dragdown of clay overburden or degradation of the rock. The ÃŽ ² factor is related to the mass factor, j, which is the ratio of the elastic modulus of the rock mass to that of the intact rock as shown in Figure 5.1d. If the mass factor is not known from loading tests or seismic velocity measurements, it can be obtained approximately from the relationships with the rock quality designation (RQD) or the discontinuity spacing quoted by Hobbs (4.53) as follows: 5.2 End Bearing Capacity Sometimes piles are driven to an underlying layer of rock. In such cases, the engineer must evaluate the bearing capacity of the rock. The ultimate unit point resistance in rock (Goodman, 1980) is approximately. N = tan2 (45 + / 2) qu = unconfined compression strength of rock = drained angle of friction Table 5.2a Table 5.2b The unconfined compression strength of rock can be determined by laboratory tests on rock specimens collected during field investigation. However, extreme caution should be used in obtaining the proper value of qu, because laboratory specimens usually are small in diameter. As the diameter of the specimen increases, the unconfined compression strength decreases a phenomenon referred to as the scale effect. For specimens larger than about 1 m (3f) in diameter, the value of qu remains approximately constant. There appears to be fourfold to fivefold reduction of the magnitude of qu in the process. The scale effect in rock is caused primarily by randomly distributed large and small fractures and also by progressive ruptures along the slip lines. Hence, we always recommend that: The above table (Table 5.2a) lists some representative values of (laboratory) unconfined compression strengths of rock. Representative values of the rock friction angle are given in the above table (Table 5.2b). A factor of safety of at least 3 should be used to determine the allowable point bearing capacity of piles. Thus: CHAPTER 6 6 Pile Load Test (Vesic’s Method) A number of settlement analysis methods for single piles are available. These methods may be broadly classified into three categories: Elastic continuum methods Load–transfer methods Numerical methods Examples of such methods are the elastic methods proposed by Vesic (1977) and Poulos and Davis (1980), the simplified elastic methods proposed by Randolph and Wroth (1978) and Fleming et al. (1992), the nonlinear load–transfer methods proposed by Coyle and Reese (1966) and McVay et al. (1989), and the numerical methods based on advanced constitutive models of soil behaviour proposed by Jardine et al. (1986). In this paper, three representative methods are adopted for the calibration exercise: the elastic method proposed by Vesic (1977), the simplified analysis method proposed by Fleming et al. (1992), and a nonlinear load–transfer method (McVay et al. 1989) implemented in program FB-Pier (BSI 2003). In Vesic’s method, the settlement of a pile under vertical loading, S, includes three components: S = S1 + S2 + S3 Where: S1 is the elastic pile compression. S2 is the pile settlement caused by the load at the pile toe. S3 is the pile settlement caused by the load transmitted along the pile shaft. If the pile material is assumed to be elastic, the elastic pile compression can be calculated by: S1 = (Qb + ÃŽ ¾Qs)L / (ApEp) Where Qb and Qs are the loads carried by the pile toe and pile shaft, respectively; Ap is the pile cross-section area; L is the pile length; Ep is the modulus of elasticity of the pile material; and ÃŽ ¾ is a coefficient depending on the nature of unit friction resistance distribution along the pile shaft. In this work, the distribution is assumed to be uniform and hence ÃŽ ¾ = 0.5. Settlement S2 may be expressed in a form similar to that for a shallow foundation. S2 = (qbD / Esb) (1-v2)Ib Where: D is the pile width or diameter qb is the load per unit area at the pile toe qb = Qb /Ab Ab is the pile base area Esb is the modulus of elasticity of the soil at the pile toe Ñ µ is Poisson’s ratio Ib is an influence factor, generally Ib = 0.85 S3 = (Qs / pL) (D / Ess) (1 – Ñ µ2) Is Where: p is the pile perimeter. Ess is the modulus of elasticity of the soil along the pile shaft. Is is an influence factor. The influence factor Is can be calculated by an empirical relation (Vesic 1977). Is = 2 + 0.35 √(L/D) With Vesic’s method, both Qb and Qs are required. In this report, Qb and Qs are obtained using two methods. In the first method (Vesic’s method I), these two loads are determined from a nonlinear load–transfer method, which will be introduced later. In the second method (Vesic’s method II), these two loads are determined using empirical ratios of Qb to the total load applied on pile Q based on field test data. Shek (2005) reported load–transfer in 14 test piles, including 11 piles founded in soil and 3 piles founded on rock. The mean ratios of Qb /Q for the piles founded in soil and the piles founded on rock are summarized in Table 3 and applied in this calibration exercise. The mean values of Qb /Q at twice the design load and the failure load are very similar. Hence, the average of the mean values is adopted for calibration at both twice the design load and the failure load. In the Fleming et al. method, the settlement of a pile is given by the following approximate closed-form solution (Fleming et al. 1992): Where: n = rb / r0, r0 and rb are the radii of the pile shaft and pile toe, respectively (for H-piles, Ï€ro2 = Ï€rb2 = Dh, h is the depth of the pile cross-section) ÃŽ ¾G = GL/Gb, GL is the shear modulus of the soil at depth L, and Gb is the shear modulus of the soil beneath the pile toe. Ï  = Gave/GL, Gave is the average shear modulus of the soil along the pile shaft p is the pile stiffness ratio p = Ep / GL; ÃŽ ¶ = ln{[0.25 +(2.5Ï (1 – v) –0.25) ÃŽ ¾G] L/r0}; É ¥L = (2/)1/2(L/r0). If the slenderness ratio L/r0 is less than 0.5p1/2 (L/r0) the pile may be treated as effectively rigid and eq. [7] then reduces to: If the slenderness ratio L/r0 is larger than 3Ï€p1/2, the pile may be treated as infinitely long, and eq. [7] then reduces to: In this case, GL’ is the soil shear modulus at the bottom of the active pile length Lac, where Lac = 3r0p1/2. In the nonlinear load–transfer method implemented in FB-Pier, the axial –Z curve for modelling the pile–soil interaction along the pile is given as (McVay et al. 1989) In-place Pile Foundation for a Tower-building Project In-place Pile Foundation for a Tower-building Project CHAPTER 1 1 Introduction Pile foundations are used to carry a load and transfer the load of a given structure to the ground bearing, which is found below the ground at a considerable depth. The foundation consists of several piles and pile-caps. Pile foundations are generally long and lean, that transfers the structure load to the underlying soil (at a greater depth) or any rock having a great load-bearing ability. â€Å"The main types of materials used for piles are Wood, steel and concrete. Piles made from these materials are driven, drilled or jacked into the ground and connected to pile caps. Depending upon type of soil, pile material and load transmitting characteristic piles are classified accordingly.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith). The objective of this project is to identify the design use of a cast-in-place pile foundation, for the tower-building project. The tower building project is called the Gemini Towers. The purpose of this construction (building) is to facilitate office spaces. This also resides on a rocky area. The building has been designed as per state-of-the-art designing concepts which are basically to attract foreign investors to invest in Oman. The Gemini Building has 1 basement, 1 ground and 19 floors. Cast-in-place concrete piles are shafts of concrete cast in thin shell pipes, top driven in the soil, and usually closed end. Such piles can provide up to a 200-kip capacity. The chief advantage over precast piles is the ease of changing lengths by cutting or splicing the shell. The material cost of cast-in-place piles is relatively low. They are not feasible when driving through hard soils or rock. 1.1 Aim The aim of this project is to design and propose cast in-place pile foundation for a tower-building project and study the efficiency for the same. To achieve this aim the following objective has to be achieved. 1.2 Objectives The objectives of this project are as following: To study the field soil condition, suitability of pile and investigate the soil. To study the advantages and efficiency of using cast-in-place pile for the building. To study the guidelines for the design of cast in-place structure according to BS 8004, 8110, 8002, etc. To design the pile foundation as per the guidelines and the soil conditions (analyse the load, calculate the moment and determine the length and diameter and reinforcement). To use computer structural designing program for performing design (CAD and STAD). 1.3 Methods The methods followed in preparing this project is by collecting the project plan and the soil investigation report. Then after that, research has been done on in-situ pile foundation type, to identify its characteristics. The next step is to study the pile designing criteria by referring to BS 8004, 8110 8002 codes to understand the guidelines, which shall be followed to accomplish the pile design. For this, the structural loads have to be analysed and identified using ultimate state design method. Then the design is processed depending on the data gathered on soil conditions, design loads and BS code guidelines. Thus, a proposal for the suitable pile will be prepared by identifying the reasons over the proposal. The commonest function of piles is to transfer a load that cannot be adequately supported at shallow depths to a depth where adequate support becomes available, also against uplift forces which cause cracks and other damages on superstructure. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2 Pile Foundation â€Å"Pile foundations are used extensively in bridges, high-rise buildings, towers and special structures. In practice, piles are generally used in groups to transmit a column load to a deeper and stronger soil stratum. Pile may respond to loading individually or as a group. In the latter case, the group and the surrounding soil will formulate a block to resist the column load. This may lead to a group capacity that is different from the total capacity of individual piles making up the group.† (Adel M. Hanna et al, 2004). â€Å"Pile foundations are the part of a structure used to carry and transfer the load of the structure to the bearing ground located at some depth below ground surface. The main components of the foundation are the pile cap and the piles. Piles are long and slender members which transfer the load to deeper soil or rock of high bearing capacity avoiding shallow soil of low bearing capacity. The main types of materials used for piles are Wood, steel and concrete. Piles made from these materials are driven, drilled or jacked into the ground and connected to pile caps. Depending upon type of soil, pile material and load transmitting characteristic piles are classified accordingly.† (Ascalew Abebe et al, 2005) 2.1 Functions of Piles The purposes of pile foundations are: to transmit a foundation load to a solid ground. to resist vertical, lateral and uplift load. â€Å"A structure can be founded on piles if the soil immediately beneath its base does not have adequate bearing capacity. If the results of site investigation show that the shallow soil is unstable and weak or if the magnitude of the estimated settlement is not acceptable a pile foundation may become considered. Further, a cost estimate may indicate that a pile foundation may be cheaper than any other compared ground improvement costs. Piles can also be used in normal ground conditions to resist horizontal loads. Piles are a convenient method of foundation for works over water, such as jetties or bridge piers.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide, by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith, 2003). 2.2 Classification of Piles 2.2.1 Classification of pile with respect to load transmission End-bearing. Friction-piles. Mixture of cohesion piles friction piles. 2.2.1.1 End bearing piles This type of piles is designed to transfer the structural load to a stable soil layer which is found at a greater depth below the ground. The load bearing capacity of this stratum is found by the soil penetration resistance from the pile-toe (as in figure 1.2.1.1). The pile normally has attributes of a normal column, and should be designed as per the guidelines. The pile will not collapse in a weak soil, and this should be studied only if a part of the given pile is unsupported. (Eg: If it is erected on water / air). Load transmission occurs through cohesion / friction, into the soil. At times, the soil around the pile may stick to the pile surface and starts â€Å"negative skin friction†. This phenomenon may have an inverse effect on the pile capacity. This is mainly caused due to the soil consolidation and ground water drainage. The pile depth is determined after reviewing the results from the soil tests and site investigation reports. 2.2.1.2 Friction piles (cohesion) The bearing capacity is calculated from the soil friction in contact with the pile shaft. (as in Figure 1.2.1.2). 2.2.1.3 Mixture of cohesion piles friction piles. This is an extended end-bearing pile, when the soil underneath it is not hard, which bears the load. The pile is driven deep into the soil to create efficient frictional resistance. A modified version of the end-bearing pile is to have enlarged bearing base on the piles. This can be achieved by immediately pushing a large portion of concrete into the soft soil layer right above the firm soil layer, to have an enlarged base. Similar result is made with bored-piles by creating a bell / cone at the bottom by the means of reaming tools. Bored piles are used as tension piles as they are provided with a bell which has a high tensile-strength. (as in figure 1.2.1.3) 2.3 Cast-in-Place Pile Foundation Cast-in-place piles are installed by driving to the desired penetration a heavy-section steel tube with its end temporarily closed. A reinforcing cage is next placed in a tube which is filled with concrete. The tube is withdrawn while placing the concrete or after it has been placed. In other types of pile, thin steel shells or precast concrete shells are driven by means of an internal mandrel, and concrete, with or without reinforcement, is placed in the permanent shells after withdrawing the mandrel. 2.3.1 Advantages Length of the pile can be freely altered to cater varying ground conditions. Soil removed during the boring process can be verified and further tests can be made on it. Large diameter installations are possible. End enlargements up to two or three diameters are possible in clays. Pile materials are independent during driving / handling. Can be installed to greater depths in the soil. Vibration-free and noise-free while installation. Can be installed in conditions of very low headroom. Ground shocks are completely nil. 2.3.2 Disadvantages Susceptible to necking or wasting in pressing ground. Concrete is not pumped under suitable conditions and cannot be inspected. The cement on the pile shaft will be washed up, if there is a sudden surge of waster from any pressure caused underground. Special techniques need to be used to ensure enlarged pile ends. Cannot be easily prolonged above ground-level especially in river and marine structures. Sandy soils may loosen due to boring methods and base grouting may be required for gravely soils to improve base resistance. Sinking piles may result in ground-loss, leading to settlement of nearby structures. CHAPTER 3 3 Load Distribution To a great extent the design and calculation (load analysis) of pile foundations is carried out using computer software. The following calculations are also performed, assuming the following conditions are met: The pile is rigid. The pile is pinned at the top and at the bottom. Each pile receives the load only vertically (i.e. axially applied). The force P acting on the pile is proportional to the displacement U due to compression. Therefore, P = k U Since P = E A E A = k U k = (E A ) / U Where: P = vertical load component k = material constant U = displacement E = elastic module of pile material A = cross-sectional area of pile (Figure 3 load on single pile) The length L should not necessarily be equal to the actual length of the pile. In a group of piles. If all piles are of the same material, have same cross-sectional area and equal length L, then the value of k is the same for all piles in the group 3.1 Pile foundations: vertical piles only 3.1.1 Neutral axis load The pile cap is causing the vertical compression U, whose magnitude is equal for all members of the group. If Q (the vertical force acting on the pile group) is applied at the neutral axis of the pile group, then the force on a single pile will be as follows: Pv = Q / n Where Pv = vertical component of the load on any pile from the resultant load Q n = number of vertical piles in the group (see figure 3.1.2) Q = total vertical load on pile group 3.1.2 Eccentric Load If the same group of piles are subjected to an eccentric load Q which is causing rotation around axis z (see fig 3.1b); then for the pile i at distance rxi from axis z: Ui = rxi . tanÃŽ ¸ ∠´ Ui = rxi ÃŽ ¸ => Pi = k . r xi . ÃŽ ¸ ÃŽ ¸ is a small angle ∠´ tanÃŽ ¸ ≈ ÃŽ ¸ (see figure 3.1.2). Pi = force (load on a single pile i). Ui = displacement caused by the eccentric force (load) Q. rxi = distance between pile and neutral axis of pile group. rxi positive measured the same direction as e and negative when in the opposite direction. e = distance between point of intersection of resultant of vertical and horizontal loading with underside of pile. (Figure 3.1.2 – Example of a pile foundation – vertical piles) The sum of all the forces acting on the piles should be zero ⇔ ⇔ Mxi = Pi . rxi = k . rxi . ÃŽ ¸ rxi = k . ÃŽ ¸ r2xi => => Mxi = From previous equation, Mz = ÃŽ £Mz Applying the same principle, in the x direction we get equivalent equation. If we assume that the moment MX and MZ generated by the force Q are acting on a group of pile, then the sum of forces acting on a single pile will be as follows: If we dividing each term by the cross-sectional area of the pile, A, we can establish the working stream ÏÆ': CHAPTER 4 4 Load on Pile 4.1 Introduction â€Å"Piles can be arranged in a number of ways so that they can support load imposed on them. Vertical piles can be designed to carry vertical loads as well as lateral loads. If required, vertical piles can be combined with raking piles to support horizontal and vertical forces.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith) â€Å"Often, if a pile group is subjected to vertical force, then the calculation of load distribution on single pile that is member of the group is assumed to be the total load divided by the number of piles in the group.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith) However, if a given pile group is subjected to eccentric vertical load or combination of lateral vertical load that can start moment force. Proper attention should be given during load distribution calculation. 4.2 Pile Arrangement â€Å"Normally, pile foundations consist of pile cap and a group of piles. The pile cap distributes the applied load to the individual piles which, in turn, transfer the load to the bearing ground. The individual piles are spaced and connected to the pile cap. Or tie beams and trimmed in order to connect the pile to the structure at cut-off level, and depending on the type of structure and eccentricity of the load, they can be arranged in different patterns.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith) (Figure 2.2 Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide by Ascalew Abebe Dr Ian GN Smith)) In this section, considering pile/soil interaction, calculations on the bearing capacity of single piles subjected to compressive axial load has been described. During pile design, the following factors should be taken into consideration: Pile material compression and tension capacity. Deformation area of pile, bending moment capacity. Condition of the pile at the top and the end of the pile. Eccentricity of the load applied on the pile. Soil characteristics. Ground water level. 4.3 The behaviour of piles under load Piles are designed in line with the calculations based on load bearing capacity. It is based on the application of final axial-load, as per the given soil conditions at the site, within hours after the installation. This ultimate load capacity can be determined by either: The use of empirical formula to predict capacity from soil properties determined by testing. or Load test on piles at the site. When increasing compressive load is applied on the pile, the pile soil system reacts in a linear elastic way to point A on the above figure (load settlement). The pile head rebounds to the original level if the load realises above this point. â€Å"When the load is increase beyond point A there is yielding at, or close to, the pile-soil interface and slippage occurs until point B is reached, when the maximum skin friction on the pile shaft will have been mobilised. If the load is realised at this stage the pile head will rebound to point C, the amount of permanent settlement being the distance OC. When the stage of full mobilisation of the base resistance is reached (point D), the pile plunges downwards without any farther increase of load, or small increases in load producing large settlements.† (Pile Foundation Design: A Student Guide). 4.4 Geotechnical design methods In order to separate their behavioural responses to applied pile load, soils are classified as either granular / noncohesive or clays/cohesive. The generic formulae used to predict soil resistance to pile load include empirical modifying factors which can be adjusted according to previous engineering experience of the influence on the accuracy of predictions of changes in soil type and other factors such as the time delay before load testing. From figure 4.1b, the load settlement response is composed of two separate components, the linear elastic shaft friction Rs and non-linear base resistance Rb. The concept of the separate evaluation of shaft friction and base resistance forms the bases of static or soil mechanics calculation of pile carrying capacity. The basic equations to be used for this are written as: Q = Qb + Qs Wp Rc = Rb + Rs Wp Rt = Rs + Wp Where: Q = Rc = the ultimate compression resistance of the pile. Qb = Rb = base resistance. Qs = Rs = shaft resistance. Wp = weight of the pile. Rt = tensile resistance of pile. In terms of soil mechanics theory, the ultimate skin friction on the pile shaft is related to the horizontal effective stress acting on the shaft and the effective remoulded angle of friction between the pile and the clay and the ultimate shaft resistance Rs can be evaluated by integration of the pile-soil shear strength Ï€a over the surface area of the shaft. Ï„a = Ca + ÏÆ' n tanφ a Where: ÏÆ'n = Ks ÏÆ'v ∠´ Ï„a = Ca + KS ÏÆ'v tanφa where: p = pile perimeter L = pile length φ = angle of friction between pile and soil Ks = coefficient of lateral pressure The ultimate bearing capacity, Rb, of the base is evaluated from the bearing capacity theory: Ab = area of pile base. C = undrained strength of soil at base of pile. NC = bearing capacity factor. CHAPTER 5 5 Calculating the resistance of piles to compressive loads 5.1 Cast in Place Piles – Shaft resistance These piles are installed by drilling through soft overburden onto a strong rock the piles can be regarded as end-bearing elements and their working load is determined by the safe working stress on the pile shaft at the point of minimum cross-section, or by code of practice requirements. Bored piles drilled down for some depth into weak or weathered rocks and terminated within these rocks act partly as friction and partly as end-bearing piles. The author Duncan C. Wyllie, gives a detailed account of the factors governing the development of shaft friction over the depth of the rock socket. The factors which govern the bearing capacity and settlement of the pile are summarized as the following: The length to diameter ratio of the socket. The strength and elastic modulus of the rock around and beneath the socket. The condition of the side walls, that is, roughness and the presence of drill cuttings or bentonite slurry. Condition of the base of the drilled hole with respect to removal of drill cuttings and other loose debris. Layering of the rock with seams of differing strength and moduli. Settlement of the pile in relation to the elastic limit of the side-wall strength. Creep of the material at the rock/concrete interface resulting in increasing settlement with time. The effect of the length/diameter ratio of the socket is shown in Figure 5.1a, for the condition of the rock having a higher elastic modulus than the concrete. It will be seen that if it is desired to utilize base resistance as well as socket friction the socket length should be less than four pile diameters. The high interface stress over the upper part of the socket will be noted. The condition of the side walls is an important factor. In a weak rock such as chalk, clayey shale, or clayey weathered marl, the action of the drilling tools is to cause softening and slurrying of the walls of the borehole and, in the most adverse case, the shaft friction corresponds to that typical of a smooth-bore hole in soft clay. In stronger and fragmented rocks the slurrying does not take place to the same extent, and there is a tendency towards the enlargement of the drill hole, resulting in better keying of the concrete to the rock. If the pile borehole is drilled through soft clay this soil may be carried down by the drilling tools to fill the cavities and smear the sides of the rock socket. This behaviour can be avoided to some extent by inserting a casing and sealing it into the rock-head before continuing the drilling to form the rock socket, but the interior of the casing is likely to be heavily smeared with clay which will be carried down by the drilling tools into the rock socket. As mentioned in Duncan C. Wyllie, suggests that if bentonite is used as a drilling fluid the rock socket shaft friction should be reduced to 25% of that of a clean socket unless tests can be made to verify the actual friction which is developed. It is evident that the keying of the shaft concrete to the rock and hence the strength of the concrete to rock bond is dependent on the strength of the rock. Correlations between the unconfined compression strength of the rock and rock socket bond stress have been established by Horvarth(4.50), Rosenberg and Journeaux(4.51), and Williams and Pells(4.52). The ultimate bond stress, fs, is related to the average unconfined compression strength, quc, by the equation: Where ÃŽ ± = reduction factor relating to, quc as shown in Figure 5.1b ÃŽ ² = correction factor associated with cut-off spacing in the mass of rock as shown in Figure 5.1c. The curve of Williams and Pells in Figure 5.1b is higher than the other two, but the ÃŽ ² factor is unity in all cases for the Horvarth and the Rosenberg and Journeaux curves. It should also be noted that the ÃŽ ± factors for all three curves do not allow for smearing of the rock socket caused by dragdown of clay overburden or degradation of the rock. The ÃŽ ² factor is related to the mass factor, j, which is the ratio of the elastic modulus of the rock mass to that of the intact rock as shown in Figure 5.1d. If the mass factor is not known from loading tests or seismic velocity measurements, it can be obtained approximately from the relationships with the rock quality designation (RQD) or the discontinuity spacing quoted by Hobbs (4.53) as follows: 5.2 End Bearing Capacity Sometimes piles are driven to an underlying layer of rock. In such cases, the engineer must evaluate the bearing capacity of the rock. The ultimate unit point resistance in rock (Goodman, 1980) is approximately. N = tan2 (45 + / 2) qu = unconfined compression strength of rock = drained angle of friction Table 5.2a Table 5.2b The unconfined compression strength of rock can be determined by laboratory tests on rock specimens collected during field investigation. However, extreme caution should be used in obtaining the proper value of qu, because laboratory specimens usually are small in diameter. As the diameter of the specimen increases, the unconfined compression strength decreases a phenomenon referred to as the scale effect. For specimens larger than about 1 m (3f) in diameter, the value of qu remains approximately constant. There appears to be fourfold to fivefold reduction of the magnitude of qu in the process. The scale effect in rock is caused primarily by randomly distributed large and small fractures and also by progressive ruptures along the slip lines. Hence, we always recommend that: The above table (Table 5.2a) lists some representative values of (laboratory) unconfined compression strengths of rock. Representative values of the rock friction angle are given in the above table (Table 5.2b). A factor of safety of at least 3 should be used to determine the allowable point bearing capacity of piles. Thus: CHAPTER 6 6 Pile Load Test (Vesic’s Method) A number of settlement analysis methods for single piles are available. These methods may be broadly classified into three categories: Elastic continuum methods Load–transfer methods Numerical methods Examples of such methods are the elastic methods proposed by Vesic (1977) and Poulos and Davis (1980), the simplified elastic methods proposed by Randolph and Wroth (1978) and Fleming et al. (1992), the nonlinear load–transfer methods proposed by Coyle and Reese (1966) and McVay et al. (1989), and the numerical methods based on advanced constitutive models of soil behaviour proposed by Jardine et al. (1986). In this paper, three representative methods are adopted for the calibration exercise: the elastic method proposed by Vesic (1977), the simplified analysis method proposed by Fleming et al. (1992), and a nonlinear load–transfer method (McVay et al. 1989) implemented in program FB-Pier (BSI 2003). In Vesic’s method, the settlement of a pile under vertical loading, S, includes three components: S = S1 + S2 + S3 Where: S1 is the elastic pile compression. S2 is the pile settlement caused by the load at the pile toe. S3 is the pile settlement caused by the load transmitted along the pile shaft. If the pile material is assumed to be elastic, the elastic pile compression can be calculated by: S1 = (Qb + ÃŽ ¾Qs)L / (ApEp) Where Qb and Qs are the loads carried by the pile toe and pile shaft, respectively; Ap is the pile cross-section area; L is the pile length; Ep is the modulus of elasticity of the pile material; and ÃŽ ¾ is a coefficient depending on the nature of unit friction resistance distribution along the pile shaft. In this work, the distribution is assumed to be uniform and hence ÃŽ ¾ = 0.5. Settlement S2 may be expressed in a form similar to that for a shallow foundation. S2 = (qbD / Esb) (1-v2)Ib Where: D is the pile width or diameter qb is the load per unit area at the pile toe qb = Qb /Ab Ab is the pile base area Esb is the modulus of elasticity of the soil at the pile toe Ñ µ is Poisson’s ratio Ib is an influence factor, generally Ib = 0.85 S3 = (Qs / pL) (D / Ess) (1 – Ñ µ2) Is Where: p is the pile perimeter. Ess is the modulus of elasticity of the soil along the pile shaft. Is is an influence factor. The influence factor Is can be calculated by an empirical relation (Vesic 1977). Is = 2 + 0.35 √(L/D) With Vesic’s method, both Qb and Qs are required. In this report, Qb and Qs are obtained using two methods. In the first method (Vesic’s method I), these two loads are determined from a nonlinear load–transfer method, which will be introduced later. In the second method (Vesic’s method II), these two loads are determined using empirical ratios of Qb to the total load applied on pile Q based on field test data. Shek (2005) reported load–transfer in 14 test piles, including 11 piles founded in soil and 3 piles founded on rock. The mean ratios of Qb /Q for the piles founded in soil and the piles founded on rock are summarized in Table 3 and applied in this calibration exercise. The mean values of Qb /Q at twice the design load and the failure load are very similar. Hence, the average of the mean values is adopted for calibration at both twice the design load and the failure load. In the Fleming et al. method, the settlement of a pile is given by the following approximate closed-form solution (Fleming et al. 1992): Where: n = rb / r0, r0 and rb are the radii of the pile shaft and pile toe, respectively (for H-piles, Ï€ro2 = Ï€rb2 = Dh, h is the depth of the pile cross-section) ÃŽ ¾G = GL/Gb, GL is the shear modulus of the soil at depth L, and Gb is the shear modulus of the soil beneath the pile toe. Ï  = Gave/GL, Gave is the average shear modulus of the soil along the pile shaft p is the pile stiffness ratio p = Ep / GL; ÃŽ ¶ = ln{[0.25 +(2.5Ï (1 – v) –0.25) ÃŽ ¾G] L/r0}; É ¥L = (2/)1/2(L/r0). If the slenderness ratio L/r0 is less than 0.5p1/2 (L/r0) the pile may be treated as effectively rigid and eq. [7] then reduces to: If the slenderness ratio L/r0 is larger than 3Ï€p1/2, the pile may be treated as infinitely long, and eq. [7] then reduces to: In this case, GL’ is the soil shear modulus at the bottom of the active pile length Lac, where Lac = 3r0p1/2. In the nonlinear load–transfer method implemented in FB-Pier, the axial –Z curve for modelling the pile–soil interaction along the pile is given as (McVay et al. 1989)