A Perceptional Investigation into The Adoption of Timber Bridges

Perceptions of major bridge materials by four distinct groups of decision-makers were investigated within five geographic regions of the United States. Timber was rated lowest in perceived performance within each group and region. Timber was compared to prestressed concrete, steel, and reinforced concrete on eight preselected attributes. Timber was rated lowest on the attributes of low maintenance, easy to design, long life, and high strength. Only on the attribute of easy to construct did the rating for wood exceed the rating for reinforced concrete. On no attribute did timber rate higher than prestressed concrete. Highway officials who have participated in the Timber Bridge Initiative program rated timber as a bridge material statistically higher in overall performance than those highway officials who have not participated in the program

Outside Inside: A Survey of Field Activities in the Virtual and Non-Virtual Natural Resources Classroom

When the possibility of incorporating the virtual classroom into a natural resources curriculum is broached, faculty members often will argue that this approach to education doesn’t make sense for a discipline in which future professionals need to walk away from their computers, at least occasionally, and go outside. Similar discussions with colleagues at our own university, and with faculty at other institutions involved in the Natural Resources Distance Learning Consortium, caused us to wonder how and how often field experiences are actually incorporated into both non-virtual and virtual classrooms. We searched the employee directories of 294 U.S. universities to find faculty members currently teaching wildlife, fisheries, or forestry courses. Over 1,150 individuals were invited to participate in a study designed to provide insight into the how natural resource topics are being taught today, including: which universities have added virtual courses to their natural resources curriculum; whether university faculty include field experiences in their face-to-face and/or online undergraduate and graduate classes; and what types of virtual education technologies, if any, are being used as part of the field exercises for traditional and online classes

Labor Productivity in Sawmills of the Eastern and Southeastern United States

A survey of sawmills in the eastern and southeastern regions of the United States was conducted. Responding mills produced an average of 12,661 MBf in calendar year 1984 and 76 percent reported annual sales of less than $10 million. The majority of sawmills utilized circular saw headrigs and the most common type of computer controlled/assisted equipment was a log carriage. Softwood sawmills were found to have significantly higher labor productivity than hardwood sawmills. Regression analysis indicated that labor productivity economies of scale exist within the softwood segment of the industry. Labor productivity increased with mill size but at a decreasing rate. No strong evidence of labor productivity economies of scale in the hardwood industry segment was found

A Hierarchical Model and Analysis of Factors Affecting The Adoption of Timber as A Bridge Material

The Analytical Hierarchy Process was used to characterize the bridge material selection decisions of highway engineers and local highway officials across the United States. State Department of Transportation engineers, private consulting engineers, and local highway officials were personally interviewed in Mississippi, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin to identify how various factors determine their choice of a bridge material. The Analytical Hierarchy Process was used to quantify this subjective data and to model the selection decision for different groups of decision-makers. Prestressed concrete was the material of choice in the majority of cases. This was followed by reinforced concrete, steel, and timber. Local highway officials chose timber more often than did either group of engineers. These results indicate that timber will remain a niche market for bridge applications

The Natural Resources Distance Learning Consortium

The NRDLC, an organization formed in 2003 with the support of USDA‐Forest Service, delivers courses to web‐based learners who are either currently working in the natural resource professions or who are hoping to enter the field. Currently the organization consists of 10 accredited university members as well as various federal agency partners. NRDL members offer over 350 distance learning courses, 11 degrees, and 18 certificates. Kieran Lindsey, the NRDLC director, will present an overview of the organization, its history, and its impact. Additionally, Bill Woodland, National Partnership & Volunteers Program Manager at USDA‐Forest Service, will discuss the needs of federal resource management agencies and their employees that can be met through distance learning, as well as the motivation behind USDA‐FS financial support of NRDLC\u27s development

Elastic Model Transitions: a Hybrid Approach Utilizing Quadratic Inequality Constrained Least Squares (LSQI) and Direct Shape Mapping (DSM)

A method for transitioning linear time invariant (LTI) models in time varying simulation is proposed that utilizes both quadratically constrained least squares (LSQI) and Direct Shape Mapping (DSM) algorithms to determine physical displacements. This approach is applicable to the simulation of the elastic behavior of launch vehicles and other structures that utilize multiple LTI finite element model (FEM) derived mode sets that are propagated throughout time. The time invariant nature of the elastic data for discrete segments of the launch vehicle trajectory presents a problem of how to properly transition between models while preserving motion across the transition. In addition, energy may vary between flex models when using a truncated mode set. The LSQI-DSM algorithm can accommodate significant changes in energy between FEM models and carries elastic motion across FEM model transitions. Compared with previous approaches, the LSQI-DSM algorithm shows improvements ranging from a significant reduction to a complete removal of transients across FEM model transitions as well as maintaining elastic motion from the prior state

Clarifying the Theoretical Underpinnings of Mediation: Implications for Practice and Policy

In this article we examine developments in explaining and understanding the when and why of mediation practice - from the lay theories that have informed much of the field, to Bush and Folger\u27s articulation of three distinct and coherent ideologically based theoretical frameworks: the problemsolving framework, the harmony framework, and the transformative framework. We then trace the development of the transformative framework since its articulation in 1994, and share the insights we have gained along the way regarding the impact of increasing theoretical clarity and differentiation in the mediation field. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of ideologically based theoretical distinctions for mediation practice and policy, and recommendations for a fresh, theoretically informed, approach to policy initiatives

Étude de l'incidence sur la paix et les conflits

Réunion: Atelier international sur la gestion communautaire des ressources naturelles, 10 - 14 mai 1998, Washington, DC, USVersion anglaise disponible dans la Bibliothèque numérique du CRDI: Peace and conflict impact assessmen