On Site

Contemporary debates on the transformation of building methods, the structure of the building industry, and the introduction of new technologies (informational, material and structural) in professional literature and in the architectural humanities tend to ignore the realities of work on construction sites. This follows a long history of failure to recognise the importance of workers’ experience and knowledge of building as a process by the key professions in the industry. The absence of the working process in accounts of historical development is exacerbated by abstract reflection on building know-how, categories of expertise, and the structure of the industry, when these are not supported by direct observation and engagement with building work and workers. Key assumptions about the relation between structural and technological changes in the industry and the knowledge, skills, composition, and requirements of the workforce can be challenged by paying attention to day-to-day activities and conditions of site work

M. I. Fitzgerald to Dear Mr. Meredith (Undated)

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/mercorr_pro/1769/thumbnail.jp

Systems development methods and usability in Norway: An industrial perspective

This is the post-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2007 Springer Berlin HeidelbergThis paper investigates the relationship between traditional systems development methodologies and usability, through a survey of 78 Norwegian IT companies. Building on previous research we proposed two hypotheses; (1) that software companies will generally pay lip service to usability, but do not prioritize it in industrial projects, and (2) that systems development methods and usability are perceived as not being integrated. We find support for both hypotheses. Thus, the use of systems development methods is fairly stable, confirming earlier research. Most companies do not use a formal method, and of those who do, the majority use their own method. Generally, the use of methods is rather pragmatic: Companies that do not use formal methods report that they use elements from such methods. Further, companies that use their own method import elements from standardised methods into their own

Discovery of an extended debris disk around the F2V star HD 15745

Using the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, we have discovered dust-scattered light from the debris disk surrounding the F2V star HD 15745. The circumstellar disk is detected between 2.0" and 7.5" radius, corresponding to 128 - 480 AU radius. The circumstellar disk morphology is asymmetric about the star, resembling a fan, and consistent with forward scattering grains in an optically thin disk with an inclination of ~67 degrees to our line of sight. The spectral energy distribution and scattered light morphology can be approximated with a model disk composed of silicate grains between 60 and 450 AU radius, with a total dust mass of 10E-7 M_sun (0.03 M_earth) representing a narrow grain size distribution (1 - 10 micron). Galactic space motions are similar to the Castor Moving Group with an age of ~10E+8 yr, although future work is required to determine the age of HD 15745 using other indicators.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, ApJ Letters, in pres

Chemical Analysis of Precipitation and Stormwater Runoff from a Large Green Roof

The growth medium of a green roof is likely to affect the chemistry of the rainwater passing through it, which may impact the receiving waters. Currently only limited data exist on the changes in rain chemistry caused by green roofs. The objectives of this project are to determine the differences in concentration of several contaminants in rain and in runoff from a green roof in downtown Syracuse, NY, and to explore reasons for the observed differences. A few samples were collected in 2014 and 2016, but most of the data are from 2017. Collection of precipitation uses funnels, while collection of runoff takes place using a drainpipe that connects to several roof drains. Both types of samples are analyzed by ion chromatography for chloride, sulfate, and nitrate. Preliminary tests show that chloride concentrations in the green roof runoff are generally greater than or equal to those in precipitation. Sulfate in the runoff is greatly enhanced compared with precipitation. Nitrate concentrations do not show a clear pattern. Engineered soil greatly influences the chemistry of the incoming rain, and additional research is needed to better understand this chemistry

Cyber Torts: Common Law and Statutory Restraints in the United States

United States state courts administer common law principles that remedy injuries that arise from tortiousactivities. Federal statutory restrictions and overbroad federal court rulings have created immunity for manyactivities in the context of cyberspace. This paper reviews a number of state court decisions in the UnitedStates and surveys several basic tort principles in regard to their application to technology enhanced activitieson the Internet. Tort concepts, under traditional common law concepts can, if left unrestricted, develop to servemultiple interests

Towards the statistical construction of hybrid development methods

Hardly any software development process is used as prescribed by authors or standards. Regardless of company size or industry sector, a majority of project teams and companies use hybrid development methods (short: hybrid methods) that combine different development methods and practices. Even though such hybrid methods are highly individualized, a common understanding of how to systematically construct synergetic practices is missing. In this article, we make a first step towards a statistical construction procedure for hybrid methods. Grounded in 1467 data points from a large‐scale practitioner survey, we study the question: What are hybrid methods made of and how can they be systematically constructed? Our findings show that only eight methods and few practices build the core of modern software development. Using an 85% agreement level in the participants\u27 selections, we provide examples illustrating how hybrid methods can be characterized by the practices they are made of. Furthermore, using this characterization, we develop an initial construction procedure, which allows for defining a method frame and enriching it incrementally to devise a hybrid method using ranked sets of practice