An analysis of the contractors' estimating process

Typically, contracts in the Construction Industry are placed On a basis of competitive tenders. The ability to estimate costs in advance is, therefore, imperative. Ideally, estimates should be based on recorded levels of performance but the diversity of the projects encountered often makes this feedback impractical. It has been observed that currently estimators depend to.a large extent on intuition to produce prices which are acceptable to the client. Whilst these prices are typically within 10% of the total cost of the work, the estimates for individual work items may differ from the actual cost by as much as 100%. For this reason, research was undertaken into methods which are not normally practiced in the Construction Industry; The principal objective of the research was to find and test a method of estimating which would be quicker than present methods and would achieve a more direct reflection of observed performance. This thesis describes attempts at applying regression analysis globally to building costs. It also examines the varying levels of difficulty in estimating different categories of work and the implications of the Pareto distribution of the values of the items. in a bill of quantities. [Continues.

Correlation of site variability from SASW and CPT measurements

Geotechnical site characterization programs are designed to reduce uncertainty and maximize the efficiency of geotechnical design. Ironically, however, many site characterization programs are inefficient themselves as they call for extensive intrusive testing conducted at regular intervals. This thesis attempts to improve the efficiency of such programs by drawing a correlation between variability in CPT and SASW measurements across a geotechnical site. With such a correlation, the practicing engineer could potentially modify the extent (and cost) of intrusive testing based on observed variability in surface wave dispersion. To examine this correlation, CPT and SASW data from the Labadie Utility Waste Landfill (UWL) near Labadie, Missouri were analyzed. Variability was quantified through coefficients of variation (COV) calculated amongst CPT measurements (q[subscript t] and f[subscript s]) for a particular depth (z) and SASW phase velocity (V[subscript ph]) for a particular wavelength ([subscript]) at five locations within the UWL. Positive correlations were achieved utilizing a method developed in this thesis wherein q[subscript t] was converted to an equivalent corrected tip resistance (q[subscript teq]) by weighting q[subscript t] in the same manner that Rayleigh wave energy is weighted with depth. Utilizing this method, a linear regression between the mean COV of V[subscript ph] and q[subscript teq] yields a slope of 0.18, an intercept of 0.02, a coefficient of determination (R[superscript 2] ) of 0.751, and a p-value of 0.057. Removing outliers and COVs calculated in the highly variable upper 5 ft of soil yields a slope of 0.19, an intercept of 0.02, a R[superscript 2] of 0.961, and a p-value of 0.003. Finally, a relationship between q[subscript teq] and V[subscript ph] was developed that facilitates the estimation of dispersion curves from q[subscript t] alone. Utilizing this relationship, dispersion curves estimated from q[subscript t] were, on average, within 10% of those measured.Includes bibliographical reference

An Asymptotic Analysis of Space Charge Layers in a Mathematical Model of a Solid Electrolyte

We review a model for a solid electrolyte derived under thermodynamics principles. We non-dimensionalise and scale the model to identify small parameters, where we identify a scaling that controls the width of the space-charge layer in the electrolyte. We present asymptotic analyses and numerical solutions for the one dimensional zero charge flux equilibrium problem. We introduce an auxiliary variable to remove singularities from the domain in order to facilitate robust numerical simulations. From the asymptotics we identify three distinct regions: the bulk, boundary layers, and intermediate layers. The boundary and intermediate layers form the space charge layer of the solid electrolyte, which we can further distinguish as strong and weak space-charge-layers respectively. The weak space-charge-layer is characterised by a length, $\lambda$, which is equivalent to the Debye length of a standard liquid electrolyte. The strong space-charge-layer is characterised by a scaled Debye length, which is larger than $\lambda$. We find that both layers exhibit distinct behaviour, we see quadratic behaviour in the strong space-charge-layer and exponential behaviour in the weak space-charge-layer. We find that matching between these two asymptotic regimes is not standard and we implement a pseudo-matching approach to facilitate the transition between the quadratic and exponential behaviours. We demonstrate excellent agreement between asymptotics and simulation.Comment: 24 pages plus 14 page supplementary materials, 19 figures total (counting subfigures) Submitted to SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematic

The Relationship Between Gender Social Identity and Support for Feminism

This study is an application of social identity theory to feminist consciousness and activism. For women, strong gender identifications may enhance support for equality struggles, whereas for men, they may contribute to backlashes against feminism. University students (N = 276), primarily Euroamerican, completed a measure of gender self-esteem (GSE, that part of one’s self-concept derived from one’s gender), and two measures of feminism. High GSE in women and low GSE in men were related to support for feminism. Consistent with past research, women were more supportive of feminism than men, and in both genders, support for feminist ideas was greater than self-identification as a feminist

Coyote-Activated Frightening Devices for Reducing Sheep Predation on Open Range

Domestic sheep ranching is an important agricultural industry in the United States and coyote (Canis latrans) depredation on lambs and ewes continues to challenge ranchers and agencies responsible for protecting sheep. Lethal methods used in controlling coyote depredation include aerial gunning, toxicants, trapping, and calling and shooting. Nonlethal methods include frightening devices, fences, livestock protection animals, and stringent husbandry practices. Ranchers and agencies responsible for controlling coyote depredation need frightening devices that are more effective than those currently available. We describe a field evaluation of 2 animal-activated frightening devices: an acoustic device and an acoustic device with a pop-up scarecrow and strobe light. We conducted the evaluation on open range in western Wyoming during the lambing period. No coyote kills were reported during 6,087 sheepnights at 3 sites protected by the acoustic devices or during 6,598 sheepnights at 3 sites protected by the acoustic scarecrow devices. Our devices show promise for reducing predation during the lambing period and merit further evaluation