Developing a methodology for using web map services to help international organizations in Syria

A 2011-ben kezdődött szíriai polgárháború okozta a 21. század legnagyobb menekült- és kitelepítési válságát. Ez oda vezetett, hogy számos nemzetközi segélyszervezet komoly erőfeszítéseket tett a különböző munkaterületeken megvalósuló projektek és tevékenységek támogatására. Jelen projektben azt tanulmányoztuk, hogy Szíriában működő nemzetközi szervezetek miként a használják a jelenlegi térképszolgáltatásokat.A kutatás középpontjában olyan metodológia kidolgozása áll, amely lehetővé teszi, hogy a nemzetközi szervezetek hatékonyan kezeljék a webes térképszolgáltatásokat, és konkrét ajánlásokat és iránymutatásokat ad a webtérkép-szolgáltatások használatára. Ilyen formában a különböző (mezei és professzionális) felhasználók részére interaktív térképekkel szolgáltathatnak információkat és adatokat a szervezet tevékenységéről. Több webes térképszolgáltatás meglátogatása után választottuk ki az ArcGIS Online-t, amely a projektünkben szükséges legtöbb szolgáltatást ingyenesen nyújtja, és hasznos opciókat biztosít a térképrétegek létrehozására, szerkesztésére és megjelenítésére, valamint interaktív webalkalmazások fejlesztésére. A metodológiát több részre osztottuk: adatok előkészítése, adatbázistervezés, a térképi alap rétegeinek az összekapcsolása, illetve a rétegek szerkesztése. Ezután a humanitárius adatok felhasználásával megkezdődött a szíriai szervezetek tevékenységét interaktívan bemutató térképek tervezése, és végül az elérhető alkalmazásokon keresztül megjelentek maguk a térképek

The Effects of Buildability Factors on Rebar Fixing Labour Productivity of Beamless Slabs

 Buildability is an important factor affecting labour productivity. Nevertheless, a thorough search of the literature revealed a dearth of research into its effects on in situ reinforced concrete construction, especially at the activity levels. Since rebar fixing is an integral trade of this type of construction material, and beamless slabs are amongst the major encountered activities on construction sites, the objective of this research is to explore the buildability factors affecting its rebar fixing efficiency. To achieve this objective, a large volume of fixing productivity data was collected and analysed using the categorical interaction - regression method. As a result, the main and interaction effects of rebar diameter; reinforcement quantity; slab geometry; and reinforcement layer location are determined. The findings show a significant influence of these factors on the fixing operation, which can be used to provide designers and construction managers with feedback on how well the design of this activity considers the requirements of buildability, and the tangible consequences of designers‟ decisions on labour productivit

Buildability Factors That Influence Micro-level Formwork Labour Productivity Of Beams In Building Floors

Buildability is one of the most important factors that influence labour productivity. Nevertheless, a thorough literature examination revealed a dearth of research concerning the effects of buildability on labour productivity of in situ reinforced concrete construction. Beams are major components of building floors, and the objective of this investigation is to explore the buildability factors that influence their micro-level formwork labour productivity. Therefore, a large volume of productivity data was collected and analysed using a categorical interaction-regression method. As a result, the main and interaction effects of beam repetition, size, intersections and span geometry were determined. The obtained results indicate that the investigated factors significantly influence the forming operation labour efficiency and substantiate the importance of applying design rationalisation, standardisation and repetition concepts to the design stage of construction projects. The findings satisfy the explored activity buildability knowledge gap, which can be used to provide designers with feedback on how well their designs consider the buildability principle requirements, as well as their decision consequences on the forming operation productivity

The impacts of buildability factors on formwork labour productivity of columns

The impacts of buildability on formwork labour productivity of major in situ reinforced concrete elements such as, foundations, walls, columns, beams and slabs, are yet to be determined and quantified. The labour unit cost of columns formwork, in comparison with other constituents of the reinforced concrete frame, is constantly higher due to the forming complexity of these elements, especially non‐rectangular shapes, and the small output achieved in the operation. Therefore, the objective of this research is to investigate the impacts of buildability factors on columns formwork labour productivity. To achieve this objective, a large volume of productivity data was collected and analyzed using the categorical‐regression method. As a result, the impacts of the grid patterns, variability of column sizes, repetition, total and aver‐age shutter size, and geometry of columns are quantified. Apart from the variability of column sizes, the findings show significant effects of these factors on labour productivity, which can be used to provide designers feedback on how well their designs consider the requirements of buildability principles, and the consequences of their decisions on labour efficiency. Moreover, the depicted patterns of results may provide guidance to construction managers for effective activity planning and efficient labour utilization. Santrauka Statybos veiksniu itaka gelžbetoniniu konstrukciju, kaip antai pamatu, sienu, kolonu, siju ir perdangos plokščiu, klojiniu, irengimo darbo našumui turi būti nustatyta ir kiekybiškai ivertinta. Vienetines darbo sanaudos kolonos klojiniams irengti, palyginti su kitomis gelžbetoninio remo dalimis, yra didesnes, nes sudetinga suformuoti elementus, ypač kai kolonos yra ne stačiakampio formos. Todel šio tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti statybos veiksniu itaka kolonu klojiniu irengimui. Siekiant šio tikslo buvo surinkta daug duomenu apie darbo našuma ir šie duomenys buvo ištirti naudojant kategoriju‐regresijos metoda. Buvo ivertinti šie veiksniai: ašiu tinklas, kolonu dydžio ivairove, kartojimasis, bendrasis ir vidutinis užrakto dydis, geometrija. Neivertinus kolonu dydžio ivairoves, gauti rezultatai rodo didžiuli šiu veiksniu poveiki darbo našumui. Naudojantis šia informacija galima ivertinti, ar projektuotojas atsižvelge i statybos principus ir priimtu sprendimu itaka darbo našumui. Be to, rezultatai gal suteikti papildomos informacijos darbu vadovui, kaip efektyviau panaudoti darbo jega. First Published Online: 10 Feb 2011 Reikšminiai žodžiai: statybos veiksniai, kategorine regresija, kolonos, klojiniai, darbo našumas, racionalizavimas, kartojimas, standartizacij

Contractor tendering research: Going beyond bid/no-bid and markup models

Within a wider research programme into the effectiveness and efficiency of the tendering procedures of construction contractors (CCs), a content analysis of tender research published in 27 journals between 2010 and 2016 found that CC tendering procedure research remains a low-focus area. CC-related tender research commonly focuses on factors influencing ‘bid/no-bid’ and markup decisions, often combined with developed decision modelling. Comparing the content analysis results with semi-structured interviews with 20 Australian civil engineering CCs (including some of Australia’s largest contractors, and with eight involved in international operations), it was found that the industry remains largely unaware and unsupportive of such developed tender decision tools. Instead, CCs suggest tender research should focus on efficient tendering procedures, encouraging clients to use standard rather than bespoke contracts, and improved quality and risk transfer in tender documents. The combined semi-structured interview findings and content analysis results provide researchers with contemporary tender research themes that civil engineering CCs, and potentially more general contractors, are more likely to embrace, thereby advancing the efficiency of construction tendering and contractors’ work procurement management

Leadership that facilitates the successful implementation of Lean Six Sigma

Researchers have identified leadership as a critical success factor for Lean Six Sigma implementation. It is essential to understand leadership behaviours that facilitate the use of Lean Six Sigma. This paper aims to identify leadership styles from the literature that can facilitate Lean Six Sigma implementation, which in turn broaden the current understanding of the suitable leadership styles. Also, the authors aim to explore how leadership styles can enhance Lean Six Sigma operations. The authors systematically reviewed the literature on leadership styles and Lean Six Sigma. The results determined the leadership styles that can enable the use of Lean Six Sigma successfully. These leadership styles are as follows: situational (task-oriented or relation-oriented behaviour), transformational, servant, authentic, empowering, and distributed leadership. The authors provide a better understanding for practitioners and researchers from existing literature on how leaders' behaviours can enhance Lean Six Sigma implementation. It is not clear which style is the most dominant and effective. There is a lack in interpreting how these leadership styles linked to Lean Six Sigma implementation. There is a lack of empirical evidence most of the studies depended on a theoretical base. Very few studies have focused on leadership styles and Six Sigma success; to the best of the authors' knowledge only one paper has studied this. Also, there is scarcity in papers that addressed leadership styles that facilitate Lean Six Sigma implementation. This paper initiates a call to study Lean Six Sigma rather than focus only on either Lean or Six Sigma. This proposition guides future research based on the view that Lean management can share underlying assumptions with Lean Six Sigma characteristics. However, the mean limitation of this review is the use of specific keywords and database to identify studies

The timeless mote An approach to the poetic sensibility of Walter de la Mare

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