Handmaids Tale - Basic Response Essay Example for Free

Handmaids Tale Basic Response Essay One of the ways in which The Handmaid’s Tale creates opportunities to respond is through its discussion and exploration of a dystopian society. A dystopian society is often characterised as a futuristic setting with oppressive societal control and elements of totalitarianism. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in the futuristic Republic of Gilead and a way in which Atwood has chosen to display a dystopian society is through creating a sense that the citizens of Gilead are under constant surveillance, a characteristic of dystopian literature. This can be shown through the reoccurring motif of â€Å"the eye. † The eye motif symbolises the eternal watchfulness of god and the totalitarian state with its recurrence creating a sense that citizens of Gilead are constantly being surveyed. This is shown as Offred states â€Å"to be seen-to be seen- is to be- her voice trembled-penetrated. † The use of repetition and italicise of the word ‘seen’ is used to highlight the fact that individuals don’t want to be seen, creating an ominous presence of control and threat through the constant watching. Another way The Handmaid’s Tale creates opportunities to respond in relation to its dystopian reading is in its discussion of citizens in fear of the outside world. This fear is shown through the presence of â€Å"The Wall. † The wall serves as a symbolic barrier separating Gilead from the outside world and also emphasising the existence of the totalitarian state and its allusion of a perfect world. This meaning is shown as the wall is described to have â€Å"barbed wire along the bottom and broken glass set in concrete along the top. Visual imagery here is used to create fear of the outside world through the literal and metaphorical barrier the wall represents. It is also important to note that the value of Atwood’s text is evident in the way it is a cautionary novel, designed to provide a reflection and thus provide commentary on the potential for 21st century society to adopt these extremes. Therefore the novels exploration of elements of dystopian society including the perceived surveillance of citizens and fear of the outside world creates opportunities to respond to The Handmaid’s Tale in relation to its comments about dystopian society, making it valuable. Even though the totalitarian regime has been destroyed, Atwood warns us that governments can still exploit woman. In the Historical Notes, it is concerning how Professor Pieixoto states, â€Å"No new system can impose itself upon a previous one without incorporating many of the elements to be found in the latter. † This implies that selected characteristics of the dystopian Gilead Republic will be adopted by a new government. Another way in which The Handmaid’s Tale creates opportunities to respond is through its complex interpretation from a feminist perspective. This is shown within the novel as the Handmaid’s bodies are used for procreation, their sexual freedom has been denied. This is seen through the constant discussion of fertility with Offred often belittling herself and her body to be used, â€Å"we are like containers, it’s only the insides of our bodies that are important. The outside can become hard †¦ like the shell of a nut. † Here a simile is used to continue to degrade and dehumanise Offred through equating her to a simple â€Å"nut,† an empty being, only valued for her fertility. Also the way in which women are used for procreation is shown through the motif of red, â€Å"a nondescript woman in red,† with women here further dehumanised to â€Å"nondescript† beings. The motif of red is used to represent fertility. The way females are often referred to as red throughout the text highlights how the Handmaids’ sole purpose within the society of Gilead is to procreate, demonstrating once again how females within the society are only valued for their bodies. In regards to a feminist interpretation, male dominance is also presented throughout the novel through the discussion of sterile- this is again italicised to emphasise its effect relating to a feminist viewpoint as males don’t go to colonies yet females do highlighting gender inequality. The inclusion of these elements discusses a range of feminist concerns allowing it to be interpreted in a myriad of different ways, increasing its value. The Handmaid’s Tale furthermore creates opportunities to respond through its inclusion of post-modern elements thus making it valuable. The novel can be read from a post-modern perspective as Atwood uses self- reflexivity as a means of questioning what is truth. This is shown when Offred admits, â€Å"This is a reconstruction, all of it is a reconstruction. It’s a reconstruction now, in my head. † The use of repetition, â€Å"reconstruction† creates emphasis and awareness of how the story Offred tells is only fractured pieces of the story, taken apart and put back together. Atwood here is trying to make her reader’s question if what is being said is true; implying that not everything read is necessarily true. This post-modern analysis which believes in the existence of multiple truths can be further seen through Offred’s narration shown as she questions â€Å"you want the best for her. Don’t you? † Here metafiction is used as Offred directly communicates with the audience, presenting an element of post- modern literature. From a post-modern interpretation the truthfulness of Offred’s singular narration is questionable accentuated when she consciously reinstates, â€Å"I don’t want to be telling this story. † This highlights how her narration could be subjected bias rather than truth. Thus The Handmaid’s Tale can be interpreted from a post-modern perspective making it valuable as this is one of the many ways it can be responded to. In conclusion it is through the different ways to respond to Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale that the text possesses value. These responses are generated in relation to dystopian, feminist and post-modern interpretations that the novel discusses. Each of these comments on 21st century society and encourage audiences to respond to their own society in different ways making the text valuable.

Basement Car Park Design

Basement Car Park Design A basement car park has to be design in this project to meet the property developers requirement. The car park will have 3 below ground level as the figure attached in the appendix (page 2). A site investigation has been completed and supplied as the information in this project. The construction technique for the basement walls has to be identified, then design the basement walls and produce a report justifying the solution. 1.2 Project Aim and Objective This project title is set up for student who is having their third year study in Civil and Structural Engineering. The objective of this project is to reflect the design and construction process of a geotechnical structure that students are likely to encounter in their future industry life. There are several aim have to be achieved in order to meet the objective in this project. Those aims are: To gain the overall thinking in a project construction and understanding those factors influence the development of the project. To gain deeper knowledge in the geotechnical field such as type of retaining structure and soil profiles. To develop the rational thinking and view of the constructability of the project. To identify the engineering problems in a project and minimize it to the minimum. To justify the proposed concepts into engineering fields. To apply engineering thinking into a project and design the structure in accordance. To communicate with the supervisor for seeking appropriate advice and self study to complete the project. 1.3 Project Scope This project had been separated into two main parts which are conceptual design and detailing design. In the conceptual design part, the choices of pile have to be considered wisely and justify it before get into the detailing design part. In this project, there are several type of retaining structure can be used but just the most appropriate one will be chosen to carry out into the detailing design part. There are few factors have to be concerned while selecting the choice of retaining structure. Those factors are the type of soil, durability, constructability, estimated costs and others. By having a good comparison among type of retaining structure, then the most adoptable type of retaining structure will be selected to construct the retaining wall. For the detailing design part, an adequate design calculation has to be produced in order to show that the retaining structure is satisfied with several circumstances and sufficient drawings have to be prepared if needed. The construction sequences have to indentify and list out clearly. Last but not least, a detailed method statement for the safe construction of the building including any supporting risk assessments, and an outline construction programs in the form of a bar have to be provided. 2.0 Background Study and Constraints The background study is the first stage of this entire project and a work must to be done before a project begin to progress on. The main purpose of this stage is to gather information as much as possible and analysis to figure out the restriction of the project. There must be some restriction in every single project that has to be concerned and further rational thinking to manipulate a good design. The discussion of the constraints has to be done in the early part of the project then the better final design will be produced by passing through this process. 2.1 Deep Excavation and Site The site tolerance is limited due to a public highway located just next to the footpath which is 2m away from the site. There must be some disturbance will face by the public highway due to this significant issue. This point has to be considering while choosing the type of retaining structure to be construct and minimizing it to the minimum when the construction is going on. Deep excavation has to be taking part in this entire project, so the hazards of deep excavation either supported or unsupported case has to be indicated and it is a considerable concern while making decision for the type of earth retaining structure. For example, the dewatering problems might be exist base on the water table and the excavation is variable base on different type of soil in the area as well. 2.2 Soil Profiles The soil profiles are the interesting and concerning part for the geotechnical engineering especially the engineering soils found beneath the topsoil [1]. The engineering properties and the behaviour of these soils are their concerning and interesting point [1]. Different type of soil profiles will be having different ability for a structure. Therefore, site investigation process has to carry out to determine the soil profiles. The layer and the type of soil or rock beneath the ground surface will be determined by this process. Its behaviour and the properties of each layer will be obtained as well to progress on. In this project, there are three boreholes given from the site investigation data which named as BH-02, BH-03 and BH-09. The boreholes record is attached at the back of the report which in the appendix part (from page 1 to page 2). The location of BH-02 and BH-03 are shown inside the plan view of the site but there is nothing relevant to BH-09 can be figured out from the view. The plan view is attached in the appendix (page 1). A simple analytic of the height and depth of each layer have done which shown in the Figure 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3. C:UsersFuhDesktopZzz_Study thingsCIVE 3709ProjectIMG_0619.JPG Figure 2.1 Borehole Record, BH-02 C:UsersFuhDesktopIMG_0617.JPG Figure 2.2 Borehole Record, BH-03 C:UsersFuhDesktopIMG_0618.JPG Figure 2.3 Borehole Record, BH-09 From the figure of the three boreholes records, it shown that they are about the same. The soil profiles for the top layer is made ground then followed by clay and then mudstone as the bottom layer. Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained minerals, which is generally plastic at appropriate water contents and will harden with dried or fired. Although clay usually contains phyllosilicates, it may contain other materials that impart plasticity and harden when dried or fired. Associated phases in clay may include materials that do not impart plasticity and organic matter [14]. In the other hands, mudstone is a fine grained sedimentary rock which is formed by clays or muds with the pressure over long time. It looks like hardened clay but depending on the situation when it was formed. 2.3 Water level Groundwater observation where the water seeps or ingress has to be recorded in the site investigation logs as they link with the casing and the boreholes depth [2]. Groundwater observation is the concern for geotechnical engineering due to the water pressure too. The water pressure is an issue that will affect the decision of the choice of retaining structure and the depth of the pile as well. The water table is not given in this particular project specification therefore proper consideration is needed before making any assumption. The water level is to be assumed one meter below ground level after a long consideration and communication with supervisor. This should be the best assumption and go on for the later part of design. 2.4 Time, Cost and Quality As a designer, the concern of the property developer has to be taking into consideration while designing a project. Time, cost and quality are playing the important roles for a single project which will be the concern of the developer. These three elements are the key issues and related to each other. The cost of the project will be increased if a project construction time getting longer. Base on this, the shorter the construction period the lower the cost of the project so a proper planning of the construction method and procedure is needed to minimize the construction cost but the quality of the project must be still maintain in a satisfy adoptable level. 3.0 Type of Earth Retaining Structure Earth retaining structures are mainly used to support the soil and structure due to the difference in elevation of the ground surface. It can be either propped or cantilever. There is various type of earth retaining structures which are used in geotechnical field for civil engineering. Those retaining structure more commonly used in basement car park and more suitable for this project are: Sheet Pile Walls Diaphragm Walls Bored Pile Walls There is different capable of each type of wall, the typical applications of walls have shown in the figure below. Figure 3.1 Typical applications of embedded walls ([8] pages 98) 3.1 Sheet Pile Walls Sheet pile walls are made of timber or precast concrete previously but nowadays sheet pile walls are more commonly made of steel. Sheet pile walls are formed by individually driven sheet pile into the ground and form the series of interlocking piles to support the soil and the structure [1]. Sheet pile wall can be category into two main types which are cantilever wall and anchored wall. Sheet piles are light to handle and being robust. It can handle the high compressive loads whiles it driven into a hard ground surface [3]. It has the ability of being driven into deep penetration to reach a bearing stratum or to develop a high frictional resistance [3]. There are two method of driving sheet piles into stratum which is: Pitch and Drive This is the simplest method, each sheet pile or pair of piles will be driving into the finished level (full depth) before repeating the next sheet pile. By the way, this method is preferable for loose soils and short piles only. Panel Driving In this method, the first pair of piles has to be pitched carefully, plumbed and driven partly to form adjacent piles. Then, the remaining of piles are pitched and interlocked. Finally, the last pair of piles pitched into the panel are then driven partially and followed by the partial driving of the rest of the panel, working back towards the first pair in the panel [4]. The piles is arranged as whole panel, therefore it is no need to drive all piles fully to maintain the piling operations. The risk of driving problem and difficulties of de-clutching will be minimised too [5]. This method is suitable for dense sands and stiff cohesive soils. http://www.earthwork.us/files/DSCN2063.JPG Figure 3.2, Sheet Pile Walls There are few issues have to be discuss while considering to be used sheet pile walls for design. Firstly, the deep of the basement has to be constructed. If the depth of the basement too deep which mean the length of the pile will be quite long and the ability of transporting, pitching and driven those piles has to be taken into consideration especially in urban area. Cost will be affected in this issue as well because it is hard to manufacture a big size of sheet piles. Basement car park recently constructed in urban area to fully utilize the space in the cities. While sheet pile walls can be act as a permanent structure or temporary work in a construction project, but there is a concern if the sheet piles act as the temporary work. The ability to remove the sheet piles after constructed the retaining structure has to be think twice base on the limited spaces around the cities for the crane to remove it. Even there is some improvement of the technology on the noise and vibration problems for sheet piles while driven it into the stratum but vibration and noise are still exit which is the disadvantages of sheet piles. The improvement just mainly overcomes the problem on some type of soil layer only, such as by using some hydraulic pressure equipment to press the sheet piles into stiff clay layer. Refer to this entire issue; there must be rational consideration if steel pile has to be used specially in the urban area. 3.2 Diaphragm Walls A diaphragm wall basically is the combination of reinforced concrete wall and sheet pile wall. It has the ability of the combination of reinforced concrete and sheet pile wall. A diaphragm wall are formed and fixed by vertical reinforced concrete slab in position with the same manner to support the soil. In the other hand, the sheet pile held in the lower part of the diaphragm wall by the passive and active soil pressures that act upon it [1]. Most of the diaphragm walls are the reinforced concrete wall that cast in situ by a machine digging a trench in panels of limited length. It acts as temporary support during construction and a permanent wall, sometimes with lining [8]. The stability of the excavation to the required depth is filled by the use of a drilling fluid, usually is bentonite slurry [6]. This slurry has thixotropic properties, as it forms into gel when left undisturbed but becomes a liquid when disturbed [1]. The bentonite slurry initially penetrates into the soil and the virtually impervious skin of bentonite particles is formed [1]. It is only about few millimetres thick on the sides of the trench. There is no penetration of the slurry into clays, sand and silt water. The main purpose of the use of slurry is to prevent collapse of the trench by creates lateral pressures that act on the side of the short trench panel. When the excavation is done, the required steel reinforcement is place into the trench panel. The walls are constructed by filled with concrete in discrete panel lengths ranging typically between 2.5m and 7.0m using purpose in appropriate circumstances. Those displaced slurry being collected for cleaning and further use. Standard widths of diaphragm walling equipment are 600, 800, 1000, 1200 and 1500mm although greater can be provided as required. Depths of the diaphragm wall are constructed up to 50m by using grabs and up to 80m using standard hydromills (milling machines). The remaining intermediate panels are excavated and constructed to fully complete the wall when the concrete has developed sufficient strength. The length of each panel is limited to the amount that the soil will arch, in a horizontal direction, to support the ground until the concrete has been placed [6]. A simplified Figure 3.3 has been attached to shown the various construction stages. In the Figure 3.3, the processes of each stage are: Guide-wall construction Panel excavation in progress Installing stop ends Panel concreting Figure 3.3, the stage of construction a diaphragm walls. http://www.stroyinject.com/images/gallery/pics_new.08.08/thumb_SZ_2.JPG Figure 3.4, Diaphragm Walls There still exists another type of diaphragm walls which are precast reinforced concrete diaphragm walls. The use for this type of diaphragm wall is nearly the same with diaphragm wall that reinforced concrete cast in situ. It provides both temporary and permanent soil support but with limited depth. There must be some advantages and disadvantages for every single earth retaining structure. Therefore the discussion of pros and cons for this type of retaining structure has to be done, while considering of using diaphragm walls. The construction time and cost of diaphragm wall is generally efficient where it is used for both permanent and temporary subsoil retention for walls of medium, and greater, depth [8]. Diaphragm walls also allow the effective transfer of vertical load from the building superstructure to subsoil below basement level. The vertical load transfer is not added in the wall design while the early of diaphragm wall in UK. The reluctance of designers to allow such load transfer was due no doubt to lack of published test results. This situation changed gradually when the diaphragm more commonly use in the construction of basement [8]. While constructing the diaphragm walls, it has the minimum noise and vibration disturbance. This is an advantage of using diaphragm walls as a retaining structure. The noise and vibration in diaphragm wall installation are about the same compare with the normal civil engineering equipment, such as cranes and generators. Base on this, it suitable to be constructed in urban area. Diaphragm walls can be constructed under groundwater condition so there is not any affection in groundwater problems for this kind of structure. Diaphragm walls have the advantages of high bearing capacity and good in horizontal or vertical bearing capacity. The allowances of settlement for this kind of structure are small which is good for superstructure [9]. Although there are many advantages of using diaphragm wall but there is some limitations for this structure to be used. It could not be use either in very soft soil such as soft clay due to trench stability problem or very stiff rock. The principal disadvantages of diaphragm walling are the risk of loss or spillage of bentonite slurry, the relatively high cost of cleaning and the disposal of the slurry, the site space needed for large reinforcement cages and the large cranes needed to handle them. Above all, the need for continuity in the construction process from excavation through concreting to removal of temporary stop formers is a disadvantage of the method [8]. A good quality control is needed in the diaphragm wall construction. Diaphragm walls are the new type of retaining structure which is more modern and construct by some modern equipment. Those skilful and more specialist workers needed while installation the walls. 3.3 Bored Pile Walls Bored pile walls are an earth retaining structure that form by bored cast in situ piles either small or large diameter. This technique often used in deep basements and underground structure as a temporary or permanent retaining structure. It commonly used for those structures with limited working space or constraint of adjacent existing structures that prevent excessive bulk excavation and help to control the movement of the ground [6]. The construction method of bored pile walls are slightly different compare to the diaphragm wall, initially a casing has to be driven into the ground by using the vibro-hammer and leaving 1 metre length of the casing above the ground. Casing can be ignored where the soil profiles are firm to stiff cohesive soils [11]. The power-driven rotary auger (a drilling tool) will be used to cut and remove the soil within the casing to form a borehole. The range of diameters and depths possible is considerable, from 300 to over 5000mm and down to 100. The used of the casing is to support the surrounding soil. If the length of the casing not enough long to reach the required depth in the ground, bentonite slurry could be used to support the soil below the casing. The steel reinforcement will be lifted up and placed into the borehole by crane. If the depth of the boreholes too deep, reinforcements have to be over lapping and welding if possible. The concrete is poured into the borehole to form th e bored pile. Finally, the bored pile is formed by using the vibro-hammer to withdrawn the casing [3][10]. A bored pile wall has its own characteristic that have to take into consideration while selecting the type for retaining structure. The presence of the advantages and disadvantages of the bored pile walls have to be taken into consideration if bored pile walls chosen to be used. The length of bored pile walls can be varied to suit the varying ground condition which is more adoptable for most of the design project. Moreover, the soil can be inspected and if necessary sampled or in situ tests made when it is cut and removed from the boreholes. By using this method, the large excavations and subsequent backfill are eliminated. The noise and vibration are existed while constructing the bored pile but it is acceptable and will not disturb the adjacent pile or structure [12]. Basically, the disadvantages of bored pile wall are not much. The transportation of the casing could be one of it. The unable to place the concrete under the ideal condition and cannot subsequently inspected are one of the disadvantages as well. Figure 3.5, the steps of constructing contiguous bored pile walls. Bored pile walls are categorised into two types, which are: Contiguous Bored Pile Walls Secant Bored Pile Walls Several factors have to be concerned while choosing the type of bored pile walls. Those factors are: Soil Type The ground water profile Construction time available Propping requirements Cost Life span 3.3.1 Contiguous Bored Pile Walls A single row or double row of piles pitched and constructed next to each other with leaving some gaps. Alternative piles are cast first and the intermediate piles are then installed. Figure 3.6 and Figure 3.7 are attached for more detail and understanding. For this type of retaining structure, the water will flow through the gaps between piles [1]. This type retaining structure suitable where the soils are between firm to stiff and the water level is below the depth of excavation. This method is the fastest method and most economic option to construct. Figure 3.6, an example for the plan view of contiguous bored pile wall http://www.sbe.napier.ac.uk/esm/images/bored_pile_small.jpg Figure 3.7, contiguous bored pile wall 3.3.2 Secant Bored Pile Walls Secant bored pile walls are similar with the contiguous bored pile wall, except that the gap of the piles are either filled with concrete or secondary pile are cut into the primary piles as shown in Figure 3.8 and Figure 3.9.This technique is suitable for high water level due to the continuous wall had formed and it is a watertight condition that stops the inflow of water. The procedure of this method is slightly more complicated compare to bored pile wall. Figure 3.8, an example of plan view of secant bored pile walls http://www.amplusltd.com/upldimages/ISecant%20piled%20wal%20-%20Battricks%20-MG_0042.jpg Figure 3.9, Secant bored pile walls 4.0 Comparing and Selecting Of Retaining Structure. By using a simple matrix analysis table as shown in Table 4.1, it can be determined the best selection of retaining structures as in general concept. The selection of the retaining structures can be determined by rational comparisons by applying the weighting into the matrix table. The weighting in the matrix table are represented with numerical numbers from 1 to 3 in which the higher the value, the more beneficial for the route while the lower the value indicates as otherwise. From the table, it shown that each type of the retaining structures is about the same, they have their own characteristic and advantages in different aspects. Secant bored pile walls gained the most point in the weighting but it might not be the best choice because this is just a general concept comparing within the type of retaining structures so a proper comparison that fit with this entire project issues will be done later on. The soil profiles of this project are made ground, firm to stiff clay and mudstone which adoptable for all of the retaining structure mentioned above except sheet pile walls. In this soil conditions, sheet pile walls are not suitable to be driven into the ground due to the hardness of the mudstone layer. This problem can be solved by providing bigger size of sheet pile which significantly increased the cost and waste of materials. Therefore, sheet pile walls are not recommended and if possible choose other type of retaining structure into design. Water level is a problem which will be affected the decision of selecting retaining structures. The water level is to be assumed at 1m below ground level. It is quite high and proper consideration has to be done base on this issue. Diaphragm walls, sheet pile walls and secant pile walls are capable to construct in high water level condition. Contiguous pile walls are not able to construct below ground water condition due to the gaps between the piling which allowed the inflow of the water. This might a concern while selecting this as the retaining structures. Diaphragm walls are a good retaining structure among all of the retaining structure. It allowed the highest depth of excavation which is about 7 to 30m length but 8m of excavation is sufficiently enough in this entire project. In the other hand, the other retaining structures are more adoptable which allowed 4 to 15 or 20m depth of excavation length. This will be an issue while selecting the choice of retaining structures. Basically, there is specific difficulty of constructing each type of retaining structures just in different restriction. There is not much to comment on the ease of construct issue but it must be fit with the site restriction. The durability of each type retaining structure is about the same and it could be ignored while comparing with each other. The cost of construction must be minimizing to the minimum if possible because it is a concern of the project developer and economical problem. Sheet pile walls are rejected in this project due to several concerns. First, the main concern of using sheet pile is the size and area of the pile to be used due to the depth and area of excavation are quite big. It is hard to manufacture such big size of sheet pile in the factory and hard to transport large number of them to the site. If sheet pile chosen into design for basement car park, it will commonly act as temporary work and the ability to withdraw the sheet piles after the construction is an issue because a highway just located 2m away from the boundary of the site. Moreover, the soil profile contains lot of the mudstone which cause the sheet pile hard to be driven into the ground. There will be some vibration which will be affected the public highway either on the foundation or the whole structure while the sheet pile is driven into the ground. Diaphragm walls are good to be used in basement construction which is commonly in urban area. Honestly, it is capable with all the construction constraints in this entire project such as it is able to construct under groundwater condition and there isnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t any vibration problem in diaphragm walls construction. Even it is so good compare with other retaining structures but it still will not be selecting as the retaining structure. First, large amount of steel reinforcements needed for a diaphragm walls, it have to be tied up before they lifted up by crane and placed into the panels. Base on the number of materials and skilful workers needed, the cost of the construction will increased directly. It is also relatively high cost of cleaning and the disposal of the slurry. Diaphragm walls are good enough which is a bit over for this project because some of the advantages is not needed in this project. Consequently, diaphragm walls are not suitable for this p roject and some other retaining structure will do because the overall estimated construction cost is too expensive compare with others. Bored pile walls are the most adequate retaining structure to be used in this project compare to the others. Even there are some disadvantages in this type of retaining structure but the advantages of using it are higher after proper consideration and comparing. Then, the vibration and noise of constructing bored pile walls are in the acceptable range and will not affect those structure next to it especially the public highway. Bored pile walls are able to consort with the soil conditions in this project too. It is the cheapest retaining structure as well. Bored pile walls are chosen either secant bored pile wall or contiguous bored pile wall. As a conclusion, secant bored pile wall is chosen as the retaining structure in this project because it offers a watertight alternative compare with contiguous bored pile walls. 4.1 Selected Retaining Structure à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Secant Bored Pile Walls Secant bored pile walls basically are bored cast in situ piles either small or large diameter. It will be constructed in a line and the gap between piling will be filling with cement or concrete to form a watertight condition for preventing the inflow of water. The filling technique will be mentioned in the later part of report. Secant bored pile walls are categorised into 3 types which are: Hard / Soft Secant Pile Wall Hard / Firm Secant Pile Wall Hard / Hard Secant Pile Wall 4.1.1 Hard / Soft Secant Pile Wall The female pile has a characteristic compressive strength of 10-20 N/mm2, which is retarded to reduce the strength of the mix while the mail piles are drilled between the female piels. 4.1.2 Hard / Firm Secant Pile Wall 4.1.3 Hard / Hard Secant Pile Wall

Wetland Mitigation: A Failing Attempt at Saving the Wetlands Essay

Introduction Virtually unknown guardians of the cities surrounding them; hidden homes for many species of fish, plants, and animals; as well as a unique recreational area to locals and a helpful attraction for tourism—the wetlands have an immeasurable and unrecognized value to our society. Wetland mitigation began a popular movement in the late 80s with a no net loss goal; however, the agencies in charge are far from close to this goal.—Sadly, the wetlands are disappearing at an overwhelming rate; according to Esty, the US is losing about 60,000 acres of wetland annually (Esty). Although efforts behind wetland mitigation are meant to be positive, the enforcement of wetland mitigation is failing to show positive results. With so many wetlands disappearing there has to be a flaw in the mitigation system. Considering mitigation is supposed to prevent development on wetlands, why is it still happening regularly? One main reason is how easy the mitigation process has become for developers. When an individual wishes to disrupt the ecosystem of a wetland area, it begins a chain of events referred to as wetland mitigation. This process begins after a site is chosen for development that is considered protected by section 404 of the United States Clean Water Act. Before construction can begin, a qualified group, referred to as a permittee, is assigned the duty of determining a way to avoid filling or dredging the wetland area. If there is no other solution then the permittee begins discussions of compensatory mitigation. The developer may choose to build a new wetland area, maintain an existing wetland, or restore a former wetland to lessen the effects his project has on the environment. . Generally developers will choose a third party ... ...tial And Temporal Patterns In Compensatory Wetland Mitigation." Environmental Management 40.3 (2007): 349-364. GreenFILE. Web. 8 May 2012. "Economic Benefits of Wetlands." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 12 Jan. 2009. Web. 09 May 2012 Esty, Amos. "Banking On Mitigation." American Scientist 95.2 (2007): 122-123. Academic Search Elite. Web. 6 May 2012 Hampton, Steve. Personal Interview. 1 May 2012 Mittal, Anu K. "Wetlands Protection: Corps Of Engineers Does Not Have An Effective Oversight Approach To Ensure That Compensatory Mitigation Is Occurring: GAO-05-89." GAO Reports (2005): 1.MasterFILE Premier. Web. 6 May 2012. Pittman, Craig. "Banking On A LOSS." Planning 73.11 (2007): 4. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 9 May 2012 THE ASSOCIATED, PRESS. "Builders Can 'Bank' Efforts To Restore Wetlands." New York Times Apr. 2008: 17.Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 9 May 2012.

Prejudice and Racism - No Racism in Heart of Darkness Essay -- HOD Jos

No Racism in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   Chinua Achebe challenges Joseph Conrad's novella depicting the looting of Africa, Heart of Darkness (1902) in his essay "An Image of Africa" (1975). Achebe's is an indignant yet solidly rooted argument that brings the perspective of a celebrated African writer who chips away at the almost universal acceptance of the work as "classic," and proclaims that Conrad had written "a bloody racist book" (Achebe 319). In her introduction in the Signet 1997 edition, Joyce Carol Oates writes, "[Conrad's] African natives are "dusty niggers," cannibals." Conrad [...] painfully reveals himself in such passages, and numerous others, as an unquestioning heir of centuries of Caucasian bigotry" (Oates 10). The argument seems to lie within a larger question; is the main character Charlie Marlow racist, and is Marlow an extension of Conrad's opinion? Achebe says yes to both notions. He points to Marlow's speech about the Thames and the Congo as revealing his view of "Africa as "the other world," the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization," and notes the description of the Africans as "limbs [and] rolling eyes," or, in Conrad's words, "ugly" (315). When they are not incomprehensible "savages" or "brutes," the Africans are farcical: "[The fireman] was an improved specimen; he could fire up a vertical boiler. [...] to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat" (109). Achebe discusses Conrad's withholding the ability of speech from the majority of the African characters. The Africans are not humanized, as the whites are, having no dimension, no tone or color save an alien black. They are never personified; Conrad refers to them as "black shapes" or "mor... ...ifferent standpoint, the story for the story's sake, much like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mysteries which said nothing about society overtly at all. Unlike Mr. Doyle, Conrad's attempts to make social commentary on the pillaging of Africa immediately thrust him into the shoes of his character, and though he attempted to do good by shedding light on the matter, he made only a half-hearted attempt; not racism, merely a lack of strength of conviction.       Works Cited: Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa," from Chant of Saints: a gathering of Afro-American Literature, Art & Scholarship, Michael Harper, ed. University of Illinois Press, 1979 Conrad, Joseph Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer, 1902. Signet Classic, New York 1997. Oates, Joyce Carol. Introduction to Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer copyright The Ontario Review Inc., 1997.

Hinduism :: essays research papers

I decided to read about Hinduism because this was the only religion I had not been familiar with. Hinduism was originated in India and is still practiced by most of the people in India today. Hinduism is a major world religion with more than 700 million followers. Although all Hindus acknowledge the existence and importance of many gods, most worshipers are devoted to a single god or goddess. The most popular are Shiva and Vishnu. Shiva embodies the apparently contradictory aspect of a god of ascetics and a god of the phallus. Shiva is said to have appeared on earth in various human, animal, and vegetable forms, establishing his many local shrines. To his worshipers, Vishnu is all-encompassing and supreme. It is said that a lotus sprang from his belly giving birth to the creator, Brahma. Vishnu created the universe by separating heaven and earth. He also is said to have rescued the universe on a number of occasions. He is worshipped in a variety of descents including animals, dwarfs , the man-lion, the Buddha, Rama, and Kalki. The most popular descent of Vishnu is Rama, even though he was a human hero. Vishnu and Shiva are two primary gods of worship. There is a primary goddess of worship called Devi. In some myths it is said that she commands the male gods to do work of destruction and creation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hinduism is different from Christian theology in respect to the fact that we have only one god. Hinduism has many gods and goddesses even though most Hindu worshipers are devoted to one of these gods. In some ways it is the same when comparing how Hindu worshipers acknowledge different forms of the same god. Christians believe in the Trinity, which is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Hindus believe in different forms of their god too. They believe that some of their gods can be found in animals, artifacts, or even some mystical creatures. Hindus also believe in one creator even though they give credit for the creation of the universe to the father of this creator. They believe Vishnu gave birth to Brahma who is the creator of humans and trees and everything else on earth. Christians believe that there is only one creator and this creator made heaven and earth and all things on earth. Hinduism also has goddesses in the religion where as Christian theology only really ever teaches about the importance of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

How Good Are Your Communication Skills? Essay

In everyday life, communication skills need to be used to interact with people in many situations. Communication is the foundation for social interaction as it allows people to socialize and interact. Effective communication is extremely important in a health and social care context because it is essential to help you understand your clients’ feelings and emotions, as well as creating a positive relationship with your clients, relatives, colleagues and other healthcare professionals. Communication may come in many forms including speaking, writing or sometimes using pictures, sign language, and body language or gesturing. There are a number of reasons we communicate including socializing, to express our needs, informing others of information, to share ideas, to educate, to identify problems, to find solutions and many other reasons. Verbal Communication Verbal communication is when a person communicates verbally with someone. This could be one to one or in a group. Good verbal communication skills in health and social care is essential as it allow workers to effectively communicate and connect with patients and health care professionals by listening to them and talking to them to meet their needs. The ability to communicate and connect with patients and health care professionals helps to build relationships, prevent mistakes and helps to provide a high level of care. When communicating verbally, a person’s tone of voice interprets what they say and what influence it has on the receiver. If someone talks in a very slow and low voice, people may consider you are shy, embarrassed, unconfident or unsure. It may also indicate discomfort about the topic being spoken about. However, a calm and slow voice shows you are a confi friendly and caring. Talking quickly with a firm tone and in a loud voice may indicate anger or rudeness. When health and social care professionals speak with service users, it is very important to know when to change your tone of voice Non-Verbal Communication Non-Verbal communication is the process of sending and receiving messages without using words, either spoken or written messages. This could be communicating through gestures, touch (Haptic communication), by body language, posture, facial expression, eye contact or written communication. There are several types of nonverbal communication including: Kinesics Kinesics involves body movements in communication, for example, hand gestures, nodding or shaking the head Proxemics Proxemics involves the physical distance between people when they communicate, territoriality and personal space, position, and poster, how you stand or sit, whether your arms are crossed, and so on. Haptic Haptic communication describes how we communicate with each other with the use of touch. Young children and the elderly may commonly use haptic communication. For example, a child may tap their mum on her shoulder to get her attention. Non- Verbal communication is the second most common type of communication used in health and social care settings. It can be used in emails, letters, written communication and sign language. Very many people communicate using facial expressions, gestures and body language. Facial expressions are responsible for a huge proportion of nonverbal communication. This is because the first thing we see when we look at a person is their facial expressions. Facial expression gives a huge clue on what type of mood a person is in. A person who Language Barriers Sometimes there are barriers that need to be overcome to be able to communicate. There are a number of different barriers, which people could face. For example a language barrier. If someone spoke a different language to you, you would struggle to understand what he or she is trying to say. In this case, an interpreter could be used to translate for them. This would mean that the barrier would be overcome. If someone has the same first language as someone, it allows them to communicate effectively with an individual. Additionally, there are other barriers, which people may face including physical barriers, barriers for people with special needs and psychological barriers. Physiological Barriers Psychological barriers are mind-associated problems that keep you from reaching a solution, obtaining a goal, establishing positive relationships or taking a step toward finding a new job or starting college etc. Therefore, understanding what these issues are will help you on your journey to overcome intangible fears and frustrations. People who are going through a difficult time may not want to communicate if they feel distressed or down. This may lead them to avoid communication with people for a number of reasons. A person’s self-esteem may discourage them from communicating with people and prevent them from taking part in-group activities. Some factors, which may contribute to a low self-esteem, may be fear and anxiety, low self- concept, depression or panic attacks. People who suffer from a low self- esteem may shut themselves out and avoid communicating with people altogether. Dealing with a disabled person who communicates in different ways People suffering from physical disabilities may face physical barriers, which may relate to hearing, eyesight, difficulty walking or movement of the limbs. These barriers may be overcome by using pictures to express words, Makaton, or braille for visually impaired individuals or people with impaired hearing. A person with a physical disability could become easily annoyed and agitated. It may be hard to communicate with them when they feel like this. To handle a situation when they feel like this it may help if they are spoken to in a calm manner, as they may get more irritated, it may also help to remove them from a situation to allow them to calm down. They may use different body language to express their feelings, for example, if they are feeling annoyed they may sigh or if they want to show you they need something they may tap your shoulder. A disabled person may also require special facilities to be provided for them such as braille. Braille is a form of written language for blind people, in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips. British Sign language uses visual communication including gestures, facial expressions, and body language; to communicate mainly with people who are deaf or have hearing impairments. A person who is deaf or has hearing impairments may need a signer to communicate with them using sign language and pass on information. These alternatives allow disabled people to communicate effectively. Types of Interpersonal Communication Communicating with different people: There are times where you may use formal language and times where you may use informal language. For example, talking to a friend you will usually use slang terms and informal language. This may include personal topics, which you would only discuss with people you are close to. Talking to a colleague, you will need to take a more professional approach. You would not usually ask a colleague about their personal life or what they did for the weekend. You may use terminology or jargon words relating to your job and work when communicating with professionals. One to one groups: In many Health and Social Care settings such as nursing homes or schools, one to one communication is important. This could be to provide a service user with extra support or personal care. To meet the personal needs of a service user it could be beneficial to communicate one to one with them to maintain privacy and confidentiality. This may also help them to feel more comfortable when communicating with professionals about personal matters. Group Communication: Group communication is a more open type of communication as it allows people to express their views and opinions to a number of people. It also allows people discuss their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with people. An example of group communication is support groups. Support groups allow a group of people to share their negative past experiences with each other and offer support, encouragement, and advice. People with drinking problems, drug problems, and young offenders may join support groups to find ways to deal with their problems when other ways have failed. Facial expressions body language and posture: A person’ s facial expressions, body language and posture give people a good interpretation of how they are feeling or what they may be thinking. If a person is slouching, looks uninterested, unconcerned and is not participating at work it gives people the impression they do not care about their work, they are not physically prepared and that they want to be elsewhere. A person with this attitude may not want to communicate with others as their body language shows that they may want to be left undisturbed. When a person is speaking, you can usually tell what type of mood they are in by the tone of their voice. If they In almost any workplace including health and social care settings, a good level of verbal and written communication is needed. Workers will need to be able to communicate with service effectively to ensure that their needs are met to a high standard, with other colleagues which they work with and other organizations which the service is part of. Good communication is an essential tool in achieving productivity and maintaining strong working relationships at all levels of an organization. A General practitioner(GP) will need to have a good standard of both written and verbal communication skills to meet the needs of their patient. The role of their job of a general practitioner requires listening to a patient’s problems and decide on a suitable solution or treatment for them in a timely manner. Sometimes a general practitioner also known as a doctor will refer patients to other services which can provide for their specific needs. For example, a person who has suffered from a fall may be referred to a hospital to have an x-ray. In this case, a doctor may need to create a written medical report on the accident which would be passed on to other health care professionals such as radiographers. D1: Analyse how cultural variations can influence communication There are different ways religious beliefs, languages and personal views can have an impact on how we communicate. These factors may change the manner in which we communicate, the ways of communicating with different people and how we communicate. There are many cultural differences in communication and for this reason; it needs to be ensured that related barriers are overcome. People of different cultures may use different gestures, symbols, languages and different ways to greet people. Culture can affect how you think and act and, more importantly, the kind of criteria by which you judge others. The traditions of one culture may be the total opposite of another culture. For example, it is seen as polite and respectful to make eye contact when speaking to someone in Western culture but in other cultures, for example in East Asia, it can be seen as rude and defiant. Some cultures portray some behaviors as normal and right and others strange or wrong. In different cultures, there are diverse ways to greet people. some cultures shake hands, kiss on the cheek, bow, hug or simply say hi or hello. In England, The handshake is used as a gesture. as a form of a greeting between two people. If the information (signs, leaflets, posters) about health, social care, and early years services are in English only then those with a different first language will not be able to find out about the service. If the information uses specialist language, the individual may not understand it. They may become anxious or worried about the service.

Effective Study Skills Are the Sole Foundation of a Sound Essay

Effective study skills are definitely an important factor of a sound education. They don’t happen overnight. They â€Å"evolve and mature through practice, trial and error, feedback from others and reflection through different stages of the course† (Cottrell,S.2008. pg1) Working on effective study skills means the individual will find out what works best. Basically â€Å"learning how to learn† (Cottrell,S. 2008. pg 48). There are many different ways in which individuals learn, for e.g. ‘conscious learning’ – when the individual is aware they are learning (Cottrell,S. 2008. pg 48). ‘Unconscious learning’ – when the individual is unaware that it is happening but it may become conscious learning when they just know something and then wonder, how did I know that (Cottrell,S. 2008. pg 48). Each person has 3 different learning styles which affect their lives. Some people learn better using visual learning such as looking at pictures or diagrams. Other people are auditory learners i.e. listening to recordings. Then there are people who are kinaesthetic or tactile learners, they like to touch and play with things. (Wyman,P. 2011). By testing all these types of learning people will see what they find easiest to use and then be able to adapt it to their studies. Effective study skills could definitely be described as the sole foundation of a sound education when doing independent learning. A learner would acquire knowledge by his or her own efforts, therefore good study skills are vital (Meena. 2012). This comes into effect on a distance learning course i.e. foot health diploma. Having the choice of when and where studying takes place, means being disciplined enough to dedicate the time to it. In essence the individual is teaching themselves. To really succeed in a chosen subject doing something with genuine enthusiasm is most important otherwise individuals could just lose interest.