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1 – 10 of over 11000
Article
Publication date: 7 August 2017

Osama A.B. Hassan

The aim of this review study is to present useful and practical expressions to compute the design vertical actions on load-bearing columns/walls of typical building structures on…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this review study is to present useful and practical expressions to compute the design vertical actions on load-bearing columns/walls of typical building structures on the basis of EN 1991: Eurocode 1.

Design/methodology/approach

It is derived by a typical case in which wind actions, snow actions and permanents actions are loading a roof construction. The results are finally used to calculate the loading on columns/walls. Both ultimate limit state and serviceability limit state are considered.

Findings

From an instructive point of view, the advantage of this method is that it is simplified, general, not time-consuming, and it can be standardised to typical building structures.

Research limitations/implications

A number of example applications are introduced to illustrate the calculation procedure.

Practical implications

From an educational point of view, this problem is of interest to civil engineering students because the reviewed method is not cumbersome or time-consuming.

Social implications

From an engineering educational point of view, this problem is of interest to civil engineering students because the reviewed method is not cumbersome or time-consuming.

Originality/value

New formulated expressions to calculate the loadings on structural membranes based on Eurocode are presented.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, vol. 15 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 March 2022

Jamiu Adetayo Dauda, Suraj A. Rahmon, Ibrahim A. Tijani, Fouad Mohammad and Wakeel O. Okegbenro

The purpose of this study is to find the optimum design of Reinforced Concrete (RC) pile foundation to enable efficient use of structural concrete with greater consequences for…

2038

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to find the optimum design of Reinforced Concrete (RC) pile foundation to enable efficient use of structural concrete with greater consequences for global environment and economy.

Design/methodology/approach

A non-linear optimisation technique based on the Generalised Reduced Gradient (GRG) algorithm was implemented to find the minimum cost of RC pile foundation in frictional soil. This was achieved by obtaining the optimum pile satisfying the serviceability and ultimate limit state requirements of BS 8004 and EC 7. The formulated structural optimisation procedure was applied to a case study project to assess the efficiency of the proposed design formulation.

Findings

The results prove that the GRG method in Excel solver is an active, fast, accurate and efficient computer programme to obtain optimum pile design. The application of the optimisation for the case study project shows up to 26% cost reduction compared to the conventional design.

Research limitations/implications

The design and formulation of design constraints will be limited to provisions of BS 8004 and EC 7.

Practical implications

Since the minimum quantity of concrete was attained through optimisation, then minimum cement will be used and thus result in minimum CO2 emission. Therefore, the optimum design of concrete structures is a vital solution to limit the damage to the Earth's climate and the physical environment resulting from high carbon emissions.

Originality/value

The current study considers the incorporation of different soil ground parameters in the optimisation process rather than assuming any pile capacity value for the optimisation process.

Details

Frontiers in Engineering and Built Environment, vol. 2 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2634-2499

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 April 2008

Sergio M. Alcocer and Víctor M. Castaño

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of structural design code development in Mexico, as an example of how code evolution has taken place in many countries, and to…

833

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of structural design code development in Mexico, as an example of how code evolution has taken place in many countries, and to discuss the challenges faced in improving code compliance and reducing vulnerability.

Design/methodology/approach

All building codes for Mexico City (1920‐2004) and current codes in Mexico were analyzed and compared in terms of their scope and contents. Emphasis is placed on understanding how design requirements, professional liabilities and overall performance requirements have evolved.

Findings

Structural codes have become more refined and complex, including at each revision the current state‐of‐the‐art knowledge. However, code compliance and code misinterpretation are prevalent, mainly because users are not familiar with the concepts and technologies involved. Also, it is stated that government authorities lack the technical capacity to identify code misinterpretations. Finally, it is stated that, for non‐engineered construction guidelines, other educational sources are needed in lieu of merely enforcing codes.

Research limitations/implications

Systematic research aimed at assessing the level of code compliance is needed.

Practical implications

A valuable source of changes and challenges in code implementation and compliance for students and practitioners is provided.

Originality/value

This paper summarizes information on the evolution of Mexican structural codes and offers a critique of the challenges and need for improving code implementation and reducing building vulnerability.

Details

Structural Survey, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-080X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2015

Sebastian Godenhjelm, Rolf A. Lundin and Stefan Sjöblom

The purpose of this paper is to establish an understanding of what projectification means, how projectification is driven forward, as well as what the consequences of…

2159

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish an understanding of what projectification means, how projectification is driven forward, as well as what the consequences of projectification are in an European Union (EU) context, and in the public sector in general.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methods consist of a literature review as well as a meta-analysis of key EU policy documents related to the functioning of regional development and projects. The paper shows that structural developments brought forth by a projectification in a public sector context have significant consequences.

Findings

Without contextually sensitive interlinking mechanisms between temporary and permanent structures projects risk losing their flexible and innovative qualities, and may fragment the ability of permanent organisations for maintaining coordination and continuity. The findings suggests that the proximity of permanent organisations, the discretion of entrepreneurship, the political priority of the task, the inclusion of competencies and interests, and the quality of transfer mechanisms are essential variables in explaining the outcome of temporary organisations in a politico-administrative context.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contributes to the literature on projects in a public sector context and suggests that comparative research on the drivers and consequences of public sector projectification in supranational as well as national contexts is needed.

Practical implications

The increasing requirements for applied project management skills and methods as criteria for project selection in the public sector highlight the importance of a broader theoretical and practical understanding of projectification.

Originality/value

The paper adds a new dimension to the projectification debate by presenting a descriptive and conceptual discussion about the consequences of public sector projectification in an EU context. It complements an existing theory of the temporary organisation and takes the first steps towards a theory applicable to projectification in a public context.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2013

Mattias Jacobsson, Thommie Burström and Timothy L. Wilson

This research note puts the role of transition back in the center of the temporary organization and lends to understanding the temporary organization as a transitory unit within…

1277

Abstract

Purpose

This research note puts the role of transition back in the center of the temporary organization and lends to understanding the temporary organization as a transitory unit within the permanent organization. The purpose is to reactivate theory development within this field of research and promote a dialog that will point to a possible way forward.

Design/methodology/approach

An intra‐organizational perspective is taken. Backgrounds of the two theories are covered and then the temporary organization as a transitory unit, and the role of transition are addressed. One basic transformation is made in the theory of the temporary organization and then the model superposed on the behavioral theory of the firm.

Findings

In total, four things were achieved. First, the conceptualization of temporary organization was simplified – five variables have been reduced to four in eliminating “action” as an element of description. Second, the conceptualization was extended to include constructs of the permanent organization. Third, the theory was strengthened by providing an extended framework that potentially could be examined to check observations against theory. Finally, some directions were suggested for future theory development to take.

Research limitations/implications

The research note is conceptual, so applicability depends upon the nature of the particular organization to which it is applied.

Originality/value

Although the paper is conceptual, the authors believe that the approach can be used to understand the interrelatedness of the temporary and permanent organization and to promote a dialog within this field of research – a dialog that hopefully will reactivate theory development.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2024

João J. Ferreira, Claudia Dias, Pedro Mota Veiga and Justin Zuopeng Zhang

Based on the Natural resource-based view (NRBV), this study aims to analyze the association between the Sustainable Development Goals related to Gender Equality, Decent Work…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on the Natural resource-based view (NRBV), this study aims to analyze the association between the Sustainable Development Goals related to Gender Equality, Decent Work, Innovation, and Climatic Action in the Food Industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative study is adopted based on the 2019 World Bank Enterprise Survey microdata. The database includes 1,242 food enterprises from 16 European Union countries. We applied logistic regression with cluster robust standard errors.

Findings

Despite global efforts to promote decent work and gender equity, the anticipated results have not yet been achieved, suggesting varying performance in different contexts. Food firms, characterized by significant environmental impacts and seasonal tasks, employ diverse Human Resource Management (HRM) strategies based on whether they pursue innovation or environmental objectives. Grounded in the NRBV, our findings underscore the importance of investing in qualified workers and offering attractive wages to meet environmental goals, as well as providing stable contracts for female workers. The NRBV framework also highlights the crucial role of product and process innovations, whether green or not, in achieving climate action objectives.

Practical implications

European policies must be adapted to the human resources characteristics in the food industry, providing specific training on environmental and innovation issues and contributing to more work stability and gender equality.

Originality/value

Our study applies the NRBV to analyze how human resources and product/process innovations can boost environmental preservation in an industry characterized by strong environmental impacts, seasonal tasks, and financial constraints.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 September 2012

Antonia Ruiz Moreno, Ma Teresa Ortega‐Egea and Francisco Javier Lloréns‐Montes

This paper aims to analyze the influence of externalization in the workforce on creating a work context that supports innovation and the moderation of this relationship by…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the influence of externalization in the workforce on creating a work context that supports innovation and the moderation of this relationship by different contextual variables.

Design/methodology/approach

These relationships were studied using a sample of 249 workers from five firms. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to contrast the hypotheses.

Findings

The results of the study indicate that externalization affects the permanent worker's orientation to innovation negatively and that this relationship is moderated by contextual variables such as group potency and monitoring.

Originality/value

The aim of this paper is to stimulate new lines of research on externalization and orientation to innovation and their repercussions for the firm.

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1988

Anthony Clunies Ross

The assignment of targets to instruments in developing countries cannot satisfactorily follow any simple universal rule. Which approach is appropriate is influenced by whether the…

281

Abstract

The assignment of targets to instruments in developing countries cannot satisfactorily follow any simple universal rule. Which approach is appropriate is influenced by whether the economy is dominated by primary exports, by the importance of the domestic bond market and bank credit, by the extent of existing restriction in foreign exchange and financial markets, by the presence or absence of persistent high inflation, and by the existence or non‐existence of an active international market in the country's currency. Eighteen observations and maxims on stabilisation policy are tentatively drawn (pp. 64–8) from the material reviewed, and the maxims are partly summarised (pp. 69–71) in a schematic assignment, with variations, of targets to instruments.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 September 2008

Varinder Singh and V.P. Agrawal

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to integrate manufacturing system analysis to obtain system‐wide optimized solutions and to increase the level of comprehensiveness of the…

1445

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to integrate manufacturing system analysis to obtain system‐wide optimized solutions and to increase the level of comprehensiveness of the manufacturing system modelling and to develop method of characterization of manufacturing systems based on its structure.

Design/methodology/approach

Elements constituting the manufacturing plant and the interactions between them have been identified through a literature survey and have been represented by graph‐based model. The matrix models and the variable permanent function models are developed for carrying out decomposition, characterization and the total analysis.

Findings

Structural patterns and combination sets of subsystems interacting in various ways have been recognized as capabilities of manufacturing system in different performance dimensions. The permanent function of the manufacturing system matrix has been proposed as a systematic technique for structural analysis of manufacturing system. Also, the terms of permanent multinomial characterize the manufacturing systems uniquely and are highly useful for computational storage, retrieval, communication as well as analysis of the structural information of manufacturing system.

Research limitations/implications

The structure‐based characterization technique developed has the potential of aiding the ongoing research activities in the field of benchmarking, and business process reengineering. The graph theory‐based methodology will serve as a framework to develop composite performance measures building on the performance measures of the individual elements of the manufacturing system graph in various dimensions.

Practical implications

Through the use of proposed methodology, a manufacturing manager will be able to make better informed decisions towards organizational efforts of improving the productivity and speed. For aiding several decisions, different “what‐if” scenarios may be generated with several structural modifications.

Originality/value

This graph theory‐based methodology is a novel mechanism to seamlessly integrate manufacturing system giving way to system wide optimization. The paper is an attempt to address the need for comprehensive and integrated analysis of the manufacturing system.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 19 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2002

James W. Bishop, Michael G. Goldsby and Christopher P. Neck

Traditional employment practices since the Second World War had usually ensured job security for a company’s workforce. However, the increasingly competitive environment and the…

2542

Abstract

Traditional employment practices since the Second World War had usually ensured job security for a company’s workforce. However, the increasingly competitive environment and the restructuring of companies in the 1980s and 1990s have made this practice impossible to continue; therefore, layoffs have become a fact of life for employees in an increasing number of industries. The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes in two employment environments, one in which temporary workers were used to shield permanent employees from layoffs and another in which layoff decisions were made without regard to permanent or temporary status. Specifically, examination was made of the relationships among perceived organizational support (POS), organizational commitment, and intention to quit, and the relative levels of these variables across two environments and the two classes of workers. It was found that, as expected, the relationships among the commitment variables and intention to quit were similar within both environments. Also, as expected, levels of commitment in the “shield” environment were higher than in the “layoff” environment; and POS was higher among temporary employees in the “shield” environment than among permanent workers in the “layoff” environment. A particularly interesting finding was that, in the “layoff” environment, POS among temporary workers was higher than among permanent workers.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

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