Monday, January 27, 2020

Hazards Associated With Deep Excavations

Hazards Associated With Deep Excavations Health and Safety Task 2 P3 Describe a range of identifiable hazards associated with deep excavations and scaffolding when working from heights. Explain who may be at risk from these potential Hazards? Working from Heights: When working from heights it is vital to remember to be very careful because of the numerous dangers when doing so, there is quite a lot of professions that work from large heights, but the most common one in the construction industry is scaffolding. So Im going to give you some examples of hazards associated with scaffolding; Falling from said height: The dangers here are obvious, depending how far you fall and what you hit when going down and of course how and what you land on all determine how much damage you will take. Now the simplest way to make sure people dont fall of scaffolding is by having safety rails and barriers all the way around the platforms but this can cost a lot of money if they make it completely protected all the way around, so they have to make the scaffolders on site aware of any certain areas that are more dangerous than others for example a hole where ladders are from the area below, an area that isnt as well protected as it isnt an area of high traffic. When talking about falling from heights and who gets injured due to it this will rarely involve the public as they should not be climbing the scaffolding to be able to fall, so this will usually only effect the workers. Objects falling from height: Objects falling from height is one of the main causes of injury and death in the construction industry, this is because of the nature of the items and the large heights that are used on site for example, a lot of bricks and iron poles fall from the top of scaffolding that could be as high as a 30m building or even more, this is why P.P.E like hard hats were introduced because we identified hazards like this and realised this was the best plan of action. Objects falling from height can be very dangerous to the passing public when there is scaffolding being done on a busy main street for example, we now put measures In place so that the public has to be a certain distance away, as well as having netting theyre to try and catch the falling debris. Obviously workers are also injured and killed from falling objects quite regularly as well. Deep Excavations: Deep Excavations is where you have dug a rather large hole that requires foundations to keep the ground from caving inwards and crushing what ever is inside. Now obviously this is very dangerous job because there are a couple of major risks that are involved for example, the ground caving in around you, lack of oxygen in the tunnels, and digging in areas of danger. Ground Caving In: There is a great risk of the ground caving in while digging, the way around this problem is by creating foundations as you go along, these foundations will keep the sides from caving in, this is the most common danger when doing deep excavations, as sometimes people dont make strong foundations and the foundations could break leading to a cave in. Lack of Oxygen: There is a chance when working so low down that there will be a lack of oxygen, obviously we have found ways around this with Oxygen tanks and so on but, there is still a fear that the oxygen will be thin and cause you to pass out. Digging in areas of danger: There is also the danger of digging in dangerous areas when digging for example an electricity cable running along the ground, or major water pipes could also cause serious problems if damaged when digging. So it is very important to check the area that you are digging in properly to make sure that there isnt anything that could cause problems when digging. P4 Review and evaluate the main principle features of a risk assessment for these situations and determine the main differences between risks and hazards? Risk Assessments: There are four principle features of a risk assessment these are; Every employer must take an assessment of the risk to their works and non-employees at work, the risk assessment that has been taken must then be reviewed in case there is any changes needed to it, and then specific risk assessments must be carried out on young persons employed at work. These principles are very important they are what makes risk assessments work, if you dont stick to certain principles for example things could go wrong; Every employer must take and assessment of the risk to their works and non-employees at work, this is arguably the most important of the four as this is the base foundations for the rest, it is important to remember that the risk assessments that are taken are also for the public not just for employees. Secondly the undertaken risk assessment must be reviewed this is due to the fact that there could be a few risks missing, or on the other hand they might have added a few risks that werent there at all. There is also five main points to consider when doing a risk assessment these are: Identify the hazards, decide who might be harmed, evaluate the risks and precautions to be put in place, then record your findings and review your previous risk assessment and update it. Difference between a Risk and a Hazard: A Hazard is something that potentially has the ability to cause harm for example things like hot water/steam, electricity whereas a Risk is the likeliness of that said Hazard happening, for example electricity is being transferred threw a wire this is a potential hazard, there is no risk until the wire for example has been damaged, now there is a risk of being electrocuted so I becomes a risk. M1 Carry out a risk assessment for the task associated with the construction of a retaining wall. Remember to consider the 5 steps to a risk assessment. Introduction: First before I actually do a risk assessment Im going to quickly explain what a retaining wall is and make a diagram so it will be simpler to understand where I have found the risks and why I see them as risks. Retaining Walls: A retaining wall is a style of wall that is used more specifically for holding back dirt/stone back from a certain building/area; retaining walls if erected properly can be incredibly effective at fighting back erosion of the soil around the retaining wall. They are built by digging down and creating foundations and building the wall from the foundations up. D1 Justify your risk assessment strategy with accident records and data available and explain how you have taken all reasonable and practicable steps for control measures monitoring that you believe essential. Measures In Place I believe that we have taken all steps that are essential to control the dangers surrounding building a retaining wall, with a deep excavation for the foundations of the wall. We have found every hazard that we deem worthy of risk and rated said risk, we have put measures in place to make sure that these risks are avoided for example; when digging an deep excavation there is great risk that the ground can cave in from the sides, we get around this by making sure that we have safe solid foundations, making sure that they are maintained is vital as its no good having foundations if there going to break due to negligence. It is clear that its essential to have the right controls in place as the construction industry is a very dangerous place. So in conclusion I believe we have managed to cover every risk there, and as long as we stick to what measure that have been set we should be a lot safer than before. Data on accident records It is important to back up the risk assessment with recent data as to prove that there is a decline in people getting hurt and that the measures that we are putting in place over the years are making a difference. The first set of results shows the amount of injuries due to falling from heights in the construction industry between 1996 2008, the second set of results show the amount of injuries due to falling from heights in the construction industry between 2008 to 2009; it shows the three main types of injury, Fatal, Major and over 3 day injuries.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Applying Models of Health Promotion to Improve Effectiveness of Pharmacist-Led Campaign in Reducing Obesity in Socioeconomically Deprived Areas

Abstract This essay aims to determine how different models of health promotion can be used to improve effectiveness of pharmacist-led campaign in reducing obesity in socioeconomically deprived areas. The health belief, changes of stage and ecological approaches models are some models discussed in this brief. These models are suggested to be effective in underpinning pharmacist-led campaigns for obesity in the community. This essay also discusses the impact of obesity on individuals and the community and its prevalence in socio-economically deprived groups. Challenges associated with uptake of healthy behaviour are discussed along with possible interventions for obesity. It is suggested that a multi-faceted, community based intervention will likely lead to a successful campaign against obesity. Introduction Blenkinsopp et al. (2000) explain that health promotion is aimed at maintaining and enhancing good health in order to prevent ill health. Health promotion encompasses different issues and activities that influence the health outcomes of individuals and society. Health promotion involves the creation and implementation of health and social care policies that are deemed to prevent diseases and promote the physical, social and mental health of the people. Blenkinsopp et al. (2000) observe that pharmacists are perceived to have crucial roles as health promoters in the community. Since health promotion incorporates a range of actions that are aimed in promoting health, it is essential to understand the role of pharmacists in promoting health. In this essay, a focus is made on health promotion for individuals suffering from obesity in socioeconomically deprived areas. A discussion on the different models of health promotion will also be done. The first part of this brief discusses models o f health promotion while the second part critically analyses how these models can be used to underpin pharmacist-led campaigns in reducing obesity. The last part of this essay will summarise the key points raised in this essay. Models of Health Promotion Blenkinsopp et al. (2003) argue that, in the past, perspectives of pharmacists on ill-health takes the biomedical model approach to health. This model considers ill health as a biomedical problem (Goodson, 2009) and hence, technologies and medicines are used to cure the disease. Pharmacists are regarded as ‘experts’ in terms of their knowledge on a health condition and its cure. Hence, when the biomedical model is used, pharmacists’ response to a health-related query likely takes the disease-oriented approach to medical treatment and referral. This approach limits the care and interventions for the patients. Bond (2000) observes that while not necessarily inappropriate for pharmacy practice, the biomedical approach results to ‘medicalisation’ of health. This means that health and illness are both determined biologically. It should be noted that the primary function of pharmacists is to dispense medications. Hence, when making health-related advice to patients, this often involves information on medications appropriate to the health conditions of the patient. However, the role of pharmacists in providing medicines has expanded to include advice on the therapeutic uses of medications and information on how to maintain optimal health (Levin et al., 2008). Taylor et al. (2004) also reiterates that pharmacists are beginning to promote health through patient education that supports positive behaviour and actions related to health. This new approach is consistent with health models for individuals such as health belief model and stages of change. The health belief model teaches that individuals have to acknowledge the perceived threat and severity of the disease and how positive health behaviour can give them benefits (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). The benefits of the new behaviour should outweigh perceived barriers to the physical activity behaviours (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). This model requires that individuals have cues to action to help them adapt a new behaviour and gain self-efficacy. The latter is important since individuals suffering from chronic conditions need to develop self-efficacy to help them manage their condition and prevent complications (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). It is well established that obesity, as a chronic condition, is a risk factor for development of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, orthopaedic abnormalities and some form of cancer (Department of Health, 2009). When individuals receive sufficient patient education on obesity and the risks associated with this condition, it is believed that they will take actions to manage the condition. While the health belief model has gained success in helping individuals take positive actions regarding their health, Naidoo and Wills (2009) emphasises that patient education alone or informing them on the severity and their susceptibility of the disease may not be sufficient in changing or sustaining behaviour. Although individuals are informed on the benefits of the health behaviour, there is still a need to consider how environmental factors help shape health behaviour. It should be considered that obesity is a multifactorial problem and environmental factors play crucial roles in its development. Public Health England (2014) notes that in the last 25 years, the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled. This rapid increase in overweight and obesity prevalence shows that in 2010, only 30.9% of the men in the UK have basal metabolic index (BMI) within the healthy range (Public Health England, 2014). In contrast, the proportion of men with healthy BMI in 1993 was 41.0%. Amongst women, proportion of women with healthy BMI in 1993 was 49.5% but this dropped to 40.5% in 2010. It has been shown that almost a third or 26.1% of UK’s population is obese. If current trends are not addressed, it is projected that by 2050, 60% of adults will be obese (Public Health England, 2014). The effects of obesity are well established not only on the health of individuals but also on the cost of care and management of complications arising from this condition (Public Health England). Managing obesity at the individual level is necessary to help individuals adopt a healthier lifestyle. It has been shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (Department of Health, 2011) and engagement in structured physical activities (De Silva-Sanigorski, 2011) improve health outcomes of obese or overweight individuals. The stages of change model (Goodson, 2009) could be used to promote health amongst this group. This model states that adoption of healthy behaviours such as engagement in regular physical activity or consumption of healthier food requires eliminating unhealthy ones. The readiness of an individual is crucial on whether people will progress through the five levels of stage of change model. These levels include pre-contemplation, contemplation followed by preparation, action and maintenance (Goodson, 2009). Different strategies are suggested for each level to assist an individual progress to the succeeding stage. It has been shown that prevalence of obesity is highest amongst those living in deprived areas in the UK and those with low socio-economic status (Department of Health, 2010, 2009). Families with ethnic minority origins are also at increased risk of obesity compared to the general white population in the country (Department of Health, 2010, 2009). This presents a challenge for healthcare practitioners since individuals living in poverty belong to the vulnerable groups (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). It is suggested that development of obesity amongst this group could be related to their diet. Energy-dense food is cheaper compared to the recommended fruits and vegetables. In recent years, the Department of Health (2011) has promoted consumption of 5 different types of fruits and vegetables each day. However, the cost of maintaining this type of diet is high when compared to buying energy-dense food. The problem of obesity also has the greatest impact on children from low-income families. R esearch by Jones et al. (2010) has shown a strong link between exposures to commercials of junk foods with poor eating habits. It is noteworthy that many children in low-income families are exposed to long hours of television compared to children born to more affluent families (Adams et al., 2012). The multi-factorial nature of obesity suggests that management of this condition should also take a holistic approach and should not only be limited to health promotion models designed to promote individual health. Hence, identifying different models appropriate for communities would also be necessary to address obesity amongst socio-economically deprived families. One of models that also address factors present in the community or environment of the individual is the ecological approaches model (Goodson, 2009). Family, workplace, community, economics, beliefs and traditions and the social and physical environments all influence the health of an individual (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). The levels of influence in the ecological approaches model are described as intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community and public policy. Addressing obesity amongst socio-economically deprived individuals through the ecological approaches model will ensure that each level of influence is recogn ised and addressed. Pharmacist-led Campaigns in Reducing Obesity The health belief, stages of change and the ecological approaches models can all be used to underpin pharmacist-led campaigns in reducing obesity for communities that are socio-economically deprived. Blenkinsopp et al. (2003) state that community pharmacists have a pivotal role in articulating the needs of individuals with specific health conditions in their communities. Pharmacists can lobby at local and national levels and act as supporters of local groups who work for health improvement. However, the work of the pharmacists can also be influenced by their own beliefs, perceptions and practices. Blenkinsopp et al. (2003) emphasise that when working in communities with deprived individuals, the pharmacists should also consider how their own socioeconomic status influence the type of care they provide to the service users. They should also consider whether differences in socio-economic status have an impact on the care received the patients. There should also be a consideration if th ere are differences in the culture, educational level and vocabulary of service users and pharmacists. Differences might influence the quality of care received by the patients; for instance, differences in culture could easily lead to miscommunication and poor quality of care (Taylor et al., 2004). Bond (2000) expresses the need for pharmacists to examine the needs of each service user and how they can empower individuals to seek for healthcare services and meet their own needs. In community settings, it is essential to increase the self-efficacy of service users. Self-efficacy is described as the belief of an individual that they are capable of attaining specific goals through modifying their behaviour and adopting specific behaviours (Lubkin and Larsen, 2011). In relation to addressing obesity amongst socio-economically deprived individuals, pharmacists can use the different models to help individuals identify their needs and allow them to gain self-efficacy. For example, pharmacists can use the health belief model to educate individuals on the consequences of obesity. On the other hand, the stages of change model can be utilised to help individuals changed their eating behaviour and improve their physical activities. Uptake of behaviours such as healthy eating and increasing physical activities are not always optimal despite concerted efforts of communities and policymakers (Reilly et al., 2006). It is suggested that changing one’s behaviour require holistic and multifaceted interventions aimed at increasing self-efficacy of families and allowing them to take positive actions (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). There is evidence (Tucker et al., 2006; Barkin et al., 2012; Davison et al., 2013; Zhou et al., 2014) that multifaceted community-based interventions aimed at families are more likely to improve behaviour and reduce incidence of obesity than single interventions. Community-based interventions can be supported with the ecological approaches model. This model recognises that one’s family, community, the environment, policies and other environment-related factors influence the health of the individuals. To date, the Department of Health (2010) through its Healthy Lives, Healthy People pol icy reiterates the importance of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle to prevent obesity. This policy allows local communities to take responsibility and be accountable for the health of its community members. Pharmacists are not only limited to dispensing advice on medications for obesity but to also facilitate a healthier lifestyle. This could be done through collaboration with other healthcare professionals in the community (Goodson, 2009). A multidisciplinary approach to health has been suggested to be effective in promoting positive health outcomes of service users (Zhou et al., 2014). As discussed in this essay, pharmacists can facilitate the access of service users to activities and programmes designed to prevent obesity amongst members in the community. Finally, pharmacists have integral roles in health promotion and are not limited to dispensing medications or provide counselling on pharmacologic therapies. Their roles have expanded to include providing patients with holistic interventions and facilitating uptake of health and social care services designed to manage and prevent obesity in socio-economically deprived individuals. Conclusion In conclusion, pharmacists can use the different health promotion models to address obesity amongst individuals with lower socioeconomic status. The use of these models will help pharmacists provide holistic interventions to this group and address their individual needs. The different health promotion models discussed in this essay shows that it is crucial to allow service users gain self-efficacy. This will empower them to take positive actions regarding their health. Finally, it is suggested that a multi-faceted, community based intervention will likely lead to a successful campaign against obesity. References Adams, J., Tyrrell, R., Adamson, A. & White, M. (2012). Socio-economic differences in exposure to television food advertisements in the UK: a cross-sectional study of advertisements broadcast in one television region. Public Health Nutrition, 15(3), 487-494. Barkin, S., Gesell, S., Poe, E., Escarfuller, J. & Tempesti, T. (2012). Culturally tailored, family-centred, behavioural obesity intervention for Latino-American Preschool-aged children. Pediatrics, 130(3), 445-456. Blenkisopp, A., Panton, R. & Anderson, C. (2000). Health Promotion for Pharmacists, 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Blenkisopp, A., Andersen, C. & Panton, R. (2003). Promoting Health. In: K. Taylor & G. Harding (Eds.), Pharmacy Practice (pp. 135-147). London: CRC Press. Bond, C. (2000). An introduction to pharmacy practice. In: C. Bond (ed.), Evidence-based pharmacy (pp. 1-21). London: Pharmaceutical Press. Davison, K., Jurkowski, J., Li, K., Kranz, S. & Lawson, H. ((2013). A childhood obesity intervention developed by families for families: results from a pilot study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10(3). Retrieved November 21, 2014 from http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/10/1/ De Silva-Sanigorski, A. (2011). Obesity prevention in the family day care setting: impact of the Romp & Chomp intervention on opportunities for children’s physical activity and healthy eating. Child Care, Health and Development, 37(3), 385-393. Department of Health (2009). Change4Life. London: Department of Health. Department of Health (2010). Healthy Lives, Healthy People. London: Department of Health. Department of Health (2011). The Eatwell Plate. London: Department of Health. Goodson, P. (2009). Theory in health promotion research and practice: Thinking outside the box. London: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Jones, S., Mannino, N. & Green, J. (2010). Like me, want me, buy me, eat me’: relationship-building marketing communications in children’s magazines. Public Health and Nutrition, 13(12), 2111-2118. Lubkin, I. & Larsen, P. (2011). Chronic illness: impact and intervention. London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Levin, B., Hurd, P. & Hanson, A. (2008). Introduction to public health in pharmacy. London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Naidoo, J. & Wills, J. (2009) Foundations for health promotion. London: Elsevier Health Sciences. Public Health England (2014). Trends in Obesity Prevalence. Retrieved November 21, 2014 from http://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/trends Reilly, J., Montgomery, C., Williamson, A., Fisher, A., McColl, J., Lo Conte, R., Pathon, J. & Grant, S. (2006). Physical activity to prevent obesity in young children: cluster randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, doi: 10.1136/bmj.38979.623773.55 Retrieved November 21, 2014 from http://www.bmj.com/content/333/7577/1041.full.pdf+html Taylor, K., Nettleton, S. & Harding, G. (2004). Sociology for pharmacists: An introduction. London: CRC Press. Tucker, P., Irwin, J., Sangster Bouck, L., He, M. & Pollett, G. (2006). Preventing paediatric obesity; recommendations from a community-based qualitative investigation. Obesity Review, 7(3), 251-260. Zhou, Z., Ren, H., Yin, Z., Wang, L. & Wang, K. (2014). A policy-driven multifaceted approach for the early childhood physical fitness promotion: impacts on body composition and physical fitness in young Chinese children. BMC Pediatrics, 14: 118 Retrieved November 21, 2014 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24886119

Friday, January 10, 2020

Airline Customer Relationship Management Tool

* Airline Customer Relationship Management Tool INDEX 1. Introduction 2. System Analysis a. Existing System b. proposed System 3. Feasibility Report a. Technical Feasibility b. Operational Feasibility c. Economical Feasibility 4. System Requirement Specification Document a. Overview b. Modules Description c. Process Flow d. SDLC Methodology e. Software Requirements f. Hardware Requirements 5. System Design a. DFD b. E-R diagram c. UML d. Data Dictionary 6. Technology Description 7. Coding 8. Testing & Debugging Techniques 9. Output Screens 10. Reports 11. Future Enhancements 2. Conclusion 13. Bibliography * INTRODUCTION The Main Objective of this System is to design a system to accommodate the needs of customers. This application helps a customer to know about the flight’s information and can reserve seats throughout the globe irrespective of the location. This is a computerized system to make seats reservations, keep ticket bookings and availability details up-to-date. This w eb based system provides all flight’s information, availability of flights, availability of seats. It contains information about pilots, air hostess and airport information.It also provides time schedules for different flights and source, destination details. It provides cost of tickets and enquiry details. Features of the project Reduces the complexity present in the manual system and saves time. 1. Users can access the required data easily. 2. It maintains accurate information. 3. Provides instantaneous updated information to all users. 4. Communication is fast and clear and avoids misunderstandings. It is a computerized system to make room reservations and keep room bookings and availability of details up-to-dateSystem Analysis Purpose of the System This web based system provides all flight’s information, availability of flights, availability of seats. It contains information about pilots, air hostess and airport information. It also provides time schedules for diff erent flights and source, destination details. It provides cost of tickets and enquiry details. Existing System * This system doesn’t provide register the multiple Flights * This system doesn’t provide online help to the public Proposed SystemThe development of this new system contains the following activities, which try to develop on-line application by keeping the entire process in the view of database integration approach. * This system provide online help to the public * This system provide agents registration and book the bulk tickets * This system provide late running flights information before 3 hours * Online status of the tickets must be provided in real time Feasibility Study TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY Evaluating the technical feasibility is the trickiest part of a feasibility study.This is because, at this point in time, not too many detailed design of the system, making it difficult to access issues like performance, costs on (on account of the kind of technolog y to be deployed) etc. A number of issues have to be considered while doing a technical analysis. i) Understand the different technologies involved in the proposed system Before commencing the project, we have to be very clear about what are the technologies that are to be required for the development of the new system. i) Find out whether the organization currently possesses the required technologies * Is the required technology available with the organization? * If so is the capacity sufficient? For instance – â€Å"Will the current printer be able to handle the new reports and forms required for the new system? † OPERATIONAL FEASIBILITY Proposed projects are beneficial only if they can be turned into information systems that will meet the organizations operating requirements. Simply stated, this test of feasibility asks if the system will work when it is developed and installed.Are there major barriers to Implementation? Here are questions that will help test the op erational feasibility of a project: * Is there sufficient support for the project from management from users? If the current system is well liked and used to the extent that persons will not be able to see reasons for change, there may be resistance. * Are the current business methods acceptable to the user? If they are not, Users may welcome a change that will bring about a more operational and useful systems. * Have the user been involved in the planning and development of the project? Early involvement reduces the chances of resistance to the system and in * General and increases the likelihood of successful project. Since the proposed system was to help reduce the hardships encountered. In the existing manual system, the new system was considered to be operational feasible. ECONOMICAL FEASIBILITY Economic feasibility attempts 2 weigh the costs of developing and implementing a new system, against the benefits that would accrue from having the new system in place. This feasibility study gives the top management the economic justification for the new system.A simple economic analysis which gives the actual comparison of costs and benefits are much more meaningful in this case. In addition, this proves to be a useful point of reference to compare actual costs as the project progresses. There could be various types of intangible benefits on account of automation. These could include increased customer satisfaction, improvement in product quality better decision making timeliness of information, expediting activities, improved accuracy of operations, better documentation and record keeping, faster retrieval of information, better employee morale.System Requirement Specification Modules Description No of Modules The system after careful analysis has been identified to be presented with the following modules: The Modules involved are 1. Admin 2. Flight 3. Reservation SDLC METHDOLOGIES This document play a vital role in the development of life cycle (SDLC) as it de scribes the complete requirement of the system. It means for use by developers and will be the basic during testing phase. Any changes made to the requirements in the future will have to go through formal change approval process.SPIRAL MODEL was defined by Barry Boehm in his 1988 article, â€Å"A spiral Model of Software Development and Enhancement. This model was not the first model to discuss iterative development, but it was the first model to explain why the iteration models. As originally envisioned, the iterations were typically 6 months to 2 years long. Each phase starts with a design goal and ends with a client reviewing the progress thus far. Analysis and engineering efforts are applied at each phase of the project, with an eye toward the end goal of the project.The steps for Spiral Model can be generalized as follows: * The new system requirements are defined in as much details as possible. This usually involves interviewing a number of users representing all the external or internal users and other aspects of the existing system. * A preliminary design is created for the new system. * A first prototype of the new system is constructed from the preliminary design. This is usually a scaled-down system, and represents an approximation of the characteristics of the final product. A second prototype is evolved by a fourfold procedure: 1. Evaluating the first prototype in terms of its strengths, weakness, and risks. 2. Defining the requirements of the second prototype. 3. Planning an designing the second prototype. 4. Constructing and testing the second prototype. * At the customer option, the entire project can be aborted if the risk is deemed too great. Risk factors might involved development cost overruns, operating-cost miscalculation, or any other factor that could, in the customer’s judgment, result in a less-than-satisfactory final product. *The existing prototype is evaluated in the same manner as was the previous prototype, and if necessa ry, another prototype is developed from it according to the fourfold procedure outlined above. * The preceding steps are iterated until the customer is satisfied that the refined prototype represents the final product desired. * The final system is constructed, based on the refined prototype. * The final system is thoroughly evaluated and tested. Routine maintenance is carried on a continuing basis to prevent large scale failures and to minimize down time. The following diagram shows how a spiral model acts like:Fig 1. 0-Spiral Model ADVANTAGES * Estimates(i. e. budget, schedule etc . ) become more relistic as work progresses, because important issues discoved earlier. * It is more able to cope with the changes that are software development generally entails. * Software engineers can get their hands in and start woring on the core of a project earlier. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENT AND HARDWARE REQUIREMENT Software Requirements Operating System:Windows XP Professional or Above. Languages:C#. NET, ASP. NET Data Base:SQL Server. Web Server: IIS 5. 0 OR Above. Hardware Requirements Processor:Pentium IV Hard Disk:40GB RAM:512MB or more

Thursday, January 2, 2020

How the Channel Tunnel Was Built and Designed

The Channel Tunnel, which is often called the Chunnel or the Euro Tunnel, is a railway tunnel that lies underneath the water of the English Channel and connects the island of Great Britain with mainland France. The Channel Tunnel, completed in 1994 and officially opened on May 6 of that year, is considered one of the most amazing engineering feats of the 20th century. Overview of the Channel Tunnel For centuries, crossing the English Channel via boat or ferry had been considered a miserable task. The often inclement weather and choppy water could make even the most seasoned traveler seasick. It is perhaps not surprising then that as early as 1802 plans were being made for an alternate route across the English Channel. Early Plans This first plan, made by French engineer Albert Mathieu Favier, called for a tunnel to be dug under the water of the English Channel. This tunnel was to be large enough for horse-drawn carriages to travel through. Although Favier was able to get the backing of French leader Napoleon Bonaparte, the British rejected Faviers plan. (The British feared, perhaps correctly, that Napoleon wanted to build the tunnel in order to invade England.) Over the next two centuries, others created plans to connect Great Britain with France. Despite progress made on a number of these plans, including actual drilling, they all eventually fell through. Sometimes the reason was political discord, other times was financial problems. Still other times it was Britains fear of invasion. All of these factors had to be solved before the Channel Tunnel could be built. A Contest In 1984, French President Francois Mitterrand and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher jointly agreed that a link across the English Channel would be mutually beneficial. However, both governments realized that although the project would create much-needed jobs, neither countrys government could fund such a massive project. Thus, they decided to hold a contest. This contest invited companies to submit their plans to create a link across the English Channel. As part of the contests requirements, the submitting company was to provide a plan to raise the needed funds to build the project, have the ability to operate the proposed Channel link once the project was completed, and the proposed link must be able to endure for at least 120 years. Ten proposals were submitted, including various tunnels and bridges. Some of the proposals were so outlandish in design that they were easily dismissed; others would be so expensive that they were unlikely to ever be completed. The proposal that was accepted was the plan for the Channel Tunnel, submitted by the Balfour Beatty Construction Company (this later became Transmanche Link). The Design for the Channel Tunnels The Channel Tunnel was to be made up of two parallel railway tunnels that would be dug under the English Channel. Between these two railway tunnels would run a third, smaller tunnel that would be used for maintenance, as well as providing a space for drainage pipes, etc. Each of the trains that would run through the Chunnel would be able to hold cars and trucks. This would enable personal vehicles to go through the Channel Tunnel without having individual drivers face such a long, underground drive. The plan was expected to cost $3.6 billion. Getting Started Just getting started on the Channel Tunnel was a monumental task. Funds had to be raised (over 50 large banks gave loans), experienced engineers had to be found, 13,000 skilled and unskilled workers had to be hired and housed, and special tunnel boring machines had to be designed and built. As these things were getting done, the designers had to determine exactly where the tunnel was to be dug. Specifically, the geology of the bottom of the English Channel had to be carefully examined. It was determined that although the bottom was made of a thick layer of chalk, the Lower Chalk layer, made up of chalk marl, would be the easiest to bore through. Building the Channel Tunnel Evening Standard/Getty Images The digging of the Channel Tunnel began simultaneously from the British and the French coasts, with the finished tunnel meeting in the middle. On the British side, the digging began near Shakespeare Cliff outside of Dover; the French side began near the village of Sangatte. The digging was done by huge tunnel boring machines, known as TBMs, which cut through the chalk, collected the debris, and transported the debris behind it using conveyor belts. Then this debris, known as spoil, would be hauled up to the surface via railroad wagons (British side) or mixed with water and pumped out through a pipeline (French side). As the TBMs bore through the chalk, the sides of the newly dug tunnel had to be lined with concrete. This concrete lining was to help the tunnel withstand the intense pressure from above as well as to help waterproof the tunnel. Connecting the Tunnels One of the most difficult tasks on the Channel Tunnel project was making sure that both the British side of the tunnel and the French side actually met up in the middle. Special lasers and surveying equipment was used; however, with such a large project, no one was sure it would actually work. Since the service tunnel was the first to be dug, it was the joining of the two sides of this tunnel that caused the most fanfare. On December 1, 1990, the meeting of the two sides was officially celebrated. Two workers, one British (Graham Fagg) and one French (Philippe Cozette), were chosen by lottery to be the first to shake hands through the opening. After them, hundreds of workers crossed to the other side in celebration of this amazing achievement. For the first time in history, Great Britain and France were connected. Finishing the Channel Tunnel Although the meeting of the two sides of the service tunnel was a cause of great celebration, it certainly wasnt the end of the Channel Tunnel building project. Both the British and the French kept digging. The two sides met in the northern running tunnel on May 22, 1991, and then, only a month later, the two sides met in the middle of the southern running tunnel on June 28, 1991. That too wasnt the end of the Chunnel construction. Crossover tunnels, land tunnels from the coast to the terminals, piston relief ducts, electrical systems, fireproof doors, the ventilation system, and train tracks all had to be added. Also, large train terminals had to be built at Folkestone in Great Britain and Coquelles in France. The Channel Tunnel Opens On December 10, 1993, the first test run was completed through the entire Channel Tunnel. After additional fine-tuning, the Channel Tunnel officially opened on May 6, 1994. After six years of construction and $15 billion spent (some sources say upwards of $21 billion), the Channel Tunnel was finally complete.