The Ritz

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company takes the main situation on the planet lodging industry, and it is the best contender inside the market. The advancement of the organization relies upon following the unmistakable system and standards created to fulfill the requirements of clients and to react to the employees’ expectations.Advertising We will compose a custom article test on The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, the accents are made on the direction toward clients and their individual and explicit needs, on offering the assistance of the highest caliber, on the fruitful HR the board, and on the viable initiative. In their Application Summary of 1999, the organization expressed the essential standards as per which the improvement procedures are worked out. In this way, there are Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards which incorporate the company’s philosophy, saying, three stages of administration, and â€Å"Ritz-Carlton Basicsà ¢â‚¬  in which the gauges of administration are given in detail (Application Summary, 1999). The severe reliance on these gauges causes the organization to be one of the best inns on the planet which trademark include is the astounding nature of administration. As indicated by the measures, the representatives should make the positive air which is agreeable for visitors and satisfy all the customers’ wishes (Application Summary, 1999). Demonstrable skill as the essential trait of the staff is reflected in the company’s adage which is â€Å"We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen† (Application Summary, 1999). The employees’ demonstrable skill ought to be felt in each activity that is the reason a lot of consideration is paid to the behavior, staff’s obligation, positive correspondence, and communicating admiration and nobility. Besides, it is emphasizd for the situation concentrate on the company’s improvement that the organ ization has the low worker turnover rate, and the great notoriety relies upon â€Å"a thorough representative screening process, noteworthy worker direction and progressing preparing, and a significant level of regard and trust in staff that prompts representative empowerment† (The Ritz-Carlton persona, 2008). Note that the company’s yearly turnover rate is lower than 20%, and these numbers can be talked about as minor for the inn business round the world (Sucher McManus, 2005). Therefore, the referenced nuts and bolts ensure the company’s continuous accomplishment inside the market.Advertising Looking for paper on business financial matters? We should check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The nature of administration depends on the preparation programs accommodated workers. Sucher and McManus express that the enlistment procedure in the organization is the created technique during which HR chiefs look at the candidatesâ €™ capacities and give the important preparing to play out the capacities effectively (Sucher McManus, 2005). The procedure of enrollment is referred to in the organization as the Quality Selection Process. This procedure â€Å"includes a progression of meetings that help to build up a social profile† (The Ritz-Carlton persona, 2008). The procedure is significant so as to pick the people who fit the position better. The following phase of the enlistment procedure is the direction of the workers to the company’s measures and qualities. All the representatives ought to get the preparation endorsement in the wake of finishing the preparation program. To offer the great assistance, it is important to understand the yearly preparing confirmation (Application Summary, 1999). Moreover, it is essential not exclusively to focus on the customers’ needs yet in addition propel workers to perform better. The chiefs sort out crafted by workers with references to the emplo yees’ rights, prize and acknowledgment, and execution evaluation methodologies. Also, the opportunities for the profession movement are complemented in the organization. One of the best techniques to invigorate and rouse the workers is the accentuation on the way that â€Å"employees are additionally enabled to take care of issues and settle on choices that will bring about phenomenal client service† (The Ritz-Carlton persona, 2008). The representatives are relied upon to offer the assistance of the most significant level, and the evaluation is acknowledged by the customers’ centered outcomes. The significant perspectives are the individual customer’s fulfillment and productive criticism (Application Summary, 1999). Moreover, the pioneers give a lot of consideration to the association of the HR the board as the critical angle in offering the subjective support. Be that as it may, the Ritz-Carlton Hotels’ notoriety depends on the nature of the admin istration as well as on the powerful initiative. Any procedures which are created and executed in the organization are worked out as per the clear layout. In this way, the primary stage is the advancement of the methodology plan in which the objectives and activities are expressed. The following stage can be talked about as the sending â€Å"do† during which the specific system is acknowledged by the fixed focuses. The pioneers and supervisors center around the phase when it is conceivable to check the viability of the outcomes and make decisions about the further acknowledgment of the comparable plans. To ensure the most noteworthy outcomes during the acknowledgment of the following segment or plan, it is critical to give a lot of consideration to the improvement activities (Application Summary, 1999).Advertising We will compose a custom exposition test on The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The achievement and notoriety of t he Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company fundamentally relies upon the created gauges of administration quality, on the profoundly prepared faculty, on the viable work of the HR supervisors, on the direction both to the clients and representatives, and on the viable authority procedures. References Application Summary: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. (1999). Web. Sucher, S. J., McManus, S. E. (2005). The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Web. The Ritz-Carlton persona: Professionalism, elevated standards. (2008). Web. This paper on The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company was composed and put together by client Nadia C. to help you with your own investigations. You are allowed to utilize it for examination and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; in any case, you should refer to it in like manner. You can give your paper here.

Uncertainty reduction theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vulnerability decrease hypothesis - Essay Example lationship has been caused sure and they to appear to be taking part in verbal conversation most likely revealing data about self and responding each other’s emotions dependent on how they are taking a gander at one another. The film the Twilight is about a youngster who is a vampire and a youngster who are classmates. The man separations himself from others and doesn't view himself as amiable to anybody. The young lady anyway observes something else in him that she prefers and subsequently attempts to discover progressively about him just as look for mental fortitude and chance to be near him. The Twilight is the best film to clarify the idea of vulnerability decrease hypothesis. Bella watches Edward from a far in the cafeteria attempting to make sense of him and needing to think about him and why he appears to be secretive. This is the latent system stage where there is basically perception of the individual in a domain that appears to be regular. Bella goes further and begins getting some information about Edward in an offer to discover progressively about him and this is the dynamic system stage. The way that they take the class is an additional bit of leeway to the reality discovering mission. At long last the chance to converse with him comes when Edward is made Bella’s Biology accomplices and they get the opportunity to talk. This is the intuitive technique period of the hypothesis (Littlejohn and Foss 52). The discussion decreases the vulnerabilities Bella had about Edward as she becomes more acquainted with him better through verbal yield as they talk and non-verbal warmth as either party gives indications of eagerness to be more than lab accomplices. They self-unveil data about one another while imparting and they begin responding their emotions towards one another once the loving and similitude stage has passed and they have framed a connection despite the fact that it has its a lot of entanglements (Knapp and Vangelisti, 64). The vulnerability decrease hypothesis has clarified my relationship with my closest companion post the most recent four years. I saw her when she moved into my

Overview of Emotional Intelligence

Overview of Emotional Intelligence Theories Personality Psychology Print Overview of Emotional Intelligence By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Updated on September 30, 2019 More in Theories Personality Psychology Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology In This Article Table of Contents Expand Overview A Brief History Components Examples Testing Improving View All Back To Top Hinterhaus Productions/Getty Images   The ability to express and control our  emotions  is essential, but so is our ability to understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. Imagine a world in which you could not understand when a friend was feeling sad or when a co-worker was angry. Psychologists refer to this ability as emotional intelligence, and some experts even suggest that it can be  more important than IQ  in your overall success in life. Overview Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim its an inborn characteristic. Since 1990, Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer have been the leading researchers on emotional intelligence. In their influential article Emotional Intelligence, they defined emotional intelligence as the ability to monitor ones own and others feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide ones thinking and actions. A Brief History Emotional intelligence as a term didnt come into our vernacular until around 1990. Despite being a relatively young term, interest in the concept has grown tremendously over the last 20 years. Early Growth As early as the 1930s, however, the psychologist Edward Thorndike  described the concept of social intelligence as the ability to get along with other people. During the 1940s, psychologist David Wechsler proposed that different effective components of intelligence could play an important role in how successful people are in life. Later Developments The 1950s saw the rise of the school of thought known as humanistic psychology, and thinkers such as Abraham Maslow focused greater attention on the different ways that people could build emotional strength. Another important concept to emerge in the development of emotional intelligence was the notion of multiple intelligences. This concept was put forth in the mid-1970s by Howard Gardner, introducing the idea that intelligence was more than just a single, general ability. The Emergence of Emotional Intelligence It was not until 1985 that the term emotional intelligence was first used by in a doctoral dissertation by Wayne Payne. In 1987, an article published in  Mensa Magazine, Keith Beasley uses the term emotional quotient. Some suggest that this is the first published use of the phrase, although Reuven Bar-On claims to have used the term in an unpublished version of his graduate thesis. In 1990, psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer publish their landmark article, Emotional Intelligence, in the journal  Imagination, Cognition, and Personality. In 1995, the concept of  emotional intelligence  is popularized after the publication of psychologist and New York Times science writer Daniel Goleman’s book  Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. The topic of emotional intelligence has continued to capture the public interest since, and has become important in fields outside of psychology including education and business. Components Salovey and Mayer proposed a model that identified four different levels of  emotional intelligence, including emotional perception, the ability to reason using emotions, the ability to understand emotion, and the ability to manage emotions. Perceiving emotions:  The first step in understanding emotions is to perceive them accurately. In many cases, this might involve understanding nonverbal signals such as  body language  and facial expressions.Reasoning with emotions:  The next step involves using emotions to promote thinking and cognitive activity. Emotions help prioritize what we pay attention and react to; we respond emotionally to things that garner our attention.Understanding emotions:  The emotions that we perceive can carry a wide variety of meanings. If someone is expressing angry emotions, the observer must interpret the cause of the persons anger and what it could mean. For example, if your boss is acting angry, it might mean that he is dissatisfied with your work, or it could be because he got a speeding ticket on his way to work that morning or that hes been fighting with his wife.Managing emotions:  The  ability to manage emotions effectively  is a crucial part of emotional intelligence and the highest lev el. Regulating emotions, responding appropriately, and responding to the emotions of others are all important aspect of emotional management. According to  Salovey and Mayer, the four branches of their model are arranged from more basic psychological processes to higher, more psychologically integrated processes. For example, the lowest level branch concerns the (relatively) simple abilities of perceiving and  expressing emotion. In contrast, the highest level branch concerns the conscious, reflective regulation of emotion. Examples There are many examples of how emotional intelligence can play a role in daily life. Being able to put yourself in someone elses shoes. A large part of emotional intelligence is being able to think about and empathize with how other people are feeling. This often involves considering how you would respond if you were in the same situation. People who have strong emotional intelligence are able to consider the perspectives, experiences, and emotions of other people and use this information to explain why people behave the way that they do. Considering a situation before reacting. Emotionally intelligent people know that emotions can be powerful, but also temporary. When a highly charged emotional event happens, such as becoming angry with a co-worker over some type of conflict, the emotionally intelligent response would be to take some time before responding. This allows everyone to calm their emotions and think more rationally about all the factors surrounding the argument. Being aware of ones own emotions. Emotionally intelligent people are not only good at thinking about how other people might feel; they are also adept at understanding their own feelings. Self-awareness allows people to consider the many different factors that contribute to their emotions. Testing A number of different assessments have emerged to measure levels of emotional intelligence. Such tests generally fall into one of two types: self-report tests and ability tests. Self-report tests are the most common because they are the easiest to administer and score. On such tests, respondents respond to questions or statements by rating their own behaviors. For example, on a statement such as I often feel that I understand how others are feeling, a test-taker might describe the statement as disagree, somewhat disagree, agree, or strongly agree. Ability tests involve having people respond to situations and then assessing their skills. Such tests often require people to demonstrate their abilities, which are then rated by a third party. If you are taking an emotional intelligence test administered by a mental health professional, here are some of the measures that might be used: Bar-Ons Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i):  A self-report test designed to measure competencies including self-perception, decision making, stress management, self-expression, and interpersonal relationships. The test is available to professionals who are qualified to use the assessment.Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT):  An ability-based test that measures the four branches of Mayer and Saloveys EI model. Test-takers perform tasks designed to assess their ability to perceive, identify, understand, and manage emotions.Emotional and Social Competence Inventory (ESCI):  Based on an older instrument known as the Self-Assessment Questionnaire, the ESCI involves having people who know the individual offer ratings of that person’s abilities in several different emotional competencies. The test is designed to evaluate the social and emotional abilities that help distinguish people as strong leaders. There are also plenty of  more informal online resources, many of them free, to investigate your emotional intelligence. For example, this EQ test is a fun way to learn more about some of your emotional strengths and weaknesses. Improving Interest in teaching and learning social and emotional intelligence has grown in recent years. Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs have become a standard part of the curriculum for many schools. The goal of these initiatives is not only to improve health and well-being but also to help students succeed academically and prevent bullying. Clearly, being emotionally intelligent is important, but what steps can you take to improve your own social and emotional skills? Here are some tips. Listen: If you want to understand what other people are feeling, the first step is to pay attention. Take the time to listen to what people are trying to tell you, both verbally and non-verbally. Body language can carry a great deal of meaning. When you sense that someone is feeling a certain way, consider the different factors that might be contributing to that emotion. Empathize: Picking up on emotions is critical, but you also need to be able to put yourself into someone elses shoes in order to truly understand their point of view. Practice empathizing with other people. Imagine how you would feel in their situation. Such activities can help you build an emotional understanding of a specific situation as well as develop stronger emotional skills in the long-term. Reflect: The ability to reason with emotions is an important part of emotional intelligence. Consider how your own emotions influence your decisions and behaviors. When you are thinking about how other people respond, assess the role that their emotions play. Why is this person feeling this way? Are there any unseen factors that might be contributing to these feelings? How to your emotions differ from theirs? As you explore such questions, you may find that it becomes easier to understand the role that emotions play in how people think and behave. A Word From Verywell Emotional intelligence is essential for good interpersonal communication. Some experts believe that this ability is more important in determining life success than IQ alone. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to strengthen your own social and emotional intelligence. Understanding emotions can be the key to better relationships, improved well-being, and stronger communication skills.

Land of the Free, Unless You Are a Tree - 772 Words

Land of the Free, Unless You are a Tree America has always been a land of opportunity, where a man can cater to the market and make a fortune. None such example is better than the logging industry. In the book â€Å"A Walk in the Woods†, writer Bill Bryson examines the impact logging has on tree population of not only the Appalachian Trail (where the story takes place), but throughout the United States. He contributes a mass amount of the damage to the logging industry’s over logging and the mass deforesting to create the roads to the logging sites. As I read the book I became more and more interested in the effects of logging, so I made it my goal was to find to what extent the logging industry and National Forest Services have contributed to deforestation in the U.S. My first article was a research piece done by the University of Michigan posted in lecture format on the web. The most prevalent fixture in the piece was that â€Å"Since 1600, 90% of the virgin forests that once covered much of the lower 48 states have been cleared away.† (Global Deforestation) The writer contributes the mass amount of this clearing to the heavy logging and western expansion of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Although there has been recent movements of reforestation that has slowed the pace of logging, this article helped me see that the National Forest Service has seemingly been doing everything it can to not protect the national forests. I found my second article searching the ecology sectionShow MoreRelatedThe Twelve Tables Of The Roman Empire940 Words   |  4 Pagesson will be free from the father. If the boy is younger than the respective age of manhood, the child s next male member of the family will inherit him. The fifth table says that any woman, whether or not maintained majority, should be in the custody of a man at all times. If the father and husband are deceased she will be in custody of her brother until remarried. The sixth table only contains one law which states when a property owner sells his land, the sell is binding and the land cannot be takenRead MoreEstablished Organization Rules1238 Words   |  5 Pagesor equipment; and shall not commit or permit waste, damage, or injury and shall not conduct or permit any illegal activity on leased premises. 7. No nails or spikes or any other objects will be permanently driven into any tree on leased premises. Removable ground blinds, tree stands, are allowed. 8. All property brought on to the leased premises by members or guests, and any litter, especially cigarette butts, and shell casings shall be removed from the leased premises by member or guest responsibleRead MoreAnalysis of the Poem â€Å"Africa† by David Diop Within the Context of Anthills of the Savannah1342 Words   |  6 Pageson the word ‘story’, I notice that this poem has an element of the notion of storytelling within it, right from the first line. The words Africa tell me Africa, to me resemble a sort of almost tribal call or chant to come and tell the stories of the land. It is calling out to the whole of Africa, showing that effectively they are all in the same situation, which is what Anthills is trying to get at by simply giving a fictional example of what is a common situation in at least the central African nationsRead MoreWhat The Tradition Teaches About Life After Death1496 Words   |  6 Pagesyou’re a faithful believer, then there sh ouldn’t be anything to worry or fear. Our lives are measured in time and have a limited span. The Scriptures teach that it is natural to die. Purgatory is a state of process of cleansing and purifying after you have died. The Church teaches that purgatory is a temporary state after death in which, whatever keeps us from final union with God, is purged away. This is why Christians pray for the dead. That their family member or friend may be cleansed and purifiedRead MoreShort Story1481 Words   |  6 Pages fighting indians and exploring the mountain ranges. The camp was quiet, not a lot of words exchanged. The men all just sat around eating the same food and drinking the coffee as every other day. The men in camp usually ran in pairs in the field unless they were assaulting indian villages. Ben’s partner was a man that went by the name Ronan. Ronan and Ben had become pretty close in their adventures in the rockies. They had done everything from ward off full indian war parties by themselves to studyRead MoreEssay The Legend of Zelda: A Perfect Religion1526 Words   |  7 Pagescreated its own cultural wellspring. There have been spin off cartoons, websites, walkthroughs, forms, etc†¦but strangely enough the story for one of the video games doesn’t change much. You are this elf looking boy or adult named Link that is on a quest to rescue Princess Zelda, reunite the Triforce, and save the land of Hyrule from evils such as Ganondorf. That is the general idea for almost every single one of the Zelda games, but what is so different about the Zelda games is that they marked theRead MoreThe Marsh Is An Open And Muddy Area1090 Words   |  5 PagesThe marsh is h ome; it is an open and muddy area. Our place is small and wooden. Jonas’ Butchers and the green grocer, owned by the Martelli’s, are the local shops. You need money or privilege to even step inside though. The poorer people, such as myself, use the market. It supplies us with just enough, that is unless you have contacts with the Sticks. The place isn’t like it once was, not since it was handed over to the Sticks and the Elis Government. Sticks uphold the law; like policemen, but theRead MoreWho Is More Happy People Living in the City or People Living in the Jungle899 Words   |  4 PagesWhereas people living in the jungle live more quiet and peaceful life, no traffics to worry about, no noises that split your ears only; the noise of nature, clean environment, air free from toxins . People that are living in the jungle also live in unfavourableness conditions ; there is not much entertainment unless someone finds it funny to catch a huge tarantula and grill it so sure it is funny... life in there its difficult but at the same time easy because all those toxins form animals andRead MoreDifferences Between The Faulins Tale And The Canterbury Tales1171 Words   |  5 PagesIf you and 29 of your friends went on a trip and all told stories, whose story would win? In the case of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, this was the question at hand. The Canterbury Tales explains the religious pilgrimage of many individuals to Canterbury, and the stories they told along the way. With them traveled a Host, who served as the judge of the contest. He determined who the winner would be based off of how clean the story was and if the story was morally sound or not. TheRead MorePoetry Project826 Words   |  4 Pagesclothes to the point where clothes are smart and c an do actions. Again, if the reader reads deep into this poem, he/she can see that family is symbolized as the clothes. In the first two lines, the reader can read that â€Å"Family† (the clothes) keeps you from being embarrassed. I also wrote a short haiku titled â€Å"My Name Is†. I titled this after one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite rappers, â€Å"My Name Is† by Eminem. In this Haiku, based off of the original poem â€Å"After Basho† by Carolyn Kizer

Euthanasia and Physician-assisted Deaths - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1707 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/02/06 Category Medicine Essay Level High school Tags: Assisted Suicide Essay Euthanasia Essay Did you like this example? Euthanasia and physician-assisted deaths have become a major topic of debate internationally. Upon analyzing an article that aids in defining how euthanasia and physician-assisted deaths play into palliative care, a better perspective can be developed on the topic. White papers are government reports that give citizens and the reader concise information on a given topic or issue; in this case, the issue is discovering how the different forms of hastened death play into palliative care. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Euthanasia and Physician-assisted Deaths" essay for you Create order The overall purpose of this experimental study was to define the ethical frameworks and issues in relation to patients desire to have an assisted suicide. For the EAPC, European Association for Palliative Care, to set up these guidelines they designed an experiment based off a paper they published in 2003 regarding the topics of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicides. The took the previous 21 statements established on the information apropos of the time, creating a five-round test to update the validity of each statement. These five-round tests were based off the Delphi procedure, where experts answer questions based on multiple rounds. In the first round, experts in the palliative care and medical field were asked to give feedback. The rounds following this are all conducted using Survey Monkey; It is an online survey service to which the participates agreed or disagreed in a rating of sorts, using the Likert scale, with the previous set 21 statements. To create an updated version of their 2003 outline, they looked at the statements where those whom those who participated in the survey study did not completely agree with said stat ement. There were 6 out of the 21 statements that the participates didn’t agree with completely, although 68% was the lowest percentage of which all the participated did not agree (EAPC, 2015). The results of the surveys were rather interesting in that they decided that euthanasia and physician-assisted deaths were not a part of palliative care. They clearly defined the multiple concepts discussed, creating a more clear-cut white paper. Palliative care is defined as the professionals in that field viewing every life as full of worth, hoping to get the patient to see that resulting in improving their view of the situation they are dealing with. It was decided that palliative care experts should take into consideration the requests of euthanasia and physician hastened deaths to determine the thought process behind their wishes. The surveys showed that people believe that if the patients receive â€Å"special psychosocial and spiritual counseling† along with the best medical attempts to cure whatever symptoms the patient is having that they will view their life in a better light. I feel that this article would rate moderately high on the timeliness aspects of the TRAAP test. This article was posted in April of 2015, leaving a good three years of information on the topic to grow. Euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and other forms of hastened death have steadily become a heavy debate topic internationally. With timeliness how fresh and new the information presented in the article is looked at. This study is more recent than many of the studies that are out there, even as the topic has grown, making it one of the more up to date articles. Considering that this article was based off a 2003 white paper and was looking to refresh the definitions and ethical framework as the topic began to heat up adds to the timeliness aspect. This article ties together hastened death and how with the right counseling and treatments a patient could see that their life is full of worth, no matter their current state. This article defined certain terms and all the information present in the article is detailed. I feel that this makes the article rate more on the upper side of the â€Å"R† or relevance scale of TRAPP, which gauges the importance of the information in the article. The article aided in my understanding of palliative care, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, and all the aspects that should be considered. I feel that could have delved deeper into how depression impacts the patient and their reasoning as to why they wish for a hastened death. I think if the researcher and experts in this article would have addressed how â€Å"terminal† illnesses play into a patient’s decision, along with other major factors, it would have allowed the reader to get dual perspectives. To examine the credibility of the source, we look at the â€Å"A† in the TRAAP test, which stands for authority. This article rates highly on the authority scale due to the multitude of credible experts and authors that put together the article. This article was also peer-reviewed by multiple credible experts and authors. The EAPC has an Impact factor of 3.780, which adds to the credibility of the article. Those who wrote the article are on the board of the EAPC, making them experts on the topic at hand, not only did the go to school to learn about the topic at hand, they also work first- hand in the field and are able to see the assisted suicide debate first hand. I feel that the way they conducted this experiment was a little narrow and they could have broadened the study a little more, extending it to other medical professionals. To determine how reliable and correct the information from the source is, we look at the second â€Å"A† in TRAAP, which stands for Accuracy. I feel that this article rates high on the accuracy scale of the TRAAP test as its information is heavily based on expertise and expert research. The multiple authors of this paper cite all their sources, so you can track where they obtained the information in their article. I read about a lot of new topics concerning physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, yet this article is backed up by a more reliable source. The authors that contributed to this article â€Å"declared no potential conflicts of interest,† creating a less bias piece (EAPC, 2015). The main goal of the â€Å"P† in TRAAP is to evaluate the purpose of the article and why it was created. I would rate this article rather high on the purpose scale of TRAAP. I feel that the author’s main goal is to inform the readers about the updated version of the white paper the EAPC established in 2003 along with the current debate about hastened deaths and its possible expansion. The article sets out to explain how palliative care is a much better alternative to euthanasia; although, physicians should consider a patient’s wishes at all times. The target audience was anyone who has an interest in the current debate about the ethical framework of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicides. This article also targets those in the medical field who want to gain information on the benefits of palliative care in comparison to styles of hastened death. The information in this article stays on topic and gets across the points it set out to make, creating a high ratin g for the purpose aspect. Overall, I would rate this article very high according to the TRAAP test. The information in the article is relatively current and up to date. The article relays information that is important when discussing physician-assisted suicides and euthanasia, along with the palliative care aspect of health care. The information in this article is very reliable and all the sources are easily able to be tracked. Those who aided in writing the article are experts in this field of healthcare and were able to give insight from an authority figure who can relay an accurate perspective of the topic to the readers. This article also gives defines its purpose and explains it throughout the entire paper, resulting in a clear set of defined terms and concepts surrounding palliative care, euthanasia, and physician-assisted suicides and how they all intertwine. Looking back at the methodology of this article, there were a few strengths and weaknesses that should be further looked at. In the research article, the number of experts that took the survey was not listed, knowing the number of people who took the test would allow the reader to gauge how many experts agreed with the 21 statements. Another weakness of this article’s methodology would be that all of those who took the survey work on the board or are members of the EAPC, I feel like this makes the results of this study a bit bias. I feel like this could also be a strength considering they are all experts in palliative care, making the information reliable. I feel that if they had expanded the survey to other palliative care organizations and may be used physicians who participated in euthanasia, the results would be more all-inclusive. I think that the way the survey is set up is good for analyzing the 21 statements, allowing the person who conducted the experiment to look at how people agree with the statement. I think that the survey is also a little suggestive, in that it is leading the medical expert to think morally and not consider all the aspects of euthanasia. This article addresses my research topic well. The article touches on how patients should receive counseling and made to rethink the value they put on their life, to make the patients reconsidering their worth. The article gives off the impression that through palliative care and counseling, those who had previously wanted to commit suicide will feel more at ease with their lives. I feel that it could have discussed depression more and how that affected a patient’s decision to commit physician-assisted suicide. The paper explains how many get patient’s request death, so they don’t feel like a burden to their families, and because they are miserable in their current situation, and are reaching for control. Through an examination of all aspects of a patients reasoning for wanting a hastened death should be talked about and can ultimately save their life. This article branched out to discuss more of the ethical standpoint of euthanasia and how that should be a last resort and heavily monitored so killing does not become socially acceptable and palliative care is not devalued in any way. The article does not touch on the topic of depression as much as I would have liked but provided a good source with very valuable information.

Trebuchet Lab Free Essays

Objective: * To determine the how changing the throwing arm length and/or the counterweight mass affects the distance and direction that a can is thrown by a trebuchet. Trebuchet Test Results Our trebuchet had some technical and engineering damage and it did not worked properly. When we launched the sauce can, it moved in opposite direction (away from the target). We will write a custom essay sample on Trebuchet Lab or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the other hand, when we tried it in previous moments it did worked. Design: Drawing of your trebuchet Questions and analysis: 1. Did your trebuchet worked correctly? If so, what was the maximum distance achieved? If not, why did it fail? It failed because the materials were damaged. The rope that attached one end of the throwing arm with the counterweight was damaged. This did not let the throwing arm to complete it cycle, to the can was launched before it was supposed to and the can moved backward. Also, the throwing arm was too loose and it moved from one side to the other side. 2. How might you measure the maximum height your trebuchet could launch the can? You might you measure the maximum height your trebuchet could launch the can using a reference point. Watching which was the highest point that the can reached and measure the distance from it. 3. What simple machine is the throwing arm? The throwing arm is a lever and a lever a long stick that you push or pull against a fulcrum to move something. 4. What drawback and advantages does the trebuchet have in battle? Some drawbacks and advantages of the trebuchet in battle are that it helped to throw heavy things at enemies, have greater range capability and greater accuracy than the catapult, it launch object at a higher speed and its power is the counterweight. . How might you measure the maximum distance your trebuchet could launch? You might measure the maximum distance the trebuchet can launch the can by performing many trials, measuring and recording the different distances. The largest distance is the maximum distance your trebuchet could launch a can. 6. What component makes the majority of a trebuchet? The component that makes the majority of the trebuchet is the frame because i s supports the other components such as the throwing arm and the counter weight. . What is used to power the trebuchet? What is used to power the trebuchet is the counterweight because it is what pulls the throwing arm. 8. What is the object that is thrown called? The object that is thrown is the projectile. 9. Compare and contrast the trebuchet and the catapult. * A trebuchet is a catapult that uses a counterweight to supply the energy for throwing. * Catapults are any device that throws an object. * The trebuchet has greater range capability and greater accuracy than the catapult. Both are used to throw an object, a large distance. * The trebuchet launch an object at a higher speed than the catapult and its power is the counterweight. 10. How does the placement of a pivot point on the arm affect the mechanical advantage of the trebuchet? The higher you place the pivot point on the arm, the higher the object will go. The lower you place it the lower the object will go. 11. What sho uld the mechanical advantage be for optimal throwing distance? The power into and out of the arm must be the same, so forces applied to points farther from the pivot must be less than when applied to points closer in. 12. What should the mass of the counterweight be for optimal throwing distance? The mass of the counterweight must be much greater than that mass of the object. 13. What should the length of the sling be for optimal throwing distance? Long slings have a smaller angle of release, short sling have a larger angle of release. 14. How is the throwing accuracy affected by the above mentioned factors? Mechanical advantage- The power into and out of the arm must be the same, so forces applied to points farther from the pivot must be less than when applied to points closer in. Otherwise, the object would not reach the target. * Mass of the counterweight- The mass have to be the correct one, a small mass would not power the trebuchet and an extremely large mass will change the direction of the can trajectory. * Length of the sling- Long slin gs has a smaller angle of release, so the can will reach a short distance. How to cite Trebuchet Lab, Essay examples

Globalization and Liberalized Trade Theory

Question: Describe about the Globalization and Liberalized Trade Theory? Answer: Economists and politicians are involved into significant debate on choosing the best approach between regional trade agreement and global trade liberalization. The major point of argument is to identify which strategy is better for various countries as well as global economy (COLLINS, 2010). Additionally, several studies have emphasized on analyzing whether these two approaches are contradictory or complimentary. From the late 20th century, the wave of globalizations has assisted in abolishing the barriers of the international trade. Empirical studies have been conducted for indentifying the difference in two approaches: regional trade agreement and global trade liberalization (DAVIS, 2011). It has been observed that implementation of the regional trade agreements have significantly contributed in increasing the trade among their members. In other words, the intra group trade has enhanced by the regional trade agreements (Thirlwall, 2000). However, it has been found that in case of regional trade agreements, intra group trade contributes very little of the total trade. The share of intra group trade is significantly lower against the total export, but it has managed to achieve continuous growth over the period. Hence, it can be found that regional trade agreement is one of the most important driving forces for increasing the intra group trade (Vamvakidis, 1998). In case of most of the regional trade agreements, the share of intra group trade has been significantly small. Consequently, the effect on growth was not prominent. It has been observed that the effort of the regional trade agreements was not successful in terms of creation of large regional markets (Park, 2006). It had wasted the valuable tome for broader liberalization. It has been observed that in most of the cases of regional trade agreement, the average intra group trade shares have been very poor. However, the statistics have been found to be slightly different in case of EU. While the small developing nations join a regional trade agreement, which will majorly include the small developed countries. It has been observed that most of the countries have similar economy of the neighbor countries (DAVIS, 2011). Very few developing nations are in the same region with the developed nation. Consequently, the intra trade share will be low. Studies have demonstrated that most of the regional trade agreements have been prominent among the small developing economies having higher protection. On the other hand, empirical studies have demonstrated that, in case of both short run and long run growth has been faster after the broader global trade liberalization (Mukerji, 2009). It has been observed that short term and long term growth in the nations are higher in case of the global trade liberalization (Di Caprio, 2011). Short terms and long term impacts are positive as well as statistically significant in case of the broader international liberalization. The nations wi ll grow in a faster way in short and long run after these nations open their market without discrimination to the international trade (Baier and Bergstrand, 2007). References Baier, S. and Bergstrand, J. (2007). Do free trade agreements actually increase members' international trade?.Journal of International Economics, 71(1), pp.72-95. COLLINS, S. (2010). Regional Trade Agreements and Democracy Promotion: Measuring the Influence of Democracy Requirements in Regional Trade Agreements.Politics Policy, 38(4), pp.737-764. DAVIS, G. (2011). Regional Trade Agreements and Foreign Direct Investment.Politics Policy, 39(3), pp.401-419. Di Caprio, A. (2011). Backseat Drivers: The Political Economy of Trade Liberalization.International Studies Review, 13(2), pp.322-324. Mukerji, P. (2009). Trade Liberalization And The Extensive Margin.Scottish Journal of Political Economy, 56(2), pp.141-166. Park, I. (2006). East Asian Regional Trade Agreements: Do They Promote Global Free Trade?.Pacific Economic Review, 11(4), pp.547-568. Thirlwall, A. (2000). Trade Agreements, Trade Liberalization and Economic Growth: A Selective Survey.African Development Review, 12(2), pp.129-160. Vamvakidis, A. (1998). Regional Trade Agreements Versus Board Liberalization: Which Path Leads to Faster Growth? Time-Series Evidence.IMF Working Papers, 98(40), p.1.

Wildlife free essay sample

The Evils of the Illegal Trade in Wildlife and Wildlife Parts: A Global Perspective Topic for the Essay Writing Section : The Illegal trade In wildlife and wildlife parts has had very serious repercussions on many species of wildlife worldwide, paving the way for many of them to be pushed to the brink of extinction. Discuss this statement In the light of what Is taking place today to a certain species or a number of different species. Discuss the roles of legislators, law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations and educational establishments to fight this menace.At the same suggest practical solutions that can curb this trade and eventually bring it to an end. Writing section are required to: 1. Give a clear cut definition of the issue at hand. 2. Give your perceptions of the situation globally or in your respective countries. 3. Outline the roles of the government, non-governmental organizations, and the people In efforts to Instill love and respect of the rights of wildlife. We will write a custom essay sample on Wildlife or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 4. Focus on one or more programmer In your country to Instill awareness on the conservation of lilied and nature.Questions to address In your essay. 1 . How have current efforts in your country to curb the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife parts helped in preserving endangered species of wildlife? 2. How do you perceive the long term benefits the curbing of illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife parts to your country and the world at large? 3. What concrete actions would you recommend to ensure the continued monitoring of the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife parts by your country?

Board of directors Essay Example

Board of directors Essay Example Board of directors Essay Board of directors Essay The Objective of this case is to allow a discussion Of issues such as the importance of board and senior management succession planning and what it entails, the difference between a Chairmans and Coos roles, attributes of a good Chairman, and whether former senior executives should become board chairmen. HASH A Model of smooth succession HASH has a long history of smooth board and senior management succession underpinned by clear succession plans. Regular review of these plans by independent non-executive directors also serves to strengthen its robustness. This is the abridged version of a case prepared by Apple Gogh, Icosahedra Than, Mabel Koch, Lee Carrier, Oh Kaki IL and Song Heighten under the supervision of Professor Make Yen Teen and Dry Vincent Chin Hushes. The case was developed from published sources solely for class discussion and is not intended to serve as illustrations of effective or ineffective management or management. The interpretations and perspectives in this case are not necessarily those of the organizations named in the case, or any of their directors or employees. This abridged version was edited by Rachel Gogh Ye Ling under the supervision of Professor Make Yen Teen. Copyright 0 2013 Make Yen Teen and CPA Australia. 165 The succession process for the Board Chairman position involves extensive benchmarking against external candidates to ensure its internal candidates are up to standard and not simply chosen by virtue of their insider status. This seeks to ensure that the best candidate is chosen one who has the capacity for strategic thinking, authority to run the board, and personal standing to represent HASH externally. Institutional shareholders are consulted with respect to the succession plan, in addition to an independent search process for potential candidates. Hashs past successions for the Board Chairman position have been low key, thou major disruptions to the business or public outcry. Successions have also been traditionally consensus-driven, with the succession receiving unanimous support from the board of directors. Overhauling Hashs Model of Succession In May 2006, Michael Change replaced Stephen Green as CEO of HASH while Green was promoted to Chairman. Despite executing another smooth CEO-to-Chairman hand-overly , HASH was criticized for its tradition of promoting its CEO to Chairman, as this was perceived to impair the Chairman from independently and objectively monitoring the company. The handover as thrown into focus in part due to a climate of growing focus on corporate governance. The roles at HASH had traditionally been such that the Chairman functioned more as a CEO, while the CEO served as the deputy. Following the handover, Green concurred with governance critics that the operational management and oversight roles should be separate and distinct. He spent the next few years of his term as Chairman taking significant steps to re-define these two roles, transferring the responsibility for strategy development from Chairman to CEO in 2009 and taking on more of a monitoring and ambassadorial role as Chairman. Besides paving the way to a more palatable corporate structure within the bank, these actions emphasized Hashs renewed commitment to corporate governance. 166 The End of an Era of Smooth Succession In late May 2010, news that Green was to step down as Chairman of HASH within a year leaked out in various media reports. According to these reports, Hashs board was prepared for the transition and had spent the past three years putting together a succession plan. This involved ceasing the tradition of promoting the CEO to Chairman, and naming possibly the banks first nonconsecutive Chairman successor John Thornton a HASH non-executive director who was also a former Goldman Cash partner. However, these rumors were refuted by HASH. Four months later, on 7 September 2010, an official HASH announcement confirmed that Green had agreed to become the U. K. Minister Of State for Trade and Investments. Following the announcement, the bank revealed that it had always intended to approve a successor to Mr.. Green before the end of the year, and that timetable remains on schedule5. However, Green had initially announced in May that he would stay on as Chairman until at least he spring of 20116 but he had suddenly decided to leave before the year- end, leaving the bank with just three months to appoint a replacement. His premature departure forced Hashs board to come to a swift decision regarding the succession. As Green was highly regarded as a modern influence on the 145-year-old bank and had led it admirably through the 2003 U. S. Supreme division crisis as well as the 2008 global financial turmoil, it came as no surprise that Hashs share price plunged when nevus of Greens leaving first leaked in May 2010 investors viewed his departure as the loss of major asset for the bank. With no official word from HASH on the candidates to succeed Green, there was widespread speculation in the media. It was reported that, within HASH, many wished for the bank to maintain its tradition of promoting the CEO to Chairman. CEO Change was a hardworking bankers banker8 who had held posts within HASH all around the world in his 37 years with the bank, a decisive and quick-thinking CEO who had earned the 167 respect of many of his staff. However, certain factors hampered Egomanias appointment. First, it seemed that his aggressive management style did not it well with investors, who did not see his adversarial ways as suited to leading the boards and performing the ambassadorial role of a Chairman. Second, and perhaps more significantly, corporate governance guidelines since 2003 had recommended that British companies should not elevate Coos to Chairmen 10. HASH appeared inclined to abandon its tradition Of promoting the CEO to Chairman and appoint a non-executive Chairman as a more independent check on the CEO-led business. This would leave Change out of the race. Given this turn of events, the boards final decision on chairmanship was very much unpredictable to observers. This was apparent from the extensive list of potential candidates generated through public speculation. Other frontrunners for the role included John Thornton, a non-executive director who was more well-received by investors 1 because of his independence from bank management, but an unpopular choice internally due to his harsh management style developed from his stint at Goldman Cash. Another candidate was Douglas Flint, Hashs Finance Director, who was viewed as a compromise candidate 1 2 to placate both investors and management, although he had perceivably less showmanship and experience t HASH than Green and Congenial 3 and faced the same question on independence. Media reports also mooted the idea of a temporary Chairman with Simon Robertson (a senior independent director at HASH) taking the role. However, this was widely viewed as unlikely given Robertsons role as Chair of the Nomination Committee, designated to appoint Greens successor, and his existing duties at Rolls-Royce. With seemingly no clear successor at the time of Greens announced departure, and a myriad of potential candidates that appeared to leave the public and internal stakeholders divided, the succession looked poised to be he most chaotic that HASH had seen for a long time. 68 Power Struggle in the Boardroom To add to Hashs troubles, news leaked on 21 September 2010 in The Financial Times that Change had threatened to resign after being informed at a meeting that the board did not intend to give him the position of Chairman 5. Hashs executives commented that Change could be unhappy at the possibility of being passed over in favor of Thornton. HASH eventually followed up wit h a strongly-worded denial of the incidents 6. However, the damage had been done the information leakage had given the public an insight into the boardroom power struggle. The picture of a fractured board and rifts over Hashs succession were thrust into public spotlight. Even though the official stance of HASH and its top management suggests that Egomanias threat to resign might have been exaggerated and sensationalistic 7, what the public saw at that point in time was an extremely disorganized and poorly conveyed succession plan within HASH, which is liberating of a large global bank. Naturally, many questions arose. If this leadership transition had indeed been planned for, why did stakeholders and n particular, Change, not seem aligned to the plan prior to the announcement, leading to internal confusion and the subsequent uproar? It was clear from an external viewpoint that HASH had not conveyed the plan and managed expectations well, both internally and externally. The pressure was intensified for HASH to achieve a resolution as swiftly as possible, in order to assuage investors discontent, prevent divisiveness within the organization on candidate selection, and restore its public mage. The Dilemma In selecting a new Chairman, the Nomination Committees dilemma was Obvious. Change was a long-serving HASH banker with a wealth Of intimate knowledge on Hashs operations. With Green already leaving, the loss of Change would be a double-whammy. Yet, condoning Egomanias appointment and promoting him would undermine shareholders wishes, and impede Hashs effort to keep up with changes in the governance landscape. 169 It seemed like no resolution would be able to completely reconcile the interests of shareholders and management. The need and urgency for the board to arrive at a resolution in keeping with the best interests of the company and to quell public speculation on the internal rift was pressing, while external perceptions of an ill-conceived and ill-conveyed succession plan continued to plague HOICKS. The Resolution On 24 September 2010, just three days after the reported spat between Change and the board, HASH unveiled a new leadership teamed. After consideration of numerous factors, the board made a unanimous decision to appoint Douglas Flint to succeed Green as Chairman. Stuart Guiltier was appointed Group Chief Executive, while Sir Simon Robertson remained the senior independent non-executive director and assumed the concurrent role of Deputy Chairman. Change would continue to serve in an advisory opacity until 31 March 201 1, after which he would formally retire. John Thornton stayed on as Hashs non-executive director. The appointment of Robertson as Deputy Chairman was aimed at countering investors discontented about the newly-installed, predominantly executive leadership team. Investors Reaction Investors reaction to the new leadership team was generally positive. On the day the leadership changes were announced, HASH shares increased by 0. 4 percent to 666. 4 pence. General investor sentiment was that despite the infighting, the right men have ended up in the right jobs21. However, many institutional investors manned upset at the poorly executed succession, and their disapproval manifested in numerous calls for Hashs non-executive directors to be replaced, to take responsibility for the bloody mess22. 170 Hash: Whos the Boss? Discussion Questions 1. What is the purpose Of a succession plan and what are the components Of a comprehensive succession plan? 2. How is succession planning for the board and senior management different for companies with controlling shareholders? 3. Identify the problems that arose as a result of Hashs Chairman succession. What was lacking in Hashs succession plan? 4. What is the impact of poor succession planning on HASH and its stakeholders? 5. What are the roles of the Chairman and the CEO? How are they different? What are the attributes of a good Chairman? 6. What are the pros and cons of having the CEO becoming the Chairman?

Introduction of Synthesis of Zinc Iodide Lab Report

Introduction of Synthesis of Zinc Iodide - Lab Report Example The chemical equation (Eqn 1) below presents the synthesis of zinc iodide from its reactants in the presence of water (Sheppard, 1): The technique involved in this experiment is gravimetry, which is defined as the determination of the mass of substances involved in the reaction (â€Å"Gravimetric Analysis†, tamu.edu). Based on the chemical equation, zinc iodide is expected to precipitate from the reaction, and the precipitate is subjected to washing procedure to collect the excess reactants, which are also weighed (Sheppard, 1). Impurities are the unwanted substances in the precipitate and may affect the percent yield of the product obtained which may be brought about by co-precipitation, surface absorption, occlusion and post-precipitation. Surface adsorption happens when impurities present in the mixture are adsorbed during precipitation. Post-precipitation occurs when a different precipitate forms on top of the expected product while in contact with the mother liquor. In the experiment, surface absorption and post-precipitation may likely introduce the impurities in ZnI2, but this can be avoided by thorough washing of the precipitate and careful precipitation during reaction (â€Å"Gravimetric Analysis†, tamu.edu) of zinc and

Apple Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Apple - Research Paper Example Apple Inc. has been established by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak in early 1970s when a hobby-machine that a very talented electronic wiz developed for himself and thence they thought to market it. The company has experienced full of highs and lows in its past 30 years as normally expected of a technology company and has still remained far positive despite economic, competitive and marketing challenges it faced. Apple Inc. headquartered in Cupertino, California and incorporated in January 3, 1977, is engaged in designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing of personal computers, communication devices, servers, network solutions, portable music digital players and many other related accessories and peripherals. The company markets and distributed its hardware and software solutions through its own-retail stores, online stores, sales force and third party sellers. The most unique feature of the company was that it has always been prospering on innovation. The company gained a very significant portion of the market in 1990s when it developed personal computer in the brand name Apple II, and when it reinvented the same within the next decade in the brand name Macintosh and thus ultimately to have gained a very deeply-routed brand loyalty with iMac in 1990s. iMac helped the company identify a very vast opportunity of a new market that has been until then hidden and it continually innovated many varying products and services in names of iPod, iPad, iTune, iLife, iPhone, iCloud, and so on. Apple Inc plays pivotal roles or leading shares in different industries such as Personal computer, tablet PCs, Smartphone, operating system etc. Hodgkins (2012) reported Gartner’s release about Apple’s market share in its personal computer industry. Though the report was a bad news for the industry as a whole due to that consumers are spending less on PCs as there are other technologies such as Smartphone and Tablet PCs, the news was very good for Apple that it showed an increase of its sales by 4.3 percent in the second quarter beating the shares of its competitors such as HP, Toshiba and Acer. When it comes to the market of Tablet PCs, the report was interesting that Apple’s share was nearing to its all-time high. In the second quarter of 2012, Apple shipped a total of 17 million Tablet PCs with an increase of 44.1% from the figure of 11.8 million in the first quarter. Apple holds 64.4 % of the total Tablet PCs market share where as the second leading company Samsung holds only 9.9 % of the

Popularity of Timber Frame Construction

Popularity of Timber Frame Construction 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report will look at the increasing popularity surrounding timber frame construction in the construction industry. It will look at why this trend is continuing across the UK and how this form of construction can be applied to various building types. Timber frame construction is most notably used in parts of the world such as USA, Canada and Australia but it is being used more frequently throughout the UK in more recent times as well. Year on year the market share for timber frame construction has increased. Scotland is leading the way in this field by using timber frame construction much more than their neighbours. The timber sourced for this type of construction can readily be found in Scotland and this may go some way to explaining why it is indeed so popular in Scotland. 1.1 FACTS AND FIGURES; For the tenth consecutive year; the market share for timber frame construction has increased, 25% of all new houses in the UK are timber frame, As previously stated, Scotland is the most popular country for timber frame construction in the UK but even considering this; 75% of all new houses in Scotland are timber frame and that percentage continues to rise. Also, even during a recession when the construction industry has possibly been hit as hard as any other industry; timber frame construction only dropped by 26% while other construction methods dropped almost 38% in 2008. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 5 (www.timber-frame.org) The trend is also growing outside of the UK, in Ireland for example. This is endorsed by the following quote. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber frame homes currently account for 25% of new build homes in Irelandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.ramstowndevelopments.com) 2.0 METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION Timber frame construction means that the weight-bearing walls are indeed timber panels. In other buildings this could be steel or blocks for example. These timber panels are made off site to an exact size and when they are required, they are simply transported by truck from the factory to the site. They can then be installed by men using pulleys and ropes or if the panels are too large and heavy- a small crane can be used to carry out this task. The panel itself is usually made up of solid timber- to take the load of the structure and this is sheathed usually by plywood or OSB- Oriented Strand Board, which is usually sourced from Scotland. These members ensure that the panel has suitable strength and is also rigid. Once the timber frame installation is complete, the external leaf of the building can then be installed. This can be brickwork or any form of cladding or a rendered finish. There are in fact two types of panels available- namely the Open Panel meaning the panel will be dry-lined after the insulation, vapour layer and services have been installed on site. The other panel is the Closed Panel and is this case this is all done in the factory. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 11 (www.timber-frame.org) There have also been advances in the design of I-Joists in timber frame systems. There are now lighter I-Joists available but they have the greater strength and durability because the flanges are wider and the joist itself is not solid wood as has been the case in previous years- it can simply be plywood or OSB. PLATE 1; Image showing lightweight I-Joists, which are easier to handle but still strong enough to withstand the load being rested on it; due to the wide flanges. (www.framewiseltd.co.uk) 2.1 BALLOON FRAME There are actually two forms of timber frame construction. These are called Balloon Frame and Platform Frame. Balloon Frame has been superseded nowadays by Platform Frame but a brief outline is explained on both. The Balloon Frame form of construction simply means that the studs that make up the exterior wall are one long section which spans from the ground to the ceiling height of the top floor. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A balloon frame consists of two-storey height panels with an intermediate floor suspended from the formwork.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Chudley and Greeno (2008, p.386) Problems are obvious with this form of construction; Fire can spread easier because of the large panels Large panels may be more difficult to find Large panels will also be more difficult to handle Heating bills could be higher because there is no insulation between a room and the exterior walls Drawbacks such as these mean that the Platform Frame is more popular and is used today in preference to the Balloon Frame. 2.2 PLATFORM FRAME As previously mentioned, this is the form of timber frame construction favoured today in the UK. It differs from the Balloon Frame, as the structure is built up floor by floor. Basic sequence of events would include; Engineer calculates out sizes required by looking at the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s drawings Materials ordered and prefabricated in factory Materials arrive on site- only as required Base of the structure is marked out Timber floor joists are lifted into place using a small crane Walls are erected and positioned on top of floor joists- again using a small crane Prefabricated roof is also positioned in by a crane on top of the wall panels Cavity barriers/fire stops are installed Felt and battens are applied to roof- structure is now watertight External layer can now be can applied as well as tiles or slates on the roof Internal services can now be installed   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   PLATE 2; Image showing a floor being lifted into position by crane (www.ramstowndevelopments.com) (sketch 2 drawings from page 171 of chudley greeno) 3.0 ADVANTAGES OF TIMBER FRAME Timber frame construction holds quite a few advantages over brick and block or steel frame construction; Quick to erect- can be completed faster than using brick and blocks as there is no need to wait for mortar to dry. Also, timber can still be installed in the rain; when brick or blocks canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t and is also not affected by the frost like mortar is. Easy to transport- panels, trussed roofs, timber floors etc are easily loaded on to a lorry and delivered on site as needed also ensuring the site isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t cluttered up with materials that are not yet needed. Easy for the Contractor to forecast the completion date of the project- the job will run on time easier and will not be delayed due to weather as wintry conditions can delay progress on site. Cleaner site- as everything is measured to specification; there will be very little material waste on site meaning more profits, less money spent on dumping waste in landfills and less chance of an injury also. Smooth and dry- the surface is easy to decorate and also easy to render. Better quality- as the frame is fabricated off site to meet Building Regulations; there is less chance of human error. Can be installed by small crane to meet a tight deadline or by workmen as a cheaper option. Extensions can easily be incorporated, as timber and plasterboard are easier to remove than blocks. Also easier to design a building to suit the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s exact taste and possibly make a building unique form others. (www.trada.co.uk) Once the shell of the building is complete- this means it is watertight and the internal works can begin. It only takes around 5 days to achieve a watertight house. 3.1 THERMAL PERFORMANCE Timber is an excellent insulator and this in turn means that timber framed buildings store heat very well. This therefore leads heating bills being reduced, which in turn also means less fossil fuels are being used- be it oil for central heating or coal for a fire. How much money can be saved on heating bills varies and bold claims are made about this. It is hard to calculate because other factors need to be considered such as the specification of the building, the occupants of that building and so on. One timber frame company called Ramstown Developments claim that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber framing is an energy saving system that cuts an average of 33% off the annual cost of heating your home.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.ramstowndevelopments.com/) How accurate these figures are will be open to debate but there is little doubt that timber frame construction does have an advantage when it comes down to thermal performance. Many different timber frame companies exist and because of this they will specify the materials and construction and installation of the components slightly differently, thus giving slightly different results. However, the UK Timber Fame Association, who represents over 85% of UK timber frame manufacture states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Using a standard timber frame system achieves U-values between 0.30 and 0.27 using readily available and standard insulation- and using higher performance insulation and insulating breather membranes can boost these figures even more.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.timber-frame.org) The keyword in the aforementioned statement is standard- meaning this is the minimum level of thermal performance that can be expected, so obviously this can be improved upon by having a higher specification. One such company is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Scotframeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? who have designed a timber frame system which has a U-value of 0.11 which is very impressive when the U-value limit for walls in 1965 was actually 1.7. The system is a closed timber-framed panel, usually includes140mm  studs sheathed both sides with Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and factory filled with Polyurethane foam insulation. The internal side of the panel has a vapour control heat reflective membrane  and an air gap is created between this and the internal wall cladding to make a service zone.  The exterior side has a breathable waterproof membrane and 50mm of  polyurethane foam cavity insulation. To prove that these panels are indeed extremely thermally efficient- they have been tested by the National Physical Laboratory who confirmed a U-value of 0.11 W/m2K; when the external cladding is taken into account. This system can be installed without the cavity insulation- but as can be expected, the U-value results will not be as good. This system from Scotframe actually meets the meets the C02 targets which have been set at intervals of 2010, 2013 and 2016- at this stage. (www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) PLATE 5; Image showing what the Scotframe system compromises of. (www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) 3.2 ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE Since timber frame performs so well in thermal performance, it isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t very surprising to gather that it also performs well in the acoustic aspect also. This could be largely down to the fact that so many layers can absorb sound just like curtains and carpet absorbs sound better than an empty room with hard surfaces. In fact à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“BREs Case study TF2000 found that even a multi-storey project would out perform building regulations for acoustic insulation.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.framewiseltd.co.uk) This statement therefore echoes these thoughts and actually emphasises that it more than satisfies Building Regulations. What is even more interesting is that this is not for a small cosy dwelling- it is actually in terms of a multi-storey structure. 3.3 FIRE PERFORMANCE Timber is more susceptible to fire than materials such as concrete, bricks, blocks or steel. This however, does not mean that timber frame structures are more of a fire hazard. Timber frame structures are more likely to be burnt down during the actually construction phase, when the installation is not complete. This could be due to an accidental fire starting on site or probably the more likely case of vandalism. The HSEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s figures of 11 fires each day in the construction industry advocates this theory. Fire Safety on Timber Frame Construction Sites, page 5 highlights this, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s annual UK fire statistics show that two thirds of fires in construction industry premises are started deliberately.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.timber-frame.org/) Fires that do start accidentally will not spread as easily once the installation has been complete, because the fire resistant plasterboard will see to this and also the external cladding will prove a difficult surface for the fire to engulf. There are of course ways in which the threat of fire can be minimised; Design out the need for hot-works, i.e. working with a blowtorch. If hot-works are required then that area should be monitored for 1 hour and again 2 ours later as a precaution. Keep the site tidy with no timber shavings or pieces of paper lying around, as these could start a fire easily (this of course would be good practice on any construction site) Ensure good site security to keep potential thieves and vandals at bay- again just like on any construction site. Fire Safety On Timber Frame Construction Sites page 10 (www.timber-frame.org) At this stage it should be stressed that timber frame construction is quick to install and because of this it is easy to reach a point when fire resistant materials are in place and the risk of fire is therefore greatly reduced. Also, cavity fire barriers will reduce the spread of fire. They are placed at openings in external walls, at corners, at each floor level, at eaves level, around pipes, cables etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It is also worthy to mention that timber frame buildings do of course have to pass the relevant Building Regulations; as fire is a very serious matter. So if they satisfy these needs; they are as safe as any other form of construction in that aspect. 4.0 ENVIRONMENT Terms such as C02 emissions, global warming, carbon footprint and greenhouse gases are often the topic of conversation in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s world. Everyone is being urged to think about the environment and the construction industry is probably under the microscope as much as any other sector. As mentioned previously one of the advantages of timber frame construction is that it reduces the effects of burning fossil fuels- such as oil or coal. This therefore means it also minimises the greenhouse effect as well. Unlike steel or concrete- there is no need for any manufacturing, refining or extracting as timber is natural. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Strength for strength, concrete uses 5 times (and steel uses 6 times) more energy to produce than timberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.timber-frame.org) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Overall C02 emissions for timber construction (the em-bodied carbon are up to six times lower than the emissions associated with masonry construction materialsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 19 (www.timber-frame.org) That statement may not hold much relevance until the Governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s stance on this subject is made clear- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Come October 2010, the Government will slash the level of permissible CO2 emissions generated by new builds by 30%. There is a further reduction of 30% planned for 2013 and yet another of the same amount due to come in to force in 2016à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) This further proves just how big of a concern this matter is and that the Government are acting quickly and have very clear targets in mind for the future. Some timber frame companies are also trying to convey this message to the public, as advocated by Deeside timber frame- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Raise awareness of environmental issues with our customers, suppliers and staffà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is listed as one of their objectives regarding environmental matters. (www.deesidetimberframe.co.uk) Also, since timber is being sourced locally; in Europe and frequently in Scotland- it means there is no long journeys to transport the material overseas as can often be the case with steel when it is in short supply. 4.1 SUSTAINABILITY Timber is a very sustainable material. This is simply due to the fact that the timber comes from managed forests and for every tree that is cut down- two are planted to replace it. As well as this; the Government also introduced a scheme titled the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2006. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 7 (www.timber-frame.org) To summarise, this basically states that the Government wants homes to be more energy efficient and that Level 3 is the basic standard expected in the average housing scheme, with this rising to a Level 6 for all new homes by 2016. Issues which affect what level the structure will be credited with depend on two things- how energy efficient the buildings fabric is and also how the material itself was sourced. Timber can achieve a good rating on both fronts because as previously mentioned; it is easy to source and doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to be transported long distances and also timber frame buildings have a very good thermal performance and can reduce heating bills. 5.0 NON-DOMESTIC BUILDINGS AND OTHER PROJECTS It would be fair to say that when most people think of timber frame construction, they think of low rise buildings like domestic dwellings. However, timber frame buildings are not just bungalows and two storey houses. Timber frame buildings include hotels, student accommodation and such like. With Building Regulations always being updated and changed; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber frame can currently go up to 18 metres within the current regulations. This has already allowed the construction of a 7 storey building in Bedminster in Bristol.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.timber-frame.org) Further examples of surprising projects include a primary school which has over 400 children in attendance. St Lukeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Primary School in the Wolverhampton area was actually completed in 16 weeks- which was 2 weeks ahead of schedule! It cost  £5.9m to construct and was given a rating of Excellent by BREEAM. This rating was of such a high standard that it is actually the first time it has been awarded to a building in Britain. (BREEAM is the BRE Environmental Assessment Method.) PATE 6; Image of St Lukeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s CE Primary School, Blakenhall Gardens UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 26 (www.timber-frame.org) Other such projects include a NHS Adolescent Unit in Wales, where in this instance timber frame was ideal due to the fact that it was manufactured offsite and this meant less time onsite, making noise and disrupting the patients. A further example includes the theatre that was built on the Isle of Mull. Since this structure would be subject to winds and rain- it would be anticipated that steel or concrete would be the material of choice. However, cost of transporting these materials proved to be a huge factor, coupled with the fact that once again timber frame could be installed much quicker. PLATE 7; Image of the new timber frame theatre on Isle of Mull UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 26 (www.timber-frame.org) As well as these structures, timber frame prototypes have also been erected to improve our knowledge and findings on the performance of timber frame. One such prototype is the Kingspan Lighthouse which was designed and built to show how well timber frame would or would not perform when the structure was going to be an unorthodox shape. As with all buildings, small faults were found and good feedback was received on how improvements could be made. However, a Level 6 rating under the Code of Sustainable Homes was reached- even though this target doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t need to be achieved until 2016. PLATE 8; Image of Kingspan Lighthouse which achieved a Level 6 rating. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 9 (www.timber-frame.org) 6.0 MOISTURE CONTENT All timber that is to be used for construction purposes will have a certain moisture content. Different timbers will have different moisture content depending on their use. For example, timber that is going to be used at junctions in the building where dampness could form will need to have a low moisture content. Kilns are used to dry timber out to a certain specification. Moisture content can be calculated by completing the following calculation; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Moisture Content %= (wet weight)-(dry weight)/ dry weight x 100%à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Chudley and Greeno (2007, p.175) 6.1 THREAT OF ROT Rot spreading throughout a building is the nightmare of every client and builder, as it can cause unlimited damage and mean that in the extreme cases the building cannot be repaired. However, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Dry timberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, which is a timber with a moisture content of under 20%, is not at risk of decay. Lyons (2007, p.105) noted that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the reduction in water content to below 20% will arrest any incipient fungal decay, which can only commence above this critical level.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? This should dispel any doubts that timber is very exposed to rot. Furthermore, the timber is also sprayed with necessary preservatives before installation to satisfy Building Regulation requirements. 7.0 CONCLUSION This report has briefly looked at how timber frame structures perform in numerous fields. It has also outlined how timber frame can be used in a variety of different structures- some of which many people would not associate timber frame construction with. It is therefore clear to see that this market will continue to grow, with the market possibly accelerating more so in Ireland in the near future. This is because Ireland is possibly the country which has the most room for growth in this sector, coupled with the fact that Scotland is nearby and would prove to be a very good source for timber. This report has also addressed concerns relating to timber and the perception many people still have about using timber in construction- such as fire hazards, risk of rot, unable to be used in multi-storey buildings; to name just a few. Once people are better educated and made more aware about using timber as the structure for buildings- then these myths will soon be dispersed. After all, as mentioned in the introduction; this form of construction is used in countries such as USA, Canada and Australia. It is of course the most popular form of construction used in the developed world- meaning it can handle the hot summers in Australia and also the windy wets nights and wintry conditions in Scotland. It has taken Britain and Ireland many years to adopt this practice and some will no doubt wish to never embrace timber frame construction. However, the old adage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the times are changingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? certainly springs to mind at this point. With the Government endorsing the use of timber frame and with environmental and sustainability concerns the topic of conversation on a regular basis- this definitely seems like the route to take. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber Frame is probably the biggest single advance in building methods in recent yearsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.walkertimbergroup.com) The above quote certainly is a bold one but with the facts in figures produced in this report; it is hard to argue against such a statement. 8.0 REFERENCES- Websites Source- UK timber frame association preview 2010 (pdf file) (www.timber-frame.org) [accessed 4th February] Source-Fire Safety on Timber Frame Construction Sites (pdf file) (www.timber-frame.org) http://www.ramstowndevelopments.com/index.php?id=47 [accessed 4th February] http://www.framewiseltd.co.uk/Systems/i-joists-the-simple-framing-system.html [accessed 4th February] http://www.trada.co.uk/techinfo/library/view/6BA4B8A2-79A8-451B-AB6F-474D37137B4F/Timber+frame+construction+-+an+outline/ar01s02.html [accessed 5th February] http://www.timber-frame.org/html/Building_And_Construction/Benefits_of_Timber_Frame/ [accessed 5th February] http://www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/ [accessed 5th February] http://www.deesidetimberframe.co.uk/environmental.htm [accessed 5th February] http://www.walkertimbergroup.com/walkertimber/products/products/timberframe1 [accessed 5th February] Books Chudley, R., Greeno, R. (2008) Building Construction Handbook. 7th ed. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd Chudley, R., Greeno, R. (2007) Construction Technology. 4th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited Lyons, A., (2007) Materials for Architects Builders. 3rd ed. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd. Popularity of Timber Frame Construction Popularity of Timber Frame Construction 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report will look at the increasing popularity surrounding timber frame construction in the construction industry. It will look at why this trend is continuing across the UK and how this form of construction can be applied to various building types. Timber frame construction is most notably used in parts of the world such as USA, Canada and Australia but it is being used more frequently throughout the UK in more recent times as well. Year on year the market share for timber frame construction has increased. Scotland is leading the way in this field by using timber frame construction much more than their neighbours. The timber sourced for this type of construction can readily be found in Scotland and this may go some way to explaining why it is indeed so popular in Scotland. 1.1 FACTS AND FIGURES; For the tenth consecutive year; the market share for timber frame construction has increased, 25% of all new houses in the UK are timber frame, As previously stated, Scotland is the most popular country for timber frame construction in the UK but even considering this; 75% of all new houses in Scotland are timber frame and that percentage continues to rise. Also, even during a recession when the construction industry has possibly been hit as hard as any other industry; timber frame construction only dropped by 26% while other construction methods dropped almost 38% in 2008. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 5 (www.timber-frame.org) The trend is also growing outside of the UK, in Ireland for example. This is endorsed by the following quote. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber frame homes currently account for 25% of new build homes in Irelandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.ramstowndevelopments.com) 2.0 METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION Timber frame construction means that the weight-bearing walls are indeed timber panels. In other buildings this could be steel or blocks for example. These timber panels are made off site to an exact size and when they are required, they are simply transported by truck from the factory to the site. They can then be installed by men using pulleys and ropes or if the panels are too large and heavy- a small crane can be used to carry out this task. The panel itself is usually made up of solid timber- to take the load of the structure and this is sheathed usually by plywood or OSB- Oriented Strand Board, which is usually sourced from Scotland. These members ensure that the panel has suitable strength and is also rigid. Once the timber frame installation is complete, the external leaf of the building can then be installed. This can be brickwork or any form of cladding or a rendered finish. There are in fact two types of panels available- namely the Open Panel meaning the panel will be dry-lined after the insulation, vapour layer and services have been installed on site. The other panel is the Closed Panel and is this case this is all done in the factory. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 11 (www.timber-frame.org) There have also been advances in the design of I-Joists in timber frame systems. There are now lighter I-Joists available but they have the greater strength and durability because the flanges are wider and the joist itself is not solid wood as has been the case in previous years- it can simply be plywood or OSB. PLATE 1; Image showing lightweight I-Joists, which are easier to handle but still strong enough to withstand the load being rested on it; due to the wide flanges. (www.framewiseltd.co.uk) 2.1 BALLOON FRAME There are actually two forms of timber frame construction. These are called Balloon Frame and Platform Frame. Balloon Frame has been superseded nowadays by Platform Frame but a brief outline is explained on both. The Balloon Frame form of construction simply means that the studs that make up the exterior wall are one long section which spans from the ground to the ceiling height of the top floor. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A balloon frame consists of two-storey height panels with an intermediate floor suspended from the formwork.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Chudley and Greeno (2008, p.386) Problems are obvious with this form of construction; Fire can spread easier because of the large panels Large panels may be more difficult to find Large panels will also be more difficult to handle Heating bills could be higher because there is no insulation between a room and the exterior walls Drawbacks such as these mean that the Platform Frame is more popular and is used today in preference to the Balloon Frame. 2.2 PLATFORM FRAME As previously mentioned, this is the form of timber frame construction favoured today in the UK. It differs from the Balloon Frame, as the structure is built up floor by floor. Basic sequence of events would include; Engineer calculates out sizes required by looking at the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s drawings Materials ordered and prefabricated in factory Materials arrive on site- only as required Base of the structure is marked out Timber floor joists are lifted into place using a small crane Walls are erected and positioned on top of floor joists- again using a small crane Prefabricated roof is also positioned in by a crane on top of the wall panels Cavity barriers/fire stops are installed Felt and battens are applied to roof- structure is now watertight External layer can now be can applied as well as tiles or slates on the roof Internal services can now be installed   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   PLATE 2; Image showing a floor being lifted into position by crane (www.ramstowndevelopments.com) (sketch 2 drawings from page 171 of chudley greeno) 3.0 ADVANTAGES OF TIMBER FRAME Timber frame construction holds quite a few advantages over brick and block or steel frame construction; Quick to erect- can be completed faster than using brick and blocks as there is no need to wait for mortar to dry. Also, timber can still be installed in the rain; when brick or blocks canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t and is also not affected by the frost like mortar is. Easy to transport- panels, trussed roofs, timber floors etc are easily loaded on to a lorry and delivered on site as needed also ensuring the site isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t cluttered up with materials that are not yet needed. Easy for the Contractor to forecast the completion date of the project- the job will run on time easier and will not be delayed due to weather as wintry conditions can delay progress on site. Cleaner site- as everything is measured to specification; there will be very little material waste on site meaning more profits, less money spent on dumping waste in landfills and less chance of an injury also. Smooth and dry- the surface is easy to decorate and also easy to render. Better quality- as the frame is fabricated off site to meet Building Regulations; there is less chance of human error. Can be installed by small crane to meet a tight deadline or by workmen as a cheaper option. Extensions can easily be incorporated, as timber and plasterboard are easier to remove than blocks. Also easier to design a building to suit the clientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s exact taste and possibly make a building unique form others. (www.trada.co.uk) Once the shell of the building is complete- this means it is watertight and the internal works can begin. It only takes around 5 days to achieve a watertight house. 3.1 THERMAL PERFORMANCE Timber is an excellent insulator and this in turn means that timber framed buildings store heat very well. This therefore leads heating bills being reduced, which in turn also means less fossil fuels are being used- be it oil for central heating or coal for a fire. How much money can be saved on heating bills varies and bold claims are made about this. It is hard to calculate because other factors need to be considered such as the specification of the building, the occupants of that building and so on. One timber frame company called Ramstown Developments claim that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber framing is an energy saving system that cuts an average of 33% off the annual cost of heating your home.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.ramstowndevelopments.com/) How accurate these figures are will be open to debate but there is little doubt that timber frame construction does have an advantage when it comes down to thermal performance. Many different timber frame companies exist and because of this they will specify the materials and construction and installation of the components slightly differently, thus giving slightly different results. However, the UK Timber Fame Association, who represents over 85% of UK timber frame manufacture states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Using a standard timber frame system achieves U-values between 0.30 and 0.27 using readily available and standard insulation- and using higher performance insulation and insulating breather membranes can boost these figures even more.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.timber-frame.org) The keyword in the aforementioned statement is standard- meaning this is the minimum level of thermal performance that can be expected, so obviously this can be improved upon by having a higher specification. One such company is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Scotframeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? who have designed a timber frame system which has a U-value of 0.11 which is very impressive when the U-value limit for walls in 1965 was actually 1.7. The system is a closed timber-framed panel, usually includes140mm  studs sheathed both sides with Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and factory filled with Polyurethane foam insulation. The internal side of the panel has a vapour control heat reflective membrane  and an air gap is created between this and the internal wall cladding to make a service zone.  The exterior side has a breathable waterproof membrane and 50mm of  polyurethane foam cavity insulation. To prove that these panels are indeed extremely thermally efficient- they have been tested by the National Physical Laboratory who confirmed a U-value of 0.11 W/m2K; when the external cladding is taken into account. This system can be installed without the cavity insulation- but as can be expected, the U-value results will not be as good. This system from Scotframe actually meets the meets the C02 targets which have been set at intervals of 2010, 2013 and 2016- at this stage. (www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) PLATE 5; Image showing what the Scotframe system compromises of. (www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) 3.2 ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE Since timber frame performs so well in thermal performance, it isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t very surprising to gather that it also performs well in the acoustic aspect also. This could be largely down to the fact that so many layers can absorb sound just like curtains and carpet absorbs sound better than an empty room with hard surfaces. In fact à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“BREs Case study TF2000 found that even a multi-storey project would out perform building regulations for acoustic insulation.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.framewiseltd.co.uk) This statement therefore echoes these thoughts and actually emphasises that it more than satisfies Building Regulations. What is even more interesting is that this is not for a small cosy dwelling- it is actually in terms of a multi-storey structure. 3.3 FIRE PERFORMANCE Timber is more susceptible to fire than materials such as concrete, bricks, blocks or steel. This however, does not mean that timber frame structures are more of a fire hazard. Timber frame structures are more likely to be burnt down during the actually construction phase, when the installation is not complete. This could be due to an accidental fire starting on site or probably the more likely case of vandalism. The HSEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s figures of 11 fires each day in the construction industry advocates this theory. Fire Safety on Timber Frame Construction Sites, page 5 highlights this, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s annual UK fire statistics show that two thirds of fires in construction industry premises are started deliberately.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.timber-frame.org/) Fires that do start accidentally will not spread as easily once the installation has been complete, because the fire resistant plasterboard will see to this and also the external cladding will prove a difficult surface for the fire to engulf. There are of course ways in which the threat of fire can be minimised; Design out the need for hot-works, i.e. working with a blowtorch. If hot-works are required then that area should be monitored for 1 hour and again 2 ours later as a precaution. Keep the site tidy with no timber shavings or pieces of paper lying around, as these could start a fire easily (this of course would be good practice on any construction site) Ensure good site security to keep potential thieves and vandals at bay- again just like on any construction site. Fire Safety On Timber Frame Construction Sites page 10 (www.timber-frame.org) At this stage it should be stressed that timber frame construction is quick to install and because of this it is easy to reach a point when fire resistant materials are in place and the risk of fire is therefore greatly reduced. Also, cavity fire barriers will reduce the spread of fire. They are placed at openings in external walls, at corners, at each floor level, at eaves level, around pipes, cables etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It is also worthy to mention that timber frame buildings do of course have to pass the relevant Building Regulations; as fire is a very serious matter. So if they satisfy these needs; they are as safe as any other form of construction in that aspect. 4.0 ENVIRONMENT Terms such as C02 emissions, global warming, carbon footprint and greenhouse gases are often the topic of conversation in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s world. Everyone is being urged to think about the environment and the construction industry is probably under the microscope as much as any other sector. As mentioned previously one of the advantages of timber frame construction is that it reduces the effects of burning fossil fuels- such as oil or coal. This therefore means it also minimises the greenhouse effect as well. Unlike steel or concrete- there is no need for any manufacturing, refining or extracting as timber is natural. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Strength for strength, concrete uses 5 times (and steel uses 6 times) more energy to produce than timberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.timber-frame.org) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Overall C02 emissions for timber construction (the em-bodied carbon are up to six times lower than the emissions associated with masonry construction materialsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 19 (www.timber-frame.org) That statement may not hold much relevance until the Governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s stance on this subject is made clear- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Come October 2010, the Government will slash the level of permissible CO2 emissions generated by new builds by 30%. There is a further reduction of 30% planned for 2013 and yet another of the same amount due to come in to force in 2016à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/) This further proves just how big of a concern this matter is and that the Government are acting quickly and have very clear targets in mind for the future. Some timber frame companies are also trying to convey this message to the public, as advocated by Deeside timber frame- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Raise awareness of environmental issues with our customers, suppliers and staffà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? is listed as one of their objectives regarding environmental matters. (www.deesidetimberframe.co.uk) Also, since timber is being sourced locally; in Europe and frequently in Scotland- it means there is no long journeys to transport the material overseas as can often be the case with steel when it is in short supply. 4.1 SUSTAINABILITY Timber is a very sustainable material. This is simply due to the fact that the timber comes from managed forests and for every tree that is cut down- two are planted to replace it. As well as this; the Government also introduced a scheme titled the Code for Sustainable Homes in 2006. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 7 (www.timber-frame.org) To summarise, this basically states that the Government wants homes to be more energy efficient and that Level 3 is the basic standard expected in the average housing scheme, with this rising to a Level 6 for all new homes by 2016. Issues which affect what level the structure will be credited with depend on two things- how energy efficient the buildings fabric is and also how the material itself was sourced. Timber can achieve a good rating on both fronts because as previously mentioned; it is easy to source and doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to be transported long distances and also timber frame buildings have a very good thermal performance and can reduce heating bills. 5.0 NON-DOMESTIC BUILDINGS AND OTHER PROJECTS It would be fair to say that when most people think of timber frame construction, they think of low rise buildings like domestic dwellings. However, timber frame buildings are not just bungalows and two storey houses. Timber frame buildings include hotels, student accommodation and such like. With Building Regulations always being updated and changed; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber frame can currently go up to 18 metres within the current regulations. This has already allowed the construction of a 7 storey building in Bedminster in Bristol.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (www.timber-frame.org) Further examples of surprising projects include a primary school which has over 400 children in attendance. St Lukeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Primary School in the Wolverhampton area was actually completed in 16 weeks- which was 2 weeks ahead of schedule! It cost  £5.9m to construct and was given a rating of Excellent by BREEAM. This rating was of such a high standard that it is actually the first time it has been awarded to a building in Britain. (BREEAM is the BRE Environmental Assessment Method.) PATE 6; Image of St Lukeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s CE Primary School, Blakenhall Gardens UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 26 (www.timber-frame.org) Other such projects include a NHS Adolescent Unit in Wales, where in this instance timber frame was ideal due to the fact that it was manufactured offsite and this meant less time onsite, making noise and disrupting the patients. A further example includes the theatre that was built on the Isle of Mull. Since this structure would be subject to winds and rain- it would be anticipated that steel or concrete would be the material of choice. However, cost of transporting these materials proved to be a huge factor, coupled with the fact that once again timber frame could be installed much quicker. PLATE 7; Image of the new timber frame theatre on Isle of Mull UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 26 (www.timber-frame.org) As well as these structures, timber frame prototypes have also been erected to improve our knowledge and findings on the performance of timber frame. One such prototype is the Kingspan Lighthouse which was designed and built to show how well timber frame would or would not perform when the structure was going to be an unorthodox shape. As with all buildings, small faults were found and good feedback was received on how improvements could be made. However, a Level 6 rating under the Code of Sustainable Homes was reached- even though this target doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t need to be achieved until 2016. PLATE 8; Image of Kingspan Lighthouse which achieved a Level 6 rating. UK timber frame association preview 2010 page 9 (www.timber-frame.org) 6.0 MOISTURE CONTENT All timber that is to be used for construction purposes will have a certain moisture content. Different timbers will have different moisture content depending on their use. For example, timber that is going to be used at junctions in the building where dampness could form will need to have a low moisture content. Kilns are used to dry timber out to a certain specification. Moisture content can be calculated by completing the following calculation; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Moisture Content %= (wet weight)-(dry weight)/ dry weight x 100%à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Chudley and Greeno (2007, p.175) 6.1 THREAT OF ROT Rot spreading throughout a building is the nightmare of every client and builder, as it can cause unlimited damage and mean that in the extreme cases the building cannot be repaired. However, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Dry timberà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, which is a timber with a moisture content of under 20%, is not at risk of decay. Lyons (2007, p.105) noted that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the reduction in water content to below 20% will arrest any incipient fungal decay, which can only commence above this critical level.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? This should dispel any doubts that timber is very exposed to rot. Furthermore, the timber is also sprayed with necessary preservatives before installation to satisfy Building Regulation requirements. 7.0 CONCLUSION This report has briefly looked at how timber frame structures perform in numerous fields. It has also outlined how timber frame can be used in a variety of different structures- some of which many people would not associate timber frame construction with. It is therefore clear to see that this market will continue to grow, with the market possibly accelerating more so in Ireland in the near future. This is because Ireland is possibly the country which has the most room for growth in this sector, coupled with the fact that Scotland is nearby and would prove to be a very good source for timber. This report has also addressed concerns relating to timber and the perception many people still have about using timber in construction- such as fire hazards, risk of rot, unable to be used in multi-storey buildings; to name just a few. Once people are better educated and made more aware about using timber as the structure for buildings- then these myths will soon be dispersed. After all, as mentioned in the introduction; this form of construction is used in countries such as USA, Canada and Australia. It is of course the most popular form of construction used in the developed world- meaning it can handle the hot summers in Australia and also the windy wets nights and wintry conditions in Scotland. It has taken Britain and Ireland many years to adopt this practice and some will no doubt wish to never embrace timber frame construction. However, the old adage à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the times are changingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? certainly springs to mind at this point. With the Government endorsing the use of timber frame and with environmental and sustainability concerns the topic of conversation on a regular basis- this definitely seems like the route to take. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Timber Frame is probably the biggest single advance in building methods in recent yearsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?(www.walkertimbergroup.com) The above quote certainly is a bold one but with the facts in figures produced in this report; it is hard to argue against such a statement. 8.0 REFERENCES- Websites Source- UK timber frame association preview 2010 (pdf file) (www.timber-frame.org) [accessed 4th February] Source-Fire Safety on Timber Frame Construction Sites (pdf file) (www.timber-frame.org) http://www.ramstowndevelopments.com/index.php?id=47 [accessed 4th February] http://www.framewiseltd.co.uk/Systems/i-joists-the-simple-framing-system.html [accessed 4th February] http://www.trada.co.uk/techinfo/library/view/6BA4B8A2-79A8-451B-AB6F-474D37137B4F/Timber+frame+construction+-+an+outline/ar01s02.html [accessed 5th February] http://www.timber-frame.org/html/Building_And_Construction/Benefits_of_Timber_Frame/ [accessed 5th February] http://www.scotframetimberengineering.co.uk/ [accessed 5th February] http://www.deesidetimberframe.co.uk/environmental.htm [accessed 5th February] http://www.walkertimbergroup.com/walkertimber/products/products/timberframe1 [accessed 5th February] Books Chudley, R., Greeno, R. (2008) Building Construction Handbook. 7th ed. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd Chudley, R., Greeno, R. (2007) Construction Technology. 4th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited Lyons, A., (2007) Materials for Architects Builders. 3rd ed. Oxford: Elsevier Ltd.