Smart motorways throughout England as defined by Highways England, have the objective to deliver more efficient motorways through the application of smart infrastructure technologies to improve real-time management of major motorways, including actively managing traffic, improving journey times and reliability, increasing capacity, reducing congestion, and maintaining safety levels (Arcadis, 2017). There are three main types of smart motorways, each having a slightly different way of operations (AA, 2020). Firstly, the controlled motorway has variable speed limits and a hard shoulder for emergency use. Dynamic hard shoulder motorways have a hard shoulder that could be opened up to traffic in congested periods as well it has gantry overhead signs indicating when driving is allowed on the hard shoulder. Furthermore, the all-lane running system has no hard shoulder with emergency refuge areas located approximately every 2.5km or 1.6km (Jallow, 2019). A Guerrieri comparison of a 1-km long section of conventional and smart motorway found that the highest environmental impact during a motorway life cycle is always due to vehicle emissions and specifically of platooning vehicles (Guerrieri, 2020). As the main goal of smart motorways is to improve the flow of traffic, this will have a big influence on the increase of the use of cars since capacities increase and the mode becomes more desirable by users with the effect of increasing carbon emissions. Someone could argue that improving the flow of traffic will reduce the number of times vehicles' engines are running hence reducing the environmental burden simultaneously, as reducing congestions and improving user’s experience. Recommended : Four key actions within a sustainable mobility approach as defined by Banister Others may argue that improving the capacity and flow of motorways and not promoting investments in other public transports, increases the number of cars, hence increasing emissions and negatively impacting air quality of the surrounding areas. The decarbonization of transport is mostly a challenge of energy rather than mobility. In the research paper “How to decarbonize the transport sector?” Zwaan stresses that a radical change in the automotive industry should occur with hydrogen becoming the dominant transport fuel for achieving a net-zero transport network (Zwaan, 2013). REFERENCES Arcadis, C., 2017. Smart Motorways Programme M6 J2 – J4 Environmental Study Report: Volume 1. [Online] Available at: https://assets.highwaysengland.co.uk/roads/road-projects/m6+junction+2+to+4+smart+motorway/Environmental+Study+Report+Figures+(Volume+1).pdf [Accessed 5 March 2021]. AA, 2020. Smart Motorways: Just how smart are smart motorways?. [Online] Available at: https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/smart-motorways#:~:text=There%20are%203%20different%20types,in%20a%20slightly%20different%20way. [Accessed 8 March 2021]. Guerrieri, 2020. Smart vs conventional motorways: Environmental impact assessment under realistic traffic conditions. Elsevier. Jallow, H., 2019. The Concept of Smart Motorways. s.l., 2019 3rd International Conference on Smart Grid and Smart Cities (ICSGSC). London, M. o., 2019. CENTRAL LONDON ULTRA LOW EMISSION ZONE – SIX MONTH REPORT, London: Greater London Authority. Zwaan, B. d., 2013. How to decarbonize the transport sector?. [Online] Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421513004734 [Accessed March 2021].

The ultimate goal of humanitarian logistics (HL) is to deliver the right supplies in the right quantities to the right location at the right time to save lives and reduce human casualties (Balcik & Beamon, 2008). With an overall annual expenditure of around $20 billion, it’s still not enough to cover the unpredictable natural catastrophes (Tatham & Christopher, 2018). Major disasters such as the 2004 Thailand tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake which had a substantial number of human casualties and infrastructure damage have emphasized the big importance of having efficient and effective humanitarian relief operations. Challenges Humanitarian logistics studies identify multiple challenges including, collaboration and coordination (Balcik, 2010), contextual factors related to unpredictability (Kovács & Spens, 2009), lack of resources (Gustavsson, 2003) and lack of planning (Jahre, 2016) as well as related to funding, accountability and even sustainability. A study conducted by interviewing UNHCR logistics field staff located in 130 countries, found that the main influence logistics challenge was that the internal structure, as well as its strategies and policies, influence both the nature of these operational challenges and the way in which it responds (Tatham & Christopher, 2018). Operational challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, security concerns, poor emergency response preparedness (ERP), coordination, lack of transparency between intra-organizational departments, and the lack of inadequate information sharing were identified. Furthermore, more field-related challenges were given of operating in uncertain and harsh conditions to find adequate resources such as durable vehicles and functioning generators. As transportation goal is to ensure that the right goods are delivered at the right place, at the right time, in the right condition it is stressed that cross-functional communication and coordination are essential to achieve seamless supply chain processes. Also, of challenges responded were the difficult access to beneficiaries, international transportation, and custom-related issues as well as infrastructure problems due to road network low quality (Tatham & Christopher, 2018). Moreover, a study completed by (Roh, et al., 2016) looked at challenges with pre-positioned warehouses identified challenges such as high asset maintenance cost, high inventory cost, failure in forecasting stock level, difficulties in justifying funding, IT breakdown, poor quality of goods, untrained local staff and limited space available in warehouses. Overall, the lack of time and resources for planning was one of the primary causes that negatively affect the activities and results HL tries to achieve which results in the difficulty to deliver relief in the right places with speed and accuracy. Solution Modern technology can provide a lot of advances in HL delivery. Technologies such as 3D printing, remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), hybrid cargo ships, helium-filled airships each wish to improve the HL and deliver the relief faster and more efficiently. 3D printers (3DP) have the advantage of low cost ($40/kg) and ease of transportation that can utilize a range of source materials that can be used to build objects such as pipes and connectors used in water that can replace broken components. Moreover, 3DP will increase the transportation efficiency by reducing time and space as parts can be constructed on-site of the disasters within a timeframe up to 12 hours. An example of the 2010 Haiti post-earthquake debris removal which was estimated at 1000 trucks (Booth, 2010), could lead to onsite development of new 3D dwellings with a significant reduction in cost. RPAS, have the potential to transfer medical payload (Papua New Guinea,2014; Malawi,2016), provide post-disaster mapping (The Philippines, 2013; Nepal, 2015) and damage assessment of logistic routes and infrastructure (Vanuatu,2015) as well as act as a temporary mobile communications system. Another solution of hybrid cargo ships and helium-filled airships can lift significant quantities of material and deliver the last mile directly to affected areas by landing on water and docks if the infrastructure is damaged. These solutions eliminate the movements associated with loading/unloading hence saving time and cost at the various nodes (Tatham & Christopher, 2018). REFERENCES Balcik, B. & Beamon, B., 2008. Facility location in humanitarian relief. International Journal of Logistics: Research and Application, s.l.: pp.101–121. Tatham, P. & Christopher, M., 2018. Humanitarian Logistics : Meeting the Challenge of Preparing for and Responding to Disasters. s.l.:Kogan Page, Limited. Balcik, B. B. B. K. C. M. K. a. R. M., 2010. Coordination in humanitarian relief chains: Practices, challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Production Economics , pp. 126 (1), pp 22– 34 Kovács, G. & Spens, K., 2009. Identifying challenges in humanitarian logistics. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management , pp. 39 (6), pp 506– 28. Gustavsson, L., 2003. Humanitarian logistics: Context and challenges. Forced Migration Review, pp. 18 (6), pp 6– 8. Jahre, M. P. A. a. V. W., 2016. Defining logistics preparedness: A framework and research agenda. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management , pp. 6 (3), pp 372– 98. Roh, S., Kwak, D.-W., Beresford, A. & Pettit, S., 2016. CHALLENGES IN HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON PRE-POSITIONED WAREHOUSES, s.l.: s.n. Booth, W., 2010. Haiti faces colossal and costly clean-up before it can rebuild, s.l.: Washington Post Foreign Service.

With new technologies always comes the scrutiny of requirements of new laws and ethical consideration towards the brought society. Many ethical issues are encountered when considering how AVs are to be programmed in an event of actions taken in an accident situation. The safety potential of AVs had struck the discussion about whether non-autonomous driving should be banned for safety reasons when a level of safe and reliable autonomous technology is achieved (Nyholm & Smids, 2016). AVs driving systems may have a large advantage over human drivers in avoiding crash situations before they occur due to the constant 360 degrees of monitoring of the environment eliminating human errors. However, AV technology has still a lot of requirements of technology improvement and legal considerations nevertheless of Tesla and Waymo already bringing level 3 and 5 autonomous vehicles into the market. Several ethical guidelines and best practice documents are established to assist programmers in developing ethically-sound crash algorithms however these guides have been criticized as too vague and incoherent (Ryan, 2019). A hypothetical scenario known as the ‘trolley problem’, which considers the ethical dilemmas of whether to sacrifice one person to save a larger number is one of the biggest challenges AV programmers face when developing the crash response of their autonomous technology. It can be certainly proved that an AI algorithm with a vehicle braking system optimized with thousand real-time data points is far superior to a human reaction time as seen in early test vehicle programming by Google in 2015 (Gibbs, 2015). Nevertheless, an AV has many dilemmas of formulations of hypothetical situations whether the vehicle should prioritize the safety of its occupants over pedestrians in a crash situation. Of course, very few people would buy a car that prioritises the lives of others over the vehicle driver and passenger, but if they aim to protect the driver they may crash into children or light vehicles (Contissa, et al., 2017). On the other hand, as mentioned by De Sio, if safety is prioritised, in a similar crash situation the AI of the vehicle may hit a motorcyclist wearing a helmet, opposed to one without one because they would be more likely to survive (De Sio, 2017). This may lead to a chain reaction of people start to take unsafe activities in order to become safe due to knowing the response of the AVs algorithm, with an example being of not wearing a helmet thus avoiding collisions in possible accident situations. Analysts’ solution for this matter suggests that crash-optimization should be implemented because some crashes would be unavoidable (Lin, 2015) with algorithms based on vehicles decisions on least-likely determinable harm done in a situation (Ryan, 2019). Given that government regulations in regards to AV algorithms decision-making lack in clarity, it is likely that vehicle manufacturers will control and regulate this section of the market. A recent action of the US Department of transportation draft about Automated Vehicle Policy (Transportation, 2016) suggest that AV manufactures address ethical issues in a transparent and conscious manner with inputs from other stakeholders. However as argued by (Ryan, 2019), programmed responses remove control from the human being in driving circumstances and removes the choice and ability to make decisions in the vehicle’s navigation. These statements are directly associated with concepts threatening free will and moral responsibility which are being replaced by algorithms and AI of AVs developed by private entities (CNIL, 2018). Another issue arising with AVs is the topic of insurance and privacy. As AVs will be able to store an array of driver’s data such as habits, patterns and behavior insurance could be tailored to individual performances hence providing higher premiums to safer more conscious drivers. Conversely, a large amount of data will be collected which could infringe personal privacy and data security which could be subject to negative consequences of hackers stealing the data or on the other hand, a positive consequence could be the allowance of police accessing this information to reduce crime. An approach currently promoted is the DRIC “data remains in-car” which attempts to process data within the vehicles rather than transmit to third parties (CNIL, 2018) however, it should be pointed out that technical challenges are present to implement this type of technology. REFERENCE De Sio, F. S., 2017. Killing by autonomous vehicles and the legal doctrine of necessity, p425: Ethical The- ory and Moral Practice. CNIL, 2018. Connected vehicles: A compliance package for a responsible use of data.. [Online] Available at: https://www.cnil.fr/en/connected-vehicles-compliance-package-responsible-use-data [Accessed 29 May 2021]. Contissa, G., Lagioia, F. & Sartor, G., 2017. The ethical knob: Ethically-customisable automated vehicles and the law, s.l.: Artificial Intelligence and Law. Ryan, M., 2019. The Future of Transportation: Ethical, Legal, Social and Economic Impacts of Self‐driving Vehicles in the Year 2025, s.l.: Science and Engineering Ethics (2020) 26:1185–1208 Transportation, U. D. o., 2016. Federal Automated Vehicles Policy: Accelerating the Next Revolution In Roadway Safety, s.l.: s.n. Lin, P., 2015. Why Ethics Matters for Autonomous Cars. , s.l.: Autonomes Fahren: Technische, rechtliche und gesellschaftliche Aspekte (pp. 69-85). SpringerLink. Gibbs, S., 2015. The Guardian. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/28/google-self-driving-car-how-does-it-work Nyholm, S. & Smids, J., 2016. The ethics of accident-algorithms for self-driving cars: An applied trol- ley problem? Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, s.l.: s.n.

#Amazon #UPS #DHL Logistics emissions data Logistics are regarded as a key determinant of a company’s performance, through the efficiency of supply chain systems and the calculation of the profitability of product sales. The calculation of profitability in the majority of logistics history has included only economic performance (McKinnon, et al., 2015), however, in recent years due to globalization and digitalization, wider environmental and social impacts are of large importance for green marketing and future strategy of supply chain providers. Green logistics are now regarded as good business practice as it provides a lot of opportunities for having a positive impact on financial and operational metrics without the need to trade off economic costs against environmental benefits. As stated in the SFC Annual report (SFC, 2020), freight transportation generates 8% of global CO2e emission and as much as 11% if logistics sites are also considered. Sustainable reforms of the sector are required as between now and 2050 the world will see a doubling in freight emissions, according to the International Transport Forum. Different modes of transport of freights are used based on the distance and time of the delivery requirement. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the data of CO2e emissions of UK and the logistics provider DHL which both suggest that air transportation accounts for the majority of the emissions also justified due to usage of jet fuel and damping of greenhouse gases (GHG) emission at high altitudes which increases the quantity of the global warming potential (GWP) impact in the atmosphere (Sathaye, 2006). Mitigation of logistics systems environmental impact A four-step roadmap developed by the SFC as outlined in Figure 3 identifies the importance of calculating emissions across the multi-modal supply chain as well as setting targets on emissions reduction and the requirement of implementing new technological solutions as well as the need for collaboration across the industry. Collaboration of businesses, governments, research, and civil society should be achieved for a sector transformation to be realized. As defined by (Sathaye, 2006) and shown in Table 1 teaching, four solution types were identified of impact reduction, emissions reduction, changing operations, and economic and societal development considerations for making supply chains greener. Impact reduction To achieve greener supply chains and a substantial reduction of environmental impact, the focus should be given to the reduction of the environmental externalities impact associated with freight operations rather than the cause of the exhaust emissions level. An example of focusing on the effect rather than the cause could be illustrated by the introduction of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in areas of central London, which reduces the car movements on roads including high emission freight vehicles (London, 2019). A reduction of 31% (200 tCO2e) harmful NOx emissions from road transport in the central zone have been recorded, improving the welfare of its citizens and subsequently challenging supply chains to adapt to these government regulations. To achieve emissions reductions of logistics systems valid quantification measures of impacts are required such as the intake fraction (Marshall, et al., 2005), which calculates the ratio of the quantity of pollutant intake by people over the total emissions. Aligned with the sustainable logistics roadmap of SFC (see Figure 3), reporting emissions will help supply chain providers such as UPS, DHL, Amazon, etc. to modify the mode of transport for the last and first mile delivery by implementing the use of electric cargo bicycles, drones or delivery by foot, hence reducing urban emissions. DHL has proved the concept by replacing conventional vans with using 27,000 bicycles of electric and cargo type in their Germany division, which saved up to 8 tCO2e per year (DHL, 2019). Also, Amazon has expanded to cargo bikes connected to trailers that can carry up to 45 packages as well as introduced electric three-wheelers and compressed natural gas vehicles in their delivery operations in Europe and India as well as the use of Prime air drones which will make deliveries faster, more automated and efficient and reduce the requirement of van delivery subsequently reducing traffic and pollution (Amazon, 2019). Emissions reduction Reducing emissions through technology innovations and achieving a high standard of equipment performance can substantially reduce emissions of supply chain logistic operations. An initial and effective step of supply providers to reduce emissions is through training and educating employees of the impacts the company’s logistics carbon footprint has on a global scale as well as teach methods for reducing fuel consumption. Drivers can reduce fuel consumption through acceleration and shifting techniques, and by limiting average speeds, idling time, accessory usage, and the number of stops made (Sathaye, 2006). DHL goes a step further and implementing companywide guidance where they define targets and measures their sub-contractors, which employees have to follow to achieve their environmental targets (DHL, 2019). Furthermore, DHL is aiming at certifying 80% of their employees as GoGreen specialists, where training is provided for all employees to achieve fundamental environmental awareness (DHL, 2019). Furthermore, technology options on logistics freight such as roof deflectors, wide-base tires, etc. as seen in Table 2 that reduce the drive train friction, aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance, operation of vehicle accessories, and inertial forces for acceleration can be of logical use as they reduce emissions and cost. Examples of Amazon using skirts (panels attached to the lower side edges of a truck to make it aerodynamic) and automatic tire inflation systems to maximize fuel efficiency as well as mud flaps which are designed to allow water and airflow through them have been seen to minimize drag and save 454L of diesel fuel per vehicle annually (Amazon, 2019). On the other hand, DHL has implemented photovoltaic mats fitted on trailers which can save up to 4.5tCO2e per vehicle annually and reduce fuel consumption by up to 5% (DHL, 2019). EV technology being extremely advanced in the past years, with primary targeted short distance deliveries, with Tesla currently developing an electric truck with a promised range of 300 miles will heavily influence the logistics market (Tesla, 2021). Amazon, having ordered 100,000 electric vehicles has also implemented a ‘’shipment zero-order’’ where zero-emissions 100% battery-electric or hydrogen-fuelled vehicles deliver the products. They also heavily invest in EV charging station infrastructure for their partners to use, hence accelerating the global use of EV’s in the logistics industry (Amazon, 2019). On the other side, DHL is focusing on upgrading fleets of cargo aircraft to new more fuel-efficient aircraft, which saw a reduction of emissions of 18% (DHL, 2019). Additionally, studies conducted by Ang-Olson and Ostria (2005), as indicated in Table 3, found that alternative fuels such as emulsified diesel, biodiesel, propane, and more, have lower emissions of toxic GHG such as PM and NOx. Post-combustion solutions such as NOx catalyst can also reduce the toxic gases exiting the exhaust of vehicle hence could be perceived as another viable solution. Recommended Circular Economy in the Construction Industry In addition to changes made to fuel type, innovations are done in combustion processes such as cooled exhaust gas recirculation, combustion optimization, improved fuel injection, variable geometry turbocharges, and onboard diagnostics that can reduce emissions. Not directly associated to supply chain providers, however, if these features and alternatives are enquired, automotive manufactures will follow the trend and comply (Sathaye, 2006). Furthermore, supply chain providers also own warehouses where the products are stored hence a further carbon footprint is present in their businesses. To minimize their environmental impact warehouses of companies such as Amazon, DHL and Prologis use solar panels, with Amazon having up to 80% of the energy used is renewable in a facility center (Amazon, 2019) (Prologis, 2019) (DHL, 2019). Furthermore, Amazon as a business invested heavily into the wind and solar projects, in this way offsetting their operational carbon. Changing operations Technologies based on reducing vehicle miles traveled can be both of economic and environmental benefit to companies. As found by Sathaye (2006) and displayed in Table 4, which includes vehicle routing tracking, real-time traffic updates, and facilitation of business-to-business communication and collaboration. Tesco supermarket delivery service estimated to reduce emissions by 23,000tCO2e over five years by applying techniques of logistics systems analysis and optimization (Sathaye, 2006). Moreover, DHL through increased recording of data via sensors, intelligent network, and route planning, and the use of alternative modes of transport achieved to optimize processes and connect logistics chains across continents. Also, by the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, predictive analytics, and algorithms, potential incidents in the supply chain are identified and managed in real-time, further improving efficiency and reducing delays which ultimately account for emissions (DHL, 2019). Amazon, due to the evidently large number of products shipped daily had to use data and algorithms to consolidate as many shipments as possible onto one vehicle or plane. This ensured the efficient transportation and use of space on freights hence maximizing the capacity and reducing unused space to be wasted (Amazon, 2019). Reverse logistics And finally, a more radical measure for environmental protection that may have economic and societal consequences extends further from the logistics of supply chains. A broader framework of life-cycle assessment (LCA) associated with reverse logistics and circular economy principles could be used by companies to improve their environmental burden. Reverse logistics, which focus on waste management and return flow of products back along the chain could be an important study for the supply chain and its partners to minimize their waste (McKinnon, et al., 2015). As Amazon's free packaging program suggests, the packaging of products has been certified to be shipped with their original packaging without the need of the amazon extra protective box. This policy and design initiative will increase the volume of goods transported and massively reduce the waste of cardboard boxes. Also, by encouraging the use of 100% recyclable packages, Amazon has eliminated 33% of packaging material (Amazon, 2019). REFERENCES References U.S. Federal Highway Administration, 2005. The Freight Technology Story: Intelligent Freight Technologies and Their Benefits. Office of Freight Management and Operations. Amazon, 2019. Goals and Strategies & Climate pledge, s.l.: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/?energyType=true&workerCount=true&engagementProgram=true&productCategory=true. Ang-Olson, Jeffrey & Ostria, S., 2005. Assessing the Effects of Freight Movement on Air Quality at the National and Regional Level: Final Report. Ang-Olson, Schroeer, J. & Schroeer, W., 2002. 'Energy Efficiency Strategies for Freight Trucking: Potential Impacts of Fuel Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, s.l.: Transportation Research Record 1815. DHL, 2019. DHL Sustainability Report, s.l.: s.n. Tesla, 2021. Semi. [Online] Available at: https://www.tesla.com/semi London, M. o., 2019. CENTRAL LONDON ULTRA LOW EMISSION ZONE – SIX MONTH REPORT, London: Greater London Authority. Sathaye, N. L. Y. H. A., 2006. The Environmental Impacts of Logistics Systems and Options for Mitigation. UC Berkeley Recent Work. SFC, 2020. Leading the way to efficient and zero emission freight and logistics, s.l.: Smart Freight Centre Annual Report . Prologis, 2019. 2019 Prologis ESG Impact Report. McKinnon, A., Browne, M., Whiteing, A. & Piecyk, M., 2015. Green Logistics : Improving the Environmental Sustainability of Logistics. s.l.:Kogan Page. Marshall, D., J., Teoh, S.-K. & Nazaroff, W., 2005. Intake fraction of nonreactive vehicle emissions in U.S. urban areas, s.l.: Atmospheric Environment 39 (7).

Stress and Strain are fundamentals of the Civil Engineering discipline and are not to be confused Solid Mechanics look into various material's motion and deformation under the action of forces. STRESS Stress is the ratio of applied force F to a cross-section area - defined as "force per unit area". The idea of stress could be used to describe the state of affairs at any point inside a solid in a much more general way. Also, stress could be used to predict when the material will break. "Stress tells us how hard- that is, with how much force - the atoms at any point in a solid are being pulled apart" Essential Books for Civil Engineering Students Amazon's Choice Different types/names of stress exist such as normal tensile stress which acts perpendicular to the surface and shear stress which acts in a parallel to the surface. Stress units are usually MN/m2 ( MEGANEWTONS PER SQUARE METRE) in SI units and p.s.i ( POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH) which is mostly used in America. STRAIN Strain which is not to be confused with stress is a completely different thing. Strain tells us how far the atoms at any point in a solid are being pulled apart. Strain is a ratio of the extended length divided by the original length therefore, does have units and hence it is expressed as a percentage. Strain in association with stress is used to analyse and better understand material properties such as stiffness, strength and much more concepts are based on these two basic and principle concepts. Read more: Concrete variable radius arch dam explained The 5 Greatest Engineers of All Times What's the most impressive ancient structure in the world?

How to Determine the Financial Strength of Contractors Contracting organisation financial strength is important to be determined within the tendering and selection stage to ensure the appointment of the appropriate contractor with limiting the risk of bankruptcy and project incompletion. The financial information of tenderers could be assessed through the collection of financial reports from the PQQ as indicated in PAS91. Short term and long-term financial stability of the companies could be found by assessing their solvency and calculating the current ratio and acid test ratio as indicated in Equation 1 and Equation 2 respectively. A current ratio of 1 suggests a financially stable company but a trend over the last few years should be looked into to see the fluctuation of the ratio (Council, North Hertfordshire District, n.d.). Moreover, an acid test ratio may provide a measurement of liquidity and the readily convertible into cash assets of the company with a ratio of 1.0 suggest a financially healthy contractor. Furthermore, assessment of how efficiently the company’s management is utilising the resources at their disposal to generate revenue and drive profits up, as well as the comparison of significant debt is an important criterion for assessment. The managerial aspect of a business could be assessed through the ROCE ratio and revenue/total assets as shown in Equation 3 and Equation 4 where higher ratio values indicate an effective contract winning strategy suggested to be important ratios by (Singh & Tiong, 2005) and (Council, North Hertfordshire District, n.d.). Furthermore, a multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique as used by (Singh & Tiong, 2005) could be implemented to get an overall grade on the financial performance of tenderers with a focus given on ratios deemed more important to the client. Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that a downturn in the construction industry or of the global economy could put a financially strong company into financial difficulties such as the currently unseen COVID-19 pandemic. Financial Protection As recently seen when economy recovers from recession the pressure on contractors increases as material, labour and financial resources become stretched (Wakeford, 2015). Thereafter, risk is increased on the client where the project is required to be delivered on time and within budget limits. The major client risk is the insolvency of the contractor during construction period which could be financially limited by applying measures within the contracts signed as secondary options such as performance bonds and parent company guarantees (NEC4, 2017). Parent/Holding Company Guarantees A parent company guarantees are used to give the contractor recourse to a more substantial corporate entity that will underwrite the employer’s payment obligations under the contract which provides essential financial and legal assurance for the client if the subsidiary contractor is to go into insolvency (Meakin R, 2006). Credit checks and financial evaluation of the parent company can be examined through the PQQ (PAS 91:2013, 2017), which could reveal the suitability of the capital and assets of the holding parent company to act as guarantee as well as legality of the guarantee contract. The parent company is obliged to either complete the works in accordance with the contractors’ original obligations on behalf of its subsidiary company or fund the completion of the contract by others (K. Hughes , 2019), hence an advantage of guaranteed completion is present. Secondary option X4 could be used from the NEC4 contract options as where a holding company guarantee is required with the contractor obligated to agree on the guarantee scope of works (NEC4, 2017) (Rowlinson, 2018). Performance bonds Furthermore, a performance bond could be used in the contractual agreement as a form of financial security generally offered by a third party such as banks or insurance companies which give the client a binding enforceable payment guarantee up to a fixed amount of money in the situation of poor performance or project incompletion by the contractor. Performance bond doesn’t guarantee project completion but a maximum sum payable for the damages by the contractor to the client for the breach of contract. Bond insurance rates vary depending on the creditworthiness of the contractor, with premiums often range between 2% and 3% of the amount guaranteed which is normally 10% of the contract price. Contractors would normally pass on this premium to the client as part of their tender price submissions for the project. NEC4 secondary option X13 can be used as a condition precedent to the execution of the contract. Specified circumstances defined by the client that will be used to recall the sum of money from the bond should be clearly stated in the scope when contractors agree to the contract terms (Rowlinson, 2018) (NEC4, 2017). You may also find useful : Procurement systems advantages, disadvantages and risks for the construction client: The procurement options mentioned provide satisfactory performance in the objectives of the golden triangle with both advantages and disadvantages to the construction client based on the project size and client priorities. Procurement strategies to deliver better value for clients: The continuing search for maximum value for money in construction work has, in recent years, increasingly focused attention upon the procurement process. Effective delivery of a project requires that the supply chain clearly understands the client’s needs and specific business case to deliver an economical and efficient end product. Cost, Time and Quality | The Golden Triangle in Construction: Recent research into major projects by (Dalton, 2008) as shown in Table 1 found that 75-80% of the causes of projects failing were due to procurement, the definition of project requirements, and the client’s management capabilities. Esurance of timely cash flow payments to contracting organisations Negative cash flow means a company is doomed to fail. To ensure timely payment of both the main tier 1 contractor and supply chain sub-contractors under the NEC4-2017 contracts, option Y(UK) 1 could be used by setting up a project bank account (PBA). Through this bank account all the payments of the work done on the project will be made (Rowlinson, 2018). A PBA ensures visibility and transparency of supply chain cash flow payments made by the main contractor and it has enabled the condensation of the payment cycle as Highways England managed to achieve a condensed payment period of average 18/19 days from the usual 30 to 60 days. The client and project manager should ensure the trust deed forms for the PBA are included in the contract and are outlined in tender documentation and when the project is commissioned the contractor is responsible for opening and running the bank account. Also, due to that cash flow performance depends on the project managers cash flow management, additional training or competent managers would be effective on improving the overall performance of cashflow payments (Investopedia, 2020). Useful References Council, North Hertfordshire District, n.d. CRITERIA USED FOR FINANCIAL EVALUATION OF CANDIDATES IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. [Online] Available at: https://www.north-herts.gov.uk/ Singh, D. & Tiong, R. L. K., 2005. Evaluating the financial health of construction contractors D. Singh and R. L. K. Tiong Economic slowdown and fierce competition in the construction industry in recent years has led many construction companies to pull out of projects due to deep financial. [Online] Available at: https://www-icevirtuallibrary-com. Wakeford, M., 2015. Construction Client Protection – Managing financial risks outside the contract. [Online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/construction-client-protection-managing-financial-risks-mark-wakeford/ Meakin R, C. W. C. L., 2006. Clyde & Co Firm Foundations: bonds and guarantee, s.l.: Firm Foundations Seminar. PAS 91:2013, 2017. Construction prequalification questionnaires, s.l.: BSI. K. Hughes , 2019. Understanding the NEC4 ECC Contract – a practical handbook, s.l.: Routledge. Rowlinson, M., 2018. A Practical Guide to the NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract, s.l.: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

The construction industry which embraces the sectors of buildings and civil engineering had a 1.9 trillion euros turnover in Europe from 2011 to 2018 and a value of new work of 118,977 million pounds in the UK in 2019 which makes the industry an important contributor to the function of economies globally. Inevitably, the industry attracts a wide variety of clients all of whom will have their own objectives and priorities for their particular different projects of dramatically different types, sizes, and complexity (Cooke & Williams, 2010) (Morledge & Smith, 2013). When a client decides to pursue a project a number of important strategic decisions need to be made before the commissioning of the project works to ensure an efficient and successful final product. In accordance with the code of practice of CIOB, procurement should be considered to be the process of identification, selection, and commissioning of the contributions required for the construction phase of the project (CIOB, 2014). Therefore, procurement systems play an important role in project success as they establish the roles, relationships, responsibilities, and risks carried by the parties that form the overall organization and communication structure for the management, administration, and control of a project. Used books: Appropriate selection of the procurement system is an important strategic decision that with the guidance of the project manager and a good understanding of the procurement criteria the client must take in the early stages. Provided in the Construction Round Table (1995) in their publication “Thinking about Building” as well as Cooke & Williams, 2010 and Morledge & Smith, 2013 suggest the criteria that must be considered when selecting the appropriate procurement system as listed in (Morledge & Smith, 2013)Table 1. Complex technically advanced design and highly serviced construction requirements of certain projects play a major importance in selecting the most suitable procurement system with the division of responsibility are solely based on client decisions on the management style of consultants and contractors. Furthermore, different procurement options provide different levels of risk and control allocation to and by the client with time, cost and quality, being the main categories of consideration as well as providing the range of competition given in projects and the ability to make changes. You may also find useful : Procurement systems advantages, disadvantages and risks for the construction client: The procurement options mentioned provide satisfactory performance in the objectives of the golden triangle with both advantages and disadvantages to the construction client based on the project size and client priorities. Procurement strategies to deliver better value for clients: The continuing search for maximum value for money in construction work has, in recent years, increasingly focused attention upon the procurement process. Effective delivery of a project requires that the supply chain clearly understands the client’s needs and specific business case to deliver an economical and efficient end product. Cost, Time and Quality | The Golden Triangle in Construction: Recent research into major projects by (Dalton, 2008) as shown in Table 1 found that 75-80% of the causes of projects failing were due to procurement, the definition of project requirements, and the client’s management capabilities.

by Brian Hval Frost protected shallow foundations (FPSF) are used in cold climates because they are a cost-effective alternative to conventional deep foundations. Over 1 million homes have used this technique worldwide. It is accepted as the standard foundation design method in Scandinavian countries. FPSF homes are often cheaper to build as they eliminate deep excavations and use less foundation material. Heated homes and other structures are protected against frost heave by insulating the outside of the foundation below grade. A short wing of foam insulation stretches out from the foundation to make a frost barrier like this: Expanded PolyStyrene foam sheets are usually used. The thickness and extent of foam required are determined by historical climatology data like this: Some building design approval jurisdictions may require a professional engineer to review the calculations and stamp the foundation drawings. But the calculations are simple to do. There is also a wide range of foam installation options to give the required insulation R-value. If you live in a cold climate, FPSF is well worth looking into. It applies to both renovations and new construction. I have used it in Canada on two projects. One was to install a patio door in an existing basement foundation to make a basement walk-out like this: Foam wings on a gravel bed extend outwards and just below the threshold of the door. FPSF dramatically lowered the cost of making this renovation. The second project was for a new oceanfront home where it was essential to minimize disturbance to the soil. FPSF foam wings around the wall perimeter provided the needed frost protection. Soil integrity and stability was maintained and the overall cost was much less than a traditional foundation. Further links for curious readers: Frost-Protected Shallow Foundation Design - Green Building Solutions Frost Protected Shallow Foundations

What is a Circular economy? A circular economy is an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by intention and design. A circular economy replaces the linear economy, and its ‘end-of-life’ concept with restoration and regeneration, shifts towards the use of renewable energy, eliminates the use of toxic chemicals and aims for the elimination of waste through the design of materials, products and systems that can be repaired and reused. The circular economy concept shown in the bottom part of the Figures below illustrates an evolution of the current Linear Economy (top part) to the Circular Economy (bottom part) which is achieved through the application of principles: maintain, repair, reuse, remanufacture and recycle, as well as leasing and servicing. definition by LETI Trying to achieve the carbon targets cannot be realised without stretching the idea of incorporating a fully circular economy. To reach a zero-carbon national economy, the consideration of design and construction of infrastructure and buildings should be thought not in a separate manner however thought of as a circular cycle of things being reused and put back into the system as it is the core principles of a circular economy. Circular economy principles could be achieved only by redeveloping the entire value chain to generate an alternative approach to developments. Circular Economy/net-zero The core pillar for achieving a circular development of the construction sector will be to extremely emphasise the need for interdisciplinary collaboration of all the stakeholders associated with the pipeline of project delivery. Contractors, designers, suppliers, facility managers and investors should all work from an early stage of the projects to deliver projects of a circular manner achieved by having a system-thinking approach with considerations of the social, financial, natural, built environment and human frameworks in which businesses operate. To achieve the full potential of a circular way of thinking a life cycle thinking should be established as a standard work of assessment. Assessments developed in the industry such as life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle cost (LCC) should be consistent to succeed in a modern circular economy. What is LCA? The life cycle approach way of thinking is dating back to the 1960s where it was first introduced by Harry Teasley at Coca-Cola Company in 1969, where he used LCA for purposes of quantifying the energy, material and environmental burden from the packages of the product (DU, 2015). Sustainability is very difficult to measure and quantify, however, there is a solution that is based on life cycle thinking (LCT). Various standards introduced such as the BS EN ISO 14040-2016, BS EN 15804-2012 and BS EN 15978 outline the fundamental techniques and principles of LCA assessment and quantification methodology in general and specifically for the build environment industry. Furthermore, the sustainability performance of an asset is not only related to environmental but also aspects of social and economic performance is assessed from a whole-life standpoint (BS15978, 2011). The use of LCA can assist to identify opportunities to improve the environmental performance of products at various stages of their life cycle, by enlightening decision-makers in the industry with real data, with the purpose to revaluate strategies and planning based on a holistic cycle approach to projects (ISO14040, 2006). LCA measuring techniques provide results based on scientific data analysis that help to set a benchmark on the environmental burden of processes and assets and help to spot environmentally inefficient components of systems with the aim of re-think and redesign for improving environmental performance (ISO14040, 2006). When LCA is adopted from an early stage of a bridge project a quantitative comparison of the environmental performance of different design options could be achieved. For this study, LCA methodology is applied in accordance with ISO standards and other recognised approaches with the aim of analysing the global warming potential by calculating the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (tCO2e) of bridges for stages from Cradle to Practical completion (Modules A1-A5). Download full Report here:

By: Lochan Yadav BLACK COTTON SOIL Black cotton soil has a tendency to shrink and swell excessively. It is basically due to the presence of a compound named montmorillonite. When these type of soil come in contact with water, they swell and when becomes dry, it shrinks. This alternate process of swelling and shrinking results in the differential settlement of the foundation which in turn causes cracks in the building. The cracks thus formed are sometimes 15 to 20 cm wide and 2.5 to 4.5 m deep. Therefore necessary precautions need to be taken during construction to avoid any damage to building foundation. PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN Construction should be done in the dry season. Under reamed pile foundation is also a good choice of foundation in black cotton soil. In the case of important structures, raft foundation should be provided. For less important structures (such as boundary wall construction), the foundation should preferably be taken at least 15 cm below the depth at which cracks in soil cease to occur. The maximum load on black cotton soil should be limited to 5 tonnes/m2. If there is a chance for water to come in contact with the foundation, then the load should be limited to 4.9 tonnes/m2. Foundation should be placed at a depth where the cracks cease to extend. The minimum depth of the foundation should be at least 1.5 m. The main wall of the building must be provided with all-round reinforced concrete ties or bands. Reinforced concrete ties or bands having 10 to 15 cm deep should be placed at plinth level, lintel level and eaves level. In case the depth of black cotton soil is only 1 m to 1.5 m, then completely remove the entire black cotton soil and place the foundation below that depth. 10. Try to avoid direct contact of black cotton soil with a foundation material. This can be achieved by making wider trenches for foundation and filling spaces on either side of the foundation masonry with sand or morroum. 11. Ram the bed of the foundation trench to make it farm and hard. On this rammed bed, spread a thick layer of morroum (i.e. 30 cm) in two layers, each layer being 15 cm. each layer should be water and rammed properly to get the highest possible density. On this compacted layer of morroum, place either sand or stone up to the desired height where concrete foundation bed has to be made. 12. For main walls or for load-bearing walls, the width of the trench should be dug 40 cm wider than the width of the foundation. Then fill the space on either side of the trench (i.e. 20 cm in each side) with coarse sand. This is done to separate the foundation masonry from direct contact with black cotton soil. In the case of a compound wall, this width of sand filling can be reduced to 15 cm on each side. Useful Documentation EN 1997-1 Eurocode 7 - How to design Spread Foundations

by Brian Hval Wildfires destroy homes and memories! Here is what you can do to minimize the risk! Lots of tips for the fire protection of both new and existing homes! The homes that are spared a wildfire disaster have one or more of the following firewise features in common: Location - the building site is located away from a forested slope. Wildfires tend to rush upwards. Hot air rises, right? Yes, the view is great peering over an edge but that makes your house a great target for fire rushing up the slope! Building Construction - here are some of the things you can do to improve fire resistance of your home: Roof - should be made from metal or tile. Something that cannot burn. Houses with those attractive wood shakes are sure to burn when they trap all those sparks and embers from the fire! Exterior Walls - use metal, concrete, stucco, tile or cement board. It is hard to destroy if it cannot burn! Forget fire-resistant vinyl siding! It just sags and melts into a blazing puddle of goo! New homes should be built using steel studs in the exterior walls instead of wood 2x4s or 2x6's. Windows - are double-paned glass. Forget fibreglass skylights or deck coverings! Plastic just go, poof! Window Trim - metal of course! Why put PVC around that expensive glass? The heat is just going to melt the vinyl trim! Then the glass window falls out … and lets the fire inside! Decks and Patios - are always made from concrete pavers, tiles or stamped concrete. Never wood! Fencing - use chain link, iron or rock. Those tall cedar fences and nice-looking wood trellis make the perfect “fire ladders” bringing fire directly to your house! Landscaping - flammable shrubs, flowers are kept well away from the house! Fire Break - clear vegetation from the immediate vicinity of your home. This may stop a slow-moving fire or at least provide room for firefighters to defend your home! Tall Trees - they may look great and provide shade … but will the flaming branches blow onto your house? Or will the blazing trunk crash onto your roof? Keep the trees well away! Trash the Tinder - savvy owners keep roof gutters and other areas free of flammable tree needles and dried leaves. Why feed the fire? Propane Tanks - should be secured in their own metal building or fireproof enclosure. Vehicles - are never left parked near the house if there is an imminent wildfire event. If you insist, why not just place some jerry cans of gasoline on your front doorstep? Same effect on a fire! The vehicle tires become torches and the gas tank just adds to the drama of your house burning down! Firewater Tanks - should always be metal like this: A swimming pool is a good alternate source of water. Or a nearby pond or lake. Hoses and Sprinklers - install roof sprinklers so they are ready to go when needed. Supply lines should be inside the house with metal outlets placed in strategic locations on the roof. Test your sprinkler system BEFORE it is needed! Firewater Pump Power - should be independent. You cannot rely on grid electric power to keep sprinklers going! Evacuation Preparations - have all your key documents, medications, etc. ready to go in a bag by the door. Fireproof safes are NOT dependable in a major fire. Move it or lose it! Evacuate when instructed to do so. Have at least two escape routes. Don't stay behind to defend your home unless you have a secure path of retreat, i.e. boat on a lake! Release penned animals that you cannot take with you! Remember … all that stuff perishable in a fire can be replaced! You and your loved ones come first! Wildfire survival? It is possible if you are prepared! Further links for curious readers: How to become part of a Firewise Community: by Brian Hval

The global casino market is approximated to have gross of 450 billion U.S dollars Over 100 million professional poker players worldwide are winning big money everyday 👉 Visit Structures Insider's homepage for more stories.👈 5.Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Average night stay price: £387 rate per night with a 9.1/10 rating per kayak Size of property: The resort includes a 2,561-room hotel, a 120,000-square-metre (1,300,000 sq ft) convention-exhibition centre, a 74,000-square-metre (800,000 sq ft) and the world's largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex is topped by a 340-metre-long (1,120 ft) SkyPark with a capacity of 3,900 people and a 150 m (490 ft) infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world's largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 67 m (220 ft). The 20-hectare resort was designed by Moshe Safdie architects. 4.Caesars Palace Las Vegas Average night stay price: £308 rate per night with a 9.0/10 rating per kayak Size of property: The hotel has 3,976 rooms and suites in six towers and a convention facility of over 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2). The casino also features a 4,500-square-foot (420 m2) 24-hour poker room. 3.The Bellagio, Las Vegas Average night stay price: £223 rate per night with an 8.7/10 rating per kayak Size of property: Inside Bellagio, Dale Chihuly's Fiori di Como, composed of over 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers, covers 2,000 sq ft (190 m2) of the lobby ceiling. The main (original) tower of Bellagio, with 3,015 rooms, has 36 floors and a height of 508 ft (151 m). The Spa Tower, which opened on December 23, 2004, and stands to the south of the main tower, has 33 floors, a height of 392 ft (119 m) and contains 935 rooms. 2.Venetian Macao, Macao, China Average night stay price: £144 rate per night with an 8.9/10 rating per kayak Size of property: The resort has 3,000 suites, 1,200,000 sq ft (110,000 m2) of convention space, 1,600,000 sq ft (150,000 m2) of retail, 550,000 square feet (51,000 m2) of casino space – with 3,400 slot machines and 800 gambling tables and the 15,000-seat Cotai Arena for entertainment and sports events. 1. Wynn Las Vegas Average night stay price: £231 rate per night with a 9.3/10 rating per kayak Size of property: The 614-foot (187 m)-high hotel has 45 floors, with the 2,716 rooms ranging in size from 640 sq ft (59 m2) to villas at 8,900 sq ft (830 m2). The complex also includes a 189,000 sq ft (17,600 m2) casino, a convention center with 290,000 sq ft (27,000 m2) of space and 76,000 sq ft (7,100 m2) of retail space. Together with the adjacent Encore, the entire Wynn resort complex has a total of 4,750 rooms, making it the world's seventh-largest hotel. Source: Wikipedia | KAYAK