Positive design and construction of mechanisms for the sustainable development in microenterprises in Africa

Enterprise development and its contribution to societal and economic outcomes are well known. However, limited research into microenterprises and the practices of microfinance and microcredit in developing countries has been carried out. This chapter presents the findings of research based on six years of engagement with the microentrepreneurs of Beira in Mozambique and suggests a model for responsible and sustainable support for enterprise development in developing economies. Building on semistructured interviews, observation, and participatory action research, this research project articulates a new approach supportive of enterprise development, as a process of cocreation with local people and based on sustainability principles. These findings are part of a longitudinal study of the successes and failures of small enterprises and their impact on social and economic activity.

Technology strategy for re-engineering design and construction

Automation technology can provide construction firms with a number of competitive advantages. Technology strategy guides a firm's approach to all technology, including automation. Engineering management educators, researchers, and construction industry professionals need improved understanding of how technology affects results, and how to better target investments to improve competitive performance. A more formal approach to the concept of technology strategy can benefit the construction manager in his efforts to remain competitive in increasingly hostile markets. This paper recommends consideration of five specific dimensions of technology strategy within the overall parameters of market conditions, firm capabilities and goals, and stage of technology evolution. Examples of the application of this framework in the formulation of technology strategy are provided for CAD applications, co-ordinated positioning technology and advanced falsework and formwork mechanisation to support construction field operations. Results from this continuing line of research can assist managers in making complex and difficult decisions regarding reengineering construction processes in using new construction technology and benefit future researchers by providing new tools for analysis. Through managing technology to best suit the existing capabilities of their firm, and addressing the market forces, engineering managers can better face the increasingly competitive environment in which they operate.

Shear in reinforced and unreinforced masonry : response, design and construction

This paper describes the vulnerability of masonry under shear; first the mechanisms of in-plane and out-of-plane shear performance of masonry are reviewed; both the unreinforced and lightly reinforced masonry wall systems are considered. Factors affecting the response of unreinforced and reinforced masonry to shear are described and the effect of the variability of those factors to the failure mode of masonry shear walls is also discussed. Some critique is provided on the existing design provisions in various masonry standards.

Design and construction of fixed bed pyrolysis system and plum seed pyrolysis for bio-oil production

This work investigated the production of bio oil from plum seed (Zyziphus jujuba) by fixed bed pyrolysis technology. A fixed bed pyrolysis system has been designed and fabricated for production of bio oil. The major components of the system are: fixed bed reactor, liquid condenser and liquid collector. Nitrogen gas was used to maintain the inert atmosphere in the reactor where the pyrolysis reaction takes place. The feedstock considered in this study is plum seed as it is available waste material in Bangladesh. The reactor is heated by means of a cylindrical biomass external heater. Rice husk was used as the energy source. The products are oil, char and gas. The parameters varied are reactor bed temperature, running time and feed particle size. The parameters are found to influence the product yields significantly. The maximum liquid yield of 39 wt% at 5200C for a feed particle size of 2.36-4.75 mm and a gas flow rate of 8 liter/min with a running time of 120 minute. The pyrolysis oil obtained at these optimum process conditions are analyzed for some of their properties as an alternative fuel. The density of the liquid was closer with diesel. The viscosity of the plum seed liquid was lower than that of the conventional fuels. The calorific value of the pyrolysis oil is one half of the diesel fuel.

Engineering based problem solving in the middle school : design and construction with simple machines

Incorporating engineering concepts into middle school curriculum is seen as an effective way to improve students’ problem-solving skills. A selection of findings is reported from a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-based unit in which students in the second year (grade 8) of a three-year longitudinal study explored engineering concepts and principles pertaining to the functioning of simple machines. The culminating activity, the focus of this paper, required the students to design, construct, test, and evaluate a trebuchet catapult. We consider findings from one of the schools, a co-educational school, where we traced the design process developments of four student groups from two classes. The students’ descriptions and explanations of the simple machines used in their catapult design are examined, together with how they rated various aspects of their engineering designs. Included in the findings are students’ understanding of how their simple machines were simulated by the resources supplied and how the machines interacted in forming a complex machine. An ability to link physical materials with abstract concepts and an awareness of design constraints on their constructions were apparent, although a desire to create a ‘‘perfect’’ catapult despite limitations in the physical materials rather than a prototype for testing concepts was evident. Feedback from teacher interviews added further insights into the students’ developments as well as the teachers’ professional learning. An evolving framework for introducing engineering education in the pre-secondary years is proposed.

The SCRAMSPACE I scramjet flight design and construction

The design activities of the development of the SCRAMSPACE I scramjet-powered free-flight experiment are described in this paper. The objectives of this flight are first described together with the definition of the primary, secondary and tertiary experiments. The Scramjet configuration studied is first discussed together with the rocket motor system selected for this flight. The different flight sequences are then explained, highlighting the SCRAMSPACE I free-flyer separation and re-orientation procedures. A design trade-off study is then described considering vehicle stability, packaging, thermo-structural analysis and trajectory, discussing the alignment of the predicted performance with the mission scientific requirements. The global system architecture and instrumentation of the vehicle are then explained. The conclusions of this design phase are that a vehicle design has been produced which is able to meet the mission scientific goals and the procurement & construction of the vehicle are ongoing.

Book Review: "Safe Design and Construction of Machinery – Regulation, Practice and Performance [First edition]"

With Safe Design and Construction of Machinery, the author presents the results of empirical studies into this significant aspect of safety science in a very readable, well-structured format. The book contains 436 references, 17 tables, one figure and a comprehensive index. Liz Bluff addresses a complex and important, but often neglected domain in OHS – the safety of machinery – in a holistic and profound, yet evidence based analysis; with many applied cases from her studies, which make the book accessible and a pleasant lecture. Although research that led to this remarkable publication might have been primarily focused on the regulators, this book can be highly recommended to all OHS academics and practitioners. It provides an important contribution to the body of knowledge in OHS, and establishes one of the few Australian in-depth insights into the significance of machinery producers, rather than machinery users in the wider framework of risk management. The author bases this fresh perspective on the well-established European Machinery Safety guidelines, and grounds her mixed-methods research predominantly in qualitative analysis of motivation and knowledge, which eventually leads to specific safety outcomes. It should be noted that both European and Australian legal aspects are investigated and considered, as both equally apply to many machinery exporters. A detailed description of the research design and methods can be found in an appendix. Overall, the unique combination of quantitative safety performance data and qualitative analysis of safety behaviours form a valuable addition to the understanding of machinery safety. The author must be congratulated on making these complex relationships transparent to the reader through her meticulous inquiry.

The Design and Construction of Synthetic Protein Mimics

A strategy for the modular construction of synthetic protein mimics based on the ability non-protein amino acids to act as stereochemical directors of polypeptide chain folding, is described. The use of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) to construct stereochemically rigid helices has been exemplified by crystallographic and spectroscopic studies of several apolar peptides, ranging in length from seven to sixteen residues. The problem of linker design in elaborating alpha,alpha motifs has been considered. Analysis of protein crystal structure data provides a guide to choosing linking sequences. Attempts at constructing linked helical motifs using linking Gly-Pro segments have been described. The use of flexible linkers, like epsilon-aminocaproic acid has been examined and the crystallographic and solution state analysis of a linked helix motif has been presented. The use of bulky sidechain modifications on a helical scaffold, as a means of generating putative binding sites has been exemplified by a crystal structure of a peptide packed in a parallel zipper arrangement.