Pork Value Chains: A Comparison of Catalonia, Spain and Manitoba, Canada

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of pork value chains in Catalonia, Spain and Manitoba, Canada. Intensive hog production models were implemented in Catalonia in the 1960s as a result of agriculture crises and fostered by feedstuffs factories. The expansion of the hog sector in Manitoba is more recent (in the 1990s) and brought about in large part by the opening of the Maple Leaf Meats processing plant in Brandon, Manitoba. This plant is capable of processing 90,000 hogs per week. Both hog production models ‐ the ‘older’ one in Catalonia (Spain) and the ‘newer’ in Manitoba‐ have been, until recently, examples of success. Inventories and production have been increasing substantially and both regions have proven to have great export potential. Recently, however, tensions have been developing with the hog production models of both regions, particularly as they relate to environmental concerns. The purpose of the paper is to compare the value chains with respect to their origins (e.g. supply a growing demand for pork, ensure farm profitability) and present states (e.g. environmental concerns, profitability). Keywords: pork value chain, hog farms, agri‐food studies. JEL: Q10, Q13, O57

Symmetric periodic orbits near a heteroclinic loop in R3 formed by two singular points, a semistable periodic orbit and their invariant manifolds

In this paper we consider C1 vector fields X in R3 having a “generalized heteroclinic loop” L which is topologically homeomorphic to the union of a 2–dimensional sphere S2 and a diameter connecting the north with the south pole. The north pole is an attractor on S2 and a repeller on . The equator of the sphere is a periodic orbit unstable in the north hemisphere and stable in the south one. The full space is topologically homeomorphic to the closed ball having as boundary the sphere S2. We also assume that the flow of X is invariant under a topological straight line symmetry on the equator plane of the ball. For each n ∈ N, by means of a convenient Poincar´e map, we prove the existence of infinitely many symmetric periodic orbits of X near L that gives n turns around L in a period. We also exhibit a class of polynomial vector fields of degree 4 in R3 satisfying this dynamics.

Tehdaslogistiikka : value added logistics of the supply and demand chain costfix

VALOSADE (Value Added Logistics in Supply and Demand Chains) on Lappeenrannan teknillisen yliopiston ja sielläprofessori Anita Lukan VALORE -tutkimusryhmän toteuttama tutkimusprojekti, jonka rahoittaja on ollut Tekes. Projekti on osa Tekesin ELO - Elektronisen liiketoiminnan logistiikka - teknologiaohjelmaa. Tutkimusta rahoittivat Tekesin lisäksi neljä yritystä, jotka toimivat myös tutkimustyön kohteina ja toimivat tarpeen mukaan yhteistyössä tutkijoiden kanssa. Yritysten toimialat ovat metsäteollisuus, laitevalmistaja, joka tarjoaa myös tuotteilleen jälkimarkkinapalveluja sekä kaksi logistiikkapalveluyritystä. Tämä työraportti liittyy VALOSADE - tutkimusprojektin osaprojektiin Costfix (Paper Mill Process - from Fixed Costs into Variable Costs). Costfix - projektin tavoitteena on tutkia ja löytää paperiteollisuudelle uusia toimintamalleja, jotka mahdollistavat kiinteiden kustannusten muuttamisen muuttuviksi. Merkittävä tutkimuksen osa-alue on myös tutkimuskohteiden liike-toiminnan nykytilan aiempaa tarkempi selvittäminen. Tämä työraportti käsittelee kunnossapidon materiaalilogistiikan osalta tehtaan sisällä tapahtuvaa toimintaa, josta tässä tutkimuksessa käytetään nimitystä tehdaslogistiikka. Nykytilaselvityksen perusteella nykyinen prosessiteollisuudessa ja myös pääsääntöisesti valmistavassa teollisuudessa yleisesti vallitseva teollisuusyrityksen käyttöinvestointia ylläpitävän palveluprosessin toimintarakenne, johtamistapa ja prosessin operatiivisten tehtävien toimenkuvat eivät tue ko. palvelukokonaisuuden tehokasta ja tuloksellista toteuttamista. Nykymuotoinen toimintamalli pikemminkin rajoittaa toimintaprosessin kokonaishallintaa ja sen tehostamiseksi investoitujen uusien teknisten ratkaisujen ja teknologian käyttöönottoa. Lisäksi yleisesti vallitseva toimintakulttuuri (mm. arvokäsitykset, uskomukset sekä toiminnan ja tavoitteiden taustalla olevat motiivit) sekä vaikeuttaa nykyisen ja tulevan kilpailutilanteen edellyttämien tehokkuus- ja tuottavuustavoitteiden toteutumista että hidastaa uudistusten onnistumista edellyttävän muutoksen etenemistä yrityksen sisällä. Tutkimuksen tulokset vahvistivat osaltaan sen, että tehdas- ja toimintokeskeinen johtaminen aiheuttavat palveluprosessin eri tehtäville asetettujen tavoitteiden ja perustehtäväkäsityksen välille ristiriitoja, joista seuraa sekä suoria että välillisiä vaikutuksia teollisuusyrityksen tuotantoprosessin toiminnan laatuun ja tuotantolaitteiden käyttövarmuuteen. Palvelukokonaisuuteen kuuluvien eri toimintaprosessien tehtävät on jaettu ristiriitaisesti toiminnoille siten, että erityisestikunnossapidon teknisten toimihenkilöitten hoidettavana on sekä ihmisen henkilökohtaisen kapasiteettirajan ylittävä että toisistaan liian suuri erilaisia osaamisia ja ymmärrystä edellyttävä tehtävämäärä. Nykytilan palvelutuotannossa esiintyvien ongelmien seuraukset ja perussyyt osoittavat, että merkittävästi pääomia sitovan valmistavan teollisuuden (mm. prosessiteollisuus) käyttö-omaisuutta ylläpitävän palveluprosessin hallinta on ulkoistettava tehdastasolta itsenäisesti hoidettavaksi liiketoimintakokonaisuudeksi, jonka operatiivinen johtaminen tapahtuu toimintaprosesseittain konsernin ylätasolta käsin. Johtamismallissa painottuu prosessijohtaminen ja oman vastuualueen toimintaprosessin asiantuntemus. Lisäksi ihmisen osaamiseen, ymmärrykseen ja toimintatapaan perustuva palvelu edellyttää johtamiselta henkilöjohtamistaitoa ja osaamisen johtamista. Liiketoiminnan uudenlainen keskittyminen, verkostoituminen ja globalisoituminen edellyttävät johdoltamyös erilaisten toimintaverkostojen ja sidosryhmien toiminnan ja tarpeen ymmärtämistä. Tutkimustulosten perusteella myös palveluprosesseissa toimivien toimihenkilöitten tehtäväkuvia on muutettava radikaalisti ja osa uusista toimenkuvista edellyttää lisäksi henkilöitten osaamistason aktiivista parantamista. Tässä raportissa esitetään toimintamalli, jossa kuvataan tutkimuksen pohjalta luotu palvelukokonaisuuden johtamismalli ja palveluprosessien eri tehtävätasot tehtävineen. Kuvattu johtamismalli on ollut jo yleisesti käytössä yksittäisillä palvelualoilla, mutta tässä esitetty malli on valmistavan yrityksen teknisiin tukipalveluihin muokattu sovellus.

The effects of location, feedstock availability, and supply-chain logistics on the greenhouse gas emissions of forest-biomass energy utilization in Finland

Forest biomass represents a geographically distributed feedstock, and geographical location affects the greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of a given forest-bioenergy system in several ways. For example, biomass availability, forest operations, transportation possibilities and the distances involved, biomass end-use possibilities, fossil reference systems, and forest carbon balances all depend to some extent on location. The overall objective of this thesis was to assess the GHG emissions derived from supply and energy-utilization chains of forest biomass in Finland, with a specific focus on the effect of location in relation to forest biomass’s availability and the transportation possibilities. Biomass availability and transportation-network assessments were conducted through utilization of geographical information system methods, and the GHG emissions were assessed by means of lifecycle assessment. The thesis is based on four papers in which forest biomass supply on industrial scale was assessed. The feedstocks assessed in this thesis include harvesting residues, smalldiameter energy wood and stumps. The principal implication of the findings in this thesis is that in Finland, the location and availability of biomass in the proximity of a given energyutilization or energy-conversion plant is not a decisive factor in supply-chain GHG emissions or the possible GHG savings to be achieved with forest-biomass energy use. Therefore, for the greatest GHG reductions with limited forest-biomass resources, energy utilization of forest biomass in Finland should be directed to the locations where most GHG savings are achieved through replacement of fossil fuels. Furthermore, one should prioritize the types of forest biomass with the lowest direct supply-chain GHG emissions (e.g., from transport and comminution) and the lowest indirect ones (in particular, soil carbon-stock losses), regardless of location. In this respect, the best combination is to use harvesting residues in combined heat and power production, replacing peat or coal.

A comparative study of the resilience of coal logistics chains in Australia, South Africa and Canada

Au cours des dernières années l'industrie du charbon a connu un essor important. L'importance du charbon dans l'économie mondiale provient d'une demande mondiale soutenue et de niveaux de production en hausse constante. De ce fait, le nombre élevé d'importateurs et d'exportateurs est à l'origine d'un système d'échange complexe où la compétition est féroce. En effet, un nombre grandissant de pays importateurs se partagent les sources d'approvisionnement tandis qu'un nombre limité de pays exportateurs s'efforcent de répondre à la demande tout en essayant de s'accaparer le plus de parts du marché mondial. L'objectif de cette recherche s'inscrit dans ce contexte en démontrant les bénéfices associés aux chaînes logistiques résilientes pour tout acteur de l'industrie soucieux de devancer la compétition. Une analyse de la logistique de l'industrie du charbon permet entre autres de se pencher sur les questions suivantes: Comment les infrastructures influencent-elles la résilience d'une chaîne logistique? Quels risques est-ce que les catastrophes naturelles présentent pour une chaîne logistique? Comment la gouvernance influence-t-elle la résilience d'une chaîne logistique? Une chaîne logistique représente le trajet effectué par un bien ou produit au cours de son cycle de vie, du point d'origine au point de consommation. Ceci étant dit, le meilleur moyen de régler les problèmes inhérents aux chaînes logistiques est de maintenir de hauts niveaux de résilience. Cette recherche évaluera donc la résilience de chaînes logistiques du charbon des industries australienne, sud-africaine et canadienne. Pour ce faire, trois variables seront étudiées: les infrastructures, les catastrophes naturelles et la gouvernance. La comparaison des trois cas à l'étude se fera par un nombre défini d'indicateurs (12 au total) pour chacune des variables étudiées. Les résultats de cette recherche démontrent que la résilience des trois cas à l'étude se ressemble. Cependant, certaines chaînes logistiques détiennent des avantages comparatifs qui améliorent grandement leur résilience et leur compétitivité. Plusieurs sujets de recherche pourraient être utilisés pour compléter cette recherche. L'analyse comparative pourrait être appliquée à d'autres chaînes logistiques pour vérifier la viabilité des résultats. Une analyse semblable pourrait également être entreprise pour le secteur en aval de la chaîne logistique. Finalement, une méthodologie basée sur des interviews pourrait ajouter un regard différent sur les questions abordées.

Contribuyendo al reto de la sostenibilidad: el sistema producto- servicio en la industria de la moda rápida

El presente proyecto de grado se inscribe bajo el proyecto de Responsabilidad Social Empresarial de la línea de investigación de Realidad Empresarial de la Facultad de Administración de la Universidad del Rosario. El problema de investigación surge de dos problemas actuales, que convergen en la insostenibilidad a largo y mediano plazo de la manera en que se hacen la mayoría de los negocios hoy en día. El primer problema, es el de suficiencia, se evidencia desde el punto de vista del consumidor, el cual pareciera estar diseñado para comprar y acumular objetos y cosas que luego de un tiempo irán a parar a la basura. El segundo problema es el modelo de negocio que extrae recursos, los transforma, los comercializa de manera repetitiva y obliga al cliente a seguir comprando, olvidando que la mayoría de cosas que produce, terminan en el basurero. La deficiencia actual del consumismo insostenible y del diseño que no piensa en las generaciones futuras son dos caras de la misma moneda. Por eso es que se estudia el problema desde la perspectiva tanto del consumidor, como del productor. Las tendencias internacionales relacionadas con la sostenibilidad están llevando a los negocios por una nueva senda, la cual les dará ventajas competitivas a los adoptadores tempranos. A raíz de los problemas planteados y con el objetivo de encontrar la sostenibilidad empresarial, se estudia una posible solución para cada actor del problema. Por el lado del consumidor, se analiza la teoría que gira alrededor del consumo responsable y de cómo los consumidores tienen el poder de causar un efecto positivo con lo que mejor saben hacer: comprando (y eligiendo que comprar). Por el lado del productor se estudia un nuevo modelo de negocios llamado el sistema producto-servicio, el cual se enfoca a satisfacer necesidades de los clientes por medio de una combinación de prestación de servicios y facilitación de productos, en vez de la comercialización de estos. Es decir que en vez de vender cosas que los consumidores quieran acumular (problema de suficiencia), se les vende soluciones que satisfagan sus necesidades, reteniendo la compañía la propiedad sobre los productos que integran al servicio. Se estudia también de que maneras este modelo particular de sistemas producto-servicio puede ser recibido por los consumidores de hoy en día, tan acostumbrados al modelo actual. Se quiere explorar el sistema de productos y servicio como una alternativa empresarial perdurable que solucione los retos ambientales del siglo XXI. Para poder probar la viabilidad de este hipotético modelo que cambia los patrones de interacción de las empresas con los usuarios, se plantea una idea de negocio que integre productos y servicios para satisfacer las necesidades del cliente. Se escogió un área viii caracterizada por ser de las más consumistas y acumuladoras en cuanto al volumen de compras anual de los clientes: el negocio de la ropa. Y no solo cualquier tipo de ropa, sino el de la moda rápida, un modelo que obliga a los consumidores a comprar ropa con una frecuencia aún mayor. Se hizo esto con el objetivo de probar que el modelo propuesto puede funcionar inclusive bajo los supuestos más “consumistas” que existen hoy en día.

Biotic carbon feedbacks in a materially-closed soil-vegetation-atmosphere system

The magnitude and direction of the coupled feedbacks between the biotic and abiotic components of the terrestrial carbon cycle is a major source of uncertainty in coupled climate–carbon-cycle models1, 2, 3. Materially closed, energetically open biological systems continuously and simultaneously allow the two-way feedback loop between the biotic and abiotic components to take place4, 5, 6, 7, but so far have not been used to their full potential in ecological research, owing to the challenge of achieving sustainable model systems6, 7. We show that using materially closed soil–vegetation–atmosphere systems with pro rata carbon amounts for the main terrestrial carbon pools enables the establishment of conditions that balance plant carbon assimilation, and autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration fluxes over periods suitable to investigate short-term biotic carbon feedbacks. Using this approach, we tested an alternative way of assessing the impact of increased CO2 and temperature on biotic carbon feedbacks. The results show that without nutrient and water limitations, the short-term biotic responses could potentially buffer a temperature increase of 2.3 °C without significant positive feedbacks to atmospheric CO2. We argue that such closed-system research represents an important test-bed platform for model validation and parameterization of plant and soil biotic responses to environmental changes.

Dynamic simulation for closed loops in heating systems with decision-making support

Nowadays utilising the proper HVAC system is essential both in extreme weather conditions and dense buildings design. Hydraulic loops are the most common parts in all air conditioning systems. This article aims to investigate the performance of different hydraulic loop arrangements in variable flow systems. Technical, economic and environmental assessments have been considered in this process. A dynamic system simulation is generated to evaluate the system performance and an economic evaluation is conducted by whole life cost assessment. Moreover, environmental impacts have been studied by considering the whole life energy consumption, CO2 emission, the embodied energy and embodied CO2 of the system components. Finally, decision-making in choosing the most suitable hydraulic system among five well-known alternatives has been proposed.

The long wavelength limit of hard thermal loop effective actions

We derive a closed form expression for the long wavelength limit of the effective action for hard thermal loops in an external gravitational field. It is a function of the metric, independent of time derivatives. It is compared and contrasted with the static limit, and with the corresponding limits in an external Yang-Mills field. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Loops, Chains, Sheets, and Networks from Variable Coordination of Cu(hfac)(2) with a Flexibly Hinged Aminoxyl Radical Ligand

One pair of reactants, Cu(hfac)(2) = M and the hinge-flexible radical ligand 5-(3-N-tert-butyl-N-aminoxylphenyl)pyrimidine (3PPN = L), yields a diverse set of five coordination complexes: a cyclic loop M(2)L(1) dimer; a 1:1 cocrystal between an M(2)L(2) loop and an ML(2) fragment; a ID chain of M(2)L(2) loops linked by M; two 2D M(3)L(2) networks of (M-L)(n) chains crosslinked by M with different repeat length pitches; a 3D M(3)L(2) network of M(2)L(2) loops cross-linking (M-L)(n)-type chains with connectivity different from those in the 2D networks. Most of the higher dimensional complexes exhibit reversible, temperature-dependent spin-state conversion of high-temperature paramagnetic states to lower magnetic moment states having antiferromagnetic exchange within Cu-ON bonds upon cooling, with accompanying bond contraction. The 3D complex also exhibited antiferromagnetic exchange between Cu(II) ions linked in chains through pyrimidine rings.

Bethe ansatz solutions for Temperley-Lieb quantum spin chains

We solve the spectrum of quantum spin chains based on representations of the Temperley-Lieb algebra associated with the quantum groups U-q(X-n) for X-n = A(1), B-n, C-n and D-n. The tool is a modified version of the coordinate Bethe ansatz through a suitable choice of the Bethe states which give to all models the same status relative to their diagonalization. All these models have equivalent spectra up to degeneracies and the spectra of the lower-dimensional representations are contained in the higher-dimensional ones. Periodic boundary conditions, free boundary conditions and closed nonlocal boundary conditions are considered. Periodic boundary conditions, unlike free boundary conditions, bleak quantum group invariance. For closed nonlocal cases the models are quantum group invariant as well as periodic in a certain sense.

Conformation analysis of a surface loop that controls active site access in the GH11 xylanase A from Bacillus subtilis

Xylanases (EC 3.2.1.8 endo-1,4-glycosyl hydrolase) catalyze the hydrolysis of xylan, an abundant hemicellulose of plant cell walls. Access to the catalytic site of GH11 xylanases is regulated by movement of a short beta-hairpin, the so-called thumb region, which can adopt open or closed conformations. A crystallographic study has shown that the D11F/R122D mutant of the GH11 xylanase A from Bacillus subtilis (BsXA) displays a stable "open" conformation, and here we report a molecular dynamics simulation study comparing this mutant with the native enzyme over a range of temperatures. The mutant open conformation was stable at 300 and 328 K, however it showed a transition to the closed state at 338 K. Analysis of dihedral angles identified thumb region residues Y113 and T123 as key hinge points which determine the open-closed transition at 338 K. Although the D11F/R122D mutations result in a reduction in local inter-intramolecular hydrogen bonding, the global energies of the open and closed conformations in the native enzyme are equivalent, suggesting that the two conformations are equally accessible. These results indicate that the thumb region shows a broader degree of energetically permissible conformations which regulate the access to the active site region. The R122D mutation contributes to the stability of the open conformation, but is not essential for thumb dynamics, i.e., the wild type enzyme can also adapt to the open conformation.

Pseudodifferential analysis in Psi*-algebras on transmission spaces, infinite solving ideal chains and K-theory for conformally compact spaces

The present thesis is a contribution to the theory of algebras of pseudodifferential operators on singular settings. In particular, we focus on the $b$-calculus and the calculus on conformally compact spaces in the sense of Mazzeo and Melrose in connection with the notion of spectral invariant transmission operator algebras. We summarize results given by Gramsch et. al. on the construction of $Psi_0$-and $Psi*$-algebras and the corresponding scales of generalized Sobolev spaces using commutators of certain closed operators and derivations. In the case of a manifold with corners $Z$ we construct a $Psi*$-completion $A_b(Z,{}^bOmega^{1/2})$ of the algebra of zero order $b$-pseudodifferential operators $Psi_{b,cl}(Z, {}^bOmega^{1/2})$ in the corresponding $C*$-closure $B(Z,{}^bOmega^{12})hookrightarrow L(L^2(Z,{}^bOmega^{1/2}))$. The construction will also provide that localised to the (smooth) interior of Z the operators in the $A_b(Z, {}^bOmega^{1/2})$ can be represented as ordinary pseudodifferential operators. In connection with the notion of solvable $C*$-algebras - introduced by Dynin - we calculate the length of the $C*$-closure of $Psi_{b,cl}^0(F,{}^bOmega^{1/2},R^{E(F)})$ in $B(F,{}^bOmega^{1/2}),R^{E(F)})$ by localizing $B(Z, {}^bOmega^{1/2})$ along the boundary face $F$ using the (extended) indical familiy $I^B_{FZ}$. Moreover, we discuss how one can localise a certain solving ideal chain of $B(Z, {}^bOmega^{1/2})$ in neighbourhoods $U_p$ of arbitrary points $pin Z$. This localisation process will recover the singular structure of $U_p$; further, the induced length function $l_p$ is shown to be upper semi-continuous. We give construction methods for $Psi*$- and $C*$-algebras admitting only infinite long solving ideal chains. These algebras will first be realized as unconnected direct sums of (solvable) $C*$-algebras and then refined such that the resulting algebras have arcwise connected spaces of one dimensional representations. In addition, we recall the notion of transmission algebras on manifolds with corners $(Z_i)_{iin N}$ following an idea of Ali Mehmeti, Gramsch et. al. Thereby, we connect the underlying $C^infty$-function spaces using point evaluations in the smooth parts of the $Z_i$ and use generalized Laplacians to generate an appropriate scale of Sobolev spaces. Moreover, it is possible to associate generalized (solving) ideal chains to these algebras, such that to every $ninN$ there exists an ideal chain of length $n$ within the algebra. Finally, we discuss the $K$-theory for algebras of pseudodifferential operators on conformally compact manifolds $X$ and give an index theorem for these operators. In addition, we prove that the Dirac-operator associated to the metric of a conformally compact manifold $X$ is not a Fredholm operator.

Hunting for warped extra dimensions via loop-induced processes

This thesis is on loop-induced processes in theories with warped extra dimensions where the fermions and gauge bosons are allowed to propagate in the bulk, while the Higgs sector is localized on or near the infra-red brane. These so-called Randall-Sundrum (RS) models have the potential to simultaneously explain the hierarchy problem and address the question of what causes the large hierarchies in the fermion sector of the Standard Model (SM). The Kaluza-Klein (KK) excitations of the bulk fields can significantly affect the loop-level processes considered in this thesis and, hence, could indirectly indicate the existence of warped extra dimensions. The analytical part of this thesis deals with the detailed calculation of three loop-induced processes in the RS models in question: the Higgs production process via gluon fusion, the Higgs decay into two photons, and the flavor-changing neutral current b → sγ. A comprehensive, five-dimensional (5D) analysis will show that the amplitudes of the Higgs processes can be expressed in terms of integrals over 5D propagators with the Higgs-boson profile along the extra dimension, which can be used for arbitrary models with a compact extra dimension. To this end, both the boson and fermion propagators in a warped 5D background are derived. It will be shown that the seemingly contradictory results for the gluon fusion amplitude in the literature can be traced back to two distinguishable, not smoothly-connected incarnations of the RS model. The investigation of the b → sγ transition is performed in the KK decomposed theory. It will be argued that summing up the entire KK tower leads to a finite result, which can be well approximated by a closed, analytical expression.rnIn the phenomenological part of this thesis, the analytic results of all relevant Higgs couplings in the RS models in question are compared with current and in particular future sensitivities of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and the planned International Linear Collider. The latest LHC Higgs data is then used to exclude significant portions of the parameter space of each RS scenario. The analysis will demonstrate that especially the loop-induced Higgs couplings are sensitive to KK particles of the custodial RS model with masses in the multi tera-electronvolt range. Finally, the effect of the RS model on three flavor observables associated with the b → sγ transition are examined. In particular, we study the branching ratio of the inclusive decay B → X_s γ

TANK SIZING AND OPTIMIZING LOOP PLACEMENT IN A BRANCHED WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

More than eighteen percent of the world’s population lives without reliable access to clean water, forced to walk long distances to get small amounts of contaminated surface water. Carrying heavy loads of water long distances and ingesting contaminated water can lead to long-term health problems and even death. These problems affect the most vulnerable populations, women, children, and the elderly, more than anyone else. Water access is one of the most pressing issues in development today. Boajibu, a small village in Sierra Leone, where the author served in Peace Corps for two years, lacks access to clean water. Construction of a water distribution system was halted when a civil war broke out in 1992 and has not been continued since. The community currently relies on hand-dug and borehole wells that can become dirty during the dry season, which forces people to drink contaminated water or to travel a far distance to collect clean water. This report is intended to provide a design the system as it was meant to be built. The water system design was completed based on the taps present, interviews with local community leaders, local surveying, and points taken with a GPS. The design is a gravity-fed branched water system, supplied by a natural spring on a hill adjacent to Boajibu. The system’s source is a natural spring on a hill above Boajibu, but the flow rate of the spring is unknown. There has to be enough flow from the spring over a 24-hour period to meet the demands of the users on a daily basis, or what is called providing continuous flow. If the spring has less than this amount of flow, the system must provide intermittent flow, flow that is restricted to a few hours a day. A minimum flow rate of 2.1 liters per second was found to be necessary to provide continuous flow to the users of Boajibu. If this flow is not met, intermittent flow can be provided to the users. In order to aid the construction of a distribution system in the absence of someone with formal engineering training, a table was created detailing water storage tank sizing based on possible source flow rates. A builder can interpolate using the source flow rate found to get the tank size from the table. However, any flow rate below 2.1 liters per second cannot be used in the table. In this case, the builder should size the tank such that it can take in the water that will be supplied overnight, as all the water will be drained during the day because the users will demand more than the spring can supply through the night. In the developing world, there is often a problem collecting enough money to fund large infrastructure projects, such as a water distribution system. Often there is only enough money to add only one or two loops to a water distribution system. It is helpful to know where these one or two loops can be most effectively placed in the system. Various possible loops were designated for the Boajibu water distribution system and the Adaptive Greedy Heuristic Loop Addition Selection Algorithm (AGHLASA) was used to rank the effectiveness of the possible loops to construct. Loop 1 which was furthest upstream was selected because it benefitted the most people for the least cost. While loops which were further downstream were found to be less effective because they would benefit fewer people. Further studies should be conducted on the water use habits of the people of Boajibu to more accurately predict the demands that will be placed on the system. Further population surveying should also be conducted to predict population change over time so that the appropriate capacity can be built into the system to accommodate future growth. The flow at the spring should be measured using a V-notch weir and the system adjusted accordingly. Future studies can be completed adjusting the loop ranking method so that two users who may be using the water system for different lengths of time are not counted the same and vulnerable users are weighted more heavily than more robust users.