A Look Back To Look Forward: New Patterns In The Supply/Demand Equation In The Lodging Industry

In his dialogue entitled - A Look Back to Look Forward: New Patterns In The Supply/Demand Equation In The Lodging Industry - by Albert J. Gomes, Senior Principal, Pannell Kerr Forster, Washington, D.C. What the author intends for you to know is the following: “Factors which influence the lodging industry in the United States are changing that industry as far as where hotels are being located, what clientele is being served, and what services are being provided at different facilities. The author charts these changes and makes predictions for the future.” Gomes initially alludes to the evolution of transportation – the human, animal, mechanical progression - and how those changes, in the last 100 years or so, have had a significant impact on the hotel industry. “A look back to look forward treats the past as prologue. American hoteliers are in for some startling changes in their business,” Gomes says. “The man who said that the three most important determinants for the success of a hotel were “location, location, location” did a lot of good only in the short run.” Gomes wants to make you aware of the existence of what he calls, “locational obsolescence.” “Locational obsolescence is a fact of life, and at least in the United States bears a direct correlation to evolutionary changes in transportation technology,” he says. “…the primary business of the hospitality industry is to serve travelers or people who are being transported,” Gomes expands the point. Tied to the transportation element, the author also points out an interesting distinction between hotels and motels. In addressing, “…what clientele is being served, and what services are being provided at different facilities,” Gomes suggests that the transportation factor influences these constituents as well. Also coupled with this discussion are oil prices and shifts in transportation habits, with reference to airline travel being an ever increasing method of travel; capturing much of the inter-city travel market. Gomes refers to airline deregulation as an impetus. The point being, it’s a fluid market rather than a static one, and [successful] hospitality properties need to be cognizant of market dynamics and be able to adjust to the variables in their marketplace. Gomes provides many facts and figures to bolster his assertions. Interestingly and perceptively, at the time of this writing, Gomes alludes to America’s deteriorating road and bridge network. As of right now, in 2009, this is a major issue. Gomes rounds out this study by comparing European hospitality trends to those in the U.S.

Sex industry Times Square area, New York City

Inscriptions: Verso: [stamped] Credit must be given to Leinwand from Monkmeyer Press Photo Service].

Effect of milling time on mechanical properties of fly ash incorporated cement mortars

Abstract. Currently, thermal energy generation through coal combustion produces ash particles which cause serious environmental problems and which are known as Fly Ash (FA). FA main components are oxides of silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium and magnesium in addition, toxic metals such as arsenic and cobalt. The use of fly ash as a cement replacement material increases long term strength and durability of concrete. In this work, samples were prepared by replacing cement by ground fly ash in 10, 20 and 30% by weight. The characterization of raw materials and microstructure was obtained by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The final results showed that the grinding process significantly improves the mechanical properties of all samples when compared replacing a mortar made with cement by ground fly ash and the reference samples without added fly ash. The beneficial effect of the ground fly ash can increase the use of this product in precast concrete industry

Dynamic mechanical-thermal, microstructural and mechanical analysis of ultra-light polymer-metal composites: influence of forming

A really particular and innovative metal-polymer sandwich material is Hybrix. Hybrix is a product developed and manufactured by Lamera AB, Gothenburg, Sweden. This innovative hybrid material is composed by two relatively thin metal layers if compared to the core thickness. The most used metals are aluminum and stainless steel and are separated by a core of nylon fibres oriented perpendicularly to the metal plates. The core is then completed by adhesive layers applied at the PA66-metal interface that once cured maintain the nylon fibres in position. This special material is very light and formable. Moreover Hybrix, depending on the specific metal which is used, can achieve a good corrosion resistance and it can be cut and punched easily. Hybrix architecture itself provides extremely good bending stiffness, damping properties, insulation capability, etc., which again, of course, change in magnitude depending in the metal alloy which is used, its thickness and core thickness. For these reasons nowadays it shows potential for all the applications which have the above mentioned characteristic as a requirement. Finally Hybrix can be processed with tools used in regular metal sheet industry and can be handled as solid metal sheets. In this master thesis project, pre-formed parts of Hybrix were studied and characterized. Previous work on Hybrix was focused on analyze its market potential and different adhesive to be used in the core. All the tests were carried out on flat unformed specimens. However, in order to have a complete description of this material also the effect of the forming process must be taken into account. Thus the main activities of the present master thesis are the following: Dynamic Mechanical-Thermal Analysis (DMTA) on unformed Hybrix samples of different thickness and on pre-strained Hybrix samples, pure epoxy adhesive samples analysis and finally moisture effects evaluation on Hybrix composite structure.

Effects of plasticizing and crosslinking on the mechanical and barrier properties of coatings based on blends of starch and poly(vinyl alcohol)

In the last decades, intensive research has been carried out in order to replace oil-based polymers with bio-based polymers due to growing environmental concerns. So far, most of the barrier materials used in food packaging are petroleum-based materials. The purpose of the barrier is to protect the packaged food from oxygen, water vapour, water and fat. The mechanical and barrier properties of coatings based on starch-plasticizer and starch-poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH)-plasticizer blends have been studied in the work described in this thesis. The plasticizers used were glycerol, polyethylene glycol and citric acid. In a second step, polyethylene coatings were extruded onto paperboard pre-coated with a starch-PVOH-plasticizer blend. The addition of PVOH to the starch increased the flexibility of the film. Curing of the film led to a decrease in flexibility and an increase in tensile strength. The flexibility of the starch-PVOH films was increased more when glycerol or polyethylene glycol was added than citric acid. The storage modulus of the starch-PVOH films containing citric acid increased substantially at high temperature. It was seen that the addition of polyethylene glycol or citric acid to the starch-PVOH blend resulted in an enrichment of PVOH at the surface of the films. Tensile tests on the films indicated that citric acid acted as a compatibilizer and increased the compatibility of the starch and PVOH in the blend. The addition of citric acid to the coating recipe substantially decreased the water vapour transmission rate through the starch-PVOH coated paperboard, which indicated that citric acid acts as a cross-linker for starch and/or PVOH. The starch-PVOH coatings containing citric acid showed oxygen-barrier properties similar to those of pure PVOH or of a starch-PVOH blend without plasticizer when four coating layers were applied on a paperboard. The oxygen-barrier properties of coatings based on a starch-PVOH blend containing citric acid indicated a cross-linking and increase in compatibility of the starch-PVOH blends. Polyethylene extrusion coating on a pre-coated paperboard resulted in a clear reduction in the oxygen transmission rate for all the pre-coating formulations containing plasticizers. The addition of a plasticizer to the pre-coating reduced the adhesion of polyethylene to pre-coated board. Polyethylene extrusion coating gave a board with a lower oxygen transmission rate when the paperboard was pre-coated with a polyethylene-glycol-containing formulation than with a citric-acid-containing formulation. The addition of polyethylene glycol to pre-coatings indicated an increase in wetting of the pre-coated paperboard by the polyethylene melt, and this may have sealed the small defects in the pre-coating leading to low oxygen transmission rate. The increase in brittleness of starch-PVOH films containing citric acid at a high temperature seemed to have a dominating effect on the barrier properties developed by the extrusion coating process. 

Mechanical properties of adobe blocks used in building construction in Huambo Province - Angola

Despite significant advances in building technologies with the use of conventional construction materials (as concrete and steel), which significantly have driven the construction industry, earth construction have demonstrated its importance and relevance, as well as it has matched in an efficient and eco-friendly manner the social housing concerns. The diversity of earth construction techniques allowed this material to adapt to different climatic, cultural and social contexts until the present time. However, in Angola, the construction with earth is still associated with population fringes of weak economic resources, for which, given the impossibility of being able to acquire modern construction materials (steel, cement, brick, among others), they resort to the use of available natural materials. Furthermore, the lack of scientific and technical knowledge justifies the negative appreciation of traditional building techniques, and the derogatory way how are considered the earth constructions in Angolan territory. Given the country's current development status, and taking into account the environmental requirements and the real socio-economic sustainability of Angola, it is considered that one of the viable and adequate options, could be the recovering and upgrading of the ancestral techniques of earth construction. The purpose of this research is to develop the technical and scientific knowledge in order to improve and optimize these construction solutions, responding to the real problems of housing quality as well as to the current social, economic and environmental sustainability requirements. In this paper, a description of the physical and mechanical characteristics of the adobes typically used in the construction of traditional houses in some localities of Huambo, province in Angola, is carried out. The methodology was based on mechanical in-situ testing in adobe blocks manufactured with traditional procedures: i) tensile strength evaluated with the bending test and compressive strength test on earth blocks specimens; and, ii) durability and erodibility test by Geelong method adopting the New Zealand standard (NZS) procedures (4297: 1998; 4297: 1998 and 4297: 1999). The results allow the characterization of the materials used in the construction of raw earth in the Huambo region, contributing to the development of knowledge of these sustainable and traditional housing constructive solutions with a strong presence in Angola [1, 2]. This study is part of a larger project in the area of Earth Construction [3], which aims to produce knowledge which can stimulate the use of environmental friendly construction materials and contribute to develop constructive solutions with improved performance, durability, comfort, safety and sustainability.

The mechanical strength of phosphates under friction-induced cross-linking

Purpose: In the present study, we consider mechanical properties of phosphate glasses under high temperatureinduced and under friction-induced cross-linking, which enhance the modulus of elasticity. Design/methodology/approach: Two nanomechanical properties are evaluated, the first parameter is the modulus of elasticity (E) (or Young's modulus) and the second parameter is the hardness (H). Zinc meta-, pyro - and orthophosphates were recognized as amorphous-colloidal nanoparticles were synthesized under laboratory conditions and showed antiwear properties in engine oil. Findings: Young's modulus of the phosphate glasses formed under high temperature was in the 60-89 GPa range. For phosphate tribofilm formed under friction hardness and the Young's modulus were in the range of 2-10 GPa and 40-215 GPa, respectively. The degree of cross-linking during friction is provided by internal pressure of about 600 MPa and temperature close to 1000°C enhancing mechanical properties by factor of 3 (see Fig 1). Research limitations/implications: The addition of iron or aluminum ions to phosphate glasses under high temperature - and friction-induced amorphization of zinc metaphosphate and pyrophosphate tends to provide more cross-linking and mechanically stronger structures. Iron and aluminum (FeO4 or AlO4 units), incorporated into phosphate structure as network formers, contribute to the anion network bonding by converting the P=O bonds into bridging oxygen. Future work should consider on development of new of materials prepared by solgel processes, eg., zinc (II)-silicic acid. Originality/value: This paper analyses the friction pressure-induced and temperature–induced the two factors lead phosphate tribofilm glasses to chemically advanced glass structures, which may enhance the wear inhibition. Adding the coordinating ions alters the pressure at which cross-linking occurs and increases the antiwear properties of the surface material significantly.