Lean Manufacturing--Mass Customization & Marketplace simulation Assignment

Lean Manufacturing--Mass Customization & Marketplace simulation - Assignment Example Knowing what the clients or rather what the customers want is very essential. Thus, the company should be in a position to understand the need for market segmentation. This is because, in today’s marketplace, it is necessary for a company to understand the need of market segmentation because of market fragmentation. In addition, the company should be in a position to explain how the marketers evaluate segments and choose a targeting strategy. In order to choose more segments and to target more clients, the company should be able to evaluate the potential for and success in the marketplace (Cagan, & Vogel, 2002). The process to which a computer producing company needs in order to have a good and continuous improvement is by knowing how much, and the quality and stability of computers the company supplies to the market. The computer company should be able to isolate and validate the goods they process, for instance: keyboards mouse, monitors, and processors among others. While in the market place target other markets. This particular computer company should not only focus on the current marketplace, and it should try to reach out to other markets for more profits. If the computer company invest in more designs and improve the quality and the designs of the machines it produces, it will be able to accomplish the market business stimulation it needs in the

Professional and academic background Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professional and academic background - Essay Example I was enrolled for leadership in teaching advanced writing class to enhance workshop learning for students. I am working as a personal tutor and as a tutor for the university-tutoring program at the University of Rochester; my courses as a tutor include Introduction to Economics, Economic Statistics, Econometrics, Calculus I & II, Theoretical Linear Algebra, Probability. This experience has improved my knowledge requirements in the interdisciplinary subjects of the course. I have thus the strong knowledge and skills for mathematics, economics and interdisciplinary subjects like econometrics, economic statistics that I deserve admission for the course. I published one article per day in a local business page in Chinese Taipei in the summer of 2005; I also attended press conferences and wrote some reports in special columns. I participated in some copy desk editing work, and helped with translating between Mandarin and English. I also made money by doing online business especially in a dvertising field for different Internet sites. In this course once in a week seminars are conducted with the people from the financial world like Wall Street etc, to know about the happenings in the financial world. My skills will be highly helpful to understand the situations. I worked for a library as a Circulation Desk Student Supervisor, Project Supervisor, Stack organizer, this is helpful to complete the assignments related to the library work fastly. Academic background I have a bachelor of science degree in mathematics, Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and minor in philosophy with the GPA of 3.93, 3.91,3.9 respectively. These are the basic requirements of the course. I have a good GPA for the subjects. I have a GRE score of 630 out of 800, which is relatively a good score to get admission. In addition to this I have done some research papers in mathematics of political modeling, on measurements of power, and fairness of voting at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. I have done honors senior thesis in Macroeconomic Forecasting, subtopics were Research into the mechanisms and programming techniques of modern forecasting, development and construction of a unique macroeconomic forecasting model. I have received the awards as the Deans list recipient. I am currently member of University of Rochester's Economic council and International Ambassadors Organization. My professional and academic background is such that I can surely get admission into the Advanced degree in Financial Engineering at Columbia

The most successful stage effects and language techniques used to create dramatic tension Essay Example for Free

The most successful stage effects and language techniques used to create dramatic tension Essay Introduction Macbeth is at first seen as a courageous soldier who is loyal to his King, he and the King have a close relationship, the King loves him almost like a son. So, why should he murder the man who thinks so fondly of him? I believe Macbeth to be an intelligent man but he is corrupted, by his own ambition, greed and by his wife Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth initially appears as a kind wife but we soon learn underneath lies a scheming and manipulative woman. We see Lady Macbeth take control of the situation as Macbeths weaknesses begin to unfold. Macbeths character dramatically changes as this scene progresses as the realization of what he has done dawns on him, he becomes more and anxious and hysterical, everything troubles him; Whence is that knocking? How ist with me, when every noise appalls me? The scene begins with Lady Macbeth anxiously waiting for her husbands return, tension is created because we are unable to see or hear Macbeths actions. This is an example of Shakespeares skill with stagecraft. Lady Macbeth pretends to be in control of the situation when in actual fact she is far from in control. This is given away by her reaction to An owl Shrieks; Hark, peace! It was the owl that striekd, the fatal bellman. Which gives the sternst good-night. He is about it. The sound of the owl is a simple but effective stage effect, creating tension. This is because the owl shrieks symbolised the night watchman who would ring the bell outside the cells of prisoners condemned to death. A 16th century audience would have been recognised what Shakespeare meant, creating an image in peoples minds building up more suspense within the play. Lady Macbeth also says; I heard the owl scream and the crickets cry Crickets were also believed by the Elizabethans to be the messenger of death, which is another effective stagecraft using imagery. I believe the mention of the owl also symbolises darkness, as the owl is a creature of the night, giving the scene a darker more chilling edge. Macbeth crys out Whos there? What ho? This offstage noise leaves the audience thinking that Macbeth has been caught Shakespeare uses monosyllabic language in this quote to enhance the feelings of urgency and panic, which is a good use of language to create dramatic tension. Lady Macbeth does not immediately see her husband, this could be because of the imagery of darkness or maybe because Macbeth enters elsewhere. She hears his cry and doubts him; she thinks he has disturbed someone Alack, Im afraid they have awakd, And tis not done; thattempt and not the deed Confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready, He could not miss em. There is urgency and panic in her speech and a sense of desperation, this creates dramatic tension for the audience as you can feel Lady Macbeths worry. Macbeths anxiety prevents him from going back to the scene of the murder Ill go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; Look ont again, I dare not. Lady Macbeth shows here frustration (anxiety) at Macbeths attitude and takes the daggers from Macbeth Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead Are but pictures; tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted devil. It is obvious from this quote that Lady Macbeth is angry with Macbeth, she is in a rage, probably because she to struggling to stay in control of the situation and because the thought of them both being discovered scares her. She is however under the infuence of alcohol, so has courage That which hath made them drunk, hath made me bold; to take the daggers back. She views Macbeth as being week minded and childish. This allows Shakespeare to take Lady Macbeth from the stage and create another stage effect leaving Macbeth to become even more hysterical. He is standing in the courtyard where anyone could catch him generating more tension. Then there is a knock at the gate, which makes the already jumpy Macbeth even worse; Whence is that knocking? How ist with me, when every noise appals me? The knocking gives the audience reader a feeling that the discovery of the murder is only being delayed by Macbeths anxious talk. What hands are here? Ha: they pluck out mine eyes. Will all great neptunes ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No: this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine, Making the green one red. In this quote Shakespeare applies the imagery blood. This has connotations of treason, guilt, murder and death. Macbeth wants to cleanse his hands from the blood to rid him of any evidence connecting him to the murder and perhaps clear his troubled mind. Also the punctuation Shakespeare uses makes Macbeth seem even more troubled as he talks to him self. The use of colons makes it seem as if Macbeth is having an argument within himself almost verging on schizophrenia. Shakespeares use of language and structure manages to create tension throughout this act. He manages to gradually build up stage effects and language little by little, increasing the use of monosyllabic language and imagery taking the reader/audience on a roller coaster of emotions. His use of language and effects in the right places helps the characters and the play to become really believable. I believe this scene is designed with the sole intention of creating tension and to make the reader/audience believe the Macbeth will be caught, creating dramatic tension for the acts which follow.

Principle of Sovereign Immunity

Principle of Sovereign Immunity It is undisputed that international law is based on reciprocity, and nowhere is this more apparently than in the area of diplomatic relations and immunities. Thus the principle of equality of sovereign states is enshrined in Art 1(2) of the Charter of the United Nations, and the notion of state immunities including those afforded to its sovereigns operates on this principle, specifically â€Å"par in parem non hebet imperium† where since both states are equal, one cannot be subject to the jurisdiction and the courts of another. Furthermore, it is now widely accepted the heads of states and foreign ministers in representing states are also afforded this immunity to allow them to carry out their functions properly. However, modern times which has seen a rise in a respect of human rights has found a new clash with the principle of sovereign immunity. As such, international jurisprudence is now developing and arguably struggling to try and achieve a balance between these two objec tives, a matter which will be analysed in this essay. Ratione personae and Ratione Materiae The two different types of immunities delegated to state representatives will be noted at the outset, namely ratione personae and ratione materiae. The former allows immunities to a particular person from the jurisdiction of a states courts by virtue of the office he holds, for any of his actions whether conducted in an official or private capacity. Since this type of immunity is only required for a practical basis to allow functioning, once the individual leaves office this type of immunity lapses. The second type of immunity is that of ratione materiae, where it is the nature of the act which immunity is afforded to. Here, if an act was carried out in an official capacity it can not be the subject of a court action, based on the principle of the sovereign equality of state as noted above and non-intervention of one state into another states affairs. Since the nature of the act is the determining factor here, the immunity remains even if the official in question has left his post. The distinction is pointed out at the outset since the Courts have dealt with the two different types of immunities differently. Ratione materia will be dealt with in the first instance. The Pinochet Case Ratione Materia The issue of the potential conflict of immunities and human rights violations came to the forefront when the former President of Chile, Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, visited the United Kingdom in 1998 for medical reasons. While there, the Spanish government requested the UK government to extradite Pinochet to face charges of inter alia torture and conspiracy to torture in the Spanish Courts under legislation enacting the Convention Against Torture [CAT] (1984). The issue went to the UK House of Lords where it was held that Pinochet could not claim immunity for his acts as a former head of state against allegations of torture. The immunity claimed in this case was that of ratione materia, since Pinochet was clearly not a current head of state and thus ratione personae immunity was not available to him. Although the House of Lords approved the judgement by a large majority there was only one dissenting Lord a variety of reasoning was employed. Lord Browne-Wilkinson, Lord Hope and Lord Saville found that those who had signed the CAT had impliedly waivered state immunity for their sovereigns. It was noted that the definition of Torture provided for in Art 1 of CAT required for the acts complained of to have either been carried out by or with the involvement of a state official. As such, any allegation of torture would necessarily always be able to be met with a defence of state immunity which would render the CAT meaningless. Such an analysis is quite insightful, but may creates problems of distinction for claimants relying on the customary prohibition of torture rather than CAT. Criminal and Civil Liability Other judges adopted a more broad consideration of the issue, where it was held that due to the heinousness of the act of torture and the jus cogens nature of the prohibition of torture, immunity ratione materia could never be a valid defence. Their Lordships pointed out that the purpose of the immunity is to ensure that the national courts of one state do not adjudicate on the responsibly of another, but in this case they were dealing with an issue of individual criminal liability and to hold immunity existed in this case would go beyond the purposes intended for such immunities, namely stability of international relations. Thus, a distinction can be seen between criminal liability cases and civil liability which would necessarily entail criminal responsibility. This distinction can be appreciated in a later case. In Al-Adsani v UK, the applicant was a dual UK and Kuwaiti national who alleged that on a visit to Kuwait, he was subjected to torture in a Kuwaiti state prison as retaliation for his circulating sexual tapes showing the Emir of Kuwaits brother, the Sheikh. He brought a claim in the UK for physical injuries and mental suffering caused from the treatment he suffered against inter alia the state of Kuwait. The UK Courts however held that Kuwaits claim to the state immunity Act 1978 succeeded. The Court of Appeal referred the case to the European Court of Human Rights where the applicant alleged that in invoking state immunity and not allowing his case to be heard in the UK Courts, the UK violated Art 6, the right of a fair trial. This was a more contentious matter and the Court very narrowly held, with a nine to eight vote majority that the right of access was not violated by upholding the defence of state immunity. Here the European Court pointed out that the nature of jurisdictional immunities acted as a procedural bar, and if waived by the host state a substantive case could be heard. The Court pointed out that sovereign immunity was an essential concept of international law, with a legitimate aim of promoting comity and good international relations. As such, a distinction had to be made with civil suits and criminal cases. A criminal case, as in the case of Pinochet, went to the question of individual criminal liability for acts. A case for civil damages however, would necessarily have to find state responsibility and the Court concluded in its analysis of the case law that an international norm excluding liability for civil damages had not emerged. Such an approach of distinguishing criminal and civil liability was repeated by the UK Courts in Jones v Saudi Arabia, where it was held immunity could not be waived for a claim for civil damages as a result of torture. Some commentators have suggested that the civil-criminal liability is distinguished due to the nature of the crimes in the case. However, the analysis of the Court seems to suggest a different ground of distinction in this case Criminal responsibility is based on individuals, and thus does not involve any question of state liability or state sovereignty. The case of Re Pinochet did not entail any judgement at all in the actions of Chile as a state itself, and render it liable for any reparations for example. If however there was to be no state immunity allowed in Al-Adsani, it would be found that Kuwait entailed responsibility for the actions and liable for damages, thus entering into the realms of state sovereignty and non-intervention in other states affairs. The effect on international relations was therefore clearly a determining factor in this case. Where there was less of an effect on international status in criminal cases, more weight was given to human rights norms. Normative Hierarchy Theory Of course, the dissenting judges in Al-Adsani did not consider that the distinction between civil and criminal liability was important enough when pitted against a prohibition of torture. Many judges pointed out that since the Court accepted that torture was a jus cogens norm, they should also accept that it would always prevail over all other norms including those of state immunity. Thus the status of torture would invalidate immunity laws or its effect at least for that particular case. This has been described as a normative hierarchy theory since torture is a jus cogens norm, it goes above the norm of state immunity. Some of the judges in Re Pinochet also adopted this theory. The Pinochet case is considered by many around the world as revolutionary as it is principally the first case to consider that immunity did not exist for allegations of egregious human rights violations. This approach is attractive from the human rights perspective and does accord well with the prohibition of torture in international law in stating that there can be no justification whatsoever for the use of torture. However, there are relatively few jus cogens norms in international law, and even the status of torture as jus cogens is disputed. Adopting such a theory in absence of other justifications would mean that other human rights violations cannot be pitted against the laws of state immunity. No immunity for ratione personae A further distinction that has been made by Courts is that for existing officials of state, who still hold immunity ratione personae. This can be seen in the Arrest Warrants case held before the ICJ. Under a Belgian law of 1993 Belgian Courts had universal jurisdiction in respect of grave breaches of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity, irrespective or not of whether the offender has acted in an official capacity. On this basis a Belgian investigating judge issued an arrest warrant in absentia for the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Congo. Congo responded by taking the matter to the ICJ, challenging that that the alleged arrest warrant violated the principle of sovereign equality among member states of the UN as enshrined in Art 2(1) of the UN Charter, as well as diplomatic immunity for ministers of foreign affairs for a sovereign state as laid out in Art 41(2) for the 1862 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. The majority of the ICJ, thirteen votes to three, held that the arrest warrant was indeed in violation of customary international law laying down rules of absolute inviolably and immunity from criminal proceedings of incumbent foreign ministers, therefore breaching principles of sovereign equality among states. However, no form of satisfaction was awarded other than the judgement which the Court held would make good the moral injury complained of by the Congo. This case thus shows that the doctrine adopted in Pinochet is highly unlikely to extend to existing officials, illustrating that the main rationale behind immunities is to allow international relations to develop. Holding a Foreign Minister liable to prosecution in another country while he is still Foreign Minister would greatly impair this ability as the Court noted in its majority judgement, Foreign Ministers are allowed this immunity to allow them to travel and communicate with other states and allowed effective representation of their State. The Court, like other decisions abovementioned, did emphatically state that immunity did not equate to impunity and the procedural bar of immunity once lifted could hold an individual responsible, such as before the courts of his own country, where the state has waived immunity, after the person in question has ceased to hold public office or perhaps in the future under the International Criminal Court. The Court can be said to show some lea ning towards appreciation of human rights when it did not approve of damages further than the damage being claimed, recognising perhaps that to award damages to someone accused of such egregious human rights violations would exceed the doctrine of immunities and would not serve a beneficial purpose. Judges Higgins, Koojimans and Burgenthal issued a separate opinion in the Arrest Warrants case, where they dissented with the Court requiring a cancellation of the Arrest Warrant issued by Belgium. They noted that the Court noted the provision of immunities to the Foreign Minister in this case was to allow his continue travelling and maintain communication and relations with other states in order to represent his state effectively. However, since he was no longer Foreign Minister at the time of the hearing at the international court there was no longer need for this expansive immunity and as such a cancellation of the arrest warrant would not be required. Such opinions are clearly based on the rationale behind immunity being that of functionality of international relations once this is no longer at risk a whole immunity is no longer required. Judge Van Den Wyngaert went even further and stated that the Court had taken immunities too far in creating a potential violation of international human rights.23 The dissenting judges in this case therefore clearly carried out balancing exercises between the two objectives of functionality of international relations and human rights with some reaching different conclusions to others. It is particularly notable that following this case, under diplomatic pressure from other states Belgium amended its laws on 23 April 2003 and once again on 5th August of that year, holding persons granted immunity under international law will be excluded from the reach of that legislation. Many commentators have regretted that diplomatic pressure and international politics has ‘destroyed the revolutionary character of Belgiums legislation in this case. In conclusion therefore an analysis of international case-law shows that allowing immunity to provide for and facilitate international relations has been seen as a particularly important objective Thus immunities have not been waived with regard to those still holding office. As Judge Van den Wyngaert pointed out in dissenting in the Arrest Warrants case, such an approach is likely to have stemmed from a consideration of avoiding chaos and abuse in international processes. Even where immunities have been waived with regard to those who have formerly held office, as in the Pinochet case for example, this has only been done with regard to individual criminal liability where Courts point out that they are not invoking the responsibility of states. Furthermore, the issue is only ever raised with regard to particularly egregious human rights norms such as those of torture and it seems hardly likely immunity would be waived for a norm perceived to be of lesser value such as an economic an d social right of development. Thus, while international law is clearly developing in the area of human rights, the fact that immunities is based on such an important precept of international law renders Courts very reluctant to waive immunity, and they have only done so on very limited occasions. Many commentators have criticised this Caplan for example points out that a theory of collective state benefit should be employed and granting immunities to human rights violates does not benefit the collective international community.28 McGregor points out that the new UN Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and their Properties does not include any reference to human rights and criticises the lack of a human rights protocol, as does Denza. It is the very nature of international law however that law can only be made when states reach a consensus, and until they reach a consensus to not raise claims of infringement of sovereignty by waiving immunity, it is anticipated that very slow progress will be made in this area.

Holdens Depression in Catcher in the Rye Essay -- J. D. Salinger

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, portrays Holden Caulfield as a manic-depressive. Holden uses three techniques throughout the novel to cope with his depression. He smokes, drinks, and talks to Allie. Although they may not be positive, Holden finds comfort in these three things. Holden smokes a lot when he is nervous, or bored. When the stripper is in his room he noticed that she is shaking her foot as if she is nervous. He offers her a cigarette, twice. Both times she says no. Holden offers Sunny the cigarette because he thinks it would calm her down, like cigarettes calm him down when he is nervous. â€Å"I sat in the chair for a while and smoked a couple of cigarettes†¦boy, I felt miserable† (98). The smoking habit may have come from his mother. Holden says his mother smokes a ton when she is nervous (158). Holden does this when he is nervous too. The additive nicotine calms a person’s nerves when they smoke. He continues to smoke when he is nervous, and if one cigarette doesn’t do it, he’ll smoke another making him an avid chain smoker. He smoked two packs in the first few d...

job description :: essays research papers

Medical Bookkeeper Reports to:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Department: Classification:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Division: Date:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Approved: JOB FUNCTION: This bookkeeper position is responsible for pricing of surgeries and other services provided by the physicians and also for telephone collections and patient inquiries. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pricing: a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obtains chart from secretary. b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reads the operative report, applies appropriate fee schedule, posts to the batch, secures physician approval of any changes, follows through on the necessary changes, and posts into the system. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prepares a monthly written report of the physicians' totals. d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Educates new physicians to the Clinic pricing system. e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prices new surgeries by comparing with fees from other clinics. f.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Provides an estimate of surgery charges to patients. g.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Enters new patient accounts on computer. h.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Posts all daily charges. i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creates and maintains up-to-date procedural manuals for each physician as these procedures affect and are affected by this position. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Collections: a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Performs all collection functions for the Clinic, including working with the insurance companies and the patients. b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Turns over collectables to the collection agency with the approval of the physicians and the Business Manager. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Checks with attorneys on the status of legal patients every three months. d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Calls patients and insurance companies for collections. e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inquires monthly about the 90-day-and-older accounts from the computer. f.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obtains the necessary statements from the computer and performs write-offs. g.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Locates patients who have moved. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Patient Inquiries/Patient Relations: a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Locates charts and X rays. Copies them and sends them to other orthopedic physicians as requested. b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Updates patients' personal data. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Occasionally enters an insurance number for a new patient when it is phoned in. d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Requests itemized statements through the computer daily in response to patient requests. e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With regard to cycle billings, assists the Bookkeeper–Computer in disassembling and preparing them for mailing three times a month. f.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Receives telephone calls from patients inquiring about their accounts. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other Duties: a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Opens mail, posts payments, and balances. b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Handles miscellaneous mail, such as insurance rejections, statements for patients, etc. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Helps Bookkeeper–Computer balance at the end of the month and assists in finding errors. ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Functions as a backup for the Bookkeeper–Computer. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Performs other duties as required and assigned by the Business Manager. Challenges Unique to this Position: The fee practices of each of the physicians and the interpretation of charges differ to some degree, and this bookkeeper must be able to recognize possible areas of difficulty and take appropriate steps.

Engineering the Impossible

Cities Inside a City Engineering the Impossible focused on three incredible, yet physically possible, engineering projects: the 170-story Millennium Tower, the nine mile (14 km)-long Gibraltar Bridge, and the 4000+-foot-long Freedom Ship. Millenium Tower Imagine a skyscraper almost twice the size of the Empire State Building. This colossus would be a city within a city, hosting its own hospitals, schools, and a range of entertainment and retail options large enough to attract and keep the traffic necessary for the financial success of such an endeavor. Stats:Height: 2,755 feet, 170 stories Resident Population: 52,000 Elevator Traffic: 100,000 people per day Location: Hong Kong Harbor Closest Living Relative: Petronas Towers, Kuala Lampur (1,483 feet, 88 stories) Construction Duration: Approximately 10 years Cost: $10 billion Beyond the physical challenges of building the tallest skyscraper in the world, it will only be successful if it attracts residents, tourists and offices. The Mi llennium Tower needs to offer many choices to make it a destination of choice. Residents can go to not just one grocery store, but many.Office workers can browse a few clothing stores on their level or the same amount 30 floors up. Tourists can find the movie they want in at least one of the many theaters available. Designers say Millennium Tower will house as many options as you'd find in several city blocks. Construction of the Millennium Tower will include traditional building techniques, that, in this case, will put ironworkers thousands of feet in the air to place 5-ton girders with a minimum of safety gear. But engineers are planning to also use a new technology — building by computer.The Self-Rising Factory is a set of computerized cranes and lifts surrounded by a weatherproof enclosure. According to a precise schedule, the steel beams are essentially handed to the machinery which then places them for workers to bolt together. Once the beams and concrete panels for eac h floor are complete, the machinery hoists the entire structure and the process starts over. Gibraltar Bridge A bridge spanning 9 miles over the Straits of Gibraltar at the entryway to the Mediterranean would be the longest and tallest ever built.It would connect cultures of Christianity and Islam and potentially increase ties between the economies of Europe and Africa. Stats: Location: Strait of Gibraltar. Links Spain and Morocco. Length: 9 miles, Two spans of 4 1/2 miles each Height: Each tower is 3,000 feet tall (twice as high as the world's tallest skyscraper) Width: 5 traffic lanes, 2 breakdown lanes in each direction Road Deck Material: Fiberglass Length of Wire Cables: 1,000,000 miles (Enough to circle the Earth almost 30 times) Closest living relative: Akashi bridge in Japan, world's longest suspension bridge at 12,828 feet.Cost: $15 billion Dangers: Wind speeds of 80 mph at tops of towers, ship collision, ocean currents, traffic, Sahara Desert dust storms Building a bridge the size and configuration of Gibraltar Bridge is usually protected by artificial islands so that ships run aground before they can do any damage to the structure. But building an artificial island in the ocean isn't an option. Instead designers envision a ring of underwater bumpers to withstand ship collisions. This could be impossible to span a 9-mile bridge but actually, they can.When determining the exact size of the bridge, designers had to choose between a shallow area that spanned 20 miles, which would have meant many piers in a busy shipping zone, and a narrow portion that's 2,700 feet deep. But designers lucked out. After closer inspection of the narrow portion revealed an underwater â€Å"mountain† in the center that could hold the center piers, dividing the bridge into to spans of 4 1/2 miles each. 5 lanes of traffic in either direction will flow over a roadbed made of spun glass.Fiberglass materials of this sort are rated 5 times stronger than concrete, and any cr acks or other damage could be isolated due to its web-like internal structure. Engineers say fiberglass bridge materials can last up to 100 years. They're also easier to install. A concrete roadway on the Gibraltar Bridge would take 3 months to pour as opposed to a few days or weeks with fiberglass. Freedom Ship Freedom Ship's designers originally planned to create an island community to provide Hong Kong-based businesses a place to relocate if the handover of that city to China were to make life difficult for them.When they applied the same model to a moving sea platform, they ended up with what would be the largest ocean-going vessel ever constructed — the minimum requirement for a city at sea. Stats: Length: Approximately 1 mile Width: 3 city blocks (4,320 feet) Height: 25 stories Weight: 3 million tons Volume: Titanic, Queen Mary, USS Nimitz and super-tanker Jahre Viking would all fit comfortably inside. Population: 50,000 residents, 15,000 workers, 20,000 visitors/day Co nstruction: Hull composed of 600 120'x100†² steel cells bolted together.Location: Circles globe every two years Closest Living Relative: Japan's Megafloat Airport, Tokyo Bay (1km long, 70 meters wide, 20 meters depth) (Series of interlocking pressurized steel boxes) Power: 100 electric podded propulsers at 3500 horsepower each. Cost: $9 billion Freedom Ship's designers say it will be able to handle tidal waves and large-scale hurricanes by steering out of their way to avoid them altogether. If a confrontation is unavoidable, they'll turn all of the ship's 100 propellers, pointing towards the center of the ship for stability.The ship's hull is composed of 600 huge air-tight steel boxes. A significant number of these would have to be punctured before residents noticed anything amiss. Freedom Ship's designers call it a floating sea platform. In simliar design, Japan's MegaFloat airport id built out of steel boxes bolted together to form a surface on the water. Whereas the airport is moored to keep it from drifting, Freedom Ship would be mobile. A structure this size couldn't be built in a traditional manner at a shipbuilding facility and subsequently be lauched into the sea.The construction on this project would instead take place in the water, with large pieces floated out to be attached on the site. Freedom Ship's designers aim to create a new lifestyle. Residents will have a homelife while constantly traveling. The ship would be like a â€Å"Disneyland† offshore, entertaining tourists with the amenities of a resort while residents enjoy daytrips in each port. If successfully built The Freedom Ship will be the largest ocean going vessel in history, it will become a luxury city afloat travelling the world.