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Highway maintenance: impact of framework agreements on contractor performance
No full textPurpose: The construction industry in the UK has a history of client dissatisfaction. A potential solution for improvement is through use of a framework agreement, where long-term relationships between parties may focus upon performance. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether use of framework agreements for highway maintenance projects can result in significant improvement for performance when compared with engagement of contractors through traditional discrete methods.
Design/Methodology/Approach: A single-case study approach is used to investigate outcomes set within the context of a major county council in the UK. Quantitative data compiled from 164 civil engineering highway maintenance projects are separated into two groups – one represents those procured using traditional discrete methods and the other within a framework agreement.
Findings: Results from independent-samples t-tests identified significant improvements in overall performance and in time (finish on time), cost (payment accuracy) and quality (defects and health and safety) resulted from the framework agreements.
Research Limitations/Implications: The results of this study are derived from one unique and typical case, but they form a baseline upon which further research can build to test their significance in many other settings for construction and maintenance programme, especially in housing, education and highways. This research does not cover the impact of framework agreements on production and transaction costs which should be treated as a separate area for further research.
Practical Implications: Councils have a statutory duty to provide and maintain a wide range of local services and facilities, including transportation and road network. Conclusions from this study support use of framework agreements within a public sector environment, leading to improvement for contractor performance due to longer term relationship with clients. This in turn enhances quality of works and hence value for money from the councils’ highway budgets.
Originality/Value: Construction frameworks are a relatively new idea. Although a number of frameworks have been concluded, there is very little analysis regarding performance outcomes. This research tested and confirmed the validity of impact of this new approach on contractor performance
Occurrence of estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals concern in sewage plant effluent
No full textThe purpose of this study was to give a worldwide overview of the concentrations of typical estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the effluent of sewage plants and then compare the concentration distribution of the estrogenic EDCs in ten countries based on the survey data of the estrogenic EDCs research. The concentrations of three main categories (totally eight kinds) of estrogenic EDCs including steroidal estrogens (estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2)), phenolic compounds (nonylphenol (NP) and bisphenol A (BPA)) and phthalate esters (dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and dibutyl phthalate (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)) in the effluents of sewage plants reported in major international journals over the past decade were collected. The statistics showed that the concentration distributions of eight kinds of EDCs were in the range of ng·L−1 to μg·L−1. The concentrations of steroidal estrogens mainly ranged within 50.00 ng·L−1, and the median concentrations of E1, E2, E3 and EE2 were 11.00, 3.68, 4.90 and 1.00 ng·L−1, respectively. Phenolic compounds and phthalate esters were found at μg·L−1 level (some individual values were at the high level of 40.00 μg·L−1). The median concentrations of BPA, NP, DBP and DEHP were 0.06, 0.55, 0.07 and 0.88 μg·L−1, respectively. The concentrations of phenolic compounds and phthalate esters in the effluents were higher than that of steroids estrogens. The analysis of the concentration in various ten countries showed that steroids estrogens, phenolic compounds and phthalate esters in sewage plant effluents were detected with high concentration in Canada, Spain and China, respectively
High intensity training and salivary immunoglobulin: a responses in professional top-level soccer players: effect of training intensity
No full textThis study aimed 1)- to test the hypothesis that salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) would vary with training intensity sessions (low intensity [LI] vs. high intensity sessions [HI]) during a traditional training program divided in 4 training periods and 2)- to identify key variables (e.g. GPS data, RPE, training duration) which could affect s-IgA.
Saliva samples of 10 elite professional soccer players were collected a)- before the investigation started to establish the baseline level, b)-before and after each 4 training sessions (LI vs. HI). Training intensity was monitored as internal (via heart rate responses and RPE) and external (via GPS) loads.
HI sessions were associated with higher external load (GPS) and with higher RPE. Baseline and Pre-Training s-IgA did not differ between the 4 training sessions both for HI and LI. Post-Training s-IgA were not different (in absolute value and in percentage of change) between HI and LI sessions at the first three periods. However, at the fourth period, s-IgA concentration for HI session was significantly lower (p\u3c0.05) than the LI session. The percentage change between s-IgA post-training and s-IgA baseline concentrations differ significantly (p\u3c0.05) between HI and LI training sessions. Significant correlations between s-IgA and training intensity were also noted.
HI soccer training sessions might cause a significant decrease in s-IgA values during the post-exercise window as compared with LI sessions. This study encourages coaches to monitor s-IgA in routine particularly during HI training periods to take precautions to avoid upper respiratory tract infection in highly trained soccer players
Replanting the flower in different soil? a critical analysis of education borrowing in Hong Kong
No full textThis paper critically analyses the impact the New Senior Secondary (NSS) has had on Hong Kong through Phillips and Ochs’ four-stage model of policy borrowing in education. It argues that the Hong Kong government overlooked the fundamental contextual differences between the two curricula, and that this incompatibility has led to various challenges in integrating the NSS into the existing education system. This paper also contributes to the methodological literature on comparative education and theorisation of education borrowing by illustrating the importance of context. The monopolistic and generalisation assumptions in the positivist paradigm have misled many governments to reify statistics and uncritically transfer incompatible policies to their home countries; the case of the NSS in Hong Kong is an example of this. Although the interpretivist paradigm helps comparativists better understand local context, it is also important to be aware of the limitations of the analytical model used here. Phillips and Ochs’ model was developed based on observations of education borrowing between England and Germany, and it might not truly represent the situation in non-English speaking Asian countries. Also, the model was not specifically built for a capitalist economy, and, therefore, comparativists also need to be aware of the economic structure of the country they are studying, as this can greatly affect the aim of public education. Further study should incorporate literatures and models from Asian countries in order to make the analysis more relevant
Adaptive reuse of industrial buildings for affordable housing in Hong Kong
No full textIn response to the urban shortage of affordable housing, this paper elaborates on research findings on potential solutions for alleviating the current housing crisis in Hong Kong. This research specifically investigates the opportunities and constraints inherent in transforming industrial warehouses into residential units, from urban planning and architectural perspectives. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and it is currently facing an urgent call to provide adequate housing for its citizens. Although the Housing Authority is expending great effort to expedite public housing construction, finding an immediate solution to alleviate the current housing crisis remains doubtful as tremendous time and resources would be needed. At the same time, rapid urbanization in some industrial districts, such as Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan, has left many old industrial buildings vacant. This paper proposes revitalizing selected abandoned industrial spaces and converting them into habitable units. In a larger sense, it proposes a theoretical framework for a sustainable methodology for urban revitalization and adaptive reuse. While focusing on developing an integrated strategy for converting specific old industrial districts into public housing, the ultimate goal of this research is to become a model for other old industrial districts and provide a new affordable housing solution
